________________
62
MEDIEVAL JAINISM: CULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT
3. Impossibility Motif
Prakrit tales are rich with various types of riddles. They include the tales of foolish tricks, the stories of extraordinary cleverness and art which find expression in clever answers, or in the accomplishment of difficult task, or in wise judgements or in the accomplishment of wonderful works of art. Various such narratives of Muladeva, a crest-jewel of rogues, are narrated in ancient Prakrit works of Jains. He is said to have given training in hypocrisy and knavery to his pupils. We are told of Rohaka, son of an acrobat of Ujjayani, who was known for his wisdom. The king puts him to various hard tests which are accomplished by him successfully. Thereupon the king pleased with the sharpness of his intellect, invites him to his court. But the condition is that he should come neither in the bright half nor in the dark half of the month, neither during day nor during night, neither in the sun nor in the shadow, neither through air nor on foot, neither in the cart nor on the horseback, neither in a straight way nor in a crooked way, neither having a bath nor without it. Ultimately the clever Rohaka meets the king and was appointed a minister. The Maha-Ummagga Jataka is a reservoir of such stories where the hero Mahosadha Pandit gives proof of his great wisdom. The hero in the Arabian Nights is Haikar or Heykar. The narratives is important from the point of view of universal literature. It has also a Tibetan version. According to Bloomfield, the story seems to be a mere extract from a cycle of such stories which were afloat prior to the composition of the Brhatkatha.11
4. Three Wooers of a Girl
Benefy has traced this riddle to universal literature. A maiden got three proposals for her engagement from
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
