Surrounded on all sides by ten thousand Samanikas, by the fourfold body guards, by the Trayastrinsas, the three assemblies, the four Lokapalas, the seven great armies and the seven generals, the Indra of Arana and Acyuta, pure, began to bathe the Blessed One. After putting on his upper garment, possessing unselfish devotion, Acyuta took a double handful of flowers of the blooming coral-tree, etc. After perfuming it with fragrant dense smoke from incense, he threw the double handful of flowers before the Lord of the Three Worlds. The gods brought the pitchers of perfumed water adorned with wreaths as if smiling from joy produced by the Master’s nearness. With buzzing bees on the lotuses in their mouths they looked as if they were reciting the first prayer of the Master’s bath. The pitchers looked like Patala-water-pots that had come from Patala for the sake of bathing the Master. With the Samanikas, etc., the Indra of Acyuta took up the one thousand and eight pitchers like the fruit of his own glory. Present in their raised hands they looked like lotus-buds with upraised stalks. The Indra of Acyuta began to bathe the Lord of the World, bending the pitcher a little, as if it were his own head.
Then some gods beat loudly drums that made the mountains of the gods reverberate with loud echoes from caves. Others, full of devotion, sounded heavenly-drums (dundubhi) whose sounds stole the beauty of the murmur of the great Ocean stirred by the churningstick. Some, impetuous, beat together cymbals, as winds beat waves of water with a confused noise. Others beat energetically kettledrums whose faces were turned up as if extending the Jinendra’s command everywhere in the Upper World. Some gods, standing on the top of the rock, blew kahalas having a powerful sound like cowherds blowing cowhorns. Some gods repeatedly beat drums with their hands, as if they were bad pupils, for the sake of a proclamation. Other gods made sound cymbals of gold and silver, rivaling the beauty of the suns and moons that had come beyond number. Some gods blew conches loudly with cheeks puffed out as if they had a mouthful of nectar. Various musical instruments being played by the gods in this way, the sky was like a musical instrument without a musician from its echoes. “Hail! Rejoice! O Lord of the World, attaining emancipation, O, Ocean of Compassion, Promoter of Dharma,” etc., the flying ascetics sang.
After reciting a hymn of praise delightful with various dhruvakas, slokas, utsahas and skandhakas also, with galitas, vastuvadanas, and prose, the Indra of Acyuta with his gods slowly emptied the pitchers over the Lord of the World. Being turned over the Master’s head, the water-pitchers shone like rain-clouds over the peak of Sumeru. Being made to bend by the gods on both sides of the Lord’s head, they at once assumed the appearance of jeweled ear-rings. The streams of water falling from these pitchers with yojana-wide mouths looked like cascades from mouths of mountain-caves. The jets of water spurting up in all directions from the region of the head looked like shoots from the bulb of Dharma the Master. Spread out on the head in a circle like a white umbrella; spreading out on the forehead like a forehead-ornament of sandal; on the ears like beauty gained by eyes extending to the ends of the ears; like a canopy of camphor-leaves and vines on the sides of the cheeks; like a cluster of bright smiles on his beautiful lips; like a string of large pearls on his neck; like a tilaka of sandal on the shoulder; like a broad jacket on the arm, chest and back; like an uttariya (upper garment) on the space between hip and knee; falling on the Master, the water from the Ocean of Milk shone.
