Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 5

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

Page 69

CHAPTER TWO
Previous birth of Vasudeva (13-50)
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One day Andhakavṛṣṇi bowed to Muni Supratiṣṭha who had clairvoyant knowledge and asked, his hands joined together respectfully: "Master, why does my tenth son, named Vasudeva, have exceeding beauty and charm, know the arts, and have good strength?" The sage Supratistha related: In the province Magadha in Nandigrama there was a poor 43 Brahman, and his wife, Somila. They had a son, Nandişena, and while he, the crest-jewel of misfortune, was a boy, his parents died. Pot-bellied, jagged-toothed, bleareyed, square-headed, and misshapen in the other limbs, he was abandoned even by his relatives. While yet alive, one day he was bought by his maternal uncle. Now his uncle had seven marriageable daughters. 'I shall give you one of my daughters,' his uncle said to him; and he did all his uncle's house-work from desire for her. When the eldest grown daughter knew about it, she said, "If my father gives me to him, I will certainly die. Nandişena was depressed at hearing that and his uncle said to him, I shall give you the second daughter. Do not worry. The same vow was made by the second daughter when she heard that and in the same way he was rejected in turn by the other daughters.
Then his uncle said to him, Son, I shall ask for the daughter of some one else and give her to you. Do not be agitated.' Then Nandişeņa thought: His own daughters do not want me. How then will other maidens want me, deformed as I am?' With this thought, he departed because of disgust with existence and went to Ratnapura. Seeing husbands and wives playing there, he blamed himself. Wishing to die because of disgust with existence, he went to a garden, saw there a sage, Susthita by name, and bowed to him. The sadhu knew by (clairvoyant) knowledge his inclination and said to him: Do not be eager for death. Verily, that is the fruit of
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43 15. Pārsva., p. 108 takes 'rora' as a proper name, but the text, both there and here, favors an adjective.