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Some Aspects of Indian Culture
and ships plied in those days. The enterprising merchants undertook voyages, went to far off countries to earn more wealth. They used to return home with wealth increased and money multiplied. No trouble dampened their spirit and no difficulty ever had an upper hand. They fully illustrated by their example the maxim "fortune favours the brave" and "wealth goes to him who is industrious" (Aradhand Kathakota, part II, p. 35 and p.135; Do Hajar Varsha Purani Kahanian; p. 31 and p. 96).
The learned and literay people also did not lag behind. They employed their scholarships as a means to maintenace. It is said in these stories of the Jaina writers that a musician earned his livlihood through music and a poet through his poems. Lower section of the society fixed its hope of sustenance on their professional activities such as picture-showing, ropewalking, magic, sorcery and sleights of hand.
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