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336
N. M. Kansara
Jambu-jyoti
take to the Jaina monastic order and got himself initiated to that end. This sub-story starts just after the gathā No. 1735 (p. 136) with which the story of prince Surasundara illustrating a case of bhāvanā comes to an end. It is called 'Anta-ranga-kathā' (pp. 136-162).
It thus narrates the sub-story comprising the autobiography of the Muni named Arindama : Having listened to the discourse of the Muni who propounded the importance of the excellent religious duties pertaining to charity etc., the king and others readily accepted it in toto. At the end of the discourse, king Aparājita respectfully requested him to oblige him by telling him as to why did he take to renunciation in young age. The Muni asked him to come next day, since the account was expected to take some more time than was then available. The king came back the next day in the morning and repeated the request. Muni Arindama then started his narration with the remark that the reason which led him to renounce worldly life was instrumental to a similar result in the case of all other's too, including himself, as also the king. There was a city named Asamvyavahāra, where lived innumerable people called Anădi-vanaspati. Their feudal lord was named Tivra-mohodaya, and his minister who was an expert in worldly ways was known by the name Atyantabodha. Through these two, king Karma-parināma had promulgated an ordinance that people lived in such a way that it seemed they were sleeping or swooning or dead, being bereft of any activity whatsoever. Once a messenger named Niyoga arrived and informed the king about a city named Mañuja-gati, surrounded by a castle called Mānusottara-naga encircled by a circular ditch in the form of oceans named Puskaroda etc. There were in this city temples in the form of five Merus, a number of market places named Mahāvideha with rows of palaces named Bharata, Airāvata, Haimavata and others. And there were two suburbs named Jambūdvīpa and Dhātakikhanda. This was the very city in which were born all the 63 Salākā-purusas, comprising Cakravartis, Jinas, and others. And here then ruled the king Karma-parināma. He had a queen named Karma-parinati. Both of them were engrossed in enjoying the dramatic performances and playing the parts of various transmigratory beings on the stage of the world sporting the forms of gods, human beings, creatures of hell, birds, handsome, ugly, melodious, harsh, happy, and unhappy et cetera.
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