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of Sărangarāja (the lord of the deer) for such a long time. Ah! Repeated shame to such a life.” On knowing the idea of the tossing lion, the charioteer of Tripristha Kumāra consolingly said with sweet words:- O lion! capable of crushing intoxicated elephants with the greatest ease! O lord of the deer! capable of terrifying enemies with unparalleled strength ! O king of the forest / powerful enough to vanquish thousands of kings equipped with an army of warriors arranged in an impassable enclosure ! O good soul! why do you now needlessly entertain anger! Don't think that you are killed by a mere child. He is the source of great pleasure to bis family like the Moon in the vault of the sky. Besides, it has been foretold by interpreters of dreams-"This child will become a Vāsudéva-a lord of half the portion of Bharata Krétra". Therefore, O good soul! you are a lion among wild animals and he is a free Simba, a lord among human beings. So what discredit or insult is there if a lion kills a lion.” The lion, thus becoming tranquil at heart by hearing the honey-like or nectar-like words of the charioteer, died, and was born as a Näraka in hell, and the charioteer, will, in course of time, become the first Ganadhara (chief disciple) named Gautama of śramaņa Bhagavān Mabāvīra, when Tripriştha Vasudeva will eventually become a Tirthankara named śramaga Bhagavān Mahavira.
Tripriştha Kumara, taking the skin of the killed lion with him, became now ready to go home, and giving the skin of the lion to the cultivators, he said, "O! farmere! You take this skin of the lion to King, Asvagriva and tell him," May you become unmolested and fearless and may you eat the food of your rice-fields. For the. present, all molestation has passed off." The cultivators did what-80-ever was told by the prince. Tripristha Kumāra then returned home and doing reverent salutation to King Prajapati, Barrated the whole account of the llon to him. There was great rejoicing in the whole town.
The cultivators went to Prati-vāsudeva Ašvagriva and told him the entire account of the lion killed by the son of
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