Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 6

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

Page 81

MAHĀVIRA'S FIRST SIX YEARS AS AN ASCETIC 41 wanders. He, indifferent, will not pick it up. Take it and bring it here. I shall join the two pieces and make it complete like the moon in the bright fortnight. Its market price will be a lac of dinars. We shall divide that in two equal shares, like full-brothers.”
The Brāhman agreed and went to the Lord. Now the Lord stopped at the village Kūrmāra in the evening, observing care not to injure any living thing in walking. With his eyes directed on the tip of his nose, both arms hanging down, the Lord stood in statuesque posture, immovable as a post.
Beginning of attacks (upasargas) (17-48)
Then a certain herdsman, who had herded the bulls for the day, reached the border of the village near the Master and thought to himself, “The bulls may graze just here on the border of the village, but I shall go to the village and milk the cows.” With this thought he entered the village, but his bulls went into the forest, as they grazed. For they do not stay in one place without a herdsman. The herdsman came from the village and asked the Master, “Where are my bulls ? " and the Master made no reply at all. Thinking, “Since the Lord is silent, he knows nothing about it,” the herdsman spent the night searching for the bulls. After the bulls had roamed around, they came again near the Lord and lay down, chewing their cud, contented. The herdsman too came after roaming about and, when he had seen the bulls, he thought, “ He has taken the cattle with the intention of taking them away at day-break.” With this thought, the basest of herdsmen picked up the tyingrope impetuously and ran forward angrily to kill the Lord.
At that time Sakra thought, “What is the Master doing on the first day?” and he saw the herdsman ready to kill him. Sakra transfixed him, went there, and scolded him, “ Villain, do you not know him, the son of King Siddhārtha?” Then, after he had circumambulated him three times and bowed with his head (touching the ground), Prācinabarbis announced to the 6 M