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for dharma, have been seen. The ascetics also accepted that dharma, consisting of knowledge of what is to be rejected, what is to be accepted, as if it were sewn in their minds, because of her speech. Imbued with her dharma, they blamed their own (Brahman) ascetic-dharma. Whom does vinegar please when he has obtained a drink of milk?
CHAPTER THREE
The caravan-leader Vasanta founded a city on that very place, resembling the city of Purandara, which is not abandoned by the wealthy. Because five hundred ascetics were enlightened here the city was called everywhere Tāpasapura. Knowing his own advantage, making his own wealth fruitful, the caravan-leader built a shrine to Sri Santinātha in that city. The caravan-leader, all the ascetics, the whole people, passed the time, devoted to the Arhats' dharma.
One day at night Nala's wife saw on the mountain-peak a light compared with which the sun was like a spark. Bhaimi saw gods, asuras, and Vidyadharas flying up and down like birds. Awakened by the noise of their cries, 'Hail! Hail!' the merchants and ascetics watched, their faces upturned from astonishment. Vaidarbhi with the merchants and ascetics climbed the mountain which had the form of a staff between heaven and earth. They saw the omniscience-festival, undertaken by the gods, of Muni Sinhakeśarin whose omniscience had taken place there. After paying homage to the great muni together with the twelvefold avarta,134 they sat down at his feet, like travelers at the foot of a tree.
The muni's guru, Yaśobhadra Suri, came there then and, knowing that he was a kevalin, paid homage to him, and sat down before him. Svāmin Sinhakeśarin, an ocean with the water of compassion, delivered a sermon which penetrated the vulnerable spots of non-dharma.
134 643. Avarta is a form of homage in which the devoté recites a sūtra, at six points in which he touches the feet of the guru if present. The sūtra is repeated, so making twelve ävartas. It must be done daily by sadhus, but the
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guru" need not be an individual, present in person. In that case the devoté touches the ground. Pañcaprati., Suguruvandanasūtra, pp. 72 ff.
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