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From a worthy donation, the poor assembly of cowherds became the wealthy son of a merchant, Shalibhadra.
The third light of the Yoga Shastra, verse 88, gave birth to a son like a mountain range gives birth to a vaidurya gem. In an auspicious time, the parents named their son Shalibhadra according to their dream. The child was raised under the care of five nurses. As the moon gradually grows, when the child was eight years old, his parents sent him to the art teacher to learn arts and sciences. When he reached the threshold of youth, Shalibhadra also became a lover of young women. Now Shalibhadra, playing with his friends, seemed like another Pradyumna Kumar. Many merchants of the city came and proposed their 32 daughters to Shalibhadra in front of the respected merchant, Gobhadra, and requested him to accept the proposal, which Gobhadra accepted with joy. After that, Gobhadra, in an auspicious time, married Shalibhadra with great pomp and show to those 32 daughters, who were endowed with all auspicious signs. After the marriage, Shalibhadra, enjoying with those 32 daughters in his beautiful palace, seemed as if Indra was enjoying with Shachi and others in his beautiful chariot. Immersed in the joy of that luxurious and alluring environment, Shalibhadra did not know when the sun rose and when the night passed! His parents themselves provided him with all the materials for enjoyment. When the time came, Gobhadra left his entire property, home, family, etc., and took monastic initiation at the feet of Lord Mahavira. While practicing self-restraint, knowing that his last moments were near, he took a vow of fasting and completed his life span through Samadhi-death and reached the heavenly abode. There, knowing Shalibhadra as his son through his knowledge of the past, attracted by his merit and filled with paternal affection, Gobhadra daily offered divine clothes, ornaments, etc., to him and his thirty-two wives. Whatever work was done for humans, was done by Bhadra Sethani. All this material for enjoyment was obtained due to the effect of his previous donations.
Once, some foreign merchants came to Rajgriha to sell gem-blankets. They showed these gem-blankets to King Shrenik, but he refused to buy them because they were very expensive. Disappointed, the merchants were returning when Shalibhadra's mother, Bhadra Sethani, called them to her place and bought all the gem-blankets at their asking price. When Queen Chillaana came to know that the king had not bought a single gem-blanket, she said to King Shrenik - My dear! Even if it is very expensive, you must buy at least one gem-blanket for me. Therefore, King Shrenik asked the merchants to give him one gem-blanket at the price he had previously mentioned. To this, the merchants said - O King! All the gem-blankets have been bought by Bhadra Sethani alone. We do not have a single gem-blanket left. King Shrenik sent a skilled servant to Bhadra Sethani to buy a gem-blanket for him by paying the price. He asked Bhadra Sethani for a gem-blanket at the price he had bought it for. To this, Bhadra Sethani said - I have broken the gem-blankets into halves and given them to my 32 daughters-in-law (Shalibhadra's wives). They must have thrown them away after wiping their feet with them. If the king needs them urgently, he can get the gem-blankets in the form of two used pieces. Therefore, if you want to take them after asking the king, you can take them. The servant went and told the whole story to King Shrenik. Queen Chillaana, who was sitting nearby, also heard this and said to him - My dear! Look! Isn't there a difference between brass and gold in us and Shalibhadra the merchant? King Shrenik was embarrassed to hear this. Out of curiosity, he sent that man to bring Shalibhadra. When the servant told Bhadra about this, she herself said that she would go to serve the king. Bhadra Sethani herself went to serve the king and politely requested - O King! My son is so delicate that he never goes out of the palace. Therefore, please grace us by coming here and seeing Shalibhadra. The surprised King Shrenik agreed to go to Shalibhadra's place. Bhadra requested the king to stay for some time. Coming home, she had the entire road from her house to the royal palace and the shops in the market decorated with colorful clothes and ruby gems by her servants. The shops looked as if they had been decorated by the gods themselves. Seeing the splendor of the highway and the market, King Shrenik reached Shalibhadra's place and, with eyes wide with wonder, looked at the amazing palace of Bhadra.