perfumes in this world, the
man possessed of cupidity, O king, has to take birth as a mole. Assuming
the form of a mole one has to live in it for a period of five and ten
years. After the exhaustion of his demerit by such sufferings he regains
the status of humanity. By stealing milk, one becomes a crane. That man,
O king, who through stupefaction of the understanding, steals oil, has to
take birth, after casting off this body, as an animal that subsists upon
oil as his form.[516] That wretch who himself well armed, slays another
while that other is unarmed, from motives of obtaining his victim's
wealth or from feelings of hostility, has, after casting off his human
body, to take birth as an ass. Assuming that asinine form he has to live
for a period of two years and then he meets with death at the edge of a
weapon. Casting off in this way his asinine body he has to take birth in
his next life as a deer always filled with anxiety (at the thought of
foes that may kill him). Upon the expiration of a year from the time of
his birth as a deer, he has to yield up his life at the point of a
weapon. Thus casting off his form of a deer, he next takes birth as a
fish and dies in consequence of being dragged up in net, on the
expiration of the fourth month. He has next to take birth as a beast of
prey. For ten years he has to live in that form, and then he takes birth
as a pard in which form he has to live for a period of five years.
Impelled by the change that is brought about by time, he then casts off
that form, and his demerit having been exhausted he regains the status of
humanity. That man of little understanding who kills a woman has to go
to the regions of Yama and to endure diverse kinds of pain and misery. He
then has to pass through full one and twenty transformations. After that,
O monarch, he has to take birth as a vile vermin. Living as a vermin for
twenty years, he regains the status of humanity. By stealing food, one
has to take birth as a bee. Living for many months in the company of
other bees, his demerit becomes exhausted and he regains the status of
humanity. By stealing paddy, one becomes a cat. That man who steals food
mixed with sesame cakes has in his next birth to assume the form of a
mouse large or small according to the largeness or smallness of the
quantity stolen. He bites human beings every day and as the consequence
thereof becomes sinful and travels through a varied round of rebirths.
That man of fo