Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra

by Helen M. Johnson | 1931 | 742,503 words

This page describes Conquest of southern half of Bharata by Triprishtha which is the twenty-third part of chapter I of the English translation of the Shreyamsanatha-caritra, contained within the “Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra”: a massive Jain narrative relgious text composed by Hemacandra in the 12th century. Shreyamsanatha in jainism is one of the 63 illustrious beings or worthy persons.

Part 23: Conquest of southern half of Bharata by Tripṛṣṭha

Janārdana and his elder brother again left Potanapura for an expedition of conquest, surrounded by seven jewels,[1] the cakra, et cetera. First he conquered Māgadha, the face-ornament of the eastern part; and Varadāman, the head-wreath of the southern part; and the chief-god, Prabhāsa, by whom the western part is made radiant; and also the Vidyādhara-kings of the two rows of Vaitāḍhya. Hari gave Agnijaṭin the overlordship of the two rows. For the noble, being served, bear fruit like a kalpa-tree. After he had conquered the southern half of Bharata in just this way by an expedition of conquest, Tripṛṣṭha turned his face towards his own city. He shone with half the magnificence and half the strength of arm of a Cakravartin. Then in a few marches Mādhava reached the Magadhas. Then the tilaka of kings saw a huge stone being lifted by a crore of men, like a tilaka of the earth. With his left arm Hari easily held the stone in the air over his head like an umbrella. Tripṛṣṭha was warmly praised as skilful by kings and people, who were astonished at the sight of his strength of arm, like bards. After depositing it (the stone) in the proper place, he set out and reached the city Potanapura, the abode of fortune, in a few days.

Śrīpati, mounted on an elephant, endowed with great good fortune, entered Potanapura, which was like a new city of Śrī, covered with pearl svastikas like the sky with stars; adorned with rows of festoons like a hundred rainbows; the surface of the ground sprinkled as if it had rained; with lofty heavenly palaces, as it were, in the form of high platforms with shining vessels; with a wedding being held at every house, as it were, from the auspicious songs; seeming to have all the people in the world made into a crowd from the excessive crowding (of the people). Then Prajāpati, Jvalanajaṭin, Acala, and other kings celebrated Tripṛṣṭha’s coronation as Ardhacakrin.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

See above, p. 44. The cakra makes the seventh.

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