Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 6

Author(s): Hemchandracharya, Helen M Johnson
Publisher: Oriental Research Institute Vadodra

Page 240

200
CHAPTER EIGHT the painters for painting a gallery. The area of the gallery was divided and taken by the painters; and the part near the women's quarters fell to that painter. As he was painting there, he saw Queen Mrgāvati's big toe with a ring through a slit in a lattice window. Thinking, “ This is Queen Mrgāvati," the painter painted her figure accurately from conjecture by the favor of the Yakşa-king. While the eye was being made visible a drop of black paint fell from the brush's tip on the top of the thigh, but he quickly removed it. Again a drop of black paint fell and again he wiped it away. When he had seen that it fell again the painter thought: “Surely there is a mark on her in this place. Therefore it (the drop of paint) must be. I will not remove it in future."
The painting having been completed so, the king went there to see it. Looking at it in order, he saw Mrgāvati's figure. When he saw the drop on the thigh, the king angered thought: “ Certainly my wife has been corrupted by the wretch. Otherwise how would he, evil-minded, know that gazelle-eyed Msgāvati had this dark spot under her clothing?"
Having made this accusation angrily, the king himself had him turned over to the guards for punishment.
The painters told the king: “By the power of a boon given by a Yakşa he paints a whole painting from the sight of one part.” This being said, in order to test it, the stupid king had the best of painters shown the face of a hunchbacked girl. The painter painted the hunchbacked girl just she was. Nevertheless, the king had his thumb and forefinger cut off from anger. The painter went to the Yakșa as a refuge, and observed a fast. He (the Yakşa) said, “You will paint the same with your left hand.”
His boon obtained thus, the painter reflected angrily: “Why was 1, innocent, reduced to this condition by the king? I shall get even with him by some device. Intelligent people accomplish by wit alone what can not be accomplished by force.”
With these reflections, he painted Queen Mțgāvati with