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138
RISABHA DEVA
The four thousand chiefs and chieftains who had renounced the world with Rişabha Deva and who had slunk away from tapaścharana now came back to Him and entered the Sangha. Marichi, however, kept away, and set himself up separately as a teacher. . ! After the departure of Bharata, the Indra of the first Heaven stood up to chant the praises of the Lord. He composed an adoration in which he described the Holy One by one thousand and eight auspicious names.
The devas, then, supplicated the WORLD TEACHER, through their Leader, in the following words :-"O Master Divine, O Preserver of Souls, 0 Protector of Life, O Giver of Joy to all Living Beings! the bhavyas (those who possess. the realizable potentiality of divinity in their nature) in other parts of the world are in need of Thine Discourse Divine. They are like parched crops; which: wither without rain and are revived by it! Do. Thou now proceed to enlighten them!”
'A procession was formed at once, the Lord proceeding on His Divine mission, surrounded by devas and men, in the midst of scenes of great enthusiasm and heavenly pomp, which the residents':of heavens brought together to glorify the WORLD TEACHER.