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sisters-in-law. So she concealed it, prepared another sweet dish and served it to the Brahmins and their wives.
Now there arrived in Champā the venerable monk Dharmaghos'a with his disciple Dharmaruci; the latter was possessed of great psychic force and observed monthly fasts, On the day of the breaking of his fast, he took his almsbowl and with the permission of the venerable Dharmaghos'a started on a begging tour. While visiting the high, the low and the middle houses, he came to the house of Nāgas'rī who wished to get rid of the gourd-preparation, and so poured it all into his begging bowl. Then Dbarmaruci, thinking it to be sufficient, returned to his monastery and showed the food to his preceptor. Dharmaghos'a was overpowered by the smell of that gourd preparation. He took some of it on his palm and tasted it. Finding it to be poisonous, he said to his disciple:- ''If you eat this food, you will die a premature death. So go and keep this food in some place free from living organisms and get another pure food." Then the monk went to a place nearby and there he threw a drop of it; then by its very smell many ants came there, apd all those that tasted of the food died instantaneously. Then Dharmaruci said to himself, If one drop can kill so many ants, the whole of this will cause the death of numerous living beings” So he thought it better to drink it himself. He then drank it, sat on a Darbha-seat, confessed his sins, worshipped and prayed to his religious preceptor and then died calmly. Now Dharmaghos'a, thinking that Dharmaruci had gone for a long time, sent bis disciples for searching him, and learned from them of bis death. Then Dharmaghos'a explained to bis disciples how that Nāgas'rī was at the root of the death of such an illustrious monk as Dharmaruci.
The new tbat Nagas'ıi had ķilled the monk spread liké wild fire and every body ridiculed, censured, and criti. cised her. When those Brahmins heard tbis report, they went to Nāgas'rī and abused her, threatened her, beat her and foally drove her out of the house. Thereafter she main. tained herself by begging. Then she was attacked with various diseases, and ultimately she died a very miserable death. Due to her wicked actions she went through a series
Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
