Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 1

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

Page 244

223
Amarāvati. After descending from his chariot and bathing his body, together with his retinue the Lord of Bharata took food at the end of the four days' fast. Then the King made an eight-day festival with great splendor to the Lord of Māgadha like that to the cakra, when it had approached.
Conquest of Varadāmatīrtha (154–194) At the end of the eight-day festival the cakra-jewel, exceedingly brilliant as if it had fallen from the Sun's chariot, advanced in the sky. Then the cakra went to Varadāmatirtha in the south and the Cakravartin followed it, like pra, etc., a root.285 Going by daily marches of a yojana, the King arrived gradually at the southern ocean, like a king-goose at Mānasa. The King established his soldiers on the southern ocean's bank, which was covered with cardamon, clove-trees, lavali-creepers and kakkola plants. At the Cakravartin's command, the carpenter made houses for all the army and a pausadha house as before. Directing his mind on the deity of Varadāma, the King made a four days' fast, and undertook the pauşadha-vow in the pausadha-house. At the end of the pauşadha, the King went outside the pausadha-house and the best of bowmen, took up the bow, Kālaprştha. 286 The King mounted his chariot made entirely of gold, studded with crores of jewels, the abode of the Sri of victory. The chariot occupied by the King, whose form was exceedingly noble, shone like a temple occupied by a god. The best of chariots, decorated with pennants
285 155. From our point of view, of course, a Sanskrit preposition, precedes a root, but considering the sentence as a moving object the root goes in advance.
286 160. I am in doubt whether this should be taken as a proper name, as I find no other reference to Bharata's bow being so named. It occurs again in 5. 410. Perhaps, it should be taken as an adjective in its etymological sense. But, Hem. (Abhi. 3-375) interprets it as meaning, having death at its back,' not black-backed.'