Kalpasutra

Author(s): J Stevenson
Publisher: Oriental Translation Fund London

Page 44

12
KALPA SÚTRA.
were born anew in this their son's house, the former as a bull, and the latter as a bitch. By and bye also, the day of the festival for the manes came round. On it the son hired out the bullock to an oilman to labour at his oil-press, and having procured a sufficient quantity of milk, prepared rice and milk for the dinner of those Brahmans who came to the festival. At that juncture the bitch, in which was the soul of his mother, by a certain wonderful knowledge, saw the poison of a snake fall into the rice and milk*, and knowing it would be the cause of great misfortune, went and took it out with her mouth. The Brahman flew at her in a passion, and almost broke her back for her pains, and went and tied her up in the cowhouse, and afterwards prepared more rice and milk, and feasted his Brahman guests. In the evening the oilman bound up the bull in the cow-house, without giving him an article to eat or drink after his day's toil. There, looking at the suffering bitch, the bullock exclaimed, "What have I suffered to-day through this sinful son of mine!" The bitch then also began to tell about the pain in her back; when the son, who was lying down at no great distance, overheard their discourse, and understood that these were his father and mother.
*
in the original, a common dish on festive occasions.