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stood on the shore of the sea. And when lie was gone, Jímútaváhana, that treasure-house of compassion, considered that he had. gained an opportunity of offering himself up to save the snake's life. Thereupon he quickly dismissed Mitrávasu to his own house on the pretext of some business, artfully pretending that he himself had forgotten it. And immediately the earth near him trembled, being shaken by the wind of the wings of the approaching Garuda, as if through astonishment at his valour. That made Jímútaváhana think that the enemy of the snakes was approaching, and full of compassion for others he ascended the stone of execution. And in a moment Garuda swooped down, darkening the heaven with his shadow, and carried off that great-hearted one, striking him with his beak. He shed drops of blood, and his crest-jewel dropped off torn out by Garuda, who took him away and began to eat him on the peak of the mountain. At that moment a rain of flowers fell from heaven, and Garuda was astonished when he saw it, wondering what it could mean.
In the meanwhile Śankachúda came there, having worshipped Gokarna, and saw the rock of execution sprinkled with many drops of blood; then he thought— " Alas ! surely that great-hearted one has offered himself for me, so 1 wonder where Garuda has taken him in this short time. I must search for him quickly, perhaps I may find him." Accordingly the good snake went following up the track of the blood. And in the meanwhile Garuda, seeing that Jímútaváhana was pleased, left off eating and thought with wonder: " This must be some one else, other than I ought to have taken, for though I am eating him, he is not at all miserable, on the contrary the resolute one rejoices." While Garuda was thinking this, Jímútaváhana, though in such a state, said to him in order to attain his object: " O king of birds, in my body also there is flesh and blood; then why have you suddenly stopped eating, though your hunger is not appeased?" When he heard that, that king of birds, being overpowered with astonishment, said to him— "Noble one, you are not a snake, tell me who you are." Jímútaváhana was just answering him, " I am a snake,*[1] so eat me, complete what you have begun, for men of resolution never leave unfinished an undertaking they have begun," when Śankachúda arrived and cried out from a- far, " Stop, stop, Garuda, he is not a snake, I am the snake meant for you, so let him go, alas ! how have you suddenly come to make this mistake?" On hearing that, the king of birds was excessively bewildered, and Jímútaváhana I at not having accomplished his desire. Then Garuda, learning, in the course of their conversation †[2] with one another, that he had
