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124
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[MARCH, 1903.
All the sinners said :- "O Lord and Master ! the cauldron is broken and destroyed, Master! It has quite vanished and is changed into a Kolpataru, a young and strongly grown Varingin."
“Come, let me go with you myself to bell."
Presto! Gone! Hastily Yamadhipati went to the cauldron. He was amazed at the sight of the cauldron, and wondered within himself, when he saw that it was changed into a Kalpataru. He asked the soul : -"O my child, sinner! What is the reason that the cauldron has been broken and destroyed by you ? The fire is extinguished and the flames likewise. All kinds of weapons had no grip upon your body; of what, then, does your body consist, that the cauldron is changed by you into a jewelled lotus, and, at the same time, the Khadgapatras are changed into Kalpatarus, trees with leaves of gold and fruits of all kinds of precious stones; their sap is musk and saffron, which is caught in cups of precious stones. At the same time, the cauldron is become a bright pond, overgrown with jewelled lotuses, golden waterlilies, and Magiligis (?) of precious stones. What, then, is the reason of this ? For it was originally intended that you should be cooked in the cauldron for a hundred years. But now, through you, hell is become a heaven. Explain to me what is the reason of it." Thus spake Yamadhipati.
"O Yamadhipati, Master! No one else would have taken pity upon me, save my teacher ; he took pity upon my lowly person. All honour to you, reverent honour, Lord Buddha-Vairochana! You have instructed me! All that you commanded me have I borne in mind. These were the words which he once addressed to me:- 'O my son, Parnavijaya, as a reward for having promoted the Sacred Law, receive from me this favour that you shall not long be cooked in the cauldron of hell, nor undergo the five states of worldly suffering. Ten nights long shall you be cooked in the cauldron. When the eleventh commences, you shall escape, free, from the cauldron, and immediately return to your own home. That is what the Lord Vairochana said to me. This is, surely, the reason why I was not longer cooked by you in the cauldron, and I should surely bave suffered the five states of worldly pains for a longer period, if the Lord Vairochana bad not bad pity upon me. I acknowledge that my sins are great."
Ah, is that so? Out of pity has the Lord been thus merciful to you, you say. Then is it very right that it should be so. Now, then, return to your abode."
Thus was the soul able to return. He took leave of Yamadhipati: "O Yamadhipati, I desire to take leave of you and return to my abode; but the jewelled lotuses and the pond I will take thought for as a memorial of me here in the future."
"Good, my son. See, here is Kâlarâtri, let her accompany you!"
Presto! Gone ! The soul of Pornavijaya departed accompanied by Kalaratri. He did not linger on the way, and came to his abode unharmed and again living ! He awoke !
Kusumagandhavati was astonished to see that Parnavijays awoke. Therefore Kusumagandhavati greeted her husband :-"O my elder brother Parnavijaya, how fortunate that you are alive! I was growing very uneasy, elder brother Purna vijaya."
"O my lass, little mother, now are my stains entirely vanished, and I have stoned for my sing towards Yamadhipati. There is nothing for which you need now be uneasy about me. I should certainly have endured the five states of worldly suffering for a longer time had not my elder brother Kunjarakarna previously gone to the Lord, so that the Lord might have pity upon me. How would it have been if my elder brother had not made known my moral maladies to the Lord ? Therefore, I will shortly follow my elder brother in order to practise asceticism for a time and to offer my lowly homage to the Lord. Now, dear little mother, call upon the Vidyâdbaras and Vidyadharts to accompany us both; I will go and do homage to the Lord." Thereupon the Vidyadharag and Vidyadharis were called up; they made themselves ready altogether and all started.
