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There, he began to practise severe austerities. Fasting reduced his body to a mere skeleton. There was no longer the original charming beauty of his physical frame. But then he did not care for the transient physical beduty. He craved for eternal beauty.
Thus, his days passed in penance. Meanwhile, night followed day. he used to hear music of the running brooks, the rustling sound of dry leaves falling from the nearby banyan-tree and saw the stars as they peered through the leaves of the trees, The dim light of the night covered the earth everywhere.
Then those two angels turned up again to see King Sanatkumar. They were sorry to see his body reduced to a mere skeleton. They said, “We are ready to give you your original beauty."
The ascetic laughed at this. Then he pushed his right thumb into his mouth and when he pulled it out, it showed red lustre. From his thumb, emanated light, unseen before. The beauty that had struck them with wonder had now assumed another beautiful form. A smile was flickering on his lips. He then said gently and gradually, “Beauty! Yes, I had that beautiful form. But now I want formlessness."
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