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INTERVENING STORIES 193 57. The previous births of Madhu and Kai峁璦bha or the story of
Sikhibhuti and Vayubh奴ti:
Having completed the preceding story, Gautama refers to S墨t膩's
rebirth as Prati-Indra in the Acyuta Vim膩na. Then 艢re峁噄ka enquired
if any one else had enjoyed that high position. Gautama narrates
the story of Madhu and Kai峁璦bha who had attained the same position
and were reborn as Samba and Pradyumna, the sons of K峁涐梗峁嘺
(105.17-114). The story illustrates the fruits of observing severe
penances.
Two brothers Sikhibh奴ti and Vayub奴ti who were the sons of
brahmin Somadeva and Agnila of Saligrama in the Magadha country,
professed Vedic religion and boasted of their learning. They approached
Muni Nandivardhana and challenged him to a debate. The monk
asked them if they knew anything about their own past births. At this
they were taken aback. Then the monk told them that they were
jackals in their previous births and used to take flesh. He narrated
their previous birth story as follows :-
Once (p膩maraka) a farmer of Vanasthaligr膩ma left his implements
behind in the farm. Two jackals devoured them and died there. They
were reborn as the sons of Somadeva i.e. 艢ikhibh奴ti and V膩yubh奴ti
The farmer was reborn as the son of his own daughter-in-law. On
account of perceiving his previous birth, the boy was observing silence
because of his embarrassment in calling his son as his father. That
boy was called for on the spot and the two Brahmins got convinced of
the truth. Thereafter the people started ridiculing and denouncing
the Brahmin-brothers and extolled the 艢rama峁嘺 monk. At this humi-
liation they planned a plot and proceeded to the cemetery ground to
kill the monk. But some Yak峁�a caught hold of them. At the request
of Somadeva they were released. Then they gave up the Vedic faith
and accepted the Jaina layman's vows and after their death they were
reborn as celestial beings. Thereafter they were born as Nandana and
Nat膩nanda, being the sons of Dh膩ri峁嚹� and merchant, Samudradatta at
S膩keta and then on account of following the 's膩g膩radharma' they
became celestial beings and from there they were reborn as Madhu and
Kai tabha, being the sons of Heman膩bha and Amar膩vat墨 of Vin墨t膩puri.
In due course they succeeded the throne. V墨rasena of Va岣峚nagara
requisitioned the help of Madhu to ward off the atrocities of a hilly
chief, Bh墨ma. When Madhu went there to subdue Bhima, he was
enamoured of the beauty of Candr膩bh膩, the wife of Virasena. He
returned to S膩keta and sent for V墨rasena. When V墨rasena went there
his wife was kidnapped and put into his harem hy Madhu. She was
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