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VAGGURA SETHA
In that town, there was a merchant named Vaggura who was very wealthy like Kubéra; who was an excellent place of shelter for distressed and needy persons like a bow for an arrow; who was always ready in attaining the welfare of both the worlds like a great sage; who was sincere, talking sweetly, cou rteons and who was like a Anare in capturing a mass of pure virtuous qualities. He had a wife named Bhadra who was of excellent virtuous character, and was a source of great affection. She was barren, and she had become tired of offerings to varlous deties, and of taking numerous medicines with the object of getting a son. One day, Bhadrā mounted a palanquin along with her husband Śéth Vaggura, accompanied by her relatives, servants, and a number of cocks carrying tasteful meals of vari ous kinds, and going with great pomp in the direction of plea. sure-gardens, she entered the garden named Sakatamukha which was pleasant with the soft melodious notes of various birds, and lovely with the sweet smell of fragrant flowers of a variety of tall trees. Vaggura. Seth and Bhadrā Śéṭhāņi sported for a long time in the waters of a lake, and when they were walking here and there in search of flowers they saw a decrepitated temple whose pinnacle was on the point of falling down, whose heavy slabs of stone were lying scattered, and whose massive pillars were getting loose. Both of them entered the temple out of curiosity, and they saw an image of Jinéśvara Bhagavan Sri Mallināth Swāmī with a luster as black as that of the petal of the Asoka trea, which looked extremely calm like the disc of the autumnal Moon, which appeared beautiful as if it were adorned with precious gems, although it was without any ornament; and which exhibited its extreme excellence only by mere darśana (sight) like the thought-gem. Inmediately on seeing the image, both of them had an excellent notion in their mind and they thought: The form of this image is endowed with artistic beauty; it seems, therefore, that this is not an ordinary image. All our nuch-desired wishes are now fulfilled." With this idea in their heart, both of them began to sing hymns of praise as follows:
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