Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 1

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

Page 395

374
residue of rain. Whether sitting, walking, sleeping, waking, outdoors, inside, day or night, he thought only of the Lord, like a miser who has been robbed of his money. As before, he honored men who came from the foot of Aṣṭāpada even for another reason, if they glorified the Lord first.
Bharata resumes normal life (686-714)
"Who as a householder established the people, ignorant as cattle in the beginning, in customs and polity; the Blessed One, who after taking initiation, with omniscience soon manifest, established the people in dharma, wishing to raise them from the ocean of existence; and who attained mokṣa after accomplishing his own purpose and making the people accomplish theirs, why do you grieve for him?" The King consumed with grief, enlightened with difficulty by the family-ministers by speeches of this kind, gradually engaged in royal duties. Very slowly, slowly, freed from sorrow like the moon freed from Rahu 10 the King went out to pleasure-grounds. When he was depressed from remembering the Master, like an elephant recalling the Vindhya-plateaux, clever people always at hand came and amused him. At his retinue's urgent request, the King went sometimes to the rows of gardens, grounds (suitable) for the shooting-up of pleasure. There the King amused himself with women on beautiful couches in creeper-pavilions, as if the Amazon-country had come. There he watched with interest the sport of gathering flowers on the part of the young men which was like flower-gathering of the Vidyadharas. Taking flowerornaments, courtesans made a pūjā to him, as to Prasunadhanvan (Love). Their bodies decorated with flowers, the
410 690. This refers to the pursuit and occasional swallowing of the Sun and Moon by Rahu, because of the enmity produced at the time of the struggle between the gods and demons for the amṛta. Rāhu must disgorge the Sun and Moon because of their heat. Wilkins P. 363.