He gathered grains, water and sticks and performed a ceremony to worship his teachers and the Gods. He gave away great wealth, and then with his followers he got onto the boat. The boat was dragged to the shore; all the things necessary for carrying out religious rituals were brought there; flags were hoisted, the anchors were raised, ‘the sails were hoisted, the helmsman and the first mates, the second mates and deckhands were stationed at their posts, and the boat cast off from the harbour. And as the wind was favorable, in just a few days they traveled over thousands of miles of ocean.
In the meantime, Bālapaṇḍiyā gave up bathing, anointing her body with fragrant ointments and wearing her jewels. She devoted herself to observing religious fasts, and for the most part she stayed in a nunnery with Jain nuns, praying and dedicating herself to the faith. Finally she won over everyone who saw her, and the nuns, her mother and father, her mother-in-law and father-in-law, in short everyone, said to her, ‘Child! Your body is so delicate. Do not perform such strenuous asceticism.’ She said:
‘Elders! Do not be troubled. I shall carry out these penances for only six months. After that I shall fast to death if my husband has not come back with all his wishes fulfilled. I swear to this today, right before all of you.’
They said, ‘Daughter! Your husband has gone far, far away. He cannot come back here in just six months. You must not make a vow like this.’ She said, ‘But I have made it already. Do not say another word about it.’ And because they realized that she was firm in her resolve, they all kept silent.
One night, when the cold season had already begun to make itself felt, she was meditating without any cloak in a section of the nunnery that was exposed to the elements. There came by chance the demi-god Raisehara, “Best Lover of All”, who was a complete non-believer. And he saw her. His mind was overcome by her great beauty, and he made himself visible to her and said:
‘O young lady! Take me as your lover. For I am charmed by your fair qualities. O my beauty! Know that I am Raisehara, the God.
‘But though I am a God, I am your most humble servant from this day forward, my love! So give yourself to me. You will not find one like me so easily again, nor will you always have such a body.
‘For this body is formed by chance when the five physical elements come together. There is no such thing as morality, no such thing as the next world, and no such thing as spiritual liberation.’
And when she did not answer him as he was going on in this way, that wicked one began to try to enjoy her by force. And when he could not break down her resistance, for she had great power from her religious practices, then his mood changed and he became angry. He thought, ‘I shall kill the husband of this useless woman to whom she is so faithful, so that she will die of grief at his death, burnt up by the raging fires of her pain.’ Now he knew through his supernatural knowledge that Devadiṇṇa was in the middle of the ocean; he sped there and, delighted, jumped onto his boat. Taking on a terrifying form, he shouted, ‘Hey you! Pray to your favorite God. For I shall sink this boat of yours right here in the middle of the ocean.’ Devadiṇṇa said, ‘What have I done wrong that you should act this way?’ The God replied, ‘This is the fault of that wicked wife yours.’ ‘Surely what I suspected before has come to pass, for even a God says such a thing about my wife.’ With this thought, the young man again spoke up, ‘If she has been false in her heart then, God, why do you not chastise her directly?’ He said, ‘I cannot do anything to her because of the great power of her religious austerities.’
With this the young man realized, ‘This is some terribly wicked being who has no religious belief. He failed to tempt my beloved wife from the true path of virtue and from her true faith. And so he has come here in anger. He might well do what he says to us.’ As Devadiṇṇa was about to recite to himself simple words of praise to the holy men of the Jain faith, that demi-god cast the boat into the sea and then returned whence he had come. All of the merchants were saved over the course of time by clinging to pieces of wood from the broken ship and they reached various islands.
Devadiṇṇa also got hold of a plank. And as he was intently reciting words of praise to the Jinas and those who had sought and found liberation in the Jain faith, he was carried safely ashore. In accordance with what his past deeds had determined for him in this life, he was seen there by the superintending deity of the salt ocean, Sutthia, “Well-established”, who recognized him as a fellow Jain, and delighted, said to him, ‘Sir! I am the ocean. I am pleased by the faith you had in the words of praise to the Jinas. Go, my friend, to the demi-god Maṇoraha, “Wishes”, who dwells in the midst of a jungle near the city Rayanapura, “Jewel City”, which is five hundred miles from here. If I tell him to do it, he will give you whatever you ask.’ Devadiṇṇa said, ‘Blessed One! How can I travel such a long distance?’ At this Sutthia gave him a fruit that was filled with a magic nectar and said to him, ‘Eat the seeds of this fruit as you go. Because of their magic power you will feel no hunger, no thirst, and you will not be tired. You will reach there in no time at all.’
