Jinamanjari 2001 09 No 24

Author(s): Jinamanjari
Publisher: Canada Bramhi Jain Society Publication

Page 60

pivotal point of the story.)
One evening Yaşodhara visited his consort, Amrtamati, to pass the night with her in her apartments on the top floor of a seven-storied palace. About midnight the king, who was not quite asleep, noticed that the queen slipped away from his bed, and, furtively looking at him, discarded her ornaments. After putting on the clothes of her maid, Amrtamati quickly went out of the chamber. The king's suspicion was aroused and he at once followed her. Close on her heels he saw her entering the hut of an elephant-driver, an ugly cripple, who was fast asleep in a miserable bed, resting his head on a pile of ropes.
Amrtamati sat down near him and took hold of his hands. But he was furious at her delay in coming to him, and dragging her by the hair with the left hand gave her blows with the other. The queen was profuse in her apologies and confession of love and swore by the greatest goddess that she was thinking only of him even when in the company of Yaşodhara, her husband.
Yaşodhara was observing the scene unseen and was about to draw his sword to strike the guilty pair. Nevertheless he restrained himself thinking of the resulting scandal and the grief their son, the young prince Yaşomati, would feel at the death of his mother. Yaşodhara then returned to the palace; and Amrtamati too, stealthily came and quietly lay down beside him as if nothing had happened.
Being filled with anguish and disgust Yaşodhara could hardly sleep. He felt abhorrence for Amrtamati. He was puzzled at the queen's strange infatuation with a low-born elephant-driver. However, he remembered that the cripple was an expert singer; reputed to be able to make even withered trees put forth new shoots with the melody of his voice. He remembered also that songs had a ravishing effect upon women who were apt to be bewitched by a singer, however wretched or ugly he might be.
Yaşodhara continued to reflect on the conduct of Amrtamati and the more he brooded over it the greater became his disgust for sensual attraction and worldly pleasures. He made up his mind to renounce the world, leaving is throne to his son Yasomati. Next morning he appeared in court and was there joined by his mother Candramati. A bard recited some
54