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Bhagwan Mahavir ]
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hend. The milk-maid, who gave you this milk and curds, was none other then the mother of Shali Bhadra in his previous birth.” After this, the Lord related to them the history of the previous life of Shali Bhadra and his mother from beginning to end, which they heard very attentively and began to praise the omniscience of the Lord. At last, the hermits finished their "Parana" and, with the permission of the Lord, went to a neighbouring mountain to accept "Santhara” (a kind of predeath vow to lie in a certain posture etc. and to observe specific rules that lead to a better mood of existence ).
IIardly when the two hermits had departed for taking Santhara on the adjoining mountain, their relatives and family members of their wordly life came there and bowed to the Lord very respectfully. Then they expressed their desire to see these two hermits also, and the Lord replied, "To-day was their Parana day. They had gone to your house for begging food and water, but before they could enter the door the sentinel stopped them and asked them to go back saying that the inmates of the house were preparing to go to see the Lord and other hermits. At last, on their way back, they met a milk-maid, who was the mother of Shali Bhadra in his previous birth. She gave milk and curds to both of the hermits, who ate them only a short time before and have now gone to the adjoining mountain for taking Santhara there."
The relatives of the two hermits felt very sad to hear these words of the Lord. They began to curse their own fates, and proceeded towards the same mountain where the two hermits had taken Santhara. They, bowed before them
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