Disclaimer: This translation does not guarantee complete accuracy, please confirm with the original page text.
The Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritra, Chapter 201
Just as the navel is the center of the body, so too is Hastinapura the center of the Kuru country. || 363 ||
Surrounded by three moats, the city was adorned with many flowers that had sprung up from the abundant water. || 364 ||
The city was fortified with ramparts, towers, and gates, and was further embellished with rows of balconies and watchtowers resembling the heads of lions. || 365 ||
It was also adorned with images of elephants and horses, meant to frighten, and with many narrow lanes. || 366 ||
The city's roads, filled with essential goods and bustling with virtuous people, resembled the paths to heaven and liberation. || 367 ||
There was no difference between the people of this city in terms of their possessions, such as clothes and ornaments, but only in terms of their lineage, caste, age, varna, speech, and knowledge. || 368 ||
The flags flying atop the towers of the city's palaces prevented the sun's rays from entering, even on days when the sun was not obscured by clouds. || 369 ||
The air was filled with the fragrance of flowers, perfumes, and incense, attracting swarms of bees, which made the peacocks in the houses fear the rainy season. || 370 ||
The city was filled with young men and women, adorned with beauty, grace, and charm, who brought joy to each other. || 371 ||
The city was filled with a constant atmosphere of love and affection between husbands and wives, fueled by aphrodisiacs, natural love, and qualities like beauty. || 372 ||
The city's religion was characterized by non-violence, its ascetics were free from desire, and its gods were the Arhats, free from all faults. Therefore, all the people of the city were virtuous. || 373 ||
The city's devotees quickly atoned for any sins they accumulated through their work, such as grinding grain or cooking, by performing acts of charity, such as giving alms. || 374 ||
The city's king was just, its people were virtuous, its land was free from living beings, and its inhabitants engaged in daily study. Therefore, the Jina masters never left the city. || 375 ||
The city was surrounded by beautiful gardens, filled with trees laden with flowers and fruits, which brought joy to all. || 376 ||