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IV, 8, 49.
OF MILINDA THE KING.
173
temperature, or from inequality in protection, or from treatment, or from hunger, or from thirst, or from fire, or from water, or from the sword. This, O king, is the reason why there is such a thing as dying before one's time.
49. 'And have you ever heard, O king, of a crop that had grown, and was bent down by the weight of the grains of corn, the ears having duly formed ", when a so-called Karaka rain (hail-storm)2 falling on it, destroyed it?'
We have both heard of such a thing, Sir, and have seen it, too.
Well, O king! would you say the crop was destroyed in season or out of season ?'
Out of season, Sir. For if the hail-storm had not come the crop would have lasted to harvest time.'
What then, O king! on a disaster intervening the crop is lost, but if no injury is done it, it survives to the harvest ?'
That is so, Sir.'
Just so, O king, whosoever dies before his time does so in consequence of suffering from the attack of some disease,-from excess of windy humour, or of bilious humour, or of phlegmatic humour, or from the union of the three, or from variations in temperature, or from inequality in protection, or from treatment, or from hunger, or from thirst, or from fire, or from water, or from the sword. This, O
"Mañgarita-patte, which the Simhalese renders karal patra ottawu.
Karaka-vassam is på sâna-warsha in the Simhalese. If karaka originally meant 'hard shell,' it could have reached its ordinary meaning of water-pot,' from the fact that an empty half of a cocoa-nut shell is the most common form of cup.
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| SR No. | 007682 |
| Book Title | Questions of King Milinda Part 02 |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | T W Rhys Davids |
| Publisher | Oxford |
| Publication Year | 1894 |
| Total Pages | 2240 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 38 MB |