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Instead of my father." The King said “ Then, you narrate it." The virgin said-Here is the Story of Nagaśrī:—
I
"In this very town, there lived a Brahmin named Nāgaśarma, with his wife named aft Somasri, and his daughter at Nāgasri.
Nāgaśri was given in marriage with a high-class Brahmin by her parents. Her parents went into a neighbouring town, for the purchase of materials suitable for her marriage-occasion.
When the virgin-girl was alone in the house, the betrothed Brähmin came into her house. On receiving her would-be husband, she fed him nicely. Then, she told him to lie down on a comfortable bed-stead with soft bedding in it. She then, thought, "She is not justified in touching even the hand of her would-be husband, before the accomplishment of lawful marriage There is ample room here. Let me therefore lie down here." So, she lied down innocently on the ground just near the bed-stead.
During sleep, the sleeping bride-groom accidently happened to tumble down on the innocent girl, who was lying there. He fell on her Out of undue agitation of embarrassment, the terrified bride-groom instantly died.
The virgin-girl, then, thought "I am wicked. I was instrumental in his death. People will say that I killed him. What should I do! What should I say if people knew it? "
She then burried the dead body of the bride-groom into the ground, threw dust and earth over it, and having besmeared the ground over it with cow-dung, she made the place fragrant with perfumed waters and scented powders. The parents of Nāgaśrī marriage ceremony.
returned home with
materials for her
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