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CHAPTER IV
Seventeenth Year of Ascetic Life (B. C. 552-1)
1. Diksă of Mahaccandra Kumāra. 2. Dikța of Káma-déva Śrävaka 3 Diksā of King Udāyana of Vita-bhaya Nagara.
1. Diksă of Mahaccandra Kumāra. After having passed the sixteenth rainy season of his ascetic life at Rajagriha, śramapa Bhagavana Mahavira , went to Campă Nagari,
King Datta of Campā Nagari had a son named Mahaccandra Kumâra by his queen Raktavati. The young prince, on hearing the preaching of Sramapa Bhagavāna Mahavira, took from the Worthy Lord, the Five Aņu Vratas and Seven Siksa Vratas-the Twelve Vows of a House-holder.
Mahaccandra had five hundred queens including his chief queen named Śrî-Kantā, all of whom were of similar age, beaunty, charm, youth, virtue and noble birth. The king and the queen had given separate beautiful palaces, much wealth, many conveyances, and numerous servants and maids, to each one of them. Young Mahaccandra Kumāra was happily passing his days enjoying worldly pleasures with them
When Mahaccandra Kumara went away soon after taking the Twelve Vows of a House holder, Gayadhara Maharaja Gautama Swāmi-the Chief Disciple of Sramana Bhagavāna Mahāvira, asked him :- Bhagavān ! This. Mahaccandra Kumāra seems to me pleasant, lovely, calm, beautiful, affectionate and charming,
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