Chapter 211 - The story of an out-caste versed in magic and of a brāhmaṇa student

bhūtapūrvaṃ bhikṣavo vārāṇasyāṃ nagaryāṃ brahmadatto nāma rājyaṃ kārayati ṛddhaṃ ca yāvadākīrṇabahujanamanuṣyaṃ ca; (i 87) tatra caṇḍālo vidyāmantradharo vidyāmantrakuśalaḥ gāndhārīvidyāṃ parivartya ṛddhyā gandhamādanātparvatātakālartukāni puṣpaphalānyādāya rājñe brahmadattāyopanayati; rājā brahmadattastasyābhiprasannaḥ abhisāramanuprayacchati; yāvadanyatamo māṇavo mantrārthī mantragavaṣī śravaparampayā janapadātvārāṇasīmanuprāptaḥ; tato mārgaśramaṃ prativinodya tasya caṇḍālasya vidyāmantradhāriṇaḥ sakāśamupasaṃkrāntaḥ; upasaṃkramya kathayati: icchāmyahamupādhyāyasya śuśrūṣāṃ kartuṃ; kasyārthe? vidyāyāḥ; sa gāthāṃ bhāṣate: (a 456 )
na vidyā kasyaciddeyā martavyaṃ saha vidyayā |
prayacchedvidyayā vidyāṃ śuśrūṣābhirdhanena vā || <iti>
sa kathayati: upādhyāya yadyevamahaṃ śuśrūṣāṃ karomi; kiyantaṃ kālaṃ kartavyā? sa kathayati: dvādaśabhirvarṣaiḥ śuśrūṣayā dīyeta vā na vā; so'tyarthaṃ vidyāpratipannaḥ anujñātavān; tata ārādhanaparamaḥ satkṛtya guruśuśrūṣāṃ kartumārabdhaḥ; yāvadapareṇa samayenāsau caṇḍālo madyamadākṣipto gṛhamāgataḥ; sa māṇavaḥ saṃlakṣayati; ayamupādhyāyaḥ atīva madyamadākṣiptaḥ; pārśve asya śayyā kalpayitavyā iti; yāvadasau caṇḍālaḥ saṃparivartitumārabdhaḥ; tasya saṃparivartamānasya khaṭvāyā aṅgaṇikā bhagnā; māṇavaḥ śrutvā pratibuddhaḥ; sa saṃlakṣayati: upādhyāyaḥ duḥkhaṃ śayiṣyate; yannvahamaṅgaṇikāyāṃ pṛṣṭhaṃ datvā avasthitaḥ; dharmatā hyeṣā śauṇḍānāṃ yo balavāṃstasya vāntirbhavati; tasya prathame yāme madyaṃ vigacchati; tena tīkṣṇamadyavegātmāṇavasya pṛṣṭhe vāntaṃ; sa saṃlakṣayati: yadyahaṃ kāyaṃ cālayeyaṃ vācaṃ vā niścārayeyaṃ sthānametadvidyate yadupādhyāyaḥ śabdaṃ śrutvā pratibuddho na punaḥ śayyāṃ kalpayet; sa pratisaṅkhyānena avasthitaḥ; yāvadcaṇḍālaḥ svayameva pratibuddhaḥ paśyati taṃ tathā viprakṛtaṃ; tataḥ pṛcchati, ko'yaṃ; sa kathayati: upādhyāya ahaṃ somaśarmā; vatsa (i 88) kimasyevaṃsthitaḥ? tena yathāvṛttaṃ samākhyātaṃ; so'bhiprasannaḥ kathayati: vatsa parituṣṭo'haṃ; gatvā snātvā āgaccha; vidyāṃ tubhyamanuprayacchāmi iti; somaśarmā āgataḥ; tena tasmai vidyā dattā; capalā brāhmaṇā bhavanti; sa vegamasahamānaḥ cintayati; ihaiva tāvadenāṃ vidyāṃ jijñāsayāmi, tato'nyatra gamiṣyāmi iti; tena sā vidyā parivartitā; bhavanatalamutpatya, āśveva gandhamādanaṃ parvataṃ gatvā, akālartukāni puṣpānyādāya āgataḥ; tena tāni rājñaḥ purohitāya dattāni; tenāpi rājñe brahmadattāya; rājā kathayati: kutastavaitāni; sa kathayati: viprakṛṣṭāddeśānmāṇavo'bhyāgataḥ; tenaitāni mama dattāni; sa cātyarthaṃ vidyāmantradhārī akāmakaraṇīyaśca brāhmaṇaḥ; kimanena caṇḍālena sarvalokapratyākhyātena? tasya vṛttimācchidya asmai māṇavāya dīyatāmiti; rājā kathayati: evaṃ kāraya iti; tataḥ purohitena caṇḍālādvṛttimācchidya tasmai brāhmaṇāya dattā; sa tayā akṛtajñatayā tasya vidyāyāḥ parihīṇaḥ.
kiṃ manyadhve bhikṣavaḥ yo'sau caṇḍālaḥ eṣa evāsau daśabalakāśyapaḥ tena kālena tena samayena; so'sau māṇavaḥ eṣa eva asau devadattaḥ tena kālena tena samayena; tadāpyeṣa vidyāyāḥ parihīṇaḥ; adyāpyeṣa ṛddheḥ parihīṇaḥ; tasmāttarhi bhikṣavaḥ evaṃ śikṣitavyaṃ yatkṛtajñā bhaviṣyāmaḥ; svalpamapi kṛtaṃ na nāśayiṣyāmaḥ prāgeva prabhūtataram; ityevaṃ vo bhikṣavaḥ śikṣitavyaṃ.