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IV, 2, 17.
PIRIT.
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Blessed One. Just, О king, as a husbandman guards the grain when it is ripe and dead and ready for harvesting from the influx of water, but makes it grow by giving it water when it is young, and dark in colour like a cloud, and full of life—just so, O king, should the Pirit ceremony be put aside and neglected in the case of one who has reached his allotted term of life, [152] but for those who have a period yet to run and are full of vigour, for them the medicine of Pirit may be repeated, and they will profit by its use.
17. 'But, Nagasena, if he who has a term of life yet to run will live, and he who has none will die, then medicine and Pirit are alike useless.'
Have you ever seen, O king, a case of a disease being turned back by medicine?'
“Yes, several hundred times.' •Then, O king, your statement as to the inefficiency of Pirit and medicine must be wrong.'
I have seen, Nagasena, doctors administer medicines by way of draughts or outward applications, and by that means the disease has been assuaged.'
And when, O king, the voice of those who are repeating Pirit is heard, the tongue may be dried up, and the heart beat but faintly, and the throat be hoarse, but by that repetition all diseases are allayed, all calamities depart. Again, have you ever seen, O king, a man who has been bitten by a snake having the poison resorbed under a spell (by the snake who gave the bite 1) or destroyed (by an antidote) or having a lotion applied above or below the spot??'
See above, IV, 2, 14. : All this sentence is doubtful. Dr. Morris has a learned note on the difficult words used (which only occur here) in the 'Journal
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