________________
234
CHAPTER ONE gems of the serpents of Pātāla ; 884 a smokeless fire resembling the sun at dawn.
When the Queen awoke, she related these dreams to the King; and the King explained, " Assuredly, you will have a son, who will be honored in the three worlds." The Indras knew what had happened by the shaking of their thrones, came there, bowed to Senādevī, and explained the meaning of these dreams, “You will have a son who will be the third founder of a congregation in this avasarpiņi, the master of the world, O Lady.” Delighted at this explanation of the dreams, like a peacock by thunder, the Queen passed the rest of the night awake.
As the earth of the diamond-mine carries the diamond, as the fire-stick carries the fire, so the Queen carried her strong and pure embryo. Then the embryo in the Queen's womb grew in secret like a golden lotus in the water of the Gangā. Then the Queen's eyes became especially radiant. For pond-lotuses are especially fine in the autumn. The Queen's beauty of the body, swelling of the breasts, slowness of gait increased daily from the power of the embryo.
On the eighth day of the white half of Phālguna, she began to carry the embryo for the delight of the world, like the sky bearing a sign of a cloud. After nine months, seven and a half days, on the fourteenth day of the white half of Mārga, when the moon was in conjunction with Mrgaśiras, she bore with ease a son, free from the afterbirth, blood, etc., marked with a horse, golden, like the east bearing the sun. Then for a moment there was a light in the three worlds that caused destruction of darkness; for a moment there was ease even for hell-inhabitants. The planets went to their high places; all the heavens were serene ; the wind blew gently; all the people celebrated. There was a shower of perfumed rain ; a drum sounded in the sky; the wind blew away the dust; and the earth expanded.
886 122. Serpents are the guardians of treasure. See I, n. 66.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
