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ŚRŤ MALLINĀTHACARITRA
53 pleasures, so we shall enjoy together the bliss of emancipation in future.” Then Mahābala installed Balabhadra on the throne; and each one of the friends installed his son on his throne. Then powerful Mahābala and his six friends became mendicants at the feet of Muni Varadharma. The seven noble men made an agreement, "Whatever penance one of us performs, the rest of us must do."
So they, this agreement having been made, equally eager for the fourth object of existence, practiced equal penance, one-day fasts, et cetera.
From a desire for superior results Mahābala deceived: them, making excuses such as, '"Today my head hurts; today my stomach hurts; today I am not hungry," et cetera, did not eat on the day to break fast, and performed superior penance. Because of penance mixed with deceit, he acquired woman-inclination-karma 87 and also the body-making-karma of a Tīrthakrt because of the sthānas, devotion to the Arhats, et cetera.
Incarnation as a god (22-23) When the seven were eighty-four lacs of pūrvas old and had preserved their vows for eighty-four thousand years, at the end of their lives they performed the twofold samlekhanā,88 took a vow to fast, died, and were born as gods in the heavenly palace Vaijayanta.
Her parents (24-35) Now in Jambūdvipa in the southern half of Bharata there is a city Mithilā, whose inhabitants are unshaken in dharma. Its palaces with golden finials resemble the eastern mountain with the sun risen above it. When people had seen this city made of all the jewels, they believed in other cities, Alakā, et cetera, made of jewels which appeared in stories. The gods, now in heaven, now .87 21. Striveda, i.e., he would be born as a woman.
38 23. See I, p. 357.
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