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of destruction by your army here. Let all the gods, too, remain in peace, free from anxiety about the destruction of the universe arising from your conflict."
After making this speech in regard to the matter, the gods became silent and the Lord of Bharata spoke in a voice deep as thunder: "Who except you would speak this speech beneficial to all? For people are generally quite indifferent to seeing the happiness of others. However, the cause of the rise of conflict is in reality different (from what you think). You, desiring to do good, have made the wrong deductions by argument. Instruction from an instructor, even from Bṛhaspati, would be useless, if he made some conjecture without knowing the root of the matter. Certainly I am not eager for battle, saying impetuously, 'I am powerful.' Does one anoint a mountain, even though there is plenty of oil? Just as I had no rival among the kings of six-part Bharata, even so there is none now. A rival is an enemy, the cause of victory and defeat. But Bahubali and I are the same with a distinction made by birth from the power of fate.
Formerly, fearing censure, bashful, discriminating, respectful, pious, Bahubali looked upon me as a father. When I come after making a tour of conquest for sixty thousand years, I see him like another person. The passing of a long time is responsible for this. Then during the twelve coronation-years, Bahubali did not come to me at all. I conjectured that it was carelessness in that case. When he does not come even after I sent a messenger to summon him, I conjecture that it is the bad advice of the ministers in this case. I summon him not from greed nor anger, but because the cakra will not enter (the armory), while he is unhumbled. The cakra-jewel does not approach the city, he does not approach me, as if from mutual rivalry. I have fallen into a dilemma between the two. Let my brother come once, even though proud; let him take from me another country, like a guest taking a pūjā. There is no other cause of conflict except the entrance of
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