“Bhishma continued, ’Even thus, O king, the kinsmen of the deceased child, unable to decide upon what they should do, were, for accomplishment of his own purpose, induced by that sinful jackal who uttered agreeable falsehoods, that denizens of the crematorium who wandered every night in quest of food, to stay in that place.’

“The vulture said, ’Dreadful is this spot, this wilderness, that resounds with the screech of owls and teems with spirits and Yakshas and Rakshasas.  Terrible and awful, its aspect is like that of a mass of blue clouds.  Casting off the dead body, finish the funeral rites.  Indeed, throwing away the body, accomplish those rites before the sun sets and before the points of the horizon become enveloped in gloom.  The hawks are uttering their harsh cries.  Jackals are howling fiercely.  Lions are roaring.  The sun is setting.  The trees on the crematorium are assuming a dark hue in consequence of the blue smoke of the funeral pyres.  The carnivorous denizens of this place, afflicted with hunger, are yelling in rage.  All those creatures of horrible forms that live in this frightful place, all those carnivorous animals of grim features that haunt this desert, will soon assail you.  This wilderness is certainly frightful.  Danger will overtake you.  Indeed, if you listen to these false and fruitless words of the jackal against your own good sense, verily, all of you are sure to be destroyed.’

“The jackal said, ’Stay where you are!  There is no fear even in this desert as long as the sun shines.  Till the god of day sets, do ye remain here hopefully, induced by parental affection.  Without any fear, indulging in lamentations as ye please, continue to look at this child with eyes of affection.  Frightful though this wilderness be, no danger will overtake you.  In reality this wilderness presents an aspect of quiet and peace.  It is here that the Pitris by thousands took leave of the world.  Wait as long as the sun shines.  What are this vulture’s words to you?  If with stupefied understandings ye accept the cruel and harsh speeches of the vulture, then your child will never come back to life!’

“Bhishma continued, ’The vulture then addressed those men, saying that the sun had set.  The jackal said that it was not so.  Both the vulture and the jackal felt the pangs of hunger and thus addressed the kinsmen of the dead child.  Both of them had girded up their loins for accomplishing their respective purposes.  Exhausted with hunger and thirst, they thus disputed, having recourse to the scriptures.  Moved (alternately) by these words, sweet as nectar, of those two creatures, viz., the bird and the beast, both of whom were endued with the wisdom of knowledge, the kinsmen at one time wished to go away and at another to stay there.  At last, moved by grief and cheerlessness, they waited there, indulging in bitter lamentations.  They did not know that the boast and the bird, skilled in accomplishing their