________________
252
CHAPTER TEN flowers. At intervals arches with golden pillars were erected, and platforms were prepared, adorned with rows of golden vessels, variegated with tiger-skins, covered with Chinese cloths, excellent with fly-whisks, beautiful with jeweled mirrors. Garlands, fragrant with baskets and bags of perfume, were fastened by the thousand to pillars placed on both sides of the road. Solid shade was made by lofty pavilions, imitating the beauty of thunder, with awnings which had bunches of pearls. At close intervals were set jars of burning incense and the pavilions had shoots of smoke from scattered aloes and camphor. When they had in this way made the road like a piece of heaven, the officials informed the king who was eager for a sight of the Master.
After he had bathed, the king, with divine ointment and ornaments on his person, wearing clean garments, wreathed, mounted the best elephant. Resplendent with a white umbrella over his head and with fly-whisks at his sides, the best of kings set forth like the king of gods (Indra). The king was followed by vassals and others by the thousand, wearing ornaments of great price, like vaikriya-forms of himself.197 Immediately after him followed the women of his family, whose forms surpassed that of Saci, resplendent with waving fly-whisks. The king, being praised by bands of bards, hymned by singers, shown their own skill by the men who decorated the road, with a new pavilion resulting from the unbroken line of the kings' umbrellas, gradually reached the samavasarana.
He circumambulated the Supreme Lord three times, paid homage to him; and sat down in the assembly in the proper place, proud of his own magnificence. Perceiving his pride in magnificence, in order to enlighten him, Pākaśāsana created an aerial car made of water. Together with gods
197 21. The outer body of gods and hell-inhabitants. A new vaikriyabody can be made at will from jewels, which is the point of the allusion here. For a full account of the vaikriya-body and the making of a new one, see n. 157.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
