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"The Sun Dynasty king studied in his childhood, enjoyed worldly pleasures in his youth, embraced the path of monasticism and liberation in old age, and finally relinquished his body through yoga or samadhi.
Wisdom demands that a person should not die like an animal or an ordinary person. He should die through yoga or samadhi. He is not an animal, but a thoughtful human being. These ten devotees did the same. The death of these ten, samadhi-death, was a sacred and excellent death. There, death does not become sorrow, but a festival. Relinquishing the body through samadhi is definitely a death-festival. But, only those who are strong in self, whose life turns from potential to nature, are eligible for it.
Social situation
The ten Shraman Upasakas had an abundance of cattle. This reveals that cattle rearing was quite prevalent in India in those days. One who keeps so many cows must also have agricultural land in the same proportion. The agricultural land of Ananda is said to be 500 ploughs in quantity. The cow was a beast of use for milk, curd and ghee, but its calves were used as oxen for farming, carrying goods and pulling vehicles like chariots. In the life of the people of that time, the cow and the ox had a great importance.
In those days, people's lives were very organized. Every task had its own legal order and system. When the occasion arises for Shivananda etc. to go to see Lord Mahavira, there is mention of a religious superior vehicle, which is pulled by oxen. It was a special chariot, which was used for riding for religious purposes.
The quantity of food, drink, clothing, enjoyment, consumption etc. that Ananda did while accepting the Shravak-vrat throws light on the living conditions of that time. The quantity of abhyanga-vidhi mentions shatapaka and sahasrapaka oils. This reveals that Ayurveda was quite developed then. Many types of beneficial, valuable oils were prepared from medicines.
Food, living conditions etc. were very refined. Ananda quantifies green licorice for datun; milky gooseberry for washing the head, hair etc. and quantifies flour prepared by mixing fragrant substances with wheat flour etc. in ubtans. Special people also applied sandalwood, saffron etc. on their bodies.
People also had a taste for wearing ornaments. Big people wore less in number but more valuable ornaments. There was a special custom of wearing rings among men. Ananda had quantified ornaments in the form of his named ring. Even the oxen that pulled the chariot were adorned with gold and silver ornaments by the big people.
1. Those who studied in childhood, those who were desirous of objects in youth. Those who were monastic in old age, relinquished their bodies through yoga in the end.
Raghuvansha Sarg 1
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