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KUVALAYAMĀLĀ
would be terminated. Tārācandra, who was duly initiated in the order, could not reconcile his mood with the intensely rigorous discipline of the monastery ($ 182) but envied the free life of the wild rats; he was born as a god after an accidental death; and then he was reborn as a wild rat on account of the earlier nidāna for which there was no due atonement. As a rat, he enjoyed various pleasures in the company of his mates, has now arrived in this samavasaraņa and recollected his past, and, therefore, is all remorse about his earlier behaviour. A soul with right faith never incurs fresh bondage of tiryag-ayus, but just experiences the earlier one. In due course, the rat will die a pious death with mental resignation, be born as prince Mitrakumāra (son of Mihilla =Maithila and his queen Citrā), be enlightened by a clairvoyant monk, and then soon be liberated as anta-krt Kevalin. All of them fondled the rat in appreciation of its happy prospects (Pages 99.14-102.12; *41.40- *44.24).
FIVE CONFER AND SET UP MEMORY-CLUE: At this stage, on an inquiry from Lobhadeva>] Padmaprabha, the revered one explained that they all (five) were bhavya, would easily attain enlightenment, and get liberated in the fourth birth (their next births being duly indicated). They consulted together, realized the difficulty of mutual enlightenment, requested (Mohadatta>] Padmakesara (who was the last to leave heaven) to enlighten them; by way of memory-clue, they all prepared their counter-parts (i.e., images resembling them) in precious stone, buried them at the spot where the (Candasoma > Padmacandra > ] Lion was to be born in the forest, and put a stone on it to mark out the spot. They all returned to heaven (Pages 102.13-103.2; *44.25- *45.5).
SAGARADATTA AND HIS ADVENTURE: [Lobhadeva>] Padmaprabha was reborn at Campā as Sāgaradatta, son of the banker Dhanadatta and Laksmī, and, in due course, was wedded to Srī. One day, on the autumnal full-moon night, Sāgaradatta gave a gift of one lakh to an actor for his subhāșita. He took a hint from the taunt that his munificence was based on ancestral wealth; he determined to earn seven crores within a year, and failing this to enter fire; he left on the door of his house a record to that effect; and he started from home towards the prosperous South. He reached the town Jayaśrī, on the southern shore (described 104.8-12). When, tired with long journey, he sat brooding under a tree on the various alternatives of earning wealth, he observed a mālūra tree, having secondary pāda or trunks (spread round) which indicated, as studied by him in the lore of mining (khanya-vāda, details given), that there was wealth below. By digging, as advised by the voice of deities prayed to, he took a handful of silver pieces (and the rest of the treasure disappeared) which would bring seven crores for him. He entered the town. An old merchant was very much pleased with his efficient salesmanship, welcomed him at his place, and offered his lovely daughter to him in marriage. Sāgaradatta explained to him his objective, and taking necessary merchandise, started to a distant port in Yavanadvīpa, where he earned more than seven crores. While returning, on account of a mighty gale, the ship went to the bottom of the sea. Somehow he reached Candradvīpa (described 106.21); and he satisfied his hunger with various fruits. As he moved about, he heard a voice which he ascertained to be that of a lovely girl who was about to hang herself to death. He loosened the creeper-noose
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