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The Tale of Muldev
Yoga Shastra, Second Light, Verse 72
After that, the king, taking pity on him, sent one of his messengers with him to Ujjayini and had him convey the message to the king of Ujjayini to allow Achal to enter. Achal was ordered to go to Ujjayini with the messenger. The king of Avanti, upon hearing the message from King Muldev, allowed Achal to enter Ujjayini. For the reason for his anger had now ceased.
One day, some merchants, distressed by sorrow, gathered together and prayed to King Muldev, "Dev! You are constantly worried day and night for the protection of your subjects, but thieves and robbers come to this city and harass us by stealing, looting, and so on. These thieves are so arrogant that they come to steal from someone's house every night and break down walls like rats. Even the Kotwal is helpless in protecting our lives and property. What can we say, they roam around our houses as if they were their own, as if they had some magical power." To this, the king said, "People! Don't worry! I will soon find out who this wicked thief is, have him arrested, and give him a severe punishment." Thus, assuring them, the king departed. The king summoned the city magistrate to the royal court and ordered him, "Find out who all the thieves are in the city and catch them immediately and give them severe punishment." The city magistrate said, "Swami! Everything else is fine, but there is one thief who escapes like a demon as soon as he sees us. He cannot be caught." The king said, "Okay, I will see to it." That very night, the king, dressed in blue clothes like Baldev, went out into the city to observe the city. He went to all the places where thieves hid. After wandering around all day, the king got tired and slept in a ruined temple, just like a lion sleeps in a cave. At night, the leader of the thieves, named Mandak, a terrifying creature like a night-walking ghost, came there. Seeing the king asleep, he called out, "Who is sleeping here?" The thief leader, enraged, kicked the king who was sleeping like a lion. The king, with the intention of finding out the visitor's intentions, location, and wealth, replied, "I am a foreign traveler." Such people are usually not alert face-to-face. The thief said to the king, "Traveler! Come with me today, I will make you very rich." Alas, the ignorance of the intoxicated! The king, desiring wealth, followed the thief leader on foot. Even Janardana massages the feet of a donkey when it roars. The thief leader, taking the king with him, entered the house of a wealthy man. Like Rahu, who breaks into a house with a weapon and drinks nectar from a well, he took whatever good things he found in that house. The thief, ignorant, stole all the wealth and tied it up, placing it on the king's head. Just as a Shakini shows her belly, so the foolish thief showed the king all the wealth. The king, with the intention of killing the thief in his mind, took up the burden as the thief leader had said. For cunning people become very humble when they need something and become like demons when their work is done. Therefore, reaching a dilapidated garden, he entered it. Like a scorpion kept in dung, he took the king inside the cave. Inside the cave sat a young woman, beautiful, adorned with grace and beauty, with a well-proportioned body, like a Naga Kumari Devi. She was his sister. The thief leader ordered his sister, "Wash this guest's feet." She took the king to a well nearby and seated him on a seat. Taking water from the well, the lotus-eyed maiden began to wash the king's feet. The touch of the king's soft limbs gave her pleasure. She looked carefully at all his limbs and thought to herself in amazement, "This is indeed Kamadeva himself. It is not right to kill him." She was very attracted to the king. She said to the king, "Great one! Under the pretext of washing your feet, I have thrown many men into this well. Where is compassion in the hearts of thieves? I am so attracted and impressed by your beauty that I will not throw you into this well. The influence of a great man is wonderful and captivating. Therefore, Swami! I request you to leave this place immediately, otherwise, neither of us will be safe." The king immediately got up and went out. Even though they are clever and powerful, they kill their enemies with intelligence. After the king had gone quite a distance, the girl shouted loudly, "Brother, he has run away, run, run quickly, he has gone." Intelligent people save their acquaintances or loved ones.