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A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYAN
Rurus (a species of deer) and many other existences of earth and water beings. Dhanadatta who had left his country on being afflicted with the sorrow of the death of his brother Vasudatta, met a monk and became a lay-devotee. After his death he became a celestial being and from there he descended as Padmaruci being the son of Śreshin Meru and Dhāriņi of Mahāpura. Once an old and deseased bull got englightened on hearing the Namaskāra formula from Padmaruci. The bull then was reborn as Vrsabhadhvaja, being the son of Śrīkāntā and king Chatrachāyā of Mahāpura. He once remembering his previous birth got constructed a Jina-temple on the spot where he had died as a bull and decorated it with a painting depicting the incident of his enlightenment. Padmaruci on observing it began to pause over it. He was reported to Vịşabhadhvaja. Then the latter bestowed the former with prowess and prosperity. Both of them became lay-devotees and were reborn as celestial beings in Išāna Kalpa. From there Padmaruci became Nayanānanda. After renouncing the world he became a celestial being in the Mahendra Kalpa. From there he was reborn as Śrīcanda. After having renounced the world he performed austerities. He was reborn as the Indra of Brahmaloka. Sreşthin Srikānta was reborn as Svayambhú (Sambhū), being the son of Vajrakañcu and Hemavati of Mrņālakunda (nagara). Vasudatta was reborn as Srībhūti being the Purohita of Svayambhū. Gunamatī after transmigrating through various births was reborn as she-elephant and then as Vegavatī, being the daughter of the Purohita. Once she laughed at a monk and being reproached by her father she became a lay-devotee. On account of her beauty she was demanded by Svayambhū and various other kings in marriage. But Sribhūti rejected their demands, because he did not like to marry his daughter to a person who was wrong faithed. Then Svayambhū reverted to the use of force. He killed her father and raped her. Vegavati cursed Svayambhū to the effect that she would be the cause of his death in future. Thereafter she became nun and after performing severe penances she ascended to heaven. Svayambhū transmigrating through hell and other subhuman existences was reborn as Vipra Prabhāsakunda. He became a monk, observed austerities and resolved on seeing the prosperity of a Vidyadhara king Kanakaprabha, to become a Khecara lord. He ascended to Sanatkumāra heaven and from there he was reborn as Rāvaņa. Dhanadatta (Indra), Vasudatta (Purohita Śrībhūti), Gunadhara (the brother of Gunamatī), Yajñavalkya and Vrşabhadhvaja were reborn as Rāma, Lakşmaņa, Bhāmandala. Vibhīşaņa and Sugrīva respectively. Vegavati was coveted by Svayambhū hence she as Sītā was kidnapped by the latter
