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Karmas obstructing Caritra Dharma after living as a house-holder for twenty-four years, Metārya took Bhagavati Diksâ along with his nine wives. He studied Nine Parvas. He was doing vihāra (sojourn) alone.
One day while moving about from one locality to another, the excellent sage Mètārya Muni came to the house of a goldsmith in Rājagriha for alms. At that time the goldsmith had prepared one hundred and eight beads of gold dyed with ochre and placed them in the verandah of his house. King Śrépika was daily preparing a svastika (a cross with the ends bent) of one hundred and eight beads of gold in front of the image of Jineśvara after doing his worship.
Mètārya Mun had come to the goldsmith's house on the break-fast day of his one month's continuous fasting and was standing at his door after saying Dharma Lābha. The gold -smith had gone into his house to bring some food which may be acceptable to the Sadhu, When Métarya Muni was standing at the goldsmith's door a Kraunca Bird (curlew) came there and swaliowed all the gold--beads. When the goldsmith came back from his house with the food and when he could not see the the gold-beads there, he became afraid and he thought.-Now, it is time for King Srénika to go to temple for worship and the gold-beads are stolen. Alas 1 What can I do? No one else except this Muni has come here. Therefore, he must certainly have stolen the gold beads. So, he told the Muni:-O Sadhu ! Teil me who has stolen the gold beads of King Śréņika which were lying here ? Métārya Muni thought:-1f I tell him the truth and say that the kraunca bird (curiew) has swallowed the gold beads he will kill the bird. Otherwise, he will say that I have stolen them and harass me in any way he likes. Let there he calamities on me owing to evil karmas of my previous life but I will not on any account give out the name of the bird. With this idea in bis mind, the great sage Métārya Muni remained silent without saying anything. Thu goldsmith then said:-O Munil you give me
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