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THE SAMAVASARANA
137
and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her."
Immediately after the divine preaching, many men and women determined to follow the Lord on the Path. The foremost among them was Vrişabha Sen, one of the younger brothers of the Emperor Bharata. He was the same who was the favourite pandit of the WORLD TEACHER in His Bajrajangha's incarnation. He became the first Apostle of the God. Soma Prabha and Sreyānsa, at whose Palace the WORLD TEACHER "had broken His first fast likewise became two of the Apostles. Brāhmi, the elder daughter of the WORLD TEACHER, became the first female saint. Sundari, the second daughter of the Lord, also "renounced the world, and joined the sisterhood of Nuns. A man by name Srutakirti became the first Householder, and a pious lady, by name Priyāvarta, became the first lay female follower of the Lord. Another of Bharata's brothers, whose name was Anantavirya, at once became a monk. He was the first to obtain nirvana in this halfcycle of time. We have met him ere this already and know his life-story from the Lion's incarnation! Many others joined the Sangha (Community of the Pious), all desirous of attaining release from perpetual slavery to Death, and bad luck.
