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are not to blame We are ignorant. However, have mercy or us, and show us some expiating ceremonies for the removal of our faults It is useless to think about past events when any work is spoiled What more can we say? Our heads are placed at your lotus-like feet, now do whatever you like to one who has come under your shelter." They then, gave offerings to the deity, and again prostrated themselves before him.
Sulapāņi vyantara became a little more tranquil and said, "If you so desire, you collect all the bones of dead bodies lying here, and, over the collected mass of the bones have an excellent temple built with numerous ringing bells and a beautiful flag on it. Have a handsome idol of Yakṣa with a bull installed in the temple, and let that idol be worshipped daily with flowers, offerings etc. You will escape death only by doing whatever I tell yu to do. There is no other remedy."
A
The people of the village respectfully accepted the words of the deity. Saying "Just as the worshipful divinity orders' they built a temple of Yakṣa in the vicinity of the village. Brahmin named Indra Sarma was engaged as a worshipper of the god, and prayers and dancing with the accompaniment of musical instruments were respectfully performed three times daily. As the temple near the village was built on a mass of bones of numerous persons, the neighbouring village came to be called Asthika grama, and was known to people of the village and travellers as Asthika-grāma.
When any travellers fatigued by the exertion of a long journey or a begger or a poorly clad pilgrim lived, for the night, in this temple, Sulapäņi Yakṣa would unexpectedly ride on the sojourner's back and would constantly make him walk round so much that he can no longer move about, and, at last, with 8 roaring laughter, he would toss up some of them high up on the sky like a ball, and when they fell down he would kill them by his feet and would repeatedly thrash them like a piece of cloth; some he would hang like ringing bells on arched portals of
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