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In conclusion he said, “ If you are desirous of the entire Happiness of Final Emancipation, you should carefully observe the rules of conduct briefly explained by me.
People were greatly delighted, and they said, “O worthy sir ! if such are the rules of onluct for an ascetic, how is it that you make use of an umbrella and other materials, and how is it that you do not pluck out the hair of your head as prescribed in the Šāstras ?
Marici replied, "O magnanimous people ! You do not enter. tain a doubt in your mind that this ascetio says one thing and does the other. Because, my judgment has been overcome by worldly enjoyments; I am vanquished by the mighty wrestler HTE Moha-Delusion of mind preventing discernment of the Truthand making men believe in the reality of enjoyment' of worldly pleasures; I am baffled by unfettered wicked passions; my wealth of tranquilization has been stolen away by the robbers i-e by the senses which are hard to control; the malicious Evil Fate is intently staring at me, therefore, like a very valuable gem given by a mean man, or like an excellent magic spell shown by a farmer Vidyadhara,-a kind of aerial genius dwelling in the Him. ālayas, attendent on Siva and possessed of magical powers,-or like the right path to the wished-for town shown by a low-caste man, or like an excellent remedy shown by a highly-diseased physician, you leave aside the question of my merits or demerits, and accepting the duties of an ascetic, accomplish your most desired object.
On listening to the valuable advice of Marici, numerous persons of Ksatriya royal families renounced the world out of their own clever intellect, and abandoning their bons, wives, family-members, friends, and immense wealth with a firm faith in the Doctrines preached by the Tirthankaras, became ready to take up Diksā. On knowing them to be persons ready to become his disciples, Marfoi used to send them to the illustrious Bhagavān Śrt Rişabha Swāmi,-the Lord of the Three Worlds,-who was like
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