ng
caught by thee. If indeed Vami horses had been yoked to thy car, then
couldst thou have taken it.' Thereupon the king addressed his charioteer,
saying, 'Tell me all about Vami horses, otherwise I will slay thee,' Thus
addressed the charioteer became dreadfully alarmed and he was afraid of
the king and also of Vamadeva's curse and told not the king anything and
the king then lifting up his scimitar said to him, 'Tell me soon, else I
will slay thee.' At last afraid of the king, the charioteer said, 'The
Vami horses are those belonging to Vamadeva; they are fleet as the mind.'
And unto his charioteer who had said so, the king said, 'Repair thou to
the asylum of Vamadeva.' And reaching the asylum of Vamadeva the king
said unto that Rishi, 'O holy one, a deer struck by me is flying away. It
behoveth thee to make it capable of being seized by me by granting me thy
pair of Vami horses.' The Rishi then answered him saying, 'I give thee my
pair of Vami horses. But after accomplishing thy object, my Vami pair you
should soon return.' The king then taking those steeds and obtaining the
leave of the Rishi pursued the deer, having yoked the Vami pair unto his
car, and after he had left the asylum he spoke unto his charioteer
saying, 'These jewels of steeds the Brahmanas do not deserve to possess.
These should not be returned to Vamadeva.' Having said this and seized
the deer he returned to his capital and placed those steeds within the
inner apartments of the palace.

"Meanwhile the Rishi reflected, 'The prince is young. Having obtained an
excellent pair of animals, he is sporting with it in joy without
returning it to me. Alas, what a pity it is!' And reflecting in this
strain, the Rishi said unto a disciple of his, after the expiration of a
month, 'Go, O Atreya, and say to the king that if he has done with the
Vami steeds, he should return them unto thy preceptor.' And the disciple
Atreya, thereupon, repairing to the king, spoke unto him as instructed,
and the king replied saying, 'This pair of steeds deserves to be owned by
kings. The Brahmanas do not deserve to possess jewels of such value. What
business have Brahmanas with horses? Return thou contentedly!' And
Atreya, thus addressed by the king, returned and told his preceptor all
that had happened, and hearing this sad intelligence, Vamadeva's heart
was filled with wrath, and repairing in person to the king he asked him
for his steeds, and the king refused to give the Rishi