Indian Antiquary Vol 58

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 214

198
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[OCTOBER, 1929
away, telling him that, as he was not inclined to work, he might go away and do whatever he liked.
Nand Rishi, now left to himself, dug out a cave at Kaimuh, in which he began to perform austere penances. One day his mother went to see him and, finding him squatting, covered with a coarse quilt, in a dark cave infested with rats, she burgt into tears. Nand Rishi consoled her, saying that he was extremely happy and added
Guph buh vendai sur larai
Jandah buh vendai páti kai Gagaran rûzah shuknen zan gindai
Warih buh vendai garih dài.
The cave seems to me to be a celestial castle ;
The quilt seems to me to be a silken garment. I play with the rats as if they were creatures of good omen,
One year seems to me to be one single hour. One day Nand Rishi, coming out of his cave, saw some folk going about happily in gala dresses, and inquired what the occasion was that made the people 80 merry. He was told that it was the New Year's day. Thinking it an auspicious occasion, Nand Rishi began to fast from this day. His mother, coming to know of this, went to him and cried out sobbing that he had already left his home, his wife and children, and now he had left off eating and drinking : so how could he live. Nand Rishi replied:
Sontai gupanan guman wazi karan kdi
Hardah deshan heli alanti Kam karan nah tah kath karan ldi!
Those who cause cattle to sweat in spring (by ploughing the land),
Shall see ears of corn bending in autumn. If they did not toil, how could the soil have been prepared ?
He meant by this that if in the vigour of youth one did not turn towards God, how could one do so in sedate old age ?
While Nand Rishi was performing penances in the cave, his wife, Zai Ded, together with her two sons and one daughter, came to see him, and began to weep. He told her to return home and take care of her children, but she said she could not leave him. He then explained that as he had renounoed the world he wanted to be left alone in the cave, where there was only dust and thorns. He said :
Nafas chhuh wanuk agazol
Neres nah pay ka nah manzol Yami sul phol tal latit wol
Zálit suh karih tat sürah-phol.
Desire is like the knotted wood of the forest,
It cannot be made into planks, beams or into cradles. He who cut and felled it
Will burn it into ashes.
(To be continued.)