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on account of loss of all his wealth, he left his wife at home and he went to mines of diamonds, gold, silver, and of other metals with the object of getting much wealth from there, but, on account of the excessive abundance of his sta77 Antarāya-Karma ( a Karma preventing the acquisition of much-desired objects ), on account of the predominence of his sta acatter Asātā Védanîya Karma ( of suffering miseries), on account of the failure of bis all human efforts and on account of his adverse Fate, the Brāhmin could not acquire even a broken cowrie although he wandered about in such places for a very long time. Being thus entrapped by the demon of False Hopes, he fruit. lessly passed a number of years.
In due course of time the rainy season, as terrible as a demon, with an extensive face resembling white clouds, with quick trembling eyes like lightening, and a violent shaker of the hearts of the beloved persons (who have become separated from each other) hy the loud vociferous laughing resembling the roaring of clouds on tops of Añjana-giri, set in; and with the advent of the rainy season, the vivid remembrance of his wife at home cropped up in his mind. On hearing the melodious singing of pea-cocks his eagerness to go to bis native place was increased four--fold, and so, with a deep sigb, the Brāhmin commenced his journey to his native town with a quick gait, but the distance was very long, and as he was unable to make speedy journeys on account of bodily weakness, it took him five months to reach Kunda-grāma.
On reaching home, his wife, went a few steps forward to offer him hospitality, gave him a seat to sit on, and she gently sba. mpooed his feet under the expectation that he must have acquired some wealth. She inquired about his health, rubbed oil into his body, and showed greater affection towards him. At meal-time, she prepared a variety of delicious dishes and fed him to his heart'o content. After meals, when the Brahmin was sitting at ease on a bedding, his wife went to him full of immense joy and asked him “ O worthy man! In what countries did you roam about for such a long time? And how much wealth did you acquire »
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