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Life and Stories of Pārçvanātha
hostility, attacked Pārçva 8 with tigers, elefants, and scorpions, but, when the Lord showed no fright, they slunk off, as tho ashamed. Then the Asura tried to submerge him in the waters produced by a fearful thunderstorm, but the Lord did not budge from his place and from his pious meditations (90). The serpent king Dharaņa found out, by avadhi insight,' that Katha was attacking the Lord, went there with his divine wives, and placed lotuses at the feet of the Lord. By means of his seven hoods he fashioned an umbrella over his head; 10 the Lord stood there like a royal hansa bird, submerged in a deep trance (194). The wives of Dharaṇa honored him with songs and the music of instruments. But the Lord retained his equanimity in the face of both Dharaṇa's devotion and Kamatha's 11 attacks. Dharana then excoriated Meghamālin's hatred of the Lord, pointing out that he had done him no injury, but, on the contrary, had saved him from the sin of burning him (Dharaṇa) on the occasion of his unholy practice (see p. 114). Meghamālin then repented, resorted to the Lord, and went home, determined to devote himself to piety (213).
Frame story: Life of Pārçvanātha, continued: Sermon
on the fourfold dharma Thereupon Pārçva went to his native city of Kāçi,12 where he reached the state of Kevalin with all its supernatural powers. The thrones of the gods shook; they ac
Here called Crivāmeya, 'the holy son of Vămā' (his mother). .See for this term Tawney's Translation of Kathăkoça, p. 241 note.
30 Dharana figures, alternately with Părcvayaksa, as the male attendant spirit of Pårçva. Jain sculptures show Pärçva regularly with seven cobras covering his head; see above, pp. 18 ff. A serpent king protects with his hoods Padumakumāra in Jātaka 472; cf. The Orientalist, vol. I, p. 146. 1 The name Kamatha goes back to the first pre-birth of Meghamálin.
Or Vårānasi, ‘Benares.'
