Book Title: Jain Ramayana Part 2
Author(s): Bhadraguptasuri
Publisher: Vishvakalyan Prakashan Trust Mehsana

Previous | Next

Page 195
________________ Kaikayi's Swayamvar 183 All of a sudden, musicians began to play on various musical instruments. The melodies emerging from those instruments began to reverberate in the sky. The melodies of the clarionet filled the atmosphere and the princess Kaikayi walked slowly with the graceful gait of a peacock keeping pace to the rhythmic beat of the musical drums. Holding a garland of fresh and fragrant flowers, she went forth. Her godmother walked slowly before her and behind her, her friends and companions followed her. Her godmother stopped for a while before every prince, every king and every emperor; and described the abilities, the accomplishments and the royal splendour of every one of the kings and princes. Kaikayi heard the descriptions, stopped for a few moments and then proceeded to the next. As soon as she placed one step forward the king or the prince whom she rejected became dull and dispirited; and began cursing his misfortune. She thus kept moving from one king to another, from one prince to another but she did not like any one of them; nor did she garland anyone. His daughter's behaviour filled King Shubhmati with deep worry. All the people and the ministers present there were greatly worried and agitated. “We wonder what has happened to Kaikayi? What a mad girl she is! We wonder what she has in her mind. Though there are so many worthy kings and princes, she has not liked anyone. We wonder whom she would garland”. These thoughts flashed like lightnings through the minds of all those who were here. The kings and princes who were rejected by her were furious, because they thought that whatever had been done at the Swayamvar was done with the intention of dishonouring them and making fun of them. Kaikayi kept going forth slowly. There was pin-drop silence in the hall. Her godmother was walking before her silently. After having gone a few paces, Kaikayi suddenly stopped. Unexpectedly, her eyes fell upon a yogi who was sit Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443 444 445 446 447 448 449 450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 465 466 467 468 469 470 471 472 473 474 475 476 477 478 479 480 481 482 483 484 485 486 487 488 489 490 491 492 493 494 495 496 497 498 499 500 501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508 509 510 511 512 513 514 515 516 517 518