Treasury of Jain Tales

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

Page 62

break in this village. Müladeva knew he could get nothing there and willingly gave away to him his meagre beans. The holy man was pleased with Muladeva's generous gesture and an angel in heaven praised his sense of devotion and purity of mind and asked Müladeva to seek a blessing. Muladeva said he would like to receive Devadattā, a thousand elephants and a kingdom. The angel said Amen to it.
Muladeva proceeded towards Venatata and spent a night in a travellers' shed in the company of beggars. Around the end of the night he saw a dream in which the full disc of the moon had disappeared in his stomach. He felt much puzzled by the dream and said he should get it properly interpreted. He went to a learned Brahmin for this and the Brahmin insisted that he married his daughter, which much surprised Müladeva. The Brahmin's explanation was that Müladeva came from a good family and he was a noble minded young man. The dream indicated that within seven days Muladeva would be a king. Muladeva and the Brahmin's daughter got married.
One day soon after the wedding Müladeva was fast asleep under a tree outside the city of Venatat a and a miracle took place. The king of the town had recently died issueless and a party was sent out to search for the right man to occupy the throne. This party saw Müladeva sleeping under a tree but the shade of the tree did not turn with the sun, the royal elephant trumpeted, the horse in the party neighed, the pitcher of water sprinkled water on him, the chowries fanned him and the royal parasol stood over him. By these five divine signs they knew Müladeva to be their king and he was crowned and given the name of Vikrama. A divine proclamation confirmed the choice.
King Vikrama maintained good diplomatic relations with the king of Ujjayini and through him he could obtain Devadattā. It happened like this: Devadattā gradually got sick of the overbearing and uncouth behaviour of Acala and begged of the king to save her from his harassment. The king ordered Acala out of the town. When Müladeva, now called Vikrama requested the king of Ujjayini to send Devadattā to him he was too willing to oblige such a powerful king and this way Muladeva and Devadattā were united again.
Acala became a prosperous merchant but once he was