Life of Pâr<I>s</I>va

Jaina Sutras, Part II (SBE22), tr. by Hermann Jacobi, [1884], at sacred-texts.com

p. 271

LIFE OF PÂRSVA.

In that period, in that age lived the Arhat Pârsva, the people's favourite ¹, the five most important moments of whose life happened when the moon was in conjunction with the asterism Visâkhâ: in Visâkhâ he descended (from heaven), and having descended thence, entered the womb (of his mother); in Visâkhâ he was born; in Visâkhâ, tearing out his hair, he left the house and entered the state of houselessness; in Visâkhâ he obtained the highest knowledge and intuition, called Kevala, which is infinite, supreme, unobstructed, unimpeded, complete, and full; in Visâkhâ he obtained final liberation. (149)

In that period, in that age, in the first month of summer, in the first fortnight, the dark (fortnight) of Kaitra, on its fourth day, the Arhat Pârsva, the people's favourite, descended from the Prânata Kalpa ², where he had lived for twenty Sâgaropamas, here on the continent Gambûdvîpa, in Bharatavarsha, in the town of Benares; and in the middle of the night when the moon was in conjunction with the asterism Visâkhâ, after the termination of his allotted length of life, divine nature, and existence (among the gods), he took the form of an embryo in the womb of the queen Vâmâ, wife of Asvasena, king (of Benares). (150)

The knowledge of the Arhat Pârsva, the people's

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favourite, (about this) was threefold, &c. (repeat §§ 3-95 after making the necessary substitutions, and omitting what exclusively applies to Mahâvîra, all down to) comfortably carried her unborn child. (i51)

In that period, in that age the Arhat Pârsva, the people's favourite ¹--after the lapse of nine months and seven and a half days, in the second month of winter, in the third fortnight, the dark (fortnight) of Paushya, on its tenth day, in the middle of the night when the moon was in conjunction with the asterism Visâkhâ--(Vâmâ), perfectly healthy herself, gave birth to a perfectly healthy boy. (152)

In that night in which the Arhat Pârsva, the people's favourite, was born, &c. (repeat §§ 97-107 with the necessary alterations, all down to) therefore shall the name of our boy be Pârsva ². (153, 154)

The Arhat Pârsva, the people's favourite, clever, with the aspirations of a clever man, of great beauty, controlling his senses, lucky, and modest, lived thirty years as a householder. Then the Laukântika gods, following the established custom, addressed him with these kind, pleasing, &c., sweet, and soft words: (155)

'Victory, victory to thee, gladdener of the world!' (see § 111, down to) Thus they raised the shout of victory. (156) Before the Arhat Pârsva, the people's favourite, had adopted the life of a householder, &c. (see § 112, down to) indigent persons.

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In the second month of winter, in the third fortnight, the dark (fortnight) of Paushya, on its eleventh day, in the middle of the night, riding in his palankin called Visâlâ, followed on his way by a train of gods, men, and Asuras, &c. (Pârsva) went right through the town of Benares to the park called Asramapada, and proceeded to the excellent tree Asoka. There, &c. (see § 116, down to) five handfuls.

When the moon was in conjunction with the asterism Visâkhâ, he, after fasting three and a half days without drinking water, put on a divine robe, and together with three hundred men he tore out his hair, and leaving the house entered the state of houselessness. (157)

The Arhat Pârsva, the people's favourite, for eighty-three days neglected his body, &c. (see § 117, down to) animals. (158)

Thereafter the Arhat Pârsva, the people's favourite, was houseless, circumspect, &c. (see §§ 1 18-120, down to) meditated upon himself for eighty-three days.

During the eighty-fourth day--it was in the first month of summer, in the first fortnight, the dark (fortnight) of Kaitra, on its fourth day, in the early part of the day, when the moon was in conjunction with the asterism Visâkhâ--Pârsva, under a Dhâtaki tree, after fasting two and a half days without drinking water, being engaged in deep meditation, reached the infinite, &c. (see § 120, down to) highest knowledge and intuition called Kevala, &c. (see § 121, down to) moment. (159)

The Arhat Pârsva, the people's favourite, had eight Ganas and eight Ganadharas (enumerated in a Sloka):

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Subha and Âryaghosha, Vasishtha ¹ and Brahmakârin, Saumya and Srîdhara, Vîrabhadra and Yasas. (160)

The Arhat Pârsva, the people's favourite, had an excellent community of sixteen thousand Sramanas with Âryadatta ² at their head; (161) thirty-eight thousand nuns with Pushpakûlâ at their head; (162) one hundred and sixty-four thousand lay votaries with Suvrata at their head; (163) three hundred and twenty-seven thousand female lay votaries with Sunandâ at their head; (164) three hundred and fifty sages who knew the fourteen Pûrvas, &c. (see § 138); (165) fourteen hundred sages who were possessed of the Avadhi knowledge; one thousand Kevalins; eleven hundred sages who could transform themselves, six hundred sages of correct knowledge, one thousand male and two thousand female disciples who had reached perfection, seven hundred and fifty sages of vast intellect, six hundred professors, and twelve hundred sages in their last birth. (166)

The Arhat Pârsva, the people's favourite, instituted two epochs in his capacity of a Maker of an end: the epoch relating to generations and the epoch relating to psychical condition; the former ended in the fourth generation, the latter in the third year of his Kevaliship. (167)

In that period, in that age the Arhat Pârsva, the people's favourite, lived thirty years as a householder, eighty-three days in a state inferior to perfection, something less than seventy years as a Kevalin, full seventy years as a Sramana, and a hundred years on the whole.

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When his fourfold Karman ¹ was exhausted and in this Avasarpinî era the greater part of the Duhshamasushamâ period had elapsed, in the first month of the rainy season, in the second fortnight, the light (fortnight) of Srâvana, on its eighth day, in the early part of the day when the moon was in conjunction with the asterism Visâkhâ, (Pârsva), after fasting a month without drinking water, on the summit of mount Sammeta, in the company of eighty-three persons, stretching out his hands, died, &c. (all down to) freed from all pains. (168) Since the time that the Arhat Pârsva, the people's favourite, died, &c. (all down to) freed from all pains, twelve centuries have elapsed, and of the thirteenth century this is the thirtieth year. (169)

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End of the Life of Pârsva.

Footnotes

271:1 Purisâdânîya, explained: who is to be chosen among men because of his preferable karman.

271:2 This is the tenth world of the gods.

272:1 As regards the construction of this passage compare § 96, note 1.

272:2 This name was given him because before his birth his mother, lying on her couch, saw in the dark a black serpent crawling about. This is the account given by the commentator, who forgets to tell us how it comes to bear on the name Pârsva.

274:1 C. has Visittha, i.e. Visishta.

274:2 Âriyadinna in the original.

275:1 See § 147.