________________
404
him to you and I request you, on his mother's behalf, to accept him as your disciple." The king also declared the permission of the parents of the other young persons who. were renouncing the world, and Sramana Bhagavāna Mahāvira gave Bhāgavatt Dikṣā to all of them.
From that day, Dhanya Muni better known as Dhanno Aṇagara strictly observed the rules of ascetic life in accordance with the instructions of the elders of the Order.
On the day of his Diksa, Dhanya Muni approached Śramana Bhagavana Mahāvîra and told him "Bhagavan! With your permission I am desirous of observing two days' fastings during the remaining part of my life. On the day of break-fast, I will take only one meal consisting of boiled rice or other corn devoid of butter, milk, oil, curds sugar molasses etc. Also I will accept food and drink-materials from the donor in such a way that he or she may not be obliged to wash hands afterwards. Besides this, I will accept food-materials only from the quantity of food, reserved by house-holders, to be given to mendicants, and only at a time when Brahmin beggars, guests deserving of hospitality, wretches, beggars, hermits, mendicants of other sects etc have finished their begging-tour, so that these persons may not be put to any inconvenience of not getting their food-materials for my sake.'
Dhanya Muni always did penance with a cheerful heart.
On the day of his break-fast, Dhanya Muni used to study during the first quarter of the day During the second quarter he was engaged in religious meditation and during the third quarter of the day, having first received permission from Śramaņa Bhagavāna Mahavira, he used to go on his begging-tour and he would only accept such food-material as was permissible by his *Technically called Ayambila or Ambéla tapa.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
