At last,
moved by grief and cheerlessness, they waited there, indulging in bitter
lamentations. They did not know that the boast and the bird, skilled in
accomplishing their own purposes, had only stupefied them (by their
addresses). While the bird and the beast, both possessed of wisdom.. were
thus disputing and while the kinsmen of the deceased child sat listening
to them, the great god Sankara, urged by his divine spouse (Uma), came
there with eyes bathed in tears of compassion. Addressing the kinsmen of
the deceased child, the god said, 'I am Sankara the giver of boons.' With
hearts heavy with grief, those men prostrated themselves before the great
deity and said unto him in reply, 'Bereft of this one who was our only
child, all of us are at the point of death. It behoveth thee to grant us
life by granting life to this our son.' Thus solicited, the illustrious
deity, taking up a quantity of water in his hands granted unto that dead
child life extending for a hundred years. Ever employed in the good of
all creatures, the illustrious wielder of Pinaka granted a boon unto both
the jackal and the vulture in consequence of which their hunger was
appeased. Filled with delight and having achieved great prosperity, the
men bowed unto the god. Crowned with success, they then, O king, left
that spot in great joy. Through persistent hopefulness and firm
resolution and the grace of the great god, the fruits of one's acts are
obtained without delay. Behold, the combination of circumstances and the
resolution of those kinsmen.
Pages:
1639
1640
1641
1642
1643
1644
1645
1646
1647
1648
1649
1650
1651
1652
1653
1654
1655
1656
1657
1658
1659
1660
1661
1662
1663