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In the mean time, the bullocks after grazing for a short time near the ground on which Śramaņa Bhagavān Mahāvīra was standing, gradually went on and on grazing into neighbouring forest as they were very hungry.
The cowherd, then, came to śramaņa Bhagavān Mahāvīra and, not finding his bullocks there, asked him "O Worthy Man! I had entrusted you bufore, with the care of my bullocks, now tell me, where are they gone? The Lord was perfectly silent, as if he had not heard anything. The cowherd, therefore, thought "He is some great man. He does not know anything," and went to various cavas, rivers, streams, thickets of trees, villages, and other localities in search of his bullocks.
The bullocke grazing with ease for a long time and with their hunger greatly satisfied, returned to the saine locality, and sat there, re-masticating their bond, with their eyes directed towards the Lord.
The cowherd could not find out his bullocks. Hence, with his eyes sordid with twelve hours' vigilant wandering for search with his whole body ameared by thick layers of dust, and injured by logs of wood and thorns, the cowberd returned to the same spot, after wandering here and there for a very long time, and, on seeing kis bullocks sitting happily near Śramıņa Bhagavān Mahāvīra, insultingly asked with very harsh words, and his eyes red-shot with intense anger " O Vile Manl thou showest an outward appearance of uimost tranquility like a wicked person, but at heartthe crookedness of thy mind, is clearly apparent that thou hast hidden my bullocks with the object of taking them away, and if I had not come here now, thou wouldst positively have stolen them away.
“ O Friend! Is it the beauty of thy vow? The straight forwardness of thy honesty and the gentility of thy behaviour are of a unique nature ! It seenes to me that while stopping all external transactions and extending thy arms, thou art assuming a feigned attitude with the object of designing plans for the purpose of deceiving people.”
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