Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra

by Helen M. Johnson | 1931 | 742,503 words

This page describes Marriage with Priyangusundari which is the thirty-fifth 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 35: Marriage with Priyaṅgusundarī

The princess, Priyaṅgusundarī, went with her father to see him from curiosity. As soon as she had seen him, she fell in love. A door-keeper related to Vṛṣṇi’s son the circumstances of Priyaṅgusundarī and the history of Eṇīputra, his palms placed together respectfully. “You must go by all means to Priyaṅgusundarī’s house at dawn.” With these words the door-keeper went away and Śauri watched a play. In it he heard that there was a Khecara, Vāsava, the son of Nami. In his line there were other Vāsavas and Puruhūta, springing from it. One time as Puruhūta was wandering about, mounted on his elephant, he saw Ahalyā, the wife of Gautama, and he dallied with her in the hermitage.[1] Then Gautama made him, whose magic arts were gone, a eunuch. After hearing that, Yādava was terrified and did not go to Priyaṅgusundarī.

Śauri went to sleep with Bandhumatī and at the end of his sleep during the night he saw a goddess and thought, “Who is she?” Saying, “Why do you reflect, my dear?” the goddess took him by the hand and led him to an aśoka-grove.

She said:

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

This is quite different from the account in the Rāmāyaṇa, 1.48.

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