Kathakoca or Treasury of Stories

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

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and said to him: 'Great sir, your poverty has vanished.' He said: “Thanks to you, I have obtained all that is pleasant.' The god said : Whatever else you choose to ask I will immediately give you.' The ploughman answered: 'If it be so, my lord, let that city, which you made desolate, be again inhabited owing to your favour.' The god said : So be it.' Then he caused that city to be inhabited. The ploughman remained enjoying ever new pleasures with Vishnuçrí. And inasmuch as, even in this world, the ploughman had obtained a kingdom by virtue of the merit attained by offering food to the mighty Jinas, knowing well the result of such a rite, he kept making the food-offering in front of the Jina with his two wives every day. Thus being immersed in happiness, he finds his days pass like those of & god in the dogundika heaven. Now, it happened that that very god, of whom we spoke above, fell from. heaven, his period having expired, and became conceived in Vishņuçrí. When the full time had come a son was born. The name of Kumsuda was given to him. Gradually he grew up to be a young man. On account of their affection in a former birth he was very dear to the ploughman-king. After some time had passed, he gave the kingdom to that son, and took a vow. When he died, owing to the merit of the food-offering, he became a god in the first world of the gods. He began to reflect by means of his limited knowledge what good deed he had done in a former birth to obtain such magnificence. Then he discovered that he had obtained such good fortune by means of an offering of food. Having thus discovered the action that he himself performed in a previous birth, he went every day to admonish his own son. In the last watch of the night he said to him : ‘King, listen to my speech with an attentive mind. Because in a former birth I gave with great devotion a food-offering to the Jina, therefore this splendour has fallen to my lot. Moreover, it came about by your favour and the favour of the Jina, therefore do you also perform acts of worship to the excellent Jina. I, your father, have become a god in the