Indian Antiquary Vol 27

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 56

62
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[FEBRUART, 1898.
part in the ablutions. Even to-day they come in the same way to the procession. When all by turns had performed the ablutions, they placed on the Stupa) flowers, incense, cloth, great banners and ornaments. To the saints they gave clothes, Ghi, sogar and so forth. On the twelfth (night) garlands were put up. Thus those excellent ascetics gladdened the whole god-honoured congregation, and, having kept the four-monthly retreat, having performed the concluding ceremony elsewhere and having made the sacred lore resplendent, gradually shaking off the effects of) their Karman, reached perfection. A field of perfection' arose there, Then the goddess, who was sorrowful on account of the separation from the two ascetics and remained always strongly attached to the Jinas, enjoyed a life of half a Palyopama, afterwards fell (from her station), was born again as a human being and reached the highest abode. Each goddess, who arises in her place, is called Kaberá. Protected by her, the Stûpa remained for a long time open to the view), until the Lord Páráva was born. At that period the king of Mathura, being under the sway of greed, called the people up and spoke, Take away this Stúpa, made of gold and precious stones, and throw it into my treasury.' Thereopon, when the people struck (the Stúpa) with steel pickaxes in order to take it away, the pickaxes did not take effect. The blows hit the limbs of those who struck. Then the king, who did not believe (that), even himself gave blow. The pickaxe flew up and split the king's head. Thereupon the goddess appeared and said angrily, 'Fie, ye sinners, what have you begun there ? You will die just like the king. Then they, being afraid, asked the goddess for forgiveness, bringing censers in their hands. The goddess said, If you will worship the dwelling of the Jina, then you will be freed from the tribulation. If any one will worship an image of a Jina or a Jina temple, bis house will stand for a long time; else it will fall 15 Every ear the cloth(-picture) of the Jina must be carried about and the sixth (day) of the pickaxes '16 must be kept. He who becomes king here, must dine after having set op images of a Jina ; otherwise he will not live. The people began to carry out exactly all the orders of the goddess."
"Once the lord Paráva, wandering about as a Kêvalin, reached Mathura. At the solemn visit (to the Stúpa, sannosarana) he preached the law and made known the future experience of the evil period (dúsamá). Then, after the worshipful one had wandered elsewhere, Kubêrû called the congregation and spoke as follows, The approaching evil time has been described by the lord. The people and the king will be eaten up with greed; and I shall become negligent and have not long to live. Hence I shall not be able to protect always this Stûpa, which is open (to the view). At the order of the congregation I will therefore cover it with bricks. But you must build outside a stone temple. Every other goddess that will come in my place will perform the worship inside. Then the congregation, considering (the plan) excellent, gave their consent and the goddess did thus."
"Afterwards, thirteen hundred years after the lord Vira had reached perfection, Bappabhattisüri was born. He also restored this sanctuary, caused the Jina Párýva to be worshipped, and had made groves, wells and store-rooms in order to ensure the constant worship. Thinking that the bricks, placed by the congregation ....... were being displaced, he began to put into order the Stúpa which was surrounded with stones. The goddess stopped him in a dream, saying to him, 'You must not open this.' So by the order of the goddess it was not opened. Well-made, surrounded by well-fashioned stones it is even to-day protected by the gods. Resplendent is this home of the Jina, which is connected with many thousands of images, chapels ................... & charming gandhukuti as well as with (statues of) Chillania, Ambû and other (goddesses), (of the) Kshetrapalas and so forth."
4 Jinaprabha, I suppose, means, that Mathura became a place where men could obtain aiddhi.
I omit the next following sentence of the text, which I take to be an interpolation, as it interrupts the speech of the goddess.
* This seems to have been festival, kept at Mathurd in memory of the king's wicked attempt against the Stape