________________
said this : 'If the king's life is saved by the sacrifice of mine, I shall have attained all my objects.' Then the minister had made a window and under it a great fire-pit. The queen adorned berself, and said to the king : 'My lord, live by means of my life. I will enter the fire.' The king said: 'Queen, do not abandon your life for my sake; I will endure the consequences of my actions committed in a previous state of existence.' Then the queen said: 'My lord, if my life is to be lost for your sake, let it go.' Having said this, she ascended to the window and prepared to throw herself into the fire-pit. Thereupon the Rákshasa, pleased with her courage, said: “My good lady, I am pleased with your courage, so ask your heart's desire.' The queen said : The king, Hemaprabha by name, who was given to me by my father and mother, is my boon,* so I ask for him; I do not require any other.' The Rákshasa answered : Nevertheless, ask one, since the appearance of a god should not be void of fruit.' The queen said: 'If the case is so, let my husband live for a long time free from disease.' The Rákshasa said : So be it;' and having said this, he went to his own place. Then the king was pleased, and said : Queen, ask a favour from me; you have bought me as your slave with the price of your life. The queen said : ' If this is so, let the boon be laid up in store; when I ask for it, it should be given.' One day after this Rati was propitiating the family goddess in order to obtain a son, and she said: 'If I am blessed with & son, I will offer up the son of Jayasundarí as a victim in your honour.'+ As fate would have it, both the queens had born to them sons endowed with many auspicious marks. The queen consort Rati was much pleased, and said to herself: "The family divinity has bestowed a son on me; so how can I offer her the son of Jayasundarí as a victim ?' While she was turning it over in her mind, she
* The word translated boon' also means husband.'
+ For the subject of human sacrifices in India, see Dr. Rájendra Lal Mitra's essay referred to on p. 445 of vol. i. of my translation of the Katha Sarit Ságara. Many other references will be found in the index at the end of vol. i.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
