Part 2: Stuti to Ādinātha

The gods, Śacinātha and others, bowed to Ādinātha and with folded hands recited a hymn of praise as follows: “We are unable to describe your qualities fittingly. Nevertheless, we praise them. For knowledge becomes great by your power. Reverence to thee, sole bestower of the gift of fearlessness by the avoidance of injury to lives, both movable and immovable. Reverence to thee, an ocean of the nectar of suitable, truthful, and pleasant speech by the complete renunciation of falsehood. Reverence to thee, O Lord of the World, first traveler on the road through the waste-land of refusal to take what had not been given, O Blessed One. May reverence be be thee, O Blessed One, sun with the great brilliance of unbroken chastity, destroyer of the darkness of love. Reverence to thee, whose mind is on emancipation, abandoning simultaneously all possessions, the earth, etc., like grass. Reverence to thee, bull for the load of the great vows, tortoise for the crossing of the river of saṃsāra, great-souled. Reverence, reverence to thee, Ādinātha, observing the five cares that are like sisters to the five great vows. Reverence to thee possessing the three controls, your mind on the supreme spirit alone, your speech controlled, all action ceased.” After praising the Lord thus in a fitting manner, the gods went to Nandīśvara, just as for the bath-festival. After bowing to the Lord, Bharata, Bābubali and the others, like the gods, went unwillingly to their respective abodes.