And he stood
before his preceptor and saluted him respectfully. And his preceptor
observing that he was still fat, said again unto him, 'Upamanyu, my child,
I take from thee all thou obtainest in alms and thou dost not go a-begging
a second time, and yet art thou in healthy condition. How dost thou
support thyself?' And Upamanyu, thus questioned, answered, 'Sir, I now
live upon the milk of these cows.' And his preceptor thereupon told him,
'It is not lawful for thee to appropriate the milk without having first
obtained my consent.' And Upamanyu having assented to the justice of these
observations, went away to tend the kine. And when he returned to his
preceptor's abode, he stood before him and saluted him as usual. And his
preceptor seeing that he was still fat, said, 'Upamanyu, my child, thou
eatest no longer of alms, nor dost thou go a-begging a second time, not
even drinkest of the milk; yet art thou fat. By what means dost thou
contrive to live now? And Upamanyu replied, 'Sir, I now sip the froth that
these calves throw out, while sucking their mother's teats.' And the
preceptor said, 'These generous calves, I suppose, out of compassion for
thee, throw out large quantities of froth. Wouldst thou stand in the way
of their full meals by acting as thou hast done? Know that it is unlawful
for thee to drink the froth.' And Upamanyu, having signified his assent to
this, went as before to tend the cows. And restrained by his preceptor, he
feedeth not on alms, nor hath he anything else to eat; he drinketh not of
the milk, nor tasteth he of the froth!
"And Upamanyu, one day, oppressed by hunger, when in a forest, ate of the
leaves of the Arka (Asclepias gigantea).
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