Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 4

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

Page 86

DATTANANDANAPRAHLĀDACARITRA
51 at once by Prahlada, Sīrin and Sārngin went into battle in chariots. Datta blew - Pāñcajanya, the best destroyer of an enemy's force, and twanged his bow, a drum of pre-eminent victory. Prahlāda, making the heavens resound with the sounds of the bow, ran up, strong-armed, like Daņdapāņi (Yama) enraged. Both Hari and Pratihari discharged arrows angrily. Both, eager for victory over each other, destroyed each other's arrows. Both, expert in destruction, destroyed each other's club, hammer, staff, and other weapons. Prahlāda whirled the cakra, which was filled with a hundred flames like the sun with meteors at the end of the world, in the air and hurled it at Hari. Hari took the same cakra, which had been useless and was standing near him, hurled it at Prahlāda and cut off his head. Likewise he conquered the half of Bharata by making an expedition of conquest. Then he lifted Koțiśilā and became an ardhacakrin. . There were two hundred years of śāmgin Datta as prince, fifty years each as governor and in the expedition of conquest.88 After he had passed fifty-six thousand years, Datta went to the fifth hell because of his karma.
After the death of Sārngin Datta, Halāyudha, whose age was sixty-five thousand years, passed the time with difficulty. Intensely disgusted with existence by the death of his brother and meditation on existence, Nandana took initiation, adorned by the world. He observed severe vows without transgression; and after that he went to a dwelling in the place of emancipation.
86 34. I am convinced that there is something wrong with the text here. The figures for the Vāsudevas' lives follow a fixed pattern throughout the Trişastio with this one exception. The time in kaumāra and mandalitva should be the same or nearly the same. However, I have found nothing different in MSS and can find nowhere else figures for Datta's life. Two hundred years each as prince and governor and fifty years in conquest would fit the pattern.