________________
46
CHAPTER TWO
66
funeral pyre from wood near the cemetery and had an unclaimed corpse burnt on it. Vasudeva wrote a note with his own hand, to ask forgiveness of his parents, and hung it on a post.53 Since virtues are reported by the people to the parents as a fault, Vasudeva, considering himself dead though alive, entered the fire. Then may you all, parents and townspeople, pardon completely my fault, whether it exists or not, conjectured by yourselves."
A woman in a chariot, going to her father's house, saw Vasudeva dressed like a Brahman, after he had done this and had wandered off the road, going on the right road, and said to her nurse, "Take this tired Brahman into the chariot." After doing this, she reached the village.
After bathing and eating there, Vasudeva went in the evening to a Yakṣa's temple. "The Yadavas have learned that Vasudeva has entered the fire. They and their attendants performed funeral rites with lamentations." After hearing that news, Vasudeva, free from anxiety, went to the city Vijayakheta.
Marriage with Syāmā and Vijayasenā (139–141)
There Sugriva was king and he had two very beautiful, accomplished daughters, Śyāmā and Vijayasenā. Vasudeva married them as a reward for winning a contest in the arts and remained there comfortably, sporting with them. A son, named Akrūra, was borne by his wife Vijayasena to Vasudeva, and he was like a second Vasudeva.
Marriage with Vidyādhari Śyāmā (142–158)
Then he set out and reached a terrible forest and Vārṣṇeya,
53 132. Dr. Sandesara (Cultural Data in the Vasudeva-Hindi, JOI X, p. 15) thinks the pillar in the cremation-ground was probably there to help strangers identify the place.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org