________________
180 All those Śrävakas also, leaving aside their house-hold business, adopted the Voda full of benedictory verses in praise of the Tirthankara, composed by Bharata Cakravartin and having three lines scratohed by Kākini Ratna in the place of the sacred thread as their distinguishing mark during the sixth month, they began to pass their time in innocent pursuits.
Pride of Noble Birth, One day, Bhagavān Śrt Risabha-deya enlightening devout individuals of other places in the principles of the True Religion, again went to Mount MUT Aştapada. There, the gods prepared a p erut Samavasaraņa, with three enclosing spacious walls, delightful with chowries, with a heap of flowers of five varieties spread out reaching to the knees, and a group of buzzing drones hovering about; beautiful with thousands of celestial cars of gods coming down from the sky, charming with flags flying slowly with gentle winds, splendid with a big, excellent, extensive waita Asoka Vrikşa, Asoka Tree of gems, and a lion-seated throne made of five kinds of precious stones.
The only grandfather of the three worlds-the First Tirthankara-took his seat on the throne, and, in regular order, the Gañadharas and the Sadhûs, and the Indras surrounded by many millions of gods, took their appropriate seats.
On hoaring the arrival of the Bhagavān there, Bharata Cakravartin accompanied by all his magnificence, went there, and having respectfully paid homage to the Tirthankara Bhagavān took a proper seat. Now Bharata Cakravartin, with his eyes wide open with joy on seeing Bhagavān Rişabha-deva's Samavasaraņa possessing excessive beauty in the three worlds, as if it were prepared by the entire wealth of the three worlds, and as if it were the place of all prosperity, and on seeing the supreme do minion of the Tirthankara, asked, “O Father ! Just as you have squired the pre-eminence of worshipful respect as the great tea oher of this world, in the same manner will there be other Tir. thankaras like yoursell, in this Bharata-kşdtra ? Bhagavān said
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
