Jain Journal 1967 04

SR No.: 520006
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication
Publication Year: 1967
Total Pages: 104
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, India_Jain Journal, & India
File Size: 6 MB

Page 14

APRIL, 1967
145
pleasant, gentle words, and with his leave she sat on a chair of state, inlaid with precious stones in various patterns. She related the fourteen dreams, and asked her lord what they might portend. He foretold that she would give birth to a son, who would establish the fame of their family ; a beautiful boy who should be acquainted with all branches of scripture, grammar, and science, and become a lord of the earth. Then the Kșatriya and Kșatriyāni rejoiced together; and Trisala returned to her own couch, and waked till morning, lest these good dreams should be counteracted by any bad dreams following.
At day-break, Siddhartha called for his servants, and ordered them to prepare the hall of audience. He himself went to the royal gymnasium and practised exercises, such as jumping, wrestling, fencing, and fighting, till he was wearied. Then he was well shampooed ; and when he was refreshed, he entered the bath-room. That was an agreeable chamber; it had many a window, and the floor was covered with mosaic of precious stones. He seated himself on the bathing stool, inlaid with jems, and bathed himself with pure scented water. Then he dried himself with a soft towel, and donned a new and costly robe, with jewels, rings, and strings of pearls. He seemed like a tree granting all desires. A royal umbrella was held above him, as he proceeded from his bath and took his seat in the hall of audience, surrounded by chiefs and vassals, ministers, merchants and masters of guilds, knights and frontier-guards-a very bull and lion amongst men. On the one side of the throne he had set eight chairs of state ; and on the other a curtain, figured with various pictures, was drawn toward the inner rooms of the palace ; and behind this curtain was placed a jewelled chair of state for the Kşatriyāni Trisala.
Then Siddhartha sent for the interpreters of dreams, and they, bathing and donning clean court robes, came from their houses and entered Siddhartha's palace, and saluting him with folded hands they took their seats on the chairs of state. Meanwhile Trisala took her seat behind the curtain. Siddhartha recounted the dreams to the interpreters, and they, after consideration and discussion, replied to him: “O beloved of the gods, there are thirty Great Dreams enumerated in our books, and of these, those who dream fourteen dreams are the mothers either of Universal Emperors or of Arhats : and hence the Kşatriyāņi, having seen fourteen, will be the mother either of a Cakravartin or of a Jina."
The king Siddhartha gladly accepted this interpretation and dismissed the interpreters with gifts ; and the lady Trisala returned to her