Now, Svayambuddha felt disgust with the world at his Master’s death, took initiation under Sri Siddha Acharya, piously observed the vow for a long time without any transgressions, and became an Indrasamanika, named Drdhadharma, in Aisana. Inclined to affection like a kinsman because of their relations in the previous birth, and wise, he spoke to console Lalitanga. “Why are you bewildered on account of a mere woman, O noble sir? Wise men do not reach such a state even at death.” Lalitanga replied: “Friend, what are you saying? For death is easy to bear, but separation from a wife is very hard to bear, A gazelle eyed woman is the only thing of value in the world; without whom all wealth, even such, is valueless.”
Afflicted by his grief, the Samanika god of Isana, having employed concentrated attention, knew (the facts) from clairvoyant knowledge, and said: “Do not be downcast, noble sir. Be at ease now. I have found your wife as I searched for her. In the continent Dhatakikhanda, in the East Videhas in the village is a miserable householder, named Nagil. Wandering like a ghost daily to fill his stomach, he goes to bed hungry and thirsty and gets up the same. He has a wife, like hunger to poverty, named Nagasri, crest-jewel of the unfortunate. He has six daughters, daughter after daughter, like boils on the body of a man with skin-disease, boil under boil. These daughters were voracious by nature, ugly, ridiculed by all, like offspring of village swine. In course of time, his wife conceived again. For generally the women of the poor conceive quickly. Then he reflected: ‘Of what karma is this the fruit, that I experience the calamities of hell in this world? I am destroyed by this poverty, fully developed at birth, hard to cure, very great, as a tree is destroyed by ants. Now I am tormented by these daughters, as if by enemies of a former birth, whose bodies* have no lucky marks, like misfortune personified. If another daughter is born now, then I intend to go to a foreign country and surely leave behind the family.
While he was reflecting thus, his wife bore a child, and he heard the news of the birth of a daughter like a needle piercing his ear. His face upturned, Nagil deserted his family and went away, like a vicious bull that has suddenly thrown off its load. To her (his wife) suffering from child-birth, the pain of her husband’s departure was like acid thrown on a wound. In her great sorrow Nagasri did not even give her a name, and the people called her ‘Nirnamika.’ She took no care of her at all, but still she grew up. For there is no death for a person, whose life-term has not expired, even if struck by a thunderbolt. Very ill-favored, causing distress even to her mother, she spends the time performing menial tasks in others’ houses.
One day in a festival she saw sweetmeats in the hands of rich children and asked her own mother for some. Grinding her teeth, her mother told her: ‘You ask for sweetmeats! That is fitting! Did your father eat sweetmeats?’ If you want to eat sweetmeats, take a rope, go to Mt. Ambaratilaka for a load of wood, agliness burned by that speech as if by a dung-fire, crying, she took a rope and went to the mountain.
At that time omniscience had come to Muni Yugandhara, engaged in pratima for one night on the peak of the mountain. Then a great festival called ‘the festival of omniscience was being celebrated in his honor by the gods at hand. Then the people living in the towns and villages near the mountain competed with each other to show him honor. When she saw the people, decorated with many ornaments, going there, Nirnamika stood in astonishment, as if she were painted in a picture. She found out the reason for the people coming continuously and, throwing aside her load of wood like a load of pain, she set out. With the people Nirnamika ascended the mountain, since tirthas are common to all. Considering the muni’s feet to be a kalpa-tree she honored them with joy. The wish is in accordance with fate.
Then the muni, benefiting all the world, delivered a sermon in a deep voice, delighting the world like a cloud: ‘The enjoyment of pleasures of the senses by men causes a fall to the ground of existence, like ascending a bed woven of unseasoned ropes. All creatures’ association with son, friend, and wife is like travelers’ sleeping in a dwelling made in one village. The burden of pain is endless, arising from the manifestations of ‘their karma, for those wandering here in the eighty four lacs of birth-nuclei. Then Nirnamika with folded hands said to the Blessed One, ‘From what you say there is equality between king and beggar. You have declared that samsara is the abode of sorrow. Is there anyone in it more afflicted than I am?’ the Blessed One replied: ‘What pain is yours, lady, thinking yourself afflicted? Hear the afflictions of others. From the modifications of their karma Souls are born in hell, doomed to be cut apart, doomed to mutilation, and to have their heads cut off. Some are pressed by machines as if they were pressing sesame-seed; some are torn by cruel saws just as if they were tearing a piece of wood. Some are made to lie constantly on couches with cotton made of spikes; some are thrown on rocks by demons, as if they were clothes. Some are beaten like iron-pots by hard iron-hammers; some are divided into many pieces like a handful of vegetables. Their bodies are put together again, and the same thing is done again and again. Experiencing that pain they wail piteously. When they wish to drink, they have to drink hot liquid tin repeatedly; seeking shade, they are seated under a tree that has leaves full as narrow as swords. The hell-inhabitants, reminded of their former actions, are not allowed to exist even a moment in hell without pain. O child, the hell eunuchs68 pain causes pain to people just from being heard in entirety.
