Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra

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

This page describes Coronation as king which is the eighth part of chapter II of the English translation of the Adisvara-caritra, contained within the “Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra”: a massive Jain narrative relgious text composed by Hemacandra in the 12th century. Adisvara (or Rishabha) in jainism is the first Tirthankara (Jina) and one of the 63 illustrious beings or worthy persons.

Part 8: Coronation as king

The Master, even though indifferent, enjoyed pleasures with his wives for a long time; for good-feeling karma can not be destroyed otherwise. When a little less than six pūrvas had passed after the wedding, while the Lord enjoyed himself with them, the jīvas of Bāhu and Pīṭha fell from Sarvārthasiddhi and entered Sumaṅgalā’s womb as twins. Likewise the jīvas of Subāhu and Mahāpīṭha fell from Sarvārthasiddhi and entered Sunandā’s womb. Then Lady Sumaṅgalā, like Marudevā, saw fourteen great dreams, indicating the importance of the embryo. The Mistress related the dreams to the Master, who said unhesitatingly, “Your son will be a Cakrabḥrt.” Sumaṅgalā bore children, Bharata and Brāhmī, as the east bears the sun and (morning) twilight lighting up the quarter of the sky. Lady Sunandā bore Bāhubali and Sundarī with fair figures, like the rainy-season bearing clouds and lightning. In course of time Lady Sumaṅgalā bore forty-nine pairs of twin-sons, like Vidurabhū jewels. These grew up gradually, playing here and there, very strong, very energetic, like young elephants on the Vindhya Mountains. Vṛṣabha Svāmin, surrounded on all side by his children, shone like a great tree with many branches.

Then through the fault of time, the efficacy of the wishing-trees diminished, like the splendor of torches at daybreak. The passions, anger, etc., of the twins appeared like grains of lac on aśvattha trees,[1] gradually, gradually. Then the twins transgressed the three laws called ‘hākāra,’ ‘mākāra,’ ‘dhikkāra,’ like rogue-elephants three-fold control. Together the twins approached Ṛṣabhanātha, and told him all the sin that was being committed. Possessing the three kinds of knowledge, recalling (former) births, the Master said, “A king will be the punisher of those transgressing boundaries. Seated on a very high throne, consecrated first, having at hand the fourfold army, he should have unbroken commands.” They said, “Be our king. Why do you neglect us? No one else like you is seen among us.” “Go and ask Nābhi, the best of Kulakaras. He will give you a king,” the son of Nābhi replied. Asked by them for a king, Nābhi, chief of Kulakaras, said to.them, “Let Ṛṣabha be your king.” Then the twins, delighted, approached the Lord, and said, “You have been given to us as a king by Nābhi.”

Then the twins went for water for the Master’s consecration; and the lion-throne of Triviṣṭapapati shook. Knowing by clairvoyant knowledge that it was time for the Lord’s consecration as king, Sutrāman went there in a moment, as if from house to house. The Lord of Saudharmakalpa made a golden dais, and placed on it a lion-throne like Atipāṇḍukambalā. The Lord of the east quarter, like a family-priest, made Ṛṣabha Svāmin’s consecration as king with water brought from the tīrthas. Vāsava clothed the Master in divine clothing made of beautiful moonlight with a wealth of white color, as it were. Vṛtrahan put diadems, etc., on the Lord, the diadem of the three worlds, and ornaments and jewels on his body in the proper places. The twins, after getting water with lotus-leaves, came and, seeing the Lord adorned, stood like people holding up a reception-gift. Saying, “It is not proper to throw it on the Lord’s head since he is adorned with divine ornaments and clothes,” they threw the water on his feet. “These are truly polite,” and for that reason Maghavan ordered Śrīda to lay out a city, named Vinītā, for the Lord, and went to heaven.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The pippal is one of the trees most frequented by the lac-insect.

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