Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra
by Helen M. Johnson | 1931 | 742,503 words
This page describes Previous birth of Purushottama as Samudradatta which is the eighth part of chapter IV of the English translation of the Anantanatha-caritra, contained within the “Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Caritra”: a massive Jain narrative relgious text composed by Hemacandra in the 12th century. Anantanatha in jainism is one of the 63 illustrious beings or worthy persons.
Part 8: Previous birth of Puruṣottama as Samudradatta
Now in Bharatakṣetra in Jambūdvīpa there is a city Kauśāmbī, equal to Purandara’s city. Its king was Samudradatta, who had put a seal on his enemies’ splendor, deep as the ocean. He had a wife, Nandā, moonlight for the delight of the eye, destroying the pride of goddesses in their beauty by her beauty.
Caṇḍaśāsana, King of Malaya, a friend of the king, like the wind of Malaya of spring, came there. Samudradatta entertained him and his retinue cordially in his house with great affection, like a brother. Then he saw the gazelle-eyed Nandā, giving delight to the eyes, the wife of Samudradatta like Jāhnavī of the ocean. His limbs transfixed, as if nailed by the unbearable arrows of Love; perspiring as if from the strong heat of the fire of separation; with affection sprouting on his body from horripilation, as it were; his voice broken, as if devoured by a planet, by her physical merits; his body trembling as if eager for her embrace; colorless from sorrow at not obtaining her; his eyes stolen by tears as if he were blind from love; resorting to fainting as if to bring death because of not winning her; what condition of love did Caṇḍaśāsana not attain when he had seen Nandā, fair in body and limbs, at that time?
He lived in the house provided by Samudradatta, but at night he did not sleep, his mind distracted, suffering from love like a disease. Meditating day after day on devices for obtaining Nandā, he passed the time, an enemy disguised as a friend.
One day, as Samudradatta was trustful, he abducted Nandā, like a kite seizing a necklace,[1] and went away quickly. Unable to recover her, who had been abducted by a powerful and deceitful man like a Rakṣas, Samudradatta attained extreme disgust with existence. Suffering from the disgrace like an arrow in his heart, he took initiation under Muni Śreyāṃsa. He practiced very severe penance and made the nidāna, “As a result of this penance, may I kill Nandā’s abductor.” He limited the fruit of his penance by that nidāna and, when he died according to destiny, became a god in Sahasrāra.