Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 3

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

Page 127

CHAPTER THREE
OR
men like soldiers and developed the game like a violent battle. Longing with their whole souls to defeat each other, the kings bet their kingdoms. Whence do persons blind from gambling have any sense? Then King Dhanamitra lost his own kingdom and became in a moment a poor man's son, as it were, unlucky and solitary.140 Wandering about without any money, unclean, wearing old clothes, like one possessed by demons, he was treated with contempt everywhere.
One day, as he wandered here and there, he saw the Rși Sudarśana and drank in his sermon like a sick man, who has been made to fast, drinking soup. Enlightened, he adopted mendicancy in his presence and observed it for a long time (but) remembered also his contemptuous treatment. He made the nidäna: “As a result of this penance may I be able to kill King Bali in another birth.” With such a nidāna having been made, he died from fasting and was born as a god in Acyuta with a maximum lifeperiod.
Bali's birth as the Prativişnu Meraka (85-90)
In course of time, Bali adopted a yati's costume, died, and became a powerful god in heaven. He fell and became the son of King Samarakesarin by Queen Sundari in Nandanapura in Bharataksetra. His body had the luster of glossy antimony, his figure was sixty bows tall, with a life-duration of sixty lacs of years, possessing wonderful strength, he presented a fine appearance. Rich in splendor, he conquered half of Bharata up to Vaitādhya and became an ardhacakrabhrt, the Prativişņu named Meraka. Like a strong man compared with the wind, like a brilliant person compared with the sun, no king whatever was a rival of his in power. No one trespassed his command, as if he
140 79. I think ekānga certainly means 'solitary, alone,' though it is not cited with this meaning elsewhere. I believe it should have been so translated in 3. 7. 63.
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