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KUVALAYAMALA
desa-bhāşās, there ruled a mighty king, Simha by name, of whom I, Bhānu, have been the eldest son, addicted rather too much to painting. One day a teacher showed me a painted scroll presenting what he called the Samsāracakra and depicting all that was there on the earth. He explained pointing out with a stick that the various regions were hell, human world and heaven. With excessive sin one gets misery in hell; with excessive merit one gets pleasures in heaven; with a little merit and plenty of sin one is born as a sub-human being, and with plenty of merit and a little sin one is born as a man: everywhere, however, there is misery. A king with great sin to his credit goes to hell. A king with hunting paraphernalia only earns sin. Here was a thief suffering awfully for his deeds. The cultivators were illtreating the beasts of burden and causing injury to one-sensed beings; and they alone had to suffer for their sins. One carried only punya and pāpa with him, and left everything behind, on the eve of death. Young men enjoyed various pleasures, and they were painted on the scroll. Similarly, men in various professions and positions, proud of this and that, were depicted, with the consequences of their acts etc. In the subhuman world there were the various beasts and birds, killing each other. Then there were painted the scenes in hells, and also those in heavens. Lastly, there was the picture of Liberation which is characterised by eternal bliss. When he unfolded the scenes of this Samsāra-cakra, I could realize the despicable character of the worldly life, and I told him that he must be a god or so coming from heaven, with this scroll, having some definite purpose in mind. Then there was another picture the details of which he explained thus: 'Here in the town of Campā ruled the king, Mahāratha. Dhanadatta was a rich merchant; from his wife Devi he had two sons: Kulamitra and Dhanamitra. Soon after their birth, the father died; and the mother urged them to do some business and earn their living. They practised varied professions and tried their hands at different arts and crafts; but they proved failures everywhere, with no earnings to their credit. They decided, at last, to commit suicide; and when they were about to jump down a mountain peak, a divine voice prevented
no rash. It was the admonition of a great saint who knew their plight and who advised them sympathetically to take to renunciation, so that they would never be born poor again but would get heavenly happiness and liberation. Both of them entered the order, practised austerities, and were born in heaven. Thence one was born as Bhānu, the son of Simha, i.e., yourself; and I, the teacher or painter, am the second. I have come here to enlighten you.' Hearing this, I, Bhānukumāra, fell into a swoon, and on coming to my senses, found in that teacher a brilliant god who reminded me of our earlier births and urged me to accept renunciation with a view to attaining eternal bliss. On hearing this, I pulled out five handfuls of hair, received the ascetic's equipment (rayaharana, muhapottiya and padiggaha), and left the park to the great consternation of my friends etc. who rushed to the king. The god brought me here." The prince appreciated his autobiography and his obliging brother. Mahendrakumāra accepted Samyaktva which grew more and more firm (Pages 185.7-194.33; *67.35- *69.4).
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