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Elucidation
It is mentioned in Srenika caritra etc. (religious compositions) that the body of Arjuna garland-maker was possessed by deity Mudgarapāni upto five months and thirteen days. In this period he murdered 1141 persons. Among them were 978 men and 163 women. This clearly proves that every day he used to kill 7 persons.
Here one doubt arises that the person who had done such huge violence and degraded his soul to the lowest degree by this sinful deed, how could that man attain salvation by only six months' propiliation ?
This doubt can be rectified thus-that penance had unimaginable, unarguable and wonderful strength. As Agama asserts-The ill-deeds (karmas) accumulated even in millions of births can be exhausted by penance.
When the fire of most excessive penance burns then the army of karmas is reduced to ashes like dry grass and straw.
Besides this, it can also be said in this context that the murder done by Arjuna garland-maker, was really done by the deity. Therefore, the extremity of passions, responsible for killing persons, was not possible in Arjuna garland-maker. The heart of Arjuna garland-maker was simple and less-affected, but due to the possession of deity (Yaksa) he turned to a murderer or assassin.
[Third chapter concluded
चतुर्थ अध्ययन सूत्र २२:
उक्वेवओ चउत्थस्स अज्झयणस्स । एवं खलु जंबू ! तेणं कालेणं तेणं समएणं रायगिहे णयरे गुणसिलए चेइए। तत्थ णं सेणिए राया । कासवे णामं गाहावई परिवसइ । जहा मंकाई सोलसवासा परियाओ, विपुले सिद्धे ।
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अन्तकृद्दशा सूत्र : षष्ठम वर्ग
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