Part 1: Incarnation as Padmottara

There is a regal city, named Susīmā, in the province of Vatsa, the ornament of East Videha in the half of Puṣkaravaradvīpa. Its king was named Padmottara, the best of all kings, like one of the Anuttaravimāna-gods who had come. In him, whose command was not transgressed, who was devoted to compassion for all creatures, existed the two emotions, the ‘heroic’ and the ‘tranquil,’ like full brothers. He was constantly alert in regard to dharma, like a king in regard to his treasury, making it increase by many unobstructed devices. With the thought, “I shall certainly abandon this today or tomorrow,” he continued to live in saṃsāra with indifference, as if living in a foreign country.

One day, he abandoned the great kingdom like a piece of stone and adopted mendicancy under Srastāgha Sūri. Observing the vows without any transgressions, he, wise, acquired the body-making karma of a Tīrthakṛt by the sthānakas named in the scriptures. When he had passed his whole birth, he became lord of Prāṇata because of numerous special vows and numerous severe penances.