Book Title: Kathakoca or Treasury of Stories
Author(s): C H Tawney
Publisher: Oriental Books Reprint Corporation New Delhi

Previous | Next

Page 154
________________ 128 bodies with sandalwood, and served them with a banquet ; and after the banquet was over all the preparations disappeared. Then the prince said : “Sumitra, what is the meaning of this extraordinary wonder ?" Sumitra answered: “This, prince, is due to the power of the sapphire." Now, it happened that at this time the king of that very city of Maháçála died without a son. Then the barons had recourse to the five ordeals of the elephant, the horse, and so on. The elephant came into the city park trumpeting. There he sprinkled the prince, named Vírángada, with the water of inauguration, and, taking him up in his trunk, placed him on his forehead. All the barons and the chief ministers and the other ministers, and the crowd with them, bowed before him, and exclaimed : “Long live the king!” The ministers hailed the king as lord, and prayed him to establish himself in the city. The king was astonished, and his friend was delighted. Sumitra said to himself: “Let my dear friend have the kingdom; I will amuse myself in the city as I please, without the knowledge of the king.” After forming this intention, Sumitra disappeared, and went into the city. The king looked for him everywhere, but could not find him. Then the king said to the barons : “ Look for my dear friend, and bring him here.” Then the king entered the city, and began to rule there. He married eight princesses. So King Vírán. gada administered his realm without opposition. Sumitra, for his part, roamed about at will in the city. One day a hetæra in that town, named Ratisená, was sitting at a window. She saw that Sumitra was very handsome. She said to herself: “Surely this man is exceedingly blessed by fortune; so it will be a good thing if I can bring him here by some device.” So she sent a female servant, who brought Sumitra to the house. Ratisená showed him great affection, and Sumitra was much pleased with her beauty, Then he remained in her house, and while there became much attached to her ; but he did not give her a corre. sponding amount of wealth. So her affection for him diminished. One day Sumitra said to himself: “This Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288