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Nāsaketari Kathā
525
525
16. Cp. Si XI. 17 and note. 20. Cp. BeFi XIII.23 yo dadāti mahākṣetraṁ dhānyaśāliprapuritam /
sa yāti paramaṁ sthānam vimānaiḥ svargagāmibhiḥ // Chapter XV
1-10. corresponding to BeFi XV. Besides here as BeFi XV, 1ff. ( and Sadala Miśra p. 31 ), the river Puspodaka occurs in MBh III.199,56f. (Roy 1810, p. 525 ). But whereas this miraculous river is described as a place of happiness in BeFi ( Sadala Miśra ) and in our text, it is, in MBh, a means of examining the dead men by a kind of ordeal, giving agreeable cool water to the virtuous and pus to the bad. Te. ‘kapoya'(cp. Tessitori p. [3] ).
11-30. What is told here, goes with BeFi XVII, which is, however, more detailed. The XVIth chapter of BeFi ( with which Sadala Miśra agrees ) has no parallel in our text. As to Vaitarani and the famous Vaitaraṇī-cow see Scherman and Kirfel. Cf. also BeFi XVII.37ff. Chapter XVI
The few and dark passages of this adhyāya of Si correspond to what is told in BeFi XVIII.1-23 and XIX in 53 ślokas about Nārada's visit of the hells. The matter is as follows:
Once, Nārada visited King Yama, sent by Vişnu in order to superintend the administration of justice exercised by Yama. While Yama and Nārada were saluting each other ceremoniously, there appeared, with much pomp and with music, thousands of heavenly cars, at the head of which the king of the gods approached, riding his elephant Airāvata, surrounded by celestial nymphs, and followed by many horses and elephants. At this sight, Yama suddenly fled away, together with his ascetics, into his palace, while his messengers ran away in all directions, and the hosts of the preta too. When Yama ventured forth again, Nārada asked him why he had fled. Then follows the answer of Yama : in the manuscript B of BeFi immediately, in A after Yama has asked Nārada's pardon for first arranging
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