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JAIN RAMAYAN
thing with a firm mind and in consequence, he could not carry out any meditation. He stopped caring for his mother's spiritual and ethical precepts.
The sudden change that appeared in Sodas could not be hidden from the experienced and probing eyes of Simhika. She put searching questions to him and tried to find out the nature of his thoughts and feelings but on account of his association with his ignoble friend Anand, Sodas had lost his plainness and frankness. So, he tried to conceal the truth from his mother and avoided discovery by taking recourse to some pretext or the other.
After having induced Sodas easily to eat roots and tubers he began planning to make Sodas eat meat. He made efforts to bring about a complete change in Sodas' behaviour and thinking. Simhika had laid the foundations of culture in Sodas in such a way that Anand could not easily bring about a change in his thoughts and actions. He found it almost impossible to change him inspite of all his endeavours. Therefore, sometimes Anand used to make jokes about Sodas. He always used to tell him; "Dear brother! As long as one does not taste some food; one scorns it saying it is prohibited food but when once a person tastes it all his ideals disappear. All his principles disappear and he endeavours to secure and taste that food". Sodas used to give rough replies without any hesitation. He said: "Anand, you should not forget this vital truth. Just because I have begun eating roots and tubers it does not mean that they are not prohibited food and that eating that food is not sinful. Even today, I believe firmly that eating roots is a terrible kind of sinful action. It is only on account of my weakness that I have become a slave to eating roots. I cannot, of course, discard this habit".
At such times, Anand used to smile and avoid further discussion.
As time passed, Anand used to get tasty and spicy food prepared and to induce Sodas to eat it. He induced him to eat such food as would not be prepared in the palace. How could prohibited food be prepared in the kitchen which was under the
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