Lilavati Sara

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

Page 22

Introduction
13
the ornament box she had forgotten to take with her, she left the company and returned to her residence. Thus the princess was saved, was happily married to an excellent prince and became a qu een. Concluding the story, the king added that in the like manner, a poor man may be dishonest but how can that be justified in the case of rich merchants like Dhana ? (The sub-story ends here).
(The story of the
merchant Dhana resumed)
Thereupon Durgaditya, one of the merchant leaders, following story:
The Sub-story of the Three Sisters and their Three Brothers (83-126)
King Tribhuvana and queen Karmaparinati of the city of Bhuvanodara had three sons named Anācāra. Sanmarga and Däridrya and three daughters named Bharati Laksami and Duhsilată. Once the daughters wanted to go and play far outside the city. The kirg advised them to go together, since it was not proper for the girls to go out alone. At this Bhārati refused to go with Duhsilată, who too confessed of having harassed the former, since she would not give her any scope for play. The king then asked her to go with Laks. But Bharati refused, and the former confessed that she used to harass the latter, since she always found fault with her language The king, then asked Duhsilata to go with Lakṣmt, but the former declined, and the latter confessed of having teased the former since she always played her down as of no importance. The king was upset at this mutual discord among the sisters and asked Bharati to go with any of the brothers. Bharati told the father that since Duḥslată liked Anācāra, and Sanmarga relegated her (i.e. Bharat) to secondary position, she would prefer to go with the third brother Däridrya. Taen the king asked Laksmi to go either with Anacara or with Sanmärga. But she refused to go with either of then since the former thought himself to be her leader instead of a follower, and the latter thought he was superior to her while in fact he had little worth without her. So she would rather go with the maid Nhsükita, with the proviso that brother Anacara may follow step by step and look after her and Duḥstlata from a distance.
Durgaditya thus tried to defend the view that wealth was naturally linked with fraud and unfair practices (The sub-story ends here).
(The story of the merchant Dhana resumed)
At this the king asked the leaders if they agreed or disagreed with Dargaditya's views. Somebody confirmed that the former was the case, at which the king was enraged and put all of them into prison. One of