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Bhagawan Mahavir )
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( Carefulness ), Gupti ( Control of mind, speech and body ) and Dhairya ( Courage ) and other external and internal austerities. May the power of pure maditation and of selfrealization be an infalliable weapon of your mind, speech and body and may liberation ever smile upon you. O Benefector ! May you be blessed all round.” The grandeur of this scene was extremely charming.
In this manner, by the evening, the entire procession following the palanquin reached the interior of the park Jnata by name. There, under an Ashoka tree, the bearers gently took down the palanquin from their shoulders. Lord Mahavira stepped out of it. He was very eager to put off the ornaments and the royal robes. By this time he had been performing austerities and observing fast for the last two days during which period he had not accepted any food or drink. The time of the Lord's initiation ceremony approached. With the commencement of the Uttara Phalguni Nakshatra the Lord put off his royal decorations and garments. In return. Indra, the lord of gods, put a celestial garment on Lord's shoulders. The hair was pulled by hand. The god Indra dropped the hair into the Kshirasagara. At that time the people were profoundly calm and quiet, and so was the surrounding nature. The lord, then, bowed to Siddha Bhagwan and accepted the duties of ascetic life. It is said in Acharanga sutra: After offering salutations to Siddha, he avoided all that is sinful and adopted right conduct which is characterised by equanimity. Thus the initiation ceremony was over, and imediately after this he realized the fourth knowledge called the Manah Paryaya. The readers should not feel surprised at this;it was all due to the prepara
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