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me out of childish ignorance. But King Prajāpati has been immensely grieved at the incident. Besides, becoming humble with obedience, he meekly accepts your orders and he evidently manifests his servitude always excessively. Your virtuous qualities are daily sung by professional bards at his palace, and so, at times, the sound of anklets of young females is not audible, O king! What else can I say? I have a personal experience with numerous kings, but none can equal him in his devotion towards his supreme lord."
On hearing this, Prati-vāsudeva Ašvagriva recollected the words of the fortune-teller; and trembling with fear, thought, “Ah! One word of the fortune-teller has proved to be true, but in case, the second statement turns out to be true in the same way, then there is certainly some misfortune." Prati-vāsudéva Ašvagriva, there-upon, called another messenger and said, “O! You immediately go to Prajāpati and give him my order.“ Tell him to go to the rice-fields which are full of corn and protect them from the ravages of the lion." The messenger, saying “Just as your Majesty orders" went to King Prajāpati. When King Prajāpati anxiously inquired about the object of his arrival there, and when he was informed of the order of Prati-vāsudeva Ašvagriva for the protection of rice-fields from the ravages of the lion, he accepted the orders from the messenger, and haviag sent him away, he called his princes into his presence and reprimanded them thus :-“O Princes! By insulting the messenger of Prati-vāsudéva Asvagriva you have certainly provoked the the God of Death at an inopportune time. I have, consequently, received the terrible order of preventing the ravages of the deadly lion." The princes said, “Father! How did we provoke the God of Death ?” The king replied :-" The cultivators of the rice-fields of Prati-vāsudeva Ašvagriva are barassed by a lion, and every year, all the feudatory kings are required to protect them by turn in regular order, but as you insulted the messenger of Prati-văsudeva Ašvagriva, he angrily ordered me to do the work now, without any regular order of one's turn to do it. It amounts to provoking the God of Death." With these
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