Jain Stories 03

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

Page 56

46
JAINA STORIES
unfortunately I fell ill We shall appreciate if Your Majesty
""
can make arrangement to participate '
For the king, it was a great surprise
"A selection for the second time !"
Said he,
The envoy-"But, Your Majesty, what can be done? We have looked for King Nala everywhere, but no trace has been found of him. A grown-up lady cannot be lept like this in her father's home"
The king-"But will it not be a stigma on the lady's purity 9"
The envoy-"Your Majesty will agree that the other alternative of leaving her like this is no less risky All things considered, a fresh selection seems to be the wiser course So please come and participate
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At the first selection, King Dadhiparna was a suitor of the lady's hand, but he came back disappointed So he had a feeling that this time luck might favour him But time was the most crucial factor To cover a distance in one day which normally took four days-the king was in deep anxiety
When the hunchback came to
know of this, he was wholly upset The news was too good to be true It rolled on in his mind, and he was agitated and restless But suddenly an idea struck him He felt that surely there was some plan behind the whole move
"I must find out the secret," thought he
When the hunchback met the king, the latter was in deep anxiety He enquired the reason for that and the king narrated the whole situation, adding in the end,