Indian Antiquary Vol 27

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 58

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[FEBRUARY, 1899.
period, one from the reign of Kumaragapta, dated Guptasamvat 113 or A. D. 431/2, and one dated V. S. 1080.
If the note about the restoration of the shinikitha Sitra by the ancient Jinabhadra is meant to assert that he re-wrote the work with the help of old fragments, there may be some truth in it. For the present Mahanišitha is a very curious book, for which no commentary exists and on which even some Jainas look with suspicion.18
- FOLKLORE IN SALSETTE.
BY GEO. F. D'PENHA.
No. 20. - The Crane and the Princess. Once upon a time there lived a woman in very indigent circumstances. Every morning she would go into the neighbouring forest to gather firewood. After reserving a sinall quantity of the firewood for her own use, she would carry the remainder to the bázár and sell it for the highest price, and on this she lived. One day, when in the forest collecting firewood, she felt tired, and sat down on a large stony flat. Having seated herself, she thought she would chew pán sópári. So she pulled out her bag of betel-leaves and nuts and proceeded to eat it, when she found that ber bag contained no chúnd. She was at a loss to know what to do, but looking about, she saw something that appeared like chúná, and thinking it would answer the purpose of chúná, she took it, and, applying it to the betel-leaves, chewed her pán sôpárí. Having thus felt refreshed, she gathered more firewood, and soon returned home.
Now it happened that what the woman ate as a substitute for china turned out to be the dung of a bagla (crane). The consequence of this was that the woman became pregnant. One month passed, two months passed, three months passed, and so on till nine months, at the end of which she gave birth to a male crane. The bird soon began to hop and fly about, and thus would find his own food, so that the woman, the mother of the crane, had only to follow her old occupation and maintain herself as before, and in this way passed many years.
One day the crane happened to fly to a tank, on the banks of which he saw the daughter of the king of that country, she having.come there with her batkini (maid-servants) to bathe. The crane, at the very first sight of the princesa, fell desperately in love with her. Going home, he said to his mother that she must go and negotiate with the king on his marriage with the princess. Thought the woman to herself -- "How can such a thing happen? In the first instance, my child is only a bird, and to propose a marriage between a bird and a princess is simply preposterous. Again, had my child at least been a human creature, I might have presented myself before the king with some presumption. Even then, we are as poor as poor can be, and it would be hopeless to attempt such a task."
Thus thinking, the woman told her son, for so we must call the crane, that it would be useless to go to the king. Indeed, she said, she would not have the audacity to make such & proposal even to an ordinary person, and therefore much less to a king. But the son was very importunate, and at last insisted on the mother to go to the palace.
At last the mothor did go to the palace, and with fear and trembling stood before the king. The king, who had known her for years, thinking she had, perhaps, come to beg for alms, at first spoke to her mildly :
“Why have you come here, my good woman? Do you come to ask for any help, or has any one done you harm, let me hear your complaint and I shall see you redressed."
" See A. Weber, Indische Studien, Vol. XVI. p. 456 ff. [It is right to add that Dr. Bühler, my personal friend for many years and the greatest friend and supporter that the Indian Antiquary ever possessed, had no opportunity of seeing this his last article through the Press. -ED.)