Devadiṇṇa replied, ‘As you command.’ With these words he set out. And indeed he did reach that jungle in just a few days. He saw the abode of the demi-god Maṇoraha, made of all sorts of jewels, redolent with the deep fragrances that came from burning incense sticks of aloe and camphor and other aromatic woods. The temple was presided over by a large jewelled image of the demi-god, and in it the demi-god’s followers had carried out ceremonies in his worship. No sooner had he entered the temple than the demi-god Maṇoraha appeared to him in person and said, ‘Sir, have you been sent here by the ocean?’ And when he replied, ‘That is so,.’ the demi-god said, ‘In that case go at once to the city Rayanapura, not far from here. The king there is named Sakka, just like the King of the Gods. Whatever you desire in your heart he will give to you four-fold.’
And so he went and he saw that absolutely everyone there was absorbed in enjoying all the pleasures of all of the senses; no one did a stitch of work, not trade, not farming, not clerical work, not soldiering. They all seemed to be doing noting but playing. And looking at so many things that amazed him, he reached the royal palace itself. There he saw the king, like Indra, the King of the Gods, enjoying himself with every imaginable pleasure, and giving to people four times what they had wanted. He asked one man:
‘No one in this city does anything to make money, not trade nor any of the other usual occupations, and yet where do they get all the money they clearly enjoy without the least little effort?’
He said to him, ‘Have you come up from the nether world or fallen from the heavens? Or have you come from across the ocean that you ask such a question?’
Devadiṇṇa said, ‘Do not be angry, for it is true that I have come from across the ocean and have been shipwrecked here. Please tell me exactly what goes on in this place.’
The man told him, ‘In that case, listen. This king of ours goes every day to the nearby jungle and there, by his great courage, he pleases the powerful demi-god Maṇoraha. The demi-god, satisfied, grants him a very great boon. Through the power of that boon the king gives to every person four times what he desires.’
When he heard this Devadiṇṇa thought, ‘In that case why should I bother humbling myself before the king? I shall win over the demi-god himself. But I must see what the king does to please the demi-god.’ He then went to the temple of the demi-god and, concealing himself behind a tree, he hid there until after the first watch of the night, when the king appeared all alone, with only his own sword to guard him. The king worshipped the demi-god and proclaimed:
‘O, O, great demi-god! You who are possessed of such great power and unthinkable magnanimity! You who rescue all living creatures who display their faith in you through acts of courage! Appear now in person to me!’
And with these words King Sakka threw himself into a fire pit from which terrifying flames leapt.
The demi-god lifted him up with his lance and sprinkled him with
water from his water pot. The king was as good as new. The demi-god said, ‘Great Being! Choose a boon.’ He said, ‘Tn that case may I be able to give every man four times what he wishes through your powers.’ ‘So be it.’ When the demi-god had replied, the king bowed down to him and then went back to his palace.
On the very next day it was Devadiṇṇa who spoke in this way to the demi-god and who jumped into the burning fire pit. In the very same way the demi-god came to grant him a boon. Devadiṇṇa said, ‘Keep it in trust for me.’ and with that he jumped into the fire pit yet a second time. The demi-god gave him a second boon. This repeated itself yet a third time. The fourth time, as he was about to jump into the fire pit, the demi-god grabbed him by the arm and said, ‘Sir! Indra has given me this lance which has three prongs.
Through the power of this lance I can grant three boons and no more. Now ask for what you want.’ Devadiṇṇa said, ‘In that case, then, for my first boon give me the power that you give to the king every time he asks for a boon, but let me have that power for the rest of my life. As the second boon I ask that as long as I am alive, you do not give that power to anyone else. I shall hold the third in reserve.’ The demi-god agreed to this and Devadiṇṇa stayed there in his temple, concealed from the sight of anyone else.
