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114 Life and Stories of Pārçvanātha to see, and found Katha performing the severe five-fire penance (pañcāgnitapas ?). And he saw that Katha had thrown a great serpent into a fire-pan, which stood upon the fagots of his fire. He asked the reason for this pitiless practice, inconsistent with Katha's own austerities. Katha replied that kings understood only elefants and horses; that religion was understood by Sages alone (59. Pārçva ordered the fire put out; the agonized serpent came out; and the king made his people do honor (namaskāra) to him. Absorbing the essence of this worship, the serpent was reborn as Dharaņa, the wealthy king of the Nāgas 3 (63). Katha, on the other hand, as the result of his false practices, was reborn as an Asura (demon), by name of Meghamālin (68).
One day in spring Pārçva entered a palace in his park, and saw there, painted on a wall, the picture of Nemi, the Arhat, engaged in ascetic practice. Reflecting that Nemi had taken the vow in early life, he decided that he himself also would abandon the samsāra. The Sārasvatas and other divinities descended from the Heaven of Brahma, and encouraged him to save the world (77). At night, while lying on his bed in meditation, he decided to undertake the task of enlightening the world (83). In the morning, after informing his parents of his decision, he began to distribute alms, preparatory to his consecration (dīkşā). He gave away enormous riches. The Vāsavas from heaven, and princes of the earth prepared his consecration. He shone like the wish-tree of heaven (kalpadru). He mounted a wonderful palankin, and, to the
Consists of sitting between four fires, the sun as fifth burning down upon the head.
See above, p. 19. For serpents, saved from danger, see Kathakoça, p. 87, and Tawney's note there. In each case, as in the sequel of the present story (see p. 118) they show gratitude.
