________________
234
The young painter, then, went back to his native place Kaušāmbi. Kaušāmbi was the capital town of King Satānika.
One day, King Satānika while sitting in his assembly-hall, and addressing a courtier out of pride for bis kingdom and the extent of his military equipnient ard the prosperc us condition of his subjects, said -"O good man ! Tell me what thing I have not got in my kingdom which other kings have.' The man replied:"My Lord! You have not got any hall of paintings, which others have." The kirg, thereuçon, ordered the painters of his town to prepare a hall of paintings. Spaces for paintings to be prepared in the hall, were portioned out to various painters of the town, and the work of preparing the paintings had commenced. The young painter who had received the boons from the Yakşa, had his working-place near the door of the harem of the king. While doing his work, the painter happened to see the great toe of a foot of Queen Mrigāvati the chief consort of the kingdecorated by the rays of shining rings of precious stones-from & hole in a neighbouring laticed window. From this material to work with, the young painter, through the grace of the deity, painted an exact representation of Mrigāvati-dévi in all its minute details. Finally, while applying a black paint to the eyes of the picture, a drop of black paint from his brush fell on a thigh of the painting of the queen The young painter wiped it off. Again, a drop of black paint fell on the exact spot. He removed it. It happened thrice, and thinking that there may be a black mark at the exact spot, he allowed it to remain there
A few days after the completion of all the painting work, King Satănika while examining the various paintings in the hall canie near the painting of Mrigàvati-dévi On seeing a black mark on the thigh of the painting of Mrigavati-devi actually resembling the black mark she naturally had at the exact spot on her thigh the king appearing terrible with his eye-brows raised high and his eyes blood-shot on account of violent anger, thought:-- "It is certain that this wicked man has violated the morality of
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
