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Bhagavai 3:1:35-36
-:37:majjhammajjhenam niggacchai, niggacchittä päduga-kumdiya-mādīyam uvagaranam dārumayam ca padiggahagam egamte edei, edittā tämalittïe nagarie uttarapuratthime disibhāe niyattaniya-mamdalam ālihai, ālihittā samlehaņā-jhūsaņā-jhūsie bhattapāņa-padiyāikkhie pāovagamaņam nivanne.? Then, once, around the midnight, while Tāmali who was practising unenlightened austerity2 was pondering over the transitory nature of things, there arose in him such internal, recollective, wishful and mental resolve, “My body has turned dry, rough (Bha. 3.35) .... up to strewn over with veins, on account of my practising austerity that is lofty, longdrawn, approved (by the scripture), respected, salutary, unhindered, fortunate, auspicious, resplendent, progressive, magnanimous, excellent, unperplexed and vastly impressive; and till I have enthusiasm, karma (action), strength, energy, self-exertion and self-efficiency, it will be beneficial for me to ask tomorrow in the twilight of the morning on the rise of the thousand-rayed sun, shining brightly, those persons whom I had met in the city of Tāmralipti, those heretical ascetics and householders with whom I had talked, people with whom I was acquainted before initiating myself into ascetic life and also with whom, I made acquaintance during my ascetic life; after asking them, I should pass through the middle of the city of Tāmralipti, and putting aside my religious outfit of wooden footwear, kamandalu and wooden bowl in a lonely place, I should mark out a spot of the length of my body in the north-eastern corner of the city of Tāmralipti and absorb myself in the practice of scraping penance, giving up food and drink to fast unto death without any hankering for death.” He reflects thus. Having reflected thus, next day in the twilight of the morning, on the rise of the thousand-rayed sun, shining brightly, he sought consent of those persons whom he had met in the city of Tāmralipti, those heretical ascetics and householders with whom he had talked, people with whom he was acquainted before initiating himself into ascetic life, and also with whom he made acquaintance during his ascetic life. Having sought their consent, he passes through the middle of the city of Tāmralipti, having passed through, he deposits his footwear, outfit of kamandalu etc., and the wooden pot in a lonely place; having deposited them, he marks out a spot of the length of his body in the north-eastern corner of the city of Tāmralipti; having marked out, he undertakes the scraping penance and gives up food and drink and engages himself in the fast unto death.
Bhāsya 1. Sūtras 35,36
See Bhāsya on Bha. 2.64.
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