(Pauloma Parva continued)
Sauti continued "The Dundubha then said, 'In former times, I had a friend
Khagama by name. He was impetuous in his speech and possessed of spiritual
power by virtue of his austerities. And one day when he was engaged in the
Agni-hotra (Fire-sacrifice), I made a mock snake of blades of grass, and
in a frolic attempted to frighten him with it. And anon he fell into a
swoon. On recovering his senses, that truth-telling and vow-observing
ascetic, burning with wrath, exclaimed, "Since thou hast made a powerless
mock snake to frighten me, thou shalt be turned even into a venomless
serpent thyself by my curse." O ascetic, I well knew the power of his
penances; therefore with an agitated heart, I addressed him thus, bending
low with joined hands, "Friend, I did this by way of a joke, to excite thy
laughter. It behoveth thee to forgive me and revoke thy curse." And seeing
me sorely troubled, the ascetic was moved, and he replied, breathing hot
and hard. "What I have said must come to pass. Listen to what I say and
lay it to thy heart. O pious one! when Ruru the pure son of Pramati, will
appear, thou shall be delivered from the curse the moment thou seest him."
Thou art the very Ruru and the son of Pramati. On regaining my native form,
I will tell thee something for thy good.'
"And that illustrious man and the best of Brahmanas then left his snake-
body, and attained his own form and original brightness. He then addressed
the following words to Ruru of incomparable power, 'O thou first of
created beings, verily the highest virtue of man is sparing the life of
others. Therefore a Brahmana should never take the life of any creature. A
Brahmana should ever be mild. This is the most sacred injunction of the
Vedas. A Brahmana should be versed in the Vedas and Vedangas, and should
inspire all creatures with belief in God. He should be benevolent to all
creatures, truthful, and forgiving, even as it is his paramount duty to
retain the Vedas in his memory. The duties of the Kshatriya are not thine.
To be stern, to wield the sceptre and to rule the subjects properly are
the duties of the Kshatriya. Listen, O Ruru, to the account of the
destruction of snakes at the sacrifice of Janamejaya in days of yore, and
the deliverance of the terrified reptiles by that best of Dwijas, Astika,
profound in Vedic lore and might in spiritual energy.'"
And so ends the eleventh section of the Pauloma Parva of the Adi Parva.