Part 14: Sagara goes to the samavasaraṇa

Now the keepers of the garden (Sahasrāmravaṇa) went and reporced to Cakrin Sagara that the Lord of Jinas, Lord Ajita, was at the samavasaraṇa. The Cakravartin was not so delighted at the cakra’s appearance as at the news of the Lord’s samavasaraṇa. Delighted, the King gave them twelve and a half crores of gold as a present. Then after he had bathed and had made the propitiatory rites of the tilaka and auspicious things,^[1] possessing a noble form and wearing jeweled ornaments like Indra, his shoulder-necklace made firm, twirling an elephant-goad in his hand, Sagara obtained a choice elephant and mounted in front. The King looked like a sun half-risen, his figure concealed up to the waist by the elephant’s high frontal boss.

The soldiers came at the sounds of the conch, drum, etc., streaming forth in the sky, like the gods at the proclamations by the bells, Sughoṣā, etc. The Cakrabhṛt, accompanied by thousands of crowned kings, looked as if he had many vaikriya-forms.^[2] The chief of kings with a light umbrella over his head looked like a whirlpool of the sky-Gaṅgā. With the chauris at his sides moving together Sagara looked like Mt. Meru with two moons.^[3] Covering the ground completely with horses with trappings of gold like birds with golden wings; with chariots with tall flag-staffs like boats with masts; with choice elephants with trickling mada like mountains with cascades; with infantry with weapons raised like waves of the ocean^[4] with serpents, the King soon reached the vicinity of Sahasrāmravaṇa.

King Sagara descended from the elephant, like a muni from conceit, at the golden mounting-block at the garden-gate. Sagara left his umbrella, chauris, and also other insignia of royalty. For that is the procedure of the reverent. From reverence he did not put on his shoes, and disregarded the arm offered by the door-keeper. Then King Sagara went on foot with crowds of men and women of the town to the samavasaraṇa. The King entered the samavasaraṇa by the north door, like the sun the division of the sky in the sign of Capricorn.^[5]

After he had circumambulated the Teacher of the World three times and bowed to him, Sagara began a hymn of praise in a voice sweet as nectar:

Stuti:

“The cakra^[6] shines in front of you, a sun at the meridian for people with wrong-belief, imperishable collyrium^[7] for keen-sighted people with right-belief, a tilaka of the Lakṣmī of Tīrthakṛts. Jambhavidviṣ has raised a finger to say, ‘He alone is master in the world,’ in the guise of a lofty indradhvaja. Wherever your feet take a step, there the gods and asuras scatter Śrī dwelling on a lotus in the guise of lotuses. You became four-faced, I think, in order to describe simultaneously the fourfold dharma: liberality, good conduct, penance, and state of mind.^[8] The three classes of gods^[9] have made the three walls (the samavasaraṇa), as you have begun to protect the three worlds from the three faults.^[10] Thorns have their points turned down while you wander over the earth. Does darkness face the sun? The hair on your head and body, your nails, and beard do not grow. This external power of Yoga has not been attained by other founders of congregations.^[11] The five spheres of the senses, called ‘sound, form, flavor, tangibility, and odor,’ do not become contrary in your presence, like dialecticians. All the seasons approach your feet simultaneously as if from fear of inopportune assistance to Kandarpa. The gods worship the earth, because of the touch of your feet, with a fragrant shower and a heap of divine flowers. Even the birds circumambulate^[12] you, O you who are revered by the world. What is the fate of the great who are ill-behaved^[13] to you? How could there he evil conduct of five-sensed creatures in your presence, when the wind, though one-sensed, lays aside unpleasantness? The trees bow to you with their crowns, astonished at your great power. Their tops have their purpose accomplished, but the heads of people with wrong-belief have not. A minimum of a crore of gods and asuras serves you. For there is no sloth in a matter provided with an abundance of good fortune.”^[14]

After he had praised the Blessed One this way, he withdrew with a respectful step, and he and the crowd of men and women stood behind Maghavan. So the fourfold congregation remained on the ground within the upper wall of the samavasaraṇa from devotion, as if engaged in meditation. Animals, groups of serpents, etc., were within the middle wall like friends of each other, their hostility abandoned. Within the third wall were the riding-animals of the gods, asuras, and humans who had come to attend the Master. Then the Blessed Ajita Svāmin began a sermon with speech extending a yojana, and conforming to every dialect.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

See I, n. 293.

[2]:

The body that can be changed at will. See I, n. 157.

[3]:

See below, this chapter.

[4]:

Perhaps an allusion to the Velādhārin-gods, who are a division of the Nāgakumāras.

[5]:

When it begins the journey north of the equator. See I, n. 345.

[6]:

The dharmacakra.

[7]:

Collyrium is considered beneficial as well as beautifying to the eye. Cf. Penzer, I, pp. 211 ff.

[8]:

See I, pp. 18 ff.

[9]:

Bhavanavāsins, Jyotiṣkas, and Vaimānikas.

[10]:

Love, hate, and delusion.

[11]:

This must refer to non-Jains. All Jain Tīrthaṅkaras had these characteristics.

[12]:

I.e., keep the right side toward,

[13]:

I.e., keep the left side toward.

[14]:

These are some of the 19 ‘divine atiśayas.’ See I, n. 11. In that note the ninth of the ‘divine atiśayas,’ the caitya-tree, was omitted.