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monsoon as the town was far off. He gave them shelter on a specific condition that as his livelihood depended on robbing, the Acharya should not give him any religious advice. The Acharya agreed to do so and passed the monsoon in religious and meditative activities. When the monsoon was over, Vankchul went out to give a send off to the Acharya who told the robber to take any one pledge or a vow. At first, the robber hesitated but ultimately agreed to take the following four minor vows : 1. He will not eat unknown fruit. 2. He will retrace seven steps before striking his sword upon any
one. 3. He will treat the Chief Queen (of a king) as his mother. 4. He will abstain from lating a crow's flesh.
Test of the First Vow : Once Vankchul went to a forest after plundering. All his associates were hungry. They gathered some fruits. But these were unknown. Vankchul, therefore, abstaind from eating them, but his followers ate them and died as the fruits (kimpak) were poisonous.
Test of the second Vow : One day some actors came there when Vankchul was absent from the forest. His sister attended a drama incognitio (as a male person) so that enemies would not be aware of her brother's absence. Then she went to bed in the
amouflaged dress with Vankchulus's wife. Vankchul on his return found a male person sleeping with his wife. Thereupon he got excited and prepaed to strike a blow, but befor doing so, he remembered his vow and retraced seven steps. On hearing the sound of a sword clanging against the wall both his wife and sister woke up and escaped the death.
Test of the Third Vow : Once Vankchul visited a king's palace where the chief queen got enamoured of him. She tried to tempt him to make love to her, but he was firm in his vow and refused. When the king came to know of this, he exiled his queen and set free the robber and employed him in his palace. We have previously also come across this story in short).
Test of the Fourth Vow : Once Vankchul got ill. Physians treated him but invain. As a last resort, they prescribed him a crow's flesh along with certain medicine, but Vankchul did not take the crow's flesh and preferred to die. He went to Heaven. This shows that even minor vows help us a great deal.
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