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DISCOURSE 24
415 EVEN THOSE WHO HAVE AN EYE FOR VIRTUES SEE DEFECTS AND VICES BUT IN A DIFFERENT MANNER
. Maharajashri : You have spoken the truth. I love your virtues. Therefore, I speak of your defects and vices. I dwell on your vices because I desire that you must discard your defects and vices and you must increase your virtues. I admire the virtues that you possess. But I dwell on your vices and defects to prevail upon you to discard them. Unless I describe your vices, how can you discard them? If I had no love for you, I would not have dwelt on your vices. You are householders and I am a Sadhu. Even a Sadhu can admire the virtues of householders. Great Acharyas have written the noble lifehistories of virtuous householders. Kalikala Sarvajna Shri Hemachandrasooriji has written the life-history of King Kumarpal. He has dwelt upon Kumarpal's virtues and has admired them greatly. At the same time, he has also described the defects and the vices of the king, not with a view to condemning them but with a view to inspiring the king to discard them.
Kumarpal, the king of Gujarat performed many noble actions and austerities but he did not pay attention to the sorrows and agonies of thousands of his relatives and the members of his faith. The great acharya Hemachandrasooriji drew the king's attention to this fact in an excellent manner. Even this is an excellent thing to be known.
Every morning the king came to salute the Acharya. He saw the Gurudev covering himself with a thick and torn cloth. He said to the Gurudev folding his hands in salutation, "Gurudev, are the Shravaks in Patan (the ancient capital of Gujarat) so poor that you have to wrap yourself with such a coarse cloth”.
The Gurudey said, "Kumarpal, the member of your faith give me what they have. Have you at any time thought of their difficulties ?"
That was enough. Kumarpal, at once, realised his serious blunder. On that day, he began his endeavour to enable the
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