Kathakoca or Treasury of Stories

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

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descend from the mountain. When they came to a dense thicket of the forest, an intolerable smell was wafted towards them. The queen was astonished in her heart, and said to the king: “King, what produces this evil smell in this wood, which is full of the perfume of flowers ? He said : 'Do you not see, queen, in an open space in front of us a great hermit standing in the statuesque posture* with arms uplifted ? This evil smell arises from his body, heated by the rays of the sun, defiled with dirt, and afflicted with perspiration. The queen said: 'My lord, the law of the Jina is to be revered, but if the hermit were to be washed with pure water, he would be more agreeable; therefore, let his body be washed with pure water, in order that his evil smell may depart.' Then, at the earnest request of his wife, the Vidyadhara king brought water in the hollow of a lotus and washed the hermit's body. Afterwards the two of them anointed the body of that hermit with sweet-smelling sandalwood perfume; then they bowed before him, and ascended their chariot to make a pilgrimage to another holy place. Then a swarm of bees, attracted by the sweet scent, left a treet which was laden with a multitude of flowers, and settled on the body of that hermit. The hermit endured patiently the suffering caused by the bees also. At this juncture the Vidyadhara and his wife, having worshipped the holy places, came where the hermit was. The queen could not see the hermit, so she said to the Vidyadhara: 'My lord, here is that very spot where the hermit was, so how is it that I do not see the hermit there ?' The Vidyadhara looked down, and saw what seemed a peg in the place where the hermit had been. They both descended from the region of the air and looked, and then they discovered that the hermit was being devoured by bees. They were both of them very much vexed, and said: "Out on us !
* A hermit, while in this posture, does not bathe. See Dr. Hoernle's • Uvásaga Dasáo,' appendix iii., p. 41.
+ I have inserted the words & tree.' There is no corresponding word in the original.