Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 3

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

Page 297

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CHAPTER THREE
he was grown, he married Vidyadhara-girls and sported with them, wandering through the air, on mountains, in forests, et cetera.
Vindhyadatta died in the city. Vindhyapura and Nalinaketu became king, eminent like Tărksyaketu (Vişnu). He enjoyed sense-pleasures with Prabhankară, the kidnaped wife of Datta, like a lustful god. One day he went to the top of the palace with Prabhankarā, like a vaimānika to a shining heavenly palace with a goddess. Suddenly he saw lofty clouds with the shape of peaks of high mountains, thieves of the luster of antimony like the elephants of the quarters wandering around, with the circuit of the quarters terrified by thunder, in the sky lighted up by lightning and having a rainbow, and he rejoiced. He saw them being blown by a strong wind here and there in the sky, like boats, as if they had been produced by magic. When Nalinaketu had seen the originating and dispersal of the clouds in this way in half a minute, from disgust with existence he reflected: 'Just as these clouds arose in the sky in a moment and also perished in a moment, such is happiness in worldly existence. A man is young, old, rich, poor, master, footman, healthy, sick, even in one birth. Alas! everything in existence is transitory.'.
After these reflections, he established his son in his kingdom immediately and adopted mendicancy under Tīrthankara Kşemankara. In the course of time his omniscience arose from the destruction of ghātikarmas by severe penance and meditation. Destroying instantly the four karmas prolonging existence also, the sage Nalinaketu went to the eternal abode.
Queen Prabhankarā, upright and fair by nature, practiced the moon-penance 822 at the side of the nun Suyratā. As the fruit of that penance, even without
322 135. Food diminished by one mouthful in dark fortnight and increased in the light fortnight. Pañcā. I. 9. 18.