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then returned to their own village. There they made offeringe, flowers, fragrant Incense, and other articles of worship ready. They then, put on white clothes after a clean bath, kept their mass of hair loose, assembled together, and having placed flowers and offerings in abodes of ghosts in triaogular places, squares, courtyards etc, as well as, in temples of Rudra (storm-god) Skanda (god of war) etc in forests, they began, with their heads raised up and with a folded cavity of their hands held in front of their forehead, to speak thus:-0 invisible gods, demi-gods, Yaksas, rāksasas, kim puruşas and other celestial beings of divine excellence! Please carefully listen to our prayer. Please forgive us if we have in any way offended you out of prosperity, pride, ignorance, or disrespect. Because, celestial beings like your selves, for-glve people who are humbly ready to solicit pardon by prayer, although their offence may be grave. We have seen the fruit of your wrath. Now we are desirous of having your favour."
A god, Invisible in the sky, began to say:- O ill-behaved wicked p:rsons! You have disregarded the discipline of illustrious persons, and you have been misled under the influence of greed! Now you are entreating me for pardon, but o sinsul people! Do you not remember that you did not even bave any compassion of giving grass and water to the poor bullock who was suffering from the pangs of hunger and thirat; you become greatly afflicted by the deaths of your kinemen, but you were not in the least sorry for the poor bullock who died, without food and water. Now, whatever you say is useless. You will not escape however far you may go away. I want to cut off the creeper of hypocrisy at its very root."
On hearing these words, people trembling with fear, and with incense-pots in thetr hands, throwing up fragrant flowers, and adoring with Jaya, Jaya, Nandā and other gentle words, prostrated themselves low on the ground in a way that all the eight limbs of their bodies (i e 2 hands, 2 feet, 2 knees, forehead and chest ) touched the ground and impioringly said: "O Gracious Lordi It is a fact that we have offended you, we
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