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and who was gratifying the bearts of vetāla (a king of demon that take possession of dead bodies) by his adventure. Immedi. ately on seeing him, I saluted him and with a respectful blessing from him, I sat down on ground near him. After seeing me with an affectionate eye for some time, he addressed me:-O good man! You seem to be greatly troubled in mind. Have you lost your wealth ? Is it because you have come to a foreign land or is there any other reason for it i" | replied: o worshipful master 1 Unfortunate persons like myself are in trouble at every step, how many causes can be mentioned ! He said: "I am desirous of krowing any special cause." I told bim:O worshipful master | What is the use of saying out reasons which are capable of doing bindrance to your meditation ! Mahā-käla said:-"Why do you think about my meditation : Do as I tell you to do. I then narsated my account regarding-my meeting with the vidyādhara,-my hospitable treatment of the vidyadhara who had fallen from the sky-my being dropped Into a big forest,-my coming back into my own town ead the insult I had from my ministers, feudatory princes, and the towns-people-my misfortune of losing my right to my father's kingdom,-indifference from the vidhyadhara who had been so nicely treated by me-and my leaving the town with the intertion of having a suicidal fall from a high mountain-and my accidental meeting with him. On hearing this account, Mahdkala said:-Ah! all this is the incompletent gesture of cruel Fate that having created unusually adventurous persons It makes them the receptacle of such harsh miseries. Or, the beart of daring persons maaily tolerates even endurable miseries befalling them, but ordinary people instantly perish with a slight miafortune like a tottered leaf rolled into a suonel shape sad ukimptely become greatly dis-appointed, Adventurou persong ugually have greater afflictions, and they comparatively have thigher happiness, while ordinary people always have pleasure mixed with pain. Or, who has acquired un mixed happiness! Who has got been visited by calamities ! W bas not been deceived by treacherous persons ? Or whose wealth has remained perpetually
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