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MAHAVIRA'S WANDERING AS AN ASCETIC
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depressed? Has an order of yours been disobeyed by some one? Or have I committed a fault? She said: "No order has been disobeyed and there is no fault of yours. However, the fact that I did not break Sri Vira's fast is the occasion for grief to me. The Blessed Vira comes continually for alms and goes away without taking alms, because of some special vow. Learn the Lord's vow. If you do not know it, then your cleverness in observing other people's thoughts is in vain, great minister." Sugupta said: "I shall try to make the Lord of the World's vow known tomorrow, my dear."
Just then a female door-keeper of Mrgavati, named Vijaya, came and, having heard their conversation, went and told the queen. Instantly Mrgavati grieved likewise and Śatānika, perplexed, asked her the reason for her grief. Mrgavati, her eyebrows raised a little, explained in a speech etched with the outpouring of trouble from inner dejection:
"Princes know this world, movable and immovable, by means of spies, but you do not know your own city. What shall we say in this case? The Blessed Vira, the last Tirthakṛt, entitled to worship from the three worlds, lives here. Do you, careless of your kingdom's welfare, know this? After entering house after house, he goes away without taking alms because of some vow. Pray, do you know this? Shame on me, shame on you, shame on the ministers that the Supreme Lord has been here so long without taking alms, his vow unknown. "
The king replied: "I, careless, have been very properly reproved, lady with a pure heart, in a place distinguished for dharma. After ascertaining his vow, tomorrow I shall cause the Master of the Universe to break his fast." The king summoned the minister and said to him: "In my city the Lord of the Three Worlds has remained for four months without taking alms. Shame on us for this. The Lord's vow must be known so that, after he has fulfilled the vow, I can cause the Lord of the World to break his fast for my own purification. The minister said: "The Lord's vow is not known. am exceedingly grieved for that. Let some stratagem bę
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