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## The Twenty-Sixth Chapter
He, consumed by thoughts of defeat, withered day and night. He even neglected his bodily needs, performing them with indifference. ||50||
Then, one day, his commander, Balachandra, addressed him, "My lord, why do you appear so constantly distressed?" ||51||
"My dear Balachandra, my greatest cause for worry is Kundalamandit," replied Anaranya. ||52||
"My king, I vow that I will not return to your presence until I have subdued that wicked Kundalamandit. This is my solemn vow," declared Balachandra. ||53||
Thus, vowing before the king, the commander, filled with anger, prepared to march with his four-fold army. ||54||
Kundalamandit, his mind consumed by frivolous pleasures, abandoned all other pursuits. His ministers and other core supporters had all deserted him. He was oblivious to the world around him, his efforts focused solely on a woman. Balachandra, like a hunter, easily captured him. ||55-56||
The clever Balachandra, seizing control of his army and kingdom, banished him from the land and returned to Anaranya. ||57||
Anaranya, his kingdom restored to peace and prosperity by his loyal servant, experienced immense joy and contentment. ||58||
Kundalamandit, stripped of his kingdom, was left with only his body. He wandered the earth on foot, perpetually sorrowful and filled with regret. ||59||
One day, while wandering, he reached the hermitage of the Digambar monks. He bowed his head in reverence to the Acharya Maharaj and earnestly inquired about the nature of Dharma. ||60||
"It is indeed true," replied the Acharya, "that those who are afflicted with sorrow, poverty, bereft of loved ones, and burdened by illness, often turn their minds towards Dharma." ||61||
Kundalamandit then asked, "O revered one, what is the Dharma for one who lacks the strength to take monastic vows and is consumed by worldly attachments?" ||62||