________________
369
daily from the Candāla but he would not give his daughter. Oa seeing the Caņdāla daily giving a dish of gems to King Śrónika the astonished Abhaya Kumāra Mantri asked hinn-All Prom where do you daily bring these excellent gems? The Candāla replied:-I have a goat at my house. He passes these gems with his foeces.' Abhaya Kumara told him:-0 good man ! You give this goat to King Śréņika and you will get everything you desire. The Caņdāla saying 'Just as Your Majesty desires' brought the divine goat from his house and gave the goat as a present to King Śrèņika. But as soon as King Śréņika took the divine goat into his harem, the goat passed urine and foeces of such horrible stench that all the members of the king's family became im mediately bewildered Abhaya Kumāra called the Candāla to his presence and told him:- Ah! Why did you tell a lie? The Cardâla replied I never tell a lie in the presence of kings The re seems to be some mysterious cause. Because wherever my fortunate son lives the goat naturally passes gems with foeces, O Swāmin! You can come to my and see it for your house self' With this object in view, Abhaya Kumara went with the goat to Métārya. There the goat passed gems through the rectum. Greatly astonished Abhaya Kumära said -How can it po. ssibly happen? Métarya said - Mantriśvara ! (Prime Minister) Do not be wonder-struck in this. What is inaccessible to devout sages Abhaya Kumāra thereupon said:-O good man ! If you possess divinc powers then, have a good road on Vaibhāra (iri readily prepared on which chariots can easily move about. So that. difficulties in the way of coming and going for King Śrénika for the purpose of doing obeisance to Sramaņa Bhagavâna Mahavira on Vaibhira Giri, may be removed Métārya had the road on Vaibhāra (jiri prepared with the help of his friend-god. It is existing at present. Abhaya Kumāra told Métärya:-You make a tall fortress of gold decorated with pinnacles around Rajagriha Nagara’ Métarya had it done through his superhuman powers. Greatly delighted Abhaya Kumära, again told him;-If you bring the Ksira Samudra (Milk Ocean) here, and if you and your whole family become sanctified by bathing in its water,
47
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
