Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra
by Helen M. Johnson | 1931 | 742,503 words
This page describes Malli’s birth which is the fifth part of chapter VI of the English translation of the Shri Mallinatha-caritra, contained within the “Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra”: a massive Jain narrative relgious text composed by Hemacandra in the 12th century. Shri Mallinatha in jainism is one of the 63 illustrious beings or worthy persons.
Part 5: Malli’s birth
Its life completed, Mahābala’s jīva fell from Vaijayanta on the fourth day of the bright half of Phālguna, (the moon) in the constellation Aśvayuj. It descended into Queen Prabhāvatī’s womb, the splendor of an Arhat being indicated by the fourteen dreams. In the third month that it was in the womb, the queen had a pregnancy-whim to sleep on garlands, and it was granted by the gods. At the full time, on the eleventh day of the bright half of Mārga in the constellation Aśvayuj, she bore a daughter because of the female-birth karma produced by deceit in a former birth, the marvelous nineteenth Arhat, marked with a water-jar, dark blue in color, with all the favorable marks. The Dikkumārīs came and performed the birth-rites; the Indras conducted her to the top of Meru and bathed her in turn.
After the bath Śakra anointed and worshipped her himself, waved the light, and recited a hymn of praise with intense devotion.
Stuti:
“Reverence to you, depository of the three kinds of knowledge, chief of the three worlds; reverence to, the nineteenth Arhat. By good fortune I am favored with the sight of you, after a long time. For, O Arhat, a god is not seen by people with ordinary merit. Today the divinity of the gods has its purpose accomplished after a long time by the sight of the birth-festival of you, the god of gods. Do you, O you who are wise in equal favor to the Lord of Acyuta at one time and to a mere mortal at another time, protect us falling into existence. You shine brilliantly, set like a sapphire in this Mt. Meru which has become a golden crown of the earth. You are born for the emancipation of a desireless person just by the remembrance (of you). For what are you asked by one who has seen and praised you? From that the fruit is exceedingly great. All good works on one hand, the sight of you on the other hand; because of the magical results obtained, a second (sight) is superfluous. Not in the rank of Indra, not in the rank of Ahamindra, I think not even in emancipation can there be such happiness as that of the man falling at your lotus-feet.”