A History of Indian Literature v2.c19.s6.t3.185

v2.c19.s6.t3.185

"As true as it is that I sacrificed my breasts for the child's sake, not for sovereignty, not for enjoyments, not in order to attain heaven, not to become an Indra, not in order to rule a kingdom as a ruler, but for no other reason than to attain the highest perfect enlightenment, that I may tame the untamed, liberate the unliberated, comfort the uncomforted, and lead the unredeemed to the perfect Nirvāṇa,—as true as this is, may my female sex vanish, and may I become a man!" Scarcely had she uttered this, than she was transformed into a Prince Rūpavata, who later became king and reigned for sixty years. Reborn as a Brahmin, he sacrifices himself for a tigress.¹