Paumacariya 22
English (machine translation) 22
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22.1
Now, meanwhile, the bull of sages Kīrtidhara, his whole body smeared with dirt, / entered the city at midday for the sake of alms.
22.2
Seeing that mendicant through the lattice window, Sahadevī, / enraged, sent men, [commanding]: "Drive him away from this excellent city!
22.3
And drive away other ascetics too; do not delay, / lest my son hear the words of dharma!"
22.4
Meanwhile, the lord of great sages was driven from the city by them, / and all other ascetics residing in the city were expelled as well.
22.5
Recognizing that eminent sage to be Kīrtidhara, the nurse of Kauśala / wept, her heart full of pity, remembering the multitude of her master's virtues.
22.6
Hearing her weeping, Sukauśala said: "By whom have you / been insulted, mother? I shall surely punish him!"
22.7
Then Vasantalatā said: "O son! Having consecrated you in the kingdom / and installed you, your father renounced, and he entered here.
22.8
While wandering for alms, he was driven away today by your mother / with wicked men. Therefore, my son, I wept.
22.9
[Thinking:] 'Seeing the ascetics, may dispassion not arise in my son,' / for that reason all ascetics were expelled from the city.
22.10
Gardens, groves, lotus pools, and horse-tracks / were constructed inside the city by your mother for your sake."
22.11
"And other kings of your age who lived in the past, my son,
having enjoyed the earth, all took to renunciation.
22.12
For this reason, she does not permit your exit from the city,
lest having heard the dharma and experienced spiritual urgency, you renounce the world."
22.13
Hearing these words, Sukosala went out of the excellent city;
and having reached the presence of his father, he bowed with supreme reverence.
22.14
Having bowed to that śramaṇa and sat down, hearing the supreme truth of the dharma,
Sukosala spoke to him: "O Blessed One, hear my words!
22.15
When his own house is on fire, the father, taking his sons, goods, and belongings,
carries them away in haste, thinking of their welfare.
22.16
Yet leaving me behind in the house of the world of living beings inflamed by the fire of delusion,
you went forth, O Lord! Such conduct is not fitting in the world.
22.17
Therefore show favor: in this house of the body kindled by the fire of delusion,
lend a helping hand to me who am going forth!"
22.18
Then that homeless ascetic, knowing the heart of his own son,
addressed him with sweet words: "May you have no obstacles in the dharma!"
22.19
While this conversation was taking place, surrounded by an assembly of warriors,
there arrived his beloved Citramālā, heavily pregnant.
22.20
Falling at his feet, she said: "O Lord, having abandoned the earth and me,
do not undertake renunciation! It is difficult to practice even for the best of sages."
22.21
Firmly consoling her, Sukosala said: "In your womb,
O blessed lady, is a son; he has been consecrated to kingship by me."
22.22
Taking leave of all his kinsfolk, retainers, and women,
Sukosala received the Jina's ordination in the presence of his father.
22.23
Then, resolute in mind, intent on spiritual urgency and possessing firm fortitude,
he undertook austerities according to various prescribed rules:
22.24
The Ratnāvalī, Muktāvalī, Kanakāvalī, Kuliśamadhya, and Yavamadhya;
also the Jinaguṇasaṃpatti, and likewise the Sarvatobhadra practice;
22.25
Then the Trailokyasārā, Mṛdaṅgamadhyā, and Pipīlikāmadhyā;
the Śīrṣakārayalabdhi, and the Labdhi of vision and knowledge;
22.26
Then the Pañcamandarā, the Kesarikrīḍā, and the Cāritralabdhi;
the Pariṣahajayā, and the Pravacanamātā well known for producing bliss;
22.27
The Pañcanamaskāra-vidhi, Tīrthārthaśrutā, Saukhyasaṃpatti,
and the Dharmopāsanālabdhi, and likewise the Anuvartamānā.
22.28
Under these and other ascetic rules, by ten-[day fasts], fortnights, and months,
by two-month, three-month, and six-month courses, he wore away [his karma].
