འཕགས་པ་དཔལ་སྦས་ཞས་བྱ་བའ་མད 10

10

whose wings had not yet matured. The mother partridge dipped her feathers into the water and sprinkled it around the chick. She then hurriedly repeated this, over and over again.

“The partridge chick watched his mother struggling in this way, and then asked her, ‘Mother, why are you struggling in this way?’

“She replied, ‘Child, you should know that the king of Kaliṅga has lit a large fire to kill all the animals on the island of Begburchepa. The blaze has disturbed all the animals and birds who live on the island of Begburchepa, whether they fly through the sky, walk on the land, or swim in the water. Those that can fly have escaped into the sky, those that can swim have dived into the water, and those on land have run to and fro to get away. I am struggling in this way for your sake, because I think that you will burn.’

“The chick replied, ‘Mother, stop it, stop it! You are foolish. Such efforts will never save me from the blaze. Mother, draw on all your power and strength, carefully carry me to a high spot among the trees on the island of Begburchepa, and put me down there. Please do this!’

“The mother partridge did as her child asked. She drew on all her own strength, carefully carried the partridge chick, and put it down in a high spot among the trees on the island of Begburchepa.

“When the partridge chick saw the great blaze, it was filled with compassion and spoke this verse:

“ ‘There are legless beings,
And also winged ones and those with legs.
May their parents place them in protection!
May the noxious fire not return!’

“Lay brother,