Jain Journal 1974 07

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 25

Camara Story
K. C. LALWANI
[ Extracted from S. III U. 2 of the Bhagavati Sutra. Volume II of the English Edition contains Satakas 3-6 of the original, with complete Prakrit text, English translation, exhaustive notes and index. It has been released this year on the occasion of Mahavir Jayanti on April 4. This is a Jain Bhawan Publication.]
In that period, at that time, in the lower range of the Vindhya hills, in Bharatavarsa, in this very isle of Jambu-dvipa, there was a village named Bebhela. Description. Therein lived a householder named Purana who was rich and powerful. (Description to be the same as that of Tamali), difference being that he made a four-pot begging bowl, ... till (prepared) a vast quantity of food, drink, dainties and delicacies,... ...till he himself picked up the four-pot wooden vessel, got tonsured and was initiated into the order named Damama,...till he himself picked up the four-pot wooden vessel, descended from the exposure ground, and then, for the purpose of begging food, visited all households, high, middle and low, in that village named Bebhela and distributed food collected in the first pot to other travellers on the highway, food collected in the second pot to crows and dogs, food collected in the third pot to fish and tortoise, and took himself food collected in the fourth pot. (Thus he lived on, distributing food collected on the break-fast day, in the aforesaid manner)...till next day (after fast), at day-break, (he distributed his collection) without keeping any portion, and the collection in the fourth pot he ate himself.
The said heretical monk Purana, because of (that penance which was) noble, vast, permitted, duly performed as per heretical creed, (became lean and dry)...till moved through the heart of the village named Bebhela, and having thus moved out, deposited all his objects, like sandals, cups, wooden pot in a lonely place, and having thus discarded them in the south-eastern direction of the village named Bebhela, he cleaned a spot which was half the standard size (of a person), tied his soul to the final fast, gave up all food and drink and fixed himself in pādapopagamana end.
(Speaking about himself, Sramana Bhagavan Mahavira said :) In that period, at that time, I was not yet perfected, etc., having been