________________
233
you weep so much ? She replied :-My Child! This is my only son. Immediately after preparing a painting of the Yakşa, he will certainly meet with untimely death. The young man said :-Mother! “Do not weep. I will go and prepare the painting ?” She said :Child! Are you not my child also ? The young painter replied:'However, I shall go and prepare his painting.' On knowing the real cause of her anxiety, the young man, with her consent, went to the temple of the Yaksa to prepare the painting instead of the old woman's son. He observed a two days' fasting. After a bath, he applied sandal-paste to his own body, put on two perfectly clean garments, and applied a piece of folded cloth over his mouth for the purpose of preventing the foul breath escaping from his mouth and disturbing the Yakşa. Then, with brand new brushes and excellent colours, the young painter prepared a beautiful painting of the Yakşa, and having very respectfully bowed down low at the feet of the Yakşa, he began to extol him thus - Surapriya god I An exceedingly clever painter cannot faithfully prepare your divine painting, then, how is it possible for an ignorant man like myself to do it? In case, on account of carelessness, if I have not acted respectfully towards you, O Mighty Lord I have compassion on me. Pardon me. One should not be angry towards one who is meek and gentle.' Becoming delighted with the eulogism, the Yakşa said.-"0, request me for a boon." The painter replied:-"O god! Let it be a boon that, henceforward, you should not kill any living being." The Yakşa said :- Simply by not killing you, the prevention of the killing of others is self-evident. Now ask for another boon". The pain. ter, then, said :-0 god! If you so desire it, give me a boon that simply by looking at a small portion of any part of the body of any human being, a beast, bird, or any object or scenery, I may become able to portray the entire exact faultless picture. The Yaksa, then replied :-"Yes! It will be so." Having thus gently pleased the Yakşa with penance purity, politeness, gentleness, and cleverness, and on having received the boons from the Yakşa, the young painter was honoured by the king, as well as, by the town-people.
30
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
