Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c4.3024

c4.3024

Jīvahara was pleased to hear this suggestion and he went that after-noon to the palace of Nāgārjuna and Nāgārjuna as usual came out with his query Jīvahara asked for his head. Most willingly Jīvahara offered his head to be chopped off. But the effect of the medicine made even the strongest cut by the sword ineffective. Jīvahara lost many swords without Nāgārjuna getting even a small scratch on his neck. The hubbub brought the King to the scene and he immediately asked Nāgārjuna to withdraw his head but Nāgārjuna refused saying, “Oh, King, in my ninetynine previous births I have offered my head like this and please do not ask me to desist from making this offer for the hundredth time”.