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the chest of Śramaņa Bhagavān Mahāvīra marked by Śrīvatsahis navel by a deep right-handed circle, and his red-lotus-like palms of hands resembling soft corals, he thought, “These auspi. cious marks are present, not on his two feet only, but his entire body has been marked by signs suitable for its individual parts. How is the abundance of all praiseworthy marks possible? Or, how is it that the words of the śāstras indicative of auspicious marks foretelling the sovereignty of the entire wealth of Bharatakşétra prove false? How is his body so fine though he takes dry food obtained with difficulty? Ab! all this appears evidently contrary to the statements of the Sāstras. Ah! Leaving aside the totality of arts, I studied with great perseverance the science explaining marks on the body for a long time, thinking that this Šāstra is free from faults of mutual statements. But on seeing this nude ascetic all this time, the entire Science of Marks has certainly proved perfectly contrary. Ah! Ah ! fie on me that my persevering study of the science of marks on body has proved futile like that of a young deer going in search of mirage. An! I tried to strike the sky with my fist, and I churned water with the object of getting butter from it that I studied a Sastra full of misleading ideas. Besides, it seems to me that some one fond of jesting has composed this science with the object of cheating, because a poem written even by a rogue becomes a gospel truth in course of time. Now, enough of this worthless defiling Šāstra”. Reflecting in this way, Pūșapa was greatly distressed at heart.
At that time Indra, sitting on his lion-seated throne in. quired through the medium of his Avadhi Jñāna. " Where is Śremaņa Bhagavān Mahavira desirous of putting an end to wor. idly existence, moving about now I "He saw Śramaņa Bhagavān Mahāvira standing In contemplation and the fortune-teller Püspa considering hls science of signs as faulty. Dèvèndra, beautifying the vault of the sky by the numerous gems of his valuable dia. dem immediately came down with the object of paying homage to the lotus-like feet of Śramaņa Bhagavān Mahăvira and having bowed down before the Lord in accordance with his customary
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