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INTRODUCTION.
57
The Emperor, hot with an er, said, “Do you dare to disregard me? Don't you know my power? If angry, I am the God of Death incarnate; if pleased, a kala-truma (a tree supposed to fulfill all desires). Now you will get the fruit of this poisonous tree in the form of your fool-Hardiness and doggedness”. So saying the Emperor, appearing like the God of Death, ordered a dreadful and vicious elephant to be brought there. (317)
Verses 318 to 321 give the riescription of the elephant.
The elephant was brought by the drivers. The Emperor, spoke turning towards Siddhicandra, “Accept the life of a house-holder and enjoy pleasures with comely women. Be honoured with the lordship orar some country and still further receive horses and elephants from me. Obey this my last command. Or else, I will make you a guest of the God of death in a trice."(327)
He answered, "Though this suffering is difficult to go through, it will be beneficial to me as it is the result of the performance of my duty.” (328)
The Emperor angrily shouted, “The fool will not come to his senses unless he is treated with fierce blows and cruel torture". Turning to him, he said “Now, taste the bitter fruit of your foo.ish persistence". The mad elephant glaring viciously at the monk gave out a roar, which, commingled with the hoarse shouts of the multitude, sounded like the bursting of a volcano. The monk stood firm as a rock, unpurterbed by the imminent onslaught of the demon of death. The Emperor's astonishment was profound, and he ordered that the monk was to retire into a forest as punishment for disobedience of his orders. Siddhicandra, without any tremour, left the Court. The Emperor issued a firmān which was circulated throughout the Empire. Its wordings were: “Other Mumuksus sages striving for final emancipation) residing in my empire are all to retire into the forest, as it is proper for those disinterested hermits to stay only there (i. e. in the forest ). "389 (334).
88 Cf. Vijaya-Tilaka Suri Rāsn Aithikara 1, composed in S. Y. 1679 hy Darsanavijaya statos
in verses 435 to 439 abc at the time of S. Y. 1670 Jahangir was angry and passed a banishment-order; hence several Jaina monks came to Surat from othor places'; and in other verses from 1179 to :185 describes Siddhicandra as remaining undaunted against the order of Jahangir askin, him to marry, even under the thront of being tramplad upon by elephants and at last bein, called back and honoured by the Emperor Jahangir; also vide Ilira Suri Rāsa composed by Rşabhadāsa in S. Y. 1685 pp. 185 and 186 vorses 1 to 8. The attitude of Jahangir towards reclusos may be contrasted with that of his father Akbar who clearly expressed "(1) whoever by his brilliant destiny withdraws his affections from all worldly concerns attairs to the Divine love which is above all others (p. 380); (2) Whoever seeks from ne permission to rotire from this world will meet with cheerful acquiescence in his desires. If he has really withdrawn his hoart from the world that deceives but fools, to dissuade him t:erefrom would be very represensible; but if he only affects it from ostentation, he will receive the requital thereof." p. 387. Aini Akbari III-The Happy Sayinys of His Majesty.
