Jaina Literature in Tamil

Author(s): A Chakravarti, K V Ramesh
Publisher: Bharatiya Gyanpith

Page 82

JAINA LITERATURE IN TAMIL
When Mädhari, the shepherdess, went to bathe in the Vaigai river, she learnt from a shepherdess returning from the city the fate of Kõvalan who was killed by the command of the king on a charge of theft of the queen's anklet. When this was reported to Kaņņaki, she, in a rage entered the city with her other anklet in hand in order to vindicate the innocence of her husband before the king'. Reaching the palace Kaņņaki intimated through the sentinel that she wanted to have an interview with the king in order to vindicate the innocence of her husband who was cruelly put to death without proper enquiry. She demonstrated before the king that her anklet taken from her husband as the stolen one contained gems inside whereas the queen's anklet contained pearls inside. When this fact was demonstrated to the king by breaking open Kaņņaki's anklet, the king realised the immensity of his blunder in cruelly putting to death an innocent member of a noble family of merchants. He cried that he was foolishly led into this blunder by the wicked goldsmith, fell down unconscious from his royal throne and lost his life immediately. After vindicating the innocence of her husband, Kaņņaki, with unabated rage and anger, cursed the whole city of Madurai that it should be consumed by fire and tore off her left breast and cast it away over the city with her curse. The curse
1. Ibid., Cantos 18-19: Tunba-mālai, “The garland of sorrow' and Ursulvari-kādai, 'The talk of the town'.
2. Thid., Canto 20: Valakkusai-kādai, 'The demand for justice'.