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This lecture details the importance of finding spiritual liberation and forsaking this material world. TWENTIETH LECTURE. THE GREAT DUTY OF THE NIRGRANTHAS. “Piously adoring the perfected and the restrained saints, listen to my true instruction which (teaches the real) profit (of men), religion, and liberation. […] ‘O King, You do not know the meaning and origin of (the word) “without protection,” nor how one comes to be without protection or with protection, O ruler of men. Hear, O great King, with an undistracted mind in what way a man can be said to be “without protection,” and with what purpose I have said all this. There is a town Kausâmbî by name, which is among towns what Indra is (among the gods); there lived my father, who possessed great wealth. In my childhood, O great King, I caught a very bad eye disease and a severe burning fever in all my limbs, O ruler of men. My eyes ached as if a cruel enemy thrust a sharp tool in the hollow of my body. In the back, the heart, and the head, I suffered dreadful and very keen pains equal to a stroke of lightning. Then the best physicians came to my help, who cure by their medical art and by spells, who were versed in their science, and well knew spells and roots. They tried to cure me according to the fourfold science which they had been taught, but they could not rid me of my pains; hence I say that I am without protection. My father would have spent all he possessed for my sake, but he could not rid me of my pains; hence, I say that I am without protection. My mother, O great King, was agonized with grief about her son, but she could not [rid me of my pains]. O great King, my own brothers, the elder and younger ones, could not rid me of my pains. O great King, my own sisters, the elder and younger ones, could not [rid me of my pains]. O great King, my loving and faithful wife moistened my breast with the tears of her eyes. The poor lady did not eat, nor drink, nor bathe, nor use perfumes, wreaths, and anointment, with my knowledge or without it. O great King, she did not leave my side even for a moment, but she could not rid me of my pains; hence I say that I am without protection. Then I said: It is very hard to bear pains again and again in the endless Circle of Births. If I, for once, shall get rid of these great pains, I shall become a houseless monk, calm, restrained, and ceasing to act. While I thought so, I fell asleep, O ruler of men, and after that night, my pains had vanished. […]’”
