Disclaimer: This translation does not guarantee complete accuracy, please confirm with the original page text.
## The Eighteenth Chapter
With seven, five and twelve auspicious years, they ascended the Siddha-Shila in Rajagriha city. ||119||
Nanda-Yasha, pregnant at the time, was unable to take initiation. She gave birth to her son, Dhanamitra, and after he grew up, she renounced the world and engaged in austerities. ||120||
Seeing her sons, the nine monks, who had attained the state of Pra-yopagama-sannyasa and were seated on the Siddha-Shila, Nanda-Yasha bowed to them and, overwhelmed with affection, vowed to be their mother in future births. ||121||
The two sisters, Aryikas Sudarshana and Sujyeshta, also vowed to be their brothers in future births, being captivated by the well of affection. Indeed, what is difficult for affection? ||122||
Finally, attaining Samadhi, the mother, sons, and daughters all became deities in the realm of Achyuta. After enjoying supreme bliss for twenty-two oceans of time, they descended to earth and became, O King, your wife, daughters, and sons. This is indeed the case, for there are various paths according to the consequences of actions. ||123-124||
Thereafter, the omniscient Lord Supratishtha, with his mind focused on meditation and ears erect, began to narrate the past lives of Vasudeva in that assembly of humans and gods. ||125||
Just as a nail floating in the waves of the ocean can only reach a hole with great difficulty, so too, this being, immersed in the waves of suffering in the ocean of existence, can only attain the human birth with great difficulty. ||126||
In this way, the being of Vasudeva was born as the son of a very learned Brahmin and his wife in the city of Shaligram in the Magadha country. He did not experience even a little happiness. ||127||
His father died while he was still in the womb, and his mother died at birth. His maternal aunt raised him, but he was only about eight years old when she too passed away, consumed by grief. ||128||