The king soon arrived at the temple but the demi-god barred him from entering. The king asked, ‘Why do you keep me out?’ The demi-god said, ‘I have already given three boons to some great being.’ At that the king returned to his palace, greatly troubled in mind. He lay down on his bed. The king spent the entire night tossing and turning in his bed like a fish thrown up onto hot sand, like a snake struck by a stick, like a deer caught in a trap. When morning came Devadiṇṇa went to see the king. He saw everyone in the palace overcome by grief. He asked someone, ‘Why is it that everyone in the palace seems to be overcome with grief? He was told, ‘Sir! For some reason our king has declared that today he will immolate himself. That is why everyone in the palace is overcome with grief.’ Devadiṇṇa said, ‘In that case, take heart. I shall see that nothing bad happens and everything returns to normal.’ With these words of comfort he went directly into the presence of the king. He said, ‘King! Why do you act like some common person?’
The king said, ‘Sir! What is it to you?’ He said, ‘King! I have a reason for my question. Please, just answer me, my lord!.’ Realizing that Devadiṇṇa would not give up, the lord of men said, ‘Sir! I am addicted to giving away my wealth. All this time I have been able to fulfil my desire to give through the power of a demi-god. But today I am without his favour and I cannot give like I used to. Anyway, what use is my life without the favour of that demi-god? That is why I am so upset and have decided to kill myself.’ He said, ‘If this is all, then, through my magic power which will last as long as I live, you can continue to give away great wealth. You do not need to propitiate the demi-god from now on.’ The king was amazed by all of this, but he eagerly agreed to do as Devadiṇṇa suggested.
Devadiṇṇa then went back to the jungle. There, as he was getting out of a lake where he had been bathing, some middle-aged woman called out to him, ‘O Noble One! Where have you come from and what are you doing here?’ He said, ‘I have come from across the ocean. The presiding god of the sea, Sutthia, was pleased with me and sent me to the demi-god Maṇoraha.’ At this the woman was just delighted. She said, ‘In that case, come sit here under this tree so that I can tell you a secret.’ He did just as she said. She too then sat there and began to tell him her tale.
‘There is a wonderful mountain named Veyaddha, with so many high peaks that reach up to touch the top of heaven’s vault. It is home to all of the Vijjāharas, who have supernatural powers, and is adorned with many Jain temples made entirely of precious stones. There is a city on that mountain called Gayanavallaha. It is protected by King Candasehara, who is the crest-jewel of all the kings of the Vijjāharas. He has five chief queens, all foremost in his harem, and their names are Sirikantā, Kanagamālā, Vījjumālā, Mehamālā, and Sutārā. And they each have a daughter who is skilled in all the arts and who surpasses in beauty the women of the Gods. Their names are Kanagappahā, Tārappahā, Candapahā, Sūrappahā, and Telukkadevī. Their father Candasehara consulted an astrologer about them. “Who will be their husband?” The astrologer said: “Your younger brother Sūrasehara on his death became the demi-god Maṇoraha. He still bears you great affection. If your daughters stay with him they will surely get the right husband for themselves.”
‘And so their father gave the girls to Maṇoraha to take care of. Maṇoraha hid them all in an underground structure near his temple, and he gave them all such a fiery complexion that no ordinary man could look at them. Each girl he made more blindingly bright than her sister, with Telukkadevī the brightest. If you want you could ask for the girls. I am their former nursemaid named Vegavaī and, won over by your good qualities and handsome looks, I have told you all of this.’
