________________
258
CHAPTER NINE heavenly palace.
Placed there, she saw at a distance Nemi like Kandarpa before her eyes, lighting the flame of love, in her heart. Looking at Nemi, she thought to herself: “ This husband has been difficult to obtain, not within the range of (our) mind even. If he, the sole ornament of three worlds, has fallen to my lot as a husband, then is not the fruit of my birth fulfilled ? Even if he has come here himself, intending to marry, nevertheless, I am not convinced of it. By what merit was he won?”
As she was thinking this, her right eye twitched 238 and her right arm; and there was a burning in mind and body. Rājimati told her friends this, stammering, shedding tears from her eyes like a woman in a shower bath. Her friends said: “Friends, evil has been allayed, anything inauspicious has been destroyed. May all your family-gods be propitious. Be firm. Your bridegroom has come, eager for marriage. What is this ill-omened anxiety on your part, while the marriage-festival is taking place?”
As Nemi went along, he heard the pitiful cries of animals and asked his charioteer, “What is this?” though he knew well. The charioteer replied: “ Lord, do you not know? These various animals have been brought here to provide food for your marriage. Earth-dwellers, goats, et cetera and skydwellers, partridges, et cetera, belonging to village and forest, these will die, master. These are being watched by guards inside enclosures, crying out. For fear of life is a great fear
of all.”
Then Nemi, a hero of compassion, said to his charioteer, “Drive my chariot to the place where these animals are.” The charioteer did so; and the Blessed One saw many animals, their hearts terrified at losing their lives. Some were fastened by ropes on the neck, some on the feet, some had been thrown into cages and some had fallen into snares. Their faces upturned, their eyes pitiful, their bodies trembling, they looked
238 167. Unlucky for a woman. See IV, p. 371.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
