Do not be a self-eulogiser.'
"The Chandala said, 'I have become thy friend. For this reason only I am
preaching to thee. Do what is beneficial. Do not, from temptation, do
what is sinful.'
"Viswamitra said, 'If thou be a friend desirous of my happiness, do thou
then raise me up from this distress. In that case, relinquishing this
dog's haunch, I may consider myself saved by the aid of righteousness
(and not by that of sinfulness).'
"The Chandala said, 'I dare not make a present of this piece of meat to
thee, nor can I quietly suffer thee to rob me of my own food. If I give
thee this meat and if thou take it, thyself being a Brahmana, both of us
will become liable to sink in regions of woe in the next world.'
"Viswamitra said, 'By committing this sinful act today I shall certainly
save my life which is very sacred. Having saved my life, I shall
afterwards practise virtue and cleanse my soul. Tell me which of these
two is preferable (to die without food, or save my life by taking this
food that is unclean).'
"The Chandala said: 'In discharging the duties that appertain to one's
order or race, one's own self is the best judge (of its propriety or
impropriety). Thou thyself knowest which of those two acts is sinful. He
who would regard dog's meat as clean food, I think, would in matters of
food abstain from nothing!'
"Viswamitra said, 'In accepting (an unclean present) or in eating
(unclean food) there is sin. When one's life, however, is in danger there
is no sin in accepting such a present or eating such food.
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