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Some Aspects of Indian Culture
was no better than the boy in expressing a desire to enjoy sexual pleasures with her who has been abondoned once for all. Bhavadeva was thus brought back to monkhood.
Afterwards, Bhavadeva practised hard penance and went to heavan having fasted unto death. Having finished his life as a god, Bhavadatta also, was born as a son, named Sagaradatta, to a sovereign monarch, Vajradanta by his queen, Yasodhara, in a city called Pundarikini in the country, named, Puşkalāvati. Once seeing a massive cloud disappearing in the sky and taking it as a pointer to the transitoriness Sagardatta left the world and took to monkhood even when he was young. Bhavadeva also was born as a son named Sivakumāra to a kiog Padmaratha by his queen, Vanamala in the same country but in a different city called Vitasokā, having lived the full span of life as a god in the heaven. He was later married with many royal brides and passed his life in pleasures and comforts.
Monk Sagardatta along with a party of monks came over in course of his rambles once to Vitasoka. Seeing him, a huge wave of intense love and affection arose in the heart of Sivakumāra. When he asked Sagardatta the reason of this, he described to him the two previous births in which they both were related to each other as Bhavadatta and Bhavadeva and as gods. This created in him an upcontrollable feeling of disaffection for the world in the heart of sivakumāra who, as he was not allowed by his parents to accept monkhood, practised austerities subsisting on frugal food for twelve years under the supervision of Drdhadharma, minister's son turned monk and died in a pious frame of mind. As a result of this he was born as a god named Vidyun māli. After seven days from today, Vidyunmāli's life as a god will come to an end will be born as a son to Rşabhadatta by his wife Dhārini in Rājagrha. Hearing this, Anadhiya, the ruling god of Jambudvipa, began to dance. Śreņika asked the reason of this and revered Mahāvira thus began :
In this very city, there dwelt a merchant's son, named Guptimati who had two sons of the names of Rşabhadatta and Jinadāsa, the former being virtuous while the latter wicked. This urged Rşabhadatta to dissociate himself from Jinadāsa. Once Jinadāsa who was playing gambling with the army commander tried some underhand tricks on account of which he was severely punished by him so much so that the news of this event, when Rşabhadeva got, forced him to run to the succour of Jinadāsa. This obligation on an unworthy person like himself made Jinadasa fully repentent. A transformation came over him who abandoned everything, undertook fast unto death, and went to heaven having died a religious death. This Anadhiya is the soul of that very Jinadasa-revealed Mahāvira to Śrenika. Out of extreme joy, he is dancing, added Mahavira, knowing that the prestige of his family will be heightened by the birth of the last omniscient in the family. Having heard this, Anadhiya went back to heaven and so also Vidyunmāli. Afterwards, the four goddess wives put a question to the omniscient sage, Prasannacandra whereupon he prophesied that they will become separated from Vidyunamāli and having been born as the four brides of the merchants, will become united with Vidyunmāli when he
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