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CONTENTS
Lxxvii
have turned her off, but Cánakya prevented him, saying that the accident was very auspicious, as it portended that the nerr dynasty rould flourish during nine generations (311-326)
In the palace of Nanda, whose treasures Candragupta and Cānakya disided between themselves, was a beautiful girl, whom the king had since her birth, fed on poison. Parvata falling in lore with this girl, took possession of her with Cánakya’s consent Then, at the wedding ceremony, he seized her hand before the sacred fire, the poisonous sweat penetrated through his skin and at once took effect Collapsing, he called out for the doc. tors but Cânakya preventing Candragupta from fetching them, Parrata was soon a dead man Thus Candragupta got possession of Nanda's and Parvata's kingdom This happened one hundred and fifty-five years after the Nortāna of Mahāvīra (326–339)
As some of Nanda's followers continually committed daring robberies, Canakya searched for a man who should be able to . restore order He selected for this purpose a weaver, whose resolution he had found out in observing him laying fire to such places in his house as vere nests of bugs 2 This man prored equal to his task, for he succeeded in putting to death all robbers (340-346).
Cânakya had an old grudge against the inhabitants of a village who had once refused him food He now gare them an order which could be interpreted in two ways When the men had done what they thought they were bidden to do, Cānakya could charge them with disobeying him, and under this pretext he had the village burnt down together with all its inhabitants (347–351)
Candragupta's treasury haring by this time become almost empty, Canakya was anxious to fill it agam He, therefore, invited the rich to gamble with him Through staking a cup
1 See the Katha Sart Sagara, Vol I, p 149 and note (TAXEY )
"A similar story is told about a low minstrel of Cologne whose house snarmed with bugs He set it on fire and danced before it, singing to his fiddle to this effect. “if thus will not do for the bugs, the devil may know That is more effective
