Even this is the place intended for the dead.  It is always to be seen that kinsmen casting off thousands of kinsmen young and old, pass their nights and days in grief, rolling on the bare ground.  Cease this ardour in putting on the trappings of woe.  That this child would come back to life is what passes belief.  He will not get back his life at the bidding of the jackal.  If a person once dies and takes leave of his body, his body never regains animation.  Hundreds of jackals, by laying down their own lives,[452] will not succeed in reviving this child in hundreds of years.  If, however, Rudra, or Kumara, or Brahman, or Vishnu, grant him a boon, then only may this child come back to life.  Neither the shedding of tears, nor the drawing of long sighs, nor copious lamentations, will bring back this one to life.  Myself, the jackal, you all, and all the kinsmen of this one, with all our merits and sins, are on the same road (that this one has taken).  For this reason one possessed of wisdom should, from a distance, avoid behaviour that displeases others, harsh speeches, the infliction of injury on others, the enjoyment of other people’s wives, and sin and falsehood.  Carefully seek righteousness, truth, the good of others, justice, compassion for all creatures, sincerity, and honesty.  They, incur sin who, while living, do not cast their eyes upon their mothers and fathers and kinsmen and friends.  What will you do, by crying, for him after death, that sees not with his eyes and that stirs not in the least?’ Thus addressed, the men, overwhelmed with sorrow and burning with grief on account of their affection for the child, departed for their homes, leaving the body (on the crematorium).

“The jackal said, ’Alas, terrible is the world of mortals!  Here no creature can escape.  Every creature’s period of life, again, is short.  Beloved friends are always departing.  It abounds with vanities and falsehoods, with accusations and evil reports.  Beholding again this incident that enhances pain and grief, I do not for a moment like this world of men.  Alas, fie on you, ye men, that thus turn back, like foolish persons, at the vulture’s bidding, though you are burning with grief on account of the death of this child.  Ye cruel wights, how can you go away, casting off parental affection upon hearing the words of a sinful vulture of uncleansed soul?  Happiness is followed by misery, and misery by happiness.  In this world which is enveloped by both happiness and misery, none of these two exists uninterruptedly.  Ye men of little understanding, whither would ye go, casting off on the bare ground this child of so much beauty, this son that is an ornament of your race.  Verily, I cannot dispel the idea from my mind that this child endued with comeliness and youth and blazing with beauty is alive.  It is not meet that he should die.[453] It seems that ye are sure to obtain happiness.  Ye that are afflicted with grief on account of the death of this child will surely have good luck today.  Anticipating the probability of inconvenience and pain (if you remain here for the night) and fixing your hearts on your own comfort, whither would you, like persons of little intelligence, go, leaving this darling?’