Jain Journal 1972 10

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

Page 24

OCTOBER, 1972
A Yaksa used to live on that tree. By dint of his insight, he came to know the evil design of the Brahmin lady. Thought he, 'When there is such an able one like me present here, can anybody put Aramasobha to the torture of death? Has she not accumulated much rightousness in her previous birth? So thinking, he replaced the poisoned sweet by a good one, delicious like nectar.
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When the Brahmin got up, he picked up the pot and resumed his journey. At last, he was at the palace gate. His arrival was duly announced and with royal sanction, the Brahmin was conducted inside court in the presence of the king. The Brahmin profusely blessed the king. Then there were mutual enquiries about each other's well-being, after which the Brahmin presented the pot to the king. The king was very happy and immediately ordered it to be carried to Aramasobha's chamber. The Brahmin was honoured by the gift of clothes and orn
aments.
Now the king was in Aramasobha's chamber. He thought of the sweets and wanted a portion of it. Happily did the queen open it and, what joy, the whole chamber was filled with its flavour. "Surely", said the king, "is this sweet prepared with nectarine juice." The king cast a lustful glance at the queen and requested her to distribute it to all her co-wives. The king's wishes were duly honoured and the sweet was distributed by Aramasobha with her own hands. All the queens were happy at the taste of the unusual dainty and spoke in high terms of the skill of her mother.
When the king came back to the court, Agnisarma made a prayer about her going to his house once. To this the king smiled and said, "The queen does not see even the sun; so there can be no question of her going to her parent's house."
The Brahmin came back home and told his wife about the fulfilment of his commission. The lady, on her part, was happy and was anxiously waiting to hear that Aramasobha was dead. But when, after a few days' waiting, such a tiding did not come, she was unhappy and thought that the sweet was not sufficiently poisoned. But she was not to sit idle. She prepared sweets again, poisoned it more deeply, put it into a pot and sent it as before. The Brahmin was again beneath the same Banyan tree and being tired, lay down to be fast asleep. As before, the sweet was replaced by the Yaksa and was later taken to the court and delivered to the king. This time, too, the sweet was tasted by all the queens and both Aramasobha and her mother were highly praised by everybody.