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TRANSLATION
297 90. Exceedingly enraged at hearing those unseemly words
spoken by him the king in order to punish him, 91. gave command to his men. The leper getting up from
the presence of the Jina soared into the sky as the
king's men looked on. 92. They told this to the king. Then, his mind assailed by
doubt he asked Mahāvīra : ‘Lord, who is this leper ? '
The Jina said : 93. King, he is a god.' Asked by the king : How was
divinity attained by him?', Mahāvira recounted the
story of the brahmin, Sețuka. 94. In the city of Kaušāmbi there was a king named Satānīka,
and also a brahmin Sețuka, poor by birth and very
stupid. 95. He was told by his wife who was big with child: Fetch
me ghee and molasses.' He said: 'I have no know
ledge 96. whereby a favour may be solicited. She said : Garland
the king with flowers and he being pleased will assure
you a livelihood. 97. He acted thus and the king, delighted, said: 'Brahmin,
what do I give you ?' At the prompting of his wife
he demanded : 'Grant me every day 98. a perquisite, the best of food and a dīnār.' This the king
did; and the people esteeming that he was approved
by the king gave him food out of fear. 99. So affluent and revered by the people, he became in
course of time a leper, mainly from much vomiting
of food. 100. Then at the suggestion of the minister the king gave his
pension to his sons whilst he dwelt confined to an
outbuilding of his own home. 101. Condemned by his own people he brooded in anger until
he obtained a goat by a stratagem. This he made leprous by feeding it on the discharge from his own body.
