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416
CHAPTER FOUR
said to the mendicant: "Why this conduct of yours repugnant to (your) belief and appearance? Tell fearlessly, clever man."
Story of the thief (193-225)
"This same act is customary for those devoted to senseobjects, (but) without money in the house. If there is anything unusual, hear: In the city Pundravardhana, I am the son, Nārāyaṇa, of the Brahman Somadeva. I constantly taught the people that heaven was from killing living creatures, et
cetera.
6
One day I saw some sad-faced men arrested on the suspicion that they were thieves. 'All these rogues should be killed,' I said at that time. A muni said, 'Oh! the wicked ignorance!' I bowed and asked the muni,' What ignorance?' and he said: The imputation of non-existent crime, causing great pain to another. These men have fallen into misfortune from the ripening of former karma. Why do you invent a non-existent crime of thievery? Soon you will find the full fruit of acts committed in a former birth. So do not impose a false crime on another.'
w
Asked by me again about the full fruit of former acts, the muni, who had supernatural knowledge, his mind filled with compassion, said:
Former birth of thief (201-214)
In this same Bharatakṣetra in the city Garjana, there was a Brahman, Aṣāḍha by name, and his wife Racchukā. Now in the fifth birth (before this) you were their son, Candradeva, and you were taught the Vedas by your father. Considering yourself learned, you were much honored by King Virasena. Another mendicant, named Yogātman, intelligent, was there. There was a child-widow, Viramati, the daughter of Sheth Vinita, and she went off with a gardener, Sinhala. Yogātman had been worshipped by her and by chance he went somewhere else on the same day without telling
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