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Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra

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

This page describes Death of Rama which is the fifth part of chapter IV of the English translation of the Subhuma-cakravartin-caritra, contained within the “Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra�: a massive Jain narrative relgious text composed by Hemacandra in the 12th century. Subhuma-cakravartin in jainism is one of the 63 illustrious beings or worthy persons.

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Wherever there was a ṣaٰⲹ, there Paraśurāma’s axe blazed like the fire of anger embodied. One day went to that hermitage and the axe blazed, indicating a ṣaٰⲹ like smoke a fire. The ascetics were questioned by 峾, “Is a ṣaٰⲹ here?� and they replied, “We are ṣaٰⲹs who became ascetics.� Because of his anger 峾 made the earth clear of ṣaٰⲹs seven times, like a forest-fire clearing a mountain-slope of grass. 峾 filled a dish with the crushed teeth of the ṣaٰⲹs, giving the appearance of a full dish of Yama whose desire had been fulfilled.

One day 峾 asked the astrologers, “From what source will my slaying come?� For always people engaged in hostilities fear death from an enemy. They said, “Your slaying will come from him who, occupying the lion-throne here, eats the teeth made into a rice-pudding.� 峾 had an asylum built, quite open, and had a lion-throne set in the front part, and the dish in front of it.

Then Subhūma, golden, twenty-eight bows tall, attained marvelous growth in the hermitage like a tree in a court-yard. One day the վ󲹰, Meghanāda, asked the astrologers, “To whom should my daughter Padmaśrī be given?� They designated Subhūma as the very best husband for her. He gave the girl to him and became a follower of him alone. The sole protector (of the earth), Subhūma, like a frog in a well, asked his mother, “Is the, world just so large or is there more of it?� His mother explained: “The world is endless, son. This hermitage is only a fly-speck on the world. There is in the world a city, named Ჹپܰ. Your father Kṛtavīrya, was a long-armed king there. 峾 killed your father and took possession of the kingdom himself. He made the earth free of ṣaٰⲹs and we stay here from fear.� Then Subhūma, blazing like Bhauma,[1] went to Ჹپܰ, hostile and angry. The brilliance of a ṣaٰⲹ is hard to bear. He, fair-armed, went to the asylum, sat down on the lion-throne like a lion, and ate the teeth which had become rice-pudding. The Brāhmans who were guardians there arose for battle and were killed by Meghanāda, like deer by a tiger. Then 峾, his teeth and hair sparkling, biting his lips with his teeth, came there, as if drawn by Yama’s noose, in anger. The axe was hurled furiously by 峾 at Subhūma. It was extinguished immediately in him, like a spark in water. Because of the lack of a weapon, Subhūma scooped up the dish of teeth. It became a cakra instantly. What can not result from a wealth of merit? Then he, the eighth Cakravartin, cut off Paraśurāma’s head, like cutting off a lotus.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Mars.

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