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diff --git a/41128-8.txt b/41128-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index d8f08c3..0000000 --- a/41128-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9020 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's The Kadambari of Bana, by Bana and Bhushanabhatta - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Kadambari of Bana - -Author: Bana - Bhushanabhatta - -Translator: C.M. Ridding - -Release Date: October 21, 2012 [EBook #41128] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE KADAMBARI OF BANA *** - - - - -Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net/ for Project -Gutenberg (This book was produced from scanned images of -public domain material from the Google Print project.) - - - - - - - - - Oriental Translation Fund. - New Series. - - II. - - The - KADAMBARI OF BANA. - - Translated, with Occasional Omissions, - - And Accompanied by a - Full Abstract of the Continuation of the Romance - by the Author's Son Bhushanabhatta, - - By - - C. M. RIDDING, - - Formerly Scholar of Girton College, Cambridge. - - - - Printed and published under the patronage of - The Royal Asiatic Society, - And sold at - 22, Albemarle Street, London. - - 1896. - - - - - - - - To - - MRS. COWELL, - WHO FIRST TOLD ME - THE STORY OF KADAMBARI, - THIS TRANSLATION - IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED. - - - 'Anenakaranavishkritavatsalyena caritena - kasya na bandhutvam adhyaropayasi.' - - - - - - - -INTRODUCTION. [1] - - -The story of Kadambari is interesting for several reasons. It is a -standard example of classical prose; it has enjoyed a long popularity -as a romance; and it is one of the comparatively few Sanskrit works -which can be assigned to a certain date, and so it can serve as a -landmark in the history of Indian literature and Indian thought. - - - -THE AUTHOR. - -Banabhatta, its author, lived in the reign of Harshavardhana of -Thanear, the great king mentioned in many inscriptions, [2] who -extended his rule over the whole of Northern India, and from whose -reign (A.D. 606) dates the Harsha era, used in Nepal. Bana, as he -tells us, both in the 'Harsha-Carita' and in the introductory verses -of 'Kadambari,' was a Vatsyayana Brahman. His mother died while he -was yet young, and his father's tender care of him, recorded in the -'Harsha-Carita,' [3] was doubtless in his memory as he recorded the -unselfish love of Vaiampayana's father in 'Kadambari' (p. 22). In -his youth he travelled much, and for a time 'came into reproach,' -by reason of his unsettled life; but the experience gained in foreign -lands turned his thoughts homewards, and he returned to his kin, and -lived a life of quiet study in their midst. From this he was summoned -to the court of King Harsha, who at first received him coldly, but -afterwards attached him to his service; and Bana in the 'Harsha-Carita' -relates his own life as a prelude to that of his master. - -The other works attributed to him are the 'Candikaataka,' [4] or -verses in honour of Candika; a drama, 'The Parvatiparinaya'; and -another, called 'Mukutataditaka,' the existence of which is inferred -from Gunavinayagani's commentary on the 'Nalacampu.' Professor -Peterson also mentions that a verse of Bana's ('Subhashitavali,' -1087) is quoted by Kshemendra in his 'Aucityavicaracarca,' with a -statement that it is part of a description of Kadambari's sorrow in -the absence of Candrapida, whence, he adds, 'it would seem that Bana -wrote the story of Kadambari in verse as well as in prose,' and he -gives some verses which may have come from such a work. - -Bana himself died, leaving 'Kadambari' unfinished, and his son -Bhushanabhatta took it up in the midst of a speech in which Kadambari's -sorrows are told, and continued the speech without a break, save for -a few introductory verses in honour of his father, and in apology for -his having undertaken the task, 'as its unfinished state was a grief to -the good.' He continued the story on the same plan, and with careful, -and, indeed, exaggerated, imitation of his father's style. - - - -THE PLOT OF KADAMBARI. - -The story of 'Kadambari' is a very complex one, dealing as it does -with the lives of two heroes, each of whom is reborn twice on earth. - -(1-47) A learned parrot, named Vaiampayana, was brought by a Candala -maiden to King udraka, and told him how it was carried from its -birthplace in the Vindhya Forest to the hermitage of the sage Jabali, -from whom it learnt the story of its former life. - -(47-95) Jabali's story was as follows: Tarapida, King of Ujjayini, won -by penance a son, Candrapida, who was brought up with Vaiampayana, -son of his minister, ukanasa. In due time Candrapida was anointed -as Crown Prince, and started on an expedition of world-conquest. At -the end of it he reached Kailasa, and, while resting there, was -led one day in a vain chase of a pair of kinnaras to the shores of -the Acchoda Lake. (95-141) There he beheld a young ascetic maiden, -Mahaveta, who told him how she, being a Gandharva princess, had seen -and loved a young Brahman Pundarika; how he, returning her feeling, -had died from the torments of a love at variance with his vow; how -a divine being had carried his body to the sky, and bidden her not -to die, for she should be reunited with him; and how she awaited -that time in a life of penance. (141-188) But her friend Kadambari, -another Gandharva princess, had vowed not to marry while Mahaveta -was in sorrow, and Mahaveta invited the prince to come to help her -in dissuading Kadambari from the rash vow. Love sprang up between -the prince and Kadambari at first sight; but a sudden summons from -his father took him to Ujjayini without farewell, while Kadambari, -thinking herself deserted, almost died of grief. - -(188-195) Meanwhile news came that his friend Vaiampayana, whom he had -left in command of the army, had been strangely affected by the sight -of the Acchoda Lake, and refused to leave it. The prince set out to -find him, but in vain; and proceeding to the hermitage of Mahaveta, -he found her in despair, because, in invoking on a young Brahman, -who had rashly approached her, a curse to the effect that he should -become a parrot, she learnt that she had slain Vaiampayana. At her -words the prince fell dead from grief, and at that moment Kadambari -came to the hermitage. - -(195-202) Her resolve to follow him in death was broken by the promise -of a voice from the sky that she and Mahaveta should both be reunited -with their lovers, and she stayed to tend the prince's body, from -which a divine radiance proceeded; while King Tarapida gave up his -kingdom, and lived as a hermit near his son. - -(202 to end) Such was Jabali's tale; and the parrot went on to say how, -hearing it, the memory of its former love for Mahaveta was reawakened, -and, though bidden to stay in the hermitage, it flew away, only to be -caught and taken to the Candala princess. It was now brought by her to -King udraka, but knew no more. The Candala maiden thereupon declared -to udraka that she was the goddess Lakshmi, mother of Pundarika or -Vaiampayana, and announced that the curse for him and udraka was -now over. Then udraka suddenly remembered his love for Kadambari, -and wasted away in longing for her, while a sudden touch of Kadambari -restored to life the Moon concealed in the body of Candrapida, the -form that he still kept, because in it he had won her love. Now the -Moon, as Candrapida and udraka, and Pundarika, in the human and -parrot shape of Vaiampayana, having both fulfilled the curse of an -unsuccessful love in two births on earth, were at last set free, -and, receiving respectively the hands of Kadambari and Mahaveta, -lived happily ever afterwards. - -The plot is involved, and consists of stories within each other after -the fashion long familiar to Europeans in the 'Arabian Nights'; but -the author's skill in construction is shown by the fact that each -of the minor stories is essential to the development of the plot, -and it is not till quite the end that we see that udraka himself, -the hearer of the story, is really the hero, and that his hearing -the story is necessary to reawaken his love for Kadambari, and -so at the same time fulfil the terms of the curse that he should -love in vain during two lives, and bring the second life to an end -by his longing for reunion. It may help to make the plot clear if -the threads of it are disentangled. The author in person tells all -that happens to udraka (pp. 3-16 and pp. 205 to end). The parrot's -tale (pp. 16-205) includes that of Jabali (pp. 47-202) concerning -Candrapida, and Vaiampayana the Brahman, with the story told by -Mahaveta (pp. 101-136) of her love for Pundarika. - - - -THE STORY AS TOLD IN THE KATHA-SARIT-SAGARA. - -The story as told in the Katha-Sarit-Sagara of Somadeva [5] differs -in some respects from this. There a Nishada princess brought to King -Sumanas a learned parrot, which told its life in the forest, ended by -a hunt in which its father was killed, and the story of its past life -narrated by the hermit Agastya. In this story a prince, Somaprabha, -after an early life resembling that of Candrapida, was led in his -pursuit of kinnaras to an ascetic maiden, Manorathaprabha, whose -story is that of Mahaveta, and she took him, at his own request, -to see the maiden Makarandika, who had vowed not to marry while -her friend was unwed. He was borne through the air by a Vidyadhara, -and beheld Makarandika. They loved each other, and a marriage was -arranged between them. The prince, however, was suddenly recalled -by his father, and Makarandika's wild grief brought on her from -her parents a curse that she should be born as a Nishada. Too late -they repented, and died of grief; and her father became a parrot, -keeping from a former birth as a sage his memory of the astras, -while her mother became a sow. Pulastya added that the curse would -be over when the story was told in a king's court. - -The parrot's tale reminded King Sumanas of his former birth, and on -the arrival of the ascetic maiden, sent by iva, 'who is merciful -to all his worshippers,' he again became the young hermit she had -loved. Somaprabha, too, at iva's bidding, went to the king's court, -and at the sight of him the Nishada regained the shape of Makarandika, -and became his wife; while the parrot 'left the body of a bird, and -went to the home earned by his asceticism.' 'Thus,' the story ends, -'the appointed union of human beings certainly takes place in this -world, though vast spaces intervene.' - -The main difference between the stories is in the persons affected -by the curse; and here the artistic superiority of Bana is shown -in his not attaching the degrading forms of birth to Kadambari or -her parents. The horse is given as a present to the hero by Indra, -who sends him a message, saying: 'You are a Vidyadhara, and I give -you the horse in memory of our former friendship. When you mount it -you will be invincible.' The hero's marriage is arranged before his -sudden departure, so that the grief of the heroine is due only to their -separation, and not to the doubts on which Bana dwells so long. It -appears possible that both this story and 'Kadambari' are taken from a -common original now lost, which may be the Brihatkatha of Gunadhya. [6] -In that case the greater refinement of Bana's tale would be the result -of genius giving grace to a story already familiar in a humbler guise. - - - -REFERENCES TO KADAMBARI IN THE SAHITYA-DARPANA AND ELSEWHERE. - -The author of the Sahitya-Darpana [7] speaks of the Katha as follows: -'In the Katha (tale), which is one of the species of poetical -composition in prose, a poetical matter is represented in verse, -and sometimes the Arya, and sometimes the Vaktra and Apavaktraka are -the metres employed in it. It begins with stanzas in salutation to -some divinity, as also descriptive of the behaviour of bad men and -others.' To this the commentary adds: 'The "Kadambari" of Banabhatta is -an example.' Professor Peterson corrects the translation of the words -'Kathayam sarasam vastu padyair eva vinirmitam,' giving as their sense, -'A narration in prose, with here and there a stray verse or two, -of matter already existing in a metrical form.' [8] According to his -rendering, the Katha is in its essence a story claiming to be based -on previous works in verse, whether in this case the original were -Bana's own metrical version of 'Kadambari,' [9] or the work which -was also the original of the Katha-Sarit-Sagara story. - -The story of Pundarika and Mahaveta receives mention, firstly, for -the introduction of death, contrary to the canon; secondly, for the -determination of the nature of their sorrow, and its poetic quality, -and consequent appeal to the feelings of the reader. Firstly: ( 215) -'Death, which is a condition to which one may be brought by love, -is not described in poetry and the drama, where the other conditions, -such as anxiety, etc., are constantly described, because it, instead -of enhancing, causes the destruction of "Flavour." [10] But it may be -spoken of (1) as having nearly taken place, or (2) as being mentally -wished for; and it is with propriety described (3) if there is to be, -at no distant date, a restoration to life.' The commentary takes -the story of Pundarika as an example of the third condition, and -describes it as a 'case of pathetic separation.' Secondly: ( 224) -'Either of two young lovers being dead, and being yet to be regained -through some supernatural interposition, when the one left behind is -sorrowful, then let it be called the separation of tender sadness' -(karunavipralamhha). The commentary gives Mahaveta as the instance, -and continues: 'But if the lost one be not regainable, or regainable -only after transmigration in another body, the flavour is called the -"Pathetic" simply, there being in this case no room for any admixture -of the "Erotic"; but in the case just mentioned--of Pundarika and -Mahaveta--immediately on Sarasvati's declaration from the sky that -the lovers should be reunited, there is the "Erotic in its form of -tender sadness," for desire arises on the expectation of reunion, -but PREVIOUSLY to Sarasvati's promise there was the "Pathetic"; -such is the opinion of the competent authorities. And as for what -some say in regard to the case of Pundarika and Mahaveta, that -"moreover AFTER the expectation of reunion, excited by Sarasvati's -promise to that effect, there is merely your honour's variety of -"love in absence," ( 222) the one which you call "being abroad" -( 221)--others hold it to be distinct, because of the presence of -that distinction, DEATH, which is something else than merely being -abroad.' These are the passages in which direct mention is made of -'Kadambari,' and in 735, which defines special mention (parisamkhya) -as taking place 'when something is affirmed for the denial, expressed -or understood, of something else similar to it,' the commentary adds: -'When founded upon a Paronomasia, it is peculiarly striking, e.g., -"When that king, the conqueror of the world, was protecting the earth, -the mixture of colours (or castes) was in painting, etc.,"--a passage -from the description of udraka in "Kadambari" (P. 5).' - -References to Bana in other works are given by Professor Peterson, so -that three only need be mentioned here. The first I owe to the kindness -of Professor C. Bendall. In a collection of manuscripts at the British -Museum (Or., 445-447) 'consisting chiefly of law-books transcribed -(perhaps for some European) on European paper in the Telugu-Canarese -character,' one, Or., 446 c., the Kamandakiya-Niti-astra, contains -on folios 128-131 a passage from 'Kadambari' (pp. 76-84, infra) [11] -on the consecration of a crown-prince, and the duties and dangers of a -king. It forms part of an introduction to the Kamandakiya-Niti-astra -and occurs without any hint of its being a quotation from another -work. The author of the