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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
82
AJITASENA-VYAKARANAM
moment Bhagavā entered the city, 99 koțis of beings werc established in the Sukhāvati lokadhātu' and 84 koțis in the Abhirati lokadhātu--the Buddha-ksetra of Aksobhya Tathāgata.
Bhagavā accompanied by Ananda went to the house of a beggar-woman. On hearing the sound of the begging-bell, the beggar-woman was astonished because no monk so far had visited her house for alms. As she had nothing to give, she shed tears, cursed her poverty and even was about to kill herself by a sharp sword. Then a god of the Suddhāvāsa heaven came to know of this situation, and so, putting on an invaluable pearl necklace, he instantly appeared before the woman with a hundred kinds of sweet food and Kāśika cloths. He then requested her to wear the Kāśika cloths and adorn herself with the pearl-necklace and then offer the food to Bhagavā. She did as she was bidden by the god.
Bhagavā then asked her to make the offering as she had done formerly to Vipaśyi, Sikhi, Visvabhuk, Krakutsanda, Kanakamuni, Kāśyapa and other Tathāgatas, and said that by this offering, her femininity and poverty would be at an end. When she followed him to some distance, Bhagavā asked her to return and promised to tell her, her past birth-stories. The woman fell at his fect and prayed thus in verses:
“Be compassionate to me, and rescue me from the misery of old age, disease and death. Be my refuge, and in accordance with the vow taken by you, save me as well as all those beings living in the ten corners of Jambudvipa from the ocean of misery, and make them happy."
Bhagavā then told her the cause of her poverty. He said, 'she once came out of her house to give alms to a begging monk but
1 The Buddhaksetra of Amitabha. Cf. Saddharmapundarika, pp. 419, 458; also ch. VII.
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