Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 6

Author(s): Hemchandracharya, Helen M Johnson
Publisher: Oriental Research Institute Vadodra

Page 336

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CHAPTER ELEVEN
matter of hospitality, as I am poor. Where will your daily food come from, now that you have come here to us? For the desire for knowledge is really useless to one without food. Not even the drum sounds without food. "227
Kapila said: “Father, food will come from alms. Indeed, from the time of tying on the mauñji-girdle, the words, 'Give alms,' are an accomplishment of Brāhmans. A Brāhman, even mounted on an elephant, is not ashamed, begging for alms. The mendicant, like a king, is dependent on no one, no place.” Indradatta said: “Son, alms are most excellent for those practicing austerities. In your case, if they are not received even once, what will become of your study?”
With these words, the Brāhman took the boy by the arm and at once took him to the house of a very rich man Sālibhadra. He stopped outside and made himself known as a Brāhman by repeating the gāyatri beginning, “ Om ! Earth, air, heaven." The rich man summoned the Brāhman and asked, “Pray, what do you want?” “Give food daily to this young Brāhman,” he requested. The rich man granted this and so Kapila always ate in his house and studied every day with Indradatta.
Now, when Kapila went to sālibhadra's house to eat, a young slave-girl always offered him special food, Young and fond of laughter, he fell in love with her. For young men the presence of young women is a pregnancy-whim of the tree of love. She also fell in love with him and in the course of time they became lovers. One day the slave-girl, though she had no inclination toward any other man, said to him secretly: “You alone are my husband, but you are poor. Therefore, for the sake of subsistence, I shall take another man.” He agreed.
One day in this city, there was a slave-girls' festival, and this girl became very sad at the thought of flowers, leaves,
227 481.
1. e. the drum is smeared with paste.