Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 4

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

Page 134

ŚRĪ MAHĀPADMACAKRICARITRA
festival and all the ascetics came except the Svetabhiksus.84 Thinking "All the ascetics came to me, but not the Svetabhiksus from jealousy," evil-minded, he made that an excuse in the beginning. He went to Acarya Suvrata and said tauntingly: "Whoever is king, the ascetics resort to him. Because these groves where penance is performed must be guarded by the king, the king must be approached by those rich in penance. In this way he is made to share a sixth part of the penance.85 But you, censuring me, were fixed in one spot, base heretics, unrestrained makers of hostility to king and people. Therefore you must not stay in my kingdom. Go somewhere else. Any one of you who remains here, he, evil-minded, will be killed by me."
The suri said, "We did not go to your coronation, because that is not proper for us. We do not censure anything at all."
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Angry, he said again, "Enough of details, ācārya. Whoever remain here after seven days will be punished by me like robbers." With these words he went to his own house and the suri said to the munis, "What are we to do in this case? Speak as you can and as you think." One sădhu said, "Viṣņukumāra has practiced penance for six thousand years. He is now on Mandara. He is the elder brother of King Padma. At his command Namuci will become quiet. He is his master, as well as Padma's. Let some sadhu who possesses the art of flying 86 go and bring him. The use of magic arts in work for the community is not wrong."
84 148. I.e., the Jains.
85 151. It is a Brahman belief that the king is entitled to the benefit of a sixth part of penance performed by ascetics; or a householder, if the ascetic stays in his house. It is the owner of the land who benefits. If the land belongs to a private person, the king does not benefit. The ascetic does not lose any of his merit, but the king, or landowner, acquires an additional sixth. Muni Jayantavijayaji.
86 159. Vidya here evidently is vidyacarana. See I, n. 114.