Page 263 - Kailaspati: Paramhans Hansdevji Avadhoot

have taken the word of his guard for granted. Now he could remain quiet no longer. Death is knocking at the door, so something has to be done. he remembered another piece of advice, given by that sage. he became gentle even to his enemy. Now the question is—who is the enemy here? it is nothing but the snake. how can it be quietened? They only make it feed milk. The next morning, the King ordered his minister, “Excavate a moat, not so deep, alongside the wall of the palace and get it filled with milk. Excavate another moat around the palace and get it filled with flavoured cheese. You have only three days at your disposal. You have to get it done within this space of time or else you will be punished.”
On having done the assigned duty, the minister informed the King of the completion of the job. There was a possibility of fear from the fourth day. On the fourth day, the King on waking at dawn had a walk around his Palace and saw if everything was done. There were a few flaws and he got those flaws corrected under his direct supervision. and at the fall of evening, he got those moats—filled with milk and cheese.
On the fourth night, the King of snakes sent his ambassador to give a deadly sting to the King. The ambassador came. On seeing the moat full of milk, it began to drink it to its satiety. as the day dawned, it disappeared from the scene but it made no report to the King of snakes. The Nagraj on the other hand came to learn that the King was dispensing his royal duties safe and sound. On the fifth night, he sent a deadlier snake with the sole mission of killing the King. That snake too went out on its mission. Before it entered the Palace, it saw a moat flowing with flavoured milk and felt impressed. it forgot all about the duty it was to execute and began sipping the flavoured milk to its fill. as it came to an end, it could not move from there. it then remembered the order the King (Nagraj) made to have it duly executed. Feeling ashamed, it hid in a solitary place and did not report to the Nagraj.
On the morrow of the sixth day, the Nagraj was surprised to note the sheer dereliction of duty of his followers and got enraged. he then sent for his most favourite and most venomous Kalsap and told him what to do. at the time of departure, the Kalsap
Sixth Volume: Fhftd TiTanTd 233