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Bhagawan Mahavir 7
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te passed and 18534 years remain to follow suit. The form
colour, beauty and charm of everything in this world Linish more and more as this period passes. Climate, too, Ich is worse enough than in the previous Aras, worsens il more with the passage of time. If one part of the country suffering from scarcity of rainfall, the other is being stroyed by excessive rains. Earth is not so productive as tore; and many of its mines of precious stones and gems
come extinct. Gaja-muktas ( Elephant-pearls ), SuryaFantas ( Su-stones ), and Parasas (Philosophers' stones) arə owhere to be seen. All the members of a family labour hard or their living, but they are unable, even then, to quench be fire of appetite; hopes and ambitions have increased sxorbitantly, and are still increasing more and more. Effikiency in the art of filling the belly is regarded to be the Kreatest end of man's life. People of this Ara think that the treatest success of a man's learning and education lies in deceiving others for his own benefit. Their actions, too, are such as make no consideration for others. They may die of Indigestion but they must cram up their belly.to the full; if others starve, cry for food, or die of hunger, it is none of their business to console or pacify them. Men, who are in power, think that their glory and honour consist in oppressing those very people who served as stepping stones to their greatness. The question of caste, creed and colour comes To the fore, and the disease of untouchability appears in all its fierceness. Due to a scarcity of fruit trees, corn and other esteful articles made-out of it constitute the staple food of people in this Ara. They fall a prey to a number of diseases šaused by eating those things which seem to be most agree
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