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Bhagawan Mahavir ]
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with good. Not only this, you have changed the current of my life and have forced it to flow in the right direction. Had you not been so kind upon me I would have indulged more and more in committing evil deeds and would have killed many innocent men and animals at random, for which (action of mine ) I do not know how many lives of birds and beasts of prey I might have been given in order to commit still greater sins, and how long I might have heen compelled to lead the rotten life of hell and to bear all infernal tortures there in. Lord ! it is owing to the strength gained by seeing your holy feet that I could save myself from all these future miseries. I now want to remain your devoted servant for ever.” With these words, he applied himself to the worship of the Lord.
Lord Mahavira practised two penances of 15 days each, in his first Chaturmasa (i. e. the four months of the rainy season ). He observed complete fast during these days. Thus he passed his first Rainy season in meditation patiently suffering all kind of troubles and miseries, teaching a lesson to the cruel by means of his spiritual power. It was in the year 281 of the Parshva Era that Lord Mahavira resumed his Vihara, and devoting most of his time to meditation in the way, he came to Moraka once more.
LORD MAHAVIRA IN MORAKA MEETING WITH THE CONJURER ACHCHHANDAKA
There lived in Moraka a very evil-natured and decietful man named Achchhandaka. Although he did not know anything, nor did he possess any occult power, still he was known as a conjurer among the people. He prepared various
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