Nalacampu not only writes a verse in honour -of Bana, [12] but models his whole style upon him. A curious instance -of the long popularity of 'Kadambari' is that in the 'Durgeanandini' -by Chattaji, an historical novel, published in 1871, and treating -of the time of Akbar, the heroine is represented as reading in her -boudoir the romance of 'Kadambari.' [13] - - - -THE INTEREST OF 'KADAMBARI.' - -It may be asked What is the value of 'Kadambari' for European -readers? and to different persons the answer will doubtless -be different. Historical interest, so far as that depends on the -narration of historical facts, appears to be entirely lacking, though -it may be that at some future time our knowledge from other sources -may be so increased that we may recognise portraits and allusions in -what seems now purely a work of romance. But in the wider sense in -which history claims to deal with the social ideas that belong to -any epoch, 'Kadambari' will always have value as representing the -ways of thinking and feeling which were either customary or welcome -at its own time, and which have continued to charm Indian readers. It -is indeed true that it probably in many ways does not give a picture -of contemporary manners, just as a medival illuminated manuscript -often represents the dress and surroundings prior to the time of -the illuminator, so as to gain the grace of remoteness bestowed by -reverence for the past. In India, where change works but slowly, -the description of the court and city life, where all the subjects -show by outward tokens their sympathy with the joys and sorrows of -their ruler, as in a Greek chorus, is vivid in its fidelity. [14] -The quiet yet busy life of the hermits in the forest, where the day -is spent in worship and in peaceful toils, where at eve the sunbeams -'linger like birds on the crest of hill and tree,' and where night -'darkens all save the hearts of the hermits,' is full of charm. [15] - -The coronation of the crown prince, the penances performed by the -queen to win a son, the reverence paid to Mahakala, also belong to -our picture of the time. The description of Ujjayini, surrounded by -the Sipra, is too general in its terms to give a vivid notion of what -it then was. The site of the temple of Mahakala is still shown outside -the ruins of the old town. A point of special interest is the argument -against the custom of suicide on the death of a friend. Candrapida -consoles Mahaveta that she has not followed her lover in death -by saying that one who kills himself at his friend's death makes -that friend a sharer in the guilt, and can do no more for him in -another world, whereas by living he can give help by sacrifices and -offerings. Those, too, who die may not be reunited for thousands of -births. In the 'Katha-Koa' [16] a prince is dissuaded from following -his wife to death because 'Even the idea of union with your beloved -will be impossible when you are dead'; but the occurrence of the -idea in a romance is more noteworthy than in a work which illustrates -Jain doctrines. The question of food as affected by caste is touched -on also (p. 205), when the Candala maiden tells the parrot that a -Brahman may, in case of need, receive food of any kind, and that -water poured on the ground, and fruit, are pure even when brought by -the lowest. Another point to be remarked is the mention of followers -of many sects as being present at court. iva, especially under the -name of Mahakala at Ujjayini, receives special worship, and Agni and -the Matrikas (p. 14) also receive reverence. The zenanas include aged -ascetic women (p. 217); followers of the Arhat, Krishna, Viravasa, -Avalokitevara, and Virica (p. 162); and the courtyard of ukanasa -has aivas and followers of akyamuni (p. 217), also Kshapanakas -(explained by the Commentary as Digambaras). The king, [17] however, -is described as having an urna (the hair meeting between the brows), -which is one of Buddha's marks; but the Commentary describes the urna -as cakravartiprabhritinam eva nanyasya, so probably it only belongs to -Buddha as cakravarti, or universal ruler. This shows that the reign of -Harsha was one of religious tolerance. Hiouen Thsang, indeed, claims -him as a Buddhist at heart, and mentions his building Buddhist stupas, -[18] but he describes himself as a aiva in the Madhuban grant, [19] -and the preeminence yielded in 'Kadambari' to iva certainly shows -that his was then the popular worship. - -Another source of interest in 'Kadambari' lies in its contribution to -folklore. It may perhaps contain nothing not found elsewhere, but the -fact of its having a date gives it a value. The love of snakes for -the breeze and for sandal-trees, the truth of dreams at the end of -night, the magic circles, bathing in snake-ponds to gain a son, the -mustard-seed and ghi put in a baby's mouth, may all be familiar ideas, -but we have a date at which they were known and not despised. Does -the appeal to the truth of her heart by Mahaveta in invoking the -curse (p. 193) rest on the idea that fidelity to a husband confers -supernatural power, [20] or is it like the 'act of truth' by which -Buddha often performs miracles in the 'Jataka'? - - - -THE STYLE OF 'KADAMBARI.' - -The unsettled chronology of Indian literature makes it impossible -to work out at present Bana's relations with other Sanskrit -writers. Professor Peterson, [21] indeed, makes some interesting -conjectures as to his connection with other authors of his own country, -and also suggests, from similarity of phrase, that he may have fallen -indirectly under the influence of Alexandrian literature. Be that -as it may, he has been for many centuries a model of style, and it -is therefore worth while to consider briefly the characteristics -of his style compared with European standards. The first thing -that strikes the reader is that the sense of proportion, the very -foundation of style as we know it, is entirely absent. No topic is -let go till the author can squeeze no more from it. In descriptions -every possible minor detail is given in all its fulness; then follows -a series of similes, and then a firework of puns. In speeches, be they -lamentations or exhortations, grief is not assuaged, nor advice ended, -till the same thing has been uttered with every existing variety of -synonym. This defect, though it springs from the author's richness of -resource and readiness of wit, makes the task of rendering in English -the merit of the Sanskrit style an impossible one. It gives also a -false impression; for to us a long description, if good, gives the -effect of 'sweetness long drawn out,' and, if bad, brings drowsiness; -whereas in Sanskrit the unending compounds suggest the impetuous rush -of a torrent, and the similes and puns are like the play of light -and shade on its waters. Bana, according to Professor Weber, [22] -'passes for the special representative of the Pacali style,' [23] -which Bhoja, quoted in the commentary of the 'Sahitya-Darpana,' defines -as 'a sweet and soft style characterized by force (ojas) and elegance -(kanti), containing compounds of five or six words.' But style, -which is to poetic charm as the body to the soul, varies with the -sense to be expressed, and Bana in many of his speeches is perfectly -simple and direct. Owing to the peacefulness of 'Kadambari,' there is -little opportunity for observing the rule that in the 'Katha' letters -'ought not to be too rough, even when the flavour is furious.' [24] -Of the alliteration of initial consonants, the only long passage -is in the description of ukanasa (p. 50), but in its subtler -forms it constantly occurs. Of shorter passages there are several -examples--e.g., Candra Candala (infra, p. 127); Candrapida Candalo -(Sanskrit text, p. 416); Utkantham sotkantham kanthe jagraha (Ibid., -p. 367); Kamam sakamam kuryam (Ibid., p. 350); Candrapida pidanaya -(Ibid., p. 370). The ornament of lesha, or paronomasia, which seems -to arise from the untrained philological instinct of mankind seeking -the fundamental identity of like sounds with apparently unlike meaning, -and which lends dramatic intensity when, as sometimes in Shakespeare, -[25] a flash of passionate feeling reveals to the speaker an original -sameness of meaning in words seemingly far apart, is by Bana used -purely as an adornment. He speaks of pleasant stories interwoven -with puns 'as jasmine garlands with campak buds,' and they abound -in his descriptions. The rasanopama, [26] or girdle of similes, -is exemplified (p. 115), 'As youth to beauty, love to youth, spring -to love' so was Kapijala to Pundarika. Vishamam (incongruity) is -the figure used in 'the brightness of his glory, free from heat, -consumed his foes; constant, ever roamed' (p. 48). It can scarcely -be separated from virodha (contradiction)--often used, as in 'I -will allay on the funeral pyre the fever which the moon, sandal, -and all cool things have increased' (p. 195)--or from vicitram [27] -(strangeness), where an act is contrary to its apparent purpose: -'There lives not the man whom the virtues of the most courteous lady -Kadambari do not discourteously enslave' (p. 159). Arthapatti [28] (a -fortiori conclusion) is exemplified in 'Even the senseless trees, robed -in bark, seem like fellow-ascetics of this holy man. How much more, -then, living beings endowed with sense!' (p. 43). Time and space would -alike fail for analysis of Bana's similes according to the rules of the -'Sahitya-Darpana.' [29] The author of the 'Raghavapandaviya' considers -Subandhu and Bana as his only equals in vakrokti, or crooked speech, -and the fault of a 'meaning to be guessed out' ('Sahitya-Darpana,' -574) is not rare. The 'Kavya-Prakaa,' in addition to the references -given by Professor Peterson, quotes a stanza describing a horse in the -'Harsha-Carita' (chap. iii.) as an example of svabhavokti. - -The hero belongs to the division described as the high-spirited, -but temperate and firm ('Sahitya-Darpana,' 64), i.e., he who -is 'not given to boasting, placable, very profound, with great -self-command, resolute, whose self-esteem is concealed, and faithful -to his engagements,' and who has the 'eight manly qualities' of -'brilliancy, vivacity, sweetness of temper, depth of character, -steadfastness, keen sense of honour, gallantry, and magnanimity' -(Ibid., 89). Kadambari is the type of the youthful heroine who -feels love for the first time, is shy, and gentle even in indignation -(Ibid., 98). The companions of each are also those declared in the -books of rhetoric to be appropriate. - - - -LITERARY PARALLELS. - -The work which most invites comparison with 'Kadambari' is one far -removed from it in place and time--Spenser's 'Faerie Queene.' Both -have in great measure the same faults and the same virtues. The -lack of proportion,--due partly to too large a plan, partly to an -imagination wandering at will--the absence of visualization--which -in Spenser produces sometimes a line like - - - 'A lovely Ladie rode him faire beside - Upon a lowly Asse more white then snow, - Yet she much whiter,' - - -and in Bana many a description like that of Mahaveta's fairness -(pp. 95-97)--the undiscriminating praise bestowed on those whom they -would fain honour, the shadowy nature of many of their personages, -and the intricacies in which the story loses itself, are faults common -to both. Both, too, by a strange coincidence, died with their work -unfinished. But if they have the same faults, they have also many -of the same virtues. The love of what is beautiful and pure both -in character and the world around, tenderness of heart, a gentle -spirit troubled by the disquiet of life, [30] grace and sweetness of -style, and idyllic simplicity, are common to both. Though, however, -Candrapida may have the chivalry and reverence of the Red Cross Knight, -and Una share with Kadambari or Rohini 'nobility, tenderness, loftiness -of soul, devotion and charm,' [31] the English hero and heroine are -more real and more strenuous. We are, indeed, told in one hurried -sentence of the heroic deeds of Candrapida in his world-conquest, -and his self-control and firmness are often insisted on; but as he -appears throughout the book, his self-control is constantly broken -down by affection or grief, and his firmness destroyed by a timid -balancing of conflicting duties, while his real virtue is his unfailing -gentleness and courtesy. Nor could Kadambari, like Una, bid him, in -any conflict, 'Add faith unto your force, and be not faint.' She is, -perhaps, in youth and entire self-surrender, more like Shakespeare's -Juliet, but she lacks her courage and resolve. - - - -THE PURPOSE OF 'KADAMBARI.' - -The likeness of spirit between these two leads to the question, Had -Bana, like Spenser, any purpose, ethical or political, underlying his -story? On the surface it is pure romance, and it is hard to believe -that he had any motive but the simple delight of self-expression -and love for the children of his own imagination. He only claims -to tell a story 'tender with the charm of gracious speech, that -comes of itself, like a bride, to the possession of its lord'; -[32] but it may be that he gladly gathered up in old age the fruits -of his life's experience, and that his own memory of his father's -tenderness to his childhood, of the temptations of youth, and of the -dangers of prosperity and flattery that assail the heart of kings, -was not used only to adorn a tale, but to be a guide to others on the -perilous path of life. Be that as it may, the interest of 'Kadambari,' -like that of the 'Faerie Queene,' does not depend for us now on any -underlying purpose, but on the picture it presents in itself of the -life and thought of a world removed in time, but not in sympathy, from -our own; on the fresh understanding it gives of those who are in the -widest sense our fellow-countrymen; and on the charm, to quote the -beautiful words of Professor Peterson, 'of a story of human sorrow -and divine consolation, of death and the passionate longing for a -union after death, that goes straight from the heart of one who had -himself felt the pang, and nursed the hope, to us who are of like -frame with him ... the story which from the beginning of time mortal -ears have yearned to hear, but which mortal lips have never spoken.' - - - -THE PLAN OF THE TRANSLATION. - -The translation of Bana presents much difficulty from the elaboration -of his style, and it has been a specially hard task, and sometimes -an impossible one, to give any rendering of the constant play on -words in which he delights. I have sometimes endeavoured to give -what might be an English equivalent, and in such cases I have -added in a note the literal meaning of both alternatives; perhaps -too much freedom may have been used, and sometimes also the best -alternative may not have been chosen to place in the text; but those -who have most experience will know how hard it is to do otherwise -than fail. Some long descriptions have been omitted, such, e.g., -as a passage of several pages describing how the dust rose under -the feet of Candrapida's army, and others where there seemed no -special interest or variety to redeem their tediousness. A list of -these omissions [33] is given at the end, together with an appendix, -in which a few passages, chiefly interesting as mentioning religious -sects, are added. I have acted on Professor Cowell's advice as to the -principle on which omissions are made, as also in giving only a full -abstract, and not a translation, of the continuation of 'Kadambari' -by Bhushana. It is so entirely an imitation of his father's work in -style, with all his faults, and without the originality that redeems -them, that it would not reward translation. In my abstract I have -kept the direct narration as more simple, but even when passages are -given rather fully, it does not profess in any case to be more than -a very free rendering; sometimes only the sense of a whole passage -is summed up. I regret that the system of transliteration