Narrative Tale in Jain Literature

Author(s): Satyaranjan Banerjee
Publisher: Asiatic Society

Page 68

NARRATIVE TALE IN JAIN LITERATURE
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and then as he was passing close by the suburb of Kollāga, he heard the voices of many people. These many people were thus saying (etc.) to one another : "Truly, o beloved of the devas, behold there, a disciple of the Samaņa the blessed one! A servant of that Samaņa, Āņanda by name, is devoting himself in his posaha-house to the selfmortification by the last mortal emaceration, (as above, S 73, down to) patiently waiting for his end."
80. Then to that Goyama, on listenting and attending to this conversation in the presence of those many people, there occurred the following inward reflection (etc.) : "I will go to him, I will see Āņanda, the servant of the Şamana." Thus he reflected, and accordingly he proceeded to the posaha-house in the suburb of Kollāga, where Ananda, the servant of the Samana, was.
81. Then that Ananda, the servant of the Samana, saw the blessed Goyama approaching; and having done so, he, being happy and pleased (and so forth down to) in his heart, praised and worshipped the blessed Goyama, and then spoke to him thus : "Truly, Reverend Sir, having through the ascetic exercises, lofty (as above, & 72, down to) become reduced to a skeleton, I am not able to come forward into the presence of any beloved of the devas, in order to salute him by circumambulating him thrice and bowing my head to his feet : so do you, Reverend Sir, out of your own will and without compulsion, come even hither, so that I may praise and worship the beloved of the devas by thrice circumambulating him and bowing my head to his feet.
82. Then that blessed Goyama went to where Ananda, the servant of the Samana, was.
83. Then that Ānanda, the servant of the Samana, praised and worshipped the blessed Goyama, by circumambulating him thrice and bowing his head to his feet; and having done so, he spoke to him thus : "Is it so, Reverend Sir, that to a householder, to one who resides within his own house, the gift of supernatural sight may be vouchsafed?"
Goyama replied: "Yes, it is so."
Ananda continued : "If then, Reverend Sir, to a householder (as above, down to) may be vouchsafed, truly, Reverend Sir, to me too, who am a householder and one who resides within his own house, the gift of supernatural