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APRIL, 1967
147
of the best Kşatriyas ! Awake, reverend Lord of the World ! Establish the religion of the law which benefits all living beings in the whole universe ! ”
Mahavira had already perceived that the time for his renunciation (nişkramaņa) had come. He made a suitable distribution of all his wealth. This distribution of gifts occupied a whole year, at the end of which time, the four orders of gods, descending from heaven, proceeded to the abode of Mahavira. As they arrived in the Ksatriya quarter of Videha, Sakra (Indra) descended from his chariot, and went apart ; and he created by magic a divine pedestal (deva-chamda) with a throne and footstool. Then proceeding to the venerable ascetic Mahavira, Sakra circumambulated him thrice from left to right, and placing him upon the throne, bathed him with pure water and precious oils, and robed him in the lightest of figured muslins, and garlands of pearls and precious gems. Then the god again created by magic a splendid palanquin called Candraprabha (moon-radiance), adorned with pictures and bells and flags, and provided with a throne ; it was conspicuous, magnificent and beautiful.
After completing a three days' fast, the ascetic Mahavira ascended the throne and took his seat in the palanquin ; in front it was borne by men, and by the gods behind,--the Suras and the Asuras, the Gārudas and the Nāgas. Its movement was accompanied by the sound of musical instruments in the sky and upon the earth; and thus it proceeded from the Kşatriya quarter of Kundapura along the highway toward the park called Jnatri Sanda. Just at nightfall the palanquin came to rest upon a little hillock beside an aśoka tree ; Mahavira descended, and took his seat beneath the tree, with his face towards the East. He removed his ornaments and fine clothes ; and tearing out his hair in five handfuls, he obtained dikşā, entering upon the homeless life of a friar, adopting the holy rule, and vowing to commit no sin. At the same time he donned a divine garment, which he accepted from Sakra (Vaisramana, according to the Acārārga Sūtra) who received the rejected ornaments and fine clothes and removed them to the Ocean of Milko. At the moment of Mahavira's obtaining dikşā, the whole universe of men and gods became suddenly perfectly silent and motionless, like the figures in a picture.
• The Kalpa Sutra, though it mentions the divine robe, and thus implies the presence of a divine donor, distinctly states that Mahavira was quite alone when he obtained diksa; this must be understood to mean that no other human being was present.
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