Book Title: Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 4
Author(s): Hemchandracharya, Helen M Johnson
Publisher: Oriental Research Institute Vadodra
View full book text
________________
126
CHAPTER TWO
kingdom bestowing many worthless objects. I shall adopt mendicancy, the door to the house of nirvana. Even Kumbhakarna and Bibhiṣaṇa, who did injuries to me, have become my benefactors by showing such a path. Rāvaṇa was a relative 101 in the beginning; now he is a relative from his acts. For this intention of mine would not exist except for this coming here on his part."
Reflecting in this way, Vaiśravaṇa abandoned weapons, et cetera completely and adopted mendicancy by himself, absorbed in the Principles. Rāvana bowed to him and said to him, his hands folded respectfully: "You are my elder brother. Pardon the sin of the younger brother. Make your kingdom even in Lanka without fear, brother. We shall go elsewhere. Earth is not lacking."
The noble Vaisravana, absorbed in pratima, destined for emancipation in that birth, answered nothing at all to him saying this. Realizing that Vaiśravana was free from desire, he asked his forgiveness, bowed to him, and took his car Puspaka together with Lanka. He got into Puspaka, a flower on the creeper of the Laksmi of victory, and went to the peak of Mt. Sammeta to praise the statues of the Arhats. At Rāvana's descent from the mountain after he had honored the statues, a forest-elephant trumpeted at the noise of the army. Then a door-keeper, named Prahasta, said to Daśānana, "He is a jewel of an elephant, Your Majesty. He deserves to be the vehicle of a god." Then Daśanana made him submissive in sport and mounted him whose tusks were large and long, whose eyes were yellow like honey, like a spire with a lofty finial,102 like a mountain with a cascade of ichor, seven cubits high, nine cubits long. He gave him the name Bhuvanālankāra, imitating the splendor of Sakra mounted on the elephant Airāvana. After tying the elephant to a
101 124. A cousin, as were they all.
102 133. an elephant.
Jain Education International
With play on kumbha, the finial of a spire and the boss of
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
