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very wise and reliable that not only his family and relatives but even the people at large shared their secrets with him and consulted him and sought his advice on their private affairs and he provided them with appropriate guidance that was to their benefit. It was so because he was reliable, authentic, dependable and worthy of their trust. It was so because he always kept their trust, never betrayed them, and never let them down. Truly, he was their friend, philosopher, guide, leader, guardian and well-wisher.
He was, however, besieged by the thought that if something untoward like crippling illness, seizure, losing the trust of the king and consequent deportation, disablement in an accident like falling from a height, falling from grace, getting bed-ridden, migration to another state or death happened to him, who will support his family and friends and keep them together like the string that ties the broom-strands.
"It will, therefore, be proper for me to invite the members of the families of my four daughters-in-law and call a council of all my relatives, friends and well-wishers in the morning and after welcoming them with due respect and ceremony and treating them with ample food and drinks and giving them abundant gifts test their (four daughters-in-law's) capabilities in front of them so that I and they might know as to which of them is what", he thought. "By testing them like this I will be able to know as to which types of duties each of them is capable of handling in the household, within the family, amongst the family and friends and in the society, at large", he went on thinking. "I shall give each of them, five grains of paddy and see as to what each does with them", his thoughts ran on.
The Council -
Accordingly, in the morning he invited his family, friends, well-wishers and the members of the families of the four daughters-in-law and having welcomed them with due ceremony
324 JAINISM: THE CREED FOR ALL TIMES
