..续本文上一页 people, "I say, then: having bound King Dighiti & his consort with a stout rope with their arms pinned tightly against their backs, and having shaved them bald, march them to a harsh-sounding drum from street to street, crossroads to crossroads, evict them out the south gate of the city and there, to the south of the city, cut them into four pieces and bury them in holes placed in the four directions."

　　Responding, "As you say, your majesty," the king”s people bound King Dighiti & his consort with a stout rope, pinning their arms tightly against their backs, shaved them bald, and marched them to a harsh-sounding drum from street to street, crossroads to crossroads.

　　Then the thought occurred to Prince Dighavu, "It”s been a long time since I saw my mother & father. What if I were to go see them

　　" So he entered Varanasi and saw his mother & father bound with a stout rope, their arms pinned tightly against their backs, their heads shaven bald, being marched to a harsh-sounding drum from street to street, crossroads to crossroads. So he went to them. King Dighiti saw Prince Dighavu coming from afar, and on seeing him, said, "Don”t, my dear Dighavu, be far-sighted. Don”t be near-sighted. For vengeance is not settled through vengeance. Vengeance is settled through non-vengeance."

　　When this was said, the people said to him, "This King Dighiti has gone crazy. He”s talking nonsense. Who is Dighavu

　　 Why is he saying, ”Don”t, my dear Dighavu, be far-sighted. Don”t be near-sighted. For vengeance is not settled through vengeance. Vengeance is settled through non-vengeance”

　　"

　　"I”m not crazy or talking nonsense. He who knows will understand." Then a second time... a third time he said, "Don”t, my dear Dighavu, be far-sighted. Don”t be near-sighted. For vengeance is not settled through vengeance. Vengeance is settled through non-vengeance."

　　A third time, the people said to him, "This King Dighiti has gone crazy. He”s talking nonsense. Who is Dighavu

　　 Why is he saying, ”Don”t, my dear Dighavu, be far-sighted. Don”t be near-sighted. For vengeance is not settled through vengeance. Vengeance is settled through non-vengeance”

　　"

　　"I”m not crazy or talking nonsense. He who knows will understand."

　　Then the king”s people, having marched King Dighiti together with his chief consort to a harsh-sounding drum from street to street, crossroads to crossroads, evicted them out the south gate of the city and there, to the south of the city, cut them into four pieces, buried them in holes placed in the four directions, stationed guards, and left.

　　Then Prince Dighavu, having entered Varanasi, brought out some liquor and got the guards to drink it. When they had fallen down drunk, he collected sticks, made a pyre, raised the bodies of his mother & father onto the pyre, set fire to it, and then circumambulated it three times with his hands raised in salutation.

　　Now at that time, King Brahmadatta had gone up to the terrace on top of his palace. He saw Prince Dighavu circumambulating the pyre three times with his hands raised in salutation, and on seeing him, the thought occurred to him, "Doubtlessly this person is a relative or blood-kinsman of King Dighiti. Ah, how unfortunate for me, for there is no one who will tell me what this means!"

　　Then Prince Dighavu, having gone into the wilderness and having cried & wept as much as he needed to, dried his tears and entered Varanasi. Going to an elephant stable next to the king”s palace, he said to the chief elephant trainer, "Teacher, I want to learn this craft."

　　"In that case, young man, you may learn it."

　　Then, rising in the last watch of the night, Prince Dighavu sang in a sweet voice and played the lute in the elephant stable. King Brahmadatta, also rising in the last watch of the night…

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