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Verse 100
speech and to its outcome, the knowledge? If your answer is in the affirmative, you have lost since, in that case, you will have to accept the existence of all other objects, besides the speech and the knowledge. If not, without existence of the speech and the knowledge, how will you establish your nihilism (śūnyavāda)? In this scenario, your insistence on nihilism (śūnyavāda) is like the outcry of a lunatic. It is thus firmly established that the soul is distinct from the body and that the 'dharma' comprising virtues like compassion and restraint exists."
Knowledgeable persons put their faith in the substances of reality, as expounded by the Omniscient Lord (sarvajña or Āpta). Virtuous men must be able to distinguish between the true and trustworthy preacher and the counterfeit preacher who claims to be true and trustworthy. Listening to the incontrovertible words of Svayambuddha, all present in the court, including the three ministers, felt relieved as their doubts about the nature of reality got cleared. All accepted the existence of the soul. King Mahābala, too, was extremely pleased.
Abridged adaptation from: "Acārya Jinasena's Adipurāna", Bharatiya Jnanpith, Tenth Edition (2004), p. 91-101.
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