Jain Journal 1972 10

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 23

JAIN JOURNAL
Then the king mounted on the elephant in the company of his consort, with the garden spread like an umbrella on her head. The minister had preceded the group to the capital city to organise the reception of the royal couple.
The king entered the city. Everywhere groups of people were talking of the king's good fortune. He must have earned a lot of virtue in his previous birth ; how else could he acquire such a charming consort and such a charming garden hanging from the sky These words, as they reached the king's ears, made him happy. At last, the royal couple were at the palace where all comforts were provided for the new queen. The king and the queen had henceforth a very happy life.
Now, Brahmin Agnisarma had a daughter from the newly married wife. When she came of age, her mother thought that if somehow Aramasobha could be made to die, the king might consider her daughter to be of similar worth and accept her for his consort. 'That would be an occasion of great joy to me as well as for the daughter', thought she. To kill the daughter of a co-wife was no particular sin. So she hatched a plot and told the Brahmin one day, "Aramasobha has gone to her husband's place for all these years but we have never sent her any thing. For girls things from their parental home are specially welcome."
The Brahmin smiled and said, “Aramąsobha is no longer poor. She is now a queen and she hardly needs anything from us."
Agnisikha (such was the name of the lady) protested, "Even though the father-in-law's home is affluent in all respects, anything sent by the parents are welcome to a girl. Even a rich daughter expects occasional gifts from her former home."
The request was too pressing to be evaded. She prepared a sweetmeat, poisoned it severely, placed it inside a pot and sealed it. In entrusting it to her husband she warned him as follows: "You give it to Aramasobha herself and to none else. Even Aramasobha is not to share the sweets with any one ; so you have to tell her. If she gives it to others then we shall be put to shame, poor as we are. This sweet may not be very tasteful.” Agnisarma could not read into her evil design but picked up the pot and turned his steps towards Pataliputra. When he was not very far from the capital, he was so tired that he placed the pot on the ground and lay down to rest under a Banyan tree and was soon fast asleep.