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Now the Lord, surrounded by gods and asuras, in the course of his wandering from the city 颁补尘辫腻 arrived at the country Da艣膩r峁嘺. In it there is a large city, 顿补艣腻谤峁嘺辫耻谤补, and its king was named Da艣膩r峁嘺bhadra, who was very magnificent.

There his spies said to him as he was seated in the assembly in the evening, 鈥淰墨ra, the Lord Jina, will come to this city of yours at dawn.鈥� Delighted at that speech, the king wore a coat of mail, as it were, of hair erect from joy, like Vid奴ra a multitude of small pearls at thunder. He said in the presence of the assembly, 鈥淎t dawn I shall pay homage to the Lord with a magnificence with which no one in the three worlds has paid homage to him.鈥�

With these words the King of 顿补艣腻谤峁嘺辫耻谤补 dismissed all the ministers, et cetera and went to the women鈥檚 quarters. Thinking, 鈥淚 shall pay homage to the Teacher of the World in this way and I shall recite such hymns of praise to him,鈥� he passed the night with difficulty, engaged in such reflections. Just as the sun rose, the royal sun summoned the city-superintendents and others and instructed them, 鈥淭he road between my house and the Master鈥檚 samavasara峁嘺 must be decorated with all magnificence, suitable for my passage.鈥�

And now, the Blessed One arrived outside the city and a samavasara峁嘺 was erected there by the gods. The king鈥檚 servants executed the king鈥檚 order immediately. Results are produced by an order of kings just as by the mind of gods. The dust of the king鈥檚 highway was laid with saffron-water, the surface of the road was made uneven with heaps of flowers. At intervals arches with golden pillars were erected, and platforms were prepared, adorned with rows of golden vessels, variegated with tiger-skins, covered with Chinese cloths, excellent with fly-whisks, beautiful with jeweled mirrors. Garlands, fragrant with baskets and bags of perfume, were fastened by the thousand to pillars placed on both sides of the road. Solid shade was made by lofty pavilions, imitating the beauty of thunder, with awnings which had bunches of pearls. At close intervals were set jars of burning incense and the pavilions had shoots of smoke from scattered aloes and camphor. When they had in this way made the road like a piece of heaven, the officials informed the king who was eager for a sight of the Master.

After he had bathed, the king, with divine ointment and ornaments on his person, wearing clean garments, wreathed, mounted the best elephant. Resplendent with a white umbrella over his head and with fly-whisks at his sides, the best of kings set forth like the king of gods (Indra). The king was followed by vassals and others by the thousand, wearing ornaments of great price, like vaikriya-forms of himself.^[1] Immediately after him followed the women of his family, whose forms surpassed that of 艢ac墨, resplendent with waving fly-whisks. The king, being praised by bands of bards, hymned by singers, shown their own skill by the men who decorated the road, with a new pavilion resulting from the unbroken line of the kings鈥� umbrellas, gradually reached the samavasara峁嘺.

He circumambulated the Supreme Lord three times, paid homage to him; and sat down in the assembly in the proper place, proud of his own magnificence. Perceiving his pride in magnificence, in order to enlighten him, P膩ka艣膩sana created an aerial car made of water. Together with gods 艢akra got into the aerial car, 闯补濒补办腻苍迟补, which was beautiful with large lotuses on the edge of water clear as crystal, filled with the cries and answers of mar膩las and cranes, adorned with blossoms falling from the rows of creepers of kalpa-trees, shining with blue lotuses made of sapphire, gleaming highly with blooming golden lotuses resting in lotus-beds made of emerald, bearing rows of pennants from the series of billowing waves. Fanned with fly-whisks by thousands of goddesses, listening a very little to a concert commenced by musicians, his gaze directed down on the earth purified by the Master鈥檚 feet, then the lord of immortals descended to the world of mortals. Having descended to the world of mortals, Purandara mounted, with the support of their hands extended by the goddesses who had mounted first, the best of the elephants of the gods, mighty with eight tusks with sheaths made of jewels, his back covered with fine cloth, his feet鈥攍ike a mountain with its base鈥攕et on golden lotuses adorned with stalks of emerald. The crest-jewel of the gods went to the samavasara峁嘺, penetrated with devotion, worshipper of the Lord Jina鈥檚 feet.

Then concerts took place at every lotus in the pleasure-tanks in the aerial car, 闯补濒补办腻苍迟补. At each concert a god with rank corresponding to Indra, fair with divine beauty and finery, was a spectator. The magnificent retinue of each god like Maghavan was a source of astonishment to every one. 艢akra himself was astonished at the magnificence o铆 the aerial car. Why speak of other glories inferior to it?

Hari, observed by the astonished gods and men present there, bowed to the Lord again and again, his pearl-necklace touching the ground. Da艣膩r峁嘺bhadra was transfixed instantly by the sight of 艢akra鈥檚 magnificence, like a villager by the magnificence of a city. His eyes opened wide from astonishment, Da艣膩r峁嘺bhadra thought:

鈥淥h! the splendor of 艢akra鈥檚 aerial car is the greatest in the world. Oh! the beautiful body of the elephant of Indra! Oh! that extent of the power of Puruh奴ta! I felt pride in my own glory, alas! There is the same difference between 艢akra and me as between the ocean and a puddle. I despise myself for that pride in magnificence. Never having seen such magnificence before, I was like a frog in a well.鈥�

As he was so meditating, gradually attaining disgust with existence, having light karma because of these thoughts, a very pure change took place in him. 鈥淚f I have been surpassed by Bi岣峚ujas by that magnificence, nevertheless I shall surpass him now by taking initiation. Not only shall I surpass him now by taking the vow, but I shall defeat the enemies in the form of karma that cause wandering through births.鈥�

After so reflecting, the king of 顿补艣腻谤峁嘺辫耻谤补, discerning, discarded his crown, bracelets, et cetera, just while he was standing there. Da艣膩r峁嘺bhadra tore out all the hair from his head in five handsful, as if it were the root of the tree of karma. While 艢akra looked on, wide-eyed from astonishment, he went to the side of the ga峁嘺bh峁泃 and received the outfit of a 蝉腻诲丑耻. The ascetic Da艣膩r峁嘺bhadra, possessing unprecedented strength of will and daring, went and paid homage accompanied by circumambulation to the Lord of the World.

艢akra said: 鈥淏ravo! mah膩tma, this is heroism on your part. By it you have surpassed me, not to speak of anyone else.鈥�

After saying this and bowing to him, 艢akra went to his own place. Muni Da艣膩r峁嘺bhadra observed the vow fully. The Lord of the World, devoted to assistance to souls capable of emancipation, wandered from that place to other towns, et cetera.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

The outer body of gods and hell-inhabitants. A new vaikriya-body can be made at will from jewels, which is the point of the allusion here. For a full account of the vaikriya-body and the making of a new one, see I n. 157.