holding the animals, the
monarch pierced them both with five of his sharp and swift arrows winged
with golden feathers. O monarch, that was no deer that Pandu struck at,
but a Rishi's son of great ascetic merit who was enjoying his mate in the
form of a deer. Pierced by Pandu, while engaged in the act of
intercourse, he fell down to the ground, uttering cries that were of a
man and began to weep bitterly.

"The deer then addressed Pandu and said, 'O king, even men that are
slaves to lust and wrath, and void of reason, and ever sinful, never
commit such a cruel act as this. Individual judgment prevaileth not
against the ordinance, the ordinance prevaileth against individual
judgment. The wise never sanction anything discountenanced by the
ordinance. Thou art born, O Bharata, in a race that hath ever been
virtuous. How is it, therefore, that even thou, suffering thyself to be
overpowered by passion and wrath losest thy reason?' Hearing this, Pandu
replied, 'O deer, kings behave in the matter of slaying animals of thy
species exactly as they do in the matter of slaying foes. It behoveth
thee not, therefore, to reprove me thus from ignorance. Animals of thy
species are slain by open or covert means. This, indeed, is the practice
of kings. Then why dost thou reprove me? Formerly, the Rishi Agastya,
while engaged in the performance of a grand sacrifice, chased the deer,
and devoted every deer in the forest unto the gods in general. Thou hast
been slain, pursuant to the usage sanctioned by such precedent. Wherefore
reprovest us then? For his especial sacrifices Agastya performed the homa
with fat of the deer.'

"The deer then said, 'O king, men do not let fly their arrows at their
enemies when the latter are unprepared. But there is a time for doing it
(viz., after declaration of hostilities). Slaughter at such a time is not
censurable.'

"Pandu replied, 'It is well-known that men slay deer by various effective
means without regarding whether the animals are careful or careless.
Therefore, O deer, why dost thou reprove me?'

"The deer then said, 'O, king, I did not blame thee for thy having killed
a deer, or for the injury thou hast done to me. But, instead of acting so
cruelly, thou shouldst have waited till the completion of my act of
intercourse. What man of wisdom and virtue is there that can kill a deer
while engaged in such an act? The time of sexual intercourse is agreeable
to every creature and productive of good t