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TRANSLATION
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manders-in-chief, viz, The commanders of (the army of) music and dance. Then the four-thousand Sāmānika gods of the God Sūryābha, descended down by the beautiful stairs to the north while the remaining gods and goddesses decended down by the beautitul stairs in the south. Then the God Suryabha, accompanied by his four chief queens...upto.. by his sixteen-thousand body-guard gods, as well as by many other Vaimānika gods and goddesses who resided in the Suryabha Vimana, went toward the Venerable Monk Mahāvīra, with all his pomp and glory...upto...to the accompaniment of the sound (of musical instruments); he then went round the Venerable Monk Mahavira three times, bowed down to him, saluted him and spoke thus: "O Venerable Sir! I am the god Suryabha, and I bow down to you..upto...wait upon you, O Beloved of the gods."
(Sutra 13) The Venerable Monk Mahavira said unto the god Suryabha thus:-" O Suryabha! It is an ancient practice, and an old custom; it is the duty, and it has been practised (before), and it is also a recognised custom (which has been sanctioned by usage), that the Bhavanapati, Vāṇamantara, Jyotişka [Page 90] and Vaimanika gods bow down to, and pay their respects to the Adorable and Venerable monks, and then repeat their respective names and family names. O Suryabha, this is, therefore, an ancient custom..upto..this is sanctioned {by usage)."
(Sūtra 19) Then the god Suryabha, being thus addressed by the Venerable Monk Mahavira, was delighted..upto (rejoiced at) heart, and bowed down and paid his respects to Mahavira and waited upon the Lord, neither too near nor at a great distance, bowing down Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
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