Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 2

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

Page 368

ŚĪTALANĀTHACARITRA
343 for thunder. Then Vajradhara (Sakra) bowed to Sítala Svāmin, touching the ground with his head, and recited a hymn of praise, his hands folded submissively :
Stuti (81-89) “O Lord of the Three Worlds, they are fortunate who purify themselves by bathing repeatedly in the water of the copious light from the nails of your lotus-feet. This Bhārata is adorned by you like the sky by the sun, like a pool by a harsa, like a city by a king. In the interval between two congregations dharma was overcome by wrong belief, like light by darkness in the interval between the setting of the sun and the rising of the moon. This world has become blind, its eyes devoid of discernment, and goes on wrong paths everywhere, as if confused about direction. False dharma has been adopted by the perplexed people with the idea that it is dharma, false gods with the idea that they are gods, and false gurus with the idea that they are gurus. You, an ocean of compassion by nature, because of its (accumulated) merit have descended to this world ready to fall into the pit of hell. The serpent of wrong-belief has been powerful in the world for a long time (but) only until the nectar of your speech flows out. Now the world will have right-belief by the departure of wrong-belief, O Lord, just as you had omniscience by the destruction of the destructive karmas."
When Sakra had become silent after this hymn of praise, the Blessed Lord Sitala delivered a sermon in a voice sweet as nectar.
Sermon on samvara (90–107) “In samsāra everything is transient, the cause of various pains. Therefore one must strive for mokşa. Moreover, mokṣa would come from samvara. The obstruction of all channels (āsrava) is called samvara. It" again is divided into dravya and bhāva. That which cuts off the acquisition of karmic matter is dravyasamvara. The