2023-02-26 04:07:42 by ambuda-bot
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SUMMARY OF CONTENTS
39
beloved in my former life, and lived long happily with her in
her father's house. Then desirous of seeing my relations in
my native land, I boarded a ship with my pregnant wife but
the ship was caught in a tempest and was wrecked. Struggling
in the waters, I saw my wife and her nurse catching hold of a
floating plank and drifting out of sight. I got upon the back
of a fish and reached an island and lived alone. From there a
boatman took me to the Bāli island. I roamed about all over
the land for sixteen years searching for my wife in towns,
villages and forests but in vain. In despair I threw myself
from the precipice and you have saved my life. Here is
my wife and I am anxious to know what became of the baby
she bore her womb?'
(Av. Sāra VI. 21-32)
Then the old woman who heard the story began her
own. 'Dear child, here is my daughter who was about to kill
herself because of her sorrow at separation from you.
We reached the shore with difficulty and she gave birth to a
child in a jungle. For fear of wild animals I took the child
in my arms and searched for fire. A wild buffalo knocked
me down and I fell unconscious. When I regained conscious-
ness I saw a Brahman by my side, but not the child. Seeing
me in distress he took me to the spot where this daughter
was laid up in confinement. Seeing me returning
without her child, she could not control her sorrow.
We were both about to take our lives. The Brahman
prevented us from the rash act, soothed her grief with words
wisdom, healed my wounds and went his way in quest of
learning, I reminded her of the curse you had told me of
that you would suffer separation for sixteen years and that
your son would become the friend of an emperor. The
sixteen years have passed and having lost hope of meeting
you, she attempted suicide.'
(Av. Sāra VI. 326-40)
Then I began the story of their child: 'An elephant
killed the buffalo and carried away the child. The animal
flung the child in air, when a lion was about to leap on
its back. A monkey seated on the branch of a tree caught
hold of the child; and from monkey's hands, it fell into the
flower basket of a sage, which incident gave it the name of
Puşpodbhava. The sage took the child to the nurse but
39
beloved in my former life, and lived long happily with her in
her father's house. Then desirous of seeing my relations in
my native land, I boarded a ship with my pregnant wife but
the ship was caught in a tempest and was wrecked. Struggling
in the waters, I saw my wife and her nurse catching hold of a
floating plank and drifting out of sight. I got upon the back
of a fish and reached an island and lived alone. From there a
boatman took me to the Bāli island. I roamed about all over
the land for sixteen years searching for my wife in towns,
villages and forests but in vain. In despair I threw myself
from the precipice and you have saved my life. Here is
my wife and I am anxious to know what became of the baby
she bore her womb?'
(Av. Sāra VI. 21-32)
Then the old woman who heard the story began her
own. 'Dear child, here is my daughter who was about to kill
herself because of her sorrow at separation from you.
We reached the shore with difficulty and she gave birth to a
child in a jungle. For fear of wild animals I took the child
in my arms and searched for fire. A wild buffalo knocked
me down and I fell unconscious. When I regained conscious-
ness I saw a Brahman by my side, but not the child. Seeing
me in distress he took me to the spot where this daughter
was laid up in confinement. Seeing me returning
without her child, she could not control her sorrow.
We were both about to take our lives. The Brahman
prevented us from the rash act, soothed her grief with words
wisdom, healed my wounds and went his way in quest of
learning, I reminded her of the curse you had told me of
that you would suffer separation for sixteen years and that
your son would become the friend of an emperor. The
sixteen years have passed and having lost hope of meeting
you, she attempted suicide.'
(Av. Sāra VI. 326-40)
Then I began the story of their child: 'An elephant
killed the buffalo and carried away the child. The animal
flung the child in air, when a lion was about to leap on
its back. A monkey seated on the branch of a tree caught
hold of the child; and from monkey's hands, it fell into the
flower basket of a sage, which incident gave it the name of
Puşpodbhava. The sage took the child to the nurse but