Furthermore, one can see with one’s own eyes that creatures of water, land, and air suffer all kinds of pain arising from their karma. The sea-creatures devour each other voluntarily and eagerly. They are caught by fishermen, and devoured by cranes, etc. They are opened by people skinning them, they are roasted as if roasted on a spit; they are cooked by people wishing to eat them, and swallowed by those wishing their marrow. Creatures on land the weak, such as the deer, are killed by the stronger, such as the lion, who devour their flesh. Innocent, they are killed by this or that device by men whose minds are devoted to hunting for sport, or from desire for the meat. They endure pain from hunger, thirst, cold, heat, imposition of excessive burdens, etc., from thongs, goads, and whips. The birds, such as partridges, parrots, doves, sparrows, etc., are seized by the carnivorous hawks, falcons, vultures, etc. After they have been caught by various stratagems and tricks by fowlers greedy for their flesh, they are killed with various kinds of abuse. Always animals have fear*, arising from water, etc., from weapons*, etc., that has uninterrupted course, dependent on the bondage of their own karma.
Even when human birth is attained, some persons are born blind and deaf; some are lame from birth, and some are leprous from birth. Some men addicted to theft, some to unchastity, are punished by ever new punishment, like hell-inhabitants. Some, unceasingly afflicted by various diseases, looking to others (for help), are ignored even by their sons. Some, who are slaves, are beaten like mules, bear very heavy loads, endure thirst, etc. There is also unceasing sorrow even of the gods, troubled by mutual injuries, bound by the relationship of master and servant. In this Ocean of worldly existence which is valueless and extremely cruel by nature, there is no limit to pains like sea-monsters in the Ocean. In existence, the abode of pain, the religion of the Jinas is the only remedy, like a charm in a place filled with ghouls, ghosts, etc. Certainly, injury must not be committed, for by injury people sink in the whirlpool of hell, as a boat sinks from an excessive load. Falsehood must always be avoided, since from the utterance of falsehood a creature wanders a long time in existence, like a straw before a wind. One should not take an object that has not been given, since certainly there is no comfort from the taking of a thing not given, just as from the touch of kapikacchu fruit.69 Unchastity should be avoided, for by unchastity a man is led to hell, as a poor man is led by someone having seized him by the throat. Possessions should not be acquired, since by the power of possessions a man sinks in the mire of pain, just as an ox sinks from an excessive burden. Whoever avoids these five injury, etc., even in part, he is the partaker of the wealth of higher and higher happiness.
Then she acquired a wonderful desire for emancipation, and her knot of karma, indivisible as an iron ball, was broken. Under the great muni she adopted right belief completely, and sincerely assumed the lay-duties as taught by the Jinas. She adopted at that very time the five lesser vows non-injury, etc., food for a traveler to the next world. Then bowing to the lord of munis and taking her load of wood, she went to her own house, delighted as if she had accomplished her purpose. From that time on she piously practiced penance of various kinds, remembering the speech of Muni Yugandhara as well as her own name. No one, to be sure, married her, ill-favored as she was even in youth. Who, pray, likes to eat the fruit, even ripe, of an acrid gourd? At present, because of extreme disgust with the world she has undertaken a fast in the presence of Muni Yugandhara, who has come again to that mountain. Therefore, go and show yourself to her. Dying devoted to you she will be your wife. For whatever the thought is at death, that surely is (one’s) destiny.” Lalitanga did so. She died devoted to him, and was born as his wife, Svayamprabha, as before. Then he enjoyed himself exceedingly, after he had gained his wife, lost as if by the feigned anger of a coquette for her lover. In heat shade is conducive to pleasure.
When some time had passed in dalliance with her, Lalitanga observed signs of his own fall. His jeweled ornaments became lusterless, and the wreaths on his head withered as if from fear of the separation. His body-garments became soiled at once. Even the Lord of Laksmi (Visnus) is deserted by Laksmi, when calamity is near. He had excessive devotion to pleasure with neglect of Dharma. Generally there is a change in the nature of creatures at death. All his retinue spoke inarticulately from grief and pain. Utterance of those talking issues in accordance with the future. He was deserted by Beauty and Modesty, who had been won at the proper time and were always dear, just as if he had committed a crime. Even though not poor, he was attended by Poverty, and by Sleep, though not sleepy, just as an ant is provided with wings at the time of death. His ligaments relaxed together with his heart, and the kalpa-trees unshakeable even by winds, shook. The joints of his body and limbs, though healthy, separated as if from fear* of pain arising from going to a future evil state. In the same way, his sight became dull in grasping objects, as if unable to see the presence of others. Just then his limbs became tremulous and unsteady, as if from fear of the coming of pain caused by dwelling in the womb. Like an elephant with a driver, he took no pleasure in pleasure-mountains, rivers, tanks, lakes, nor groves, though beautiful.
Then Svayamprabha said, “Have I committed some fault, my lord, since you look so melancholy?” Lalitanga replied: “My dear, there is no fault of yours. The fault is mine, that I practiced so little penance formerly, fair-browed one. I, always like a person awake in regard to pleasures, and asleep in regard to Dharma, was indeed lord of the Vidyadharas in a former birth. Enlightened by my minister Svayambuddha sent by my good fortune, as it were, I adopted the Jain Dharma toward the end of my life. From the power of that Dharma I became lord of Sriprabha for so long a time. I am going to fall from here. What is not to be gained is not gained.” As he was speaking thus, the god Drdhadharma came to him at Bidaujas’s command, and said, “The Indra of Aisana-heaven intends to go to Nandisvara, etc., to make a pooja to the statues of the Jinas. You go also at his command.” Saying, “By my good fortune the Master’s command comes at just the right time,” Lalitanga delighted set out with his wife. He went to Nandisvara and worshipped the eternal statues* of the Arhats. From great joy his imminent fall was forgotten. Then as he was going to other tirthas with a pure mind, he died, since his life was expired, just as a lamp goes out when its oil is consumed.
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