Note 25 — Chapter LXXIII

Then Śrídarśana said, “I will,” and going quickly to the place he saw some one else taking away the corpse. So he ran and tried to drag it from the shoulder of that person, who would not let it go, and said to him,—“Let go this corpse: where are you taking my friend whom I have to burn?” Then that second person said to Śrídarśana, “I will not let the dead man go; I am his friend; what have you to do with him?” While they were dragging the corpse from one another’s shoulders, and making these mutual recriminations, the corpse itself, which was animated by a Vetála, uttered a terrible shriek. That terrified the second person so that his heart broke, and he fell down dead, and then Śrídarśana went off with that corpse in his arms. Then the second man, though dead, rose up, being possessed by a Vetála, and tried to stop Śrídarśana, and said to him, “Halt! do not go off with my friend on your shoulder.” Then Śrídarśana, knowing that his rival was possessed by a Vetála, said to him, “What proof is there that you are his friend? He is my friend.” The rival then said, “The corpse itself shall decide between us.” Then Śrídarśana, said, “Well! let him declare who is his friend.” Then the corpse, that was on his back, being possessed by a Vetála, said, “I am hungry, so I decide that whoever gives me food is my friend; let him take me where he likes.” When the second corpse, that was also possessed by a Vetála, heard this, he answered,—“I have no food; if he has any, let him give you some.” Śrídarśana, hearing this, said, “I will give him food,” and proceeded to strike with his sword at the second corpse, in order to procure food for the Vetála that was on his shoulder.25 But that second corpse, which was also possessed by a Vetála, the moment he began to strike it, disappeared by its supernatural power.