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made of gems and move in the sky like the vimānas of Vidyādharas and others.
(1873) You may have a thought that (all) this is an illusion; still it is the gods who bring about this illusion. Moreover they are not transformations of magic, etc., because like a city, they are always found.
(1874) If the denizens of hell are recognised as being the enjoyers of the fruit of great sins, even so assemblages of gods too must be recognised as the enjoyers of the fruit of very great merit.
(1875) Gods do not come to the foul world of men as they have transferred their affection to celestial things, they are attached to objects of pleasure, they have not performed (all) their duties and human works (efforts and their fruit) are not dependent on them.
(1876) All the same, gods come here on the festive occasion of the birth, dīkņā (initiation), perfect intuition or nirvāņa (emancipation of a tīrthaikara. Some of them, o gentle one, come instantaneously out of a sense of devotion, (others as the followers of these), others to dispel their doubt.
(1877) Or on account of previous attachment or as fixed by appointment, on account of austerity, for showing disfavour or favour to multitudes of human beings or for pleasures of love and for such other reasons.
(1878-9) One must have faith in the existence of gods on account of these reasons also: (i) On the basis of the statement of a person who remembers his previous birth or existence, (ii) direct perception, (of someone), (iii) success attained by vidyā, mantra, upayācana, (prayer) (iv) graha-vikāra-possession by ghosts etc., (v) the existence of the fruit of great merit that is accumulated, (vi) establishment of nomenclature ('gods'), (vii) proof of all scriptures.
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