Hearing this, the Raja Pureechit said to the Black Age—“Dwell in the following places, in gambling, lying, in the spirit market, harlots’ houses, murder, theft and gold.” Having heard this, the Black Age went to his appointed abode, and the Raja established Religion in his own mind; the earth assumed his own form, the Raja returned to his own city, and began to govern justly and religiously.
After some days, the Raja went again to hunt, and whilst engaged in the sport, became thirsty. The Black Age was dwelling in the golden crown on the Raja’s head, and having obtained his opportunity, deprived the Raja of knowledge. The Raja from thirst came to the spot where Lomus, a chief of the saints, was seated with his eyes shut, meditating on Muhadeo, and engaged in religious penance.
On seeing him, Pureechit began to say to himself, this person through pride of penance remains with his eyes shut, although he saw me. Entertaining this wicked idea, and having raised up with a bow a dead snake which had fallen there, and thrown it on the neck of the chief of the saints, he came home.
On taking off his crown, the Raja recovered his knowledge, and reflecting began to say, the abode of the Black Age is in gold, he was upon my head, and this is the reason of my having performed so vicious an act, as throwing a dead snake on the neck of a chief of the saints; I now know, that the Black Age has taken his revenge upon me; how shall I escape from this great sin; why have I not been deprived to-day of my caste, wealth, family, wives and kingdom—I know not in what birth, this injustice of my having vexed a Brahmin will be effaced.
Whilst the Raja Pureechit was drowned in this sea of unfathomable reflection, some boys engaged in play came to the place where Lomus, a chief of the saints, was:—they were astonished at seeing a dead snake on his neck,—and being frightened, began to say to each other, “Brother, let some one go and tell his son of this, who is playing with the saints’ children in the grove on the bank of the river Koushkee.” One of the boys hearing this ran to where Shringee the saint was playing with the saints’ children.—The boy said to Shringee, “Brother, why are you playing here; some devil has thrown a dead black snake on your father’s neck and gone off?”
On hearing this, Shringee’s eyes became red—gnashing his teeth, he began to tremble; and, being enraged, to say—“In the Black Age proud Rajas have been produced: from the intoxication of wealth, they have become blind and inflicters of pain: I will now pronounce a curse on him, who threw the snake, he shall die on the seventh day from this.” Having thus spoken, Shringee the saint took the water of the Koushkee river in the palm of his hand, and pronounced a curse on the Raja Pureechit, that the snake would bite him on the seventh day.
Having pronounced this curse on the Raja, he came to his father and took the snake from his neck, and began to say to him, “Father, be of good cheer, I have pronounced a curse on him, who threw the dead snake on your neck.” On hearing this, Lomus the saint, awaking from his meditation, opening his eyes and deeply considering in his mind his son’s speech, said to him, “O son! what is this thou hast done? why have you pronounced a curse on the Raja, under whose government we lived at ease? not a bird, nor a beast even was afflicted. So just was the government, that the lion and cow dwelt under it without altercation. O son! what mattered it, if he, in whose country we lived, threw a dead snake upon me in sport, why did you curse him, and inflict so heavy a curse for a slight fault? you have been guilty of a great crime, and neglected to think of what you were doing—you have abandoned good, and embraced evil. It is necessary for a good man to cultivate amiable dispositions; not to say anything himself, to hear what others say, and imitate the good qualities, and avoid the bad qualities, of all.”
Saying this, Lomus the saint called one of his pupils, and told him to go and tell the Raja Pureechit, that Shringee had pronounced a curse on him; good men will impute blame to Shringee for what he has done, but the Raja on receiving this message will be on his guard. In obedience to the words of his spiritual preceptor, the pupil came to the place where the Raja was sitting in meditation, and said to him on his arrival—“Shringee the saint has pronounced this curse on you, that the snake shall bite you on the seventh day—do you now arrange so that you may escape from the noose of fate.” On hearing this, the Raja stood up with delight, and joining his hands together began to say, “The saint has done me a great kindness in pronouncing a curse, because I had fallen into the boundless thoughted sea of delusion, from which he has released me.”
When the disciple of the sage departed, the Raja performed penance by abandoning all the pleasures of the world, and having sent for Junmejye and made over his throne to him, said, “O son! cherish the cow and the Brahmin, and give contentment to the subject.” Saying this, he went into the female apartments: the women on seeing him were all sad; his wives (the Ranees) on beholding him fell weeping at his feet, and exclaimed, “O great king! we weak creatures will not be able to endure separation from you; for which reason it is better that we should give up our lives with yours.”—The Raja said in reply, “It is right for a woman to act in such a way, that the character and dignity of her husband may be maintained, and not to throw any obstacle in the way of an excellent work.”
Having said this, and having abandoned relatives, kindred, and all private and public wealth, he went and sat down on the shore of the Ganges to perform penance: whoever heard of the circumstance was much grieved and distressed, and shed tears.