________________
37
GLIMPSES ALONG LIFE'S JOURNEY
and adopted the Faith that is the saviour of souls. After further comforting him, Sridhara went back to his own celestial abode.
When Satamati's term of life in the second hell came to an end he was born in the house of a king among men. From his childhood, he was very thoughtful, and not much given to pleasureseeking. When he grew up, his father arranged for his marriage. Sridhara, coming to know of it by his avadhijnāna (clairvoyance), came down to the region of the mortal men, and advised him not to further entangle himself in worldly life. The youthful prince recollected his sorrowful experiences in the second hell, and refrained from marrying. Soon after this he renounced the world and became an ascetic saint. He performed severe tapascharaṇa, and gave up the ghost in the approved manner, by the sallekhanā process. His soul then reincarnated in the fifth heaven, amidst ravishing scenes of brilliancy and splendour. Clairvoyance enabled him to ascertain the cause of his great good luck. He went and renewed his friendship with Sridhara, and thanked him for all he had done for him.
7. Subidhi
In the East Videha of Jambu Dvipa, in the province of Susima, there reigned once upon a
