________________
209
knew by his magic power,* and answered: 'When twelve years have been accomplished from the day of your banishment, while you are in the house of your father, Nala will, of himself, come to you.' He went on to say: "Why endure this toil of travelling? if you give the word, I will take you to your father's house in the twinkling of an eye.' She answered: 'I am satisfied with what you say about my reunion with Nala: I will not go with a strange man. Go to your own place.' Then he became invisible, after exhibiting a divine body gleaming with a mass of splendour Davadantí, having heard that Nala's absence in a foreign land would last for twelve years, took certain vows. She said: I will not use red garments, betel, ornaments, unguents, nor cooked food, until Nala is reunited to me.' Then, being devoted to the performance of severe asceticism, and even when she broke her fast, subsisting on fruits without seeds, thinking on that image of the lord Cánti enshrined in her heart, she remained in a mountain cavern. The leader of the caravan, not seeing her in the caravan, being anxious in mind, looking for her everywhere, came to the mountain cave. When she had finished her meditation, she spoke to the head of the caravan. Hearing their conversation, some hermits arrived there, and stood with motionless ears like deer. In the meanwhile the cloud began to rain with large drops. When they were alarmed, she said: My good men, fear not.' She made a trench round them on all sides, and proclaimed her chastity, saying: 'If my chastity is unimpaired, let the cloud rain outside this trench!' Thereupon no rain fell in the space within the trench, as if it had been a house covered by a thatched roof; while outside even the stones were carried away by the violence of the deluge. When the ascetics saw that, they were astonished in their minds, and thought: 'Surely no woman has such beauty and such power, therefore she must be some goddess.' The head of the caravan said: Queen, what are you meditating on, or why do you remain without fear?' She answered: "I am meditating *The Sanskrit word is vibhanga.
"
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
