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LIFE AND DEATH OF THE SONS OF SAGARA
173
pipes for the fire of the thunderbolt; angered like Kộtānta, hard to look at like the sun at the end of the world, the Nāga-king, Jvalanaprabha, said to the sons of Sagara :
“Oh, what has been done, alas! by men thinking themselves valiant, insolent from gaining the staff-jewel, like Sabaras from gaining a citadel. This destruction of the eternal homes of the Bhavanādhipas has been made now by men acting without deliberation. Why have you, sons of the brother of Ajita Svāmin, done such a thing like a cruel act by piśācas ?”
Then Jahnu said to the Nāga-king: “That is right, what you, troubled by the destruction of your houses which originated with us, have said. We did not dig up the earth with the staff with the idea that your houses would be destroyed, but for the sake of protecting Așțāpadatirtha was the ground dug up in the form of a moat. Here Cakrin Bharata, the root of our family, made a shrine of precious stones and pure jeweled statues of the Arhats. We made this effort because we feared its destruction by people through the fault of future time.883 The destruction of your houses was not anticipated because of the distance. Alas! the unerring power of the staff is to blame for that. What was done by action without reflection and from devotion to the Arhats, pardon that. We shall not do such a thing in future."
Thus conciliated by Prince Jahnu, the Nāga-king became calm. For the water of conciliatory speech extinguishes the fire of anger in the good. Saying, “Do not do such a thing again,” the Nāga-king went to the Nāga-world like a lion to a cave.
Diversion of the Gangā into the moat (157–167) When the Nāga-king had gone, Jahnu said to his brothers, “This moat of Mt. Așțāpada has been made, to
398 152. I.e., of the coming evil period.
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