Jain Stories 02

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

Page 62

JAINA STORIES
"I did not ask, sir, who you are. I am asking about the deer. Tell me, if you know, whither it is gone."
The king wavered not from his plan but calmly replied : "I belong to Rajpur” The hunter was now enraged.
“Why don't you give a straight reply to my question ? How do you gain by talking irrelevant things ?
"I am a kshatriya»
"Are you deaf? I ask you something and you say somethiog else"
"I shall go the way you indicate to me"
"You get out of my sight. I have no need of you, I have for nothing wasted my time with you."
So sayiog the hunter went on his way and the king went on his own. After be had gone some distance, the king saw a miuni which he deemed very unusual in this deose forest The king paid his respectful homage and obeisance and the muni went away. Immediately thereafter, two bhils (aborigios) came running to the king, and said :
"Here in this forest lives our chief named Sura As he was about to set out to-day with his men to commit theft, he came across a man with tonsured head. This be considered very inauspicious and so he has sent us to kill that fellow. Tell us whither is be gone »
The king was 10 a fix again, but to avoid the situation, he said, “Beg your pardon I did not exactly follow what you said "
"Well, sir, did you see a man wih tonsured head passing by this way? We are keen to know which way he has gone if you give us the direction, we shall follow him and kill him"
The king came out with a beautiful reply : "Men ! One who sees tells not; one who tells seez not”.