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uninhabited forest has been known over the earth as Dandakaranya' from the name of Dandaka.
After Dandaka had wandered in existence in birthnuclei which were mines of pain, he became the bird, Gandha, very ill because of his karma. Memory of his former births was produced by seeing us and the diseases were destroyed by our magic art, the healing herb of touch.
799
CHAPTER FIVE
Hearing that story, the bird, delighted, fell again at the muni's feet, listened to dharma, and became a layman. The great muni, knowing his desire, made for him the vow to cease destroying life, eating flesh, and eating at night. The muni said to Rama: "He is your co-religionist. Devotion to a co-religionist is described by the Jinas as conducive to happiness." "He is our dearest brother," Raghava said and, after he had praised the munis, they flew up in the air and went elsewhere. Janaki, Rāma, and Lakṣmaṇa mounted their divine chariot and wandered elsewhere for sport, accompanied by Jaṭayus.
Killing of Sambūka (378-410)
Now in Patalalanka there were two sons of Khara and Candraṇakhā, Śambūka and Suna, just grown up. Though restrained by his parents, Sambuka went one day to Dandakaranya for the purpose of subduing the sword, Süryahāsa. He stood in a bamboo-thicket on the bank of the Krauñcarava and said, "I will kill anyone who hinders me." Enjoying solitude, pure-minded, chaste, his senses subdued, face-down, his feet fastened to a branch of a banyan tree, he began to mutter the vidya which subdues the sword Suryahāsa, which attains success after twelve years and seven days. When he had remained in the position of a bat for twelve years and four days, Suryahāsa, wishing to yield, concealed by its scabbard, with fragrance bursting forth, came through the air to the bamboothicket.
16B
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