The Dancer Patala and the Wisdom of Kings
…s swept away,
Famous in dance and, skilled in roundelay,
Patala, all hail! as thou art borne along,
Sing me, I pray, some little snatch of song.
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Then the dancer Patala said, "My dear, how shall I give…
The text narrates the story of Patala, a talented dancer, who laments that the very waters that save people also bring about his demise. The Bodhisatta uses this to highlight the double-edged nature o