Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v1.c6.138

v1.c6.138

or hated—this is the lot of the living. The world stops from its daily task, the sun goes home, do ye, too, go back to your abode and let be your love for the child.” When now the kindred, wailing in despair, for the child was indeed dead, were about to go forth, there came a jackal, black as a raven’s wing, out of his cave and spoke to them : “ Mankind knows no compassion. The sun is still in the heavens. The fleeting instant can bring much ; perhaps the child will come back to life again. You have no love for the child, whose words once gladdened your hearts. But see what love the beasts and birds cherish for their young, and yet they have nothing to gain from having them. They, who are filled with loving attachment, and see their pleasure in their young, have not, as the Munis and they who carry out the business of sacrifice,¹ when they go over into the other world any advantage either here on earth or in the life beyond, and yet they love and cherish their offspring. Look on him long with love. How could you go and leave him, that had such lively, great lotus-eyes, and whom you bathed like a newly wedded man, and decked out with every ornament ?” Then they all went back to the dead child. The vulture once again began : “ Why do you bewail the dead child, who feels no longer, and why not yourselves ? Leave sorrow and the dead one, and do good with all your strength. What a man does, be it pure or dreadful, that he does enjoy ; what have kinsfolk to do there ?” The jackal answered : “ By manly deeds and untiringness men reach the goal and happiness. Whither then will ye go, and leave behind in the forest here him that came into being² through your own flesh, the body which is the half of your body, him that carries on the line for the forefathers ?” The vulture spoke : “ I have now been living over a thousand years, and I have never yet seen one dead brought back to life. They die in the mother’s womb, they die at once after birth, they die when they walk about,³ and others in the bloom of youth. Whether it be a moving or an unmoving being, its span of life is already laid down at the beginning. Torn away from the much-loved wife, filled with grief for the child, burning with sorrow, people are ever going from here (from the place of the dead) home. This love is useless, this wearing oneself out is fruitless. This one there sees not with his eyes, hears not with his ears; he has become as a block of wood. The pain is doubled, if we dwell on the doings of the dead one, and call them up into memory.” The jackal ran up and said : “There is no ending ¹ for love, nor for wailing and weeping. If ye leave this dead one, sorrow is sure for you. As before now dead persons have come to life again, so too may a holy man, wise in magic, or a godhead take pity on you.” At these words they came back to the dead body, laid its head on their lap, and wept bitterly. But the vulture reminded them : “He is all wet with your tears, and is tormented by the touch of your hand,² and yet through the working of the god of Justice has been sunk into the long sleep. All of us must die. Shun all that is evil, and do all that is good. He that sees