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298
SHRAMAN MAHAVIR
(4) I vacated Malyamandit's body at Kammahavana in Varanasi to live in that of Roha for nineteen years
(5) At Pattkalaya chaitya of Alabhiya | abandoned Roha's body to enter into Bharadwaja's body and lived as such for eighteen years
(6) I haunted Arjuna's body who was Gautam's son at Kaundinyayan chaitya in Vaishalı for seventeen years
(7) At Halahala's workshop in Shravasti l occupied the present body of Gaushalaka After completing my tenure of sixteen years into it I will be delivered of all pains
'This Kashyapa is the chronicle of my seven incarnations during the last one hundred and twenty-three years'
To his harangue the Lord responded thus
'Gaushalak! It is akin to the conduct of a thief hotly pursued He fails to find a shelter in a tunnel, cave, citadel, hill, subterraneon region or secret spot He will, then, deem himself to be sheltered by means of a small fibre of wool, flax or cotton although he is fully exposed You are no other and still pretend to be different from yourself Forsake to do so Gaushalak! It does not behave you to do so'
Gaushalak was enraged to hear it He vented his fury thus 'I feel you are damned and ruined It is almost a fait accompli Let me see who rescues you from my ire It is you who has provoked this wrath of mine
Gaushalak paused for a couple of moments Sarwanubhuti,a monk, initiated by Lord Mahavira hailing from the eastern parts rose He was a great devotee of the Lord and hence he could not resist any further He drew nearer Gaushalak and said, 'Gaushalak! Whoever is preached by a monk or a Brahmin offers his heartfelt gratitude Lord Mahavira has, in fact, initiated you and imparted great wisdom to you What prompts you to be so flagrant with him? Gaushalak! Pray abstain from such an indiscretion!'
Sarwanubhuti's counsel fanned Gaushalak's fire He rexercised his fiery occult powers and lol. Sarwanubhuti was burnt to ashes in the very presence of the Lord
