Jain Stories 03

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

Page 55

NALA-DAMAYANTI
king and the queen came running offering a thousand apologies for their failure to recognise her Damayanti was brought to Kundinapur, where the joy of her parents knew no bound when they saw their missing daughter
But there was no trace of Nala yet and so King Bhima could not be fully happy. Whenever a foreigner visited the city, he was put under elaborate interrogation by the king's men At last, a merchant who had come from Sumsumara reported as follows
"Your Majesty! I can tell you nothing about King Nala, but the king of that city has a strange bunchback in his service who can cook in the rays of the sun It is this fellow who once saved the whole city from the rage of an infuriated elephant His name is Dandıka and he is reported to have formerly been 10 the service of King Nala He further says that he has acquired these powers from the great King Nala himself"
Damayantı heard the account and said at once,
"None save Nala is in possession of these powers Perhaps he has said so to remain incognito We should immediately look him up”
But Bhima was an experienced and wise man He made his own plan to put the fellow under a test, and with this end in view he sent a special envoy to the king of Sumsumara The envoy saw the king and revealed as follows the purpose of his mission,
"Your Majesty' King Bhima of Kundinapura has decided to convene an assembly of princes for the marriage of his beloved daughter for the second time I have been commissioned to invited Your Majesty for the occasion. The princess will select her man only tomorrow. In fact, I should have reached this place three days ago, but