Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 1

Author(s): Hemchandracharya, Helen M Johnson
Publisher: Oriental Research Institute Vadodra

Page 205

184
road platforms were shining with jeweled vessels, as if cars of the gods had come for a sight of the Blessed One. Then the city, made thousand-armed, danced with joy, as it were, under the pretext of rows of large banners shaken by the wind. The earth was at once anointed with auspicious ointment, as it were, with the qua tities of new saffron water on all sides. Then the city was awake like a bed of lotuses (kumuda) at a meeting with the moon of eagerness for a sight of the Blessed One. The night seemed like a month to Bahubali wishing, "At dawn I shall purify myself and the people by a sight of the Master." As soon as the first light dawned, the Lord of the World completed his meditations and went elsewhere, like the wind.
At dawn, attended on all sides by powerful crowned kings like many suns; surrounded by many most excellent ministers like houses of the (four) methods (upaya), like polities embodied, like Šukra, etc.; 227 his splendor spread in all directions by a lac of horses, swift in crossing the world like Garudas whose wings are concealed; adorned by tall elephants that laid the dust of the earth by a falling stream of ichor, like mountains with cascades; surrounded by thousands of women from the harem, Vasantaśri and others, who never saw the sun like maidens of Pātāla; attended at both sides by courtesans with chauris, like Prayaga 228 by Ganga and Yamuna with king-geese; adorned with a very beautiful white umbrella over him, like a mountain by the moon on a night of full-moon; his door-keeper, holding a golden-staff, clearing the road ahead for him, like Devanandin for Indra; followed by many rich men horseback adorned with jeweled ornaments like children of the goddess Śri; mounted
227 346. Sukra was the very wise preceptor of the Daityas. 228 350. Prayaga was situated at the junction of the Gan. ges and Jumna, the modern Allahabad.