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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(SEPTEMBER, 1887.
the departure of Krishna and Arjuna, thou artage ; but now three of them are broken by secretly violating the laws of the Aryas in this pride, impurity, and insolence, the limbs of land, and torturing the good creatures put Injustice. Now, thy one remaining leg, truth, under my protection ! Surely thou deservest with which thou walkest, O Justice, hath to be put to death !" Then turning to the become intolerable to Kali (the Iron or dark ox he said "Who art thou, O white as Age). Injustice would break it also with his msindla? Thou that hast lost three of thy weapon of falsehood! And this gentle cow legs, and art suffering at the hands of this vile I know is Mother Earth herself, mourning Sudra? Art thou a god disguised under this and much distressed, because the Lord Krishna thy present form P Never before came such hath left her. She is much grieved with misfortune upon any creatare in a land pro- the thought that she will henceforward be tected by the powerful arm of a Bharata king ! ruled by impious kings of the sadra caste!" Suffer no more, therefore, Othou son of Sura- Having thus spoken kind and consoling bhi. Let thy fear of this Sadra pass away!" words to Justice and Mother Earth, King And to the cow he said :-“O mother, peace be Parikshit grasped the hilt of his sword, drew unto thee; weep no more, for I, the terror of the it out of its case, and was on the point of wicked, have come to thy rescue. For know, putting the Sadra to death, when lo! the latter O mother, that the careless king, in whose threw off his royal robes, placed the sceptre domain good people are persecuted by the at Parikshit's feet, and assuming his own wicked, loses his renown, his fortune, his long true form, prostrated himself before him, beglife, and above all, his hope of salvation here- ging for mercy; for he was no other than after. To ease the gentle sufferer's misery, Kali himself, who after Krishộa's departure terror and tormente, is a king's highest duty. had come out of the place of his confinement, I shall, therefore, put this foe of all beings and had tried to establish his monarchy over immediately to death. And tell me, O thou Hindustan ! The first act that he proposed to son of Surabhi, who hath deprived thee of thy himself was to kill Justice by depriving it of three legs, so that no one creature like thee its only remaining limb, -truth, -after succeedmay suffer injury at the hands of the wickeding in which he felt sure of establishing his in a land ruled by one of Krishņa's followers? sovereignty. Mother Earth, seeing her friend Peace be unto you, O ye that are good and Justice suffer at the hands of Kali, had began innocent; tell me who hath brought this mis- to mourn over her fate, because, when Justice is fortune on you, and a dark spot on the pure persecuted and wounded by Injustice all happirenown of the Partha dynasty, that the lawless ness, peace and joy fade away from her face, one that hath 'hurt the innocent may be but King Parikshit suddenly appearing on punished. I will cut his arm off even though the scene had relieved her and rescued her he be an immortal."
friend! The ox, however, refused to inform King The king, seeing his proud adversary so Parikshit of the cause of his injuries, for he humbled and prostrated before him as a supsaid :-"I will not take vengeance on him that pliant for mercy, was filled with compassion hath hurt me; neither will I tell thee who he for him, and lowering his uplifted sword, thus is, lest thou kill him !"
addressed Kali :On hearing this King Parikshit guessed "An enemy when humbled and supplicating who the ox was, and said :-"Surely thou art for mercy, need not fear for his life, for the Justice, for thon speakest just things. It is descendants of Arjuna delight in showing mercy written that man shall not take vengeance upon to their enemies. Bat thou, being a friend of his enemy. He that taketh vengeance is Injustice, must not remain in my domain, for if guilty, and he that pointeth out his enemy to thou make thy home in a king's body, there another is also guilty. Meditation on right will surely come to dwell with thee Avarice and things, purity, mercy, and truth are thy four Falsehood and Theft and Arrogance and Sin, feet, on which thou didst walk in the first and Misfortune and Deceit and Hatred and
myindla is the fine white Abre that is produced from a broken lotus-stem.
