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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JUNE, 1906.
This convinced them at last, and they all fell upon him and nearly killed him before he was able to escape from their company.
Note. The tale is told to illustrate the proverb:
Sikhal pie darbar ko nahin jdie. "The sons of the instructed do not answer at a public meeting."
XXI.
The Oman of the Pandavas.21 len of the old tine tell that when the Kauravas and the Pandavas were about to fight the great fight recorded in the Mahabharata, and they were about to set up a pillar of victory on the field of battle, the four Pandavas asked their brother Sahadeva to give them a good omen, so that they might come out victorious. Sahadeva said : “Go and search for a man who is the slave of his own wife. Bring him into the field of battle. Then a number of jackals will collect there and they will give you the omen which you desire."
When he heard this, Bhima went off in search of a man who was slave to his wife. Nuw in a village near there lived a Telf or oilman, whose wife used to sit on her cot while ber hustand cooked and did all the work of the house. When he had finished cooking he used to feed his wife, and when she had finished he would then eat the scrape himself.
One day it so happened, that while he was cooking the morning meal the fire went out. He went out and asked all the neighbours for fire, but no one would give him any. Then his wife said:
If you apply lạo dye (mahávar) to my feet and take me on your shoulders into the village, I may be able to get fire for you."
So the oilman put lac dye on the feet of his wife, and then took her on his shoulders and brought her into the village. He took her round from house to house, asking every one for fire, and all the children of the village laughed and mocked him as a fool.
When Bhima saw this he knew that he had found a man to serve his purpose. So he pulled his wife from off his shoulders and bringing him to the field of battle killed and buried him. Then he climbed into a tree close by and hid himself in the branches.
By and by a number of jackals collected and dug up the corpse of the oilman, and one jackal smelling it said: “This man's fiesh is anfit for our food." The other jackals asked him why this Was so, and he answered: “ This man never did a good action in the whole of his lifetime, because he was the slave of his wife, and therefore his head is impure. He never heard a holy text (mantra) from his religious guide (qurú) and therefore nis ears are impure. He never ate the food dedicated to Nârâyaņa, and therefore his belly is impure. He never gave alms with his hands and therefore they are impure. He never pronounced the name of Rama with his tongue and therefore it is impure. So all the parts of his body are impure."
When they heard this all the young jackals said: “Verily, all his body is impure, but what are we to eat, and we are dying of hunger." The old jackal replied: "Have patience for this day only. To-morrow a great battle will take place; millions of heroes will fall on the field of battle and their flesh we will eat."
Then the young jackals asked: "And which side will be victorious in the fight?" The old jackal answered : " That side will be victorious whose drums first sound on the morning of the battle."
Then the jackals went away, and Bhima, who heard all they said, came down from the tree and went and told all this to his brethren.
11 Told by Govind R&m, teacher of the school at Ujrai, District Aligarh, N.-W. P.
