Analytical Account of the Pancka Tantra. 185 



ably, and deserting their old acquaintances, followed the barber to his 

 house ; as it is said : The naked ascetic, who has abandoned his home, and 

 all his possessions, is still no stranger to the desire of worldly goods. When 

 the Barber had introduced them into his house, he took up his staff, and 

 struck them on the head, so that several were killed in an instant. The 

 rest, with broken skulls, set up so loud a clamour, that the neighbourhood 

 was alarmed, and the town guards* flocked towards the spot, to see what 

 was the matter. As they approached, they met the Jaina mendicants, 

 fleeing with broken heads, and covered with blood, from the barber's house. 

 Having learnt the cause of their dismay, they proceeded to lay hold of the 

 barber, whom they bound and carried to the police. When questioned as 

 to his conduct, he justified himself by the example of Manibhadra, but 

 when Manibhadra, being sent for, and examined, revealed the exact nature 

 of the occurrence, he was of course dismissed, whilst the barber was hanged, 

 as a punishment for his violent and inconsiderate aggression. 



" When the barber was disposed of, the judges remarked, that he had 

 deserved his fate, as it is well said, that which has not been tried, should 

 not be attempted, and that which is done, ought first to be well considered, 

 otherwise repentance will follow, as in the case of the Brahman and Ich- 

 neumon. Manibhadra asked how that was, and they replied. 



" There was a Brdhman, named Deva Sarma, whose wife had one son ; she 

 had also a favourite ichneumon,+ that she brought up with the infant, and 

 cherished like another child. At the same time, she was afraid that the 

 animal would, some time or other, do the child a mischief, knowing its 

 treacherous nature, as it is said, " A son, though ill-tempered, ugly, stupid 

 and wicked, is still the source of delight to a father's heart." One day the 

 mother going forth to fetch water, placed the child in the bed, and desired 

 her husband to guard the infant, especially from the ichneumon. She then 

 departed, and after a while, the Brdhman himself was obliged to go forth to 

 collect alms. When the house was thus deserted, a black snake came out 

 of a hole, and crawled towards the bed where the infant lay ; the ichneumon, 

 who saw him, impelled by his natural animosity, and by regard for his foster 



* llie Pura kushtapdla purushuh : The men who guarded the avenues of tlie city. Possibly 

 there may be some etymological connexion between Kmhlapdla (Sanscrit), and Kohiidl (Persian), 

 an officer of police. 



t Nacula: Viverra mungo, C. 



