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52
JAINA STORIES
"My daughter! I am the deity of this city. I am deeply mortified at thy father's behaviour. So I have come to help thee"
Then pointing to the young man she said,
"This beautiful and lucky young man is meant for thee. You give up this leper and be his wife. You will be happy with him. I shall help you in all respects
""
This was really a trap and how many would come out successful? Mairavati was one of those that are steadfast in all situations. She said:
"Mother! I haven't enough words to thank thee. But I am duly married with this man with the consent of my father. So how do you think I can give him up? A woman courts a husband but once. He may be a leper, but to me he is the king of kings, my all. I only beg and entreat that this man whom you have brought with you may be withdrawn and restored to his proper place"
The deity took this refusal as an affront to herself. She hurled the princess into the sky saying:
"If you take my advice, you will be happy; otherwise, I will kill you"
The princess was helpless but she was incessantly uttering the holy namokara. And them a miracle happened. There was neither the deity nor the leper; instead, a divine person stood before her. He said to the princess :
"There is a city named Manipur on the Vaitadhya hill. I am Manichuda, its king Once, while wandering, I heard
somebody say,
Crows are black everywhere Parrots are ever green, Happy are happy everywhere Misery the wretches are in!
I thought of testing the truth of this and changed myself into a leper. Just then the king's men picked me up.
