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BHANUCANDRA CARITRA
The best of the Upadhyayas (Bhanucandra),-endowed with numerous virtues as he was-was honoured and kept at the Court by the Emperor. He continued to preach to the Emperor. His sermons ennobled the lives of many deserving persons. Siddhicandra, on the other hand, reached Malapura", where in compliance with the request of the local Jaina congregation, he passed the monsoon without any inconvenience. (337)
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Once the Emperor, seated in the Court and in a cheerful mood, marked that the Upadhyaya's mind, afflicted with some sorrow, did not share the joviality of the atmosphere around him. Then the Emperor affectionately called him by his side and gently asked him to state the cause of so much mental anguish. The Upadhyaya then said, "From the spiritual point of view, we bear sorrow by the fact of our existence in this world; no other sorrow affects those who are immune from worldly. ties and who strive constantly for final emancipation. Still, Your Majesty, my heart is not strong enough to dispel the sorrow caused by the long separation of my best pupil". (341)
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Then the Emperor remembered the adamantine firmness of Siddhicandra in the performance of his duties, and thought, "Fie upon me, who out of delusion, disregarded his religious faith". Then he cheerfully issued a firman authorizing the return of Siddhicandra to the Court. The latter received the firman at Malapura, and immediately started for Agrä which he reached after a short time. A hearty and magnificent welcome awaited him there. His fame spread everywhere. (346)
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Once Siddhicandra paid a visit to the royal Court, on an auspicious day. The Emperor lavished praises upon him and said, "You are the blessed among the blessed, the respected among the respected. Who is there in this world who can come to your level in being endowed with sattva (goodness)? You have not deviated even by a hair's breadth from the chosen path of duty. Your adherence to it is unsurpassed. You are the honoured of the honoured. O Patient one! out of anger I treated you rudely. You got through the test quite successfully, and turned your difficulty to an opportunity, on account of your virtues".
Then Siddhicandra, who had attained wide celebrity said to the repentent Emperor, in a thought-provoking speech, "You have committed no offence. On the contrary, O blessed one! you have obliged me because, with the strength of your help, my wicked "karma" has been annihilated. Besides, if there was any offence on my part, the same should be forgiven by you as I became instrumental in some bad "karma" accruing to you." (353)
89 Malapura:-is situated in Jaipur State about 50 miles distant in the East of Ajmere, and 57 miles distant in the South-Western direction of Jaipur.
