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Life and Stories of Parçvanātha
rewarded Prabhakara with the gift of a city. Moreover, at the latter's request, the Thakkura was entrusted with the sovereignty of a province. Prabhākara also disposed the king so favorably towards Lobhanandi, that he, who had been poor, became very rich (455). Now the Thakkura had a pet peacock whom he loved better than a child. It came to pass that Prabhākara's low-born wife was taken with a pregnant woman's whim 27 (dohada) for the peacock's flesh. Prabhakara, instead of giving her the flesh of this peacock, gave her some other, and hid away the Thakkura's pet.28 As soon as the peacock was missed, the drum was sounded, and a reward of 800 dinārs promised him who would tell of its whereabouts. Then his wife, deciding to get rid of him, and, at the same time, to obtain the reward, touched the drum. She went before the Thakkura, told him of her whim for peacock's flesh, pretending at the same time that she had tried to keep Prabhakara from killing the king's pet. Out of excessive love for her, he had killed the peacock, and given her his flesh. The Thakkura sent his soldiers after Prabhākara, but he escaped to Lobhanandi's house, intending to test his friendship. He told him also that he had slain the Thakkura's peacock. Then Lobhanandi betrayed him; he was fettered, and brought before the Thakkura. He appealed to him pathetically to pardon this one fault of his, but was bidden inexorably to produce the peacock,
88
See additional note 25, on p. 204.
"A similar story in Ralston, Tibetan Tales, p. 151 ff. In Jātaka 159; Chavannes, Cinq Cent Contes Chinois, nr. 20, the flesh of a peacock is eaten for its curative quality. In the sequel of the present story Prabhakara hides away a king's son, in order to test the king's generosity. This also is the theme of a story in Vikrama Carita (Indische Studien xv. 321; Lescallier, Le Trône Enchanté, p. 110). In Jātaka 86 a king is tested by doing him an injury; in Jataka 218 a boy is hidden away. "See additional note 3, on p. 185.
