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THE WAY OF LIFE
Narvir said, “Revered sir! My name is Narvir. I am a notorious dacoit of this area. Until to-day, I have been victorious but to-day I have been defeated. All my companions have been killed by the soldiers of Malva. Even my pregnant wife has been killed. I am totally ruined; but I won't sit quiet. I will not acquiesce in this situation. I will take revenge against those who have inflicted this ruin upon me. I will set fire to all the villages of Malva. I will kill all those people". As he said this, Narvir began to shake with fear. The Acharya was listening to him calmly. He had no contempt or abhorrence for the dacoit. How could the Acharya who knew the effect of karmas and who knew the nature of the influence of passions (kashayas) treat the dacoit with contempt ? The sublime emotion of compassion surged from his heart.
He said, "Narvir ! Defeat has made a deep impact on your heart. Your blood is boiling because your wife has been killed. This is natural. It is natural that a man should entertain such feelings when he has been defeated for the first time in his life. You are a valiant man. When a valiant man is defeated, he does not give way to despair. On the contrary, he tries to find out the cause for his defeat. Have you tried to search for the cause for your defeat ?"
"No. Sir, I have not. I am becoming mad. I am unable to think of anything".
THE FIRE OF REVENGE IS NEVER EXTINGUISHED
"Dear son! Be calm. I will explain the cause for your defeat. For some years, you have been carrying on the enormity of robbing people and killing them; have you not? You have robbed thousands of men and women and you have killed many. On account of these enormities of yours thousands of families have fallen into distress. Many women have become widows and children have become orphans. You and your companions have set fire to villages and crops in fields in Gujarat and Malva. What a great panic has spread among people on account of you ? You calmly think of the agonies and anguish of those people. Is not your defeat to-day the result of your enormities? Is it
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