________________
NE
206
CHAPTER SIX. Bhāmā, with giving the hair at the first wedding of a son as a stake. Bhāmā's son, Bhānuka, is going to marry now. So your mother will have to give her hair, lost by the bet. Rukmiņi will surely die from the shame of giving her hair and grief at separation from you; though you, the son, are alive.” Then Pradyumna and Nārada got into an aerial car made by Prajñapti and went very quickly to Dvārakā. Nārada said, “This is your father's city Dvārakā which Dhanada himself created and filled with jewels and money." Pradyumna said, “ You should stay right here in the aerial car until I have performed some miracle in Dvārakā.” Nārada said, “ Very well.” Krşņa's son saw the wedding-procession of Satyabhāmā's son which was halted there. He seized the girl who was to be married to him and put her down in Nārada's presence. Nārada said to her, “Do not be afraid. That is Krşna's son.”
Assuming the guise of a man carrying a monkey, Pradyumna said to the forest-guards, “Give fruit, et cetera to my hungry monkey.” “This garden is reserved for Bhānuka's wedding. So nothing can be ordered by you," the guards said. Pradyumna seduced them with much money, entered the garden, and had it stripped of fruit, et cetera by the monkey.
Then he became a merchant with a thoroughbred horse and went to the grass-market; and there he asked the shopkeepers for grass for his horse. When they did not give, Pradyumna seduced them with money in the same way and made every place stripped of grass by his magic art. In the same way, he drank and made dry the places with sweet water. He rode the horse himself on the bridle-path. Bhānuka saw the horse and asked, “Whose is it?" Pradyumna said impatiently, “ It is mine.” Bhānuka said urgently, “ Give me the horse. I will pay you whatever price you ask, though it is a high one." Pradyumna said to him:
“ Take the horse after you have tried it. Otherwise, there might be a crime against the king on my part, though innocent.” Then Bhānuka mounted the horse to test it and was thrown
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
