2023-02-26 04:07:31 by ambuda-bot
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SUMMARY OF CONTENTS
17
avert the evil, if any, of being mated with a blockhead in her
next birth. [The ceremony was to be completed by feasting a
fool and presenting him a new cloth.] She found in Upavarşa,
her husband's brother, a fit recipient of her gift; and when he
returned home feasted and clothed, his wife felt disgraced and
rebuked him bitterly for his illiteracy. Shame and sorrow
stung him to the quick. He went to the temple of
Subrahmanya, planted the seeds of priyangu (millet) and
observed fast until an offering was made to the god from the
yield of the plantation. An ox consumed the crop when it
was ripe. He went through the process once again and com-
pleted the fast. The god appeared before him, made a cut in his
tongue
and in his bleeding mouth put something
from his own mouth. The God asked him not to reveal the
knowledge until he got a SŚrutadhara (Ekasandha) and
vanished. I am that Upavarşa' said he, 'and here is the
Ekasandha (Brahma-dāraka). Let us begin our studies.'
a
"Then the three pupils saluted the teacher and began to
learn. In the course of instruction, Vararuci grasped when he
heard once, Vyādi twice, and Indradatta thrice. Thus the
three students obtained mastery over the entire field of learning.
When the study was finished, they asked their teacher what
dakṣiṇā (remuneration) he would accept from them. Upa-
varşa desired a bit of gold with which to give his daughter in
marriage. As the king Mahāpadma had drained all the gold
in the land, they approached him with the request for a bit of
gold for gurudakṣina. The king brought his daughter to his
court and proclaimed that he would give her in marriage to
anyone who fetched him a bit of gold. Hearing this, a boy,
went home, returned with a little gold and asked the king for
his daughter. The king was astonished and enquired of the
boy where he got the gold from. ('Oh King!' said the boy,
'my father was an expert in finding out treasures buried under
ground. You had put him in prison, and there he died.
This piece of gold was obtained when his ashes were washed
off.') Mahāpadma was satisfied that he had stripped the earth
of all its gold; he fainted in a fit of joy and died.
(Av. Sāra IV. 48-58; Av. pp. 182-83)
"Indradatta who learned the art of transmigration from
Vyādi entered the body of the king and issued an order that a
crore of gold be granted to Vararuci for gurudakṣiṇā. Āryaka,
the minister, learnt the truth of the change in the king; (and
3
17
avert the evil, if any, of being mated with a blockhead in her
next birth. [The ceremony was to be completed by feasting a
fool and presenting him a new cloth.] She found in Upavarşa,
her husband's brother, a fit recipient of her gift; and when he
returned home feasted and clothed, his wife felt disgraced and
rebuked him bitterly for his illiteracy. Shame and sorrow
stung him to the quick. He went to the temple of
Subrahmanya, planted the seeds of priyangu (millet) and
observed fast until an offering was made to the god from the
yield of the plantation. An ox consumed the crop when it
was ripe. He went through the process once again and com-
pleted the fast. The god appeared before him, made a cut in his
tongue
and in his bleeding mouth put something
from his own mouth. The God asked him not to reveal the
knowledge until he got a SŚrutadhara (Ekasandha) and
vanished. I am that Upavarşa' said he, 'and here is the
Ekasandha (Brahma-dāraka). Let us begin our studies.'
a
"Then the three pupils saluted the teacher and began to
learn. In the course of instruction, Vararuci grasped when he
heard once, Vyādi twice, and Indradatta thrice. Thus the
three students obtained mastery over the entire field of learning.
When the study was finished, they asked their teacher what
dakṣiṇā (remuneration) he would accept from them. Upa-
varşa desired a bit of gold with which to give his daughter in
marriage. As the king Mahāpadma had drained all the gold
in the land, they approached him with the request for a bit of
gold for gurudakṣina. The king brought his daughter to his
court and proclaimed that he would give her in marriage to
anyone who fetched him a bit of gold. Hearing this, a boy,
went home, returned with a little gold and asked the king for
his daughter. The king was astonished and enquired of the
boy where he got the gold from. ('Oh King!' said the boy,
'my father was an expert in finding out treasures buried under
ground. You had put him in prison, and there he died.
This piece of gold was obtained when his ashes were washed
off.') Mahāpadma was satisfied that he had stripped the earth
of all its gold; he fainted in a fit of joy and died.
(Av. Sāra IV. 48-58; Av. pp. 182-83)
"Indradatta who learned the art of transmigration from
Vyādi entered the body of the king and issued an order that a
crore of gold be granted to Vararuci for gurudakṣiṇā. Āryaka,
the minister, learnt the truth of the change in the king; (and
3