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she moved a little aside so that it would be possible for the Sreşthi to see the monk himself. But the foolish Sreşthi did not care to respond. With his face bent low, he remained deeply absorbed in eating. When Visakha saw that her father-in-law was perfectly unmindful to the monk's presence at the door, she could no longer check herself. She shouted to the monk,
"Bhante ! Better try your luck elsewhere. My father-in-law is subsisting on a cold stuff saved from the previous day":
The Sresthi's temper was already ruffled by Visakha's behaviour towards nude monks. But when he heard her say that her father-in-law was subsisting on a cold stuff saved from the previous day, he lost all control on himself. He withdrew his hand from the food and said to an attendant boy,
"Take away this saucer and ask Visakhā to leave my home at once. In such a pious home, she calls me to be an eater of impure food",
The servants of the Sreşthi's house were very much obliged to Visakhă. They held her in the greatest esteem. So what to speak of turning her out from the house, none dared to utter an undignified word in her presence. To her father-in-law, Visakhā said,
"Sir ! I am not to be turned out like this. I did not join this house as a water-maid. When my parents are alive, you cannot behave towards a daughter-inlaw in this manner. The day I was seen off by my father, he handed over my charge to eight elders. They must be called in to rectify my mistake, if any".
Sreşthi Mrgāra assembled the elders, and in great excitement, he narrated the account. The elders wanted Visakha to defend herself. Visākhā said,
"May be my father-in-law intends to be an eater of impure food, but I made no such attribution to him. A elderly monk who was out on a begging mission