________________
The next day, she narrated her dream to the king and wished her desire to make it real. The king and the queen in man's attire went on the elephant ride. As the ride was going smoothly, the elephant all of a sudden went amuck despite the mahout's attempt to control the elephant. Running wildly, the elephant entered into the fields and the forests. Trying to escape from any possible misfortune, the king attempted along with the queen to hang on to the tree branch. While the king made it to safe, the queen was stuck behind on the elephant, which after sometime, became calm and entered a nearby pond. No sooner the elephant entered the pond, the queen hurriedly swam out and sought refuge in the forest, and eventually reached a burial ground. By this time, she was ready to deliver a baby boy on her own. Then a vidyādhara appeared before the queen. He paid homage and how grateful he was for his freedom arrived at last from the curse he had as the chandāla of the burial ground. The curse was that he would be reverted back to be vidhyādhara when a lady gives birth to a son in this burial place.
Consequently, the vidyādhara gave protection to both. The boy was named Karakāndu as he was delivered by his own mother. He was brought up under the care of the vidhyādhara, and became well versed in various arts and sciences.
The king of the country had passed away without an heir, and the minister thus decided to find the heir to the throne by choosing the royal elephant sent in search of the future king. If the elephant garlands any one in the town, he would be chosen as the king. The elephant followed by the officials strolled all over the town, but it did not garland any. Instead, it went to the forest unguided to the surprise of the officials, who nevertheless followed the elephant. An young and bright lad resting under a tree was woken as the elephant garlanded him. The news was immediately relayed to the minister who instructed that the young man must come to the palace.
Karakāndu was thus became the king of the country. Sooner he occupied the throne, built up the army to a level that he could go to war to expand his empire. He was very victorious in all his exploits, His conquering campaign marched southwards to the region of Ter, whose king acknowledged Karakāndu's lordship. During this sojourn, he was informed that an elephant regularly goes to the nearby hill to
24
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org