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386
JAIN RAMAYAN
"Why?" said Dhan Dutt greatly surprised and shocked.
"Oh you mad fellow! Gunavati's mother has agreed to give her to Shrikanth in marriage. She is giving away Gunavati who is the very embodiment of virtues to Shrikanth in exchange for wealth."
"What do you mean? I do not think that she would thus break her promise." Dhan Dutt's brother said indignantly.
"This is certainly a breach of promise; and a fraud ! but what is it that we can do about it?" Yagnavalkya said angrily.
"I will never allow this to happen. I will not allow Gunavati to marry Shrikant. I will surely send Shrikant to the abode
of death" Vasu Dutt thundered.
After discussing the matter for a while, the three parted. Vasu Dutt decided to kill Shrikanth and made a plan to carry out his decision. Accordingly, that very night when Shrikant was returning home from the temple, suddenly Vasu Dutt attacked Shrikant and killed him. But even while Vasu Dutt was attacking Shrikant, Shrikant also attacked Vasu Dutt and he too died.
For the sake of a woman, Vasu Dutt and Shrikant killed each other. After their death, in their next Janma they were born as animals in a forest.
When Ratnaprabha the mother of Gunavati came to know that Shrikant and Vasu Dutt had killed each other, she became greatly agitated. Sagar Dutt in his anger rebuked Ratnaprabha severely, and heaped upon her ignominious insults. Gunavati greatly excited by the tragedy that had occurred on account of her, committed suicide. After her death, she too took birth as an animal in the same forest. Even there, Vasu Dutt and Shrikant fought against each other to secure Gunavati.
Their death had occurred in their early Janmas because of their attachment for Gunavati. The same situation arose in this Janma also. Shrikant had died because of his desire to
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