Book Title: Treasury of Jain Tales
Author(s): V M Kulkarni
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre

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Page 279
________________ 222 village assembly was being held. He complained to his father that he was very hungry and said the father must come away immediately. The father said it was allright for the child whose only business was to eat and be happy; he did not have any idea of the great anxiety that the village elders had to experience because of the king's crazy command. When Rohaka asked what the command was that had so much worried the village elders he quickly suggested how it could be done. He said they should leave the boulder as it is and where it is and dig around and underneath it carefully and construct walls and pillars for the hall the king had in his mind. Within a few days the hall was ready and the boulder served the purpose of the canopy. The king was invited to see it and was pleased to be told that the brilliant idea came from Rohaka, the son of Bharata. A GOAT On another occasion the king sent a goat to the village of Rohaka with instructions that after a fortnight, the goat should retain its present weight, neither more nor less. The village folk thought it to be a particularly harsh condition. They met and discussed the situation in their assembly but found no way out. They finally invited Rohaka to the assembly where the village elders praised him,"You have saved the entire village from the king's capricious order last time. Please show your intelligence now and save us again". Rohaka grasped the situation well and advised the villagers, "Feed the goat well with whatever food it usually eats but tie it in front of a wolf. Because of his regular food, he would not grow weaker and lose his weight and because of the fright of the wolf he would not grow fatter either. "The villagers did exactly that and at the end of the stipulated fortnight, they handed over the goat to the king with his weight exactly the same, neither more nor less. A COCK FIGHT After some days, the king came out with another idea. He sent a cock to the village and said that it should be made to fight but without bringing in another cock. The village elders thought the order to be particularly illogical and inspite of a good deal of Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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