Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra
by Helen M. Johnson | 1931 | 742,503 words
This page describes Marriage with Somashrii which is the seventeenth part of chapter II of the English translation of the Neminatha-caritra, contained within the “Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra”: a massive Jain narrative relgious text composed by Hemacandra in the 12th century. Neminatha in jainism is the twenty-second Tirthankara (Jina) and one of the 63 illustrious beings or worthy persons.
Part 17: Marriage with Somaśṛī
“In Daśagrīva’s time the Khecara Divākara gave his very beautiful daughter to the Ṛṣi Nārada.[1] From his line there is a Brahman in this village, the village-head, Suradeva. By his wife Kṣatriyā he has a daughter, Somaśrī, learned in the Vedas. Questioned by her father about a husband for her, the astrologer Karāla said, ‘Whoever defeats her in the Vedas will marry her.’ In order to defeat her, these people are constantly engaged in the study of the Vedas and Brahmadatta is the teacher of the Vedas here.” Yādava became a Brāhman in appearance and said to the teacher of the Vedas, “I am a Brāhman, Skandila, of the Gautama gotra. I wish to study the Vedas under you.” He agreed and Yādava studied the Vedas under him, defeated Somaśrī in the Vedas, and married her.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
This contradicts the description of Nārada as a celibate. Cf. IV, p. 151. Perhaps this Ṛṣi Nārada is an entirely different person from the well-known Nārada who is so prominent in the Triṣaṣṭi.0 Or perhaps the prāyeṇa in 7.2.514 means that generally Nārada was an ascetic, but not always. There were 9 Nāradas.