Narrative Tale in Jain Literature

Author(s): Satyaranjan Banerjee
Publisher: Asiatic Society

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NARRATIVE TALE IN JAIN LITERATURE
she teaches her six suitors, the colleagues of a former life, through a golden image with rotten food inside, about the inner hatefulness of her apparently beautiful body and thereby induces them to renounce the world. Finally they all attain liberation. King Jiyasattu was led to the true faith by his minister Subuddhi who demonstrates to him the changeability of all things by the filteration of drinking water from mud. The layman Nanda is born as a frog because of his excessive attachment for the lake and the surrounding accessories of pleasure built by him for the benefit of his fellow-citizens. As such he proceeds to Mahāvīra but is crushed on the way under the foot of Śreņika's horse and dies with the formula of confession by which he is born as a god. Poṭṭila, the wife of the minister Teyaliputta, enters the order finding that she had lost the affection of her husband, After she is born as a god, she repeatedly tries, according to the previous promise, to enlighten Teyaliputta; but he is convinced about the value of renunciation only when he has fallen on bad days after losing king's favour and after attempting to commit suicide. At last he becomes a monk, and converts the king who asks his forgiveness. In the end they attain liberation. Dhammaruï, who eats himself the poisonous food to save the life of ants, becomes a god and subsequently attains liberation; while Nāgasiri, who offered that food, becomes sick and poor. She is reborn as Sukumāliyā who becomes a nun not being liked by her suitors. The sight of a harlot enkindles her passion, and she entertains a hankering for love-satisfaction in the next life. She becomes first a harlot of the gods, is born subsequently as princess Dovai and married to all the five Pāṇḍavas. Paümanābha, the king of Avarakamka, on account of the mischief of Nārada, robs her; but was conquered by Kanha Vasudeva who takes her back to her five husbands. After paying respects to Ariṣṭanemi and practising severe penances in due course, the five Pandava monks and Dovai attain liberation. Cilāya, a robber, kidnaps Sumsumā but suffers a good deal as he has to run away simply cutting her head and taking it with him; in the same manner suffer those monks who are addicted to physical pleasures. The father Dhanna and his sons, who were pursuing the thief, feed themselves on
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