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522
The sage with the eye of knowledge, the great sage Nandivardhana, was standing in the midst of the ocean of people, preaching the Dharma. Two Brahmanas approached him. Satyaki, the sage with the eye of knowledge, who was concerned for the welfare of the listeners, said, "May these two not be an obstacle to the hearing of the Dharma, like buffaloes." He called out to the two Brahmanas from afar, "O Brahmanas, come here!" They came and sat in front of him. ||108-110||
Seeing the two arrogant Brahmanas sitting in front of the sage Satyaki, the people filled the space in front of him, like a great river overflowing with water during the rainy season. The people were drawn to the sage by their curiosity. ||111||
Then the sage said, "Learned ones, where have you come from?" The Brahmanas replied, "Do you not know? We have come from Shaliagrama." ||112||
Satyaki said, "Yes, it is true that you have come from Shaliagrama, but tell me, in this endless, timeless world, how did you come here?" ||113||
The Brahmanas said, "This is difficult to understand, even for us, let alone others." The sage said, "No, Brahmanas, listen, I will tell you." ||114||
"In your previous birth, you two were jackals, living near the boundary of this very village, and you were very fond of each other." ||115||
"In this village, there lived a farmer named Pravaraka. One day, he was plowing his field and was feeling carefree, when a heavy downpour began, accompanied by a strong wind. He was greatly distressed, his body trembled, and he was tormented by hunger. He left his leather equipment near a banyan tree and went home." ||116-117||
"The rain continued for seven days and nights, destroying all living beings. The two jackals, driven by hunger, ate the farmer's wet equipment." ||118||
"After some time, they suffered unbearable pain from a severe stomach ache. Due to their karma, they were bound to a long lifespan." ||119||