Agam 21 Upang 10 Pushpika Sutra English Translation

Author(s): Dipratnasagar, Deepratnasagar
Publisher: Deepratnasagar

Page 25

Pushpika -Upang-10- Chapter-4
own endeavour only (etc.). After listening to that discourse, Soma Brahmani will accept the twelve fold Shravak Dharma (Jain code for laity). After paying homage and obeisance to Suvrata Aryaa she will return home.
Then that Soma Brahmani will become a Shramanopasika (Jain lay woman) endowed with the knowledge of fundamentals like being and non-being. She will spend her life enkindling her soul (by observing various vows including codes of uprightness, restraints that reinforce the practice of minor vows, abandoning and atoning for sinful deeds, living as ascetics for short periods and fasting).
In due course that Suvrata Aryaa will leave Vibhel village and wander around in other populated areas.
After that at some later period wandering comfortably from one village to another Aryaa Suvrata will once again come to Vibhel village. On getting the news of arrival of aryikas (female ascetics) Soma Brahmani will be pleased and contented. Taking her bath, adorning her with a variety of ornaments and accompanied by many maid servants as before, she will go to pay homage to Suvrata Aryaa. After paying homage and obeisance to Suvrata Aryaa and listening to her discourse she will say
"Seeking permission from my husband Rashtrakoot I wish to get initiated by you after getting my head tonsured."
Suvrata Aryaa will reply-"Beloved of gods! Do as you please and avoid languor when doing a good deed."
Then Soma Brahmani will pay homage and obeisance to Suvrata Arya and return home to her husband Rashtrakoot. Joining her palms she will ask-"Beloved of gods! Seeking your permission I want to get initiated as an ascetic."
To this Rashtrakoot will reply-"Beloved of gods! Do as you please and avoid languor when doing a good deed."
After that Rashtrakoot will arrange for large quantities of staple food, liquids, general food, and savoury food and invite all his friends, kin-folk, family members, relatives and acquaintances. After feeding them he will greet and honour them... and so on. As Subhadra Sarthavahi got initiated in the previous birth, Soma Brahmani will also get initiated and will spend her life as a completely celibate aryaa (female ascetic) observing five samitis (self regulations) and three guptis (restraints).
After that Soma Aryaa will live with Suvrata Aryaa and study eleven Angas (the primary canons or the main corpus of the Jain canonical texts) including Samayik. After this study she will lead ascetic life for many years enkindling her soul by observing a variety of austerities including fasting for two, three, four, five, six, and more days. In the end she will take the ultimate vow (sallekhana) of one month duration and avoiding sixty mealsembrace meditational death after doing pratikraman (critical review) at the moment of her death. She will reincarnate as a Samanik (of equal status) god of Shakra, the king of gods (in the first heaven).
There the life-span of some gods is two Sagaropam (a metaphoric unit) of time). life-span of that Soma Dev will also be two Sagaropam (a metaphoric unit of time).(On hearing all this) Gautam Swami again asked, "Bhante Completing the age, state, and
Aagam - 21 - Pushpika
Compiled by - Deepratnasagar
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