Jain Stories 03

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

Page 71

MRIGANKALEKHA
61
he had left his own ring with her. So it was his first duty to find her out So, duly equipped, he started. He passed through many places, met many people, but none could give him any clue about lus wife's whereabouts One day he met a demon who announced that he bad swallowed his wife and now he wanted to swallow him too Sagarchandra invoked the Five Great and the demon took to his heels
He was now feeling sad and did not entertain much hope about regaining her Once he thought of ending his own life even Half-mad, he was aimlessly wandering now But he could no longer bear this sort of life So one day, he built up a pyre and decided to jump into it and end his life As he was about to do so, one Sujasa, the progeny of a perfected soul, appeared on the spot and dissuaded him from that terrible act He directed him to Siddharthapur, predicted for him a long and happy life, and requested him to recover Chitralekha who had been stolen by some blulas whom, he said, he would encounter on the way
Sujasa now proceeded towards the Nandisvara island and Sagarchandra towards Siddharthapur He now saw a ray of bope in life On the way, be saw Chitralekha being carried away by the bhilas He rescued her He had now a feeling that what Sujasa bad predicted might come true
Meanwhile, Surendradatta who had already reached the park at Siddharthapur performed an eight-day fast, on completion of which he arranged a mass feeding. Alt people of the city were invited and Mrigankalekha too was in the crowd As she came near the host, milk filowed out from her breast indicating that the host was her own son. Meanwhile, Sujasa bad returned He introduced Surendradatta to his mother asking him, to touch her feet Thus Mrigankalekba received her lost child after a gap of many
years