What will you do, by crying, for him
after death, that sees not with his eyes and that stirs not in the
least?' Thus addressed, the men, overwhelmed with sorrow and burning with
grief on account of their affection for the child, departed for their
homes, leaving the body (on the crematorium).
"The jackal said, 'Alas, terrible is the world of mortals! Here no
creature can escape. Every creature's period of life, again, is short.
Beloved friends are always departing. It abounds with vanities and
falsehoods, with accusations and evil reports. Beholding again this
incident that enhances pain and grief, I do not for a moment like this
world of men. Alas, fie on you, ye men, that thus turn back, like foolish
persons, at the vulture's bidding, though you are burning with grief on
account of the death of this child. Ye cruel wights, how can you go away,
casting off parental affection upon hearing the words of a sinful vulture
of uncleansed soul? Happiness is followed by misery, and misery by
happiness. In this world which is enveloped by both happiness and misery,
none of these two exists uninterruptedly. Ye men of little understanding,
whither would ye go, casting off on the bare ground this child of so much
beauty, this son that is an ornament of your race. Verily, I cannot
dispel the idea from my mind that this child endued with comeliness and
youth and blazing with beauty is alive. It is not meet that he should
die.[453] It seems that ye are sure to obtain happiness.
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