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112
RISABHA DEVA
The four thousand followers of the Lord whose hearts were not illumined with knowledge or faith, soon began to feel uneasy. They tried to restrain themselves as long as they could; but were unable to stand there doing nothing, and were overpowered by hunger and thirst. They left the place, one after another, and dispersed in the forest, their fear of the men's ridicule and of Bharata's displeasure preventing them from appearing again in the world. Many of them put on aprons and loin-strips made of bark and leaves, and lived in the forests, each following his own fancy for becoming like the WORLD TEACHER.
1
It would be wrong to suppose that there was no real difference between the tapascharana of the WORLD TEACHER and of those who had merely taken to it in imitation of Him. The greatest difference between them lay in regard to the sense of freedom which stirred the WORLD TEACHER and filled Him with indescribable inward joy. The others had not given up the world of their own accord, and did not experience the Joy of Freedom, but sadness and sorrow at their destitution! The result was that while the WORLD TEACHER enjoyed inner happiness all the time, His imitators were merely regretting the foolish' step they had taken!
C
