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Birth Ceremonies

Birth Ceremonies
Then eight Dikkumaris living in the lower world, their thrones being shaken at once, came to the birth-house. Bhogankara, Bhogavati, Subhoga, Bhogamalini, Toyadhara, Vicitra, Puspamala, Abhinandita. After they had circumabulated three times the first Tirthankaras and his mother, and had paid homage to them, they said, “Reverence to you, Mother of the World, Giver of the Light of the World. We eight Dikkumaris, living in the lower world, have come here by his power to make a festival to him, knowing by clairvoyant knowledge the purifying birth of the Tirthankara. Therefore, do not be afraid.” Saying this, standing in the northeast region, they made a lying-in house with one thousand pillars, facing east. They removed all the gravel, thorns, etc., around the birthhouse to the extent of a yojana by means of a whirlwind. Then, after checking the whirlwind and bowing to the Blessed One, they continued to sing to him, seated near him.

Likewise, having known by the shaking of their thrones, the eight Dikkumaris living on Mt. Meru, inhabitants of the upper world, came. Meghankara, Meghavati, Sumegha, Meghamalini, Toyadhara, Vicitra, Varisena, Balahaka. After bowing to the Jinas and the Jina’s mother and announcing themselves as before, they quickly made a mass of clouds in the sky, like the month Nabhasya. For a yojana around the house they laid the dust completely with perfumed water like darkness by moonlight. They made a shower of five-colored flowers knee-deep, making the earth made of variegated paintings as it were. Likewise singing the spotless virtues of the Tirthanatha, filled with a high degree of joy, they stood each in her proper place.

Eight Dikkumaris, living on the eastern Rucaka Mountains, came in chariots rivaling the mind (in speed) as it were. Nandottara, Nanda, Ananda, Nandivardhana, Vijaya, Vaijayanti, Jayanti, Aparajita. After bowing to the Master and to Marudeva and announcing themselves as before, singing auspicious songs, they stood in front, holding mirrors.

The same number of Dikkumaris, living on the southern Rucaka Mountains, came there, impelled by joy like a whip. Samahara, Supradatta, Suprabuddha, Yasodhara, Laksmivati, Sesavati, Citragupta, Vasundhara. Having bowed to the Lord of Jinas and his mother and having introduced themselves as before, they stood on the right, singing, with pitchers in their hands.

Eight Dikkumaris also, living on the west Rucaka Mountains, came in haste, as if outstripping each other from devotion. Iladevi, Suradevi, Prthvi, Padmavati, Ekanasa, Navamika, Bhadra, Asoka. Having bowed to the Jina and the Jina’s mother and having announced themselves as before, they stood behind, holding palm-leaf fans, singing.

Eight Dikkumaris from the northern Rucaka Mountains came quickly by means of the Abhiyogika-gods who had become chariots like the wind (in speed). Alambusa, Misrakesi, Pundarika, Varuni, Hasa, Sarvaprabha, Sri, Hri. After bowing to the Jina and to his mother and announcing their purpose as before, they stood on the left holding chauris, singing.

Four Dikkumaris, named Citra, Citrakanaka, Satera, Sautramani, came from the intermediate points of the compass of the Rucaka Mountains. When they had bowed to the Jinas and the Jina’s mother and had introduced themselves in the same way, they stood in the northeast, etc., directions, holding lights, singing.

Four Dikkumaris came from Rucakadvipa, Rupa, Rupansika, Surupa, and Rupakavati. They cut the Lord’s navel-cord, leaving three inches, made a hole in the ground, and deposited it there. They filled the hole with diamonds and jewels quickly, and made a platform covered with durva-grassB over it. To the east, south and north of the Lord’s birth-house, they created three houses of plantain like houses of Sri. In each one of them, they created an extensive four-room apartment adorned with a lion-throne, resembling their own palaces. Setting the Jina on their folded hands, and supporting his mother on their arms, like expert servants they led her to the southern four-room apartment.

Birth Ceremonies
After seating them on the lionthrone, they anointed them both with fragrant oil composed of a thousand ingredients, like expert shampooers. Quickly they massaged them both with divine unguent, the heavens being delighted by a stream of great fragrance. After conducting them to the eastern four-room apartment and seating them on the lion-throne, they bathed them with water pure as their own minds. They rubbed their bodies with fragrant reddish cloths, and quickly anointed them with gosirsa-sandal paste. They put on them garments of devadusyacloth, and various ornaments resembling a flash of lightning. Then, having led them to the northern four-room apartment, they seated the Blessed One and the Blessed One’s mother on the lion-throne. They had gosirsa-sandal-fuel collected quickly by the Abhiyogikagods from Mt. Ksudrahimavat. Having speedily produced a fire by the two pieces of wood for kindling fire by attrition, they made a sacrifice with the gosirsa-sandal made into fuel.

With the ashes of the fire they made an amulet. For that is the course of devotion to those two, even though they are very powerful. Saying aloud, “May your life be as long as that of a mountain,” they struck together stone-balls near the Lord’s ears. Having placed Marudevi and the Lord on a couch in the lying-in house, they stood singing auspicious songs. Then simultaneously in the heavens, there was the loud sound of the eternal bells, like the sound of musical instruments at the time of a wedding. At that time the thrones of the Indras, though immovable as mountain-peaks, trembled like hearts from confusion. Then the Lord of Saudharma, his eyes red from a burst of anger, his face knitted in a frown on the broad surface of his forehead, making his lower lip tremble like a name from the fire of internal anger, taking a deep breath as if to make firm his throne with one foot, saying to himself, “Whose name-paper has been turned up now by Krtanta?” starts to take his thunderbolt, the wind to the fire of his own arrogance.

When he saw Purandaras thus like an angry lion, his general, like pride incarnate, bowed to him and asked: “O Master, with me present as a soldier, why this anger on your part? O Lord of the World, tell me what enemy of yours I am to destroy.” Then the Lord of the gods composed his mind, employed clairvoyant knowledge, and knew the birth of the first Jinas. At once Sakra, the violence of his anger oozing away from joy, became like a mountain with a forest-fire extinguished by rain. “Alas for what I thought. May my sin be without consequences.” Saying this, the chief of the gods left the lion-throne. He took seven or eight steps, put on his head his folded hands which bestowed the beauty of a second jeweled crown, bowed, touching the earth with the lotuses of his knee and head, and with his hair erect from joy began a hymn of praise to the Arhat.

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