Devadiṇṇa then said, ‘I shall do as you command.’ With that he went back to see the demi-god. He told him, ‘Blessed One! For my third boon that I left in trust with you, give me those maidens who are here in their underground chambers.’ The demi-god at once thought, ‘Now surely those girls have been struck with desire for this man and have shown themselves to him. How else could he even know that they exist?’ He said to Devadiṇṇa, ‘There are girls here, but they are so fiery bright that no one can look at them.’ He said, ‘That doesn’t matter. Just give them to me.’ At that the demi-god showed him four of the girls, all except Telukkadevī. And as soon as they got near Devadiṇṇa, the fiery brilliance that the demi-god had given them disappeared. Then he asked, ‘Why did you not show me the fifth girl?’ The demi-god said, ‘She is three times brighter than even these girls and you would never be able to look at her.’ Devadiṇṇa said, ‘Never mind. Just show her to me.’ With that there appeared a girl who was as hard to look upon as the orb of the sun. But she too at once assumed her normal appearance when she got close to Devadiṇṇa. All of them as soon as they saw him fell deeply in love with him. The demi-god was amazed at this and thought to himself, ‘Surely they belong to him.’ He said, ‘Children! Do you want this man for your husband?’ They said, ‘Father, it would be a great honour for us.’ Manohara told them, ‘He already has a wife who is the abode of so many good qualities. And even as your husband he will still always be devoted to her.’ They all said, ‘And what could be wrong with his being devoted to his senior wife?’ At that the demi-god gave him the girls. He summoned King Candasehara and with much pomp and splendour they celebrated their wedding. The demi-god gave great wealth to all the girls. Then Telukkadevī said. ‘Father! Will you not also give something for our elder co-wife, who is like our sister?’ At this the demi-god gave her a jewelled signet ring. She said, ‘What kind of a gift is this?’ He said, ‘My daughter! This is a magic jewel that grants all wishes.’ Delighted, she accepted the ring. Candasehara took his leave of the demi-god and went home. And the girls through their magic powers made a magic castle for them all to live in. Devadiṇṇa stayed there with them, enjoying pleasure after pleasure.
Then one day, wondering what her elder co-wife was doing, Telukkadevi used her supernatural knowledge and saw that Bālapaṇḍiyā was intent on beginning her fast to death. The six-month period had lapsed and her husband had not yet returned. Clothed in the stained robes of a nun, she was sitting deep in meditation. Realizing, ‘Surely this noble lady will fast to death tomorrow morning if her husband has not returned.’ Telukkadevi went to the demi-god. She told him exactly what was happening. He too believed that what she said was going to happen and he said, ‘My child! Go quickly, for the night is almost up. And he sent with her his servant, the demi-god named Dharanīdhara. And that one made a magic chariot which he filled with jewels, precious stones, pearls, coral, gold and other valuables. They put Devadiṇṇa in the chariot, fast asleep. Then the girls and their servants got in. Dharanīdhara held the chariot
on the tip of his finger and hurtled it upwards. It sped onward with great speed and Devadiṇṇa was suddenly awakened by the jingling of the bells that hung along its sides. He asked Telukkadevi, ‘What is going on?’ And she told him everything.
As they watched the earth speed by them with its cities, towns and villages, in the twinkling of an instant they arrived at their destination. They saw Bālapaṇḍiyā in meditation at the nunnery. And when she saw her, Telukkadeviå threw a garment of fine silk over her. Distracted, Bālapaṇḍiyā quickly uttered a few words of praise to the Jinas and came out of her meditation. She looked up to see what was happening. When she saw the chariot, she was frightened and went inside. She asked the other nuns, ‘What is happening?’ They told her, ‘It must be that some God has come here, drawn by the power of your austerities.’ And no sooner had they said this than the chariot came down from the sky and stopped right there in front of them.
The sun came up. They all got out of the chariot, and having uttered the traditional words renouncing mundane concerns, they entered the holy precincts. They bowed down to the nuns. Bālapaṇḍiyā, seeing her husband, in a flurry rose to greet him. She fell at his feet. When they heard that Devadiṇṇa was back, the king and all the townspeople, his father and all his relatives, came to see him. Devadiṇṇa sent Dharanīdhara back, and taking all the valuables from the chariot, with great pomp and splendour he returned home. A huge celebration was held in his honour.
The Forest of Thieves and the Magic Garden: An Anthology of Medieval Jain Stories (Penguin Classics) Page 33
