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austerities. Because it is heard that even ascetics who were wellversed in the Fourteen Pūrvas and all Scriptural knowledge, have fallen morally from the True Path; then what to say about others ? Persons distressed, in this world, by the agonies of want of proper means of living become dejected, and although they know, that ascetic life and penance are chiefly instrumental in the acquisition of the happiness of Final Emancipation, still however, they are not desirous of leading an ascetic life. Then, how is it that you call Śälibhadra Śétha a timid man-a fortunate man who is enjoying divine happiness even during this life; at whose house, ornarnents of precious gems and gold which are not available at the palaces of a Cakravartin or a Tirtharikara-the Lord of the Three Worlds-are considered as worthless and thrown away without the least care; at whose house, celest rments of divine cloth studded with gold and genis are thrown away like mucous discharges from nose and throat; whose house has a flooring at each storey, of precious stones, out of which, even one cannot be obtained by jewellery-merchants after wandering over the whole world for a long time; at whose feet, masses of such precious gems are found scattered every-where; and who has very handsome thirty-two wives who are clever in all the arts of females and who are always ready in his service? Why do you thus call him coward as he has been abandoning one wife every day? But dear husband | It is extremely difficult to observe the strict rules of ascetic life of Bhagavatî Diksā as it is as perilous as entering a blazing fire. The mother of Sālibhadra Śétha has given birth only to him that he has become ready to take such strict vows. If, however, you think that ascetic life is an easy matter, why do you not renounce worldly pleasures as if they were so many maladies, and why do you not accept Bhagavatî Dîkşă ?
Dhanya Śétha was a fortunate man with a very little period of worldly existence. He possessed very a strong character He would not miss the auspicious opportunity he fortunately acquired even by a jest from his wives. He was a devout follower of the
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