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unshakable determination and, therefore, I did not tell you any. thing for so many days. What is unaccomplishable to your prowess even though you are placed in such a difficult situation ! Now, make most valient efforts and fulfil the most wishedfor desires of your affectionate people. Grind the evil thoughts of wicked persons, elevate the condition of poor persous, and embellish the fame of our family which is as pure as the noon. Dhana-déva replied: "O father! what is the use of dilating on oft -- st peated words? You immediately have all preparations for journey and caravan ready. On knowing the firm determination of his son, the merchant called his servants and said :0! good men ! You make all preparations, victuals and other materials for journey. Keep ready a number of bullock-carts full of valuable merchandise of various kinds, have them yoked with strong bullocks with powerful shoulders, make domestic servsats busy with their work, and make ready soldiers with their weapons. The servants accepted the orders saying “ Just as the master orders" and having made all the preparations without delay, they informed the merchant of the completion of their work.
Dhana-déva, then, took a bata, fixed while flowers into the braid of his bair, wore white clothes, made obeisance to gods and perceptors, took the premission of his parents and relatives, and on an auspicious day he started on journey to distant lands. with a caravan of five hundred bullock-carts full of merchandise which can be counted lik cocoanuts etc measured, like clothes, weighed like butter, corn; and cut with a sharp instrument, (like gold, silver) etc. Visiting various beautiful villages and halting-places for caravaus, buying and selling numerous articles from merchants, inquring about conditions of commerce in distant lands, knowing and becoming acquainted with dialects of different provinces, and giving handsome gifts to poor and needy persons, he went to a very distant land. With all other noise occluded by the ringing of small tinkling bells hanging from the necks of bullocks and making pleasing melodious sound, and with the carts driven by numerous helping hands, Dhana - déva, tben, reached the neighbourhood of
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