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perceiving in his own mind their desire, smiled and said to the prince: Prince, I hereby give you this daughter of mine.' The prince answered: 'I receive what you are pleased to give me, reverend sir.' Then the hermit said: Rise up, prince; go to your own camp and take food.' The prince said to the hermit: My lord, I will to-day eat with you, so come along with me.' The hermit said: 'My dear youth, your majesty makes it hard to refuse, but for hermits no other food but bulbs and roots is appropriate.' When the hermit had said this, he dismissed the prince, who went to his camp with his suite and took food. Then, in an auspicious moment, the prince married the daughter of Harishena, Rishidattá by name, and lived there with her for some days. Then one day the hermit said to the prince with faltering voice: Prince, support of the world, why should I say much to you? Take care never to make my daughter an object of insult. This girl, who from living in the forest is wanting in experience of the world, is committed by me to your care; by living with you she will acquire many excellent qualities, since even dust that settles on the navel of a deer* becomes sweetscented. But I now wish to enter the fire, as for people like me death is better than life.' Then the prince fell at the feet of the hermit, and said to that mighty saint: 'Do not even mention the word "suicide." Then Rishidattá, weeping, said to her father: Show some compassion to me.' The hermit said: 'My dear girl, do not say this, but listen to my admonition. Be obedient to your superiors; observe the laws of virtue; do not be angry even with rival wives; do not turn aside from holiness in pleasure or in pain.' And then the hermit, having taken leave of Prince Kanakaratha and of his own daughter, and calling to mind the mantra of the five Parameshtins, t entered the fire. Rishidattá, weeping and rolling on the earth, uttered the following lament:
*Or perhaps on musk.'
•
† Yugádíça, Cánti, Nemi, Párçva, and Vira. Çatrunjaya Máhátmyam,' p. 15.)
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