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PĀRSVA
Cakravartin. The sight of the saintly being in meditation aroused again the ancient hatred. The Bhil remembered his last human incarnation, became fired with a passion for revenge, notched his keenest arrow to the bowstring, aimed, and let fly. Vajranābha died peacefully-absolutely unperturbed. And so he ascended to one of the very highest celestial spheresthe so-called Madhyagraiveyaka heaven, which is situated in the middle (madhya) of the neck (grīvā) of the human-shaped worldorganism 10-and there he became an Aham-Indra (“I am Indra"); 11 whereas the Bhil, when he died, since he was full of vile and sinful thoughts, descended to the seventh hell-again for a period of indescribable pain.
The next appearance of the future Tīrthankara was in the person of a prince of the Ikşvāku family (the ruling house of Ayodhyā), and his name was Ānandakumāra. Remaining always a perfect Jaina and fervent worshiper of the Tīrthankaras, he became the King of Kings over an extensive empire. Years passed. Then while standing one day before his looking-glass, he perceived that one of his hairs had turned gray. Immediately, he completed arrangements to have his son assume the throne and himself initiated into the order of the Jaina ascetics, and so he quit the world. His preceptor, this time, was a great sage named Sagaradatta, under whom (and thanks to an unflagging practice of all the prescribed austerities) he became possessed of superhuman powers. Wherever he went, the trees bent with the weight of fruits, there was no grief or sorrow, the tanks were filled with blooming lotuses and clearest water, and the lions frolicked harmlessly with the fawns. Anandakumāra passed his time in meditation, the atmosphere for miles around him being full of peace. The birds and animals flocked about him without fear. But then one day the royal saint was set upon by an unquelled lion (the old enemy) who tore him to pieces and
10 This will be discussed infra, pp. 241-248. 11 Cf. supra, p. 184, Editor's note.
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| SR No. | 007309 |
| Book Title | Philosophies of India |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Heinrich Zimmer, Joseph Campbell |
| Publisher | Routledge and Kegan Paul Ltd |
| Publication Year | 1953 |
| Total Pages | 709 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 34 MB |