Jain Stories 03

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

Page 85

ANJANA
the ladies from the air and thought that they might be in some difficulty So he descended to help them out, · Vasantatilaka looked at him and made sure that this syas no villain. As the Vidyadhara heard the lady's account from her friend, he said,
"My daughter ! I happen to be your maternal uncle. I cannot leave you here like this The world has turned itself against you This has been the greatest wrong But I cannot leave you in this wilderness You must come with me. I invite you and welcome you"
Apjana was overwhelmed at the warmth of his feeling. and she accepted the invitation This was also predicted by the monk They were now on the chariot which moved through the air. As the chariot moved, its bells tinkled, and, attracted by their sound, the boy gave a jump to get them But he slipped from there and fell straight on a mountain Anjana was alarmed that the child must have been smashed to death But when the Vidyadhara came down, he found to his greatest surprise that there had been no fracture even and the child was heartıly smiling taking credit for the high jump. A few slabs of stone were, however, crushed under the child's weight The upcle predicted a great future for the boy, declaring him to be a prodigee.
Back to his owo city, Hanupur, the Vidyadhara celebrated the child's birth with the greatest pomp. As the mountain had been crushed under his weight, the boy was named Sılachur As per the name of the city, however, he was named Hanuman As the Vidyadhara held a very high opinion about Anjana, she was revered in the whole city Anjana's hard days were at last over. She was living comfortably at the Vidyadhara's palace, waiting for the arrival of her own husband
Elsewhere, Pavananjaya fought against Varuna and showed his great skill. He was given the supreme command and inflicted the severest defeat on the adversary Ravana's generals who had been beld captive were now released. Ravana was delighted and charmed with his valour and showered on bim the highest panegyric He took him to Lanka