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CHAPTER SIX Nārada asked again: “How did Dhumaketu's enmity in a former birth arise?" and the Master related:
Origin of Dhūmaketu's enmity (154–227)
"In Jambūdvipa in Bharata in the Magadhas in very wealthy Sāligrāma there is a garden, Manorama. The guardian of the garden was a Yakşa, Sumanas, and a Brāhman, Somadeva, lived in that village. Somadeva had two sons, Agnibhuti and Väyubhūti, by his wife Agnilā, and they were both expert in interpretation of the Vedas. The two, well-known because of their learning, when they were grown, continued to enjoy many pleasures, haughty from pride.
One day Ācārya Nandivardhana stopped in this garden Manorama and was worshipped by the people who had come. Agnibhūti, arrogant, came and said, “ If you know the meaning of the śāstras at all, expound it, Sitāmbara..' Nandivardhana's disciple, Satya, said to them, 'Where are you from?' 'From Sāligrāma,' they replied. Satya said again, 'I ask: from what birth have you attained a human birth, sirs? Tell that, if you know anything.' They stood, their faces downcast with shame, devoid of knowledge. Muni Satya began to relate their (former) birth.
' In the forest of this village, you were two flesh-eating jackals in a former birth, alas! excellent Brāhmans. They ate the skin-ropes, et cetera, wet by rain, everything which a farmer had left in the field at night. They died from this excessive food and became you, sons of the Brāhman, Somadeva, in this birth because of their karma. At dawn the farmer saw that everything had been eaten and returned to his house. In course of time he died and became the son of his daughterin-law. As he had acquired the memory of his former births, he remained silent from birth deceitfully, at the thought, “ How am I to address them: daughter-in-law or mother; son or father?" If you do not believe this, then ask the mute farmer his story so that, giving up silence, he will tell you.'
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