Stories From Jainism

Author(s): Mrugendramuni
Publisher: Jain Yoga Foundation

Page 68

whenever he saw birds sitting on the branches of a nearby tree. His teacher soon realised the flagging attention of his pupil. So Indradatta asked him, “Why are you so inattentive?”
The teacher got angry and scolded him. The boy resented this and did not return to his teacher for further lessons. He eloped with the girl he loved. After some time, there was an ebb in his love affair. He no longer regarded her as a paragon of beauty.
The girl expected Kapil to present her with a golden necklace, anklets and a silken saree. But Kapil was weary of her and felt disgusted by her selfish love.
Poor Kapil used to go out and work hard to earn a living, but he could not earn enough to buy the gifts she wanted.
Then Kapil came to know that there was a rich man in the town, and he used to give, in charity, two grams of gold to the person who went to him for alms early in the morning. He was pleased at the prospect of getting some gold. He began to dream of the necklace that would adorn the girl's neck and the anklets tinkling round her feet. But this wishful thinking disturbed his sleep at night. Hence, he went out in the dark of the night. He hoped to be the first beggar at the door of the rich man early next morning.
He was the only traveller on the dark road. Finding Kapil alone, loitering on the road, the city guardsman arrested him and took him to the King's court.
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