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214 TWO PRAKRIT VERSIONS OF THE MAŅIPATI-CARITA . 976. and he did not take what was not given him. The
children clinging on to him would swing on his neck
and horns but against none did he lift a horn. 977. Therefore the people gave him the name the Noble Steer.'
Now there was an excellent disciple called Jinadāsa who, 978. on the day of the moon's periodic change, having com
pleted the pauşadha which brings a store of merit, used to go to the sūnya-gyha or to a part of his house
and steadfastly engage in ascetic exercise. 979. Once on a night of the black fortnight, stilling mind and
speech and action he engaged in the kāyotsarga in the
Śūnya-gyha. 980. Now his wife Bhadrā (noble in name, but not in fact,
for she was of evil conduct) went in there with another
man. 981. She fetched a bed on the four feet of which iron spikes
were fixed to make it firm. Then she laid out the bed
and 982. when they got onto it a spike pierced the disciple's leg
transfixing it to the floor so that he was in great pain. 983. A stream of blood poured out so that he lost blood heavily
at once; and being absorbed in meditation on the
sacred doctrine he was reborn as a god. 984. His wife sent away her lover and as she picked up the
bed in the dark the merchant swayed and fell on the
ground. 985. In consternation she fetched a lamp and carefully looking
found her husband dead there with a wound in his foot. 986. She laid him on the bed and cudgelled her brains for an
expedient to hide her guilt. Then by the intervention of
fate the Noble Steer came by. 987. Having smeared his horns with blood she raised a great
uproar and when the people had collected she said:
* This creature has killed my husband.' 988. The people said: 'You wretch why did you, being of
noble nature, destroy this lay disciple in whom there was no fault?'
