Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 3

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

Page 101

CHAPTER TWO
The Lord of the World, his feet resting on a foot-stool, seated on a lion-throne like a rājahansa on top of a golden lotus, surrounded by Väsavas--some of whom, placed in front, were absorbed in flourishing their respective weapons, some of whom were carrying divine umbrellas, some holding chauris, some carrying fans, some reciting panegyrics, 100 some bearing wreaths of flowers--attended by gods, asuras, and men, went to the best grove, named Vihāragrha.
With a hymn of praise being sung with a maximum of devotion, as it were, by the low-voiced cuckoos delighted with the sweetness of mango-shoots; with a reception-gift being presented, as it were, by the young aśokas in the guise of flowers dropped by rocking by the wind; with foot-water offered by the gods for worship of his feet, as it were, in the form of the juice of waving campakas and aśokas; with auspicious cries, as it were, made by swarms of bees excited by drinking the juice of many flowers of the lavalī; with deep bows made, as it were, by the karņikāras with their heads bent by the great weight of blossoms; with a dance commenced from joy before him, as it were, by the vāsantis beautiful with ornaments of flowers, with moving hands in the form of shoots, the Master, like another Spring, entered the garden, making especial beauty of the creepers, trees, and shrubs appear.
Then after descending from the palanquin, the Master laid aside wreaths, ornaments, et cetera, like trees their leaves in Phālguna.101 Wearing a devadūşya placed by Indra on his shoulder, observing a day's fast, and pulling out his hair in five handfuls, the Supreme Lord and six hundred kings became mendicants in the afternoon on the amāvāsī of Phālguna (the moon being) in the constellation Vāruņa. When the lords of gods, asuras, and men had bowed to the Teacher of the World, they went to their
100 114. Most of the MSS have the impossible double cāmara' of the printed edition, but one of the palm-leaf MSS at Patan reads: stavanakaribhiḥ.
101 123. The last month of the cold weather.