Disclaimer: This translation does not guarantee complete accuracy, please confirm with the original page text.
The Tale of Brahmadatt Chakri
Taking the second light of Yoga Shastra, verse 27, they set out on a pilgrimage. One should engage loved ones in religious work. We reached the Ashtapad mountain from there. There we saw the images of the Tirthankaras, made of precious gems, with their characteristic colors, and after performing the proper abhisheka, vilepana, and puja, we circumambulated them and with a focused mind, we offered our devotional obeisance to the chaitya. As we were leaving from there, we saw two charanmunis under a blood-red tree; they seemed to be embodiments of penance and tranquility. After paying our respects to them, we listened with reverence to their dharmadeshana, which was like the moon's light, dispelling the darkness of our ignorance. After that, Agnishikha asked the munis, "Who will be the husbands of these two girls?" They said, "Whoever kills their brother will be their husbands." Hearing this, our faces turned pale, as if the moon loses its luster in the snow. Then, with words filled with detachment, we said to our father, "Father! Just today you taught us about the futility of the world, and today you are so overwhelmed by the poison of sorrow? What is the benefit of drowning in such worldly pleasures?" From then on, we all took care to protect our brother. Once, while wandering, our brother saw your maternal uncle Pushpachala's daughter, Pushpavati. He was captivated by her extraordinary beauty. Then, in his foolishness, he forcibly abducted her. "The mind always follows actions." Unable to bear the sight of the girl, he went to acquire knowledge. You know the rest of the story. At that time, Pushpavati spoke of dharma to alleviate our brother's grief over his death, and also told us that your beloved Brahmadatt was here. The words of a muni are never false. We accepted that. But in our haste, Pushpavati waved a white flag instead of a red one, causing you to leave us. Due to the adversity of our fate, you did not come. We searched for you there a lot, but you were nowhere to be seen. Finally, defeated and exhausted, we returned here. By our good fortune, you have arrived here. According to Pushpavati's statement, we have already accepted you. Therefore, you are now the only hope for both of us. Knowing the two women's devotion, the Kumar performed a Gandharva marriage with them. Just as rivers love to merge with the ocean, so do women love to be united with their husbands. Just as Mahadev used to play with Ganga and Parvati, Brahmadatt spent that night playing with those two beautiful women. In the morning, as the Kumar was leaving, he lovingly instructed them, "Until I get my kingdom, you two should stay with Pushpavati." Both of them obeyed the Kumar's command. As soon as the Kumar left from there, that temple and house, and everything else, became invisible, like Gandharvanagar. Returning from there, Brahmadatt went to that tapas-ashram to search for Ratnavati. But not finding her there, he asked a man standing there, who had a good appearance, "Great one! Have you seen a woman wearing divine clothes, adorned with jewels, today or yesterday?" He replied, "Yes, great one! Yesterday I saw a woman crying and lamenting, saying, 'Oh, my lord!' But her uncle recognized her and took her with him." Brahmadatt found out about Ratnavati's uncle and called him to his place. For those who are blessed with great fortune, everything seems new. He spent a lot of time experiencing worldly pleasures with her. One day, the Kumar began the post-death rituals for Vardhanu. The next day, the Kumar was feeding the Brahmanas when a man dressed as a Brahmana, who looked like Vardhanu, came there and said, "If you give me food, you will be giving it to Vardhanu himself." The Brahmaputra heard these sweet words, which were like nectar to his ears, and looked at him carefully from head to toe, embracing him as if he had made his soul his own. Then, with joy, he bathed him and took him home. When the Kumar asked him about his story after he recovered, he said, "After you went to sleep, thieves who looked like soldiers of Dirgharaja surrounded me. A thief hiding among the trees there shot an arrow with such force that I was wounded and fell to the ground. When I regained consciousness, I slowly crawled away and hid among the vines.