approved -by the Royal Asiatic Society came too late for adoption here. - -The edition of 'Kadambari' to which the references in the text are -given is that of the Nirnaya-Sagara Press (Bombay, 1890), which -the full commentary makes indispensable, but I have also throughout -made use of Professor Peterson's edition (Bombay Sanskrit Series, -No. xxiv.). For the last half of the Second Part [34] I have referred -to an anonymous literal translation, published by the New Britannia -Press Depository, 78, Amherst Street, Calcutta. - -I have now to offer my grateful thanks to the Secretary of State -for India, without whose kind help the volume could not have been -published. I have also to thank Miss C. M. Duff for allowing me to use -the MS. of her 'Indian Chronology'; Miss E. Dale, of Girton College, -for botanical notes, which I regret that want of space prevented my -printing in full; Mr. C. Tawney, librarian of the Indian Office, for -information as to the sources of Indian fiction; Mr. F. F. Arbuthnot -and Professor Rhys-Davids, for valuable advice; Professor C. Bendall, -for his description of the Kamandakiya-Niti-astra, and his constant -kindness about my work; Mr. F. W. Thomas, of Trinity College, for -letting me see the proof-sheets of the translation of the 'Harsha -Carita'; and others for suggested renderings of difficult phrases, -and for help of various kinds. - -But especially my thanks are due to Professor Cowell [35] for a -generosity and unwearied helpfulness which all his pupils know, -and which perhaps few but they could imagine. I read through with -him the whole of the First Part before translating it myself, so that -mistakes in the translation, many as they may be, can arise only from -misunderstanding on my part, from too great freedom of rendering, -or from failing to have recourse to the knowledge he so freely gives. - - - 'Vrihatsahayah karyantam kshodiyanapi gacchati; - Sambhuyambodhim abhyeti mahanadya nagapaga.' - - - - - - - -KADAMBARI. - - -(1) Hail to the Birthless, the cause of creation, continuance, and -destruction, triple [36] in form and quality, who shows activity in -the birth of things, goodness in their continuance, and darkness in -their destruction. - -(2) Glory to the dust of Tryambaka's feet, caressed by the diadem -of the demon Bana [37]; even that dust that kisses the circle of -Ravana's ten crest-gems, that rests on the crests of the lords of -gods and demons, and that destroys our transitory life. - -(3) Glory to Vishnu, who, resolving to strike from afar, with but -a moment's glance from his wrath-inflamed eye stained the breast of -his enemy, as if it had burst of itself in terror. - -I salute the lotus feet of Bhatsu, [38] honoured by crowned Maukharis: -the feet which have their tawny toes rubbed on a footstool made by -the united crowns of neighbouring kings. - -Who is there that fears not the wicked, pitiless in causeless enmity; -in whose mouth calumny hard to bear is always ready as the poison of -a serpent? - -The wicked, like fetters, echo harshly, wound deeply, and leave a -scar; while the good, like jewelled anklets, ever charm the mind with -sweet sounds. - -(4) In a bad man gentle words sink no deeper than the throat, like -nectar swallowed by Rahu. The good man bears them constantly on his -heart, as Hari his pure gem. - -A story tender with the charm of gracious speech, creates in the heart -joy full of fresh interest [39]; and it comes of itself, with native -feeling, to its lord's possession, like a fresh bride. [40] - -Who is not carried captive by tales fashioned in freshness of -speech, all alight with similes, and the lamps of glowing words -[41]: pleasant tales interwoven with many a contrast of words, [42] -as jasmine garlands with campak buds? - -There was once a Brahman, Kuvera by name, sprung from the race of -Vatsyayana, sung throughout the world for his virtue, a leader of the -good: his lotus feet were worshipped by many a Gupta, and he seemed -a very portion of Brahma. - -(5) On his mouth Sarasvati ever dwelt: for in it all evil was stilled -by the Veda; it had lips purified by sacrificial cake, and a palate -bitter with soma, and it was pleasant with smriti and astra. - -In his house frightened boys, as they repeated verses of the Yajur -and Sama Veda, were chidden at every word by caged parrots and mainas, -who were thoroughly versed in everything belonging to words. - -From him was born Arthapati, a lord of the twice-born, as Hiranyagarbha -from the world-egg, the moon from the Milky Ocean, or Garuda from -Vinata. - -As he unfolded his spreading discourse day by day at dawn, new troops -of pupils, intent on listening, [43] gave him a new glory, like fresh -sandal-shoots fixed on the ear. - -(6) With countless sacrifices adorned with gifts duly offered, [44] -having glowing Mahavira fires in their midst, [45] and raising the -sacrificial posts as their hands, [46] he won easily, as if with a -troop of elephants, the abode of the gods. - -He in due course obtained a son, Citrabhanu, who amongst his other -noble and glorious sons, all versed in ruti and astra, shone as -crystal, like Kailasa among mountains. - -The virtues of that noble man, reaching far and gleaming bright as a -digit of the moon, yet without its spot, pierced deep even into the -hearts of his foes, like the budding claws of Nrisimha (Vishnu). - -The dark smoke of many a sacrifice rose like curls on the brow of the -goddesses of the sky; or like shoots of tamala on the ear of the bride, -the Threefold Veda, and only made his own glory shine more bright. - -From him was born a son, Bana, when the drops that rose from -the fatigue of the soma sacrifice were wiped from his brow by the -folded lotus hands of Sarasvati, and when the seven worlds had been -illuminated by the rays of his glory. - -(7) By that Brahman, albeit with a mind keeping even in his unspoken -words its original dullness blinded by the darkness of its own utter -folly, and simple from having never gained the charm of ready wit, this -tale, surpassing the other two, [47] was fashioned, even Kadambari. - - - -There was once upon a time a king named udraka. Like a second -Indra, he had his commands honoured by the bent heads of all kings; -he was lord of the earth girt in by the four oceans; he had an army -of neighbouring chiefs bowed down in loyalty to his majesty; he had -the signs of a universal emperor; (8) like Vishnu, his lotus-hand bore -the sign of the conch and the quoit; like iva, he had overcome Love; -like Kartikeya, he was unconquerable in might [48]; like Brahma, he -had the circle of great kings humbled [49]; like the ocean, he was -the source of Lakshmi; like the stream of Ganges, he followed in the -course of the pious king Bhagiratha; like the sun, he rose daily in -fresh splendour; like Meru, the brightness of his foot was honoured by -all the world; like the elephant of the quarters, [50] he constantly -poured forth a stream of generosity. He was a worker of wonders, an -offerer of sacrifices, a mirror of moral law, a source of the arts, a -native home of virtue; a spring of the ambrosial sweetness of poetry, -a mountain of sunrise to all his friends, [51] and a direful comet to -all his foes. (9) He was, moreover, a founder of literary societies, -a refuge for men of taste, a rejecter of haughty bowholders, a leader -among the bold, a chief among the wise. He was a cause of gladness to -the humble, as Vainateya [52] was to Vinata. He rooted up with the -point of his bow the boundary-mountains of his foes as Prithuraja -did the noble mountains. He mocked Krishna, also, for while the -latter made his boast of his man-lion form, he himself smote down -the hearts of his foes by his very name, and while Krishna wearied -the universe with his three steps, he subdued the whole world by one -heroic effort. Glory long dwelt on the watered edge of his sword, as -if to wash off the stain of contact with a thousand base chieftains, -which had clung to her too long. - -By the indwelling of Dharma in his mind, Yama in his wrath, Kuvera in -his kindness, Agni in his splendour, Earth in his arm, Lakshmi in his -glance, Sarasvati in his eloquence, (10) the Moon in his face, the Wind -in his might, Brihaspati in his knowledge, Love in his beauty, the Sun -in his glory, he resembled holy Narayana, whose nature manifests every -form, and who is the very essence of deity. Royal glory came to him -once for all, like a woman coming to meet her lover, on the nights of -battle stormy with the showers of ichor from the elephants' temples, -and stood by him in the midst of the darkness of thousands of coats of -mail, loosened from the doors of the breasts of warriors. She seemed -to be drawn irresistibly by his sword, which was uneven in its edge, -by reason of the drops of water forced out by the pressure of his -strong hand, and which was decked with large pearls clinging to it -when he clove the frontal bones of wild elephants. The flame of his -majesty burnt day and night, as if it were a fire within his foes' -fair wives, albeit reft of their lords, as if he would destroy the -husbands now only enshrined in their hearts. - -(11) While he, having subdued the earth, was guardian of the world, -the only mixing of colour [53] was in painting; the only pulling of -hair in caresses; the only strict fetters in the laws of poetry; the -only care was concerning moral law; the only deception was in dreams; -the only golden rods [54] were in umbrellas. Banners alone trembled; -songs alone showed variations [55]; elephants alone were rampant; [56] -bows alone had severed cords; [57] lattice windows alone had ensnaring -network; lovers' disputes alone caused sending of messengers; dice and -chessmen alone left empty squares; and his subjects had no deserted -homes. Under him, too, there was only fear of the next world, only -twisting in the curls of the zenana women, only loquacity in anklets, -only taking the hand [58] in marriage, only shedding of tears from -the smoke of ceaseless sacrificial fires; the only sound of the lash -was for horses, while the only twang of the bow was Love's. - -(15) When the thousand-rayed sun, bursting open the young lotus-buds, -had not long risen, though it had lost somewhat of the pinkness of -dawn, a portress approached the king in his hall of audience, and -humbly addressed him. Her form was lovely, yet awe-inspiring, and -with the scimitar (a weapon rarely worn by women) hanging at her left -side, was like a sandal-tree girt by a snake. Her bosom glistened with -rich sandal ointment like the heavenly Ganges when the frontal-bone of -Airavata rises from its waters. (16) The chiefs bent before her seemed, -by her reflection on their crests, to bear her on their foreheads as -a royal command in human form. Like autumn, [59] she was robed in -the whiteness of hamsas; like the blade of Paraurama she held the -circle of kings in submission; like the forest land of the Vindhyas, -she bore her wand, [60] and she seemed the very guardian-goddess of -the realm. Placing on the ground her lotus hand and knee, she thus -spake: 'Sire, there stands at the gate a Candala maiden from the -South, a royal glory of the race of that Triamku [61] who climbed -the sky, but fell from it at the murmur of wrathful Indra. She bears -a parrot in a cage, and bids me thus hail your majesty: "Sire, thou, -like the ocean, art alone worthy to receive the treasures of the whole -earth. In the thought that this bird is a marvel, and the treasure of -the whole earth, I bring it to lay at thy feet, and desire to behold -thee." (17) Thou, 0 king, hast heard her message, and must decide!' So -saying, she ended her speech. The king, whose curiosity was aroused, -looked at the chiefs around him, and with the words 'Why not? Bid -her enter?' gave his permission. - -Then the portress, immediately on the king's order, ushered in the -Candala maiden. And she entered and beheld the king in the midst of -a thousand chiefs, like golden-peaked Meru in the midst of the noble -mountains crouching together in fear of Indra's thunderbolt; or, -in that the brightness of the jewels scattered on his dress almost -concealed his form, like a day of storm, whereon the eight quarters of -the globe are covered by Indra's thousand bows. He was sitting on a -couch studded with moon-stones, beneath a small silken canopy, white -as the foam of the rivers of heaven, with its four jewel-encrusted -pillars joined by golden chains, and enwreathed with a rope of large -pearls. Many cowries with golden handles waved around him; (18) his -left foot rested on a footstool of crystal that was like the moon -bent in humiliation before the flashing beauty of his countenance, -and was adorned by the brightness of his feet, which yet were tinged -with blue from the light rays of the sapphire pavement, as though -darkened by the sighs of his conquered foes. His breast, crimsoned by -the rubies which shone on his throne, recalled Krishna, red with blood -from the fresh slaughter of Madhukaitabha; his two silken garments, -white as the foam of ambrosia, with pairs of hamsas painted in yellow -on their hem, waved in the wind raised by the cowries; the fragrant -sandal unguent with which his chest was whitened, besprinkled with -saffron ointment, was like snowy Kailasa with the early sunshine upon -it; his face was encircled by pearls like stars mistaking it for the -moon; the sapphire bracelets that clasped his arms were as a threat of -chains to bind fickle fortune, or as snakes attracted by the smell of -sandal-wood; (19) the lotus in his ear hung down slightly; his nose -was aquiline, his eyes were like lotuses in full blossom, the hair -grew in a circle between his brows, and was purified by the waters -that inaugurated his possession of universal rule; his forehead was -like a piece of the eighth-day moon made into a block of pure gold, -garlanded with sweet jasmine, like the Western Mountain in the dawn -with the stars growing pale on its brow. He was like the God of Love -when struck by iva's fire, for his body was tawny from the colour -of his ornaments. His hand-maidens surrounded him, as if they were -the goddesses of the quarters of the globe come to worship him; the -earth bore him, as on her heart, through loyalty, in the reflection -of his image in her clear mosaic pavement; fortune seemed his alone, -though by him she was given to all to enjoy. (20) He was without a -second, though his followers were without number; he trusted only -to his own sword, though he had countless elephants and horses in -his retinue; he filled the whole earth, though he stood in a small -space of ground; he rested only on his bow, and yet was seated on his -throne; he shone with the flame of majesty, though all the fuel of -his enemies was uprooted; he had large eyes, and yet saw the smallest -things; he was the home of all virtues, and yet was overreaching; -[62] he was beloved of his wives, and yet was a despotic lord; he was -free from intoxication, though he had an unfailing stream of bounty; -he was fair in nature, yet in conduct a Krishna; [63] he laid no heavy -hand [64] on his subjects, and yet the whole world rested in his grasp. - -Such was this king. And she yet afar beholding him, with a hand soft -as the petal of a red lotus, and surrounded by a tinkling bracelet, -and clasping the bamboo with its end jagged, (21) struck once on the -mosaic floor to arouse the king; and at the sound, in a moment the -whole assemblage of chiefs turned their eyes from the king to her, -like a herd of wild elephants at the falling of the cocoanut. Then the -king, with the words, 'Look yonder,' to his suite, gazed steadily upon -the Candala maiden, as she was pointed out by the portress. Before -her went a man, whose hair was hoary with age, whose eyes were the -colour of the red lotus, whose joints, despite the loss of youth, -were firm from incessant labour, whose form, though that of a Matanga, -was not to be despised, and who wore the white raiment meet for a -court. Behind her went a Candala boy, with locks falling on either -shoulder, bearing a cage, the bars of which, though of gold, shone -like emerald from the reflection of the parrot's plumage. (22) She -herself seemed by the darkness of her hue to imitate Krishna when he -guilefully assumed a woman's attire to take away the amrita seized by -the demons. She was, as it were, a doll of sapphire walking alone; -and over the blue garment, which reached to her ankle, there fell a -veil of red silk, like evening sunshine falling on blue lotuses. The -circle of her cheek was whitened by the earring that hung from one -ear, like the face of night inlaid with the rays of the rising moon; -she had a tawny tilaka of gorocana, as if it were a third eye, like -Parvati in mountaineer's attire, after the fashion of the garb of iva. - -She was like ri, darkened by the sapphire glory of Narayana reflected -on the robe on her breast; or like Rati, stained by smoke which rose as -Madana was burnt by the fire of wrathful iva; or like Yamuna, fleeing -in fear of being drawn along by the ploughshare of wild Balarama; -or, from the rich lac that turned her lotus feet into budding shoots, -like Durga, with her feet crimsoned by the blood of the Asura Mahisha -she had just trampled upon. - -(23) Her nails were rosy from the pink glow of her fingers; the -mosaic pavement seemed too hard for her touch, and she came forward, -placing her feet like tender twigs upon the ground. - -The rays of her anklets, rising in flame-colour, seemed to encircle -her as with the arms of Agni, as though, by his love for her beauty, he -would purify the stain of her birth, and so set the Creator at naught. - -Her girdle was like the stars wreathed on the brow of the elephant -of Love; and her necklace was a rope of large bright pearls, like -the stream of Ganga just tinged by Yamuna. - -Like autumn, she opened her lotus eyes; like the rainy season, she had -cloudy tresses; like the circle of the Malaya Hills, she was wreathed -with sandal; (24) like the zodiac, she was decked with starry gems; -[65] like ri, she had the fairness of a lotus in her hand; like a -swoon, she entranced the heart; like a forest, she was endowed with -living [66] beauty; like the child of a goddess, she was claimed by -no tribe; [67] like sleep, she charmed the eyes; as a lotus-pool in -a wood is troubled by elephants, so was she dimmed by her Matanga -[68] birth; like a spirit, she might not be touched; like a letter, -she gladdened the eyes alone; like the blossoms of spring, she lacked -the jati flower; [69] her slender waist, like the line of Love's bow, -could be spanned by the hands; with her curly hair, she was like the -Lakshmi of the Yaksha king in Alaka. [70] She had but reached the -flower of her youth, and was beautiful exceedingly. And the king was -amazed; and the thought arose in his mind, (25) 'Ill-placed was the -labour of the Creator in producing this beauty! For if she has been -created as though in mockery of her Candala form, such that all the -world's wealth of loveliness is laughed to scorn by her own, why was -she born in a race with which none can mate? Surely by thought alone -did Prajapati create her, fearing the penalties of contact with the -Matanga race, else whence this unsullied radiance, a grace that belongs -not to limbs sullied by touch? Moreover, though fair in form, by the -baseness of her birth, whereby she, like a Lakshmi of the lower world, -is a perpetual reproach to the gods, [71] she, lovely as she is, causes -fear in Brahma, the maker of so strange a union.' While the king was -thus thinking the maiden, garlanded with flowers, that fell over her -ears, bowed herself before him with a confidence beyond her years. And -when she had made her reverence and stepped on to the mosaic floor, -her attendant, taking the parrot, which had just entered the cage, -advanced a few steps, and, showing it to the king, said: 'Sire, this -parrot, by name Vaiampayana, knows the meaning of all the astras, -is expert in the practice of royal policy, (26) skilled in tales, -history, and Puranas, and acquainted with songs and with musical -intervals. He recites, and himself composes graceful and incomparable -modern romances, love-stories, plays, and poems, and the like; he -is versed in witticisms, and is an unrivalled disciple of the vina, -flute, and drum. He is skilled in displaying the different movements of -dancing, dextrous in painting, very bold in play, ready in resources -to calm a maiden angered in a lover's quarrel, and familiar with the -characteristics of elephants, horses, men, and women. He is the gem -of the whole earth; and in the thought that treasures belong to thee, -as pearls to the ocean, the daughter of my lord has brought him hither -to thy feet, O king! Let him be accepted as thine.' - -Having thus said, he laid the cage before the king and retired. (27) -And when he was gone, the king of birds, standing before the king, and -raising his right foot, having uttered the words, 'All hail!' recited -to the king, in a song perfect in the enunciation of each syllable -and accent, a verse [72] to this effect: - - - 'The bosoms of your foemen's queens now mourn, - Keeping a fast of widowed solitude, - Bathed in salt tears, of pearl-wreaths all forlorn, - Scorched by their sad hearts' too close neighbourhood.' - - -And the king, having heard it, was amazed, and joyfully addressed -his minister Kumarapalita, who sat close to him on a costly golden -throne, like Brihaspati in his mastery of political philosophy, aged, -of noble birth, first in the circle of wise councillors: 'Thou hast -heard the bird's clear enunciation of consonants, and the sweetness -of his intonation. This, in the first place, is a great marvel, that -he should raise a song in which the syllables are clearly separated; -and there is a combination of correctness with clearness in the vowels -and anunasikas. (28) Then, again, we had something more than that: -for in him, though a lower creation, are found the accomplishments, -as it were, of a man, in a pleasurable art, and the course of his -song is inspired by knowledge. For it was he who, with the cry, "All -hail!" straightened his right foot and sang this song concerning me, -whereas, generally, birds and beasts are only skilled in the science of -fearing, eating, pairing, and sleeping. This is most wonderful.' And -when the king had said this, Kumarapalita, with a slight smile, -replied: 'Where is the wonder? For all kinds of birds, beginning with -the parrot and the maina, repeat a sound once heard, as thou, O king, -knowest; so it is no wonder that exceeding skill is produced either -by the efforts of men, or in consequence of perfection gained in a -former birth. Moreover, they formerly possessed a voice like that of -men, with clear utterance. The indistinct speech of parrots, as well -as the change in elephants' tongues, arose from a curse of Agni.' - -Hardly had he thus spoken when there arose the blast of the mid-day -conch, following the roar of the drum distinctly struck at the -completion of the hour, and announcing that the sun had reached -the zenith. (29) And, hearing this, the king dismissed his band of -chiefs, as the hour for bathing was at hand, and arose from his hall -of audience. - -Then, as he started, the great chiefs thronged together as they rose, -tearing their silk raiment with the leaf-work of their bracelets, -as it fell from its place in the hurried movement. Their necklaces -were swinging with the shock; the quarters of space were made -tawny by showers of fragrant sandal-powder and saffron scattered -from their limbs in their restlessness; the bees arose in swarms -from their garlands of malati flowers, all quivering; their cheeks -were caressed by the lotuses in their ears, half hanging down; their -strings of pearls were trembling on their bosoms--each longed in his -self-consciousness to pay his respects to the king as he departed. - -The hall of audience was astir on all sides with the sound of the -anklets of the cowrie bearers as they disappeared in all directions, -bearing the cowries on their shoulders, their gems tinkling at every -step, broken by the cry of the kalahamsas, eager to drink the lotus -honey; (30) with the pleasant music of the jewelled girdles and -wreaths of the dancing-girls coming to pay their respects as they -struck their breast and sides; with the cries of the kalahamsas -of the palace lake, which, charmed by the sound of the anklets, -whitened the broad steps of the hall of audience; with the voices of -the tame cranes, eager for the sound of the girdles, screaming more -and more with a prolonged outcry, like the scratching of bell-metal; -with the heavy tramp on the floor of the hall of audience struck -by the feet of a hundred neighbouring chiefs suddenly departing, -which seemed to shake the earth like a hurricane; with the cry of -'Look!' from the wand-bearing ushers, who were driving the people -in confusion before them, and shouting loudly, yet good-naturedly, -'Behold!' long and shrill, resounding far by its echo in the bowers -of the palace; (31) with the ringing of the pavement as it was -scratched by the points of diadems with their projecting aigrettes, -as the kings swiftly bent till their trembling crest-gems touched -the ground; with the tinkling of the earrings as they rang on the -hard mosaic in their owners' obeisance; with the space-pervading din -of the bards reciting auspicious verses, and coming forward with the -pleasant continuous cry, 'Long life and victory to our king!'; with -the hum of the bees as they rose up leaving the flowers, by reason -of the turmoil of the hundreds of departing feet; with the clash of -the jewelled pillars on which the gems were set jangling from being -struck by the points of the bracelets as the chieftains fell hastily -prostrate in their confusion. The king then dismissed the assembled -chiefs, saying, 'Rest awhile'; and after saying to the Candala maiden, -'Let Vaiampayana be taken into the inner apartments,' and giving the -order to his betel-nut bearer, he went, accompanied by a few favourite -princes, to his private apartments. There, laying aside his adornments, -like the sun divested of his rays, or the sky bare of moon and stars, -he entered the hall of exercise, where all was duly prepared. Having -taken pleasant exercise therein with the princes of his own age, (32) -he then entered the bathing-place, which was covered with a white -canopy, surrounded by the verses of many a bard. It had a gold bath, -filled with scented water in its midst, with a crystal bathing-seat -placed by it, and was adorned with pitchers placed on one side, -full of most fragrant waters, having their mouths darkened by bees -attracted by the odour, as if they were covered with blue cloths, -from fear of the heat. (33) Then the hand-maidens, some darkened by -the reflection of their emerald jars, like embodied lotuses with -their leafy cups, some holding silver pitchers, like night with a -stream of light shed by the full moon, duly besprinkled the king. (34) -Straightway there arose a blare of the trumpets sounded for bathing, -penetrating all the hollows of the universe, accompanied by the din -of song, lute, flute, drum, cymbal, and tabor, resounding shrilly -in diverse tones, mingled with the uproar of a multitude of bards, -and cleaving the path of hearing. Then, in due order, the king put -upon him two white garments, light as a shed snake-skin, and wearing -a turban, with an edge of fine silk, pure as a fleck of white cloud, -like Himalaya with the stream of the heavenly river falling upon it, -he made his libation to the Pitris with a handful of water, consecrated -by a hymn, and then, prostrating himself before the sun, proceeded to -the temple. When he had worshipped iva, and made an offering to Agni, -(35) his limbs were anointed in the perfuming-room with sandal-wood, -sweetened with the fragrance of saffron, camphor, and musk, the -scent of which was followed by murmuring bees; he put on a chaplet -of scented malati flowers, changed his garb, and, with no adornment -save his jewelled earrings, he, together with the kings, for whom a -fitting meal was prepared, broke his fast, with the pleasure that -arises from the enjoyment of viands of sweet savour. Then, having -drunk of a fragrant drug, rinsed his mouth, and taken his betel, he -arose from his das, with its bright mosaic pavement. The portress, -who was close by, hastened to him, and leaning on her arm, he went -to the hall of audience, followed by the attendants worthy to enter -the inner apartments, whose palms were like boughs, very hard from -their firm grasp of their wands. - -The hall showed as though walled with crystal by reason of the -white silk that draped its ends; the jewelled floor was watered to -coolness with sandal-water, to which was added very fragrant musk; -the pure mosaic was ceaselessly strewn with masses of blossoms, -as the sky with its bevy of stars; (36) many a golden pillar shone -forth, purified with scented water, and decked with countless images, -as though with the household gods in their niches; aloe spread its -fragrance richly; the whole was dominated by an alcove, which held a -couch white as a cloud after storm, with a flower-scented covering, -a pillow of fine linen at the head, castors encrusted with gems, and -a jewelled footstool by its side, like the peak of Himalaya to behold. - -Reclining on this couch, while a maiden, seated on the ground, having -placed in her bosom the dagger she was wont to bear, gently rubbed his -feet with a palm soft as the leaves of fresh lotuses, the king rested -for a short time, and held converse on many a theme with the kings, -ministers, and friends whose presence was meet for that hour. - -He then bade the portress, who was at hand, to fetch Vaiampayana -from the women's apartments, for he had become curious to learn his -story. And she, bending hand and knee to the ground, with the words -'Thy will shall be done!' taking the command on her head, fulfilled -his bidding. (37) Soon Vaiampayana approached the king, having his -cage borne by the portress, under the escort of a herald, leaning on -a gold staff, slightly bent, white robed, wearing a top-knot silvered -with age, slow in gait, and tremulous in speech, like an aged flamingo -in his love for the race of birds, who, placing his palm on the ground, -thus delivered his message: 'Sire, the queens send thee word that by -thy command this Vaiampayana has been bathed and fed, and is now -brought by the portress to thy feet.' Thus speaking, he retired, -and the king asked Vaiampayana: 'Hast thou in the interval eaten -food sufficient and to thy taste?' 