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भगवती सूत्र शः २ उः १
-Skandaka ! Welcome to thee, a very hearty welcome Thy coming is good ; thy coming portends to great good. Welcome to thee!
(He continued :)
Skandaka! In the city of Śrāvasti, the Vaišalika-śrävaka Pingala had inquisitively put the questions to thee Oh Māgadha ! Are the spheres with limit or without ? (And so on). And indeed you have come here for enlightenment. Is that right ?
On this, Skandaka of the Kātyāyana line made the following reply to Bhagavān Gautama :
- Gautama ! This is very true. But who is that wise man, the savant, who is rich in penance, who has known beforehand the inner thoughts of mine, and (meseems) you are (already) in the know of them ?
Then quoth Bhagavān Gautama to Skandaka of the Kātyāyana line :
--Right you are, oh Skandaka ! The great spiritual acărya, the great guide on spiritual matters, Sramaņa Bhagavān Mahāvira is the holder of the supreme kevalaknowledge and kevala-vision; he is an Arhat, a Jina, a Kevali, a knower of the past, present and future, all-knowing and all-seeing. It is he who has revealed your secret thoughts to me. And it is thus, oh Skandaka, I know them.
On this, Skandaka of the Katyāyana line, said as follows unto Bhagavān Gautama :
- Gautama ! Let us go to your spiritual acārya, the great guide on spiritual matters, Sramaņa Bhagavān Mahāvira, and pay unto him homage and obeisance,...till worship him.
--As it pleases thee, oh beloved of the gods ! But let us delay not.
