Kathakoca or Treasury of Stories

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

Page 87

eat my dinner without presenting the food-offering ? Whether I die or live to-day in the presence of the Jina, I must certainly give him the offering.' So he adopted a courageous course, and entered, and as he advanced into the temple, the lion kept receding with backward steps. The god was much pleased with this courage of his, and when he had fearlessly entered the temple of the Jina, the lion was not to be seen. After the ploughman had, with a heart full of a weight of devotion, offered the food to "he august Jina, he returned to his own place. Then that very god, in order to test the virtue of the ploughman, appeared before him in the form of a hermit while he was eating his dinner.* Just as the ploughman was lifting a morsel to his mouth, the hermit appeared ; so the ploughman, in pious joy, gave the hermit what he had taken to eat. Then he took another handful of rice, and was preparing to eat it, when again the hermit came in the form of an old man; to him also he gave rice. When he was again preparing to eat, the hermit came as a young man, so he gave him what remained of his meal. Thus he gave food to the hermit three times. Then the god was pleased with his virtue, and revealed himself in his divine form, and said to the ploughman: 'I am pleased with your entire devotion to the faith of the adorable Jina, so ask a boon.' Then the ploughman said: 'If you are pleased with me, my lord, then separate me from this herd.' The god said, 'So be it,' and returned to his own place. The ploughman related to his wife the whole story of his interview with the god, and she said: 'My lord, you are fortunate, in that by your entire faith you have propitiated the mighty Jina.' By thus welcoming his success she earned merit.
Now, at this time there was in the city of Kshemapuri Vishņuçrí, the daughter of King Súrasena, an exceedingly beautiful girl. As the king could not find a suitable
* Compare the beginning of Grimm's No. 81, Bruder Lustig. St. Peter appears three times to him as a beggar, and Bruder Lustig gives him three-fourths of his loaf and three out of his four kreuzers.