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The Paramāra Emperor Bhoja and Dhanapala : Mutual Relationship
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ritual, the cow-worship, the practice of hunting, the ceremony of investing Mahakala with sacred fibre-garland (pavitrāro pana), the superiority of the Jaina faith and of its founder Tirthankaras to the Brahmanical gods, and, above all this, the bold outspokenness and loyalty of Dhanapala in favour of his newly acquired Jaina faith.
The following incidents have been preserved by the popular Jaina tradition as a proof of his having gradually acquired considerable stanchness in his faith,
(1) Once when Dhanapāla accompanied Bhoja to the Mahukula temple (probably at Ujjayini), the poet would not come in front of the idol of Śiva even though he was called thrice by the king. When the latter asked the reason, Dhanapāla replied that as the god was in company of his wife he felt it improper to witness it. Of course he used to visit the temple before he acquired the "true faith", i, e. Jainism, but that was because he was then as ignorant as a child. He further added that it was the ancient sensuous people like the king who had, on the strength of their regal power, started such an absurd worship of male and famale organs. The king, however, thought that the poet was rather joking, though, according to Bhoja, the joke had a grain of truth in it ! This seems to have occured very shortly after Dhadapāla's conversion to Jainism as is evident from the question of the king, who was clearly surprised, as to why the poet had been paying homage to the same Mahakala for so long
time till that day. Moreover, the poet also seems to be sufficiently advanced in age-at least fifty-seven-to be able to talk with the king on such equal terms.
(2) The next incident might have been in cotinuation of the above one when they came out of the temple. The king asked the poet why Bhrngiriti looked lean. The poet bluntly, though poetically, brought out the mental confusion on the part of Bhțngiriți at the incoherent conduct of his lord Śiva. viz.. if he intended to remain unclad, why keep a bow? If he wanted to keep a bow, why have the ashes ? Well, If he wanted to apply the ashes to his body, why have anything to do with a woman? And if he wanted the company of a woman, what was the sense in having the enmity with Cupid ? Poor Bbạngi was, thus, worn by anxiety as to the real intentions of his master ! This incident has been noticed, but with scanty background, by Merutunga. 10
(3) The third incident, not found in the PRC, but preserved by Meru. tunga in his PC, seems to have followed in sequence to the above one. Once the courtiers of Bhoja reported to him about the concentration of Dhanapāla in Jina-worship. At that the king gave him basket of flowers and ordered him to pay homage to all the deities in the city. Dhanapala
