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PART V STORIES AFTER BHAGAWÄN MAHÄVIR
but nothing helped to quiet him down. She took him to the doctors and took advice from others, but nothing worked. The child's trick worked. Even their neighbors, who had liked this child very much, got tired of him. Finally, his mother was fed up with him, but she did not know what to do with him. The child was now six months old, and monk Dhangiri (the child's father) and Acharya Sinhgiri visited the city again. Sunandä came to know about this and thought of giving the child to his father. At the usual time for alms, Dhangiri Muni asked permission from the Achärya to go for alms. Acharya Sinhgiri told him, “Dhangiri, today you may accept even a living thing if it is offered." The Acharya possessed a special power, and he knew what alms monk Dhangiri was going to get, so he gave his permission ahead of time. Although Muni Dhangiri did not understand what his guru meant, he left for alms. On his route to various houses, he arrived at Sunanda's house. He said, "Dharma Läbha" (May you follow the proper religion). Sunandä recognized the voice. She welcomed Muni Dhangiri and expressed happiness in seeing him again. She invited him to enter the house for food. The young boy also heard Muni Dhangiri's words: "Dharma Läbha". He thought that this was the best opportunity for his trick, so he started crying. This irritated his mother and she told the monk, "You are lucky to be able to uplift your soul, but I am tired with the burden of your child. He does nothing but cry. He does not let me rest and I am very unhappy. Please accept him so there will be peace in the house." The child heard these words and became very happy in his mind. He hoped that his father would accept her proposal. Muni Dhangiri remembered the words of his guru spoken right before he left for alms. Now he understood what his guru meant. He said, "Sunandä, if you really want to give this child away, I will accept him, but please think twice. Once you give him away, you will not be able to get him back. You will have no right to this child after that. On hearing this, the child started crying even louder. She said, "I do not want to hear this crying anymore. I am so sick and tired of him that I do not want him around at all. You can take him forever."
The mother placed her crying child in the muni's cloth
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