________________
[ 19. 4.
servants and by putting an obstruction to his food, F did an obstruction to him in religious observance." The patriarch said “Dear son, if that is so, you are here not at fault; men overpowered by acute pain do not know what is good action and bad. And to the ascetic, there is no obstruction to his religious observance by the obstruction being done to his food; but on the contrary, he will gather more the merit of austerities. Hence enough of dejection.” The king said, “ Revered sir, how can my dejection go away so long as the high-souled hermit has not taken meals at my place ?” The patriarch said "Dear son, on the next fast-breaking day which he will have now, of course if no obstruction there be, he will take food at your place." Then the patriarch called hermit Agnis'arman and having held up his hand with respect, he said “ Dear son, as you went out of the king's house without taking meals, the king thereby is much dejected. Yesterday he had an acute headache; hence he being helpless due to pain, could not welcome you; he has not offended you. He says, My dejection will not go away so long as Hermit Agnis'arman has taken no meals at my place.' [19] Hence now on my word and out of respect for the king, when the fast-breaking day comes up unobstructed, you should break the fast at his house." Hermit Agnis'arman said, “O revered sir, just as you order. The king is dejected without reason; because he has done to me nothing which is against the other world." Then the king thought “What magnanimity!", bowed down to the hermits, stayed there for a short while and entered the ciiy.
