Why did the darveshis have mixed feelings of sadness and pleasure when their tiger died?

The darveshis' reaction was complex due to their circumstances. As Chapter 31 explains, they were sad because the tiger was their means of livelihood and their family's sustenance; its death represented a significant material loss. At the same time, they were pleased because they understood the spiritual significance of the event. They recognized that the diseased, near-death creature had attained liberation by dying at the feet of a great saint. They knew that to leave the body before a saint is a great merit, and they were pleased at heart that the tiger found this path to salvation.