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CHAPTER THREE
Birth of Ananda (12–21)
In the southern half of Bharata in Jambudvipa there is a city Cakrapura, the ornament of the earth. Its king was Mahaśiras, by whom, like another lokapala, the important heads of kings had been made to bow. Of him, whose conduct was remarkable, the crest-jewel of kings, the intelligence was adorned with discernment like his Śri with power. There is no art which was not apparent in him, like the species of lives in the ocean Svayambhuramaņa.24 While he was ruling the earth, there were no reports of thieves; only he himself stole the minds of the noble. Causing joy in the one and fear in the other, he did not leave the heart of the noble nor of the wicked.
His wife was named Vaijayanti, surpassing even Apsarases in beauty; and his second wife was Lakṣmivati, like Lakṣmi.
The god, King Sudarśana, fell from Sahasrara and descended into the womb of the chief-queen Vaijayanti. Queen Vaijayanti, delighted by the four dreams indicating the birth of a Bala, conceived the best of embryos. When the time was completed, she bore a son, spotless as a full moon, twenty-nine bows tall, named Ananda.
Birth of Purusapuṇḍarīka (22-25)
Priyamitra's soul fell from the fourth heaven and descended into the womb of the chief-queen Laksmivati. Delighted by the seven great dreams indicating the birth of an Upendra (Vasudeva), Queen Lakṣmīvati carried the embryo. At the right time she bore a son, twenty-nine bows tall, dark, named Puruṣapuṇḍarika.
The two brothers increased in size along with their father's wishes, always carrying banners with the garuḍa and palm tree 25 and wearing dark blue and yellow garments. Shaking the earth, as it were, they walked easily. The
24 15. The last ocean. See II, p. 123.
25 25. Inverted order-the garuda-banner was the Vasudeva's.
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