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146 Life and Stories of Pārçvanātha snuhi-tree 2 (14). The merchant became aware of their thought, took them to the temple of the Jina, and instructed them to honor the Jina with flowers. They did not react upon his advice; so he brought them before a Muni who also recommended them to exercise this form of piety. The herdsman possessed 25 kapardakas. With these he bought flowers with which to honor the Jina; but the other, the house servant, had no money. He was advised to practice asceticism (tapas) and, accordingly, decided to give his own food to any mendicant that happened along. A sage came to beg for food; to him he gave all he had. The merchant, delighted at his devotion, gave him other food, and showed both of them great kindness (33).
The two servants, after death, were reborn respectively as Amarasena and Varasena, in the womb of Vijayādevī, wife of a Kalinga king, Sūrasena. A relative of Surasena had dispossessed him of his kingdom, but he, later on, found favor with the king of Gajapura, who presented him with four villages, in one of which, Sukara, he resided. The two boys grew up, beautiful and accomplished, but a co-wife, Jayā by name, conceived hatred for them. Once Sūrasena went to serve the king. On his return Jayā feigned anger, and entered the 'anger house' (kopagsha, swearing room ') 4 (42). She accused the two boys of having made improper advances to her, which she had barely warded off. “Act now in accordance with the customs of a noble family (kulocitam)! Sūrasena, uxorious and gullible, in wrath, ordered
• Euphorbia Antiquorum; its juice is an emetic. The tree is despised, like the nimba in Pärcvanatha 1. 316.
. Probably Cūrasena. • Mentioned also by Swynnerton, 1. c., p. 412.
See the additional note 19, on p. 199.
