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In The Forest Of Dandakaranya
455
Once Purandarayasha had presented an expensive woollen blanket to Skandak muni. The Rajoharan had been made out of the threads from that blanket.
"Oh! This is Skandakacharya's Rajoharan.” She went running to King Dandak.
"What a great enormity has been committed! You have killed Skandakacharya." The queen began to weep aloud. King Dandak experienced a horripilation. He turned pale. He bowed his head in shame.
In due time, terrible clouds of calamities enveloped the city. Agnikumardev remembered his poorvajanma by means of his extrasensory perception .... “The garden of Kumbakarakat flooded with blood !.... Vultures ... Jackals and crows, abounding.. the wicked Palak and King Dandak.” He became mad with anger. He caused ferocious fires that burnt the city to ashes.
The guardian angel rescued Purandarayasha and conveyed her to the presence of Munisuvratswami. The Acharya consoled her. Renouncing the samsar she became a sadhvi.
The beautiful city of Kumbakarakat was burnt down to ashes by the fires caused by Agnikumardev.
"Oh Ram! So this forest has come to be known as Dandakaranya.
King Dandak after many janmas is now a vulture. At our sight he remembered his past and at our touch he was cured of all his maladies."
On hearing the words of the muni Jatayu bowed to his feet again. The muni created spiritual awakening in it. It took three vows.
Discarding violence to jivas. Discarding meat-eating. Discarding the habit of eating food in the night.
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