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CHAPTER ONE forest? Not even armed men wander here alone.” They replied: “We started out from our station with a caravan in the first place. We entered a village for alms and just then the caravan left. Without receiving alms we set out after the caravan and then, as we went along, we happened into this great forest." ... Nayasāra. said: “ Alas! the caravan is very pitiless; alas! it does not fear evil; alas! it destroys men who trusted it, since it went ahead without waiting for the sādhus who had started with it and had stopped with confidence in the caravan cruel from devotion to its own business only. Because of my merit, you have come here to the forest as my guests. ”
With these words, he led the great munis to the place where the food was and gave the munis the food and drink brought for his own use. The sādhus went elsewhere, according to rule, and ate. After the village-overseer had eaten, he went to the munis, bowed, and said, “ If your Reverences are ready to go now, I shall show you the road to the city.” They went with him and reached the road to the city. Seated under a tree, they taught him dharma. He adopted right-belief (samyaktva) and took leave of them, considering himself blessed. He returned (to the forest), sent the trees to the king, and went himself to the village. Henceforth, always practing dharma, meditating on the seven Principles,1 preserving right-belief, noble-minded, he passed the time.
Incarnation as a god (24)
At the end he performed the rite of propitiation (ārādhană), recalled the formula of homage to the Five and after death became a god in Saudharma for the duration of a palyopama.2
1 23. Tattva. Usually Svetāmbara writers make the Tattvas 9, including punya and pāpa. For a full exposition, see I, Appendix IV.
2 24. A palyopama is an inestimably long period of time. For details see I, n. 50.
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