________________ Story of the king (Kara)Kandu: it shows how going to Shatrunjaya and worshipping the Jinas there can save even a misbehaving person. The starting point is as follows: two gods who were friends met in Siddhacala and saw a monk taking the heat of the sun. One friend asked the other whether he knew the story of this monk. His reply was negative, but he said that when he had gone to pay homage to Simandharasvami in the Mahavideha, Simandhara narrated the following story to him. There was a king named Karakandu who was extremely bad, who was addicted to the seven addictions and who was a tormentor of his subjects. Once, while he was sitting in the main hall, he happened to read a verse which was written on the flying leaves of a kalpavrksa. After reading it, he became extremely frightened and disturbed, wondering how he could be freed from this evil and knowing that he would certainly die after having committed violence. During the night, he went out alone and walked continuously. At dawn he sat under a tree to take rest wondering in which manner he would commit violence. Suddenly a cow came raising its horns. The frightened king pulled out his sword and struck the animal violently so that it was split into two parts. From the inside a beautiful young lady with ornaments came out. She rebuked the king for having killed a poor and weak animal. She challenged him, saying that if he was really courageous he should fight against her. Mocking her, he took his sword to fight. The lady gave a strong blow, and the king was knocked down, having no strength to get up. Totally depressed, he was immersed in reflection. When he opened his eyes, there was no cow, no lady and no strike of a sword. He wondered whether he had seen a dream or a mirage. His family goddess Ambika made herself known to him, telling him that for six months he would have to wander about, to visit various sacred places and to endure various difficulties, but that equanimity would come to him and that she would then tell him the proper place where to stay after that much time has passed. Then the goddess disappeared. Six months passed like this. The king went on. Once he had reached a mountain at the foot of which there was a banyan tree. The sun was setting, night was coming. He decided to stay there, having made for himself a bed with the leaves of the tree. He was anxious, thinking that if he had gained equanimity, the goddess would have appeared to him. He fell asleep. Then a raksasa, who was his enemy, because the king had taken his wife and wealth, came to rebuke him, saying that he was now getting the result of his karma. He took the king and went back to his cave wondering what to do with him: should he eat the king, put him into pieces and throw him into the sea? Finally through his divine power he made iron nails and started beating the king as strongly as a washerman beats clothes. But the king did not show the slightest anger. The raksasa troubled the king like this for the whole night, without success. Realizing that the king would not die he left him at the foot of the banyan tree. The next morning, the family goddess appeared. She advised the king to go to Pundarikagiri in Saurashtra and to adopt right conduct. This would guarantee him the destruction of karmas after seven days and Emancipation. Then she disappeared. On the way the king met some monks and listened to their teaching. He reached the hill, worshipped the image of Rsabha, and is there taking the heat of the sun at the feet of Mahavira. The king would reach Emancipation while the two gods who narrate the king's story are talking to each other. > SatrMah. 1.65-162: the king's name is Kandu; Kanchansagarsuri (1982) p. 10. The story of Mahipala: a very long story of which only the episode focusing on the curative power of the water of Suryakunda on Shatrunjaya is retained here. It is narrated by Mahavira to the king of Junagadha who had come to pay his respects with regard to king Mahipala who was sitting in the assembly 2) 138 . . -पटदर्शन UCGAT
