Part 5 - Silent questions by two gods

In that period, at that time, two gods with great fortune,... till great influence, descended from the great vimāna in the great heaven, Mahāśukra-kalpa by name, and came to Śramaṇa Bhagavān Mahāvīra. In their mind, they paid homage and obeisance to Śramaṇa Bhagavān Mahāvīra, and in their mind, they asked him the following question:

Q. 59. Bhante! How many of thy disciples, who are the beloved of the gods, will be perfected,...till end all misery?

Thereupon, Śramaṇa Bhagavān Mahāvīra communicated his reply unto them by his mind as follows:

A. 59. Oh beloved of the gods! Seven hundred of my disciples will be perfected,...till end all misery.

In this manner, Śramaṇa Bhagavān Mahāvīra mentally communicated his reply to the questions mentally asked (by the two gods). At this, the gods were delighted, pleased,...till their hearts were filled with glee. Again they paid their homage and obeisance to Śramaṇa Bhagavān Mahāvīra, by their mind, waited upon him, bowed before him,...till worshipped him.

In that period, at that time, Śramaṇa Bhagavān Mahāvīra had a senior disciple Indrabhūti by name who, remaining neither very near nor very far, waited upon the Lord from his seat where he sat in the utkaṭuka posture. He was immersed in meditation. After he had completed a course of meditation, and before he commenced the next course, he had the following thought in his mind:

Two gods with great fortune,...till great influence came to Śramaṇa Bhagavān Mahāvīra. I do not know these gods, nor do I know from what kalpa, heaven or vimāna they had come, nor the purpose of their coming. So I should approach

Śramaṇa Bhagavān Mahāvīra, pay homage and obeisance to him,...till worship him, and thereafter I shall ask him about them.

Having thought like this, he got up from his seat,...till he came to Śramaṇa Bhagavān Mahāvīra,...till worshipped him.

Addressing Gautama and others, Śramaṇa Bhagavān Mahāvīra said as follows:

—Gautama! In between your courses of meditation, you had a thought in your mind,...till you have come to me. Is that correct?

—Bhante! It is very correct.

—Gautama! To have the answer to your query, you better approach the gods.

Thus having received the permission of Śramaṇa Bhagavān Mahāvīra, Bhagavān Gautama paid his homage and obeisance to the Lord, and having paid his homage and obeisance, he started proceeding towards the gods.

Now, the gods saw Bhagavān Gautama coming towards them, and having seen him, they were delighted,... till their hearts were filled with glee. They stood up quickly, and hurriedly did they come forward, and reached the place where Bhagavān Gautama was, and having reached the place,...till paid obeisance and said:

—Bhante! We, two gods, with great fortune, till with great influence, have come down from our vimānas in the great heaven named Mahāśukra-kalpa. We paid our homage and obeisance to Śramaṇa Bhagavān Mahāvīra, and having paid our homage and obeisance, we asked him: Bhante! How many of thy disciples, who are the beloved of the gods, will be perfected,...till end all misery? We asked this, question in our mind, and we got the answer also in our mind, which is: Oh beloved of the gods! Seven hundred of my disciples will be perfected,...till end all misery. Having thus asked the question in our mind, and having got the reply in our mind, we are delighted,...till our hearts are filled with glee. We have paid our homage and obeisance to Śramaṇa Bhagavān Mahāvīra, and worshipped him.

So saying, the said gods paid their homage and obeisance to Bhagavān Gautama, and went away in the direction from which they had come.

Bhagavān Gautama paid homage and obeisance to Śramaṇa Bhagavān Mahāvīra,...till made submission as follows:

Notes (based on commentary of Abhayadeva Sūri):

(There is no commentary available for this section).