Part 1 - Ṛṣabhadatta and Devānandā

In that period, at that time, there was a city named Brāhmaṇakuṇḍa. Description. There was a caitya. Description. In that city, there lived a Brahmin named Ṛṣabhadatta. He was rich and powerful, fearless and famous, besides, like Skandaka, he was well-versed in the Vedas, Ṛk, Yajur, Sāma and Atharva, and many other Brahminical texts. (Later, during the spiritual regime of Arhat Pārśva), he became a devotee of the Śramaṇa path, knew thoroughly the fundamentals, such as, soul, matter, etc., was acquainted with the distinction between virtue and vice, etc., till his was the life of an enlightened personality. He had a wife named Devānandā. She had very tender limbs, till she possessed a very pleasant appearance. She was also a devotee of the Śramaṇa path, knew well the fundamentals, was acquainted with the distinction between virtue and vice, etc., till hers was the life of an enlightened personality.

In that period, at that time, Śramaṇa Bhagavān Mahāvīra arrived there. People went out, till worshipped him.

On hearing about the arrival of Bhagavān Mahāvīra, Ṛṣabhadatta was immensely delighted, till his heart was filled with joy.

He came to his wife Devānandā and said unto her,

“Oh beloved of the gods! The organiser of the Order, till all-knowing and all-seeing Bhagavān Mahāvīra who is linked with the divine disc in heaven, while wandering happily, has arrived here and is duly camped at the caitya named Vahuśālaka. The mere mention of the name and line of this divine personality is capable of giving great results, what to speak of the outcome of such a rare chance of being able to go into his presence, pay homage and obeisance to him, have our doubts resolved, and worship him. When the listening of a single, noble, pious word from such a worthy personality is capable of giving great results, where is the doubt about great results emanating when one listens a whole sermon? So, oh beloved of the gods, let us go, pay our homage and obeisance, till worship him. This will do us good, confer bliss, preserve our joy and give the highest benefit and meritorious acquisitions in this life as well as in the life ahead.”

Being thus addressed by her husband, Devānandā was highly delighted at heart, till she welcomed the suggestion by touching her forehead with fingers on her folded palms.

Thereon Ṛṣabhadatta called his men and said unto them,

“Oh beloved of the gods! Bring here the best and most auspicious of chariots, with bells dangling and decorated with precious stones, with good seats and bridle, drawn by two fine and young bulls who have a quick pace, who are beautiful and alike in grace, with similar hoofs and tails, with golden ornaments tied round their neck, with fine movement, with silver bells tinkling, with a golden rope passing through the nostrils of the animals, with blue lotus. covering their heads, yoked to it, and report to me the fulfilment of the order.”

On receiving this order from the brahmin, his men were highly pleased, till they touched their foreheads with fingers on their folded palms and said, “Oh master! We shall act as desired by you.”

So saying, they accepted the order and proceeded for its execution, till they made ready a fine and auspicious chariot and reported about the same.

Thereon Brahmin Ṛṣabhadatta took his bath, till decorated his body with ornaments, light in weight but high in value, came out of his house and proceeded towards the place where stood the chariot duly yoked and took his seat. Brahmani Devānandā too took her bath in her apartment, performed the necessary rites at the time of bath and fulfilled the propitiatory and expiatory duties; then she decorated her legs with ornaments, her head with ornaments studded with gems, put bracelets on her arms and rings on her fingers, a single-line neclace [necklace?] studded with precious stones round her neck, a costly thread and a long garland-like necklace on her breast, and a precious thread round her waist; then she put on a silken robe and covered her body with a silken wrapper, decorated the hairs on her head with scented flowers of all seasons, put sandal paste on her forehead, looking in her jewellery and aroma like goddess Śrī, the goddess of wealth. She came out attended by maids with a hunch on their back, maids from Cilātadeśa, till maids from many other lands in their national costumes, who could read gestures, who were expert and gentle, in the company of other members of their family, attended by local maids, eunuchs, personal attendants of long-standing and elderly women, and proceeded towards the car-shed, till took her seat.

Then Brahmin Ṛṣabhadatta and his wife, Devānandā, seated on the chariot and attended by members of their retinue, passed through the city and arrived at the Vahuśālaka park. When the supernaturals like canopy, etc., round Bhagavān Mahābīra [Mahāvīra] became visible, they stopped the chariot and alighted from it. Then Ṛṣabhadatta proceeded towards Bhagavān Mahāvīra after taking five necessary precautions (for details, S. 2 U. 5), till worshipped him in three modes. Devānandā also did the same, bowing low in humility, and folded her hands when Bhagavān Mahāvīra’s attention was drawn. With full concentration of her mind, she encircled him thrice and paid her homage and obeisance, and thereafter she stood behind her husband, with her attendants, carefully listening, humbly bending low and standing in the presence of Bhagavān Mahāvīra with her hands folded in humility and worshipping.

As the pious lady stood like this, she had a natural flow of milk in her breast. Her eyes were filled with tears of joy. Her bangles became tight on her thrilled arms. She felt a profound delight all over her body. Her brassiers got expanded. Like the pollens of kadamba flower beaten by rain-drops, all the pore-hairs on her body were thrilled with joy. She fixed her steady gaze on Bhagavān Mahāvīra and looked at him without even a wink.

Bhante!

Bhagavān Gautama paid his homage and obeisance, till made the following submission:

Q. 64 Bhante! Why is there a natural flow of milk in the breast of Brahmani Devānandā, till her pore-hairs are thrilled with joy, and why does she fix her steady gaze on you?

Gautama!

Śamana [Śramaṇa] Bhagavān Mahāvīra replied to Gautama thus:

A. 64. Gautama! You do not know this Brahmani Devānandā happens to be my mother, and I am her child. Because of this natural affection of a mother for her child, there is the flow of milk in her breast, till her pore-hairs are thrilled with joy, and she stands with her gaze fixed on me.

After this, Bhagavān Mahāvīra spoke at length to his guests as well as to the vast assembly of people, after which people went back home.

On hearing and accepting the words of Bhagavān Mahāvīra, Ṛṣabhadatta was highly delighted and pleased. He stood up, moved thrice round Bhagavān Mahāvīra, paid his homage and obeisance and submitted, “Bhante! What you have said is right”, etc., exactly as Skandaka did. (S. 2 U. 1) Then he walked in the north-eastern direction, took out his garlands, ornaments and decorations, pulled out five handful of hairs and came back to Bhagavān Mahāvīra, to whom he paid his homage and obeisance and submitted as follows:

“Bhante! This world is ablaze. This world is in flames. Ablaze and in flames, because of old age and death”, etc., he spoke, like Skandaka, and courted monkhood, till studied the eleven Aṅgas, till performed fasts of diverse duration, missing four, six, eight or ten meals at a time, thereby enriching his soul. Having lived thus for many years, fulfilling the code of a śramaṇa, he entered into a long fast, missing altogether sixty meals, and attained the goal for which he had courted the life of a monk, till ended all misery.

On hearing and accepting in her heart the words of Bhagavān Mahāvīra, the worthy lady Devānandā too was highly delighted and pleased. She moved round him thrice, till paid her homage and obeisance, and said, “Bhante! What you have said is right”, as her husband had done, till, “I want a place in your spiritual order.” Thereon Bhagavān Mahāvīra initiated her himself and placed her under the guidance of Āryā Canḍanā. Like her husband, she too was an worthy acquisition into the order wherein she planted herself into restraint. She studied the eleven Aṅgas under her preceptress, till ended all misery.