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[Full title: Didactic stories; (A) Religious cum Moral Stories; (51) The previous births of Bharata and Tribhuvanalamkara Elephant or The story of Suryodaya (Ramana) and Candrodaya (Vinoda)]

Following the agitation and thereafter the automatic pacification of Tribhuvanalankara elephant, Laksmana enquired of Muni Desabhusana about the cause of the disturbance of the elephant. Then the muni told that the elephant got pacified on remembering his previous life at the sight of Bharata who was associated with the elephant in his previous birth (82.17-121). The story is narrated elucidating the cousequences of leading a wicked and deceitful life. Candrodaya and Suryodaya, the sons of Prahladana by Suprabha gave up the discipleship of Lord Rsabha, and became the disciples of mendicant Marici who himself was formely a disciple of Rsabha. Candrodaya, after his death became king Kulankara of Nagapura in the family of Harimati and Prahladana while Suryodaya was reborn as Kulankara's Purohita, named Srutirata in the family of Visvabhuti and Agnikunda. Kulankara once on his way to pay homage to a Tapasa came to see that a snake which was his own grandfather in some previous birth as forecasted by Muni Abhinandana, was hiding inside a hollow log of wood which was being burnt by that Tapasa. At this sight Kulankara wanted to become a monk but Srutirata prevented him from giving up his hereditary Vedic faith. Sridama, the wife of Kulankara who was illicitly attached to that Purohita finding her husband not renouncing the world, poisoned Kulankara to death with the help of the Purohita. Kulankara's soul transmigrating through the lives of a rabbit, a peacock, a snake, and an osprey was reborn as a frog. 1. The Paumacariya is not clear. See the Paumacariya

a INTERVENING STORIES 183 Srutirata having been reborn as an elephant trampled down the frog to death. The frog was reborn as a fish and then was reborn as a cock for three successive times. The cock was, all the three times, killed by a cat. The cat was nobody else but the elephant who got reborn as a cat for the same number of times. Then the cat and the cock were reborn as a fish and a crocodile respectively. Both of them were slaughtered by a fisherman and were reborn as two brothers Ramana and Vinoda, in the family of a Brahmin at Rajagrha Ramana once while returning home from his Vedic teacher stayed in a Yaksagrha. Sakha, the wife of Vinoda entered that house to meet her paramour, Asokadatta, there as decided before. Unfortunately Ramana was caught with the suspicion of having illicit connection with her. He was seized by the policemen. Vinoda killed Ramana in a hurry without knowing the truth because it all happened in the pitch-dark night. Both the brothers then passing through the lives of he-buffaloes, bears, hunters and antelopes successively werereborn as two stags. King Svayambhu took them to his house. There they felt delighted on seeing a monk who was being offered alms by the king. After their death they became celestial beings and then passing through various subhuman existences, Vinoda became very rich Dhanada in merchant namely, Kampilyapura and Ramana became his son, namely, Bhusana. Bhusana once proceeding to pay homage to the Jinas was bitten by a snake and was reborn first in the Mahendravimana and thereafter as Jagadyuti, the son of Madhavi and Prakasayasas of Candradityapura in the Puskaradvipa. From there he was reborn In Devakuru and then in the Isana Kalpa. Descending from there he was born as Vibhu of Dharini and Cakravartin Acala of Ratnapura in the Aparavideha. Knowing his inclination towords asceticism his father forcibly wedded him to many beautiful girls, but he kept himself engaged in observing penances and after his death he was reborn in the Bramhottara Kalpa. Dhanada on the other hand after transmigrating through various births became Brahmin Mrdumati, the son of Sakunagnimukha and Savitri at Podanapura. On account of his In due course he vagabond nature he was expelled from the house. became a famous dice-player and master of various arts. He kept two courtezans, became very rich and ameliorated the miserable conditions of his parents. Once while attempting to commit burglary in the palace, he overheard king Nandivardhana (Srivardhana) of Sasankanagara praising before his queen the Jina-religion and he desired to become a monk. Being thus enlightened Mrdumati renounced the world and wandering from place to place, he reached a hill where lived a very famous monk namely Gunanidhi who was greatly revered

