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THE WAY OF LIFE
them food and refreshments, conversing with them in a decent manner etc. are the proper functions by carrying out which a woman becomes honourable and respectable. Such a treatment increases her honour.
THE MAGNANIMITY OF ANUPAMA DEVI
Once, when Viradhwal was the king of Gujarat, Vastupal was his Chief Minister and Tejpal was his military commander. Vastupal and Tejpal are immortal figures in the history of Gujarat. Anupama devi was the wife of Tejpal. Anupama in Sanskrit means incomparable. Anupama devi was indeed incomparable in her virtues.
One day, a Sadhu came to Tejpal's bungalow for Gauchari (food). Vastupal and Tejpal were not in the house at that time. Anupama devi was at home. She extended a respectful welcome to the muniraj and set about giving Bhiksha to him. While she was pouring ghee into the vessel of the muniraj some ghee fell on the outer part of the vessel. Anupama devi began to wipe off that ghee with the edge of her sari. Then the muniraj said to her, "Noble lady ! clean the vessel with some other cloth. If you wipe it with your sari, it will be spoilt". Anupama devi said, "Gurudev ! can I ever get such a great good fortune of my sari touching the holy vessel of an honoured muniraj ? I can get another sari. When Paramatma Jineshwardev abides on my head; when a great muni like you is here to bless me, and when we have such a magnanimous King as Virdhawal, I do not lack anything". The muniraj blessed her saying, "Dharmlabh" (may you gain Dharma) and went away. But another incident also took place there. The king Virdhawal had been watching the event from a place of hiding. He had come there in disguise. Some enemies of Tejpal and Vastupal had carried tales against them to the king, saying that they were conspiring against him. So, he had gone there to verify what he had heard. He was stupefied when he heard the words of Anupama devi. "When the mistress of the house has such a lofty feeling of respect for me and when she has such a great faith in me, a conspiracy against me cannot take place in this house. What I have heard
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