Kathakoca or Treasury of Stories

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

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other lady of his harem. Now, it must be remembered that, owing to her disgust at the hermit in her former life, the guilt of an unholy act attached to her. That guilt began to display itself. An evil smell arose in the body of the queen. The people of the city fied, unable to bear that evil smell. The king, seeing her condition, showed her to the physicians. They said it was incurable, and they also abandoned her. Then the king had a palace built in the middle of the forest, and abandoned the queen there, causing her to be guarded by trusty warriors stationed at & distance. The queen said to herself : This is the result of my actions in a former life, so I must bear it with unflinching mind.' While she was going through these reflections, she saw a pair of parrots in a fragrant mangotree. The hen-parrot said to her mate: 'My lord, tell me some wonderful story.' Madanávalí thought: 'I also will listen, in order that I may forget my grief. The cockparrot said: 'My dear, shall I tell you a fictitious tale, or something that has actuaHy happened ?' The hen-parrot said : Tell me something that has actually happened.' Then the cock-parrot told how there was a Vidyádhara of the name of Jayasúra, how his wife was named Çrutimati, how they went to Ashtápada, how they worshipped the hermit with perfume, how they went to the world of the gods, how they fell thence into the city of Surapura, and became King Simhadhvaja and his wife Madanávali. Thus the cock-parrot related the whole story of Madanávalí from the very commencement. The queen said to herself :
How does this bird know three lives of mine? Never mind, now I will hear what he has to say.' The henparrot went on to say: 'My lord, where is that Madanávali now ?' The cock-parrot said : You may see her sitting before you alone in this palace. The hen-parrot went on to ask: 'My lord, is there any remedy for her complaint ?' The cock-parrot said: “This evil smell has attached to her in this life because in a former birth she showed disgust at & hermit; if for seven days she worships the mighty Jina three times a day with sweet-smelling substances, she will