Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c7.s6.t1.3

c7.s6.t1.3

We are told of a simple villager, who was going to trade with his bullock-cart loaded with corn and a partridge-cage tied to it. On his way he met some perfumers who enquired whether he wanted to sell his ‘partridge-cage tied to the cart’ (sagaḍa-tittiri) which could also mean ‘the cart as well as the partridge.’ The simpleton replied in the affirmative. The perfumers paid him a kāhāvaṇa and taking his bullock-cart as well as the partridge made off. The poor villager went to the court, but lost his case. After sometime the villager visited the perfumers with his bullocks in exchange of two pālis of sattu provided their mother came to him nicely dressed and decked with ornaments with the offer. The perfumers agreed to the proposals and their mother approached the villager as desired by him. The villager succeeded in his stratagem and holding the woman by hand departed. In the meantime the people gathered there, and they heard the whole story. The villager got his bullock-cart back and allowed the woman to go.⁷