Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 6

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

Page 183

ŚREŅIKA, MEGHAKUMĀRA AND NANDIȘEŅA 143 thought, “I must have little merit since the sādhu's request is in vain.”
Then the god assumed his own form and said to her: “ Lady, Indra praised your laymanship. I, a god, was astonished greatly at Sakra's praise and came to test you. I am satisfied. Choose a boon.” Laywoman Sulasā said: “ If you are satisfied, then give me a son. There is no other wish of a childless woman than this.” The god gave her thirty-two pills and said: “If you eat these successively, you will have the same number of sons. Furthermore, if I am called on by you for some purpose, faultless lady, I shall come again.” With these words, the god went away.
Sulasă thought to herself ’: “Who will get rid of the impurity of many children from eating the pills in succession? Therefore, I shall eat all these pills at the same time that I may have one son with thirty-two favorable marks.” So reflecting, with this idea she ate all the pills, just as this idea originated. What is to be can not be otherwise. Accordingly, thirty-two embryos developed in her womb. She became unable to endure these embryos, like a vine with much fruit. She had a small womb and, unable to carry the embryos hard as diamonds, standing in kāyotsarga, she thought again of the god.
The god was present at once just from being remembered and asked her, “Why was I remembered?” She told the full story of the pills. The god said: “Why did you eat the pills at the same time? They are surely efficacious. Hence you will have the same number of embryos. Lady, this was not well-done by you, simple-minded. Thus you will have thirtytwo children of the same age. Do not despair, lucky lady. Fate is very strong, but I shall take away the pain in the womb. Be comfortable.”
The god removed the pain in Sulasā's womb and went away. She became comfortable, her embryos concealed, like the earth. When the time was completed, at an auspicious moment on an auspicious day Sulasā bore thirty-two sons