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protecting our Asramas, while this ascetic does not care in the least for his own; wbat can we do now? The Kulapati has brought him here, and so, we cannot say any harsh words to hlm." Alter a few days, they angrily went to the Kulapati and tauntingly said “O Lord! the ascetic who has been placed in one of our Aśramas is always busy with his own affairs, but he does not even see that the Āśrama is being daily destroyed. He does not protect it even for a moment. What an amount of idleness, compassion, indifference or ill-bebavlour! We cannot really understand his motives; Or, if this ascetic does not drive away cows, thinking himself as a muni, why should we Šramaņas (asectics ) not engage ourselves in the worship of the dévas (gods) and the teacher? O Kulapati! In case, you have become enraged with us and in case you want, thus, to destroy our Aśrama, you please immediately let us know and we shall oot talk about the matter any more. Where is the question of self-respect when satisfying one who may have become angry with us! We have needlessly envied him without really knowing your intentions; Or, what intelligence can be expected from dull witted individuals?” Saying so, and with their lower lips trembling a little with envy and anger, the Duijjanta hermits began to walk away from the Kulapati. The Kulapati, however on seeing them golng away, respectfully called them back, and said "O Worthy People! why do you make such evil conjectures? Where is my fault? Thinking him to be the son of my friend King Siddhārtha, I offered the ascetic hospitality. Did I ever know that he will, thus, neglect his Āśrama? I will, however, so arrange that your Ãśrama wili not be destroyed. Now you do not worry yourselves, and you do not make evil conjectures Who is more dear to me than yourselves ?." Oo tearing these cooling words, the hermits were satisfied and, they went to their respective Aśramas.
The Kulapari went to śramana Bhagavān Mahävira, and, on seeing his Āśrama resembling a tree devoid of branches and leaver, he thought:
Abl the poor hermlts have told the truth. I first thought
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