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UTTARADHYAYANA NUTRA (UTTARAJJHAYANA SÜYA)
141
after giving up his flourishing kingdom of Daśārna, became a monk. Karakandu of Kalinga, Dvimukha of Pañcāla, Nami of Videha and Naggati (Nagñajit) of Gandhāra were the four individual Buddhas (Pratyekabuddhas). Udayana, the famous king of Sauvira, who was also a contemporary of Mahavīra, renounced the world. Nandana, son of king Agniśikha of Benares, abandoned all pleasures and exerted himself for the best truth. King Vijaya left his excellent kingdom and became a monk. Mahābala, son of king Bala of Hastinapura, practised severe penances with an undistracted mind and took upon himself the glory of self-control.2
In the town of Sugriva there was a king named Balabhadra and his chief queen was Mrgā. They had a son named Balaśrī, also known as Mrgāputra. Mrgāputra saw a restrained sramaņu and his mind became pure. He being devoted to self-control went to his parents and spoke this:
I have learnt the five great vows. I know the sufferings that a wait the sinners in hell. I have ceased to take delight in the great ocean of samsāra. Allow me, therefore, to enter the Order. Oh parents, I have enjoyed pleasures which are like poison, their consequences are painful as they entail continuous suffering. This body is impermanent. It is impure. It is a miserable vessel of suffering. It is an impermanent residence of the soul. Human life, an abode of illness and disease, which is swallowed up by old age and death, does not please me even for a moment. Birth is misery, old age is misery, and so are discases and death, and nothing but misery is the samsāra in which men suffer distress. Leaving behind my house, gold, sons, wife, relatives, and my body I must depart one day. A person without having followed the Law, if he starts for the next world, will come to grief on his way, suffering from illness and disease.' The parents replied, 'It is difficult to perform the duties of a śramaņa. A monk must possess innumerable virtues. It is a difficult duty to be iinpartial towards all beings of the world and to abstain from injury to living beings, to be always careful to speak wholesome truth, to accept alms free from faults and to abstain from taking what is not given, to keep the severe vow of chastity, to give up all claims on wealth, corn and servants and to abstain from all undertakings. It is very difficult not to eat at night any food of the four kinds, i.e. food, drink, dainties, and spices. My son, you are accustomed to comfort. You will not be able
1 Uttarādhyuyana, XVIII.
2 Cf. Visuddhimagga (P.T.S.), II, p. 498 Jāti pi dukkhā, jarā pi dukkha, maranum pi dukkham...
