210 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
Then the ministers and courtiers went to Kanha the seer, and said: “Let the king go safe. Sir, let the king go safe.”
“The king shall suffer no harm. But should he shoot the arrow downwards, then would the earth dry up as far as his realm extends.”
“Let the king, Sir, go safe, and the country too.”
“The king shall suffer no harm, nor his land. But should he shoot the arrow upwards, the god would not rain for seven years as far as his realm extends.”
“Let the king. Sir. go safe, and the country too.”
“The king shall suffer no harm, nor his land. But should he shoot the arrow upwards, the god would not rain for seven years as far as his realm extends.”
“Let the king. Sir, go safe, and the country too; and let the god rain.”
“The king shall suffer no harm, nor the land either, and the god shall rain. But let the king aim the arrow at his eldest son. The prince shall suffer no harm, not a hair of him shall be touched.”
‘Then, O Brahmans, the ministers told this to Okkaka, and said: “Let the king aim at his eldest son. He win suffer neither harm nor terror.” And the king did so, and no harm was done. But the king, terrified at the lesson given him, gave the man his daughter Madda-rupi as wife. You should not, O Brahmans, be too severe to disparage Ambattha in the matter of his slave-girl ancestry. That Kanha was a mighty seer,’
- Then the Blessed One said to Ambattha; ‘What think you, Ambattha ? Suppose a young Kshatriya should have connection with a Brahman maiden, and from their intercourse a son should be born. Now would the son thus come to the Brahman maiden through the Kshatriya youth receive a seat and water (as token of respect) from the Brahmans?
‘Yes, he would. Gotama.’
‘But would the Brahmans allow him to partake of the feast offered to the dead, or of the food boiled in milk, or of the offerings to the gods, or of food sent as a present?’
‘Yes, they would Gotama.’
‘But would the Brahmans teach him their verses or not?’
‘They would, Gotama.’
‘But would he be shut off, or not, from their women?’
‘He would not be shut off.’
‘But would the Kshatriyas allow him to receive the consecration ceremony of a Kshatriya?’
‘Certainly not. Gotama.’