Nalrayavadanti Charita

Author(s): Ernest Bender
Publisher: American Philosophical Society

Page 70

IV. TRANSLATION om.arham.
In obedience to the command of her śāsanadevatā Having done reverence to the lord Sānti, who pro- the queen went in great joy to Mount Aştāpada and duces contentment and peace (Sānti) for all the Con- worshipped the Lords of the Universe, the twenty-four gregation, I shall proclaim the mighty power of merit Jinas who were installed by Bharata. (14) The coming from alms-giving, moral conduct, religious auspicious one had twenty-four golden tilakas studded austerity, and meditation. (1)
with jewels set on the Jinas, and, after a long period When one hears good stories of noble people his of devotion and homage at the holy place, she returned merit and purity increase. [So] listen to this delight- home. (15) ful tale of King Nala and Davadanti. (2)
This was the sweet consequence for the king and In Jambudvipa there is the superb celebrated [land queen: Taking vows from the sermon of the munivara of] Bharatakşetra; in it is a city, Sangara by name, and rejecting falsehood, which is deep rooted, they filled with money, grain, and jewels. (3) There ruled held firm to their attachment for dharma. For a long well King Mammaņa and his chief queen Viramati time they maintained the prosperity of the realm and, who was virtuous, beautiful, and elegantly clad. (4) at the time of death, by virtue of their pure meditaIf a person (jiva) does not make a practice of hearing tion, the two went to the heaven of the gods and enthe speech of good teachers, how is he to know the joyed unparalleled bliss. See now the fruit of punya difference between sin and virtuous conduct? In con- (merit)! (16) sequence of this condition the king went out of the The fruits of punya are enjoyment of royal proscity to hunt, accompanied by his queen and retinue perity, beauty, and happiness. Everyone desires the and abundantly furnished with the essentials for di- fruit of punya, but does anyone perform punya? (17) verting the mind. Coming towards him he saw a Then the jiva of Mammaņa was reborn in the munivara, a lord of virtue. (5) The muni, the perfect house of a herdsman in the city of Potana, which sādhu, possessed of the merit of restraint, whose sight is an ornament in the splendid Bharatakşetra in bestows good fortune, was regarded by the king in his Jambudvipa. He was named Dhana. Queen Viraerror, however, as an ill-omen. (6)
mati's jiva was [reborn as his wife, Dhüsari, famed Nala is famed as Punyaśloka; the beautiful daughter for her perfection. (18) of Bhima as a woman of perfect virtue. As one hears It happened one day that Dhana (went out to graze [this story) to the end, of him increases the discrimina- his many buffaloes. Because of a heavy downpour of tion of dharma. (7)
rain he went with a palm-leaf umbrella over his head. Taking him away from his caravan, the king and Catching sight of a sadhu who was standing in the queen in sport teased the sādhu for twelve hours with- kāyotsarga-position, he held the umbrella over his out stop. But the rşi endured and remained of even head; and he rendered this excellent service to the guru temper. (8)
as long as it rained. (19) When the sādhu had finished When they saw that the rşi maintained a benevolent his kāyotsarga, he took him to his home in the city. mien, both the king and queen were mollified. They In full devotion he and his wife caused him to break asked, "Where are you going? Where do you live? his fast [by taking) pure milk. Tell us what your dharma is." (9)
Keeping the muni for the four months of the monThe rşi said, "I am going to Mount Aştāpada on a soon, they learned the dharma from him. They worpilgrimage to the Jineśvaras. O King, I have been shipped the Jinavara-god and made their birth fruitseparated by you from my sangha (congregation of ful. (20) They sincerely observed compassion for disciples). This is a great obstacle to the performance living beings; listened to the preaching of the excellent of my dharma. (10) Without a fixed abode I perform guru; observed the posadha-rites; and knew no the dharma in the manner which the Jina taught." pride. (21) Taking this opportunity, the prince of munis preached They observed in this manner the very delightful the doctrine of the Jain religion which has compassion dharma of lay disciples for a long time and, having as its essence. (11)
taken the vows, they maintained them assiduously for Both the king and the queen were awakened and, seven years. The exact result of this was that they falling at the feet of the rşi, asked his forgiveness. were reborn as twins in the Himalayas. In their fifth They went back with him to the palace, gave alms and birth they became Ksiradandira gods. (22) practiced devotion to the muni. (12)
Now listen to the sixth birth which is delightful to The muni, after preaching instruction in the Dharma the mind because of its exceptional charm. There is to both of them, started out and reached Mount a city Kośalā by name, superior to Amarāvati. Aştāpada. The king and queen then observed the most worshipful dharma of lay disciples based on
* Tutelary deity.
* See Johnson, 1931: 1: 367-368. perfection. (13)
4 Tawney, 1895: 230, has "ksiradindira." I have not been able
to identify either of these forms. Santi is the nineteenth Tīrthankara.
The city of Indra. 330