Book Title: Laghuprabandhsangrah
Author(s): Jayant P Thaker
Publisher: Oriental Research Institute Vadodra

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Page 54
________________ 27 Som a śar man was sent to his house safe and sound. Thus was secured the third handle. Desire 4: The old ladies commanded again: “Offer gifts to the royal priest". The Purohita, however, would not accept any gift not earned by the 20 nails! Now, while going to attend the marriage-ceremony of the four daughters of the snake Aliñjara in the city of Pātāla, the female florist Marudi and her friend Savitri, whose formal lamentation at the loss of her sister U mādevi was duly removed by her, engaged the king, disguised as a porter, as their flower-basket-bearer. Marūdi opened their way to the nether-world by removing a slab with the help of her cudgel and on reaching the city of Pātāla they went in leaving the porter, the flower-basket and the cudgel on the bank of a lake. The king, however, threw the flower-basket in the lake, cunningly followed them, mounted the horse kept ready for the bride-groom, wedded the brides and turned back. When Mar ūdi returned to the lake, she did not find the porter there and as she began to think as to what the matter was, the king arrived and made a call: “ Come along, all of you !” He opened the nether-gate with the help of the cudgel and came up along with them and his arrival at Ujjayini was duly festivated. (The priest accepted the gifts ) and thereby was secured the fourth handle. Desire 5 : The old ladies said: “Let the minister be a receptacle first of your disgrace and then of your grace!” Now the minister's youngest daughter-in-law was conversant with the speeches of all creatures. One day she learnt through the speech of a jackal that her father-in-law would be bereft of all his prosperity within six months. Thence she started concealing jewels in cow-dung cakes. At last the impending day broke, when, for test, the king humiliated and exiled the minister after forefeiting all his property. Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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