________________
393
INITIATION, AND OMNISCIENCE OF ŚRI PĀRŚVA
His initiation (231-246)
Now Pārsva, the Blessed One, knew that the fruit of his own pleasure-karma had been consumed and set his mind on mendicancy. As if knowing his intentions, the Lokāntika gods came at that time and announced to Pārsva, “Lord, found a congregation.” Then the Master began to give gifts for a year with money furnished by the Jțmbhakas instructed by Vaiśravaņa. The initiation-ceremony of Pārsva, the Supreme Lord, was held by the Vāsavas, Sakra and others, and by the kings, Aśvasena and others. He got into a litter, Viśālā by name, carried by gods and mortals and went to the garden Āśramapada. The Blessed One, son of Aśvasena entered the garden whose surface was darkened by the dense masses of marjoram; which was making an invocation to Love, as it were, by the bees of the jasmines; with swarms of bees kissing the multitude of mucukundas; 341 fragrant from the pollen of the lavali 342 floating in the air; with singing gardeners seated on the edge of sugar-cane fields.
The Lord Pārśva, wearing (deva-)dūşya given by Vāsava, got out of the palanquin, and laid aside ornaments, et cetera, 343 thirty years old. On the forenoon on the thirteenth of the dark half of Pausa, the moon being in Rādhā, observing a three-day fast, the Master became a mendicant with three hundred kings. At that time the Lord's knowledge called “mind-reading " arose. For it arises at the initiation of all the Arhats.
341 237. Pterospermum suberifolium. It has fragrant white flowers.
342 237. The lavali is one of Hemacandra's favorites in the botanical world, but it is difficult to identify. MW calls it Averrhoa Acida and Dutt calls it Phyllanthus longifolius, which is the same (Roxb.). This is a tree and Hem.'s lavalī is a creeper. Artabotrys suaveolens or odoratissima has been suggested, but their flowering seasons do not agree with lavali's. See I, pp. 156. 223; III, pp. 72.96.138.233.
343 239. In this instance the pulling out of his hair is not described. Pārsva., p. 115, n. 4, says that Párśvanātha was the first Jain to practice this austerity, but that is an error. Rşabha and all the Arhats did so, as is said above in this same note, 50 N
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org