of wood, the two birds lived with confidence on his head happily.
The rains passed away and autumn came. The couple, urged by desire,
approached each other according to the law of the Creator, and in
complete confidence laid their eggs, O king, on the head of that Rishi.
Of rigid vows and possessed of energy, the ascetic knew it. Knowing what
the birds had done, Jajali moved not. Firmly resolved to acquire merit,
no act that involved the slightest injury to others could recommend
itself to him. The feathery couple going away and moving every day from
and to his head, happily and confidently lived there, O puissant king!
When in the progress of time the eggs became mature and young ones came
out, they began to grow up in that nest, for Jajali moved not in the
least. Firm in the observance of his vows, the righteous-souled Rishi
continued to hold and protect those eggs by standing on that very spot
perfectly motionless and rapt in Yoga meditation. In course of time the
young ones grew and became equipped with wings. The Muni knew that the
young Kulingas had attained to that stage of development. That foremost
of intelligent men, steady in the observance of vows, one day beheld
those young ones and became filled with pleasure. The parent-birds,
seeing their young ones equipped with wings, became very happy and
continued to dwell in the Rishi's head with them in perfect safety. The
learned Jajali saw that when the young birds became equipped with wings
they took to the air every evening and returned to his head without
having proceeded far. He still stood motionless on that spot. Sometimes,
after he saw that, left by their parents, they went out by themselves and
returned again by themselves. Jajali still moved not. A little while
after, the young birds going away in the morning passed the whole day out
of his sight, but came back in the evening for dwelling in the nest.
Sometimes, after that, leaving their nest for five days at a stretch,
they returned on the sixth day. Jajali still moved not. Subsequently,
when their strength became fully developed they left him and returned not
at all even after many days. At last, on one occasion, leaving him, they
came not even after a month. Then, O king, Jajali left that spot. When
they had thus gone away for good, Jajali wondered much, and thought that
he had achieved ascetic success. Then pride entered his heart. Firm in
the observance of vows, the great ascetic, seeing the birds thu