A hoard should always be made; but not too great a hoard. A Jackal,
through the fault of hoarding too much, was killed by a bow.
A certain Huntsman, by name Bhirava, being fond of flesh, once upon a
time went to hunt in the forests of the Vindhya mountains and having
killed a Deer, as he was carrying him away, he chanced to see a wild
Boar of a formidable appearance. So, laying the Deer upon the ground,
he wounded the Boar with an arrow; but, upon his approaching him, the
horrid animal set up a roar dreadful as the thunder of the clouds, and
wounding the Huntsman in the groin, he fell like a tree cut off by the
axe. At the same time, a Serpent, of that species which is called
Ajagara, pressed by hunger and wandering about, rose up and bit the
Boar, who instantly fell helpless upon him, and remained upon the spot.
For:
The body having encountered some efficient cause, water, fire, poison,
the sword, hunger, sickness, or a fall from an eminence, is forsaken by
the vital spirits.
In the meantime, a Jackal, by name Deergharava, prowling about in
search of prey, discovered the Deer, the Huntsman, and the Boar; and
having observed them, he said to himself: "Here is a fine feast
prepared for me; with their flesh I shall have food to eat. The Man
will last me for a whole month, and the Deer and the Boar for two more;
then the Serpent will serve me a day; and let me taste the bow-string
too. But, in the first place, let me try that which is the least
savoury. Suppose, then, I eat this catgut line which is fastened to
the bow": saying so, he drew near to eat it; but the instant he had bit
the line in two, he was torn asunder by the spring of the bow; and he
was reduced to the state of the five elements. I say, therefore, "A
hoard should always be made; but not too great a hoard."