Golden Steps To Salvation

Author(s): Padmasagarsuri
Publisher: Arunoday Foundation

Page 98

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was greatly amazed by their discussions because each displayed his powers of logical reasoning, to establish his own theories and to repudiate the theories of the other.
Food had been prepared for the scholars so the saithjë requested the scholars to take a bath and get ready for dinner and told them that after the dinner they could spend the whole day in discussions and disputations happily.
One scholar took a bucket and went to the well to take a bath. The other scholar asked the saithji what benefit was there in taking a bath and if the 'fish that remained in water throughout the day had purity and sanctity and added that one who tried to purify his soul with water was not a scholar but a donkey.
The saithji having heard this remark of the scholar went to the well and told the scholar who was taking a bath, how the other scholar had argued with the exam. ple of fish to show that it was not possible to purify the soul with water. The saithji asked him for his opinion on this point.
That scholar burning with jealousy, said, “He must be a bullock because a bullock does not take a bath of its own accord. Its master has to take it into water by force and wash it. Only human beings know the value of a bath and not a bullock.”
From there the saithji went towards the kitchen. Having whispered something into the ears of his daughter he came into the sitting room. There were threc chairs placed on three sides of the dinner table. The saithji sat on one chair and the two scholars sat in the other two chairs.
In accordance with the saithji's instructions, his daughter brought grass in one plate and rice-husks in another plate; and placed them before the two scholars. She placed, before her father, a plate containing food.
The saithji said to the scholars, “Please eat it.”
Both the scholars felt extremely angry with the saithji. They said, “Did you invite us to a dinner?"