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CHAPTER FOUR devotion and sat down before him. The great muni explained dharma to them especially. For the great are especially tender to the poor.
At the end of the sermon they bowed to him and said: That you have been seen, Lord, is merit for us, though sinful. You are beneficent to everyone of your own accord; nevertheless, we, miserable, ask you: command some penance for us, O you worthy of worship by the world. In accordance with what was suitable for them, Muni Sarvagupta ordered for them the penance named 'dvātrinśatkalyāņaka.' They agreed, went home, and performed the penance consisting of two three-day and thirty-two one-day fasts.889 At the time for breaking their fasts, they looked at the door and searched for some muni as a guest. They saw the sādhu Dhrtidhara entering and they both gave him devotedly food, water, et cetera.
One day Muni Sarvagupta came there again in his wandering and they listened to dharma at his side. They, devoted to discernment, adopted mendicancy, the fruit of the wish-granting tree of human birth, before Muni Sarvagupta. The Rși Rajyagupta observed the severe penance, ācāmāmlavardhamana840 at the order of his guru. At the end he fasted, after resorting to the fourfold refuge, died, and was born in Brahmaloka with a life-term of ten sāgaras.
Falling from Brahmaloka he became the Vidyadharalord Sinharatha, the son of King Vidyudratha. His wife,
880 240. I.e., there would be fasting for 3 days, followed by fastbreaking, then 32 fast-days alternated with 32 fast-breaking days, then a three-day fast, followed by a fast-breaking day. Thus the entire penance consisted of 72 days.
840 245. One ācāmāmla meal is eaten, then a day's fast, then two meals (one a day), then a fast. The meals are increased by one each time: 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. up to 100. There are 5,050 days on which an ācāmāmla meal is eaten and 100 fast days, making a total of 14 years, 3 months, and 20 days. Anta. 32, B.p. 106. For ācāmāmla itself, see I, n. 324 and above, n. 252.
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