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doors, and some of them he would cut into small pieces and would throw those small pieces as an offering in all directions. In this way, Śūlapāņi tormented all sojourners during night in the temple and ultimately killed them. On account of this peril, people of the village used 10 go awa; to their respective homes in the village before the advent of night, and even Indra Sarmă,the worshipper of the image-used to do the worship by means of lamp, incense, and prayers in the evening and go away before Sun-set.
In course of time, one day, Śramaņa Bhagavān Mahāvīra, came to the temple with the object of enlightening the yakşa and asked the worshipper :
“O! May 1 live in this temple ?” He replied :
" You ask the village people. Śramaņa Bhagavān Mahāvīra then asked some of the village-people with the object of having a temporary logding in the temple. On seeing Scamaņa Bhagavān Mahāvīra with a very tranquil and extremely handsome appearance, they said "O worthy man ! you will not be able to remain here. You come to the village, and have a lodging at any of our houses you desire.” Not willing to go to the village, Śramaņa Bhagavān Mabāvira said. “ You give me your permission to stay here ” The people said, "If you so desire, you can willingly stay hero." Bhagavān, then, went to a corner and remained standing in Kâyotsarga (deep meditation with persect renunciation of body ). With the setting of the Sun, the worshipper of the temple did his evening Pūjā ( worship ) by burning incense, doing dipa-pūja etc. in front of the idol of Śuia - pāņi yakşa, removed all the beggars, pilgrims etc. from the temple, and addressing the Bhagavan, he said “O worthy nanl you also go out lest you may not be killed at the hands of this Yaksa, Śramaņa Bhagavān Mahāvīra did not reply. The Vyantara déva thought:-" Ah! this seems to be a strange individual that he does not go away from here, although he has been told to do so, by the worshipper of the temple, as well as, by the village-people. Let him also see what I can do with him
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