'Sire,' replied he, 'what have -I not eaten? I have drunk my fill of the juice of the jambu fruit, -aromatically sweet, pink and blue as a cuckoo's eye in the gladness -of spring; I have cracked the pomegranate seeds, bright as pearls -wet with blood, which lions' claws have torn from the frontal bones -of elephants. I have torn at my will old myrobalans, green as lotus -leaves, and sweet as grapes. (38) But what need of further words? For -everything brought by the queens with their own hands turns to -ambrosia.' And the king, rebuking his talk, said: 'Let all this -cease for a while, and do thou remove our curiosity. Tell us from -the very beginning the whole history of thy birth--in what country, -and how wert thou born, and by whom was thy name given? Who were thy -father and mother? How came thine attainment of the Vedas, and thine -acquaintance with the astras, and thy skill in the fine arts? What -caused thy remembrance of a former birth? Was it a special boon given -thee? Or dost thou dwell in disguise, wearing the form only of a bird, -and where didst thou formerly dwell? How old art thou, and how came -this bondage of a cage, and the falling into the hands of a Candala -maiden, and thy coming hither?' Thus respectfully questioned by the -king, whose curiosity was kindled, Vaiampayana thought a moment, -and reverently replied, 'Sire, the tale is long; but if it is thy -pleasure, let it be heard.' - - - -'There is a forest, by name Vindhya, that embraces the shores of the -eastern and western ocean, and decks the central region as though -it were the earth's zone. (39) It is beauteous with trees watered -with the ichor of wild elephants, and bearing on their crests masses -of white blossom that rise to the sky and vie with the stars; in -it the pepper-trees, bitten by ospreys in their spring gladness, -spread their boughs; tamala branches trampled by young elephants -fill it with fragrance; shoots in hue like the wine-flushed cheeks -of Malabaris, as though roseate with lac from the feet of wandering -wood-nymphs, overshadow it. Bowers there are, too, wet with drippings -from parrot-pierced pomegranates; bowers in which the ground is covered -with torn fruit and leaves shaken down by restless monkeys from the -kakkola trees, or sprinkled with pollen from ever-falling blossoms, -or strewn with couches of clove-branches by travellers, or hemmed -in by fine cocoanuts, ketakis, kariras, and bakulas; bowers so fair -that with their areca trees girt about with betel vines, they make -a fitting home for a woodland Lakshmi. Thickly growing elas make -the wood dark and fragrant, as with the ichor of wild elephants; -(40) hundreds of lions, who meet their death from barbaric leaders -eager to seize the pearls of the elephants' frontal-bones still -clinging to their mouth and claws, roam therein; it is fearful as -the haunt of death, like the citadel of Yama, and filled with the -buffaloes dear to him; like an army ready for battle, it has bees -resting on its arrow-trees, as the points on arrows, and the roar of -the lion is clear as the lion-cry of onset; it has rhinoceros tusks -dreadful as the dagger of Durga, and like her is adorned with red -sandal-wood; like the story of Karnisuta, it has its Vipula, Acala -and aa in the wide mountains haunted by hares, [73] that lie near -it; as the twilight of the last eve of an aeon has the frantic dance -of blue-necked iva, so has it the dances of blue-necked peacocks, -and bursts into crimson; as the time of churning the ocean had the -glory of ri and the tree which grants all desires, and was surrounded -by sweet draughts of Varuna, [74] so is it adorned by ri trees and -Varuna2 trees. It is densely dark, as the rainy season with clouds, -and decked with pools in countless hundreds; [75] like the moon, it -is always the haunt of the bears, and is the home of the deer. [76] -(41) Like a king's palace, it is adorned by the tails of cowrie deer, -[77] and protected by troops of fierce elephants. Like Durga, it is -strong of nature, [78] and haunted by the lion. Like Sita, it has -its Kua, and is held by the wanderer of night. [79] Like a maiden -in love, it wears the scent of sandal and musk, and is adorned with -a tilaka of bright aloes; [80] like a lady in her lover's absence, -it is fanned with the wind of many a bough, and possessed of Madana; -[81] like a child's neck, it is bright with rows of tiger's-claws, -[82] and adorned with a rhinoceros; [83] like a hall of revelry with -its honeyed draughts, it has hundreds of beehives [84] visible, and -is strewn with flowers. In parts it has a circle of earth torn up by -the tusks of large boars, like the end of the world when the circle -of the earth was lifted up by the tusks of Mahavaraha; here, like -the city of Ravana, it is filled with lofty alas [85] inhabited by -restless monkeys; (42) here it is, like the scene of a recent wedding, -bright with fresh kua grass, fuel, flowers, acacia, and palaa; here, -it seems to bristle in terror at the lions' roar; here, it is vocal -with cuckoos wild for joy; here it is, as if in excitement, resonant -with the sound of palms [86] in the strong wind; here, it drops its -palm-leaves like a widow giving up her earrings; here, like a field of -battle, it is filled with arrowy reeds; [87] here, like Indra's body, -it has a thousand netras; [88] here, like Vishnu's form, it has the -darkness of tamalas; [89] here, like the banner of Arjuna's chariot, -it is blazoned with monkeys; here, like the court of an earthly king, -it is hard of access, through the bamboos; here, like the city of -King Virata, it is guarded by a Kicaka; [90] here, like the Lakshmi of -the sky, it has the tremulous eyes of its deer pursued by the hunter; -[91] here, like an ascetic, it has bark, bushes, and ragged strips and -grass. [92] (43) Though adorned with Saptaparna, [93] it yet possesses -leaves innumerable; though honoured by ascetics, it is yet very savage; -[94] though in its season of blossom, it is yet most pure. - -'In that forest there is a hermitage, famed throughout the world--a -very birthplace of Dharma. It is adorned with trees tended by -Lopamudra as her own children, fed with water sprinkled by her own -hands, and trenched round by herself. She was the wife of the great -ascetic Agastya; he it was who at the prayer of Indra drank up the -waters of ocean, and who, when the Vindhya mountains, by a thousand -wide peaks stretching to the sky in rivalry of Meru, were striving to -stop the course of the sun's chariot, and were despising the prayers -of all the gods, yet had his commands obeyed by them; who digested the -demon Vatapi by his inward fire; who had the dust of his feet kissed -by the tips of the gold ornaments on the crests of gods and demons; who -adorned the brow of the Southern Region; and who manifested his majesty -by casting Nahusha down from heaven by the mere force of his murmur. - -(44) 'The hermitage is also hallowed by Lopamudra's son Dridhadasyu, -an ascetic, bearing his staff of palaa, [95] wearing a sectarial -mark made of purifying ashes, clothed in strips of kua grass, -girt with muja, holding a cup of green leaves in his roaming from -hut to hut to ask alms. From the large supply of fuel he brought, -he was surnamed by his father Fuelbearer. - -'The place is also darkened in many a spot by green parrots and by -plantain groves, and is girt by the river Godaveri, which, like a -dutiful wife, followed the path of the ocean when drunk by Agastya. - -'There, too, Rama, when he gave up his kingdom to keep his father's -promise, dwelt happily for some time at Pacavati with Sita, following -the great ascetic Agastya, living in a pleasant hut made by Lakshmana, -even Rama, the vexer of the triumphs of Ravana's glory. [96] - -'There, even now, the trees, though the hermitage has long been empty, -show, as it were, in the lines of white doves softly nestling in the -boughs, the hermits' pure lines of sacrificial smoke clinging to them; -and there a glow bursts forth on the shoots of creepers, as if it had -passed to them from Sita's hand as she offered flowers of oblation; -(45) there the water of ocean drunk and sent forth by the ascetic -seems to have been wholly distributed among the great lakes round the -hermitage; there the wood, with its fresh foliage, shines as if its -roots had been watered with the blood of countless hosts of demons -struck down by Rama's many keen shafts, and as if now its palaaas -were stained with their crimson hue; there, even yet, the old deer -nurtured by Sita, when they hear the deep roar of fresh clouds in the -rainy season, think on the twang of Rama's bow penetrating all the -hollows of the universe, and refuse their mouthfuls of fresh grass, -while their eyes are dimmed by ceaseless tears, as they see a deserted -world, and their own horns crumbling from age; there, too, the golden -deer, as if it had been incited by the rest of the forest deer slain -in the ceaseless chase, deceived Sita, and led the son of Raghu -far astray; there, too, in their grief for the bitter loss of Sita, -Rama and Lakshmana seized by Kabandha, like an eclipse of sun and moon -heralding the death of Ravana, filled the universe with a mighty dread; -(46) there, too, the arm of Yojanabahu, struck off by Rama's arrow, -caused fear in the saints as it lay on the ground, lest it should be -the serpent form of Nahusha, brought back by Agastya's curse; there, -even now, foresters behold Sita painted inside the hut by her husband -to solace his bereavement, as if she were again rising from the ground -in her longing to see her husband's home. - -'Not far from that hermitage of Agastya, of which the ancient history -is yet clearly to be seen, is a lotus lake called Pampa. It stands -near that hermitage, as if it were a second ocean made by the Creator -in rivalry with Agastya, at the prompting of Varuna, wrathful at -the drinking of ocean; it is like the sky fallen on earth to bind -together the fragments of the eight quarters when severed in the -day of doom. [97] (48) It is, indeed, a peerless home of waters, -and its depth and extent none can tell. There, even now, the wanderer -may see pairs of cakravakas, with their wings turned to blue by the -gleam of the blossoming lotuses, as if they were swallowed up by the -impersonate curse of Rama. - -'On the left bank of that lake, and near a clump of palms broken -by Rama's arrows, was a large old almali tree. [98] It shows as -though it were enclosed in a large trench, because its roots are -always encircled by an old snake, like the trunk of the elephants -of the quarters; (49) it seems to be mantled with the slough of -serpents, which hangs on its lofty trunk and waves in the wind; -it strives to compass the measurement of the circle of space by its -many boughs spreading through the firmament, and so to imitate iva, -whose thousand arms are outstretched in his wild dance at the day -of doom, and who wears the moon on his crest. Through its weight of -years, it clings for support even to the shoulder of the wind; it is -girt with creepers that cover its whole trunk, and stand out like the -thick veins of old age. Thorns have gathered on its surface like the -moles of old age; not even the thick clouds by which its foliage is -bedewed can behold its top, when, after drinking the waters of ocean, -they return from all sides to the sky, and pause for a moment, weary -with their load of water, like birds amongst its boughs. From its -great height, it seems to be on tiptoe to look [99] at the glory of -the Nandana [100] Wood; its topmost branches are whitened by cotton, -which men might mistake for foam dropped from the corners of their -mouths by the sun's steeds as, beset with weariness of their path -through the sky, they come near it in their course overhead; (50) -it has a root that will last for an aeon, for, with the garland -of drunken bees sticking to the ichor which clings to it where the -cheeks of woodland elephants are rubbed against it, it seems to be -held motionless by iron chains; it seems alive with swarms of bees, -flashing in and out of its hollow trunk. It beholds the alighting of -the wings of birds, as Duryodhana receives proofs of akuni's [101] -partizanship; like Krishna, it is encircled by a woodland chaplet; -[102] like a mass of fresh clouds its rising is seen in the sky. It -is a temple whence woodland goddesses can look out upon the whole -world. It is the king of the Dandaka Wood, the leader of the lordly -trees, the friend of the Vindhya Mountains, and it seems to embrace -with the arms of its boughs the whole Vindhya Forest. There, on the -edge of the boughs, in the centre of the crevices, amongst the twigs, -in the joints of the trunks, in the holes of the rotten bark, flocks -of parrots have taken their abode. From its spaciousness, they have -confidently built in it their thousand nests; from its steepness, -they have come to it fearlessly from every quarter. Though its -leaves are thin with age, this lord of the forest still looks green -with dense foliage, as they rest upon it day and night. (51) In it -they spend the nights in their own nests, and daily, as they rise, -they form lines in the sky; they show in heaven like Yamuna with her -wide streams scattered by the tossing of Bala's ploughshare in his -passion; they suggest a lotus-bed of the heavenly Ganges flowing away, -uprooted by the elephant of heaven; they show forth a sky streaked, -as it were, with the brightness of the steeds of the sun's chariot; -they wear the semblance of a moving floor of emerald; they stretch -out in the lake of heaven like long twines of Vallisneria; they fan -the faces of the quarters wearied with the mass of the sun's keen -rays, with their wings spread against the sky like plantain leaves; -they form a grassy path stretching through the heaven, and as they -roam they grace the firmament with a rainbow. After their meal they -return to the young birds which stay in the nest, and give them, -from beaks pink as tiger's claws reddened with the blood of slain -deer, the juice of fruits and many a dainty morsel of rice-clusters, -for by their deep love to their children all their other likings are -subdued; (52) then they spend the night in this same tree with their -young under their wings. - -'Now my father, who by reason of his great age barely dragged on his -life, dwelt with my mother in a certain old hollow, and to him I was, -by the decree of Fate, born as his only son. My mother, overcome by -the pains of child-birth when I was born, went to another world, and, -in spite of his grief for the death of his loved wife, my father, from -love to his child, checked the keen onrush of his sorrow, and devoted -himself in his loneliness wholly to my nurture. From his great age, -the wide wings he raised had lost their power of flight, and hung -loose from his shoulders, so that when he shook them he seemed to -be trying to shake off the painful old age that clung to his body, -while his few remaining tail feathers were broken like a tatter of -kua grass; and yet, though he was unable to wander far, he gathered -up bits of fruit torn down by parrots and fallen at the foot of the -tree, and picked up grains of rice from rice-stalks that had fallen -from other nests, with a beak the point of which was broken and the -edge worn away and rubbed by breaking rice-clusters, and pink as the -stalk of the sephalika flower when still hard, and he daily made his -own meal on what I left. - -(53) 'But one day I heard a sound of the tumult of the chase. The -moon, reddened by the glow of dawn, was descending to the shore -of the Western Ocean, from the island of the heavenly Ganges, like -an old hamsa with its wings reddened by the honey of the heavenly -lotus-bed; the circle of space was widening, and was white as the -hair of a ranku deer; the throng of stars, like flowers strewn on -the pavement of heaven, were being cast away by the sun's long rays, -as if they were brooms of rubies, for they were red as a lion's -mane dyed in elephant's blood, or pink as sticks of burning lac; the -cluster of the Seven Sages was, as it were, descending the bank of the -Manasa Lake, and rested on the northern quarter to worship the dawn; -the Western Ocean was lifting a mass of pearls, scattered from open -shells on its shore, as though the stars, melted by the sun's rays, -had fallen on it, whitening the surface of its alluvial islands. The -wood was dropping dew; its peacocks were awake; its lions were yawning; -(54) its wild elephants were wakened by herds of she-elephants, and -it, with its boughs raised like reverential hands, sent up towards -the sun, as he rested on the peak of the Eastern Mountain, a mass of -flowers, the filaments of which were heavy with the night dews. The -lines of sacrificial smoke from the hermitages, gray as the hair -of an ass, were gleaming like banners of holiness, and rested like -doves on the tree-tops whereon the wood-nymphs dwelt. The morning -breeze was blowing, and roamed softly, for it was weary at the end -of night; it gladdened swarms of bees by the flowers' perfume; it -rained showers of honey dew from the opened lotuses; it was eager -to teach the dancing creepers with their waving boughs; it carried -drops of foam from the rumination of woodland buffaloes; it