Treasury of Jain Tales

SR No.: 006762
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: V M Kulkarni
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre
Publication Year: 1994
Total Pages: 468
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 17 MB

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the town's people were pleased to meet him and the king Asvasena consulted his counsellors and subjects and installed Sanatkumāra with great splendour in royal authority. He also appointed Mahendrasimha as the commander of the army. Thereupon the king entered religious mendicancy and devoted himself to the service of the true religion to prepare his way for a journey across the samsāra.
Sanatkumāra ruled with great courage and prudence, increased the prosperity and military prowess of his kingdom and obtained the fourteen jewels of the universal monarch:
1. senapati, 2. grhapati, 3. purohita, 4. gaja 5. haya, 6, sūtradhāra, 7. stri, 8. cakra, 9. chatra, 10. carma, 11. mani, 12. käkini, 13. khadga and 14. danda. He conquered many territories around and expanded his kingdom and after a thousand years went to Gajapura.
S'akra (Indra) saw him by means of his supernatural knowledge (avadhi) and asked Vaisramana to go to him and pay him respects by doing the right rituals and offering him on behalf of Sakra a pearl necklace, a garland of wood-flowers, a parasol, a crown, a pair of chowries, a pair of ear-rings, a pair of garments, a throne, a pair of Slippers and a foot-stool. Sakra also asked Vaisramana to inquire of Sanatkumāra after his health and well-being. He accordingly went to Gajapura along with Rambha and Tilottamā, two famous heavenly nymphs, whom Sakra had sent with presents. As a mark of celebration there would be a festival to which Sanatkumara agreed. An enormous pandal was conjured up and decorated with glittering jewels. In the middle of it was placed the throne and the gods seated Sanatkumāra on it and amidst the sounds of singing, blended with shouts of "Victory, Victory", sprinkled holy water which they had fetched from the ocean of milk in large pitchers of gold. Rambha and Tilottamă performed suitable dances for the occasion. After having decked him with all ornaments and proclaiming him the universal monarch and introducing him with great splendour into Gajapura, all the gods went back to heaven and the universal monarch Sanatkumāra was left in this world to enjoy the objects of pleasure.