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Chapter Forty-Seven
The Shravaka, seeing the cluster of vines called Kapiroma, said, "This is our deity." Having said this, he circumambulated it with devotion, prostrated himself, and stood there. The Brahmin, unaware of the true nature of things, became angry and, with his hands, tore off the leaves of the vine cluster, crushed them, and smeared the juice all over his body. He was soon overcome by an unbearable itching caused by the vine juice and, fearing the Shravaka, said, "Surely your deity resides here."
The Shravaka, hearing the Brahmin's words, laughed and said, "There is no other cause for the happiness and suffering of living beings than their past karma. There is no other root cause."
"Therefore, strive to attain merit through austerities, charity, and other virtuous actions. Abandon this foolish attachment to deities, O wise one. Deities, indeed, help virtuous people, but they are like servants and cannot do anything when merit is depleted."
Having thus dispelled the Brahmin's ignorance about deities, the Shravaka, accompanied by him, went to the bank of the Ganga River.
The Brahmin, feeling hungry, bathed in the river, thinking, "This is the excellent pilgrimage site called Maniganga." Thus, he became attached to the pilgrimage site.
Then, when the Brahmin wished to eat, the Shravaka, having eaten first, mixed Ganga water with his leftovers and, wishing to teach him what was right, gave it to him, saying, "This is pure, eat it."
Seeing this, the Brahmin said, "How can I eat your leftovers? Don't you know my special status?"
Hearing this, the Shravaka said, "If the pilgrimage water is not capable of removing the taint of leftovers today, how can it be capable of removing the taint of sin? Therefore, abandon this false belief, which is instilled by the ignorant and the foolish, that sin can be washed away by water. If sin were to be washed away by water, then what is the use of performing austerities and charity?"
"Water is readily available everywhere, so one should wash away sin with it. In truth, the fourfold bondage of falsehood, non-abstinence, carelessness, and passions binds one to intense sin, while the fourfold liberation of right faith, right knowledge, right conduct, and right effort leads to the end of sin."
"Accept this truth of Jainism," he said again.