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Kathavate's introduction
how the minister could do such a thing. Someśvara offered to go and speak to Vastupala. The king consented. Someśvara called upon Vastupala, and explained to him how his rash act had roused all the Jeṭhuyas. Vastupala said he was prepared for the worst, and did not care for his life. Someśvara returned to the palace, and told Visaladeva that Vastupala was prepared to die in defending himself. He represented to the king how it would be noble to overlook one fault of a man who had rendered such singal services to the state. He said that the minister's life was very valuable, and might be spared for some critical occasion. The king relented. He asked Someśvara to bring Vastupala to the court. He came, but fully armed for fight. At his sight, the memory of all his obligations came to Visala's mind, and he humbly pacified his anger, behaving towards him with all the respect one would pay to his father. He strongly censured Simha for having struck a servant of the Śrawaka temple, and threatened to punish him severely. Soon after this, the minister had an attack of fever. In 1287 Samvat, when Narachandrasuri died, he had predicted that 1298 Samvat would be the minister's last year. The year had come. The minister made up his mind to go to Satruñjaya. Before setting out on his last journey, he called the minister Nagada, and recommended the followers of the Jaina religion to his care. The Brahmana minister promised to pay all respect to Svetāmbaras, and told the minister not to be anxious on that account. Vastulpaa started to go to Satrnñjaya, but became worse on the way, and died at the village of Ankevalia. Tejahpala and Jayantsimha, the son of Vastupala, performed the obsequies on the Satrunjaya hill, and built a temple on the spot called Svargarohaṇaprāsāda.
V
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The Jaina accounts of these ministers are naturally more detailed and faithful. There are some facts given therein to which a Brahmana admirer has naturally t given prominence. It is stated in those accounts that Vastupala and his brothers were the fruit of the second marriage of their mother. The statement runs as follows: In the city of Paṭṭana, Haribhadrasuri, a Jaina priest, while preaching once, constantly looked at a young widow, who was exceedingly beautiful, and whose name was Kumaradevi. One Asvarāja remarked this, and, after the Purana was over, asked him the reason. He replied that the widow was destined to be the mother of sons who would be like the sun and the moon of the Jaina religion; Asvaraja on hearing this, went to the father of the widow and entered his service. In time he succeeded in ingratiating himself in the favour of the widow and her father, and married her. The prophesy was fulfilled, and he became the father of Vastupala and Tejahpala and several other children. According to these accounts, when Vastupala and Tejahapala took up the ministerial duties, they made a condition that, at the termination of their office, they should be allowed to retire with all the property they possessed at the time when they entered upon their office. The impulse which led to the building of these temples is said to have been given by Anupama, the wife of Tejahpala. When the ministers found they had amassed a good deal of wealth, they began to think how they could keep it secure. Once while engaged in this deliberation, they did not notice that it was growing late, and that the time of the evening meal had nearly gone. Anupama, after sending servants to remind them several times, came to tnem, and making them
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