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RĀVANA'S EXPEDITION OF CONQUEST
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dharmika, knew it. Mahākāla set up a statue of Rṣabha to destroy his vidya and the Khecara stopped (rescuing the animals). Then I went elsewhere silently, my scheme having been destroyed; and he encouraged Sagara in the sacrifices by deceit. He sacrificed Sagara with Sulasă in the sacrificial fire and, his purpose accomplished, Mahākāla went to his own abode. Thus sacrifices consisting of injury to animals were made by the Brahmans through Parvata, a mountain of wickedness. They must be stopped by you."
Daśānana consented to that, bowed humbly to Nārada, asked his forgiveness because of Marutta and dismissed him. Nārada's birth (503-514)
Marutta bowed to Rāvaṇa and said, "Who is this ocean of compassion who stopped us from that sin through you, master?
"
Rāvana replied: "There was a Brahman, Brahmaruci, who was an ascetic. His wife, Kurmi, became pregnant. One day some monks came there and one of them said: 'It was, indeed, well done, that living in a house was abandoned from fear of worldly existence. How, pray, does living in a forest differ from living in a house, if you have relations with your wife again, your mind injured by sense-objects?'
Hearing that, Brahmaruci accepted the teaching of the Jinas and became a mendicant at once and Kurmi became a laywoman next. Devoid of false belief, living there in the hermitage, she bore a son who was exempt from crying, et cetera, named Narada. When she had gone somewhere else (one day), the Jṛmbhaka gods kidnaped him. Because of sorrow for the boy, she became a mendicant under Indumālā. The gods took care of him and taught him the sciences; and in course of time gave him the vidya 'going through the air.' Observing the lesser vows, he reached charming youth. As he always wore the topknot, he was neither householder nor ascetic.
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