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BIRTH OF AJITA AND SAGARA
41 the Master deserving praise in the three worlds, the Dharmacakrin, the teacher of the three worlds, the brother of the world, conferring favors on all, the second Jinendra in this avasarpiņi. O Mother, we are Dikkumārikās living in the lower world and have come here to hold the birthfestival for the Tirthakrt. You must not be afraid of us."
. After this speech, they bowed and withdrew to the northeast. By the vaikriyasamudghāta with abundant power they created instantly a wind, called 'whirlwind.' 74 By means of the wind, auspicious, gentle and cool, blowing obliquely, bringing a wealth of perfume from a variety of flowers of all seasons, they removed first the dry grass, etc., around the birth-house for a yojana and cleaned the ground thoroughly. Then they stood not far from the Blessed One and the Blessed One's mother, singing auspicious songs joyfully.
Then the eight Dikkumārikās living in upper Rucaka on the peaks of the garden Nandana : Meghankarā, Meghavati, Sumeghā, Meghamālini, Suvatsā, Vatsamitrā, Vāriseņā, Balāhakā, wearing divine ornaments, attended by mahattarās, Sāmānikis, and body-guards, by armies and generals as before, went to the birth-house purified by the Master's birth and circumambulated the Jinendra and the Jina's mother three times. After announcing themselves like the preceding ones, bowing to Vijayã and praising (her), they made (by magic) the sky dark with clouds, in that same place. Then they rained fragrant water, not too little and not too much, for a yojana from the Blessed One's birth-house. The dust was quickly destroyed by this rain, like sin by penance, like darkness by moonlight of a night of full moon. Then they created rapidly a multitude of flowers, variegated and blooming, like stage-directors on the floor of the stage. They made the ground exceedingly fragrant, like a dwelling of Śri,
74 184. I do not understand why or how the yaikriyasamudghāta was used to make a wind. Cf. I, n. 157.
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