Treasury of Jain Tales

Author(s): V M Kulkarni
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre

Page 54

1. MUDGA-SAILA
(A glorious tribute to the spirit of the individual that can courageously stand up to a despotic power and preserve its own integrity.)
-GSB
Ina certain forest there was a tiny little mound of earth not larger than the size of a green gram and yet it called itself saila but it was Mudgasaila. There once drifted a big cloud over it named Puşkarāvarta; so huge it was in size that it almost looked like a continent of Jambú. A certain person whose great pleasure was to involve others in quarrels and watch the fun like the old sage Nārada, said to Mudgaśaila, "Once in a meeting of great men !
ribed you, dear fellow, as a tiny mountain that is impossible to shatter. Even rain can do nothing to you." The cloud Puskaravarta would not hear of it. He shouted at me, "Enough of that nonsense; when I can easily smash to smithereens enormous mountains that have extended over vast expanse and have washed off hundreds of peaks by my powerful showers, how can that tiny bit of clay claim to remain untouched ? Only a small little stream of my water will wipe it out. This provoked Mudgasaila. He replied "Listen, my dear friend, I should not like to brag in his absence. I would only say this much, let him pour down his fury for seven days and nights non-stop then if he succeeds in dislodging even a tiny bit of myself, I will not call myself Mudgasaila."
This person who enjoyed watching people quarrel went to the cloud Puskaravarta and reported the boastful claim of Mudgasaila which infuriated him and he quickly began to pour a deluge on the poor head of the tiny mound. The whole earth was flooded and
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