Part 2: Śālibhadra

Now, a young woman named Dhanyā, whose family had perished, came to Śāligrāma, (a suburb) of Rājagṛha. She brought with her her son, a child named Saṅgamaka. For it is hard to abandon the offspring of the womb even in misfortune. The boy herded the small calves of the townsmen there. For that is an easy livelihood suitable for poor boys.

One day a certain festival took place there and Saṅgama saw rice pudding eaten in every house. When he had gone home, he asked his mother for rice pudding. She said: “I am poor. How would there be rice pudding in my house?” Begged again and again by the boy from ignorance, she wept aloud, remembering her former prosperity. Her neighbors, their hearts pierced as it were by the pain of her crying, asked her the reason for her grief. She told them in stammering words the reason for her grief. They gave her milk, et cetera and then she cooked a rice pudding. She carried a dish of molasses, ghī, and rice pudding, and gave it to the boy; and went into the house on some task.

Just then a muni, who had fasted for a month, came for alms to break his fast. He was a boat to him (the boy) for crossing the ocean of births. He reflected: “Like a sentient thought-gem, like a living wish-granting tree, like a cow of plenty that is not an animal, the great sādhu has come very fortunately because of my past merit. Otherwise, how would I, wretched, meet such a worthy person? Because of some maturing of past merit today my wish, goods, and a suitable person happened. Indeed, this meeting is a triveṇī.^[1]

With this thought he picked up the dish and gave the rice pudding to the sādhu. The muni, compassionate, took it as a favor to him. The muni went away and Dhanyā came from the house. “I think he ate that,” and she gave him rice pudding again. Insatiable, he ate rice pudding until he was full. During the night, thinking of the sādhu, he died from indigestion from the pudding.

From the power of the gift he came into existence in the womb of Bhadrā, the wife of Gobhadra, a rich man in the city Rājagṛha. Then she saw a well-ripened field of rice in a dream and related it to her husband. He explained that she would have a son. She had a pregnancy-whim, “I wish that I might perform pious acts of liberality,” and Gobhadra, fair-minded, fulfilled it. When the time was completed, the sky ablaze with light, Bhadrā bore a son like the ground of Mt. Vidūra bearing a jewel.

Because of the dream that was seen, on an auspicious day the parents gave their son an auspicious name, Śālibhadra. Tended by five nurses,^[2] he gradually grew up and was taught the arts by his father, when he was slightly under eight years of age. When he was grown, dear to young women, he sported with friends of his own age, like another Pradyumna (Kāmadeva). The sheths of the city came and offered to give Bhadrā’s husband thirty-two of their daughters in marriage to Śālibhadra. Delighted, Gobhadra eagerly married the girls endowed with all the favorable marks to Śālibhadra. Śālibhadra, like the lord of the gods, amused himself with them in a beautiful palace that was like a palace in heaven. Immersed in joy, he distinguished neither day nor night; his parents themselves supplied him with the means of pleasure.

Gobhadra took the vow at Śrī Vīra’s feet and, having fasted according to rule, went to heaven. Knowing by clairvoyance that Śālibhadra was his son, overcome by his merit, he became absorbed in affection for his son. The god gave him and his wives divine clothes, finery, et cetera daily, like a wishing-tree. Any task that was suitable for humans, Bhadrā performed that. From the power of his former gift, he enjoyed pleasures only.

One day Śreṇika was approached by some merchants who had obtained jeweled blankets and Śreṇika did not take them because of their high price. Then the merchants went to Śālibhadra’s house and Bhadrā took the jeweled blankets at the price asked. At that time Queen Celaṇā said to King Śreṇika, “Take one blanket suitable for me at a high price.” The king asked the merchants for one blanket at the price and they said, “Bhadrā took all the blankets.” Then Śreṇika sent a clever man to Bhadrā to get a blanket by paying the price.

Bhadrā, when he asked her, said: “After cutting up the jeweled blankets, I made foot-cleansers for Śālibhadra’s wives. If any thing can be done with worn-out jeweled blankets, after going and asking the king, come and take them.” He went and told the king this. Queen Celaṇā said, “Look! Between me and merchants there is a difference like that between brass and gold.” When Śālibhadra had been invited by Śreṇika who sent the same man from curiosity, Bhadrā came and explained: “My son truly does not go outside, king. Do me a favor, Your Majesty, by coming to his house.” From curiosity Śreṇika agreed to that. She went ahead to her house, awaiting the moment (of his coming). She decorated the markets with varied cloths, jewels, and tiger-skins from her house to the palace.

