Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra

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

This page describes Story of Ardrakakumara which is the fifth part of chapter VII of the English translation of the Mahavira-caritra, contained within the “Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra”: a massive Jain narrative relgious text composed by Hemacandra in the 12th century. Mahavira in jainism is the twenty-fourth Tirthankara (Jina) and one of the 63 illustrious beings or worthy persons.

Now in the middle of the ocean there is a country, named Ārdraka, which resembles a palace in Pātāla. In it there is a city, Ārdraka. The king there was named Ārdraka, resplendent with beauty, delighting the eyes like the moon. His chief-queen was Ārdrakā. They had a son, Ārdrakakumāra, gentle-minded, who, having reached manhood, was enjoying pleasures as he liked.

Between King Ārdraka and Śreṇika there was a traditional friendship that was like a bond for their hearts. One day Śreṇika sent his minister to Ārdraka to deliver numerous gifts—the pregnancy-whim of the plant of affection. The minister as soon as he arrived was treated by King Ārdraka with respect like Śreṇika’s friendship embodied. The king accepted the gifts of various kinds—sochal salt, nimba-leaves, blankets, et cetera brought by the minister. King Ārdraka honored him with great courtesy and asked, “How fares my brother, the King of Magadha?” The moon of a minister gave delight to the lotus of his mind by favorable news of his master’s welfare like moonlight.

Ārdrakakumāra asked: “Father, who is this King of Magadha who has such affection for you like Spring for Manobhu?” The king said: “The King of Magadha is Śreṇika and there is traditional friendship between his family and mine.” Ārdrakakumāra, of whom a shoot of love had shot up quickly, looking at the minister with a glance filled with nectar, said: “Minister, does your lord have a son whose good qualities are not deficient? I wish to make him the recipient of courtesy.”

The minister said: “There is a son of King Śreṇika, named Abhaya, a house of intelligence, the chief of five hundred ministers, munificent, an ocean with the water of extra-ordinary compassion, clever, appreciative of favors, who has crossed the ocean of all the arts. Prince, do you not know Abhaya, endowed with wit and strength, pious, devoid of fear, known to all? There are no good qualities that do not have a home in Abhaya, like the soul-forms in the ocean Svyambhūramaṇa.”[1]

King Ārdraka said to his son who was seeking friendship with Abhaya: “You are my son, following my path, nobly-born. Friendship, like the marriage-bond, is suitable between persons of equal qualities and of equal birth and wealth, son.” After receiving his father’s advice which was in accordance with his own wish, Ārdrakā’s son said to the minister aside: “Do not go without letting me know. When you go, you must listen to a message resembling seed of the tree of affection from me for Abhaya.”

The gentle-voiced minister said, “Very well,” to the prince and, dismissed by the king, went to the house shown by a door-keeper. The next day King Ārdraka had his servant deliver gifts of pearls, et cetera and dismissed the minister. Ārdrakakumāra sent valuable objects, coral, pearls, et cetera, to the hand of the minister himself for Abhaya. The man went with the minister to Rājagṛha and delivered the gifts to Śreṇika and Abhaya. The chief-minister delivered the message to Abhaya, “Ārdrakakumāra desires brotherly friendship with you.”

Abhaya, expert in Jain doctrine, thought to himself: “He was surely born in the Anāryas because of injured mendicancy. Now he, a king’s son, noble-minded, is near being capable of emancipation. I do not wish friendship with persons not capable of emancipation nor with those whose capability is remote. Friendship is usually between persons of equal merit and demerit. They would have the same character. Friendship arises from the sameness of character. Having made him a follower of the Jina by some device, I am a friend and he is a friend who goes forward on the road of dharma. Perhaps from the sight by Ārdrakakumāra of a Tīrthakṛt-statue, the best recollection of former births will arise. So under pretext of a gift, I shall send a fine Arhat-statue, made of jewels, that has been consecrated by a great ācārya.”

With this idea, he himself put such an unequaled statue of the god Ādinātha, a cow of plenty of good fortune, in a box inside a basket. Then he put before it all the apparatus of a pūjā to the god—an incense-burner, little bells, et cetera. After he had put a lock on the opening, King Śreṇika’s son sealed the basket with his own seal. The King of Magadha dismissed King Ārdraka’s servant with wonderful gifts and friendly talk. Abhaya put the basket into his hand and, after rewarding him, said in a voice of nectar: “Present this basket to Ārdrakakumāra and tell this message of mine to him, my brother: ‘After unsealing this basket yourself alone in secret, the object to be seen inside must not be shown to anyone.’” Saying, “It will be done so,” the man went to his own city and delivered the presents to his master and his master’s son.

He told Ārdrakakumāra Abhaya’s message. Then he opened the basket in secret. He saw inside it Ādinātha’s statue creating light in darkness as if it had been wrought of light. He thought: “What is this? Is it some fine ornament for the person? Should it be put on the head, the neck, the breast, or somewhere else? This looks to me like something seen before somewhere, but it does not reach the path of memory, like a treatise in the case of a person of little diligence.”

