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THE WAY OF LIFE
sloka, "Chakki Dugam" which the Sadhvi was studying and memorising. He entered the Upashray. In the Upashraya, an elderely Sadhvi sat resplendent on a Kashtasan (a seat of wooden planks). Haribhadrasoori saluted her with folded hands and with a bent head and then asked her standing at the threshold of the room, “May I come in ?” The Sadhvi blessed him saying 'Dharmlabh' (May you gain dharma) and she permitted him to enter the room. Haribhadrasoori tasted the sweetness of Manna in the blessing that she uttered. On seeing the Sadhvi, he experienced an inordinate internal felicity. After saluting her and after complimenting her, he said, “Oh worshipful and sacred Mother! I heard the sloka. Chakki Dugam which was being recited here. I have not been able to understand its meaning. I have come to you with the desire of knowing its meaning from you. Kindly do me the favour of explaining the sloka to me".
THE SADHVI'S PROPER REPLY
The Sadhvi, Yakinimahattara guessed, "This great man must be the priest Haribhadra”. She was very shrewd and intelligent. She said, "Oh great man! In our Jain dharma only Sadhus have the authority of explaining Sutras. A Sadhvi cannot explain the meaning of a Sutra. Therefore, if you want to know the meaning of the Sutra, kindly approach our Gurudev”. She said this to Haribhadra with great tenderness and compassion.
"Where is your Gurudev ?" Haribhadra asked, "He is staying in the Upashray near the Jain temple !" the Sadhvi replied.
THE SADHVI'S SPIRITUAL VISION
How shrewd and incisive the Sadhvi was! She did not explain the meaning of the Sutra herself because she knew that he was not an ordinary man and that he was a priest who would never set foot in a Jain temple or a Jain Upashraya and that he had entered a Jain Upashraya by some happy chance, and she also thought that he must meet the Gurudev. She thought,
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