Jain Ramayana Part 1

Author(s): Bhadraguptasuri
Publisher: Vishvakalyan Prakashan Trust Mehsana

Page 21

The Rakshasdweep: The Vanardweep
The flames of anger and animosity only grow wilder by war and fighting. Hostilities are not removed by means of fighting. So, he always desired to adopt the policy of peace and compromise; and to root out anger and animosity completely.
He decided to send a very sensible and trustworthy messenger to Pushpottar. Accordingly, he sent such a messenger to Pushpottar; and the messenger met him.
The messenger respectfully saluted Pushpottar; and conveyed to him the message sent by Kirtidhaval. This was the message sent by Kirtidhaval. "Oh King ! Do not you realize that the war you want to make is futile ? A father has to give away his daughter to someone or the other. When your virtuous and noble daughter has chosen a husband after her own heart, why should a scholarly, sagacious and magnanimous King like you deem Shrikant guilty without any cause, without any offence on his part ?"
"Inspite of this, if you wage a war to gratify your feeling of false prestige, you will only cause great grief to your dear daughter. You will cause a deep injury to your daughter's tender heart. Will it not be a joyous matter to all if, instead of pursuing the path of hostility, you give your daughter in marriage to Shrikant whom she loves heartily?"
Even while Pushpottar was thinking seriously about the message sent by Kirtidhaval, an attendant sent by his daughter, Padma, came to him and respectfully conveyed to him a letter. It had been sent by Princess Padma. She had written;
"My dear father!
You are unnecessarily angry and agitated. Shrikant did not abduct me. On the contrary, the truth is that I loved him and chose him my husband, of my own free will. I was not at all forcibly taken away by him.
Therefore, I entreat you not to take recourse to war and violence which will cause the death of thousands of soldiers, and others".
On reading the letter written by his daughter, Pushpottar,