Summoned by her, the king went to Śālibhadra’s house, observing the decoration of its markets that looked like it had been made suddenly by the gods. The house had swinging festoons of sapphire on top of golden pillars; the ground at the door was uneven with rows of pearl-svastikas; it had awnings made of divine cloth; it was filled with incense from fragrant substances, like a duplicate of heavenly palaces that had been placed on the earth. The king entered it, wide-eyed from astonishment, and sat down on a lion-throne in the fourth story.

Bhadrā went to the seventh story and said to Śālibhadra: “Śreṇika has come here. Come at once to see him.” He said to Bhadrā: “Mother, attend to the business which you know yourself. What have I to do with that?” Then Bhadrā said, “This is not goods to be bought; but he is lord of all the people and of you also.” Hearing that, Śālibhadra thought despondently: “Out upon this lordship in worldly existence since there is another lord of even me. Henceforth, enough of these pleasures of mine like coils of a serpent; I shall take initiation at Śrī Vīra’s feet very soon.”

So filled with desire for emancipation, at his mother’s insistence, he went with his wives and bowed respectfully to the king. Śreṇika embraced him and set him on his lap, like a son. When his head was smelled from affection, he shed tears at once. Bhadrā said: “Your Majesty, let him go, since, although a mortal, he suffers from the scent of garlands of mortals. The sheth became a god and daily brings him and his wives divine finery, garments, unguents, et cetera.”

Then dismissed by the king, he went to the seventh story.

Bhadrā informed the king, “You must dine here,” and the king agreed to that from courtesy to Bhadrā. She arranged everything at once. What does not succeed with the wealthy? Then the king bathed quickly with oil, water, and powder suitable for the bath; and a ring fell from his finger into the house-tank. While the king was searching for it here and there, Bhadrā instructed the slave-girl, “Draw off the tank-water to another place.” When she had done so, the king was astonished to see his ring like a charcoal in the midst of bright, divine ornaments. The slave-girl, asked by the king, “What is this?” said, “Every day what has been worn the day before by Śālibhadra and his wives is thrown here.” The king reflected, “He is certainly very rich and now I am rich in whose realm there are such people.” Then the chief of kings and his attendants dined and, honored with various ornaments, garments, et cetera, went home.

While Śālibhadra was wishing for release from worldly existence, a friend in religion came and told him, “A muni named Dharmaghoṣa, like dharma embodied, who has four kinds of knowledge, honored by gods and asuras, has come to the garden.” Then Śālibhadra joyfully got into his chariot and went there. After paying homage to the ācārya and the sādhus, he sat down before them.

As the sūri was giving instruction, he bowed and asked, “Blessed sir, by what act is one born a lord and not something else?” The Blessed One said, “All the people of the whole world, who take initiation, share in lordship.” “If that is so, lord, I shall take the vow, after I have gone and taken leave of my mother,” Śālibhadra declared. Told by the sūri, “Do not be negligent,” Śālibhadra went home, bowed to Bhadrā, and said:

“Today I have heard dharma, which has become the means of release from all pain, from the lotus-mouth of Śrī Dharmaghoṣa Sūri.” Joyfully Bhadrā praised Śālibhadra: “You did well, son. You are your father’s son.” He said: “If this is so, mother, favor me. I want to take the vow. I am indeed my father’s son.”

She said: “Son, this striving for the vow is suitable for you. But in that case red chick-peas must be eaten constantly. How would you, delicate by nature and nourished by divine food, observe the vow, like a young calf pulling a chariot?” Śālibhadra said, “Men, nourished by (divine) food, are unable to endure the hardships of the vow, only if they are weak, not others.”

She said: “Abandon luxuries gradually. Endure the scent of garlands on humans. After such practice take the vow, son.” Then Śālibhadra agreed to Bhadrā’s proposal and day by day gives up one wife and one mattress.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The meeting-place of the 3 rivers: the Gaṅgā, the Yamunā, and the Sarasvatī.

[2]:

One who nurses, one who bathes, one who adorns, one who holds, and one who plays with him. PE, s.v. paṭcadhāī.