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ŚĪTALANĀTHACARITRA
341
elephant taking a ball of food. When twenty-five thousand pūrvas had passed, Lord Sri Sitala took the kingdom from courtesy to his father. Possessing unequaled strength of arm the Lord ruled his ancestral kingdom fittingly for fifty thousand pūrvas.
Initiation (54–69) Then the Lord's mind became disgusted with living in samsāra, and the thrones of the Lokāntika-gods shook. The gods were enlightened by clairvoyant knowledge to this effect : “ In the southern half of Bharata in the continent Jambūdvīpa, the Blessed One, the tenth Arhat, is desirous of the vow. Therefore we shall now urge him, for that is always our duty.” After reflecting so, the gods, the Sārasvatas, etc., came from Brahmaloka, bowed to the Master, and announced : “O Lord, found a congregation from compassion toward all in this ocean of existence difficult to cross in the absence of a congregation, like a forest-stream without a ford.”
After saying this, the Lokāntika-gods went to Brahmaloka and Sītala Svāmin gave gifts for a year.
At the end of this giving, the Indras, whose thrones had shaken, made Lord Sitala's initiation-kalyāņa-bath. Then the Blessed Lord, the ornament of the three worlds, anointed, with garments and ornaments put on, supported on his arm by Bidaujas, his umbrella, chauris, etc. held by other Indras, ascended a jewel of a palanquin named Candraprabhā. Attended by thousands of gods, asuras, and kings 474 he went to a grove of his own city, named Sahasrāmravaņa. Then the Lord, who wished to cross samsāra, devoted to reaching emancipation, at once took off his ornaments, etc., like a burden. Wearing a garment of devadūșya placed on his shoulder by Sakra, the Lord of the World tore out his hair in five handfuls. When
474 63. Both MSS. are like the ed., but I strongly suspect that the text should read onarendrāņām.
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