Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra
by Helen M. Johnson | 1931 | 742,503 words
This page describes Tests of the princes which is the fourth part of chapter VI of the English translation of the Mahavira-caritra, contained within the 鈥淭rishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra鈥�: a massive Jain narrative relgious text composed by Hemacandra in the 12th century. Mahavira in jainism is the twenty-fourth Tirthankara (Jina) and one of the 63 illustrious beings or worthy persons.
Part 4: Tests of the princes
One day, to test the fitness of his sons to rule, the king sent dishes of rice pudding to a certain place for their meal. When the princes had began to eat, he, strong-minded, had dogs, with their mouths wide open like tigers, turned loose. When the dogs rushed at them, the princes got up in a hurry. 艢谤别峁噄办补 alone stayed just as he was, the abode of wisdom. He gave the dogs rice pudding from another dish, little by little, and while the dogs lapped, he himself ate. The king, delighted by that, thought, 鈥淏y some device or other, he will crush his enemies and enjoy the earth himself.鈥�
One day, to test his sons again, the king gave them sealed baskets of sweetmeats and pitchers of water. The king told them, 鈥淓at the sweetmeats without breaking the seal and drink the water, but do not make a hole (in the pitcher).鈥� Not one of them ate nor drank except 艢谤别峁噄办补. What can strong men do in matters to be solved by wit? But 艢谤别峁噄办补 turned the basket around and around and ate the dust of the sweetmeats which fell from the spaces between the slats. By means of a silver shell under the jar which was filled with drops of water oozing out he drank the water. What is difficult for intelligent persons to accomplish by intelligence? So the King of Ku艣膩gra city decided that 艢谤别峁噄办补 had passed the tests with a wealth of cleverness suitable for sovereignty.