Jain Stories 01

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

Page 98

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JAINA STORIES
ing like a lunatic, talking irrelevantly all the time. The: merchant became very anxious All his efforts to cure her or give her some relief failed At night, the goddess told the merchant in a dream that unless he made amends for his lapses, something even worse was in store for him She asked him to bring for her a profuse offer of sweet and salted dishes if he cared for his wife's cure The merchant did accordingly at day-break
“ 'Seduka noticed it all from a distance As soon as the merchant had left, he came to the temple and started eating the offer made by the merchant He could not check himself, but ate too much But there was no water in the neighbourhood and he couldn't go far, since he was bolding charge of the city portal In that state, he died and was born as a frog in a nearby well. For, before dying, the fellow had thought how happy the aquatics were who always played and lived in water'
"But King Srenika's question had not yet been answered, and so the Lord started again, 'Once as I was at this place, the frog had heard of my presence from the ladies who came to the well, came out and was on its way to my camp to pay homage and obeisance But unfortunately it got crushed under the hoof of your own horse, ob Srenika. But since he had started on a good cause, though he met with a tragic end, he has been born in heaven as a celestial being and is named Darduranaka Once he had heard Indra speaking in very eloquent terms about your equanimity, and so it was he who came down just now to have a test of it What you saw as pus besmeared at my feet was really a very special variety of fragrant sandal paste Since your own vision isenshrouded, you could not see it'
" 'But, bhante, why did he use offensive language when you sneezed, though he was less offensive regarding others ? What was its meaning?