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390
JAIN RAMAYAN
rated horse stood nearby and the great man sat near the bull reciting Shri Namaskar Mahamantra to it”. Such was the picture.
He instructed the guards of the temple to keep a careful watch and if anyone made any special comments on the picture, they should convey to him detailed information about the person and his comments. He instructed them to keep this a secret.
Time was passing. Days followed nights and nights followed days. The prince was impatiently waiting for seeing his benefactor. His desire was fulfilled one day.
Once Padmaruchi visited the temple. After worshipping the Lord, he noticed the picture on the wall. His amazement knew no bounds. He thought "This is a picture of a unique event of my life. I recited the Namaskar Mahamantra in the ears of the bullock. This man in the picture is undoubtedly myself. I wonder who got it painted. What might have been his purpose in getting this picture painted here ?” He fell into deep thought. When he could not understand how the picture came to be painted there, he tried to find out the details from the guards. The guards requested him to stay there for a while and sent information to the Prince Vrishabhadwaj about the stranger. As soon as he got the information, the Prince came there hurriedly. He felt greatly delighted to see Padmaruchi. He recognised his face. He amiably said, “Noble man ! What do you know about this picture ?"
"Dear Prince ! It was I who recited the Namaskar Mahamantra in the ears of the bullock which was dying but I am unable to understand who got this picture painted after so many years and what purpose he had in getting this picture painted here."
The prince saluted Padmaruchi and said "O you benevolent man! I was that bullock in my earlier janma. I attained the human state of existence on account of the efficacy of the mantra which you recited. You bestowed upon me this benefaction. If you had not recited the Namaskar Mahamantra, I
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