A History of Indian Literature v2.c19.s5.113

v2.c19.s5.113

Bhaddā is the daughter of the royal treasurer. One day she sees a robber who is being led to his death, and she falls in love with him. By means of bribery, the father succeeds in obtaining the robber's release, and marrying him to his daughter. But the robber cares only for the girl's jewels. He takes her to a lonely spot in order to rob her. However, she perceives his intention, and, pretending to embrace him, she pushes him over a cliff. After this adventure, she does not want to return to her father's house, but becomes a Jain ascetic. She is not satisfied with the doctrines of the Jains, and therefore goes to a place where some famous scholars are living, in order to dispute with them. As she does not find one who is her equal in a contest of speech, she wanders from place to place, and at the entrance to every village and town she sticks a branch of rose-apple in a sand-heap, saying to the village children: "If anyone would like to enter into a debate with me, let him trample the branch down." If anyone did so, the children were to report to her. If the branch was still standing upright after a week, she would pull it out, and go on her way.