Kathakoca or Treasury of Stories

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

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world of gods by the fruit of an offering of food to the Jina, and I have come to admonish you on account of my love in a previous birth. Therefore, let the religion of the Jina be your refuge also.' After the god had in these words warned his son, he returned to the world of gods. Owing to the food-offering to the Jina, he will, after enjoying the pleasures of gods and men, obtain salvation in the seventh birth. Here ends the story of the ploughman, having reference to worship by means of a food-offering.
I will tell the story of that Gandhabhadrá, who, having with great devotion
Offered a candle in front of the Jina, obtained salvation.
Now follows the story of Dípaçikha, having reference to worship by means of a candle. STORY OF DIPAÇIKHA. In this Bharata there is a city named Cvetámbiká. In it there was a king named Vijayavarman, and a female servant named Gandhabhadrá. One day she heard the fruit of the merit of worshipping the Jina with a candle thus described:
A beautiful body, a clear intellect, unimpaired senses,
Good eyes, long-continued strength, many auspicious marks on the body,
And supreme lordship, are the fruit of giving a candle to the great Jina.*
When she heard this, faith was produced in her. Then, at the time of lighting lamps, she offered a candle in the temple of the Jina out of her lawfully acquired earnings; and when her life's allotted period was terminated she died, and her soul was conceived again in that same city in Jayá, the wife of King Vijayavarman. At that moment the queen saw a flaming fire enter her mouth. The next morning she told the king. The king said: 'Queen, you will have a truly remarkable son.' Accordingly in the third month a longing came on. The queen felt a desire to worship gods and holy men, and to give gifts to the poor
* This passage is conjecturally translated. In two of the MSS. many words are omitted. In the Sanskrit College MS. some words seem to be repeated.