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The Great Purana, Uttara Purana
1
The first set of actions, from conception to liberation, are thirty-five in number. These are for those who have attained purity of right faith. They have been described previously. The actions related to initiation, from incarnation to liberation, are forty-eight in number. These are conducive to liberation. The actions related to karma, from taking refuge to attaining perfection, are seven in number. The nature, method, and fruits of these actions have been described in detail. Having heard the teachings of the Shravaka Dharma from the Tirthankara Dhanarath, King MeghaRath bowed down with devotion and calmed his mind for liberation. Contemplating the misery of the body, enjoyment, and the cycle of birth and death, he turned towards self-control. He said to his younger brother, Dridharath, "You should rule the kingdom." But Dridharath replied, "The faults you have seen in the kingdom, I too have seen. Since this kingdom is worthy of being taken and then abandoned, it is better not to take it in the first place. It is said in the world that it is better to avoid touching mud altogether than to wash it off." Thus, when Dridharath refused to take the kingdom, he gave it to his son, MeghaSen, according to the proper procedure. He then took initiation along with his younger brother and seven thousand other kings. He became knowledgeable in the eleven Angas in due course. At the same time, he contemplated the sixteen causes of karma that bind the Tirthankara. The interest in the path of liberation, free from karma, as taught by the Jinas, is called purity of faith. It has eight aspects, including freedom from doubt. The abandonment of doubt, the absence of doubt, is known as freedom from doubt. The abandonment of the desire for the enjoyment of the two worlds, based on false perception, is called freedom from desire, the second aspect, which is based on the purity of faith. The abandonment of the thought, "I am pure," even though one knows that the body and other things are impure, is called freedom from doubt.