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NARRATIVE TALE IN JAIN LITERATURE
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attracted by her beautiful appearance, 37 came to her and gave her all his wealth.38 That courtesan heartily welcomed him, and after his shave and bath, gave him scented oil, expensive clothes, shirts, etc. to wear.39 She then took him to her inner apartment. After dressing well, when Kānhada was just about to plunge into the very vortex of amorous dalliance, he saw the full moon through the window.40 Seeing the full moon, he at once remembered his vow, and without making any more ado went out of her house, 41 leaving his purse with her, and somehow passed the night outside.42 Kämalatā searched for him hither and thither, but could not find him anywhere. She waited and waited for him till the night was over. At last, she became worried, and thinking that the money was improperly earned, she was determined to return the same to the owner. Next morning, she related the whole story to all of her friends, and along with them, went to the house of the king, and told the whole story of this money received from an unknown person, who had come to her house the previous night. She also expressed her intense desire to return the purse to that person, because of the fact that as she did not properly earn this purse, she could not claim the money as her own. Then she handed over this purse to the king and came back home.43
The king, by beating of drums, announced this event throughout his kingdom, but nobody responded.44 At last, Kānhada came and, with folded palms demanded that purse.45 On being asked,46 he narrated the whole story47 as to how he had got the money from Śrīpati, a merchant, by
37. Verse 65. 38. Verses 65-66. 39. Verses 67-72. 40. Verse 74. 41. Verses 74. 42. Verses 75-80. 43. Verses 81-88. 44. Verses 89-90. 45. Verse 91. 46. Verses 92-94. 47. Verse 95.
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