________________
Kum ra Monk asked, cryadeva! Then, is the ascetic who practices and performs such perverted austerities a worshipper (r dhaka) or a heretic (vir dhaka)?"
66
c rya Siddhasimha: Son! The truth is that the eremite who performs the rituals and austerities propounded in scriptures and strictly adheres to self-restraint is a worshipper, a true ascetic; on the contrary the coenobite, who does not follow the scripture based pure code of conduct and who scorns at scriptural doctrines and violates the religious regulations and conduct is a heretic.
Fascinated by the true meaning of worshipper after listening to his Guru's explanation, and despising heresy, Kum ra Monk sought permission of his guru to lead the ascetic life of a worshipper.
c rya blessed him granting permission, "Son! Model your life as a true worshipper and rejuvenate the propriety and conduct of an ascetic as promulgated in scriptures."
Receiving his guru's permission and blessings and taking a vow that he would abide by the scriptural tenets, Kum ra Monk left the lodgings of his Guru for carrying out religious peregrination and uninterruptedly he observed the pure code of conduct of rama as. In his wanderings he preached the procedures and doctrines of scriptures at all the places and propagated Jina order elucidating its solemnity and magnificence.
In those days, listening to the preaching of Devabhadra S ri, a noble person Ya odeva got enlightened. In Vikram 1196, Ya odeva took initiation from Devabhadra S ri and studied all the subjects assiduously and became an erudite scholar. One day, Ya odeva Monk too like Kum ra Monk, asked his preceptor, "Lord! Why is heresy on the rampage now? Devabhadra S ri answered, "Son, under the influence of inauspicious times when the number of heretics increases, naturally lax conduct substitutes the pure, after which it becomes very difficult to revert back to the scripture based code of conduct.”
After listening to his guru, Monk Ya odeva decided to lead a pure ascetic life as laid down in scriptures. In Vikram 1212, taking the permission of his Guru he started wandering independently. In Vikram 1214, he
182