22.29
Both father and son, their bodies emaciated by fresh self-restraint and vows,
of firm fortitude, wandered over the earth adorned with villages and cities.
22.30
Grieving there because of the separation from her son,
Sahadevī died of sorrowful meditation and was reborn as a tigress in a mountain cave.
22.31
While the sages were thus wandering, the rainy season arrived,
with spreading masses of clouds that covered all the quarters of the sky.
22.32
The cloud rained copiously; the sky was adorned with flashes of lightning;
and rumbling thunders suddenly resounded all around.
22.33
The earth was worn down by torrents of rain, with waves of water bursting beyond paths,
with sprouting shoots of plantains, and turned dark green like emerald gems.
22.34
In such a season, where the sun set, the sages by necessity
stayed at the foot of a mountain for the four-month rainy-season retreat.
22.35
In this frightening forest dense with trees, wind, and wild beasts,
they stayed in a pure place, their minds intent on auspicious meditation.
22.36
In the heroic posture, standing in kāyotsarga, leaning on one side,
and by fasting, they spent that solitary rainy season.
22.37
When autumn arrived in the month of Kārttika, the best of sages,
having completed their course of vows, entered the city for alms.
22.38
As they were walking gracefully, the bulls among sages were seen by that tigress;
enraged, scratching the earth with her claws, she let out a roar.
22.39
Then the sage Sukosala, seeing the tigress full of murderous intent,
abandoned attachment to the body and ascended to pure meditation.
22.40
With a dreadful maw of fangs, leaping into the sky, swift by nature,
the terrible tigress pounced upon Sukosala like a bolt of lightning.
22.41
Throwing him to the earth, she craved his flesh in her mouth;
she crushed his bones and tore him with a succession of blows.
22.42
"Look, Śreṇika, at this play of delusion in saṃsāra,
wherein a mother eats the flesh of her dearly beloved son!"
22.43
While the blessed śramaṇa was being devoured, his mind absorbed in pure meditation,
at the very end of his life omniscience arose in him.
22.44
While Sahadevī was thus devouring the limbs of Sukosala,
memory of her past lives arose upon seeing the teeth of her son.
22.45
Overcome with remorse, having observed a fast unto death for three days,
that tigress died and was reborn in the Saudharma heaven.
22.46
The gods of the four classes assembled and celebrated the festival
of the sage's attainment of nirvāṇa with diverse fragrant flowers.
22.47
At that moment, omniscience illuminating the world also arose in Kīrtidhara;
and a single festival of honor was held by the best of gods for both.
22.48
Having celebrated the festival and bowed three times with full reverence,
the gods of the four classes departed to their own abodes.
22.49
The man who hears with devotion this nirvāṇa of Sukosala
becomes free from afflictions and obtains abundant fruit of merit.
22.50
When the due time had arrived, Queen Citramālā
gave birth to a son named Hiraṇyagarbha.
22.51
Growing in body, in course of time he became the lord of the kingdom;
he married the maiden Mṛgāvatī, the daughter of Harivāhana.
22.52
Enjoying royal splendor with her, once the best of kings
noticed a single gray hair in the midst of his bee-black locks.
22.53
Then he began to grieve: "Death has dispatched a messenger to me;
deprived of strength, power, and beauty, I shall become—of this there is no doubt.
22.54
Deluded by the senses, attached to pleasures, I have spent a very dreadful time;
deceived by love for kinsmen, I have not undertaken the burden of dharma."
22.55
Thus Hiraṇyagarbha, having consecrated to the throne prince Naghuṣa,
the son of Mṛgāvatī, went forth in the presence of the sage Vimala.
22.56
Because while he was in the womb no misfortune was proclaimed in his country,
the elders, pleased in mind, gave him the name Naghuṣa.
22.57
Naghuṣa, having established the chief queen Siṃhikā in his own city,
marched toward the northern direction to conquer the host of feudatories.
