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DISCOURSE 64
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spiritual heads will some day impel them to become noble in conduct and principles.
RUDRASOMA BECAME A MOTHER, WORTHY OF WORSHIP BECAUSE....
Aryarakshit became a great scholar. He was greatly honoured by the King. Until he became a great scholar and earned royal honour, Rudrasoma did not advise him to approach a Jain Acharya and to acquire knowledge from him. She was a great devotee of Shramans (mendicants). How courageous Rudrasoma was! She never said anything unpleasant or harsh. Hence, she became a mother worthy of worship and adoration. She became supremely venerable. She said to Aryarakshit, “You approach the Jain acharya, Thosaliputra; and learn the Drishtivad with his guidance. If you do so, I will be happy and satisfied”. Aryarakshit did not start any argument or specious reasoning; he gave a firm and decisive reply, "My mother! Let it be as you wish. I will go to the Jain acharya tomorrow morning".
Throughout that night, Aryarakshit could not get a wink of sleep; and he kept thinking of Drishtivad and about the Jain acharya; and about what his mother had told him. What his mother had told him about the Jain acharya kept cropping up in his mind again and again.
जैनर्षयो महासत्त्वा: त्यक्ताब्रह्मपरिग्रहा:। TTAT FETAT FETTAT: FA Y AT: 37ET TFTFT a Tasyat Fanartai
सन्ति तोसलीपुत्राख्याः सूरयो शानभूरयः ।। The sublime image of Acharya Thosaliputra became enshrined in the mind of Aryarakshit. As he visualized the great acharya with his physical form full of strength; with the radiance of purity and celibacy in his face; with his eyes beaming with the light of the emotion of the supreme good; with his voice nverflowing with enlightenment and faith, he thought : "This great sage will teach me Drishtivad. I shall be indeed blessed".
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