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SOME JAINA CANONICAL SOTRAS
Astā padatirthal: Here the sons of Rşabha and many sages attained perfection. Indra erected three stūpas. Bharata built a caityu called Simha-nişaciya and twenty-four Jina images together with his own. The sons of Sagara dug a ditch, which was ultimately turned into it sea. Here Rāvana was attacked by Bāli. Mount Aştāpada (Kailāśa) is a great tirtha.
Vārūnusīnugurī.- l'ārānasi is it town in Kāśi, watcreri by the Ganges. Two rivers, Varunā (Varņā) and Asi, join the Ganges here; hence it is named Vārānasi.
Here were born two Brahmin brother's Jayaghoşa and Vijayaghoşa, who were versed in the four Verlas. They took to asceticism and attained salvation. Here lived an old merchant named Bhadrasena whose wife was Nandā and daughter, Nandasri. Nandasri retired from the world and received initiation. Two ascetics, Dharmaghoşa and Dharmayasa, spent the nights here during the rains.
Kilig Hariscandra of Ayodhyā lived here for long with his wife, Sutārā and his son, Rohitāśva. One day Indra, king of gods, spoke highly of his picty. Two gous disbelieving the statement, came down to the carth, o form of a wild boar. The boar began to cause ravages in the vihāra of Sakrāvatāra, when Hariscandra appeared on the scene and struck him with an arrow. But the boar vanished and a pregnanit doe was found killed. To make atonement, the king sought the advice of his family preceptor whose daughter, Vañcanā, was then lamenting the loss of the doe. The family preceptor grew wild with the king who, to appease bis wrath, proposed to present him with his entire kingdom and Vañcanā, with a laklı of coins. The fiery sage accepted the offer of the kingdom and pressed the king for the promised amount from outside the kingdom. The king came to Kāśī, sold his wife and son to a Brahmin and himself to a Candāla, and thus paid off the sum promised by him. Very soon a great pestilence broke out in the town, Sutārā who was thought to be a devil had to court punishment. Rohitāśva died by snake bite. While his corpse was brought to the cremation ground, Hariscandra demanded sulka (price of labour). Hariscandra was re-installed on the throne and a reign of law and order followed.
Vārāṇasī is divided into four parts:(i) Devavārāṇasī.—Here is the temple of Viśvanātha
wherein are to be seen twenty-four Jinapattas. (ii) Rājadhāni Vārānasi. -Here live the Yavanas now.
1 Vide N. L. Do, Geographical Dictionary, pp. 82-3.
