Jain Stories 01

Author(s): Mahendramuni, K C Lalwani
Publisher: A B Jain Shwetambar Terapanth Samaj

Page 52

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JAINA STORIES
attracted many around her The newly acquired power to hypnotise was made full use of to ensnare all the callers-on. So ran the story throughout the town that the holy woman was capable of forecasting if a man/woman's wishes would be fulfilled or not, and if the former, when Even the brahmin came for consultation The holy woman told the brahmin in most unmistakable terms that he would never get the power from the princess and that his coming there was wholly useless
"The story of this great woman soon reached the ears of princess Rohini who at once sent for her This was the chance the lady was keenly waiting for, and she lost no time to appear before her. The princess received her with due respect and offered her a-throne to sit on Then she placed before the lady many delicacies. The lady declined them all telling the princess that, penance was now her only food. When the princess expressed her eagerness to know how the lady was initiated into the holy order so early in her life, she gave the following account of herself
'My father Surasena was the king of Surapur. When still a child, I lost my mother, and this was the beginning of my misfortunes I was sent to a school where the eyes of a certain Vidyadhara, Manibhadra, fell on me, and be carried me away to the Vaitadhya hills There I was given training in certain powers, When I reached my youth, Manibhadra wanted to marry me, but his rival was his own son Subhadrabega Subhadrabega became a patricide for my sake, and was himself killed by his own brother Kıranabega, who entered the field as a rival suitor. So you ses, my dear princess, two persons lost their lives for my sake which upset me very much One day, I slipped out from the Vidyadhara's house, and as I was about to jump into a tank to put an end to this very wretched life, somebody held me fast from behind. It was Kuanabega I lived with him for