ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ 18.12

18.12

The young man was devastated when he heard all this. “In truth it was the men’s fault, and they have been dealt with according to the law,” he thought. “But the children and the women did him no harm at all, and they too were burned up in the fire. I will take revenge on the king of our wicked age.”

He made himself invisible, entered the royal palace, and struck the king on the head with a whip. “King of our wicked age!” he said. “What harm did the untouchables ever do to you?”

“They stole my mangoes!” replied King Caṇḍapradyota.

“The men were to blame,” said the young untouchable, “but what did their wives and children do wrong? Put your affairs in order, vile king. Your life is at its end, for in seven days you must die!”

Every day after that the young untouchable went to the royal palace to beat the king and to say, “On such-and-such a date you will be no more!”

King Caṇḍapradyota was terrified, and his ministers entreated him, “Deva, don’t be afraid. We will make supplications to Noble Kātyāyana.”

The ministers approached Venerable Kātyāyana and implored him, “Noble one, disembodied spirits are doing harm to the king. We ask you, please protect him!” As soon as Noble Kātyāyana heard this, he counteracted the young untouchable’s secret mantra so that he could never become invisible again.

The young man thought, “Who destroyed my mantra?” and he asked the ministers, “Tell me, who protected the king from fear of disembodied spirits?”