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kins men, entertain them with food, drink, dainties and delicacies, hand over the charge of the household to my eldest son and settle myself in the pausadha room of the Jnatrs at Kollaga to fulfil the spiritual assignments I have taken from Bhagavān Mahavira".
At the next morning, he gave effect to his thought of the previous night. He invited his friends and relations at his house, and in the presence of these, he entrusted the responsibility of his household to his eldest son. Thereafter, he said,
"Henceforth I have decided to spend my life in total seclusion".
With the permission of his kinsmen, householder Ananda came to the pausadha room at Kollaga. He cleaned the room and he selected a place for passing urine and depositing his excreta. Then he spread darbha grass, sat on it and devoted himself to fulfilling the assignment for which he was committed to Mahavira,
Householder Ananda practised the 11 pratimās of a lay follower. He did so with his body, as per the sacred texts (sūtra), as per kalpa, as per the path (märga) and as per the fundamentals (tattva), and duly fulfilled them. By avoiding carefully the slips and transgressions, he became pure. Even after the time allotted to pausadha was over. he overstayed in his spiritual practices.
It was on account of performing the pr at imās and the austerities involved in them that Ananda became very lean and emaciated. His veins became prominent over the skin. One night, while he was practis ing a spiritual vigil, he had a thought in his mind which was as follows:
"Because of these spiritual practices, I have been reduced to mere skeleton. But still sheltered within me are endeavour, karma, strength, energy, exertion, power, devotion, patience and earnestness. So (when there's time), why don't I renounce food and drink for ever and court fast unto death. I think, that is good for me".
