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Koshā, the courtesan, awakens the Muni (ascetic) and the Rathakāra (charioteer) residing in the lion cave.
After the 131st verse of the third chapter of the Yogaśāstra, the parrot spoke again - "This is worth a hundred thousand (coins) and is being taken away." Therefore, the chief of the thieves asked him again, "O Bhikkhu! Tell the truth! What do you have?" Then the Muni said to him, "What can I hide from you? I had obtained a precious Nepal-nara ratnakaṃbala (a valuable blanket) to give to the courtesan. I have hidden it in a bamboo tube. If you want, I can give it to you." The thieves, thinking the Muni was a Bhikkhu, let him go.
The Muni then directly reached the place of Koshā, the courtesan, and offered her the ratnakaṃbala. Seeing the Muni, Koshā immediately and fearlessly threw him into a dirty drain. The Muni said, "O Bhadre! You have thrown this extremely valuable and hard-earned ratnakaṃbala into the dirty drain. O Śaṃkhagrivā! Did you not consider anything while throwing it?" To this, Koshā sharply said, "O deluded Muni! You are concerned about this ratnakaṃbala, but you are throwing the gem-like Muni-life, which is full of virtuous conduct, into the dirty pit of passions; do you have any concern for that?"
Hearing this, the Muni was suddenly awakened. Shaken by Koshā's strong rebuke, he turned towards renunciation. Composing himself, he said to the courtesan, "Sister! You have truly awakened me from sleep. You have given me a beautiful awakening and saved me from drowning in the ocean of the world. You have indeed done a great deed. Now I am healthy and am going to the feet of my Gurumaharāja to eradicate the transgressions (sins-faults) in my life of restraint." Koshā also said to the Muni, "Due to you, I became a sinner, for which I say 'Micchāmi Dukkaḍaṃ' (I seek forgiveness). While being absorbed in the vow of celibacy, I tried to disturb you, and I had this hope of you going to Nepal and awakening you; for that, I seek your forgiveness, please forgive me. I wish that you now reach the service of your Gurujī soon."
The Muni also reached his Guru and, with self-surrender, began to perform severe austerities as repentance.
One day, pleased, King Nanda sent a charioteer to the courtesan Koshā. But since the courtesan was not under the king's control, she engaged in intercourse with him without affection. In front of the charioteer, she always said that there is no greater person than Sthūlabhadra. The charioteer thought, "Let me show her some miracle, so that she develops affection towards me." Thinking so, one day he went to the garden and sat on a couch, and to entertain Koshā, he demonstrated his scientific skill, piercing a cluster of mangoes with an arrow, then threading other arrows through the previous ones up to his hand, and finally cutting the mango cluster with an arrow in the shape of a weapon. He then offered the mango cluster to the courtesan Koshā.
Seeing this, the courtesan said, "Now see my dance art." Saying this, she had a heap of mustard seeds placed, with a needle standing upright in the middle. She then covered the entire heap with flower petals. Thereafter, she danced on that needle in such a way that neither did the needle hurt her, nor did a single petal move. Pleased by seeing her difficult feat, the charioteer said to Koshā, "Seeing your difficult deed, I am very pleased. Therefore, ask for whatever I have, and I will surely give it to you." To this, the courtesan said, "I have not done any difficult deed that has impressed you so much. In fact, one who practices can do even more difficult deeds. Piercing the mango cluster or dancing on the needle is not difficult, as it can be accomplished through practice. But the deed that Sthūlabhadra has done, without any practice, is truly difficult. He, who continuously enjoyed new sensual pleasures with me for twelve years in the same painting hall, remained unshaken and unwavering in the vows of brahmacarya (celibacy) and other vows for four months in that same place. Just as milk cannot remain pure where crows come and go, similarly, it is difficult for a man to remain untainted in the abode of a woman. Many yogis have been corrupted. Who is capable of remaining unshaken even for a single day in solitude with a woman? Yet, Sthūlabhadra Muni remained celibate for four months. Although his food was delicious, rich in six tastes, his dwelling was in the painting hall, a woman was with him, and there was solitude - still, Sthūlabhadra Muni..."