22.58
The kings of the southern country, knowing that Naghuṣa was far away,
arrived with all their armies to seize the city of Sāketa.
22.59
Nahuṣa's queen-consort, Siṁhikā, set forth with her entire army, / and then engaged in battle against those foremost lords of men.
22.60
Striking with merciless blows and slaying the enemies in battle, the illustrious lady, / with her mind devoted to her subjects, protected the city of Sāketa.
22.61
Nahuṣa, too, having subdued the northern direction, returned to the city; / but hearing of Siṁhikā’s fierce prowess, he became enraged.
22.62
And he said: “Ah, shameless woman! Such conduct is not fitting for a daughter-in-law of a noble family / who possesses unbroken virtue and a mind turned away from other men!”
22.63
The queen-consort was thus humiliated by the king, who attributed fault to her. / Then, on another occasion, a fever arose in Nahuṣa.
22.64
Though treated by physicians with mantras and herbal medicines, it did not subside at all; / a severe burning fever caused him excessive pain.
22.65
Knowing the lord of men to be in such a condition, Queen Siṁhikā, / her mind seized with sorrow, approached his presence.
22.66
In the presence of all the people, Siṁhikā took water and said: / “If no other man has ever been in my heart besides my own beloved,
22.67
then let the burning fever of the king be alleviated by this water released from my hand!” / Speaking thus, she sprinkled him, and the king became free from fever.
22.68
Seeing the king whose entire body was cooled, the people were delighted; / praising her virtue, they exclaimed, “Ah! Excellent! Excellent!”
22.69
The gods released a shower of flowers endowed with fragrant perfume, / and the king, too, was greatly pleased, having recognized the virtue of his wife.
22.70
Having re-established Queen Siṁhikā in her proper station, the king / enjoyed pleasures for a long time, and then became devoted to spiritual urgency.
22.71
Having installed Saudāsa, the son of Siṁhikā, upon the throne, / Nahuṣa, the bull among men, went forth [into asceticism], abandoning all possessions and worldly undertakings.
22.72
Even during those times, in the family lineage of King Saudāsa, / no one ever ate meat for eight days [during the festival of Aṣṭāhnikā].
22.73
However, due to the maturation of his karma, he ate meat even during those days, / and said to the head cook: “Bring me meat quickly!”
22.74
At that time, non-killing was observed for the Aṣṭāhnikā festival of the supreme Jinas; / on account of the unavailability of meat, human flesh was given to him.
22.75
Addicted to human flesh, he devoured many town boys; / together with the cook, the king was driven out by his son.
22.76
His son, endowed with virtues, the son of Kanakābhā named Siṁharatha, / was anointed to the throne in that city by all the warriors.
22.77
Just as meat is the food of a lion at his accustomed time, [so was it for him]; / therefore, he became renowned on earth as Siṁhasaudāsa.
22.78
While wandering in the southern region, he bowed down and saw a Śvetāmbara [monk]; / having heard the dharma in his presence, he then set about [to follow it].
22.79
Then the foremost of sages said: “Listen to the dharma proclaimed by the Jinas: / foremost is the doctrine of ascetics, and next to it is the lay doctrine.
22.80
The five great vows, the five samitis that are proclaimed, / and the three applications of the guptis: this is the dharma of the foremost sages.
22.81
Abstinence from violence, falsehood, theft, another’s wife, and possessions, / along with the three virtuous vows and the abandonment of honey and meat, is taught [for the laity].”
22.82
“O venerable one, with effort I will undertake the vow that you tell me, O great sage! / But one thing is dear to my heart: I will not give up meat alone.”
22.83
The sage replied to him in this way: “You eat meat, unknowing as you are; / so you will fall into saṁsāra, just as the Timingila fish went to hell.
22.84
Vultures, dogs, and jackals eat meat out of desire for food; / those men who also eat it are equal to them, without a doubt.
22.85
He who, having eaten meat, bathes at tirthas and performs vows and restraints, / finds it only brings affliction to him, like an unseasonal blossom that bears no fruit.
