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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
26
It was a school with 63 resident pupils. The king disguised himself as a student and secured admission there,
At night, when Somašarman and the pupils were all asleep, Uma. devi got up, climbed the tamarind tree and gave it a blow with her cudgel, at which the tree rose up from the ground, root and branch, and moved into the air. The king, who was fcigning asleep, observed all this. The next day he climbed the tree earlier and waited for the night, when, again, the same process took place. The tree went to another island and stapped near a big temple, where she alighted and bowed down to 64 Yoginis. Meanwhile the Ksetra pala came to the scene and, saluted by Umādevi, he asked her why she was not offering the victims. She replied that the 64 pupils and their preceptor were suitable victims for the Yoginis and himself. She requested him to wait till the 14th day of the dark half of the month of Asvina, when, having placed the woolen slab-seats on the mystical diagrams drawn on the ground smeared with cow-dung, having adored the cudgel, offered the obla. tions and tied the holy string to the hand, her lady-cook would take the solemn vow and perform obeissance.
The king, who had concealed bimself, listened to these talks and silently mounted the tree, which duly returned to its original place. The next morning he reported to the preceptor that all 65 of them were going to be victimized on the fourth day thence.
On the fixed day Umidevi performed all ceremonies pto the tying of the string. As she was about to take the solemn vow, however, the king cut off the string, caught hold of the cudgel and mounted the tamarind tree with his fellow students and the preceptor. Getting a blow from the cudgel, the tree flew to another island where it was made to descend near a deserted city.
Alighting from the tree, he straight-way went to the palace where he found the princess all alone, who informed him that a giant at rage bad destroyed the city as well as its king and that he intended to marry her. She requested him to go away in order to avoid an immature death, since the giant was about to arr.ve.
The dauntless king remained there concealed and no sooner did the giant arrive there than he killed him with a stroke of his sword. Thereafter be married the princess and, having climbed the tamarind tree, returned to the Orchard of his city.
Now the K setrapala went that day to Soma sar man's house where be found none but Umadevi. Consequently the oblation-offering was performed by cutting Umádevi herself to pieces.
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