While Ārdrakakumāra was reflecting seriously to this effect, a very deep swoon, the mother of recollection of former births, took place. He, with the recollection of former births having been produced, consciousness being regained by himself alone, reflected on his own story of former births.

“In the next to the last birth from this, I was a householder, named Sāmāyika in Vasantapura in the country of Magadha. I had a wife, Bandhumatī, and with her I listened duly to the dharma of the Arhats in the presence of Susthita Ācārya. After I had listened with my wife to dharma, I was enlightened in his presence. Disgusted with householding, I became a mendicant.

Wandering with my guru, I went to a certain town and Bandhumatī went there too, belonging to a group of sādhvīs. Seeing her one day and remembering former pleasures, I became infatuated with her and told another sādhu about it. He told the head-sādhvī and she in turn told Bandhumatī. Depressed, Bandhumatī said to the head-sādhvī: ‘What condition of existence would there be if he, though an ascetic, should cross the bounds of propriety? Even the ocean, observing the boundary, does not violate the earth. So long as he hears of me, even though I went to another country, he, though having strong resolution, will not give up his love for me. Therefore, blessed lady, I shall surely resort to death, so that breaking the vow may not happen either on his part or mine.’

Accordingly, she fasted and hanged herself with ease. She abandoned life like spittle and became a god. When I heard that she had died in this way, I thought: ‘She, having a strong resolution, died from fear of breaking her vow. I, on the other hand, have broken the vow. So, enough of life for me.’ According I fasted, died, and became a god.

Then I fell and was born a non-ārya devoid of dharma. Whoever enlightens me is my brother; he is my guru. I have been enlightened by the minister Abhaya because of some maturing of good fortune. Even now I am unfortunate since I am unable to see him. Either with or without my father’s consent, I shall go to the land of the Āryas where my guru Abhaya is.”

Thus forming his desire, worshipping the statue of the first Arhat, Ārdrakā’s son passed the days. One day, Ārdra-kā’s son said to the king, “Father, I long for a meeting with Abhayakumāra.” King Ārdraka said: “Indeed, you must not go. Son, the friendship of us occupying a high place is with Śreṇika.” Restrained by his father’s command, longing for Abhaya, then Ārdrakakumāra did not stay (still) and did not go.

Shedding tears constantly like a cloud in Bhādrapada, his eyes down-cast, he continued to long for Abhaya. Whether engaged in sitting, lying, walking, eating, or other actions, he kept before his eyes the direction adorned by Abhaya. Wishing to go to Abhaya like a pigeon that has flown up, Ārdrakakumāra did not experience pleasure, like a poor man who is sick.

“What sort of country is Magadha? What sort of city is Rājagṛha? Which is the road for going there?” he asked the attendants.

King Ārdraka thought: “This son of mine will certainly go sometime to Abhaya without even telling it.” Then Ārdraka ordered five hundred vassals: “Ārdrakakumāra, intending to go to a foreign country, must be guarded.” The vassals did not leave his side, like the shadow of the body; and the prince considered himself like one held a prisoner. Ārdraki, intelligent, as he had set his heart on going to Abhaya, began to ride daily on the bridle-path. The vassal-bodyguards horseback stayed at his side. The prince, riding his horse, went some distance and returned. So riding his horse, he went further and further and again turned and came back, and they had confidence in him.

One day Ārdrakā’s son had his own confidential agents make ready a boat on the ocean. Ārdraki had the boat filled with jewels and had the statue of the Arhat mounted on its bow. At the same time, riding his horse, he went out of sight as before and, embarking in that boat, went to the Aryan country. Disembarking from the boat, he sent the statue to Abhaya, sowed his wealth in the seven fields,[2] and put on the dress of an ascetic. When he began to pronounce the sāmāyika, a deity standing in the air addressed him aloud:

“Even if you are noble in character, nevertheless do not take initiation. You still have karma with the fruit of pleasure. So be patient. When you have consumed the karma with the fruit of pleasure, take the vow at the proper time. Most certainly that which is to be enjoyed must be enjoyed even by the Tīrthakṛts. Noble sir, enough of the vow, since it will be abandoned, if taken. What is the use in eating when what has been eaten is vomited?”

Ārdrakakumāra, having assumed strength of character, did not heed the deity’s speech and himself became a mendicant. Enlightened by himself, observing a severe vow, one day the muni came to the town Vasantapura, in his wandering. He stood in a statuesque posture in some temple outside and achieved concentrated meditation by abandonment of all anxieties.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The outside ocean of the universe. It is one of 3 oceans that contain life. I, p. 398.

[2]:

Statues of the Jinas, shrines of the Jinas, Jain Scriptures, and the fourfold congregation. Rājendra, 5. v, sattakhettī.

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