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Jain Society of Greater Detroit
PRATISHTHA MAHOTSAV ASHADH 4-12 V.S. 2054
SUNANDA AND ROOPSEN
palace window which he shook. Sunanda's friends, saying "Welcome, Roopsen", beckoned him up.
In the meantime, the queen's ladies-in-waiting were hurrying toward the palace to check on Sunanda's health and fetch some puja parapher nalia. Sunanda caught sight of them entering the palace and panicked about her spoilt evening. However she used her wits and had the oil lamps around her wing of the palace blown out. The ladies-in-waiting, having been explained that Sunanda's headache could not tolerate the light of the lamps and she was sleepy. They must therefore not try to talk to her and hence were dismissed.
they would finally be able to satisfy their desires to be each in others arms and experience every sensual pleasure. He was lost in his daydreams and visions of his meeting with Sunanda, completely entranced in his fantasies of sharing an evening with Sunanda filled with passion and sensuality when an old, disintegrating wall fell on him, burying and killing him. The consequences of these passions for Sunanda that were in his mind at the time of his death was that his soul was reincarnated in Sunanda's womb, the conception that was the result of her sexual union with Mahalay, the gambler.
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It is because of this that scholars have had to say that there is a great difference between poison and gratification of sensual pleasure. Poison, upon consumption, is fatal for one life but sensual pleasure, even though not indulged in, is fatal many times over, causing not one death but several.
As Mahalav stepped through the window, one friend took his hand and took him to Sunanda's bed, warning him not to speak and so he remained silent. The gambler had sex with Sunanda, palmed her jewelry and was asked to leave quickly by Sunanda's friends who came running toward him. Sunanda, lamenting their bad luck at not being able to spend enough time with each other or even speak to one another, promised that they would meet again. Mahalav praised his good luck that he had got both a princess as well as some loot, descended the ladder, and started walking.
After the queen's ladies-in-waiting left Sunanda found some of her jewelry missing but reasoned that Roopsen must have taken them to have repaired.
The queen's ladies-in waiting were told by Roopsen was searched for high and low but could Sunanda in a whisper that they should tell the queen that not be found. Sunanda assumed that Roopsen must her headache had decreased and that she should not worry. have been murdered on the way from the palace by Meanwhile, Roopsen, also having used the thieves as he was carrying her jewels. excuse of ill-health had remained home. As dusk engulfed the city and thinking that now that no one would be left in the city, Roopsen set out for his meeting with Sunanda, armed with gifts of perfumes and flowers for her. Walking on his way, Roopsen thought of how
One month later Sunanda discovered that she was pregnant. Her friends gave her a tonic that induced an abortion and thereby Sunanda's honor was preserved. Roopsen's soul went from being the embryo in Sunanda's womb to a snake.
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