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144 TWO PRAKRIT VERSIONS OF THE MAŅIPATI-CARITA 115. Making a shrieking noise like a jackal and blowing on the
charcoal with her mouth she went up to him, and when
he saw her he was terrified. 116. Wretched man, to-day you shall cease to exist, I will
kill you, take a last good look at the world of the
living.' To these words of hers he replied: 117. Revered lady, moderate your wrath, I will do whatever
you say.' She replied : ‘If so then know that I am
the goddess Tilabhakşiņi. 118. Give me your sesamum seeds and let their name never
be mentioned.' Said the brahmin : This is a great
clemency'. 119. Then she went home but the brahmin was seized by a
burning fever. He made his way home with difficulty
and straightway expired. 120. She said : Very good', and had him burned immediately
with abundant heaps of hay and wood in the cemetery
near the grass-land. 121. Through the force of the wind the fire took hold and
then a spark fell on the clothes on the great sage's body; 122. but the body of the illustrious muni being because of the
kāyotsarga in a state of bliss indifferent to pleasure and pain did not stir when he saw them suddenly take
fire. 123. Her consort the moon having disappeared, the night laid
aside the girdle of the constellations and abandoned the necklace of the stars. Attractive because of her
garment of lovely moonlight, 124. speaking with lips the colour of betel from oft repeated
twilights and lotus-eyed, she cast herself, as it were,
into the western ocean which is her beloved. 125. When the hour of dawn arrived the cowherds came there
quickly and were grief-stricken to find the sādhu
Maņipati in that condition. 126. They said : Alas! Alas! A terrible thing has been done
by us all unwittingly; it is thus that by the power of fate a good action becomes a harmful action,