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DHURTAKHYANA:
V. Fifth time Manovega, along with Pavanavega, became a Buddhist monk (rakta-pata); and on being assured by Brāhmaṇas that they were thoughtful, he narrated his wonderful experience: 'We are devotees of Buddhist monks. Once with sticks in our hands we were appointed by them to guard their clothes spread in sun-shine. Two terrific jackals came there, and we mounted the Stupa with fear; they, however, lifted it up, and flew away speedily. When they dropped us with a view to devour us, there arrived Bhillas with dogs; and the jackals ran away. As we were in an unknown country, we easily became Buddhist monks.' Brahmanas wondered at his astonishing lies; but he reminded them of the following legend: According to the Rāmāyaṇa, each monkey lifted five mountains. If this is true, two jackals can easily lift a Stupa.
VI. At last Manovega and Pavanavega became Svetambara monks (sveta-bhiksu) and met the Brahmaņas who asked them why they became monks and who was their guru. Manovega continued in reply: Once our father Arunasrika sent us into the forest to graze the sheep, because the shepherd had to attend his father who was down with fever. I requested my companion to tend the sheep, so that in the meanwhile I might eat some kapittha fruits. The desire for fruits was very strong, but the tree was too tall. I went near, cut my head, and threw it on the tree requesting it to eat the fruits; as it ate fruits on the tree, my stomach was getting full below; and when I was satisfied, the head came down and joined the body as before. I looked for my brother, but found him asleep and all the sheep lost. We feared that our father would beat us; so we went away to a distant territory and accepted this comfortable garb.' Manovega further confirmed to the Brahmanas the truth of his experience by narrating the following legends: Cutting his nine heads Ravana offered them to Sambhu, and these were again joined to his body; Dadhimukha's head could get itself joined with another's trunk; parts of Angada's body were joined by Hanumat; Jarasamdha's body was constituted of different parts; Skanda's person was made up of six portions; and when the priests are fed, the ancestors are satisfied. If all this, narrated in Brahmanic scriptures, is true, there is nothing improbable in my own head joining the body, and in my stomach being filled when my mouth eats kapittha fruits.'
The Brahmanas were discomfited, and had no replies to give. Manovega explained to Pavanavega various other flaws in the religion and scriptures of Brahmaņas; he expounded to him how the heretical creeds originated; and he also propounded Jaina principles and practices at length. Pavanavega came to possess samyaktva and duly accepted the vows of a Śrāvaka. Both Manovega and Pavanavega led a happy life of religious householders.
The Purana-like beginning, the religio-didactic discourse in the form of madhu-bindu-dṛṣṭanta, the abnormal proportion of folk-tales introduced by way of illustration, the different names of characters, immediate purpose of converting Pavanavega to Jainism by his pious friend Manovega, constant repetition of moral teachings and religious prescriptions, casual and side attacks on gods
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