iptures, upon the gods and the Brahmanas. Cast off sorrow and
cheerlessness, and abstain from parental affection. Leave the child on
this exposed ground, and go ye away without delay. The actor alone enjoys
the fruit of acts, good or bad, that he does. What concern have kinsmen
with them? Casting off a (deceased) kinsman, however dear, kinsmen leave
this spot. With eyes bathed in tears, they go away, ceasing to display
affection for the dead. Wise or ignorant, rich or poor, every one
succumbs to Time, endued with acts, good and bad. What will you do by
mourning? Why do you grieve for one that is dead? Time is the lord of
all, and in obedience to his very nature he casts an equal eye on all
things. In pride of youth or in helpless infancy bearing the weight of
years or lying in the mother's womb, every one is subject to be assailed
by Death. Such indeed, is the course of the world.'

"'"The jackal said, 'Alas, the affection cherished by your weeping selves
that are overwhelmed with grief for your deceased child has been lessened
by that light-brained vulture. Even this must be the case, since in
consequence of his well-applied words fraught with tranquillity and
capable of producing conviction, there that one goes back to the town,
casting off affection that is so difficult to abandon. Alas, I had
supposed that great is the grief felt by men indulging in loud
lamentations for the death of a child and for the corpse on a
crematorium, like that of kine bereft of calves. Today, however, I
understand what the measure of grief is of human beings on earth.
Witnessing their great affection I had shed tears myself. (It seems
however, that their affection is not strong)! One should always exert
oneself. Thence does one succeed through destiny. Exertion and destiny,
joining together, produce fruit. One should always exert oneself with
hopefulness. How can happiness be had from despondency? Objects of desire
may be won by resolution. Why then do you go back so heartlessly? Where
do you go, abandoning in the wilderness this son of your own loins, this
perpetuator of the race of his sires? Stay here till the sun sets and the
evening twilight comes. You may then take away this boy with yourselves
or stay with him.'

"'"The vulture said, 'I am, ye men, a full thousand years of age today, but
I have never seen a dead creature, male or female or of ambiguous sex,
revive after death. Some die in the womb; some die soon after birth; some