________________
circumstances we have to request Bappa Bha not to return to ma R ja on being recalled for trivial matters. You shall return to ma R ja only when King ma R ja himself comes to our court and seek your return to him, otherwise you stay here only.'
The chief poet of Gauda king Dharma went to pay respects to Bappa Bha and requested him, in King Dharma's own words, to stay in the town of Lak a vat . Bappa Bha , in a traditional manner, agreed verbatim to King dharma's request. King Dharma's happiness had no limits on hearing so.
King Dharma accorded a royal welcome to Bappa Bha in Lak a vat and made appropriate arrangements for stay there. King Dharma, alongwith his family and advisers of his royal court, started living happily enjoying the beneficial sermons of Bappa Bha . Sermons of Bappa Bha also enhanced the influence of Jainism in Gauda Prade a.
On the other hand, not finding Bappa Bha, the next day Kingma R ja sent his soldiers all over to locate Bappa Bha. But he was not traceable. Early morning before the sunrise next day, king ma R ja himself left in search of Bappa Bha towards the gardens outside his town. He searched all gardens one after the other but could not find Bappa Bha . Separation of Bappa Bha started giving pain to him like a thorn in the heart. He clearly experienced that his palace, royal court and even his life is empty without Bappa Bha.
He therefore made a firm resolve to find out Bappa Bha . While finding ways for his search an idea came to his mind. He had the verse' astram
stram k irvidy , anyo yo yena j vati.'engraved on a wooden plaque and made a proclamation in his royal court that anyone who can decipher this verse will be awarded one lakh gold coins.
A scholar, who had became poor, thought of the solution of this verse as a means to end his poverty, wrote this verse on a paper and started going to different places in search of Bappa Bha. In due course of time he did arrive in Lak a vat in the service of Bappa Bha . Immediately Bappa Bha completing the reply of the verse wrote the following verse.
astram stram k irvidy , anyo yo yena j vati. sug h tam hi kartavyam k a sarpa mukham yath'
147
