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Once they were sitting together at Abul Fazl's place, and Akbar suddenly came there. Abul Fazl praised the Suri's scholarship freely. They had some conversation together, at the end of which Akbar told the Suri to ask for whatever he wished him to do. But the Suri never asked for personal gains. He asked for non-killing. This time he asked him to release birds from cages. Akbar did so and also issued an order that no one should fish in the lake of Dabar. According to "Hirasaubhagya", Akbar stopped this fishing by the sermon of Shantichandraji. Suriji also asked him to issue an order for non-killing during the eight Paryushana holidays, to which Akbar agreed and issued an order prohibiting killing for 12 days. Abul Fazl requested the Emperor to make the order effective for ever, which also Akbar did. Six copies of this order were taken out. One was sent to Gujarat and Saurashtra, one to Fatehpur Sikri, etc., one to Ajmer and Nagpur, one to Malva and the south, one to Lahore-Multan and one was given to Suriji.
37
Akbar had, on several occasions, frank talks with Suriji. On one such occasion he said,
"How shall I repent for my sins? I was very cruel when I took Chittod. I ordered for a wholesale massacre. Men, women and children were killed indiscriminately. I have killed many animals in hunting. I used to eat 500 tons of sparrows every day; but after hearing your sermons, I have given up all things. I have left off eating flesh for six months, and I shall now try to give up flesh-eating entirely.
30
This will show that there came about a great change in Akbar's thoughts and deeds after his contact with Suri. Akbar was convinced that Suriji was a great scholar of pure character. He once conferred the title of " 'Jagadguru on the Suri, and on that occasion he ordered the release of birds and other animals.
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
19
Once, after a good discussion about various topics, the Emperor was much pleased with the Suri and told him to ask for anything he wished. The Suri asked for the release of all the prisoners, but very unwillingly Akbar did not acceed to this request of the Suri. The reason for his not doing so is thus given in "Hirvijaysuriras " :—
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