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FIVE PREVIOUS INCARNATIONS
207
sons of Srisena, in the city Ratnapura in Bharata in Jambūdvīpa. The soul of Padmă fell from Saudharmakalpa and became a courtesan, Anantamatikā, in Kaušāmbi in the same Bharata. Now Induşeņa and Binduşeņa are fighting in the grove Devaramaņa over Anantamatikā.'
After hearing about the former births, I came here from affection to prevent you from fighting by describing the former births. I was your mother in a former birth; this courtesan was your sister. You should know that everything in worldly existence is blossoming with delusion in this way. Neither father, mother, sister, brother, nor even an enemy, is recognized by people covered by the curtain of a former birth, alas ! alas ! Throughout life the soul is wound in love, hate, et cetera, originating in the body, like a spider in spider-webs. Therefore, abandoning love, hate, and delusion at a distance, resort quickly to mendicancy, the gate to the city of emancipation."
They said: "Shame! Shame! What have we, like wild animals because of delusion, undertaken for the sake of enjoying our sister ? You were our mother in a former birth, but our guru in this one, since we have been kept from the wrong path by your enlightening us.”
With these words, they laid aside their arms and took the vow together with four thousand kings under the guru Dharmaruci. Then they went to the fortress, Lokāgra,208 by a very straight road, the thorns on the road in the form of their karma being burned by the fire of meditation.
Third incarnation as a god (133) The four twins, Árisena and the others, died and became gods in the first heaven.
Fourth incarnation as Amitatejas (135-490) Now in this same Bharata on the best of mountains, Vaitādhya, there is a city named Rathanūpuracakravāla.
268 132. The abode of the Siddhas.
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