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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
131
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
The king had great confidence in the architect. He at once paid him the entire amount of fifty thousand rupees. The architect spent a whole day buying the necessary materials for the building. The very next day under his supervision, workers began building the bungalow. But, he thought, "After this work, I will not get any other contract from the king or from the people. Seeing my old age, nobody would like to engage me and the pension I may get will be half the salary; therefore, why should I not save a lot of money by using low-class materials?" In this manner, his mind began to entertain thoughts of deception and fraud.
Using cheap materials, he built the bungalow within the fixed time, but he made the bungalow attractive by painting it colourfully. He went to the king and informed him that the building was ready and that he might go and inspect it. The king-said, laughing, "Why should I inspect your work? When the building is built under your supervision, it ought to be excellent."
The next day, the citizens of the city arranged a function to felicitate the architect. In the midst of all, who had gathered, the king announced that he was making a present of the building to the architect. The king said, "Our great architect is now old and he needs rest and peace. I want him to live in this bungalow with his family and we will pay him a monthly pension of half his salary as long as he is alive." The citizens approved of the king's announcement and expressed their hearty delight by clapping their hands but, in spite of getting such a costly present, the architect showed no signs of cheerfulness in his face. Why? He was gloomy because he knew that the bungalow was weak. He had used cheap materials to build it and within a couple of years it would collapse.
To please the people, he began to live in that house, but inwardly, he expereinced so much repentance and agony that he became weak and thin. His deception itself deceived him. On account of mental worry, he died within a few months. Within a couple of years, the build
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