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ŚRĪ DHARMANĀTHACARITRA
body." Distracted by the news of his father's inflammatory fever as if he had smelled a saptacchada,194 Hari set out. Henceforth there is no pain of the noble.
On the next day Janardana arrived at his own city. For such pain on the part of the noble is like a forest-fire on the road. Hari, pained by his pain as if assuming his pain, entered the house occupied by his father consumed by fever the house where servants were busy with many herbs of many kinds which were being mixed, cut up, cooked, and rolled; occupied by the best of doctors, skilled, knowing the juice, strength, and effects of herbs, considering their strength and weakness; with noise prevented by guards by signals with the hand; the physicians being stopped at a distance by the door-keepers by a gesture with the brow.
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Hari bowed at his father's feet, touching them with his hands, bathing them, as it were, with his eyes shedding tears from devotion. Siva revived greatly from the touch of his son's hand. There is happiness just from the sight of a loved one, how much more from the touch. King Siva experienced strong horripilation, as if he were becoming cold, touching his son with his hand again and again. King Śiva said to him, "Why are you lean-bellied and your lips dry like a tree near a fire?" Then Vişnu's man said: "Your Majesty, when he heard of Your Majesty's dreadful condition, Hari set out at once to see you. He came here in two days without eating, without drinking water, recalling you with devotion, like an elephant the Vindhya Mountains."
When Śiva heard that, experiencing double pain, he said, "What else have you done that is unsuitable like a boil on the cheek? Go with your attendants and take
194 94. The Alstonia scholaris. There are frequent allusions to the stupefying odor of this tree, though I have not been able to find anything about it in botanical works. Cf. Raghuvansa 4. 23 and 5. 48. See below, p. 177.
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