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CHAPTER SIX
a warrior, O wretch of a serpent ? General, where has the violence of your cruel arm gone? Priest-jewel, where has your power to make safe gone ? Carpenter, where has your skill in making fortresses oozed away? Steward, are your herbs for revivifying forgotten somewhere? Elephantjewel, had you become careless at that time? Horsejewel, had some pain of yours developed there? Wheel, staff, sword, were you then far away ? Gem and cowrie, were you without light, like the moon by day ? Umbrella and skin, were you split like the cover of a drum ? Nine treasures, were you devoured by the earth ? (Was such the case) since the princes, sporting without fear from confidence in you, were not protected even by all of you from the villain of a serpent ?
After such destruction, what can I do now? If I kill Jvalanaprabha and his family, my sons indeed do not live. No one in Rşabha Svāmin's family has died in this way. Oh! sons, why have you died this shameful death! All my ancestors, living a human lifetime, took initiation and found heaven and emancipation. Verily, your confidence in wandering at will was not fulfilled, like the pregnancywhim of trees originating in a great forest.842
A full moon rose and was devoured by Rāhu by fate; a tree was bearing fruit and was broken by an elephant; a boat came to the shore and was broken by the coastmountain ; a new cloud was raised and was scattered by the wind; a field of rice was ripe and was burned by a forest-fire; and you, suited to religion, wealth, and love, were born and killed, alas ! After reaching my house, O sons, you have gone, with the aims of existence unaccomplished, alas ! alas ! like beggars that had come to the house of a stingy rich man. Therefore, now enough of the jewels, the wheel, etc., and the treasures which, without you, separated from them, are like gardens, etc., without moonlight. What use have I for the sovereignty of six-part
842 196. I.e., in the case of forest-trees, they would not be seen by women to make them blossom by kicks, kisses, etc.
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