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DISCOURSE 16
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those beggars whatever he had; and by the time, he reached home, he had nothing with him except some rice and dhal. Outwardly, he had become empty-handed; but inwardly he had become supremely happy. His inward happiness knew no bounds! His face beamed with an unprecedented felicity; and his eyes showered forth compassion.
HOW GREAT WAS HIS WIFE!
The poet's wife was standing at the threshold, waiting for the arrival of her husband. She had been hoping that her husband would arrive carrying with him enormous wealth. The great poet on arriving there placed in her hands two bundles of rice and dhal and with a peaceful and smiling face, he looked towards her; and said, “Dear wife ! to-day I am supremely happy for having given some help to those in distress and sorrow. How can I describe it ? The king gave me a large number of costly gifts and gold coins but I gave away all those things to the poor people whom I met on the way. I felt that their need was greater than ours". His wife stood listening. She knew her husband's nature very well. She had never unkindly placed impediments on his way to help others.
Though she was deeply agitated by poverty, she controlled her feelings and remained calm. Of course, there was nothing at home to prepare food with. She prepared some food out of the rice and dhal that the poet had brought with him. She said calmly to her husband, "My Lord ! you have done a very good thing. Your heart is unique in its magnanimity; it is an ocean of compassion. You cannot bear to see the sorrows of others. Now, you take rest for some time. I will prepare food." .
When the food was ready and when the poet sat down to dinner, some beggar knocked on the door and cried, "Kindly give me food." The poet heard this cry. He said to his wife, “Dear wife, there is a beggar standing at the door. Please give him the food that is there in my plate". She said nothing. She quietly took the food; went to the door and gave it to the hungry beggar. The beggar blessed them heartily; and went away,
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