The Bhikṣuṇī Maṇimēkhalai

199 - Āputra gives up his Life
from day to day. On hearing this, Āputra laughed, till his sides ached,
in derision, and addressed Indra in the following words:–
‘People that practise Dharma, people that take care of others and
protect them from harm, people that practise penance, people that do
deeds without attachment, these do not constitute the heaven of the
Dēvas. Oh valiant Lord of the kingdom of the Dēvas! I want nothing
of you. I want in fact nothing more than this solitary bowl which
enables me to satisfy the unquenchable hunger of those that feel
hungry and enjoy the sight of their satisfied countenances. I wish for
nothing more.’
Indra got wroth at this disappointing attitude of his and vowed
vengeance within himself. Returning to his place, he sent down an
abundance of rain, and made the whole land of the Pāṇḍya kingdom
smile with cultivation and prosperity, so that there may be no
creature wanting [147] sustenance.
Āputra soon found there was no room for the exercise of his charity,
and, leaving his place, he went out in search of those that may need
his services. Getting none even after that, he was going about like one
forlorn, when some of those who had recently arrived from overseas,
from the country of Śāvakam, told him that in that distant country
there was a famine prevalent at the time owing to the failure of rain
and a great number of the inhabitants had died of famine.
He immediately made up his mind to travel to that land with his bowl
in order that he might find an opportunity for the exercise of his
charity. He took ship with this object along with other passengers.
Being overtaken by a storm, the ship had to unfurl and to make a halt
for a day. The ship set sail again at dead of night in the belief that all
the passengers were in. Āputra, however, got left out, and being
distressed at this great disappointment to him, he resolved to give up