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232–281.]
CONTENTS
When the first white hair was discovered on my head, I raficoted on the transitorines of all worldly things and made up my mind to take the vowd; to which Nayandvali made no objeo. tion asserting that she would do all I did. Next night we were together in our luxurious bedchamber. Nayanăvalt soon fell asleep, but after a while she got up and fancying me asleep left the room without shutting the door. Wondering at her strange behaviour, I followed her sword in hand. She roused a hunchbacked watchman who reviled her for being late ; then they embraced each other and went to sleep together. Furious with rage I first intended to kill the couple, but on reflection I thought the base woman below my consideration. I returned to my couch ; and when she after some time joined me. I did not shew that I knew her secret. 242,15.
In the following night I had a strange dream : I was sitting, on the top of the palace, on a throne from which my mother pushed me; I rolled down to the seventh floor, and so did my mother after me; I got up and somehow Ascended again to the top of the palace. This dream apparently forebodod some disaster in the beginning and success in the end. 243.19.
Next morning wher? I was sitting in the audience hall, my mother joined me. In order to make her well disposed to my plan of becoming a monk, I gave her a somewhat altered version of my dream, viz. that after having made ovor the go. vernment to prince Gunadhara, I had become a monk and tumbled from the top of the palace. My mother who was skilled in interpreting dreams said, I should, after placing the prince on the throne, assume for a short period the guise of a monk and immolate a number of animals to the Kulacevata for the prevention of evil consequences. Of course I refused to sacri. fice animals; I would rather have killed myself. At last I agreed to the following compromise. The cook prepared a cock of pasto which I beheaded before the image of the goddess; then I ate the filesh ofo this artificial cock after, it had been properly roasted. Thereby I acquired bad karma of long endurance. Prince Gupadhara was anointed next day, and on the instance of my mother my initiation was postponed for a day. 251,5. Nayanavall was afraid that she would lose her influence es quoen
