________________
450 J
[Shali-Bhadra's Renunciation and Consecration
due respects to him and returned home. After reaching home, she ordered for decorating all the streets that connected her house and the royal palace. Precious stones and jewels were first spread on the roads. Then the carpets made of velvet and other valuable materials were spread over them. At places, there were chowkies studded with gems, which were decorated in a very beautiful manner. Shrenika proceeded towards the house of Shali Bhadra, seeing all the decorations that were effected so instantaneously, and praising in his mind the extraordinary glory of Shali Bhadra. He was still more astonished to see the beauty and magnificence of his house. There were golden pillars from which garlands of emeralds were hanging down. Ceilings were made of valuable cloths, the borders of which were studded with pearls. There were marks of Swastika on the thresholds which were made of valuable pearls. Shrenika cast a wondering look at the extraordinary beauty of Shali-Bhadra's house and entered in it with a great excitement. One after another he was brought to the fourth storey and was seated there on a beautiful raised seat made of precious stones. Bhadra then ran to the seventh storey to inform her son of the Emperor's arrival to her house. But Shali Bhadra, on the strength of his huge wealth, cared little for such emperors like this. He therefore said to his mother, "Mother, you are clever enough in all sorts of wordly dealings. You might offer as much price for him as you think proper. You need not ask anything from me about it." At this, the mother said a bit excitedly, "My dear son, the Emperor is not a thing to be bought. You know we are lay-men; and as such we are to receive even our enemy as our guest. The Emperor is Emperor after all. He is the ruler
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
