Jain Stories 03

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

Page 40

JAINA STORIES
reached a tank where I found him But as I approached Dear bim, he threw a thread on my neck and turned me into a parrot Since then I have been living, caught up in his snares, the life of a bird. Today, by dint of your hindness, I have been liberated from that animal form and restored to my original one "
Now Puspamanjari was brought out from the cave Then they made a thorough search of the yagi's abode and collected all valuable tbings, and took the road leading to Karma's abode They spent the night there and in the morning, the three made preparations to depart. But Karma felt lonely and downcast She said to Mriga,
“Dear sister! Why do ye discard me alone in this deserted forest? Please take me too with thee so that I can spend the rest of my life at thy feet"
Mriga welcomed the idea All of them came to the lady-keeper of the park who recognised them They had their lunch at her house The prince then retired to have rest and the ladies moved out talking with one another.
The king of that city had died recently, and as he had no progeny, the people of that city were in great difficulty about his successor to the throne According to the established convention, they let loose an elephant to garland the right man, and as luck would have it, the elephhot placed the garland on Sajjankumar who lay beneath a tree in the park The elephant picked up Sajjankumar with its trunk and placed him on its back The selection was thus happily over and the people hailed him as their new modarch with shouts of joy
The prioce was a stranger to the city as he went to sleep, but as he opened his eyes, he found himself on the pack of the clephant, turned into a full monarch He was carried through the city, to the royal palace, where he was dui: cathroned and declared king of the realm