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KING MEGHARATH
14 - King Megharath
One day, during an assembly of demigods, Indra, the King of heavenly gods, praised the bravery and mercifulness of King Megharath on Earth. He mentioned that King Megharath would not hesitate to give up his own life to protect those who came to him for shelter. Two demigods doubted Indra's statement, so Indra asked them to go to Earth and see for themselves. Since they could not appear on Earth in their heavenly forms, one of them decided to take the form of a pigeon, and the other took the form of a hawk. The demigods, due to their miraculous power, can assume any form they desire and can reach anywhere in a split second. Down on Earth, King Megharath was sitting in his court surrounded by his courtiers. Suddenly, a pigeon flew in through an open window and started circling the hall. To the King's surprise, it landed on his lap. It was shaking uncontrollably. The King realized that the pigeon was shaking with fear and had flown into the palace to seek refuge.
King Megharath offering his own flesh to
save a bird's life
At that very instant, a hawk flew into the King's court. He said to the King, "This pigeon is my food. Let me have him." The King was dumbfounded to hear a bird talk, however, he replied, "It is true that this pigeon is your food, but now it is under my shelter. I will not give you this pigeon, but I can give you some other food." He ordered his servants to bring a basket of fruits and vegetables. However, the hawk said, "I am not a human being, and I am not a vegetarian. I need meat for my food." The King said, "Let me give you my own flesh instead of this pigeon's flesh." Upon hearing this, one of the courtiers said, "Your Majesty, why should you give your own flesh? Let's get the meat from a butcher." The King replied, "No, because the butcher will have to kill another animal in order to supply us the meat. This pigeon has sought
JAIN STORY BOOK
