Part 13: Story of Amitagati resumed

‘How have you come here to this inaccessible place, Cārudatta, since there is a path for no one except gods, Vidyā-dharas, and birds! I am that Amitagati who was set free by you earlier. Then I flew up and found my enemy near Aṣṭāpada. Abandoning my wife, he escaped to Mt. Aṣṭāpada. I caught her as she fell and returned to my own home. My father installed me on the throne and took the vow under two flying-ascetics, Hiraṇyakumbha and Svarṇakumbha. By my wife Manoramā I had a son Siṃhayaśas, and a second one, Varāhagrīva, equal to me in strength and power. By my wife Yijayasenā I had a daughter, Gandharvasenā, expert in all branches of music, beautiful. After installing my sons as king and heir-apparent and bestowing magic arts on them, I took the vow under my father and teacher. This is the island, Kumbhakaṇṭhaka, in the Lavaṇa Ocean and this mountain is Karkoṭaka, where I have practiced penance.’

At his question, ‘How did you come here?’ I related in turn the whole story of my misfortunes. Just then two Vidyādharas, equal to him in beauty, came through the air and bowed to him. From their resemblance to him I knew they were his sons. The muni said to them, ‘Bow to Cārudatta.’ After bowing to me, saying, ‘Father, father,’ they sat down. Just then a god’s aerial car descended from the sky. Then a very magnificent god got out of the car and bowed to me and then circumambulated the muni and paid homage to him.

Questioned by the Khecaras about the inverted order of homage,^[1] the god said, ‘Cārudatta is my teacher of religion. The story is: