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186 TWO PRAKRIT VERSIONS OF THE MAŅIPATI-CARITA 625. Seeking our fortune we went to Saurāşțra and there
quickly earned a thousand dāmans which we put in a
brown-red pouch. 626. Then we set out on our return carrying it by turns ;
whenever it came into my hands I would be seized
by the idea 627. of killing Sivadatta and this sinful intent would again be
active. So when we arrived at the lake of Gandhavati
at Ujjain 628. I threw the pouch into the water in that mood, and when -- Sivadatta asked why, I told him the whole story. 629. He replied : Brother, you have done well, I had the
same impulse.' Then we reached home and our
mother sent our sister 630. to get some fish. Now that pouch when it fell in the
water had been swallowed by a fish in the belief that
it was meat. 631. That fish fell into a net and was transported to the market
in order to be sold and from the market it was purchased
by my sister. 632. When she had come home and was splitting it open she
saw the pouch in the fish's belly and put it in her lap. 633. My old mother asked her: 'What is this?' and she
replied: 'It is nothing'. Then when the old woman
got up and quickly came towards her, 634. that wretched girl struck her with a sword. The blow
landed in a vital spot and killed the old woman. 635. As we rushed forward exclaiming Alas, Alas', she stood
up and because of her consternation the purse fell
from her hand, 636. and we recognised that unprofitable pelf. After per
forming the funeral ceremony for our mother and marrying off our sister we took the vows, extremely terrified.
