Part 5: Indra Camara’s attack on Śakra

Now there was a rich householder Pūraṇa in the hamlet Vibhela situated at the foot of the Vindhya (Mts.) in this same Bharata. One time during the night he thought: “Surely in a former birth I performed much penance, as a result of which I have this wealth and honor. For the good and bad fruit of former actions is obtained here. That is deduced by the state among people of master and servant. Wherefore, after abandoning my house and enlightening my people, I shall practice penance to obtain fruit in a future birth. For eight months by day a human must do that in youth and vigor—by means of which happiness thrives at the end.”

With these reflections, he fed his people at day-break, took leave of them for sake of the vow, and established his son in his place. He himself took the vow of penance called praṇāma; and carried a begging-bowl, made of wood, with four sections. Starting from that very day, he observed fasts of two days constantly and daily emaciated himself by exposure to the sun. When the day for breaking fast came, he took his vessel of four sections and went for alms at noon. He gave travelers, et cetera the alms that were thrown into the first section; the alms of the second section he gave to crows, et cetera; those of the third section he gave to water-creatures, fish et cetera; the alms of the fourth section he ate himself, without like or dislike.

After performing thus fool’s-penance for twelve years, he undertook a fast in the northeast of the hamlet Vibhela. After fasting for a month he died, and because of the fool’s-penance he became the Indra Camara in Camaracaṭcā with a life-term of a sāgaropama. As soon as he was born, looking quickly at the other worlds with the eye of clairvoyance, he saw the Indra of Saudharma above. When he saw Śakra occupying the palace Saudharmāvataṃsaka, holding the thunderbolt, very magnificent, he, angry, said to his attendants:

“Who is this seeker of the unsought, placed over my head, wicked, who glitters so, shameless, a disgrace to the gods?” The Sāmānikas, et cetera, their folded hands touched to their hands, said: “This is the Indra of Saudharmakalpa, very powerful, whose commands are cruel.” Exceedingly angry at hearing that, Camara, his face terrifying from frowns, his fly-whisks upset by his snorting, said: “You are ignorant of my own power, so you praise him. I will show you my own strength by humbling him. Placed in a high position by chance, he is not a lord because of that. Does a raven, seated on an elephant’s trappings, become a driver? For so long as he has stayed, he has stayed, sirs. But in future he will not stay, since I am angered. When the sun has risen there are no light and darkness.”

The Sāmānikas said: “He became lord of the gods, possessing a high degree of magnificence and power, because of merit acquired in a former birth. In accordance with your own merit you became the lord of such as us. For power is dependent on merit. So do not show envy of him. A test of power made by you against him would lead to ridicule, like one on clouds by a śarabha to a fall. So calm down, stay comfortably, enjoy pleasures at ease, see numerous amusements, served by us and others.”

Camara said to them: “If you are afraid of him, then stay right here. I shall go alone to fight him. Either he or I should be lord of gods and asuras, since two swords can not be in one scabbard at the same time.”

After making this loud boasting, on the point of jumping up into the sky, he had a little discernment arise and again thought: “Śakra will be as powerful as these Sāmānikas have described him. They are not enemies of mine. The path of action is rough. If by chance I should be defeated, to what refuge from him extremely strong shall I go then?”

After these reflections, he used clairvoyance and saw Vīra Svāmin standing in statuesque posture in the city Suṃsumāra. After deciding that Śrī Vīra would afford a refuge, Asura Camara got up and went to the armory named Tumbālaya. There he took an iron club that was like another arm of Death and rapidly threw it up and sideways two or three times. Observed lovingly by the Asura-women saying, “He is a hero,” encouraged by the Bhuvanapatis who wanted a show, regarded indifferently by his own Sāmānika-gods, saying, “He is stupid,” Asura Camara left the city Camaracaṭcā. At once he resorted to Śrī Vīra, laid aside the club, circumambulated him three times, bowed, and announced:

“By your power, Blessed One, I shall conquer Śakra who is hard to conquer. He annoys me extremely, placed over my head.”

After saying this, he took up the club, approached the northeast, and at once made his own figure a hundred thousand yojanas long. Like the sky embodied, with a huge body dark colored, like a living Mt. Aṭjana in the continent Nandīśvara, with a face terrifying from sawlike fangs, with black wavy hair, with the sky full of a mass of flames issuing from his welllike mouth, with the sun obscured by the expanse of his broad chest, with the planets, constellations, and stars breaking from the movement of his long arms, terrible from the hissing of a serpent attached to his navel, creating astonishment by his knees touching mountain-peaks, with the earth depressed by his footsteps, blind with arrogance, he leaped up against the lord of Saudharma.

Splitting open the whole universe, as it were, by loud roars, terrifying the Vyantaras, terrible like another Yama, frightening very much the Jyotiṣkas like a lion deer, passing by the Sun and Moon, he reached Śakra’s region in a moment. The Kilbiṣikas fled, the Ābhiyogikas trembled, and even the generals and their soldiers ran away at once. The Dikpālas, Soma, Vaiśravaṇa, and the others, fled from this terrifying huge body, rushing forward with speed. Unchecked by bodyguards, unhindered by even a doorkeeper, observed by the Trāyastriṃśas who were confused, saying, “What is this?” seen by the Sāmānikas with anger and astonishment, he set one foot on the lotus-terrace^[1] and the other in Sudharmā.

After striking the bolt (of the door) three times with the club, very excited, frowning heavily, he said to Śakra: “Why do you sit above me, with a multitude of many kinds of gods that are like weaklings in strength, Biḍaujas? Now I am going to make you fall beneath me. You have been here too long uselessly, like a crow on a mountain-top. Do you not know me, Asura Camara, master of Camaracaṭcā, whose strength is insuperable by every one?”

