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PHILOSOPHY OF SOUL
215
Rayanadevi invited me and I indulged in all sorts of sensual pleasures with her. Some day she was fierely enraged with me on account of some petty reason and she put me to this plight. Beware, you may also be reduced to this state of affairs."
On hearing this account both the brothers were highly terrified. They never dreamt that Rayanadevi could be so cruel and so hardhearted. They asked the person on the big spike, "Is there any way to escape from Rayanadevi ?" That man replied, "There is a Yaksha's (semi divine being) temple in the eastern parks. His name is Selaka. He utters on the fourteenth, eighth, thirtieth and fifteenth days of the month, "Whom shall I protect? Whom shall I rescue ?" Then you should say, "Protect us, save us." On being so blessed you sho:.ld adore l.im with flowers etc. There is no other way to escape."
Both the brothers entered the eastern parks. They took their ablutions in a charming pond and plucked lotus flowers from a lake nearby. They adored the Yaksha with the flowers and bowed down to him. Suddenly the Yaksha appeared, and said, "Whom shall I protect? Whom shall I rescue?" Then both the brothers said, "Protect us, save us."
Selaka said, "Oh blessed ones, I am ready to save you. But listen to one thing. I shall assume the form of a horse and shall make you ride on my back. I shall reach you to your destination having crossed the sea. But when I shall cover half the sea, Rayanadevi shall persue you. She will try her best to attract you, by creating many enticements and by raising obstacles. If you shall be attracted to her, I shall throw you down from my back. So think well and reply."
The merchant's sons were bent upon escaping from the clutches of Rayanadevi. So they consented to his conditional proposition. Yaksha assumed the form of a horse and seated them on his back. Thereafter all of them started crossing the ocean.
Rayanadevi came to know that the merchant's sons had left for their native place. Extremely enraged she persued them with a sword and a shield. She reached the midst of the ocean and said, "Oh sons of Makandi! what have you done this? How could you leave this island without my permission? Be good and return with me. Otherwise I shall cut you to pieces."
