Narrative Tale in Jain Literature

Author(s): Satyaranjan Banerjee
Publisher: Asiatic Society

Page 66

NARRATIVE TALE IN JAIN LITERATURE
and intense as they were, became withered, and so forth, (down to) emaciated and reduced to a skeleton.
73. Then to that Ananda, the servant of the Samana, at some time or other, at the time of the midnight hours, while he was keeping his religious vigils, there occurred they following inward (etc.) reflection : "Truly through these ascetic exercises (as above, 872, down to) I have become reduced to a skeleton; yet there is still in me effort, work, strength, vigour, mainly power and energy of faith; therefore seeing that there is still in me effort and (as above, down to) energy of faith, and seeing that my teacher and instruction in the Law, the Samana, the blessed Mahāvīra, abides as the Jiņa, and the Suhatthi, therefore it is better for me, tomorrow (as above, S 66, down to) after sunrise to devote myself to determind selfmortification by the last mortal emaceration, renouncing all food and drink and patiently waiting for my end." Thus he reflected within himself, and accordingly on the morrow early
s above, 66, down to) he devoted himself to the selfmortification by the last mortal emaceration (as above, do to) patiently waiting for his end.
74. Then to that Ānanda, the servant of the Samana at some time or other, by reason of his splendid perseverance, his splendid transformation, his increasingly developed psychic forces, and his patient avoidance of the taint of all acts which tend to prevent its acquisition, there was vouchsafed the gift of supernatural sight. Towards the East, in the salt.sea, he recognised and beheld an area of five hundred yojanas, and the same towards the South and West. Towards the North he distinguished and saw as far as the Vāsadhara mountain, called Chulla Himavanta. Upwards he distinguished and saw as far as the Sohamma heaven. Downwards in this Rayanappahā earth he distinguished and saw as far as the Loluyachchua hell the period of punishment in which extends to 84,000 years.
75. At that time and at that period, the Samaņa, the blessed Mahāvīra, arrived on a visit. A company went out to hear him (as above, & 9, down to) and returned.
76. At that time and at the period, the senior disciple of the Samana, the blessed Mahāvira, the monk called Indabhūī, of the family of Goyama, of the the height of seven hands, of a symmetrically built figure, with joints most firmly knit as