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During his stay at Rājapura, Jipandhara once entered King KāsthāAgāraka's hall of audience in the disguise of a wandering ascetic. The king received him respectfully. In a pretended conversation he could see that many important persons there had regard for Jirandhara. As expected by the gathering there, he wins with great skill and wisdom the heart of Guņamālā who recognised in him Jirandhara. Later he hits the Candraka target as result of which Ratnāvali, the daughter of king of Videha, marries him by putting a garland on his neck. But the knaves headed by Kāşthāðgāra attempted to abduct the virgin in the tumult of fight. The prudent Jivandhara was already in touch with and had ron over the former vassals etc. (of his father Satyandhara) who joined him at the right moment; and he beheaded Kastāngāraka by his discus. Be celebrated his wedding with Ratnāvali in a suitable manner and crowned Gandharvadattā as his chief queen. United with his mother, wives etc. who had been fetched by Nandādhya, Jivandhara attained universal sovereignty and ruled full of power, subduing his enemies, easily protecting all his subjects according to rule and playfully enjoying desirable pleasures, the fruits of his good deeds.
Once, while taking a walk in the park, Jipandhara approached the ascetic Varadharma, listened to his instructions, accepted the commandments and became pure in faith. The sight of monkeys angrily fighting on an Asoka tree created a disgust in him for the world He learnt his former births from Prasastapanka, a divine Căraņa ; and his spiritual purity went on increasing. He bestowed his kingdom on prince Vasundhara, the son of Gandharvadattā. He waited upon Lord Mahāvīra and adopted renunciation along with Nandādhya and others. His mother and his queens accepted self-control in the presence of the nun Candanāryā. Jāvandhara is a Sruta-kevalin who attains liberation in due course. (For other summaries see E. Hultzsch: Indian Antiquary (IA) XXXII, p. 240, for 1903; M. Winternitz : A History of Indian Literature, II, Calcutta 1933 pp. 500 ff.).
4. Jivandhara as a Literary Hero. The story of Jivandhara is not without charms of its own, apart from the fact that it is used to illustrate the working of Karman and to instruct a number of other principles of Jainism. It is but natural, therefore, that so many Jaina authors have chosen this theme for their literary compositions. Those that we could list with limited library facilities at our disposal are noted below.
