Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 3

Author(s): Hemchandracharya, Helen M Johnson
Publisher: Oriental Research Institute Vadodra

Page 184

ŚRI DHARMANĀTHACARITRA
155
arrogance, in the sphere of caste, et cetera, touches the heart, then one should resort to humility as an antidote to it. Everywhere one should show humility, especially to honored persons, by which one would avoid the evil of lack of respect to those entitled to it.
Bahubali, bound by evils like creepers because of conceit, freed at once by humility, attained omniscience immediately.211 A cakravartin, who has abandoned worldly attachment, goes to the houses even of enemies for aims. Indeed, humility is harsh for destroying conceit. Even a cakravartin just initiated bows to a poor sādhu and serves him for a long time, his conceit abandoned. So, realizing that the whole sphere of conceit is entirely sinful, the sensible man should resort unwearyingly to humility for its destruction.
Deceit (281-298) Deceit is the mother of untruthfulness, the axe to the tree of good conduct, the birth-place of ignorance; the cause of a low condition of existence. Persons who are clever at crookedness, evil through deceit, hypocritical, deceiving the world, certainly deceive themselves also. Kings deceive the whole world by means of the deceitful six stratagems through trickery and destruction of trusting people because of greed for wealth. Brāhmans, empty within and strong without, deceive the people by tilakas, signs stamped on their bodies, charms, and sight of their emaciation. Deceitful merchants, false from contact with gain by the quick method of false weights and measures, deceive the simple people. Heretics-atheists at heartcheat the simple laymen by wearing matted hair, mauñjigrass girdles, top-knots, ashes, bark-dress, fire, et cetera. The world deceives lovers by courtesans not in love (themselves) who make them fall in love by attention to feeling,
911 277. See I, pp. 323 ff.