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110
RIŞABHA DEVA
the kings of the Vidyadhara class from the distant Videha Kshetra; then the devas carried it to the Siddhārthaka forest, which is close to Allahabad. In those days the boundaries of Ajudhya and Prayāg (Allahabad) were probably conterminous, as the former was something like 96 miles long and 72 wide.
It was the ninth of the dark half of the month of Aşādha with the Moon in the Uttarā. şādha constellation when the WORLD TEACHER turned His back for the last time on the world.
The palanquin was placed on a huge transparent stone slab which had been placed there for the occasion, and the LORD stepped out and took His seat on it. It was now the evening time. The Lord sat under a banyan tree, filled with the spirit of vairāgya (world-flight) in the sitting yoga posture, facing the East. He saluted the Perfect Souls who had reached safety and nirvana before Him ; and full of cheerfulness and great enthusiasm pulled out, in five handfuls, the hairs of His head and face. The Lord of the celestials picked up these hairs, and placed them in a jewelled casket. They were subsequently dropped into the distant Ocean, Kshira Sāgar.
After pulling out His hairs in the manner described above, Rişabha Deva proceeded to remove His clothes and the jewels that He wore.
