z:\ ambedkar\vol 011\vol11 02.indd MK SJ+YS 4 10 2013/YS 18 11 2013 34
34 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
I
his parents, Siddharth went to the place where Channa was standing. He gave him his dress and his ornaments to take back home.
Then he had his head shaved, as was required for a Parivrajaka. His cousin Mahanama had brought the clothes appropriate for a Parivrajaka and a begging bowl. Siddharth wore them.
Having thus prepared himself to enter the life of a Parivrajaka, Siddharth approached Bharadwaja to confer on him Parivraja.
Bharadwaja with the help of his disciples performed the necessary ceremonies and declared Siddharth Gautama to have become a Parivrajaka.
Remembering that he had given a double pledge to the Sakya Sangh to take Parivraja and to leave the Sakya kingdom without undue delay, Siddharth Gautama immediately on the completion of the Parivraja ceremony started on his journey.
The crowd which had collected in the Ashram was unusually large. That was because the circumstances leading to Gautama’s Parivraja were so extraordinary. As the prince stepped out of the Ashram the crowd also followed him.
He left Kapilavatsu and proceeded in the direction of the river Anoma. Looking back he saw the crowd still following him.
He stopped and addressed them, saying : “Brothers and sisters, there is no use your following me. I have failed to settle the dispute between the Sakyas and the Koliyas. But if you create public opinion in favour of settlement you might succeed. Be, therefore, so good as to return.” Hearing his appeal, the crowd started going back.
Suddhodana and Gautami also returned to the palace.
Gautami was unable to bear the sight of the robes and the ornaments discarded by Siddharth. She had them thrown into a lotus pool.
Siddharth Gautama was only twenty-nine when he underwent Parivraja (Renunciation).
People admired him and sighed for him,