removed -the perspiration of the weary mountaineers; it shook the lotuses, and -bore with it the dewdrops. The bees, who ought to be the drums on the -elephant's frontal-bones to recite auspicious songs for the wakening -of the day lotus-groves, now sent up their hum from the hearts of the -night-lotuses, as their wings were clogged in the closing petals; -(55) the deer of the wood had the markings on their breast, gray -with resting on the salt ground, and slowly opened eyes, the pupils -of which were still squinting with the remains of sleep, and were -caught by the cool morning breeze as if their eyelashes were held -together by heated lac; foresters were hastening hither and thither; -the din of the kalahamsas on the Pampa Lake, sweet to the ear, was -now beginning; the pleasant flapping of the wild elephant's ears -breaking forth caused the peacocks to dance; in time the sun himself -slowly arose, and wandered among the tree-tops round the Pampa Lake, -and haunted the mountain peaks, with rays of madder, like a mass of -cowries bending downwards from the sun's elephant as he plunges into -the sky; the fresh light sprung from the sun banished the stars, -falling on the wood like the monkey king who had again lost Tara; -[103] the morning twilight became visible quickly, occupying the -eighth part of the day, and the sun's light became clear. - -'The troops of parrots had all started to the places they desired; -that tree seemed empty by reason of the great stillness, though it had -all the young parrots resting quietly in their nests. (56) My father -was still in his own nest, and I, as from my youth my wings were -hardly fledged and had no strength, was close to him in the hollow, -when I suddenly heard in that forest the sound of the tumult of the -chase. It terrified every woodland creature; it was drawn out by a -sound of birds' wings flying hastily up; it was mingled with cries -from the frightened young elephants; it was increased by the hum of -drunken bees, disturbed on the shaken creepers; it was loud with the -noise of wild boars roaming with raised snouts; it was swollen by the -roar of lions wakened from their sleep in mountain caves; it seemed to -shake the trees, and was great as the noise of the torrents of Ganges, -when brought down by Bhagiratha; and the woodland nymphs listened to -it in terror. - -'When I heard this strange sound I began to tremble in my childishness; -the cavity of my ear was almost broken; I shook for fear, and thinking -that my father, who was close by, could help me, I crept within his -wings, loosened as they were by age. - -'Straightway I heard an outcry of "Hence comes the scent of the -lotus beds the leaders of the elephants have trampled! Hence the -perfume of rushes the boars have chewed! Hence the keen fragrance -of gum-olibanum the young elephants have divided! Hence the rustling -of dry leaves shaken down! (57) Hence the dust of antheaps that the -horns of wild buffaloes have cleft like thunderbolts! Hence came a -herd of deer! Hence a troop of wild elephants! Hence a band of wild -boars! Hence a multitude of wild buffaloes! Hence the shriek of a -circle of peacocks! Hence the murmur of partridges! Hence the cry of -ospreys! Hence the groan of elephants with their frontal bones torn -by lion's claws! This is a boar's path stained with fresh mud! This -a mass of foam from the rumination of deer, darkened by the juice -of mouthfuls of grass just eaten! This the hum of bees garrulous as -they cling to the scent left by the rubbing of elephants' foreheads -with ichor flowing! That the path of the ruru deer pink with withered -leaves bedewed with blood that has been shed. That is a mass of shoots -on the trees crushed by the feet of elephants! Those are the gambols -of rhinoceroses; that is the lion's track jagged with pieces of the -elephant's pearls, pink with blood, and engraved with a monstrous -device by their claws; that is the earth crimsoned with the blood of -the newly born offspring of the does; that is the path, like a widow's -braid, darkened with the ichor of the lord of the herd wandering at his -will! Follow this row of yaks straight before us! Quickly occupy this -part of the wood where the dung of the deer is dried! (58) Climb the -tree-top! Look out in this direction! Listen to this sound! Take the -bow! Stand in your places! Let slip the hounds!" The wood trembled -at the tumult of the hosts of men intent on the chase shouting to -each other and concealed in the hollows of the trees. - -'Then that wood was soon shaken on all sides by the roar of lions -struck by the abaras' arrows, deepened by its echo rebounding from -the hollows of the mountains, and strong as the sound of a drum newly -oiled; by the roar from the throats of the elephants that led the herd, -like the growl of thunder, and mixed with the ceaseless lashing of -their trunks, as they came on alone, separated from the frightened -herd; by the piteous cry of the deer, with their tremulous, terrified -eyes, when the hounds suddenly tore their limbs; by the yell of -she-elephants lengthening in grief for the death of their lord and -leader, as they wandered every way with ears raised, ever pausing -to listen to the din, bereft of their slain leaders and followed by -their young; (59) by the bellowing of she-rhinoceroses seeking with -outstretched necks their young, only born a few days before, and now -lost in the panic; by the outcry of birds flying from the tree-tops, -and wandering in confusion; by the tramp of herds of deer with all -the haste of limbs made for speed, seeming to make the earth quake -as it was struck simultaneously by their hurrying feet; by the twang -of bows drawn to the ear, mingled, as they rained their arrows, with -the cry from the throats of the loving she-ospreys; by the clash of -swords with their blades whizzing against the wind and falling on the -strong shoulders of buffaloes; and by the baying of the hounds which, -as it was suddenly sent forth, penetrated all the recesses of the wood. - -'When soon afterwards the noise of the chase was stilled and the -wood had become quiet, like the ocean when its water was stilled by -the ceasing of the churning, or like a mass of clouds silent after -the rainy season, I felt less of fear and became curious, and so, -moving a little from my father's embrace, (60) I stood in the hollow, -stretched out my neck, and with eyes that, from my childishness, were -yet tremulous with fear, in my eagerness to see what this thing was, -I cast my glance in that direction. - -'Before me I saw the abara [104] army come out from the wood like -the stream of Narmada tossed by Arjuna's [105] thousand arms; like a -wood of tamalas stirred by the wind; like all the nights of the dark -fortnight rolled into one; like a solid pillar of antimony shaken by -an earthquake; like a grove of darkness disturbed by sunbeams; like -the followers of death roaming; like the demon world that had burst -open hell and risen up; like a crowd of evil deeds come together; -like a caravan of curses of the many hermits dwelling in the Dandaka -Forest; like all the hosts of Dushana [106] and Khara struck by -Rama as he rained his ceaseless shafts, and they turned into demons -for their hatred to him; like the whole confraternity of the Iron -Age come together; like a band of buffaloes prepared for a plunge -into the water; like a mass of black clouds broken by a blow from a -lion's paw as he stands on the mountain peak; [107] like a throng of -meteors risen for the destruction of all form; it darkened the wood; -it numbered many thousands; it inspired great dread; it was like a -multitude of demons portending disasters. - -(61) 'And in the midst of that great host of abaras I beheld the -abara leader, Matanga by name. He was yet in early youth; from his -great hardness he seemed made of iron; he was like Ekalavya [108] -in another birth; from his growing beard, he was like a young royal -elephant with its temples encircled by its first line of ichor; -he filled the wood with beauty that streamed from him sombre as -dark lotuses, like the waters of Yamuna; he had thick locks curled -at the ends and hanging on his shoulders, like a lion with its -mane stained by elephant's ichor; his brow was broad; his nose was -stern and aquiline; his left side shone reddened by the faint pink -rays of a jewelled snake's hood that was made the ornament for one -of his ears, like the glow of shoots that had clung to him from -his resting on a leafy couch; he was perfumed with fragrant ichor, -bearing the scent of saptacchada blossoms torn from the cheeks of an -elephant freshly slain, like a stain of black aloes; (62) he had the -heat warded off by a swarm of bees, like a peacock-feather parasol, -flying about blinded by the scent, as if they were a branch of tamala; -he was marked with lines of perspiration on his cheek rubbed by his -hand, as if Vindhya Forest, being conquered by his strong arm, were -timidly offering homage under the guise of its slender waving twigs, -and he seemed to tinge space by his eye somewhat pink, as if it were -bloodshot, and shedding a twilight of the night of doom for the deer; -he had mighty arms reaching to his knees, as if the measure of an -elephant's trunk had been taken in making them, and his shoulders were -rough with scars from keen weapons often used to make an offering of -blood to Kali; the space round his eyes was bright and broad as the -Vindhya Mountain, and with the drops of dried deer's blood clinging -on it, and the marking of drops of perspiration, as if they were -adorned by large pearls from an elephant's frontal bone mixed with -guja fruit; his chest was scarred by constant and ceaseless fatigue; -he was clad in a silk dress red with cochineal, and with his strong -legs he mocked a pair of elephants' posts stained with elephants' -ichor; he seemed from his causeless fierceness to have been marked -on his dread brow by a frown that formed three banners, as if Durga, -propitiated by his great devotion, had marked him with a trident to -denote that he was her servant. (63) He was accompanied by hounds -of every colour, which were his familiar friends; they showed their -weariness by tongues that, dry as they were, seemed by their natural -pinkness to drip deer's blood, and which hung down far from tiredness; -as their mouths were open they raised the corners of their lips and -showed their flashing teeth clearly, like a lion's mane caught between -the teeth; their throats were covered with strings of cowries, and they -were hacked by blows from the large boars' tusks; though but small, -from their great strength they were like lions' cubs with their manes -ungrown; they were skilled in initiating the does in widowhood; with -them came their wives, very large, like lionesses coming to beg an -amnesty for the lions. He was surrounded by troops of abaras of all -kinds: some had seized elephants' tusks and the long hair of yaks; -some had vessels for honey made of leaves closely bound; some, like -lions, had hands filled with many a pearl from the frontal bones of -elephants; some, like demons, had pieces of raw flesh; some, like -goblins, were carrying the skins of lions; some, like Jain ascetics, -held peacocks' tails; some, like children, wore crows' feathers; [109] -some represented Krishna's [110] exploits by bearing the elephants' -tusks they had torn out; (64) some, like the days of the rainy season, -had garments dark as clouds. [111] He had his sword-sheath, as a -wood its rhinoceroses; [112] like a fresh cloud, he held a bow [113] -bright as peacocks' tails; like the demon Vaka, [114] he possessed a -peerless army; like Garuda, he had torn out the teeth of many large -nagas; [115] he was hostile to peacocks, as Bhishma to ikhandi; [116] -like a summer day, he always showed a thirst for deer; [117] like a -heavenly genius, he was impetuous in pride; [118] as Vyasa followed -Yojanagandha, [119] so did he follow the musk deer; like Ghatotkaca, -he was dreadful in form; [120] as the locks of Uma were decked with -iva's moon, so was he adorned with the eyes in the peacocks' tails; -[121] as the demon Hiranyakaipu [122] by Mahavaraha, so he had his -breast torn by the teeth of a great boar; (65) like an ambitious -man, [123] he had a train of captives around him; like a demon, -he loved [124] the hunters; like the gamut of song, he was closed -in by Nishadas; [125] like the trident of Durga, he was wet with the -blood of buffaloes; though quite young, he had seen many lives pass; -[126] though he had many hounds, [127] he lived on roots and fruits; -though of Krishna's hue, [128] he was not good to look on; though -he wandered at will, his mountain fort [129] was his only refuge; -though he always lived at the foot of a lord of earth, [130] he was -unskilled in the service of a king. - -'He was as the child of the Vindhya Mountains, the partial avatar of -death; the born brother of wickedness, the essence of the Iron Age; -horrible as he was, he yet inspired awe by reason of his natural -greatness, [131] and his form could not be surpassed. [132] His name I -afterwards learnt. In my mind was this thought: "Ah, the life of these -men is full of folly, and their career is blamed by the good. (66) -For their one religion is offering human flesh to Durga; their meat, -mead, and so forth, is a meal loathed by the good; their exercise is -the chase; their astra [133] is the cry of the jackal; their teachers -of good and evil are owls; [134] their knowledge is skill in birds; -[135] their bosom friends are dogs; their kingdom is in deserted -woods; their feast is a drinking bout; their friends are the bows -that work their cruel deeds, and arrows, with their heads smeared, -like snakes, with poison, are their helpers; their song is what draws -on bewildered deer; their wives are the wives of others taken captive; -their dwelling is with savage tigers; their worship of the gods is with -the blood of beasts, their sacrifice with flesh, their livelihood by -theft; the snakes' hood is their ornament; their cosmetic, elephants' -ichor; and the very wood wherein they may dwell is utterly destroyed -root and branch." - -'As I was thus thinking, the abara leader, desiring to rest after -his wandering through the forest, approached, and, laying his bow -in the shade beneath that very cotton-tree, sat down on a seat of -twigs gathered hastily by his suite. (67) Another youthful abara, -coming down hastily, brought to him from the lake, when he had stirred -its waters with his hand, some water aromatic with lotus-pollen, and -freshly-plucked bright lotus-fibres with their mud washed off; the -water was like liquid lapis lazuli, or showed as if it were painted -with a piece of sky fallen from the heat of the sun's rays in the day -of doom, or had dropped from the moon's orb, or were a mass of melted -pearl, or as if in its great purity it was frozen into ice, and could -only be distinguished from it by touch. After drinking it, the abara -in turn devoured the lotus-fibres, as Rahu does the moon's digits; -when he was rested he rose, and, followed by all his host, who had -satisfied their thirst, he went slowly to his desired goal. But one -old abara from that barbarous troop had got no deer's flesh, and, -with a demoniac [136] expression coming into his face in his desire -for meat, he lingered a short time by that tree. (68) As soon as the -abara leader had vanished, that old abara, with eyes pink as drops -of blood and terrible with their overhanging tawny brows, drank in, as -it were, our lives; he seemed to reckon up the number in the parrots' -nests like a falcon eager to taste bird's flesh, and looked up the -tree from its foot, wishing to climb it. The parrots seemed to have -drawn their last breath at that very moment in their terror at the -sight of him. For what is hard for the pitiless? So he climbed the -tree easily and without effort, as if by ladders, though it was as -high as many palms, and the tops of its boughs swept the clouds, -and plucked the young parrots from among its boughs one by one, -as if they were its fruit, for some were not yet strong for flight; -some were only a few days old, and were pink with the down of their -birth, so that they might almost be taken for cotton-flowers; [137] -some, with their wings just sprouting, were like fresh lotus-leaves; -some were like the Asclepias fruit; some, with their beaks growing -red, had the grace of lotus-buds with their heads rising pink from -slowly unfolding leaves; while some, under the guise of the ceaseless -motion of their heads, seemed to try to forbid him, though they could -not stop him, for he slew them and cast them on the ground. - -(69) 'But my father, seeing on a sudden this great, destructive, -remediless, overwhelming calamity that had come on us, trembled doubly, -and, with pupils quivering and wandering from fear of death, cast -all round a glance that grief had made vacant and tears had dimmed; -his palate was dry, and he could not help himself, but he covered me -with his wing, though its joints were relaxed by fear, and bethought -himself of what help could avail at such a moment. Swayed wholly by -love, bewildered how to save me, and puzzled what to do, he stood, -holding me to his breast. That miscreant, however, wandering among -the boughs, came to the entrance of the hollow, and stretched out -his left arm, dreadful as the body of an old black snake, with its -hand redolent of the raw fat of many boars, and its forearm marked -with weals from ceaseless drawing of the bowstrings, like the wand of -death; and though my father gave many a blow with his beak, and moaned -piteously, that murderous wretch dragged him down and slew him. (70) -Me, however, he somehow did not notice, though I was within the wings, -from my being small and curled into a ball from fear, and from my -not having lived my fated life, but he wrung my father's neck and -threw him dead upon the ground. Meanwhile I, with my neck between my -father's feet, clinging quietly to his breast, fell with him, and, -from my having some fated life yet to live, I found that I had fallen -on a large mass of dry leaves, heaped together by the wind, so that -my limbs were not broken. While the abara was getting down from the -tree-top, I left my father, like a heartless wretch, though I should -have died with him; but, from my extreme youth, I knew not the love -that belongs to a later age, and was wholly swayed by the fear that -dwells in us from birth; I could hardly be seen from the likeness of -my colour to the fallen leaves; I tottered along with the help of my -wings, which were just beginning to grow, thinking that I had escaped -from the jaws of death, and came to the foot of a very large tamala -tree close by. Its shoots were fitted to be the earrings of abara -women, as if it mocked the beauty of Vishnu's body by the colour of -Balarama's dark-blue robe, (71) or as if it were clad in pure strips -of the water of Yamuna; its twigs were watered by the ichor of wild -elephants; it bore the beauty of the tresses of the Vindhya Forest; -the space between its boughs was dark even by day; [138] the ground -round its root was hollow, and unpierced by the sun's rays; and I -entered it as if it were the bosom of my noble father. Then the abara -came down and gathered up the tiny parrots scattered on the ground; -he bound them hastily in a basket of leaves with a coil of creepers, -and going off with hasty steps by the path trodden by his leader, -he made for that region. I meanwhile had begun to hope for life, -but my heart was dried up with grief for my father's recent death; my -body was in pain from my long fall, and I was possessed by a violent -thirst, caused by fright, which tortured all my limbs. Then I thought, -"The villain has now gone some way," so I lifted my head a little and -gazed around with eyes tremulous with fear, thinking even when a blade -of grass moved that the wretch was coming back. I watched him go step -by step, and then, leaving the root of the tamala tree, I made a great -effort to creep near the water. (72) My steps were feeble, because -my wings were not yet grown, and again and again I fell on my face; -I supported myself on one wing; I was weak with the weariness [139] -of creeping along the ground, and from my want of practice; after -each step I always lifted my head and panted hard, and as I crept -along I became gray with dust. "Truly even in the hardest trials," -I reflected, "living creatures never become careless of life. Nothing -in this world is dearer to all created beings than life, seeing that -when my honoured father, of well-chosen name, is dead, I still live -with senses unimpaired! Shame on me that I should be so pitiless, -cruel, and ungrateful! For my life goes on shamefully in that the -grief of my father's death is so easily borne. I regard no kindness; -truly my heart is vile! I have even forgotten how, when my mother died, -my father restrained his bitter grief, and from the day of my birth, -old as he was, reckoned lightly in his deep love the great toil of -bringing me up with every care. And yet in a moment I have forgotten -how I was watched over by him! (73) Most vile is this breath of mine -which goes not straightway forth to follow my father on his path, -my father, that was so good to me! Surely there is none that thirst -of life does not harden, if the longing for water can make me take -trouble in my present plight. Methinks this idea of drinking water -is purely hardness of heart, because I think lightly of the grief -of my father's death. Even now the lake is still far off. For the -cry of the kalahamsas, like the anklets of a water-nymph, is still -far away; the cranes' notes are yet dim; the scent of the lotus-bed -comes rarely through the space it creeps through, because the distance -is great; noontide is hard to bear, for the sun is in the midst of -heaven, and scatters with his rays a blazing heat, unceasing, like -fiery dust, and makes my thirst worse; the earth with its hot thick -dust is hard to tread; my limbs are unable to go even a little way, -for they are weary with excessive thirst; I am not master of myself; -(74) my heart sinks; my eyes are darkened. O that pitiless fate would -now bring that death which yet I desire not!" Thus I thought; but -a great ascetic named Jabali dwelt in a hermitage not far from the -lake, and his son Harita, a youthful hermit, was coming down to the -lotus-lake to bathe. He, like the son of Brahma, had a mind purified -with all knowledge; he was coming by the very path where I was with -many holy youths of his own age; like a second sun, his form was hard -to see from its great brightness; he seemed to have dropped [140] -from the rising sun, and to have limbs fashioned from lightning and -a shape painted with molten gold; he showed the beauty of a wood on -fire, or of day with its early sunlight, by reason of the clear tawny -splendour of his form flashing out; he had thick matted locks hanging -on his shoulders red as heated iron, and pure with sprinkling from -many a sacred pool; his top-knot was bound as if he were Agni in the -false guise of a young Brahman in his desire to burn the Khandava Wood; -[141] he carried a bright crystal rosary hanging from his right ear, -like the anklets of the goddesses of the hermitage, and resembling the -circle of Dharma's commandments, made to turn aside all earthly joys; -(75) he adorned his brow with a tripundraka [142] mark in ashes, as if -with threefold truth; [143] he laid his left hand on a crystal pitcher -with its neck held ever upwards as if to look at the path to heaven, -like a crane gazing upwards to the sky; he was covered by a black -antelope skin hanging from his shoulders, like thick smoke that was -coming out again after being swallowed [144] in thirst for penance, -with pale-blue [145] lustre; he wore on his left shoulder a sacrificial -thread, which seemed from its lightness to be fashioned from very young -lotus-fibres, and wavered in the wind as if counting the framework of -his fleshless ribs; he held in his right hand an ashadha [146] staff, -having on its top a leafy basket full of creeper-blossoms gathered -for the worship of iva; he was followed by a deer from the hermitage, -still bearing the clay of the bathing-place dug up by its horns, quite -at home with the hermits, fed on mouthfuls of rice, and letting its -eyes wander on all sides to the kua grass flowers and creepers. Like -a tree, he was covered with soft bark; [147] like a mountain, he was -surrounded by a girdle; [148] like Rahu, he had often tasted Soma; -[149] like a day lotus-bed, he drank the sun's rays; (76) like a -tree by the river's side, his tangled locks were pure with ceaseless -washing; like a young elephant, his teeth were white as [150] pieces -of moon-lotus petals; like Drauni, he had Kripa [151] ever with him; -like the zodiac, he was adorned by having the hide [152] of the -dappled deer; like a summer day, he was free from darkness; [153] -like the rainy season, he had allayed the blinding dust of passion; -[154] like Varuna, he dwelt on the waters; [155] like Krishna, he had -banished the fear of hell; [156] like the beginning of twilight, -he had eyes tawny as the glow of dawn; [157] like early morn, -he was gilded with fresh sunlight; like the chariot of the sun, -he was controlled in his course; [158] like a good king, he brought -to nought the secret guiles of the foe; [159] (77) like the ocean, -his temples were cavernous with meditation; [160] like Bhagiratha, -he had often beheld the descent of Ganges; [161] like a bee, he had -often tasted life in a water-engirt wood; [162] though a woodsman, -he yet entered a great home; [163] though unrestrained, he longed -for release; [164] though intent on works of peace, he bore the -rod; [165] though asleep, he was yet awake; [166] though with two -well-placed eyes, he had his sinister eye abolished. [167] Such was -he who approached the lotus-lake to bathe. - -'Now the mind of the good is ever wont to be compassionate and kind -instinctively. Wherefore he, seeing my plight, was filled with pity, -and said to another young ascetic standing near: (78) "This little -half-fledged parrot has somehow fallen from the top of that tree, -or perhaps from a hawk's mouth. For, owing to his long fall, he has -hardly any life left; his eyes are closed, and he ever falls on his -face and pants violently, and opens his beak, nor can he hold up his -neck. Come, then, take him before his breath deserts him. Carry him -to the water." So saying, he had me taken to the edge of the lake; -and, coming there, he laid down his staff and pitcher near the water, -and, taking me himself, just when I had given up all effort, he lifted -up my head, and with his finger made me drink a few drops of water; -and when I had been sprinkled with water and had gained fresh breath, -he placed me in the cool wet shade of a fresh lotus-leaf growing on -the bank, and went through the wonted rites of bathing. After that, -he purified himself by often holding his breath, and murmuring the -cleansing aghamarshana [168], and then he arose and, with upraised -face, made an offering to the sun with freshly-plucked red lotuses -in a cup of lotus-leaves. Having taken a pure white robe, so that -he was like the glow of evening sunlight accompanied by the moon's -radiance, he rubbed his hair with his hands till it shone, and, (79) -followed by the band of ascetic youths, with their hair yet wet from -recent bathing, he took me and went slowly towards the penance grove. - -'And after going but a short way, I beheld the penance grove, hidden -in thick woods rich in flowers and fruit. - -(80) 'Its precincts were filled by munis entering on all sides, -followed by pupils murmuring the Vedas, and bearing fuel, kua grass, -flowers, and earth. There the sound of the filling of the pitchers -was eagerly heard by the peacocks; there appeared, as it were, -a bridge to heaven under the guise of smoke waving to exalt to the -gods the muni race while yet in the body by fires satisfied with the -ceaseless offering of ghee; all round were tanks with their waves -traversed by lines of sunbeams stainless as though from contact with -the hermits they rested upon, plunged into by the circle of the Seven -Rishis who had come to see their penance, and lifting by night an open -moon-lotus-bed, like a cluster of constellations descending to honour -the rishis; the hermitage received homage from woodland creepers with -their tops bent by the wind, and from trees with their ever-falling -blossoms, and was worshipped by trees with the ajali of interlaced -boughs; parched grain was scattered in the yards round the huts, -and the fruit of the myrobalan, lavali, jujube, banana, bread-tree, -mango, panasa, [169] and palm pressed on each other; (81) the young -Brahmans were eloquent in reciting the Vedas; the parrot-race was -garrulous with the prayer of oblation that they learnt by hearing it -incessantly; the subrahmanya [170] was recited by many a maina; the -balls of rice offered to the deities were devoured by the cocks of the -forest, and the offering of wild rice was eaten by the young kalahamsas -of the tanks close by. The eating-places of the sages were protected -from pollution by ashes cast round them. (82) The fire for the munis' -homa sacrifice was fanned by the tails of their friends the peacocks; -the sweet scent of the oblation prepared with nectar, the fragrance of -the half-cooked sacrificial cake was spread around; the crackling of -flames in the offering of a stream of unbroken libations made the place -resonant; a host of guests was waited upon; the Pitris were honoured; -Vishnu, iva, and Brahma were worshipped. The performance of raddha -rites was taught; the science of sacrifice explained; the astras -of right conduct examined; good books of every kind recited; and the -meaning of the astras pondered. Leafy huts were being begun; courts -smeared with paste, and the inside of the huts scrubbed. Meditation -was being firmly grasped, mantras duly carried out, yoga practised, -and offerings made to woodland deities. Brahmanical girdles of -muja grass were being made, bark garments washed, fuel brought, -deer-skins decked, grass gathered, lotus-seed dried, rosaries strung, -and bamboos laid in order for future need. [171] Wandering ascetics -received hospitality, and pitchers were filled. - -(84) 'There defilement is found in the smoke of the oblations, not in -evil conduct; redness of face in parrots, not in angry men; sharpness -in blades of grass, not in dispositions; wavering in plantain-leaves, -not in minds; red eyes [172] in cuckoos alone; clasping of necks -with pitchers only; binding of girdles in vows, not in quarrels; -pakshapata [173] in cocks, not in scientific discussions; wandering -in making the sunwise turn round the soma fire, but not error in the -astras; mention of the Vasus in legends, but not longing for wealth; -counting of beads for Rudra, but no account made of the body; loss of -locks by the saints in the practice of sacrifice, but not loss of their -children [174] by death; propitiation of Rama by reciting the Ramayana, -not of women [175] by youth; wrinkles brought on by old age, not by -pride of riches; the death of a akuni [176] in the Mahabharata only; -only in the Purana windy talk; [177] in old age only loss of teeth; -[178] coldness only in the park sandal-trees; [179] (85) in fires only -turning to ashes; [180] only deer love to hear song; only peacocks care -for dancing; only snakes wear hoods; [181] only monkeys desire fruit; -[182] only roots have a downward tendency. - -(85-89, condensed) 'There, beneath the shade of a red aoka-tree, -beauteous with new oblations of flowers, purified with ointment of -fresh gomaya, garlanded with kua grass and strips of bark tied on -by the hermitage maidens, I saw the holy Jabali surrounded by most -ascetic sages, like time by ons, the last day by suns, the sacrifice -by