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MAHĀPURĀŅA There lived in Podanapura a king named Prajapati. He had two queens, Jayavati and Mrgāvatt. Jayāvatr gave birth to a son called Vijaya, who was Visakhabhati in his previous birth. This Vijaya is the first Baladeva of the Jain Mythology and had a white complexion. Mrgāvatr gave birth to a son called Triprstha, who in his previous birth was Visvanandi. This Triprştha is the first Vasudeva and had a dark complexion. These two step-brothers were greatly attached to each other,
LI. Once a report was brought to king Prajapati that a terrific lion had been working a havoc on the subjects. His subjects requested him to remove this scourge. Thereupon the king himself prepared to go to kill the lion when his son Vijaya requested his father to allow him to go on that mission. The king allowed Vijaya to go, his younger brother Triprstha followed him. Both of them approached the cave of the lion, which, on being roused by the din and cry of warriors, came out, and was about to attack Vijaya, when Triprstha with his arms caught both the claws of the lion and sruck it on the face. The lion fell dead.
One day the door-keeper approached the king and told him that there was at the door a Vidyadhara who wanted to see him. He was admitted to the king's presence. The Vidyadhara told king Prajapati that he was Indra by name and had come there as a messenger of king Jvala najaţi. He came there to invite the king and his two sons to the region of the Vidyadharas in order that Triprstha should lift up the huge slab of stone known as the Koçišila, to kill Ašvagrīva and marry his daughter Svayamprabha, and thereafter to rule over the three continents of the earth and to make Jvalanajaji the lord of both the sides of the Vaitadhya mountain. King Prajapati accepted the invitation and went to the region of the Vidyadharas. King Jvalanajaţi received them well and introduced them to his son Arkakirti. In the course of their talk it was arranged that Triprstha should first lift up the Koțiśila which would convince them that he was capable of killing Aśvagrīva. Thereupon they all went to the forest where the Koțiśila stood and asked Triprstha to life it up. He did so with ease. Jvalanajați and others praised Triprştha for his great strength. Thereafter they all returned to Podanapura and celebrated the marriage of Triprstha with Svayamprabha. The news of this marriage reached the ears of Ašvagriva who resented the action of Jvalanajaci in marrying his daughter outside his clan, i. e., in giving her to Triprstha, a human being, in stead of to Ašvagrīva, a Vidyadhara. Ašvagrīva thereupon marched against Jvalanajati and king Prajapati even against the advice of his ministers.
LII. Spies brought the news of the arrival of the army Aśvagrīva to the gates of Podanapura. Thereupon king Prajapati consulted with Jvalanajaţi as to how they should meet the situation when Vijaya told them that he was sure in his mind that Triprstha would kill Aśvagriva. King Jvalanajaţt then taught Triprstha several magic lores, after which order was given to the army to march against Ašvagriva. Before however the fight began Ašvagrīva sent a messenger to Triprstha to see if Triprstha was prepared to make peace with Ašvagriva by handing over Svayamprabha. Triprstha rejected the proposal. The fight began. The goddesses gave to Triprstha a bow called Sarnga, a conch called pāñcajnya, Kaustubha gem, a gada called kaumudi, and to Vijaya a plough, a pestle and a gada. The armies met and
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