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EMANCIPATION OF THE FEMALES
99
A little quantity of black-gram was lying there He put it into the side of a window and lay it before her
'Take it daughter in the meantime I call a blacksmith' The trader left for a blacksmith to cut her fetters
Lord Mahavira was wandering between Kaushambi and Vaishali then He came to know the barbarian manner in which the victory festival was celebrated by Shatanık after plundering Champa While his mercenaries pillaged the town, Dharını and Vasumatı had been kidnapped 'It's high time to revive non-vidence,' he felt 'How ignoble and violent this conduct is! Violence encompasses in its vicious sweep even close kins Were Padmavati and Mrgavati different? Both happened to be the daughters of King Chetak If Padmavati is ruined, shall it please Mrigavatı ? But the ruthless monarchs pay no deference to the females They are ever wilful and headstrong Belligerent monarchs devour up the feebler states It is a reprehensible practice Such mean practices are not being given up Shatanik is certainly not immortal Can he ever wield the tremendous power he commands? Who can anticipate the likely calamities his people who survive him might suffer? The tyrant monarchs are oblivious of the bitter facts Such recurring incidents spur me to sponsor non-violence'
The Lord also learnt of the demise of queen Dharini and the vassalage of Vasumatı The incident thoroughly rocked him The miserable plight of females and the minionhood they suffered was projected vividly before his mind's eye He was determined to wage a war against this anti-feminism
It was the twelfth year of his asceticism The Lord arrived at Kaushambi It was the first day of Paush month of the Indian calendar The Lord took a vow –
I will beg meals from none but the fettered and handcuffed princess whose head is tonsured, mealless for three continuous days with tear-filled eyes, standing on the threshold with the meagre black-grams in a window at her feet 1
1
'Awashyakchurni I pt pp 316, 317
