Jailer

Author(s): Abhayshekharsuri, Sujata P Kapadia
Publisher: Harshadray Private Limited

Page 54

things like oil and spices. His business grew and he set up a small shop. People found it difficult to call him by his own name, so they started calling him "Ranka Sheth”. He became famous by that name. Once a cloth merchant from Girnar came to the city. In Girnar, he had strived very hard to master the art of making ‘Siddharas' (just a drop of which had the capacity to turn a 'mand' of iron into gold) and had finally succeeded in attaining it. He filled up an earthen pot with this potion and brought it along with him, guarding it with his life. The merchant found a home next to Ranka Sheth's shop. Gradually, a friendship developed between them. In the meantime, having heard about the glory of the holy place of Somnath, he decided to go on a pilgrimage. He did not want to risk carrying the valuable pot with him. Instead, he decided to request the Sheth to keep it until his return.
Ranka Sheth asked him to leave it anywhere in the shop where he deemed fit. The cloth merchant tied the pot, secured it high up and out of reach in the shop and left for Prabhaspatan.
One day, Ranka Sheth decided to light a stove in the shop and put a griddle on it. It so happened that the stove was placed just under the pot. Due to the heat from the stove, the pot overflowed and just a drop of the potion fell on the griddle which instantly turned to gold. Ranka was truly amazed! He put another griddle on the stove and on the pot being heated again, another drop fell on
Sheth = a reputed merchant
mana = a measure of weight equal to 40 seers Siddharas = a liquid which is magical/ a potion
40