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106
POLITICAL HISTORY OF N. INDIA FROM JAIN SOURCES
"What appears on the body of the moon like a strip of cloud They assert is a hare but I think it does not wear that form." The thief replied:
"But I think that the moon has its body well marked with the brands of a hundred scares of the meteor strokes of the side looks of the maidens who are parted from the foes you have killed."
The thief was rewarded by the king very generously for this.
On one occasion when the king was going round on his daily circuit, he happened to reach the bank of the river, where he saw a Brāhmaṇa, fording the river with a load of fire-wood on his head. The king asked. him in a quarter stanza:
"How deep is the water, O Bräāhmaṇa?" The Brahmana completed the line with"O King, it is knee deep."
The king continued-
"How were you reduced to this state?" The Brahmana replied
"Now everywhere are there patrons like you." The king gave a large present to that poor Brāhmaṇa.
On a subsequent occasion a family consisting of a father, mother, son, daughter and a wretched one-eyed maid servant, all learned, were waiting at the gate eager for an interview with the king. They were. admitted and the king gave each of them a quarter couplet to complete, which they did wisely. The king rewarded them and took the daughter as his wife.1
As a scholar: King Bhoja was a great scholar and a skilful poet himself. He is said to have composed about two dozen works on various subjects, such as medicine, astronomy, religion, grammar, architecture, alaṁkära, lexicography, arts etc. It is, however, doubtful that in the midst of his incessant military activities Bhoja found time to write so many books himself. It may be possible that some of them were composed by the literary men of his court and later on ascribed to him.
By his magnificent generosity Bhoja encouraged the poets to compose literary works. We have seen that the Jain Dhanapala wrote his Tilakamañjari for the gratification of Bhoja."
Jain Education International
1 Ibid., p. 27.
2 See supra p. 88.
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