| Great Kings & Queens |
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| Biographies of Great Indians & Hindus |
DILEEPA |
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| "Leave This
Cow And Go I" As a further surprise to an already amazed king, the lion talked with him like a human being - "0 king, stop your labor. You just cannot show any valor before me. You will not be able to shoot a single arrow. Even if you could, it would go to waste. The wind that can bend trees cannot break a hillock." "0 king of beasts, who are you that you talk like a human being?" asked Dileepa. And the lion continued - "I am a slave of Lord Shiva. My name is Kumbhodara. Do you see that cedar tree? Goddess Parvati has watered that tree and grown it. She loves it as she loves her own son Shanmukha. So even the Lord Shiva loves it as his own son. Once something extraordinary happened. A wild elephant rubbed its itching cheek hard against that tree. A part of the bark fell off and the juice of the cedar began to trickle down. Seeing that, Parvati was in great sorrow. She felt as sad as if her son Shanmukha was himself hurt by the Rakshasas. Then onwards God Shiva has changed me into a lion and kept me here to frighten the wild elephants away. He has also commis- sioned me to kill any animalcoming near here, and eat it for my food. Well, this is my lunch - time, and I am very hungry. Right at this time this cow has come here by itself. Let me have my fill with her flesh and blood. Without any hesitation you can leave the cow to me and go to your teacher. You need not be afraid that the sage would be angry that you did not protect the cow. Would he not be able to make out that I have Lord Shiva's permission for this? If you cannot protect that which cannot be protected by any weapon, you do not get a bad name." |
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