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CHAPTER X
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1. Hearing that, the lord of Cuirpā, again asked the sage with bending bead "Tell me, kindly, oh best of sages, what I ask you in a meek tone. If my body was so lovely, why this scab on my hand ? Tell me quickly. The husband of my mother was so much attached to her; by what Karma the separation took place, tell me? By what Karmo she was carried away by the elephant ? Why my wife was abducted by the Khecara ?” Hearing that, the sage revealed to him " Listen to what I say ob king ! Here, in the Bharato country, is the Vaitālya mountain. On the southern side of it is the prosperous town of Rathanepura the circular. There, the Khecara Nila was the king. He was hard pressed by his copar. coners; so he fled away to Teri-pattano. Rasiding there, he acquired a territory and built several Jina temples. There was a merchant named Dhanamitra who daily waited upon all learned men. A mine for the jewel of right faith, he had in his liome for wife Dhanawati. He had a good cowherd Dhonadatta who did all that he was told to do; who, being virtuous, delighted her mind also, and whose body was adorned with gentle nature.
2. He, one day, at night, released the buffaloes and went towards the south with them. There, he saw a beautiful lake fowered with excellent lotuses like Dharma. The lotus-lake shope forth very brightly as if the sky with the stars had descended! on earth. The white lotuses on the lotus-leaves looked like the royal parasols on the green earth. Or, being fully blossomed, they shone like rubies in a green receptacle. In the midst of it stood one lotus which looked like the moon adorned by the clusters of stars. Seeing it, a desire flashed forth in his mind and he entered the lake inorder to fetch it joyfully. Entering into the water, he took the lotus as if he had, in a moment, plucked off the head of the lake. Taking it, as he came out, with his body excited with joy, his pure mind bloomed up by the possessoin of the full-blown flower.
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Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
