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and were the ford of seven hundred female elephants. One day, on seeing fire in the forest, you had a remembrance of your previous life. You therefore prepared a circular area, about four kośa in diameter, free from grass with an idea of escaping from the danger of the fire, and used to root out grass and creepers that would grow there in the commencement of the rainy season and also at the end.
A severe fire broke out, however, in that forest, and all the animals living in the forest, came to the circular area and remained there. You also came running there. There was not an inch of space in the circular area You ralsed up one of your feet for the purpose of allaying itching sensation. Meanwhile, a rabbit owing to over-crowding came and occupied the space created by the raising of your foot; as you were setting your foot down after allaying the itching, you saw a rabbit there. Out of compassion for the rabbit, you held up your foot, bent upwards for two days and a half. When the fire subsided and all the animals went away to their respective places, the rabbit also went away, but as the veins of your foot became unusually swollen and stiff, while you were trying to lay down your foot on the ground, you fell down at once on the ground. Suffering the pangs of hunger and thirst for three days, but full of compassion, you died after completing an age-limit of one hundred years. You-the soul of the elephant-are born in this life as a son from the womb of queen Dhāriņi, wife of Śréņika Rājā "O Mégha Kumāra ! yon suffered such unbearable pains out of compassion even during your life as a lower being, and so, you are born in this life in a royal family. Now, just tbink for a moment, how much you will gain by undergoing bodily suffering for observing the duties of an ascetic. O Mégha! you were without Right Knowledge during your life as a lower being, still, out of compassion for living beings, you did not mind unbearable pains, why do you now vex at being touched by the feet of worthy Sädhus even after acquiring Right Knowledge ? These Sādhus deserve to be worshipped by the whole world, and the
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