Lilavati Sara

Author(s): Jinratnasuri, H C Bhayani, N M Kansara
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 16

Introduction
wild and killed her. The neighbours beat him up mercilessly for this outrage and forced him to leave the city. He returned at night and set the city on fire to take revenge on the citizens. Eventually he was identified as the criminal, was traced and executed by the King's order. Subsequently he suffered for a long time in hell and was reborn in the city of Campā, as a very ugly daughter named Rannadi to a poor Brahmin Somadeva and his wife Somadı.
The Story of Rannaời (131-160)
As Rannadı was a repository of bad qualities, none would marry her. At last Somadeva gave her in marriage to a poor and ugly Brahmin Candāditya who as a vagabond happened to come to the city. On the very first night of their marriage, when Candāditya offered to give her anything she wished, Rannadi insulted him as a worthless creature and a bluffer, and in spite of his attempts to plaeate her, she spurned him and asked him to get out from the bed. Candāditya lost temper, hit her on her head with a door-bolt and fled from the city. Thus the soul of Somā, reborn as Cand. āditya, took revenge on that of Agnisarman, reborn as Rannadi.
Rannaqi's wound did not heal inspite of treatment, and she suffered much. Once she happened to see some Jain nuns, whom she invited and requested for religious instruction. The nuns initiated her in the Jain Order. Shortly Rannadı died and, due to the merit she earned by renunciation, her soul was reborn as a son to King Padma and Queen Priyañgulată.
The Story of Rāmadeva (161-281)
As the prince was born to ibis royal couple due to the favour of their family-deity Rāmādevi, he was named Rāmadeva. When in due course he was entrusted to the care of a teacher for proper education, his innate vices of anger and violence manifested. Consequently, he would get angry even without provocation, would not study himself, nor would allow others to study, would pick up quarrels with co-students and beat them up. Once when the teacher tried to gently restrain him, he slapped him too. The teacher, thereupon neglected the boy, who then became an uncon. trolled vagiband. The king came to know about the character of the prince, who passed his time in gambling He was married to a number of princesses, and was allotted a separate palace. But he harassed people, mocked at the ministers, insulted the feudal chieftains and offended one and all. Everybody was fed up with him, bu even the king would not dare to restrain him lest the feelings of the queen would be hurt.