Book Title: Two Prakrit Versions of Manipati Charitra
Author(s): R Williams
Publisher: Royal Asiatic Society

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Page 313
________________ 300 TWO PRAKRIT VERSIONS OF THE MANIPATI-CARITA 126. The king said: 'What is this on your lap?' The other replied: 'The monk's broom.' When the king asked: What is achieved by this?, the muni replied: 127. 'Tīvas are preserved.' Then why do you kill fish?' asked the king. The muni replied: 'In the bazaar I shall buy a blanket with them.' 128. The king indicated the reason for not taking life and bestowed on him a blanket. Then as he was going along he saw in the bazaar a female sādhu pregnant. 129. Preventing scandal to the Jina's teaching, his mind un deviatingly fixed on the sacred law, the king kept her in secret and harboured her until the day of birth. 130. Thus as the king could not be shaken the god, gratified, revealed himself and said : ‘Blessed are you, lord of men.' 131. So take this necklace and these two spheres, I am going to the heaven world.' So saying the god went at once to the abode of gods. 132. And he said as he set out : 'But whatsoever man shall put together this necklace if broken shall die assuredly.'. 133. The king gave to Cellanā the necklace of lovely form, and to Nandā the two spheres. She was angry and broke them, 134. and saw two dresses and two ear-rings that came out from them. Delighted she picked them up but Cellanā seeing this 135. said: 'Lord, give this to me.' He replied: 'I cannot give you what was given to her.' Then the queen was angry and climbed to the upper storey, in order to die. - 136. As she looked down with the intention of jumping off through the aperture of a skylight, she saw three people standing on the ground down below; 137. the elephant groom and the elephant rider conversing in very soft words with the courtesan Mahasenā who was in an extremely excited mood.

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