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King Hariçcandra's courageous endurance
his contract with Hariçcandra. Kautilya blamed him for lending himself to a sacrifice while in debt. Hariçcandra hung his head in shame. Then Kautilya went home, after having cured him with herbs, lest he might die, and default on his debt. The king remained downcast, because he had neither paid his debt, nor aided the Vidyadhari in finishing her magic. While engaged in these reflections, he was ordered by his master, the Niṣāda, to take the garment off a corpse, which was then coming to the cemetery. The king learned from a lamenting woman that the corpse was that of her son, and found it not in his heart to snatch the garment off her boy. For this he was chided by the Niṣāda, who told him that there was no shame in doing this, since it was the custom of their caste (974). The woman continued her lament, until Hariçcandra gathered that she was Sutāra, and that the dead boy was his son Rohitaçva. Both father and mother grieved greatly. Sutārā explained that Rohitāçva had been sent into the forest to gather fagots and flowers, had been bitten by a snake, and had perished there for want of treatment (990). Tho he now knew that the corpse was that of his own and only.son, and understood the agony of Sutārā over the loss of her only child, he asked her for the boy's garment, in order to fulfil his duty to his employer, the Niṣāda (1001).
Then a shower of flowers rained upon him from heaven, and his heroism was acclaimed to the beat of drums. All at once he found himself in Ayodhyā, upon his throne, with Rohitāçva playing in his lap, his minister Vasubhūti and his faithful Kuntala by his side, both in reverential attitude. And Sutārā was chatting with a friend, both having come to see a play (1007). In front of him was his assembly, citizens were engaged in festivities. As he gazed in bewilderment, wondering whether he was dream
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