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17
No. 1)
Heroes of the Jain Legends Basudeva not to stir out of his house but master the fine arts. The unsuspecting Basudeva gladly agreed. One day, however, a maid. servant of the palace told him the real reason of his virtual confine. nent, upon which Basudeva fled from the palace in disguise. At the outskirt of the city, he made a funeral pyre and burnt a dead body there. He left there writings to show that Basudeva. grieved at heart, committed suicide The Yādavas believed what the writings showed while really Basudeva wandered in distant lands incognito. It is impossible to describe here all the places which Basudeva visited and the damsels he married. It will be sufficient to state that towards the close of his peregrinations, le visited the city of King Rudhira, where all the renowned princes of India including Samudra-Vijaya and Jarā-Sandha were assembled in order to have their chance in the Svayamvara (the selection of a husband) ceremony of Röhini, the daughter of the king Rudhira. Basudeva attended the assembly, disguised as a drummer. it so happened, however, that the choice of the princess fell upon the humble drummer. At once the assembled princes raised a clamour and gave ont that they would not tolerate a Kshatriya princess being given in marriage to a low.class non-descript. A battle ensued in which king SamudraVijaya took the lead at the instance of Janitsandhi. Soon, however, Basudēva made himsell known to Sainudro-Vijavid, whereupon the two brothers were united again and the battle ended in merry making in which Jarāsandha himself joined. Balabhadra, the elder brother of Kiislina was the son of Basudeva by Rohini.
Another wite of Basudeva was Divaki. She was the daughter of Kansu's uncle. According to the Jaina Puränas, Kamsa was devoted to Basudliva and it was at Kamsa's earnest desire, will and effort that Basudeva was married to Dēvaki. Krishna was Basudėvas son by Děvaki.
The Jaina account of Kamsa's life and character may he siated in this connection. Kamsa was one of the sons of king Ugraséna of Mathurā. His mother was Dhärini. When he was in his mother's womb, his cruel and blood thirsty character was indicated by many of the uncommon longings of the queen one of which was her lincontrolable vish to eat the flesh of her husband. So when the
