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King Śrenika after his marriage with Céllana-dévi
After his marriage with Céllaņà dévi King Śrénika seems to have come under the influence of the Jaina Dharma. Céllaņā -devi and her father King Céţaka of Vaisali, were followers of Jaina Tirthankara Pārsva Nātha (twenty-third Tirthařkara of the present series of twenty four) It is, in every way, possible that King Śreņika may not have accepted Jaina Dharma at Cellaņā's bidding. There may have occurred various opportunities on which numerous discussions may have taken place between King Śréņika and Céllaņā-dévi, but the great event which created a profound impression on the mind of King Srénika about the superiority of Jaina Religion was his meeting with a Jaina Sadhu at Maņdi kuksi Caitya, during his pilgrimage to Buddhist Centers of Worship.
(1).
This meeting with the young Jaina Sãdhu forms the subjectmatter of the Twentieth Adhyayana of Uttarādhyana Sūtra which, translated by the late Dr. Hermann Jacobi, is as follows:
Twentieth Lecture. The Great Duty of the Nirgranthas Anathi Muni. 1. Piously adoring the Perfected and the restrained saints,
listen to my true instruction which (teaches) the real, profit
(of men) Religion and Liberation. 2. King Śrénika the Ruler of Magadha who preserved many
precious things, once made a pleasure-excursion to Mandi
kukși Caitya 3. It was a park like Nandana with trees and creepers of
many kinds, peopled by various birds, and full of various flowers.
There, he saw a restrained and concentrated saint, sitting below a tree, who looked delicate and accestomed to
comfort. 5. When the king saw his figure, his astonishment at the as
(2).
(3).
(4).
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