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fanning him with his ears. And like a kind man, the elephant said to him lovingly, over and over again, with articulate voice, "Do you feel at all better?" When the prince saw that, he was astonished, and he said to his companions, " Look ! how comes it that a wild elephant
conducts itself like a man? So you may be sure that this is some higher being translated into this form for some reason. And this man is very like my friend Prachandaśakti. But he is blind. So let us keep a sharp lookout." When Mrigánkadatta had said this to his friends, he remained there concealed, and listened attentively. In the meanwhile the blind man recovered a little, and the elephant said to him, " Tell me; who are you, and how did you come here, being blind?" Then the blind man said to that mighty elephant, " There is in this land a king of the name of Amaradatta, lord of the city of Ayodhyá, he has a son of excellent qualities, named Mrigánkadatta, of auspicious birth, and I am that prince's servant. For some reason or other his father banished him from his native land, with us his tea companions. We had set out for Ujjayiní to obtain Śaśankavatì, when we were separated in the forest by the curse of a Nága. And I was blinded by his curse, and wandering about I have arrived here, living on the fruits, and roots, and water I could get on the way. And to me death by falling into a chasm, or in some other way, would be most desirable, but alas ! Providence has not bestowed it on me, but makes me endure calamity .
However 1 feel convinced that, as my pangs of hunger have been to-day
assuaged by your favour, so my blindness also will be somewhat alleviated, for you are a divinity." When he said this, Mrigánkadatta felt certain who he was, and with a mind wavering between joy and grief he said to those ministers, " It is our friend Prachandaśakti that is reduced to this melancholy state, but it will not do for us to be in a hurry to greet him immediately. Perhaps this elephant will cure his blindness. But if he were to see us, he would flee away; so we must stop here and look at him." When the prince had said this, he remained listening with his followers. Then Prachandaśakti said to that elephant, " Now great-souled one, tell me your history; who are you? How comes it that, though you are an elephant, and are subject to the fury of elephants, you speak in this gentle way?" When the great elephant heard this, he sighed, and said to him, " Listen ! I will tell you my story from the beginning."
Story of Bhímabhața.:— Long ago, in the city of Ekalavyá there was a king named Śrutadhara, and he had two sons by two wives. When the king went to heaven, his younger son, named Satyadhara, expelled the elder son, named Śíladhara, from the throne. Śíladhara was angry on that account, so he went and propitiated Śiva, and craved the following boon from the god, who was pleased with his asceticism, " May I become a Gandharva, in
