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TENTH INCARNATION AS MEGHARATHA
291
Sankhikā, practiced manifold penances and became a god in Brahmaloka. After she had fallen, she became his wife. Now, after going to his own city and establishing his son in his kingdom, he, wise, will take initiation from my father. After he has destroyed the eight karmas by penance, meditation, et cetera, with omniscience arisen, he will attain emancipation."
After he had heard this narrative and had bowed to Megharatha with devotion, Sinharatha went to his own city and established his son on the throne. His mind subdued, he adopted mendicancy at the feet of holy Ghanaratha Svämin, practiced penance, and attained emancipation.
Story of the dove and hawk (253-313)
King Megharatha then entered the city Pundarikiņi with his retinue from the garden Devaramaņa. One day Megharatha, observing pausadha in the pauṣadha-house, began to explain the dharma taught by the Jinas to the wise. Just then a dove, trembling from fear, sad-eyed as if about to die, fell on his lap. The king said, "Do not fear, do not fear," to the bird asking for safety in human speech. Thus addressed, the dove remained comfortably on the lap of the king, an ocean of compassion, like a child on his father's lap. Saying, "This is my food. Turn him loose quickly, king," a hawk came following him, like a garuda a snake. The king said to the hawk: "I will not hand him over to you. For it is not the ethics of warriors that one seeking protection should be given up. Furthermore, this is not fitting for you, intelligent: the preservation of your own life by the destruction of another's. Just as you suffer pain if even a tail-feather is pulled out, just so does someone else, to say nothing of being killed. Your satisfaction from eating him will be only momentary; but the bird's whole life will be destroyed. Creatures go to hell and endure unbearable pain from the killing of creatures with five senses and eating their flesh. How
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