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| 28. 22.
who sat on the bed made up of long Kus'a grass; and who was engaged in the talk about the king, begun out of anger. [28] Somadeva, with his head bent down with courtesy bowed to him. He said 'welcome' with a benediction and ordered him to sit. Priest Somadeva sat. and said "Revered sir, you appear to be much emaciated in body; what is the reason?” Hermit Aganis'arman said “The body of those who draw their maintenance from others and who have no desires, itself, is the emaciation of hermits.” Somadeva said, "So it is, the hermits have abjured desires; but they have done so, in the case of wealth, corn, gold, jewels, pearls, corals, men and animals but not in the case of mere food which helps body (which is helpful to)religion.Here, there are not such people who will not give even food to people like you; who have taken up the path of absolution; to whom friends and enemies are equal; to whom straw, jewels, pearls and gold are the same; and who serve as boats in the sea of the world." Hermit Agnis'arman said “Truth it is ! There are such people except king Gunasena.” Somadeva said “Revered sir, what is done by King Gunasena ? That king is heard to be devoted to religion." Hermit Agnis'arman replied “Who else is devoted to religion who though has defeated the surrounding princes, kills a hermit painíully ?". Somedeva thought" Indeed that hermit is angry. As he seems to have sat on the bed made up of long Kus'a grass, it must be that he must have taken up to complete fasting account of the dejection due to the king. On being asked, he will take up to reviling the king which would be bad to hear. So, having obtained the account from
