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The Eighth Canto
157. Upon many deer, many black deer, many Garuda, many parrots, many cuckoos, many cranes, many kūrara, many peacocks and chickens, many pigeons, swans, karaṇḍava and sārasa, many groups of cakravāka and balāka, and many herons and other creatures, the four divisions of the gods were moving about. ||138-139||
With white umbrellas, various kinds of flags, and white camaras like foam, the four divisions of the gods were filling the entire sky as they moved about. ||140||
The sound of drums, kettledrums, and conch shells filled the entire world, and the wonderful arrival of the gods was adorned with dancing and singing. ||141||
At that time, Saudharma Indra was riding on the elephant Airavata, the lord of the army of elephants, whose body was like the sky. ||142||
That Airavata had his trunk extended between his tusks, and the serpent king was rising up between the bamboo goads, so he appeared like a mountain. ||143||
He appeared just like the sky, for just as the sky is filled with balāka, swans, and lightning, so too was that elephant adorned with ears, camaras, conch shells, and a garland of stars hanging from his neck. ||144||
Saudharma Indra, along with the group of Indras riding on other elephant kings, arrived at the sacred birthplace of the Jina, along with all the gods. ||145||
That line of gods and asuras descending from the sky saw the city built by Kubera on earth as if it were heaven itself. ||146||
That city was beautiful with its ramparts, walls, and moats, and it was adorned with gardens, forests, pleasure grounds, lakes, and pools. ||147||
The walls were made of Indra-nīla, mahānīla, diamond, and vaidūrya gems, and the palaces were adorned with the brilliance of padmarāga and other gems. ||148||
The minds of the gods and asuras who saw the beauty of that city were freed from their longing to see the beauty of heaven and hell. ||149||
Because the three worlds of gods, asuras, and humans had all arrived there together, that glorious city was known from that time as "Sāketa." ||150||
1. tāntaṃ m. | 2. mahatpatham m. | 3. duritotkanṭha- m. |