Part 17: Ananta’s samavasaraṇa

The Blessed Lord, the best door to mokṣa, always closely attended by these two, wandering over the earth, arrived at the city Dvāravatī. Śakra and the other gods erected a samavasaraṇa there, adorned by a caitya-tree six hundred bows tall. Jina Anantajit entered by the east door and circumambulated the lofty caitya-tree three times. After saying, “Homage to the congregation,” the Lord sat down on the eastern lion-throne, facing the east, and the holy congregation stood in their customary places. The Vyantara-gods created three images of the Master placed on jeweled lion-thrones in the three other directions. Royal agents went and announced to Puruṣottama that the fourteenth Arhat was in the samavasaraṇa. Hari gave them twelve and a half crores of silver and went to the samavasaraṇa with Balabhadra. After circumambulating and bowing to the Tīrthanātha, Puruṣottama and his elder brother sat down behind Śakra.

Again bowing to the Jina, Śakra, Upendra, and Sīrin began a hymn of praise in voices choking with devotion:

Stuti:

“So long as you are not their Lord, for so long people’s mind-wealth will be violated by sense-objects like robbers. The spreading darkness of anger, the cause of blindness to men’s eyes, disappear, indeed, from the collyrium of the nectar of the sight of you from afar. Ignorant people are seized by conceit like a demon, so long as your words like a charm are not heard by them. By your favor emancipation is not far away from people whose chains of deceit are broken, who have attained the vehicle of sincerity. As people free from desire approach you, so (in proportion) you grant them the maximum fruit, variously. Love and hate are like two streams of the river of saṃsāra. From your teaching it is possible to remain in indifference like an island in them. You, and no one else, bear a light for the darkness of delusion for people whose minds are eager to enter the door to emancipation. May we be unconquered by sense-objects, passions, love, hate, and delusion by your favor. Be gracious, O Lord.”