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233
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[AUGUST, 1890.
sun and moon endure." The Acharya replied that he would give her something to crunch and munch ; on hearing which, the Devi retired. Early in the morning, having caused the Srävakas to bring two heaps of various kinds of cakes and sweetmeats, 24 together with camphor, saffron, and other nice things, the Acharya Ratnaprabha proceeded with them to the temple of Sachchika-devi. Then having made worship apart from the Sravalas (órárakaih párévat), and crushing a quantity of cake (pakvánna-sundaka) with both his hands, right and left, he said to the Dêvî, — "I have given you something to crunch and munch, henceforth you must be a follower (upásaká) of me." On his saying this, the Devi entered the body of a maiden who was standing near, and thence replied, - “O Lord, I wanted one sort of thing to crunch and munch, but you have given me another sort." The Acharya said that what she wanted was an animal sacrifice, but that it was neither proper for him to give, nor for her to take it. He then gare some further religious instruction (siddhanta-vákya), the result of which was that Sachchikadêvî, who was still in the body of the maiden, was converted, in the presence of all the people who were there, becoming a follower (bhaktá) of Mahavira in the city of Upakosa, and a believer in the true faith ; so much so that, letting alone flesh, she could not even bear the sight of a red flower.25 The goddess (sati), by the mouth of the maiden in whose body she had entered, now said to her followers, - "Listen ; whoever of you shall worship the image of Svayambhû-Mahavira2* which is set up in the city of Upakowa, and shall follow the Acharya Ratnaprabha, and shall serve his disciples and the disciples of his disciples, with him I shall be well pleased, his evils (durita) I will remove, 27 and his worship I shall heartily accept." In consequence of these words of Sachchika-dêvî, spoken by the maiden in whose body she had entered, a large number of people, in the course of time, adopted the profession of Srávakas. In due time, in the year 84 after Mahavira, the Acharya Ratnaprabha was translated into heaven.
(7) His successor was the Acharya Yakshadeva, who converted the Yaksha Manabhadra, and thus relieved the troubles of the congregation (sangha). (8-13) His successors were (8) Kákka-Suri, (9) Dovagupta-Sari, (10) Siddha-Suri, (11) Ratnaprabha-Suri, (12) Yakshaddva-sari, and (13) Kakka-Suri.
Now we will relate the rites connected with the bathing (sndtra) of the image of) Svayambhû-Mahavira, and when and why they were instituted.
At that very time, 28 a festival which lasted, eight days was held by the people in the temple (of Maharira or of Sachchika-devī). Among them there were some young men to whom the evil thought suggested itself, that, as the two knobs on the breast of the blessed Mahavira were only an eye-sore to the worshippers, there could be no harm in removing them, just as one would do with pustules of a skin-disease. The old people tried to dissuade them, saying that it was a sacrilege to apply a chisel, especially to a miraculously-created (svayanibhil) image of Mahavira. But they disregarded the old men's advice, and bribed a carpenter secretly to cut away the two knobs.20 At that very instant the carpenter died, and from the place where the knobs had been cut away, there issued untold streams of blood. Great distress befell the people. Then they called Kakka-Suri, the head (adhipati) of the UpakësaGachchha, together with the four sanghas, to their assistance, and related to him the whole story. The Acharya, with the four sanghas, now kept a three days' fast. At the end of the third fast-day, the tutelary Devi appeared to the Acharya at night, and told him that the young
24 Original, pakvinna khajjakadi-sundaka-dvayam. The word sundaka is obscure ; cf. the Markthi sundt or siden bundle.' It occurs again below. Xhajjaka, Hindi khaja, is a kind of crisp sweetmeat, like pie crust.
23 Original, astar mathsam kusumam api raktan n'échchhati. Here astām for Prakrit achchhati, see Hémachandra, IV. 215 (Pinchel's translation), also Beames' Comparative Grammar, Vol. III. pp. 182, 183.
** It is called wayar bhd, self-made,' because it was not made by men's hands.
* Original, dalayami, used in the PrAkrit fashion, with the meaning of 'to place outside,' 'to remove;' seo my edition of the Uvdaagadasco, Vol. II. p. 180, footnote 287. The modern Hindi verb is dai'nd.
21. e. apparently in the time of (13) Kakka-Suri. 22 This would show that the image was wooden one, and apparently had breasts as of a woman.
