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I14
CHAPTER FOUR
Initiation (52-68) When he had directed the earth for fifteen lacs of years, the son of Sinhasena carried the thought of initiation in his mind. The Laukāntika-gods, Sārasvatas, et cetera, from Brahmaloka, said to the Supreme Lord, “Found a congregation.” The Lord gave gifts for a year with money supplied by the Jşmbhaka-gods sent by Kubera at Jşmbhabhid's command. At the end of the giving, gods, asuras, and kings held the initiation-ceremony of the Lord who wished the end of births. Then the Lord of the World put on various decorations, garments, and wreaths, and got into the best palanquin named Sāgaradattā. His umbrella, chauris, and fan being carried by Sakra, et cetera, the Lord went to the garden Sahasrāmravaņa in the palanquin.
The Lord of the World, eager, entered the grove, like the mind of the world, which was filled repeatedly by women from the city occupied with swinging in swings, like Khecaris coming and going at that time; which was covered with aśokas reddish with new blossoms, with hair in the form of agitated bees, moving to and fro as if drunk with wine; charming with mango-trees which removed the wealth of fatigue from townswomen fatigued by play, carrying fans, as it were, in the form of erect shoots; beautiful with karņikāras like earrings of the approaching Śrī of Spring, with mountain-ebony trees 160 like golden tilakas; with 'welcome' pronounced, as it were, by the cuckoos calling down.
Then, supported on his arm by Bidaujas, the Lord descended from Sāgaradattā and removed ornaments, et cetera. On the fourteenth day of the black half of Rādha, in Revatī, in the afternoon, observing a two-day fast, the Master adopted mendicancy with a thousand kings. After paying homage to the Master, all the gods, Puruhūta, et
160 61. Kāñcanāra, apparently Bauhinia tomentosa, rather than the B. Variegata of the Lexs., as B. tomentosa has yellow flowers.
8B
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