________________
praiseworthy qualities of Nara-Vikrama Kumāra, the king lovingly told bards to utter eulogic benedictions in honour of the prince, he used to get paintings of the prince prepared on walls, he used to hear the tidings of fame of the prince only and he was having dramatic performances done chiefly with the object of pleasing the prince.
It is said:
dafa gelèsia ærftgsfà qufactursfa
लोओ पुते पणयं किंपि अपुव्वं पयासे ॥ १ ॥ किं पुण चिरकालसमुब्भवंमि नीसेसगुणमणिनिहिंमि । सकुलमुद्धरणखमे न होज्ज नेहो नरवइस्स ? ॥ २ ॥
1
201
Ruddévi dutthasīlé'vi rūvarahie'vi guṇavihiņé’vi Loo putté panayam kimpi apuvvam payāséi.
2 Kim puņa cira-kālasamubbhavammi nisésagunamaninihinim) Sa-kulabhuddharapakhamé na hojja ného naravissa?
1. Even towards a fierce, ill-behaved de-formed and merl-* tless son, people show a some-what extra-ordinary affection. Then, however, why should there not be an affection of the king towards his own son who has been re-gained after a long time, who is as it were a treasure of all gem-like virtuous quali. ties, and who is capable of bringing prosperity to his own family!
One day, the king was sitting in the audiance-hall and the prince Nara Vikrama was sitting near the king's foot-stool. The ministers and the feudatory rulers took their appropriate seats. When musicians were commencing singing with charming melo. dious tunes, and when female courtezans clever in dramatic performances, were dancing with variegated setting of foot-steps, a gate-keeper entered the hall, and addressing the king respectfully said:-0 great king! a messenger of King Dévaséna of
26
Jain Education International
For Private Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
