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CHAPTER ELEVEN
poor? Therefore, I should ask for a crore, a hundred crores, a thousand crores."
As he was reflecting thus, from the maturing of good karma there was a thought with good development for thought conforms to. karma: “The contentment that was mine at the (prospect of the) acquisition of two māșas of gold, that has left me today at the acquisition of even a crore, as if frightened by it. That is a great calamity for me who came here for the sake of knowledge, like one, who wished to go to the sea, going to Himavat. The teacher's imparting knowledge to me was like planting a lotus in dry ground, since I practiced slavery, not suited to a good family, to a slave-girl. Therefore, enough of these worldly desires." With these reflections he attained desire for emancipation and, the memory of former births having arisen, he became selfenlightened. He pulled the hair from his head himself and took the broom, the mouth-cloth, and other things brought by a deity.
When he went to the king, the king asked him, “ What did you decide ?” So he related the expansion of his desires and said: “ Just as gain, so is desire. From gaining (what you desire), desire increases. The result which was planned within the limits of two māşas of gold, that is not accomplished even with a crore.” The king, astonished, said, “I shall give even crores. Enjoy pleasures. Give up your vow. There was no witness to your vow.” Kapila said: “ Enough of objects that cause evil, king. I have become free from desire. May you acquire dharma, sir.” Saying this, Muni Kapila, free from all worldly connections, desireless, free from egotism, went away then and wandered over the earth. When he had thus observed the vow for six months, brilliant omniscience came to the great muni Kapila.
Now, there was a terrible forest, eighteen yojanas in extent, on the way to Rājagsha, where there were five hundred thieves, named Kadadāsa, Balabhadra, and others whom Kapila knew were worthy of enlightenment. In order to
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