As soon as the Lord’s bath-water fell on the ground, with devotion it was seized by some, like rain by catakas “Where, pray, will we obtain that again?” With this thought, some gods put the water on their heads like men in a desert. Some gods with eagerness sprinkled their bodies again and again, like elephants suffering from summer-heat. Advancing quickly on the plateaux of Mt. Meru, the water formed a thousand rivers on all sides. It (the water) assumed the appearance of a wide-spreading unequaled river in the gardens Pandaka, Saumanasa, Nandana, and Bhadrasalaka. As Haris gave the bath to the Blessed One, the pitchers with their mouths turned down looked as if they were ashamed, because their store of water was exhausted by the bath. The Abhiyogika-gods refilled those pitchers with the water of other pitchers at their Master’s order. Moving from hand to hand of the gods, the pitchers looked like small boys of the wealthy. The row of pitchers placed around the son of Nabhi had the appearance of a wreath of golden lotuses being put on. Again the gods turned the pitchers over the Master’s head, their mouths talking with the water, devoted to praise of the Arhat, as it were. The gods filled the pitchers emptied repeatedly in the lord’s bath by Hari, like Yaksas a Cakrin’s treasure-pitchers. Emptied again and again, brought again and again, moving to and fro again and again, the pitchers looked like jars on a machine for drawing water. Thus the Master’s wonderful bath was made with crores of pitchers by the Indra of Acyuta, as desired. His (Acyuta’s) soul was purified.
The Lord of Arana and Acyuta dried the lord’s body with a divine fragrant reddish-brown cloth, considering himself purified, moreover. Touching the Master’s body, the fragrant reddish-brown cloth shone like a row of twilight clouds touching the disc of the sun at dawn. The Blessed One’s body dried in this way looked like the whole of the wealth of gold collected in one place from Mt. Suvarna. Then the Abhiyogyas brought moist paste of gosirsa-sandal in various dishes to Acyuta. With it Purandaras began to anoint the Lord, like the moon the ridge of Mt. Meru with moonlight. Around the Master some gods stood, wearing upper-garments, in their hands large incense-burners. Other gods threw incense into them, making as it were another sapphire-peak on Meru by the unctuous line of smoke. Some carried large white umbrellas, as if making the sky a huge white-lotus pond. Some of the highest gods waved chauris, as if summoning their own people for the sight of the Master. Some gods, girded up, carrying each his own weapon, stood around the Master like bodyguards. Some gods waved fans of jewels and gold, as if showing in the sky the imitation of a rising flash of lightning. Other gods, exceedingly joyful, made a rain of variegated divine flowers, like stage-managers. Others rained on all sides a very fragrant powder resembling the uprooting of evils in the form of powder. Some gods made a rain of gold, as if wishing to add to the extreme wealth of Mt. Meru occupied by the Master. Some made a heavy shower of jewels that resembled stars descending to bow at the Master’s feet. Some sang to the Master, each with new gramaragas with sweet notes, surpassing a troop of Gandharvas. Others made resound musical instruments stringed, drums, solid instruments, and perforated ones. For devotion takes many forms.
Some gods danced, shaking the peaks of Meru with blows from their feet, as if wishing to make them dance. Other gods began a concert splendid with varied gestures, like dancers with their wives. Some gods flew up in the sky, as if thinking themselves like Garuda; some flew down to earth, for fun, like cocks. Some pranced gracefully, like champions chosen to decide a battle; some made a lionroar, like lions, from joy. Some trumpeted aloud like elephants; some joyfully neighed like horses; some made a rattling noise like chariots; some, like buffoons, made the four noises of the others. Some, leaping, shook violently the peaks of Meru by stamping their feet, like monkeys shaking the branches of trees. Others hit the ground hard with open hands, like men eager to make promise of battle. Some made an uproar, as if they had won wagers; some played on their puffed out cheeks, as if they were musical instruments on their shoulders. Some like clowns changed their appearance and made the people laugh; others bounded in front, at the sides, and at the back like balls. Some made a circle and, singing in a rustic-dance-circle, gave a charming dance, like women giving the some burned like a flame; some shone like the sun; some thundered like a cloud; some flashed like lightning. Some were transformed like pupils filled with boiled rice (i.e., satisfied). Who can conceal such joy arising from the Master’s arrival? Even while the gods were giving manifestations of joy in many forms, the Indra of Acyuta anointed the Lord. With flowers of the coral tree, etc., blooming like his own devotion, then the Lord of Acyuta himself made a pooja to the Lord of Jinas. Then having withdrawn a short distance, bent from devotion, Vasavas bowed and praised the Master, like a pupil. In the same way, the sixty-two other Indras, in order of seniority like brothers, made the bathing and anointing and pooja to the Lord of the World.
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