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YAŠASTILAKA AND INDIAN CULTURE
Once on the Himālayas he rescued Pavanavegā, the wife of a Vidyādhara prince, who was engaged in certain magic rites for attaining the power of assuming a multitude of forms, but was about to be devoured by the Mystic Force in the shape of a huge serpent. Vajrakumära ultimately married Pavanavegā, and succeeded in restoring his adoptive father to the throne by overthrowing the usurper Purandara. Later on, he visited Somadatta, his real father, who was then practising austerities at Mathurā, renounced the world, and became an ascetic.
About this time at Mathurā there was an orphan girl who, according to a prophecy, was destined to be the chief queen of Pūtikavāhana, the lord of that city. A Buddhist monk, who was acquainted with the prophecy, carefully brought up the girl in a monastery, and she was called in jest Buddhadāsi, Buddha's maidservant'. She grew up to be a beautiful young lady, and soon attracted the notice of the king of Mathurā, who won her hand by agreeing to make her his chief queen.
Aurvilā, the first queen of Pütikavāhana, was in the habit of sending out a ceremonial chariot in honour of the Jaina Saviour on the occasion of the Eight Day's Festival at Mathurā, but the new queen, owing to her Buddhist affinities, used her influence with the king and sought to stop the practice and establish a new festival in honour of the Buddha. Alarmed at the machinations of her co-wife, Aurvilā approached the sage Somadatta and appealed to him to ensure the continuity of the festival of the chariot. Somadatta instructed his son and disciple Vajrakumāra to do the needful,
Vajrakumāra who had attained the supernatural powers of a Vidyādhara went up to the city of the Vidyadharas, and began to descend from the sky with a huge concourse of Vidyādharas, carrying flags and banners, gates, pillars and canopies, mirrors, white parasols and gold jars, and diverse materials of worship. Ladies were singing to the accompaniment of various musical instruments; there was merry-making by dwarfs, hunchbacks, dancers, bards and panegyrists; and charming maidens were carrying lights, censers, perfume and flowers. Decorated cars, chariots, horses and elephants formed part of the company. While the citizens of Mathurā thought that a multitude of gods was coming to take part in the worship of the Buddha, organised by the Buddhist woman, Vajrakumāra with the Vidvādharas took up h residence in the house of Aurvilă, and for eight days caused her chariot to go round the city. Then he erected there a Stüpa marked with the image of the Arhat, and the shrine has ever since been known as “Built by the gods". In this way the designs of the Buddhist woman were foiled and the glorification of the Jaina faith assured through the timely intervention of Vajrakumāra.
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