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TENTH INCARNATION AS MEGHARATHA
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forest-fires. For a long time the two elephants made tusk against tusk, trunk against trunk, and died at the same time, as if for a fight in another birth.
Nandimitra, rich in many buffaloes, lived in Ayodhyā in Bharataksetra in Jambūdvīpa. They became two fine buffaloes in his herd, very dear to him. They grew up large-bodied like young elephants. Dhanasena and Nandişeņa, sons of King Satruñjaya and Devānandā, saw the buffaloes. The two buffaloes, arrogant as buffaloes of Krtanta,888 were made to fight by the sons of the king of Ayodhyā out of curiosity.
After they had fought a long time, they died, and became strong-bodied rams, Kāla and Mahākāla. Meeting by chance in the same place they fought because of former hostility, died, and were born as these cocks with equal strength. One was not conquered by the other. Now as before one will not be conquered by the other." : Megharatha said: "These cocks fought, arranged by Vidyadharas, not only because they were imbued with former hostility.” Incited by King Ghanaratha by a raised brow, Megharatha, his hands folded submissively, explained at length.
Story of the Vidyādharas (108–160) "In the city Svarnanāman in the north row on Vaitādhya in Bharatakşetra in this very Jambūdvīpa there was a king, Garudavega, with the strength of Garuda; and he had a blameless wife, Dhrtişeņā. She bore two sons Candratilaka and Suryatilaka, heralded by the sight in a dream of a sun and moon placed on her lap. One day, when they had grown up, they went to the peak of Meru and payed homage to the statues of the holy eternal Arhats. Wandering about from curiosity they saw the fying ascetic, Sāgaracandra, standing on a gold slab in Nandana. They bowed to the muni, circumambulated
888 102. Animal-fights are still a very common form of amusement in India. The buffalo is Yama's vehicle.
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