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swim in the water? These have studied the śāstras by repetition of their preceptor's speech. They do not know at all the inner meaning. If my knowledge is incredible to them of little wit, is the seven-day limit to confidence in my knowledge far away? If the blessed ocean makes my speech true, making the world one ocean by its own waters diffused, will these councilors of yours, knowing the interpretation of books on astronomy, show mountains flying up like birds? Will they show flowers like trees in the sky, or fire like water, or will they obtain a son from a barren woman like a cow? Will they lead forth an ass horned like a buffalo, or will they make stones float in the ocean like a boat? These fools talking about hellinhabitants without pain-will they make false the books spoken by the Omniscient? I will stay here for seven days, guarded by your men. Certainly liars do not show such self-confidence. If my prediction does not come true on the seventh day, O king, then I must be killed by caṇḍālas, like a robber.'
The king said to his men, 'Even if this speech of the Brahman is ominous and difficult to perform, and also not in agreement (with the śāstras), nevertheless for seven days and nights our mind will be in doubt, alas! At the end of that time, there will be a test of his truth and falsity.' With this the king handed over the Brahman, like a deposit, to his body-guard and dismissed the assembly.
'On the seventh day a great miracle will be seen.' This crazy-talking Brahman will be killed then, alas! Surely the end of the world will come. Who would lie so to die?' So there were varied rumors townspeople at that time.
among the
The Brahman, eager at the thought, 'On the seventh day I shall show a great miracle,' passed six days wearily. The king, eager for the destruction of his doubt, lived with difficulty through six days like six months, counting them over repeatedly. On the seventh day the king, occupying the room on the house-top, said to him: The
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CHAPTER SIX
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