Page 195 - Kailaspati: Paramhans Hansdevji Avadhoot

part. if somebody happens to see me when i will get down into the pond, then what would happen? Besides, how would i be able to take the corpse out of the water? and if someone happens to see me taking the ring out of her nose, then he may take me to be a murderer. so he decided not to go for that.
after much thought, the percussionist proposed, “Why then do you like to die by drowning in a tank? Why don’t you hang yourself to death? i am now tying the rope of my percussion round the branch of a tree. stand on the percussion, get your head noosed and i will take the percussion from under your feet and within seconds the matter would come to an end. You will die a peaceful death and you will not be able to know when you are dying. and you know, dying in a well may take days in a row.”
The woman agreed to die by hanging. But she knew little about how to get the noose round her neck. she said, “Please show me by getting your neck noosed.”
The man could not imagine that his desires would be fulfilled so easily. Glad at heart, he was quick enough to arrange for it. soon after as he, having stood on his percussion, had his neck noosed, and looked below to show her the method, the percussion below automatically rolled forward. and soon the noose held his neck tight. The woman was surprised to see how the man died a painful death. as he died, his body wore an abnormal look, his tongue went out and his face looked cadaverous. at the sight of such a painful death, the lady took up all her ornaments and left for home.
Thus, temptation cost the percussionist his life. he could have avoided death, had he got over the temptation of that nose ring.
having told this tale, Baba recited a shloka:
अतत लधोभ िा किवधो, लधोभ छे प्राणघातक, वर्णककन्ा िा संगे, मृदंगी तधो मिी गयधो।
ati lobha nā karavo, lobha che prāṇaghātaka, vaṇikakanyā nā saṃge, mṛdaṃgī to marī gayo.
On some other day Baba told us another story. One Badshah (i.e.
Fhftd Volum: Second Taranga 165