Parshvabhyuday

Author(s): Jinsenacharya, M G Kothari
Publisher: Gulabchand Hirachand Doshi

Page 74

(69)
of steps leading to heaven for the sons of Sagara, so known owing to the practice based on convention, He should take the river for that very one who, having her hands in the form of waves clinging to the moon, possessing white complexion, having as if laughed at the crooked formation of eye-brows by the masses of foam, is described to have taken hold of the hair of the idol of lord Arhat, the first God belonging to the Goddess Gangā, existing at the place over which the water, flowing down from the Himavat mountain, falls. To mitigate the exhaustion caused by His journey, He, hanging on, like a heavenly elephant, by His hinder part in the sky, should make up his mind the very moment He would be reaching below to drink her water which is sweet, pure, transparent, oozing out of the snowy rocks, charming and rendered fragrant by the smell of the pollens of flowers falling down in the forests grown on her banks. If He would not be distressed by the strong desire to drink water I or by excessive thurst ] and if He, having the fatigue of His journey. removed by keeping silence for a moment, pouring showers of rain, would make up His mind to drink in a slanting manner abundent water of her [ the Ganges ] on account of its being pure like a transparent crystal, He should settle Himself on the large and deep pool of water occupying the central part of the Ganges. He, diffusing lustre like that of sapphire throughout His body, should wait only for a moment, though He would have drunk up abundent water. She would thereby become charming as if having a union with the Yamunā brought about at a wrong place owing to His image proceeding hurriedly in her flow of water [ Or she, owing to His image proceeding hurriedly in her flow of water, would become as charming as she herself having her own stream united with that of the Yamunā at a wrong place ). He, thus filled up with charming water to His utmost capacity like a leathern bag meant for holding water, proceeding on a little, should sit on a