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DISCOURSE 42
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fluential and powerful people is really extraordinary. Have you not seen wealthy and powerful people in the world ? Probably, we find only pride and haughtiness in affluent and powerful people in this world.
Humility is discernible in people who are noble; and who are affluent and powerful. Those noble people are humble before spiritual heads and elders and they are also humble in their dealings with the poor. They never treat anyone with contempt. They never slight anyone.
When Rana Vira Dhawal was the king of Gujarat, Vasthupal and Tejpal were his Chief Ministers. They were extremely affluent and they possessed extraordinary power, yet they were humble. I will now narrate to you an exciting episode from their exemplary life.
THE EXTENT OF THE HUMILITY OF VASTHUPAL AND TEJPAL
This episode took place in the year 1286 of the Vikram Era. A rich merchant of Nagpur by name, Punad organised a pilgrimage of devotees to Shatrunjayagiriraj, a sacred mountain in Palithana. They were travelling on foot. The society comprised thousands of pious men and women. Tejpal approached the leader of the society and entreated him to come to Dolaka, the then capital of Gujarat, to stay there for some time and then to proceed on their pilgrimage. The leader of the society accepted his invitation. When the society of pilgrims approached Dolaka, Vasthupal, the Chief Minister, went to them. Thousands of men and women were travelling on foot. There were also one thousand eight hundred bullock-carts and a lot of dust was rising from the road. The merchants who were near Vasthupal, said to him, “This road is very dusty, so we will go by some other road". The Chief Minister said, "Oh great men, one should be extremely fortunate to be touched by this dust. The touch of this dust removes the dust of sins. The dust of this road is hallowed by being touched by the feet of thousands of piligrims who travelled to the sacred mountain. This is holy dust. Touched by this dust, you too will become holy". Vasthupal bowed in
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