Part 20: Bharata’s pūjā and stutis to the Arhats

When the Cakrabhṛt had had the shrine made and the statues erected as described, wearing white clothes, he entered it like the moon a cloud. When he had made pradakṣiṇā, the King and his retinue bathed the statues with fragrant water. Bharata dried them thoroughly with a fine cloth, and they were very bright like mirrors of jewels. Then the King anointed them with gośīrṣa-sandal paste that was like shining streams of moonlight turned into congealed fragrance. The King adorned them with various jeweled ornaments, with large divine wreaths and with garments of fine cloth. Ringing a bell, he burned incense, making the interior of the caitya marked with blue creepers, as it were, from its smoke wreaths. Then the King waved the light-vessel containing camphor burning like a fire-pit for people terrified of the cold of saṃsāra.

Bowing to the statue of Ṛṣabha Svāmin, overcome by sorrow and devotion, the Lord of Bharata began a hymn of praise as follows:

Stuti:

“Homage to you, giving pleasure even to hell-inhabitants by the five kalyāṇas, maker of happiness to the world, Lord of Three Worlds. O Master benefactor to all, you benefit this animate and inanimate world as you wander daily, like the sun. You have wandered for a long time for the pleasure of both Āryas and non-Āryas. Your course, like that of the wind, is for the benefit of others. You wandered here to benefit others for a long time. For whose benefit have you gone to mokṣa, O Supreme Lord? Since the abode of the siddhas, the top of the universe, has been occupied by you to-day, this mortal world abandoned by you this same day is a world suitable for death. Even to-day you are present in person to the bhavyas who recall your teaching bestowing favor on all. Whoever direct meditation, concentrated on your form,^[1] toward you, to those great souls you are present in person, O Lord. Even though you are free from affection, do not abandon my mind, as you have abandoned all saṃsāra, O Supreme Lord.”

After this hymn of praise to Ādinātha, he bowed to each one of the other Jinendras and praised each one in a śloka.

“Hail, O Ajita, Lord of the World, unconquered by passions and sense-objects, jewel of Vijayā’s womb, son of King Jitaśatru.”

“Homage to you, O Sambhava, son of Jitāri, springing from Śrī Senā’s womb, sun for crossing the sky of existence.”

“Sun of the east quarter Siddhārthā, ornament of the family Saṃvara, delight of all, Lord Abhinandana, purify us.”

“O Blessed One, the sole pearl of the row of clouds, Queen Maṅgalā, cloud to the earth of Megha’s family, homage to you, Sumati.”

“O Master, moon to the ocean in the form of King Dhara, lotus to the Jāhnavī in the form of Susīmā, Padmaprabha, homage to you.”

“Lord Śrī Supārśva, sandal to the Malaya-country Pṛthvī, foundation-pillar of the house of the family of Śrī Pratiṣṭha, protect me.”

“Moon to the sky of the family of Mahāsena, O Lord Candraprabha, Blessed One, haṃsa to the pool of Lakṣmaṇā’s womb, guard us.”

“Wishing-tree in the ground of the garden Nandana in the form of Śrī Rāmā, son of Sugrīva, prepare mokṣa for us quickly, O Suvidhi.”

“Delight of the heart of Queen Nandā, O Master, son of Dṛḍharatha, moon for the delight of the world, O Śrī Śītala, be for our joy.”

“Son of Queen Viṣṇu, pearl of the family of King Viṣṇu, lover of the Śrī of mokṣa, Śreyāṃsa, be for our emancipation.”

“Jewel to the Vidūrabhū of Jayā, son of King Vasupūjya, Vāsupūjya, one to be worshipped by the world, dispense the wealth of mokṣa.”

“Fire to the śamī-tree Śyāmā, son of King Kṛtavarman, Blessed Master Vimala, make my mind bloom.”

“Auspicious light of the family of King Siṃhasena, son of Lady Suyaśas, Ananta, spread endless happiness.”

“Sun on the slope of the eastern mountain Suvratā, son of King Bhānu, O Śrī Dharmanātha, Blessed One, set my mind on dharma.”

“Ornament of the family of Viśvasena, springing from the body of Queen Acirā, O Śrī Śāntinātha, Blessed One, be to us for the extinguishing of karma.”

“Sun to the sky of the family of Śūra, born from the womb of Queen Śrī, O Kunthunātha, Lord of the World, you who have desire destroyed, hail!”

“Lotus to Devī the Śrī of autumn, son of King Sudarśana, O Aranātha, bestow on me strength for the crossing of existence.”

“Pitcher of nectar from the ocean Kumbha, sprung from the body of Prabhāvatī, powerful for the destruction of karma, O Mallinātha, show us mokṣa.”

“Lotus-pool to the Himavat Sumitra, son of Padmāvatī, Lord of the Tīrtha, Munisuvrata, homage to you, Supreme Lord.”

“Thunderbolt to the earth with the shape of a thunderbolt in the form of Vaprā, son of Śrī Vijaya, you whose lotus-feet deserve homage from the world, homage to you, Lord Nami.”

“O attainer of mokṣa, son of Śivā, moon for the delight of Samudra, Ariṣṭanemi, Blessed One, homage to you, compassionate.”

“Crest-jewel to the family of King Aśvasena, O Lord, son of Vāmā, homage to you, Lord of Jinas, Śrīmat Pārśvanātha.”

“You who have accomplished the attainment of mokṣa, son of King Siddhārtha, consolation to the heart of Triśalā, Śrī Vīra, homage to you.”

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Rūpastha. This is one of 4 kinds of dhyana treated from a different point of view than the dhyana described in n. 8.

1. piṇḍastha, meditation on the elements.
2. padastha, meditation on pure syllables.
3. rūpastha, meditation on the form of the Tīrthaṅkaras.
4. rūpavārjita, meditation on the soul as pure spirit without form.

Yog. 7. i to 10. 6. G. pp. 369 ff.