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CHAPTER FOUR give this food to the Master. I am fortunate to whose house the Arhat himself will come and make his fast-breaking, a boat for the ocean of worldly existence. I shall go to meet the Lord as he comes and after circumambulating him three times, I shall pay homage to his lotus-feet. This birth of mine will be the cause of freedom from another birth. Even the sight of the Lord helps to emancipation, how much more his fastbreaking.”
While he, pure-minded, stood, reflecting in this way, the Lord went to the house of Sheth Abhinava. The sheth, his head held high because of his wealth, a wrong-believer, ordered the slave-girl, “After giving alms send away this mendicant quickly, girl.” Holding a wooden ladle, she brought halfcooked pulse126 and threw it in the Lord of the World's hand, held out as a dish. A drum was beaten by the gods and a waving of garments was made, and a stream of treasure, and showers of flowers and perfume immediately.
Questioned by the people, Sheth Abhinava said deceitfully, “I myself had the Lord break his fast with rice pudding." “Oh, the gift! The .good gift!” After hearing this speech of the gods, the people and the king praised Sheth Abhinava again and again. Jirņaśreșthin, standing so, thinking about the Master's coming, heard the sound of the gods' drum and thought: “ Alas! I am unfortunate. My wish was in vain, since the Lord passing by my house has broken his fast somewhere else.” After breaking his fast, the Lord went elsewhere in his wandering.
A disciple of Pārsva, an omniscient, came to that garden. The king and the people went to him and asked, “Blessed One, what person in this city has acquired a big accumulation of merit?” He replied, “ Jīrņaśreșthin.” The people said: “Why he? The Master's fast was not broken by him, but it was broken by Abhinava. The stream of treasure fell in
126 358. Kulmāșa is half-cooked pulse. My Indian informant stressed that it must be half-cooked.
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