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EMANCIPATION OF AJITA SVĀMIN AND SAGARA 193
Am I blind, or deaf, or lame, or deprived of my hands, or impotent, an object of compassion, or the opposite? Without showing my own ability, without causing amazement, how can I take money from you, a kalpa-tree of presents? Good fortune to you and homage to you from me. I, unfortunate, will go elsewhere.' Saying this, he got up. The man went away, though the king, fearing that the fault of stinginess would be attributed to himself, had men try to stop him. He did not take the master's money when it was offered because he was angry. The king's shame was removed by his men saying, 'You gave it, anyway.'
One day the same man assumed the dress of a Brahman and stood at the same king's door with a present in his hand. In the same way the door-keeper announced to the king that he was standing there. For the announcing of those who have come to the door is the duty of the doorkeeper. At the king's command the door-keeper had the man soon brought into the assembly by the servants. He stood in front of the king, his arm upraised, and recited some verses from the Aryavedas in the style with interlocking words. At the end of the recitation of the verses he sat down on the seat indicated by the door-keeper, and was regarded by the king with a glance tender with favor. 'Who are you? Why have you come?' asked by the king, the first of the Brahmans replied, his hands folded submissively :
'O king, I am an astrologer, and have learned all the sacred books from attendance on good gurus like knowledge embodied. I know the books of the eight divisions of the science of omens,846 and all the books on
346 278. Aṣṭādhikaraṇīgrantha. I can find no other reference to adhikaraṇigrantha. Muni Jayantavijayaji thinks this refers to the nimittaśāstra, a knowledge of which was considered sinful. (See Uttar. K. 31. 19, pp. 506-7). PH quotes adhikarana (ahigaraṇa) as 'sinful action.' The 8 divisions of nimittaśāstra are: bhauma (phenomena of the earth), utpāta (unusual events), svapna (dreams), 13
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