Book Title: Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 5
Author(s): Hemchandracharya, Helen M Johnson
Publisher: Oriental Research Institute Vadodra

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Page 383
________________ 332 CHAPTER ONE women conceal their own fault by deceit, blaming some one else.” The Näga said: “ It is the truth that women are deceitful. I am delighted by your conduct. Tell me, what can I do for you, sir?” The king replied: "May there be nowhere in my kingdom any adultery, theft, nor violent death at all.” The Nāga said: “Let it be so. Again I am delighted with that request of yours beneficial to others. Now ask something for yourself.” After considering, the king asked: “King of Nāgas, make it so that I can understand properly the speech of all creatures.” The Nāga said: “This is hard to give, but it is given by me to you. But if you tell anyone else, your head will split into seven pieces." With these words, the king of Nāgas went away. One day the king went to the toilet-house with his wife. A female lizard said to a lizard, “ My dear, bring me the king's ointment which will satisfy my pregnancy-whim.” The lizard said, “ Am I of no use to you by myself? " The king understood their speech and laughed. The queen asked the king, “ Why did you laugh suddenly?” The king, afraid of death if he told that, said, “ For no reason.” She said: “ Certainly you must tell me the reason for laughing. Otherwise, I shall die. Why must it be concealed from me?” The king said: “ If it is not told, you may or may not die. But if it is told, I shall die at once undoubtedly." Not believing that, she said again, “Tell me. We shall both die. May our condition of existence be the same." The king, who had fallen into women's persistence, had a pyre made in a cemetery. He went near the pyre and said, “I, ready to die, am going to tell that.” Then after bathing, the king mounted on an elephant and went with her to the pyre, watched by the tearful townspeople. In order to enlighten the cakrin, one of the family deities created a figure of a goat and a pregnant doe. Thinking, “The king understands all languages," the pregnant doe said to the goat in pure goatlanguage: “My dear, bring me here a bundle of barley from that pile of barley. When I have eaten it, my pregnancy-whim Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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