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NOLAN
ŚREŅIKA, MEGHAKUMĀRA AND NANDISEŅA 163 Megha replied: “ Terrified of rebirth, I, though delicate, shall keep the vow, though it is difficult. So, be gracious. now. Death cuts down sons, et cetera even from the parents' laps. I shall cheat death by following the Master.”
Śreņika said to him: “Even if you are afraid of rebirth, nevertheless, take my kingdom. Delight my eyes. "
Megha said, “Very well,” and the king installed him on the throne; and said to him again and again because he was possessed by joy, “What can I do for you?”
Megha answered: “Father, have brought to me, wishing to take initiation, the broom, bowl, et cetera from some shop."
Bound by his speech, the king did so, though heart-broken. Megha went to the Master and took initiation. At night Meghakumāra slept on a bed placed in order of seniority and was jostled by the feet of the munis coming and going. He thought: “ These jostle me with their feet because I am powerless. Everywhere the powerful must be honored. Tomorrow I shall abandon the vow.” With this thought, he passed the night somehow or other and in the morning went to the Master with the intention of giving up the vow. Knowing his intention by omniscience, the Omniscient said to him:
“Do you, crushed by the burden of self-control, not remember your former births? In the third birth from this, you were an elephant, named Meruprabha, in the country at the foot of Vaitāļhya. Injured by a forest-fire, you went to a pool to drink. Mired in its mud, helpless, you were beaten by a rival elephant. You died at the end of a week and were born an elephant on Vindhya by that name. When you saw a forest-fire, remembering your former birth, you rooted up trees, et cetera and made three bare places on the river for the protection of your herd.
One day a forest-fire blazed and you ran to the bare places. Two of these bare places were filled with deer, et cetera who had come first. You passed them and went to the third and stayed there. You raised a foot to scratch yourself and a hare, shoved by the crowding of the animals against each
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