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200 TWO PRAKRIT VERSIONS OF THE MAŅIPATI-CARITA 805. Hand me the plate and then give me the best of gruel
and other dishes. She replied: 'Who is dear to me
but you ?' 806. Having seated me in the dining place and washed my
hands, from the top of the pot she quickly broke the
pastry as it was taken out of the pan. 807. With one part she at once made an offering to the urn
and the rest she put on my plate. Then I said to her: 808. Even to-day, you wretch, you will not desist from that
evil action.' 'So you know ? ' she said trembling with
anger. 809. Taking that heated pan she got up and threw it at my
back as I ran, and it hit me. 810. Then with burned body somehow I reached my mother's
house and was saved by my mother and relatives from
the jaws of death. 811. I gave an explanation to my mother and father and as
for women the punishment is repudiation, after narrating
her history I handed her over to her parents. 812. After listening to the preaching of the sacred law I took
the vows. It is because that has remained in my mind
that I said . Bhayâti-bhaya' when I came here. 813. Abhaya said: 'Reverend sir, you have certainly made
an end to fears but we on whom lies the load of karma
are compounded of inward fears. 814. When dawn came Abhaya having completed the pauşadha
went outside the munis' dwelling and then suddenly 815. saw the necklace on the throat and neck of Susthita.
Then in his heart he thought : How devoid of desires
are men such as these, since 816. they do not take this necklace. It is for this reason,
I think, that they spoke the words bhaya, etc. ; so let
me do reverence to the sādhus. 817. He took the necklace and, having adored the noble muni,
he handed it over to the king who gave it to the queen whose heart was rejoiced.