22.86
The foolish-minded one who eats meat produced from semen and blood / becomes heavy with evil karma and wanders for a very long time in saṁsāra.
22.87
He who is devoted to relishing meat constantly slaughters living beings; / in the slaughter of living beings there is evil, and through evil one goes to an evil rebirth.
22.88
Those who, having killed living beings, eat meat due to the fault of the tongue, / plunge into terrible hell, filled with thousands of miseries.
22.89
Born there in hell with manifold torments for their destined span of time, / they are cut and split in machines of saws and sword-blades.”
22.90
Hearing these words spoken by the foremost of sages, out of fear of miseries / and with a purified heart, Saudāsa became a śrāvaka.
22.91
Then in Mahāpura, when the king died without a son, / Saudāsa, mounted upon an elephant's shoulder, obtained the kingdom.
22.92
He dispatched a messenger to his son: “Make obeisance to me quickly!” / But the messenger was told by him: “I will not bow down to him.”
22.93
Hearing the messenger’s words, Saudāsa marched out with his entire army / and reached his realm, as the sounds of victory were proclaimed by bards.
22.94
Siṁharatha too came out against him with a fourfold army; / encountering one another, a fierce battle took place.
22.95
Having conquered his son in battle and given him that kingdom of great excellence, / Saudāsa renounced the world and performed twelvefold austerities.
22.96
To Siṁharatha was born a son, King Brahmaratha; / and to him was born Caturmukha, and Hemaratha, and Yaśoratha,
22.97
and Padmaratha, Mṛgaratha, Śaśiratha, Raviratha, Māndhātṛ, / Udayaratha, the bull among men, Vīrasusena, and Prativacana,
22.98
the one named Kamalabandhu, Ravisatru, likewise Vasantatilaka, / King Kuberadatta, Kunthu, Śaratha, and Viratha,
22.99
and Rathanirghoṣa, Mṛgāridamana, Hiraṇyanābha, / Puñjasthala, Kakuha, and King Raghu are to be known.
22.100
When these foremost lords of men in the Ikṣvāku lineage had passed away, / in the excellent city of Sāketa arose King Anaraṇya.
22.101
To his queen-consort Pṛthvī two sons were born: / the first was Anantaratha, and the second was Daśaratha.
22.102
Hearing that the king of Māheśvara city, Sahasrakiraṇa, had renounced the world, / his friend [Anaraṇya] became disgusted with this dwelling in saṁsāra.
22.103
King Anaraṇya, having installed his son Daśaratha upon the throne, / went forth [into asceticism] together with his [elder] son in the presence of the sage Abhayasena.
22.104
Performing noble austerities with fasts of six, eight, ten, and twelve meals, / and fasts of a month and a half-month, Anaraṇya departed for liberation.
22.105
The monk Anantaratha, too, endowed with infinite strength, energy, and power, / observing self-restraint, austerities, and vows, wandered the earth, [dwelling] wherever the sun set.
22.106
In Aruhatthala there was a king, Sukōsala; by his wife
Amayappabhā was born a daughter, a maiden named Avarāiyā.
22.107
She was given to Dasaratha and wedded by him with excellent splendor.
Then, in the city of Kamalasaṅkula, the king there was Subandhutilaka.
22.108
His chief queen was Mittā, and their daughter was Kēkaī of charming form;
that maiden was wedded by Dasaratha under the name Saumittrī.
22.109
Thus together with his young wives, Dasaratha enjoyed the great realm,
his mind cultivated with right view, devoted to worshipping the gods and the gurus.
22.110
Those heroic kings of Bharata and other lands, endowed with supreme power and glory,
by the fruit of the Jina's dharma, those great-souled ones become once more stainless and pure in disposition.
22.111
Thus ends the twenty-second uddesa in the Paümacariya, titled 'The Rise of Dasaratha, Joined with the Greatness of Sukōsala'.
Linked texts (1)
- Paümacariya — Vimalasūri, Māhārāṣṭrī Prakrit