Narrative Tale in Jain Literature

Author(s): Satyaranjan Banerjee
Publisher: Asiatic Society

Page 64

NARRATIVE TALE IN JAIN LITERATURE
49
there also Ananda, the servant of the Samana, is declared to enjoy an existence of four paliovama periods.
63. Then the Samana, the blessed Mahāvīra, for some time or other, abode elsewhere in the different country.
64. Then that Ananda, having now become a servant of the Samaņa, devoted himself to mastering the discrimination of the living and liveless and (as before, & 58, down to) supplying the Nigganthas.
65. Then that Sivanandā, his wife, having also now become a servant of the Samana, devoted herself (as above, $ 64, down to) suppling the Nigganthas.
66. Then fourteen years passed by during which that Ananda; the servant of the Samana, sanctified himself by unwearying exercises in the moral restraints imposed by the religious vows as well as in the general renunciation and special posaha abstinences; and when he was in the middle of the fifteenth year, at some time or other, at the time of the midnight hour, while he was keeping religious vigils, there occured to him the following inward musing, hidden reflection : "Truly I am, in the city of Vāniyagāma, a person whom many princes (as above 85, down to), and also (as above $ 5, down to) the support of my own family; hence on account of this hindrance, I am not able to live conformably with the teachings of the Law received in the presence of the Samana, the blessed Mahāvīra. Therefore, it is truly better for me, tomorrow morning (and so forth, down to) after sunrise, to prepare abundant food (etc. and acting in all respects like Pūraña, down to) place my eldest son in charge of my household; then having taken leave of my friends and of my eldest son, and having cleaned a house for keeping the posaha observances in the midst of my people of the Nāya clan, to live in conformity with the teachings of the Law as received in the presence of the Samaņa, the blessed Mahāvīra.” Thus he reflected within himself, and accordingly, on the morrow he prepared abundant food (and so forth, everything as above,) and on finishing the entertainment, he decorated and honoured his friends (etc.) with abundant flowers (etc.); and having done so, he called his eldest son into the presence of those very friends (etc.), and then spoke to him thus : "Truly, my son, I am, in the city of Vāniyagāma, a person whom many princes (and so forth, exactly as he had been musing