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MUNIPATI
115
Oh monk! Who was this Bhadra Brisabha and how · did he swear ?"
The monk started,
"In the city of Champa, during the reign of King Ajitasena there was a monastery-owner. who also possessed -two herds of cattle. Once a cow gave birth to a male calf who grew into a fine bull in course of time and freely
roamed all over the city People loved him and affectiona· tely gave him the name of Suryasanda (the sun's bull)
"In the same city, there lived a merchant named Jinadasa who was a devout sradaka and was very regular in his spiritual practice including kayotsarga meditation But his wife Dhanasri was just the reverse of him, highly sinful, and a lady of very loose morals Often at night, when Jinadasa was in the kayotsarga meditation, she would be in the company of other men
"One night, it so happened that when she was in the - company of some of her admirers, her husband Jinadasa who was in the kayotsarga posture fell a victim to a fatal accident When in the morning the lady saw her husband's dead body, she got alarmed, since, she felt, people would suspect her hand in the matter. Just at that time, the bull Surysanda was passing bý that way The lady put some of her husband's blood on his borns and started mourning and bewailing. This soon attracted a large crowd of sympathisers When they saw the blood on the bull's horns, they beat the bull severely The bull turned his head again and again communicating his own innocence, but people didn't understand him So the bull at last came to the police chief and started turning his head in the same manner, Now, some people understood his intention and said, 'Maybe the bull is trying to convey his own innocence in the matter' At this, the bull signified his profound assent by touching the ground with his tongue So the people at once arranged a test before they would exonerate
