________________
298
might even spread poison. Its skin was black and its forked tongue was always flicking in and out. Inspite of its huge shape and form, it was incredibly quick in its movement and might attack with its hood which was large, hard and powerful. Its hissing sound reminded one of the iron being heated in a smithy and it always liked to attack. She said the wisest thing for them would be to avoid that forest altogether. She repeated the warning two or three times before she left the palace to weed the Lavana seatwenty one times as she had been ordered.
The two Mäkandi brothers could not take any interest in all the comfortable and luxurious things that the palace had. They therefore thought it wise to venture out. First they went to the eastern grove and remained there till they obtained enough of pleasures. Then they went to the northern groves but they discussed between themselves why exactly the Devatá should have warned them so repeatedly against the southern forest and felt that they must under any circumstances visit that part of the island.
As they started towards the south, a foul smell came towards them. They wondered what sort of smell it was, might be the dead body of a snake. But it appeared even more foul than that. But they would not give up their intention to go there. They covered their faces and walked ahead. Then they saw a huge gallows around which human bones fell in a heap. But more dreadful was the sight of a man who was still hanging on the gallows, crying piteously in a hoarse voice. The two brothers were greatly scared; yet they approached the man and asked him who he was and who hanged him on the gallows this way and where did he come from. The unfortunate man told them that he came from a city called Käkandi and was a dealer in horses. As he was on a business voyage, his ship wrecked but he managed to drift on to this island of Ratnadvipa. The terrible woman of the island picked him up and went on enjoying all sorts of pleasures with him and when on a very trifling excuse, she was furious with him she kept him hanging on the
lows. The two brothers now felt all the more frightened and started thinking of the possible way of escaping from the clutches
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
