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drawn, your father will fall into the darkness of grief, and how will he live to old ago? How will your body, that would suffer even from the touch of the sun's rays, be able to endure the agony of being devoured by Garuda? How comes it that Providence and the king of the snakes were able to find out you, the only son of ill-starred me, though the world of the snakes is wide?" When she thus lamented, the young man her son said to her, " I am afflicted enough, as it is, mother; why do you afflict me more? Return home; this is my last reverence to you, for I know it will soon be time for Garuda to arrive here." When the old woman heard that, she cast her sorrowful eyes all round the horizon, and cried aloud, " I am undone; who will deliver my son?"
In the meanwhile Jímútaváhana, that portion of a Bodhisattva, having heard and seen that, said to himself, being profoundly touched with pity, " I see, this is an unhappy snake, of the name of Śankhachúda, who has now been sent by king Vásuki, to serve as food for Garuda. And this is his aged mother, whose only son he is, and who has followed him here out of love, and is lamenting piteously from grief. So, if I cannot save this wretched Nága by offering up this exceedingly perishable body, alas ! my birth will have been void of fruit."
When Jímútaváhana had gone through these reflections, he went joyfully up to the old woman, and said to her, " Mother, I will deliver your son." When the old woman heard that, she was alarmed and terrified, thinking that Garuda had come, and she cried out, " Eat me, Garuda, eat me !" Then Śankhachúda said, " Mother, do not be afraid, this is not Garuda. There is a great difference between this being who cheers one like the moon, and the terrilde Garuda." When Śankhachúda said this, Jímútaváhana said, " Mother, I am a Vidyádhara, come to deliver your son; for I will give my body, disguised in clothes, to the hungry Garuda; and do you return home, taking your son with you."
When the old woman heard that, she said, " By no means, for you are my son in a still higher sense, because you have shewn such compassion for us at such a time." When Jímútaváhana heard that, he replied, " You two ought not to disappoint my wish in this matter." And when he persistently urged this, Śankhachúda said to him; " Of a truth, noble- hearted man, you have displayed your compassionate nature, but I cannot consent to save my body at the cost of yours; for who ought to save a common stone by the sacrifice of a gem? The world is full of people like myself, who feel pity only for themselves, but people like you, who are inclined to feel pity for the whole world, are few in number; besides, excellent man, I shall never find it in my heart to defile the pure race of Śankhapála, as a spot defiles the disk of the moon "
When Śankhachúda had in these words attempted to dissuade him, he
