Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists

ji leaveThe Virtue of CompassionGreat were the joy and surprise throughout the cityandthe palace when the news of this reunion spread abroad.Rituparna departed with another charioteer, while Nalaremained a month at the court of Vidarbha. Then Nalatook his way to Nishadha, and came before his brotherPushkara, challenging him to dice, asking him to contendagain, this time for their lives. Pushkara answered"confidently Be : it so ; now, at last, DamayantI shall bemine." It was little that Nala did not slay him in hiswrath; but he took the dice and threw, and won, andPushkara lost.Then Nala pardoned his evil-minded brother and bestoweda city upon him, and sent him forth in peace. Nala himwith DamayantI, ruled in Nishadha, and all men wereself,happy.The yirtue of CompassionSpoken by Bhlshma to Yudhishthira:There lived a hunter in the city of Benares.He set forthin search of antelopes, taking a quiverful of poisonedarrows. He found a herd deep in the forest and sped anarrow toward them; but he missed his aim, and thepoisoned shaft entered a great forest tree. Hurt by thedeadly poison, the great tree withered and shed its leavesand fruits. But a certain saintly parrot had dwelt all itslife in a hollow of its trunk, sheltered by the forest lord,and though the tree was now withered, he would nothis nest, such was his love toward it. Silent andsorrowful, motionless and without food, the grateful andvirtuous parrot withered with the tree.\ Indra s throne grew hot; looking down on earth, hemarvelled at the devotion and extraordinary resolution ofthe noble bird, faithful alike in happiness and sorrow.367