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one month's, and one month and a half's fastings wiib water, with confort, and they move about, and do their religious duties of the day. There are several instances of people going up, the Satrunjaya Hill (in Pāliānā State. Kāthiāwār ), and coming down, on foot on their seventh or eighth day of fasting; also, of people doing their usual work with a fasting of sixteen days, and of one month. The main point is this :-Only those, who are afraid of the miseries of this worldly existence, and those, whr, are desirous of diminishing and totally destroying their mass of evil Karmas of previous lives, as well as, of this lise, can patiently practise fastings in accordance with their bodily strength, and cau greatly develope their powers There should, therefore, be no doubt for the idea that Śraniana Bhagavān Mabăvîra posst: ssing Vajra-vrışabba pāråca bodily constitution, and immoase will power, did the tapascaryā, for the purpose oi destroying his evil Karmas of previous lives.
Now, let us inquire how śramaņa Bbagavān Mahavira accomplished the spiritual development of his Soul, and how he was able to achieve victory over kis evil Karmas.
Beginning from the day of his diksă, Sramana Bhagavān Mahavira renounced taking care of his own body, and left off mamatva-bbáva ( the ides that the body is mine) for his body, and be always maintained the same idea througout his life.
During the course of more than twelve years, and a halffrom the time of his dīksā to the day of his attainment of Kévala jääka-Srámaņa Bhagavin Mandvīra did not sleep at all except for two ghatikás ( 48 minules) at the temple of Sula-pāņi yaksa How can a man live without nidrā (sleep) for so many years ? Such a question is also natural during this age. It is necessary to know the real nature of nidra (sleep) from & religious point of view. Ujāgara dasă ( a state of wakefulness) is the narural characteristic attribute of material body It is a form of *Darsanāvarniya Karma (faita-obscurtng or perception-obscuring Karina ). With the diminution of darsanävarniya karma, nidrā (sleep) goes
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