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Shali-Bhadra's Renunciation and Consecration
accept consecration. He came to his mother and asked permission from her. Bhadra was very much dejected to know the thoughts of her only son. She tried to dissuade him from his resolve but all was in vain. Shali Bhadra was quite resolute. He decided that he would give 32 days for the consolation of his 32 wives. He know that it would be too difficult to console them all at once, for their feelings differed widely from each other; and it was his duty, therefore, to know their feelings first and then try to console them one by one. Thus, although more time was to be taken, he hoped to finish this business more conveniently in this way than in any other manner. He intended to leave his house and accept consecration at the feet of the Lord on the 33rd day. He then set to work according to his resolve from that very day.
But we would relate here how Shali-Bhadra's sister, Subhadra, brought about his consecration soorer than he wanted. She was married with a rich man named Dhana who lived in the same city in which Shali Bhadra lived. One day, Subhadra was helping her husband in bathing, when suddenly a reflection of the thoughts that were passing in the mind of her brother, darkened her face. Dhana marked this and at once asked his wife the cause of her sadness. Subhadra then replied with a heavy heart, "My Lord I felt all of a sudden in my mind that my brother, Shali Bhadra, was thinking of accepting consecration at this time. He is my only brother, and has not got any issue as yet. If he accepts consecration, no male member will be left at my father's house. My mother is aged and may breathe her last at any time. Since the time my brother saw emperor Shrenika, the feeling of renunciation is growing more and more
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