Part 20: Vāsupūjya’s śāsanadevatās (messenger-deities)

Originating in that congregation, a Yakṣa, named Kumāra, whose vehicle was a haṃsa, white, carrying a citron and an arrow in his two right hands, and an ichneumon and a bow in his two left hands, became Vāsupūjya’s messenger-deity. Likewise appeared Candrā, dark colored, with a horse for a vehicle, with one right hand in varada-position and one holding a spear, and with left hands holding a flower and a club, a messenger-deity of the Lord, always near at hand.

Closely attended by them, the Blessed One wandered over the earth and came one day to the environs of Dvārakā. Then Śakra and the other gods erected a samavasaraṇa with an aśoka which was eight hundred and forty bows high. The Supreme Lord circumambulated the aśoka, saying, “Homage to the congregation,” and sat down on the lion-throne, facing the east. By his power the gods made three images of the Lord in the other directions which were just like him. The holy fourfold congregation sat in the proper places; the animals inside the middle wall, and draft-animals inside the lowest (outside) wall.

Then royal agents went to Śārṅgin quickly and, their eyes dilated (from joy), told him that the Master had come to the samavasaraṇa. Hari gave them twelve and a half crores of silver and went to the samavasaraṇa with Vijaya. After circumambulating and bowing to the Teacher of the World, he sat down with Lāṅgalapāṇi behind Śakra.

After bowing again to the Lord of the World, Śakra, Dvipṛṣṭha, and Vijaya began to praise (the Lord) in a song filled with devotion.

Stuti:

“On the one hand prevails the bad weather of delusion, which is very terrifying; on the other hand prospects^[1]  that are constantly fresh like the waves of the sea. Here, Makaradhvaja hard to restrain like a huge sea-monster; there, evil sense-objects strong as evil winds. Here passions, anger, et cetera, like powerful whirlpools; there love, hate, et cetera, like immense mountain-crags. Here series of various misfortunes like great waves; there painful and cruel meditation like a submarine fire. Here self-interest, a source of stumbling like a creeping reed; there many diseases like violent throngs of crocodiles. O Supreme Lord, after a long time raise up the people who have fallen into this very cruel ocean, this very boundless saṃsāra. The omniscient knowledge and perception of yours are for the benefit of others, O Lord of the Three Worlds, like the fruit and flower of a tree. My birth has its purpose accomplished today; my rank has its purpose accomplished today, since I have been permitted to make the festival of homage to you.”

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

For āśā, ‘sky,’ correlated with durdinam and āśā, ‘hope,’ correlated with moha.