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CHAPTER THREE
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Then in the forest-fire aflame he heard human speech, 'King Nala of the Ikṣvaku-line, best of warriors, save me. Even if you are a disinterested benefactor with duty to humanity, nevertheless, I shall reward you, king. Save me.' Following the sound, Nala saw a serpent in a thicket of vines, saying, Save me! Save me!' He asked, ' How did you know me, my name, my family? How do you have a human voice? Tell me, serpent. The serpent said: 'I was a human in a former birth. From its practice in that birth my human speech results. I have brilliant clairvoyance and by it I know you, your name, your family, treasury of glory.'
Nala, in whom compassion was inspired, threw his garment over the thicket of creepers to pull out the trembling serpent. The serpent reached the end of the king's garment resting on the ground and wrapped it with his coils like a ring with a hair. Nala drew up his garment with the serpent clinging to it, like a rope from a well. A king shares his eminence. When the king had gone to a place with saline soil 150 out of the range of the fire, the serpent bit him trying to set him free quickly, on the hand. Throwing the serpent on the ground like a drop of sweat, Nala said to him: You, grateful, have done well. O serpent, you have well repaid me, your benefactor. Whoever gives milk to drink 151 to your tribe is bitten.' As Nala was saying this, his body became hunchbacked like a strung bow, because of the poison spreading in his body. He had thin tawny hair like a demon; a hanging lip like a camel; thin hands and feet and a large belly like a poor man. Devoured by the snake's poison, Nala was like an actor in a moment, the shape of his whole body changed disgustingly.
He reflected: 'Life with this form is useless to me. So I shall take mendicancy which is beneficial for the next world. ' As Nala was reflecting to this effect, the serpent abandoned its
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150 890. I.e., free from grass.
151 892. There is a tradition of appeasing snakes by putting out milk for them.
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