A little while
after, the young birds going away in the morning passed the whole day out
of his sight, but came back in the evening for dwelling in the nest.
Sometimes, after that, leaving their nest for five days at a stretch,
they returned on the sixth day. Jajali still moved not. Subsequently,
when their strength became fully developed they left him and returned not
at all even after many days. At last, on one occasion, leaving him, they
came not even after a month. Then, O king, Jajali left that spot. When
they had thus gone away for good, Jajali wondered much, and thought that
he had achieved ascetic success. Then pride entered his heart. Firm in
the observance of vows, the great ascetic, seeing the birds thus leave
him after having been reared on his head, thought highly of himself, and
became filled with delight. He, then, bathed in a stream and poured
libations on the sacred fire, and paid his adorations to the rising Sun
indeed, having thus caused those chataka birds to grow on his head,
Jajali, that foremost of ascetics, began to slap his armpits and proclaim
loudly through the sky, '_I have won great merit_.' Then an invisible
voice arose in the sky and Jajali heard these words, 'Thou art not equal,
O Jajali, to Tuladhara in point of righteousness. Possessed of great
wisdom, that Tuladhara lives at Baranasi. Even he is not fit to say what
thou sayest, O regenerate one.' Hearing these words, Jajali became filled
with wrath, and desirous of meeting Tuladhara, O monarch, began to roam
over the whole earth, observing the vow of silence and passing the night
at that spot where evening overtook him.
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