wever, O king, shall
fall down first?' Thus questioned the Rishi said, 'This Ashtaka shall
first come down.' And thereupon the enquirer asked, 'For what cause?' And
the Rishi answered, 'I lived for a few days in the abode of Ashtaka. He
carried me (one day) on his car out of the town and there I beheld
thousands of kine distinguished from one another by difference of hue.
And beholding those kine I asked Ashtaka whose they were and Ashtaka
answered me, saying, 'I have given away these kine. By this answer he
gave expression to his own praise. It is for this answer of his that
Ashtaka shall have to come down.' And after Narada had said so, one of
them again enquired, saying, 'Three of us then will stay in heaven.
Amongst us three, who shall fall down first?' And the Rishi answered,
Pratardana.' And the enquirer asked, 'For what cause?' And the Rishi
answered, 'I lived for some days in the abode of Pratardana also. And he
carried me on his car one day. And while doing so, a Brahmana asked him
saying, 'Give me a horse!' And Pratardana replied, 'After returning, I
will give thee one!' And thereupon the Brahmana said, 'Let it be given to
me soon.' And as the Brahmana spoke those words, the king gave unto him
the steed that had been yoked on the right-hand wheel of the car. And
there came unto him another Brahmana desirous of obtaining a steed. And
the king having spoken to him in the same way, gave him the steed that
had been yoked on the left wheel of his car. And having given away the
horse unto him, the king proceeded on his journey. And then there came
unto the king another Brahmana desirous of obtaining a horse. And the
king soon gave him the horse on the left front of his car, unyoking the
animal. And having done so, the king proceeded on his journey. And then
there came unto the king another Brahmana desirous of obtaining a horse.
And the king said unto him, 'Returning, I will give thee a horse.' But
the Brahmana said, 'Let the steed be given to me soon.' And the king gave
him the only horse he had. And seizing the yoke of the car himself, the
king began to draw it. And as he did so, he said, 'There is now nothing
for the Brahmanas.' The king had given away, it is true, but he had done
so with detraction. And for that speech of his, he shall have to fall
down from heaven. And after the Rishi had said so, of the two that
remained, one asked, 'Who amongst us two shall fall down?' And the Rishi
answered, 'Vasumanas.' And t