Kathakoca or Treasury of Stories

Author(s): C H Tawney
Publisher: Oriental Books Reprint Corporation New Delhi

Page 79

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human beings and attain perfection. Here ends the story of the parrot, having reference to the offering of whole grain.
Worship that son of Nábhi* to whom the king of the gods gave his
thousand eyes, Whose two feet with their host of nails gleam as if with all the
sciences; The worship of the Jina is celebrated with sweet perfumes, incense,
and dry whole grain ; With flowers, with choice candles, food-offerings, fruit and water. A man obtains by the worship of the Jina with perfumes a sweet
smelling body, strength, and beauty; Prosperity, and in addition surely the highest good. As King Jayasúra, together with his wife, in his third birth, Attained to salvation by worshipping the hermit, the mighty Jina,
with perfumes. Now follows the story of King Súra, having reference
to worship by STORY OF KING SÚRA AND HIS WIFE, ÇRUTIMATÍ,
ATI, means of perWHO WERE BORN AGAIN AS KING SIMHADH
fumes. VAJA AND QUEEN MADANÁVALÍ.
In this very Bharatakshetra, on the mountain of Vaitádhya, in the city of Gajapura, reigned a lord of the Vidyadharas, named King Súra. He had a wife named Çrutimatí. One day a god fell visibly from the world of gods, and became conceived in her. Then, having become pregnant, she was seized with a longing. After her longing had remained two days without being gratified, she became feeble of body. Then the king said to her: 'Queen, why are you go afflicted ?' She answered : 'As I have become pregnant, there has arisen in me a longing to worship the gods in the holy place on the Ashtápada mountain. When she had said this, King Súra, accompanied by the queen, want to the Ashțápada mountain. There the queen performed duly the ceremony of worship, with the sound of sharpsounding kettle-drums, conchs, drums, and cymbals, and then with delighted heart offered sweet-smelling perfumes to the mighty Jinas. After she had performed worship, and fulfilled her longing, the king and she proceeded to
* I.e., Rishabha.