Agam 21 Upang 10 Pushpika Sutra English Translation

Author(s): Dipratnasagar, Deepratnasagar
Publisher: Deepratnasagar

Page 18

Pushpika-Upang-10- Chapter-4
attendant gods to create a vimaan (celestial vehicle) suitable for going to pay homage to Bhagavan. The commander followed the instructions and created a vimaan one thousand Yojan in area and sixty two and a half Yojans in height. Like Suryabh Dev she proceeded in the northward direction, created a one thousand Yojan tall vaikriya sharira (transmuted body) and came to Bhagavan's Samavasaran (divine assembly of Tirthankar).
Bhagavan gave his sermon. When the discourse concluded, that Bahuputrika Devi paid homage to Bhggavan and extended her right arm to create one hundred eight young gods. Extending her left arm she also created 108 young goddesses. After that she also created numerous adolescents and children. Then like SuryabhDev she presented stage performance and returned (after paying homage to Bhagavan).
When Bahuputrika Devi left, Gautam Swami asked Bhagavan Mahavir after paying homage and obeisance "Bhante ! Where did the divine display of opulence and powers created by Bahuputrika Devi go and disappear?"
Bhagavan answered the question by giving the example of Kutagar- "Gautam ! The divine display of opulence and powers created by Bahuputrika Devi was drawn into and disappeared within her own body.
After that Gautam Swami asked—"Bhante ! How did that Bahuputrika Devi acquire that divine opulence and power?
Shraman Bhagavan Mahavir replied—"Gautama! During that period of time there was a city named Varanasi. Outside the city was a Chaitya named Amrashalavan. In Varanasi lived a caravan chief (sarthavaha) named Bhadra who was very rich. The name of Bhadra Sarthavaha's wife was Subhadra. She had very delicate limbs and was very beautiful. But as she was sterile she did not give birth to even a single child. She was only the mother of her knees and elbow (this means that her breasts were touched only by her knees and elbows, not her child)."
One day while Subhadra was thinking about family matters an aspiration (ajjhatthiye or adhyatmik), expectation (patthiye or prarthit), notion (manogaye or manogat) and intention (sankappe or sankalp) surfaced"I have been enjoying my married life with Bhadra Sarthavaha. However, I have not given birth even to a single boy or girl. Complete is the life as humans of those mothers and blessed, fortunate, and meritorious are those mothers who have given birth to a child; who breast-feed their own child who is eager to suckle, who sweetly stutters, and who in stupor shiftsfrom the base of the breasts toward the armpit; who have heard the sweet stutter of the child and comforted it by hugging; and who have lifted the baby with their tender and loving hands, placed it in the lap and enjoyed sweet and loving talk with the baby. But I am the wretched and ill-fated one that has been deprived of any of these pleasures of an offspring." Depressed by these tormenting thoughts she spent a wretched life.
During that period of time, wandering comfortably from one village to another, an aryaa (female ascetic) named Suvrata, arrived in the town of Varanasi. She was sincerely pursuing the practices of five samitis (regulations) prescribed for movement, speech, alms seeking, maintaining ascetic equipment including bowls, and excreta disposal. She also practiced the three guptis (restraints) of mind, speech, and body. She exercised complete restraint over sense organs (guptendriya). She practiced celibacy
Aagam -21 - Pushpika
Compiled by - Deepratnasagar
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