Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 6

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

Page 86

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CHAPTER THREE
Indeed! the village is devoid of compassion, most evil, cruel-hearted, no different from caṇḍālas, and besides, this whole village is exceedingly treacherous. To say nothing of caring for poor me from compassion, they have consumed the money given by my master for food, et cetera.' Angry, with involuntary destruction of karma, the bull died and was reborn a Vyantara, named Sulapāņi, in this same village as
before.
He knew the story of his former birth by perverted clairvoyance; he saw the body of the bull and was angry at the village. The Vyantara created a pestilence, like a deity of pestilence. These piles of bones resulted from the villagers who were killed. The suffering villagers frequently consulted astrologers and others and carried out their advice for allaying the plague, like sick men following the advice of doctors. They gave frequent baths, offerings, et cetera to the household divinities. Nevertheless the pestilence did not abate in the least. The villagers went to other villages, but still the angry Vyantara killed them, like the heir-apparent of Yama. The villagers reflected:
'Some god or demon, a Yakṣa or some other tutelary deity has been offended by us. We shall go to that same village of his in order to pacify him.
With this reflection, together they came here again. Bathed, clothed in white, wearing upper garments, their hair loosened, throwing rice at the junctions of four roads and of three roads, in gardens, haunted houses, and elsewhere on all sides, looking up, their joined hands held out, sad-faced, they spoke:
O gods, asuras, Yakṣas, Rākṣases, Kimpurusas and others, pardon by all means whatever sin of ours has resulted from negligence or arrogance. For the anger of the great, even though great, is limited by submission.. Whoever has been offended by us, may he be gracious.
"
The Vyantara, standing in the air, said: 'O cruel men, greedy like hunters, now you ask for forgiveness. Then water, grass, et cetera were not given to the bull suffering from hunger