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abandoned the disguise of a mendicant, and fled, and went to Ujjayiní.
And Kalávatí, finding it out, went to meet him on the road, freed from her curse and happy, and she comforted him, and then went to heaven to visit Indra. And Indra was astonished, but when he heard from her mouth the artifice of her husband the gambler, he laughed and was highly delighted. Then Vŗihaspati, who was at his side, said to Indra, " Gamblers are always like this, abounding in every kind of trickery."
Story of the gambler who cheated Yama.*[1]:—For instance, in a previous kalpa there was in a certain city a gambler, of the name of Kuțțaníkapața, accomplished in dishonest play. When he went to the other world, Indra said to him, " Gambler, you will have to live a kalpa in hell on account of your crimes, but owing to your charity you are to be Indra for one day, for once on a time you gave a gold coin to a knower of the Supreme Soul. So say, whether you will take out first your period in hell or your period as Indra." When the gambler heard that, he said, " I will take out first my period as Indra."
Then Yama sent the gambler to heaven, and the gods deposed Indra
for a day, and crowned him sovereign in his stead. He, having obtained
sovereign sway, summoned to heaven the gamblers his friends and his female favourites, and in virtue of his regal authority gave this order to the gods, " Carry us all in a moment to all the holy bathing-places,†[2] those in heaven, and those on earth, and those in the seven dvípas: and enter this very day into all the kings on the earth, and bestow without ceasing, great, gifts for our benefit."
When he gave this order to the gods, they did everything as he had desired, and by means of those holy observances his sins were washed ‡[3] away, and he obtained the rank of Indra permanently. And by his favour his friends and his female favourites, that he had summoned to heaven, had their sins destroyed and obtained immortality. The next day Chitragupta informed Yama that the gambler had by his discretion obtained the rank of Indra permanently. Then Yama, hearing of his meritorious actions, was astonished, and said, " Dear me ! this gambler has cheated us."
When Vŗihaspati had told this story, he said, " Such, O wielder of the thunderbolt, are gamblers," and then held his peace. And then Indra sent Kalávatí to summon Thințhákarála to heaven. There the king of the
- ↑ * Cp. the story that begins on page 186 of this volume.
- ↑ † No. 1882 reads snapayata tatkshanát at the end of śl. 194, a. It seems to remove a tautology but is unmetrical. " Take us and cause us to bathe." The Sanskrit MS. has snaapayata tațshanam.
- ↑ ‡ I read dhúta for dyúta No. 1882 (the Taylor MS.) and the Sanskrit College MS. have dhúta; No. 3003 has dhuta; the other MS. does not contain the passage.