184 A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYAM by the local people. Gunanidhi left that place. The people then took Mrdumati as Gunanidhi and praised him exceedingly. But Mrdumati did never try to unfold the truth and stayed there practising deceit. After his death he also ascended to the Brahmottara Kalpa. From there Mrdumati was reborn as an elephant on account of his 'maya' while the other celestial being was reborn as Bharata, i. e. Candrodaya or Vinoda became elephant while Surodaya or Ramana was reborn as Bharata. The Paumacariya (85.28-173) names Harimati as Haripati and his wife. Prahladana as Manoluta. Here Kulankara and Srutirata both are killed by Sridama and both are mentioned to have trasmigrated together through the lives of rabbits, frogs, rats, (the latter two births. being additions to those of the Paumacariya) peacocks, snakes and stags (instead of the osprey of the Paumacariya) and thereafter they were reborn as a frog and an elephant respectively. Here the frog regained life after the rainy season and then was reborn as a cock. The cock is reborn as a fish and the cat as a crocodile. It mentions the names of the parents of Vinoda and Ramana. Sakha is here named as Samidha. Vinoda is reborn as a he-buffalo while Ramana as a bear (and not both as buffaloes) and thereafter as bears. After being born as hunters they are reborn as stags for one time only. Vibhu of the Paumacariya is named as Abhirama. Thereafter the story is identical with that of the Paumacariya In the Paumacariya Candrodaya is reborn first as Ramana and thereafter as Bharata while Suryodaya as Vinoda and then as elephant, The Paumacariu (79.13.9) merely says that the previous births of Bharata and the elephants were narrated to Rama, but no details are given. The Trishashti Shalaka Purusha-caritra (IV. p. 304) does not refer to the account of Marici. It mentions Candrodaya and Suryodaya as the sons of two different kings, Prahladana and Suprabha. It gives the name of the mother of Kulankara as Candralekha. The grandfather of Kulankara is named Ksemankara. The intervening rebirths of Kulankara and Srutirati up to their being reborn as Ramana and Vinoda are dropped. (Here it follows the Paumacariya). It mentions that Sakha had addressed Ramana considering him to be 1. The Paumacariya has corrected the mistake of the Paumacariya because Suryodaya should remain, throughout his various rebirths, wicked and deceitful to acquire the Karma of getting reborn as an animal. This point is missed in the Paumacariya at the time of describing the rebirths of a cock and a cat.

INTERVENING STORIES 185 (Asoka) Datta. Vinoda who was following Sakha observed the incident and killed Vinoda. Here Vinoda is also killed by Sakha. Thereafter their rebirths are not mentioned up to the stage they become Dhana and Bhusana. It mentions Mrdumati as a son of Agnimukha and Sakuna. It refers to only one courtezan of Mrdumati. It has taken the theme both from the Paumacariya and the Paumacariya The Ramapurana of Bhattaraka Somasena. (p. 167f) does not refer to Marici's account. It mentions Harimati is Suprabha as Supraja, and Surya and Candra as his sons. mentioned as Simbapati and his wife as Manoluta (Paumacariya). Then it follows the Paumacariya But it shows acquaintance with the Paumacariya when it mentions that Kulankara was reborn as a crocodile and then as Vinoda. It mentions that Vinoda and Ramana were reborn as two Bhillas before their being born as stags. It does not mention their rebirth as hunters, but mentions that the stags were frightened by some hunters and therefore, they were seperated from the rest of the flock. It mentions only one courtezan of Mrdumati just like the Trishashti Shalaka Purusha-caritra At one place (p.168) it mentions that Purohita Srutarati, Brahmana Vinoda, and merchant Dhanada were the different lives of the same person (soul of elephant). It goes against the story itself narrated in it, which mentions that Kulankara was reborn as Vinoda.