Indra, who had never heard before such a harsh speech, smiled, and was astonished, like a lion at the challenge of a hunter. Knowing Camara by clairvoyance, saying, “Villain, run!” Śakra raised the thunderbolt hard to look at, as well as a frown. He discharged the thunderbolt that was like the essence of the fire at the end of the world, like a mass of lightning, like the blazing flame of submarine fire multiplied. Making the sound, taḍat, taḍiti, watched by the terrified gods, discharged by the lord of gods, it attacked Camara. The Asura, unable to look at the thunderbolt like an owl sunlight, dropped head over heels like a bat.

Wishing to reach Blessed Mahāvīra as a refuge, Camara fled quickly like a yak^[2] from a cheetah. As he fled, he was ridiculed by the gods: “O basest of Asuras, how is it you, not knowing yourself, eager to fight, made an attack on Śakra, like a frog on a snake, like a goat on an elephant, like an elephant on a śarabha, like a snake on a garuḍa?”

He, whose body had been so large, had a light body instantly and went very quickly like a cloud blown by the wind. Following him, whose body had been made small like that of a lizard, the thunderbolt glowed, filled with a mass of flames. Now, as soon as the thunderbolt had been discharged, Vajrin thought: “The Asuras do not have the power to come here by themselves. I think he has come here with power created by concentrating on an Arhat, or the statue of an Arhat, or some great sage.” Reflecting thus, Śakra knew by clairvoyance that Indra Camara had come by the Master’s power and that he was going to the Master. Saying, “Oh! Oh! I am undone!”

Indra ran very, very fast by the thunderbolt’s path, his ornaments, necklace, et cetera, falling apart. Because his own country was below, Camara went first, behind him the thunderbolt, and behind it Vajrin in turn. Although he had started later, Indra was extremely fast from his own power and got close to them, like an elephant to its driver. The Asura with the thunderbolt of death near somehow reached Mahāvīra standing in statuesque posture, like an elephant injured by a forest-fire reaching a river. Saying, “Sanctuary! Sanctuary!” Camara, who had become as small as a kunthu, entered the space between the Master’s feet. When the thunderbolt was four inches from the Master’s lotus-feet, Vajrin seized it in his fist, like a snake-charmer a snake.

After he had circumambulated the Lord and paid homage to him, Purandara, his hands folded respectfully, said in a voice ardent with devotion: “I did not know that Indra Camara came to attack me, arrogant from the power of the Master’s lotus-feet. From ignorance I discharged the thunderbolt. Afterwards I knew by clairvoyance that he was clinging to your feet. Pardon this offence of mine.”

After saying this, Śakra stood in the northeast, split the earth three times with his left foot to destroy anger and said to Indra Camara: “Sir, you did well that you took sanctuary with the Lord who bestows freedom from fear on every one. He is more venerable than all the highly venerable. I have given up hostility and dismiss you, Asura Camara. Go to Camaracaṭcā and enjoy your own magnificence.” After consoling Camara in this way and again bowing to the Supreme Lord, Purandara went to his own place.

When Śakra had gone, Indra Camara came out from between the Lord’s feet, like an owl from its hole when the sun has set. After he had bowed to the Lord of the World, his hands folded respectfully, he said: “You alone saved my life, O life-giving herb of all creatures. Those who have taken sanctuary at your feet are freed even from existence, the home of many griefs. Why mention that I was saved from the thunderbolt! In a former birth, I, ignorant, practiced fool’s penance, Lord. As the fruit of that, I obtained the indraship of the Asuras which was accompanied by ignorance. This evil thing was done by me myself from ignorance. This alone was well done: that you were sought as sanctuary. If I had taken sanctuary with you in a former birth, I would have obtained the indraship of Acyuta, and even the status of an Ahamindra. But, enough of indraships! I have obtained the whole lordship of the three worlds, Lord, since a lord (you) has been obtained now.”

When he had said this with confidence and bowed to the Supreme Lord, Asura Camara went to the city, Camaracaṭcā. Seated on a lion-throne there, Indra Camara, bowed with shame, said to his people, Sāmānikas and others, who were welcoming him:

“Śakra was just like you described him with impartiality, but I did not know that from delusion. I went to his assembly, like a jackal to a lion’s cave, observed with indifference by his people from a desire to see a show. With difficulty I escaped from a thunderbolt hurled by Śakra and went for protection to Vīra’s feet which are worshipped by gods and asuras. I, being under protection of Śrī Vīra was dismissed alive by Biḍaujas and came here. Sirs, set out. We shall go and pay homage to the Jina.” With these words, Camara and his retinue went to the Lord, bowed, gave a concert, and then went to their own city.

The next morning the Lord, having finished his penance of one night, reached the city Bhogapura in the course of his wandering. There a stupid kṣatriya, Mahendra, saw the Jinendra, picked up a club of wild date and ran at him, intending to strike him. At that time Indra Sanatkumāra came there to see the Master, eager for a sight of him after a long time, and saw the scoundrel. After reviling the kṣatriya, the Indra paid homage to the Lord with devotion, asked if he had had a good vihāra, and went to his own place.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

See K., p. 214.

[2]:

The anglicized cheetah is H. cītā, a hunting leopard. Camara, the yak, does not seem appropriate here. The yak and cheetah do not live in the same part of India and would not normally meet each other. Camara is probably used merely for the name.

Other Jainism Concepts:

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Discover the significance of concepts within the article: ‘Part 5: Indra Camara’s attack on Sakra’. Further sources in the context of Jainism might help you critically compare this page with similair documents:

Jina, Saudharma, Samanika, Clairvoyance, Pay homage, Former birth, Iron club, Begging-bowl, Master and servant.