Page:The Katha Sarit Sagara.djvu/582

 There he remained without disobeying again the orders of his parents: but Chakra put that wheel upon his head, and then spake thus— " May other sinners also on the earth be released from the result of their sins; until all sins are cancelled, may this wheel revolve on my head." When the resolute Chakra said this, the gods in heaven, being pleased, rained flowers and thus addressed him: " Bravo ! Bravo ! man of noble spirit, this compassion has cancelled thy sin, go; thou shalt possess inexhaustible wealth." When the gods said this, that iron wheel fell from the head of Chakra, and disappeared somewhere. Then a Vidyádhara youth descended from heaven, and gave him a valuable treasure of jewels, sent by Indra pleased with his self-abnegation, and taking Chakra in his arms, carried him to his city named Dhavala, and departed as he had come. Then Chakra delighted his relations by his arrival at the house of his parents, and, after telling his adventures, remained there without falling away from virtue.

When Chandrasvámin had told this story, he said again to Mahípála, " Such evil fruits does opposition to one's parents produce, my son, but devotion to them is a wishing-cow of plenty: in illustration of this hear the following tale."

Story of the hermit and the faithful wife.:— There was in old time a hermit of great austerity, who roamed in the forest. And one day a hen-crow, as he was sitting under the shade of a tree, dropped dirt upon him, so he looked at the crow with angry eyes. And the crow, as soon as he looked at it, was reduced to ashes; and so the hermit conceived a vain-glorious confidence in the might of his austerities. Once on a time, in a certain city, the hermit entered the house of a Bráhman, and asked his wife for alms. And that wife, who was devoted to her husband, answered him, " Wait a little, I am attending upon my husband." Then he looked at her with an angry look, and she laughed at him and said, " Remember,* I am not a crow." When the hermit heard that, he sat down in a state of astonishment, and remained wondering how she could possibly have come to know of the fate of the crow. Then, after she had attended upon her husband in the oblation to the fire and in other rites, the virtuous woman brought alms, and approached that hermit. Then the hermit joined his hands in the attitude of supplication, and said to that virtuous woman: " How did you come to know of my adventure with the crow in the forest; tell me first, and then I will receive your alms?" When the hermit said this, that wife, who adored her husband, said, " I know of no virtue other than devotion to my husband, accordingly by his favour I have such power of discernment. But go and visit a man here who lives by selling flesh, whose name is Dharmavyádha, from him thou shalt learn the secret of blessedness free from the consciousness