bearers of the three fires, [183] the golden mountain by the noble -hills, or the earth by the oceans. - -(89) 'And as I looked on him I thought: "Ah! how great is the power of -penance! His form, calm as it is, yet pure as molten gold, overpowers, -like lightning, the brightness of the eye with its brilliance. Though -ever tranquil, it inspires fear at first approach by its inherent -majesty. The splendour of even those ascetics who have practised but -little asceticism is wont to be easily provoked, like fire swiftly -falling on dry reeds, kaa grass, or flowers. (90) How much more, then, -that of holy men like these, whose feet are honoured by the whole -world, whose stains are worn away by penance, who look with divine -insight on the whole earth as if it were a myrobalan [184] in the hand, -and who purge away all sin. For even the mention of a great sage has -its reward; much more, then, the sight of him! Happy is the hermitage -where dwells this king of Brahmans! Nay, rather, happy is the whole -world in being trodden by him who is the very Brahma of earth! Truly -these sages enjoy the reward of their good deeds in that they attend -him day and night with no other duty, hearing holy stories and ever -fixing on him their steady gaze, as if he were another Brahma. Happy -is Sarasvati, who, encircled by his shining teeth, and ever enjoying -the nearness of his lotus-mouth, dwells in his serene mind, with -its unfathomable depths and its full stream of tenderness, like a -hamsa on the Manasa lake. The four Vedas, that have long dwelt in the -four lotus-mouths of Brahma, find here their best and most fitting -home. (91) All the sciences, which became turbid in the rainy season -of the Iron Age, become pure when they reach him, as rivers coming -to autumn. Of a surety, holy Dharma, having taken up his abode here -after quelling the riot of the Iron Age, no longer cares to recall -the Golden Age. Heaven, seeing earth trodden by him, no longer takes -pride in being dwelt in by the Seven Rishis. How bold is old age, -which fears not to fall on his thick matted locks, moonbeam-pale as -they are, and hard to gaze on as the rays of the sun of doom. [185] -For it falls on him as Ganges, white with flecks of foam, on iva, -or as an offering of milk on Agni. Even the sun's rays keep far from -the penance-grove, as if terrified by the greatness of the saint whose -hermitage is darkened by the thick smoke of many an oblation. These -fires, too, for love of him, receive oblations purified by hymns, for -their flames are pressed together by the wind, like hands reverently -raised. (92) The wind itself approaches him timidly, just stirring the -linen and bark dresses, fragrant with the sweet creeper blossoms of the -hermitage, and gentle in motion. Yet the glorious might of the elements -is wont to be beyond our resistance! But this man towers above [186] -the mightiest! The earth shines as if with two suns, being trodden by -this noble man. In his support the world stands firm. He is the stream -of sympathy, the bridge over the ocean of transient existence, and the -home of the waters of patience; the axe for the glades of the creepers -of desire, the ocean of the nectar of content, the guide in the path -of perfection, the mountain behind which sets the planet of ill, [187] -the root of the tree of endurance, the nave of the wheel of wisdom, -the staff of the banner of righteousness, the holy place for the -descent of all knowledge, the submarine fire of the ocean of craving, -the touch-stone of the jewels of the astras, the consuming flame of -the buds of passion, the charm against the snake of wrath, the sun -to dispel the darkness of delusion, the binder of the bolts of hell's -gates, the native home of noble deeds, the temple of propitious rites, -the forbidden ground for the degradation of passion, the sign-post -to the paths of good, the birthplace of holiness, the felly of the -wheel of effort, the abode of strength, the foe of the Iron Age, the -treasury of penance, the friend of truth, the native soil of sincerity, -the source of the heaping up of merit, the closed gate for envy, the -foe of calamity. (93) Truly he is one in whom disrespect can find no -place; for he is averse from pride, unclaimed by meanness, unenslaved -by wrath, and unattracted by pleasure. Purely by the grace of this -holy man the hermitage is free from envy and calm from enmity. Great -is the power of a noble soul. Here, ceasing their constant feud, the -very animals are quiet, and learn the joy of a hermitage life. For -here a snake, wearied by the sun, fearlessly enters, as if into -fresh grass, into the peacock's tail, like an interwoven grove -of open lotuses, with its hundred beauteous eyes, changing in hue -as the eyes of a deer. Here a young antelope, leaving his mother, -makes friends with the lion-cubs whose manes are not yet grown, and -drinks at the bounteous breast of the lioness. Here a lion closes his -eyes, and is pleased to have his moon-white mane pulled by the young -elephants that mistake it for lotus-fibres. Here the monkey-tribe loses -its capriciousness and brings fruit to the young munis after their -bath. There the elephants, too, though excited, are tender-hearted, -and do not drive away by their flapping the bees that dwell round their -frontal bones, and stay motionless to drink their ichor. (94) But what -need of more? There even the senseless trees, with roots and fruits, -clad in bark, and adorned with outer garments of black antelope skin -perpetually made for them by the upward creeping lines of sacrificial -smoke, seem like fellow ascetics of this holy man. How much more, -then, living beings, endowed with sense!" - -'And while I was thus thinking, Harita placed me somewhere in the shade -of the aoka tree, and embracing his father's feet and saluting him, -sat down not far from him on a seat of kua grass. - -'But the hermits, looking on me, asked him as he rested: "Whence was -this little parrot brought?" "When I went hence to bathe," replied he, -"I found this little parrot fallen from its nest in a tree on the -bank of the lotus-lake, faint with the heat, lying in hot dust, and -shaken by the fall, with little life left in him. And as I could not -replace him in his nest (for that tree was too hard for an ascetic -to climb), I brought him hither in pity. So, while his wings are not -grown, and he cannot fly into the sky, let him live in the hollow of -some hermitage tree, (95) fed on the juice of fruits and on handfuls -of rice brought to him by us and by the young hermits. For it is the -law of our order to protect the weak. But when his wings are grown, -and he can fly into the sky, he shall go where he likes. Or perhaps, -when he knows us well, he will stay here." The holy Jabali, hearing -this and other remarks about me, with some curiosity bent his head -slightly, and, with a very calm glance that seemed to purify me with -holy waters, he gazed long upon me, and then, looking again and again -as if he were beginning to recognise me, said: "He is reaping the fruit -of his own ill-conduct." For by the potency of penance the saint with -divine insight beholds the past, present, and future, and sees the -whole world as though placed on the palm of his hand. He knows past -births. He tells things yet to come. He declares the length of days -of beings within his sight. - -'At these words the whole assemblage of hermits, aware of his power, -became curious to know what was my crime, and why committed, and where, -and who I was in a former birth; and implored the saint, saying: (96) -"Vouchsafe, sir, to tell us of what kind of misconduct he is reaping -the fruits. Who was he in a former birth, and how was he born in -the form of a bird? How is he named? Do thou satisfy our curiosity, -for thou art the fountain-head of all marvels." - -'Thus urged by the assemblage, the great saint replied: "The story of -this wonder is very long, the day is almost spent, our bathing-time -is near, while the hour for worshipping the gods is passing. Arise, -therefore; let each perform his duties as is meet. In the afternoon, -after your meal of roots and fruits, when you are resting quietly, -I will tell you the whole story from beginning to end--who he is, what -he did in another birth, and how he was born in this world. Meanwhile, -let him be refreshed with food. He will certainly recall, as it -were, the vision of a dream when I tell the whole story of his former -birth." So saying, he arose, and with the hermits bathed and performed -their other daily duties. - -(97) 'The day was now drawing to a close. When the hermits rose -from their bathing, and were offering a sacrifice, the sun in the -sky seemed to bear upwards before our eyes the offering cast on the -ground, with its unguent of red sandal-wood. Then his glow faded and -vanished; the effluence of his glory was drunk by the Ushmapas [188] -with faces raised and eyes fixed on his orb, as if they were ascetics; -and he glided from the sky pink as a dove's foot, drawing in his rays -as though to avoid touching the Seven Rishis as they rose. His orb, -with its network of crimson rays reflected on the Western Ocean, -was like the lotus of Vishnu on his couch of waters pouring forth -nectar; his beams, forsaking the sky and deserting the lotus-groves, -lingered at eve like birds on the crest of hill and tree; the splashes -of crimson light seemed for a moment to deck the trees with the red -bark garments hung up by the ascetics. And when the thousand-rayed sun -had gone to rest, twilight sprang up like rosy coral from the Western -Ocean. (98) Then the hermitage became the home of quiet thought, as -the pleasant sound of milking the sacred cows arose in one quarter, -and the fresh kua grass was scattered on the altar of Agni, and the -rice and oblations to the goddesses of space were tossed hither and -thither by the hermitage maidens. And red-starred eve seemed to the -hermits as the red-eyed cow of the hermitage roaming about, tawny -in the fall of day. And when the sun had vanished, the lotus-bed, -in the grief of bereavement, seemed to perform a vow in the hopes of -rejoining the lord of day, for she lifted the goblets of her buds, -and wore the fine white vesture of her hamsas, and was girt with the -sacrificial thread of white filaments, and bore a circle of bees as -her rosary. And the starry host leapt up and filled the sky, like a -splash of spray when the sun fell into the Western Ocean; and for a -brief space the star-bespangled sky shone as though inlaid with flowers -offered by the daughters of the Siddhas [189] in honour of twilight; -but in a moment the whole glory of the gloaming vanished as though -washed away by the libations which the hermits, with faces upraised, -cast towards the sky; (99) and at its departure, night, as sorrowing -for its loss, wore a deeper darkness, like a black antelope's skin--a -blackness which darkened all save the hearts of the hermits. - -'Learning that the sun had gone to rest, the lord of rays ambrosial, in -pure severity of light, arrayed in the whiteness of clear gossamer, -dwelling in the palace of his wives with Tara, [190] mounted the -sky which, in that it was outlined with the darkness of tamala-trees, -presided over by the circle of Seven Rishis, purified by the wanderings -of Arundhati, [191] surrounded by Ashadha, [192] showing its Mula -[193] with its soft-eyed white deer, [194] was a very hermitage of -heaven. White as a hamsa, moonlight fell on the earth, filling the -seas; falling, as Ganges from the head of iva, from the sky which -was decked with the moon, and inlaid with the shattered potsherds -of the stars. (100) And in the moon-lake, white as an opening lotus, -was seen the motionless deer, which went down in eagerness to drink -the water of the moonbeams, and was caught, as it were, in the mud -of ambrosia. The lakes of the night-lotus were fondly visited by -the moonbeams, like hamsas, falling on the ocean white as sinduvara -flowers in their fresh purity after the rains. At that moment the -globe of the moon lost all the glow of its rising, like the frontal -bone of the elephant Airavata when its red lead is washed away by -plunging into the heavenly stream; and his highness the cold-shedder -had gradually risen high in the sky, and by his light had whitened -the earth as with lime-dust; the breezes of early night were blowing, -slackened in their course by the cold dew, aromatic with the scent -of opening moon-lotuses, (101) and gladly welcomed by the deer, who, -with eyes weighed down by the approach of sleep, and eyelashes clinging -together, were beginning to ruminate and rest in quiet. - -'Only half a watch of the night was spent, when Harita took me after -my meal and went with the other holy hermits to his father, who, -in a moonlit spot of the hermitage, was sitting on a bamboo stool, -gently fanned by a pupil named Jalapada, who held a fan of antelope -skin white as dharba grass, and he spake, saying: "Father, the whole -assemblage of hermits is in a circle round thee, with hearts eager -to hear this wonder; the little bird, too, has rested. Tell us, -therefore, what he has done, who was he, and who will he be in -another birth?" Thus addressed, the great saint, looking at me, -and seeing the hermits before him intently listening, slowly spake: -"Let the tale be told, if ye care to hear it. - -'"(102) There is a city named Ujjayini, the proudest gem of earth, -the very home of the golden age, created by Mahakala, [195] creator, -preserver, and destroyer of the three worlds, and lord of Pramathas, -as a habitation meet for himself, as it were a second earth. There -the sun is daily seen paying homage to Mahakala, for his steeds vail -their heads at the charm of the sweet chant of the women singing in -concert in the lofty white palace, and his pennon droops before him. - -(109) '"There darkness never falls, and the nights bring no separation -to the pairs of cakravakas; nor need they any lamps, for they pass -golden as with morning sunshine, from the bright jewels of women, -as though the world were on fire with the flame of love. (110) There -the only unending life is in jewelled lamps, the only wavering in -pearl necklaces, the only variations in the sound of drum and song, -the only disunion of pairs in cakravakas, the only testing of colour -[196] in gold pieces, the only unsteadiness in banners, the only -hatred of the sun [197] in night-lotuses, the only concealment of -metal in the sheathing of the sword. (111) Why should I say more? For -he whose bright feet are kissed by the rays of the jewelled crests -of gods and demons, who hath the river of heaven wandering lost in -his locks tawny with a wreath of flame for the burning of the world; -he the foe of Andhaka; he the holy one; he who hath given up his -love for his home on Kailasa; even he whose name is Mahakala hath -there made a habitation for himself. And in this city was a king -named Tarapida. He was like unto the great kings Nala, Nahusha, -Yayati, Dundhumara, Bharata, Bhagiratha, and Daaratha; by the might -of his arm he conquered the whole world; he reaped the fruits of the -three powers; [198] wise and resolute, with an intellect unwearied in -political science, and a deep study of the law books, he made in light -and glory a third with the sun and moon. (112) His form was purified -by many a sacrifice; by him the calamities of the whole world were -set at rest; to him Lakshmi openly clung, deserting her lotus-woods -and despising the happiness of her home in the breast of Narayana, -she the lotus-handed, who ever joys in the contest of heroes. He was -the source of truth, ever honoured by the race of saints, as the foot -of Vishnu was of the stream of the heavenly Ganges. - -'"From him arose glory, as from the ocean of the moon, for his -brightness, free from heat, consumed his foes; constant, ever roamed; -stainless, darkened the brightness of the lotus-faced widows of his -foes; white, made all things gay. (113) He was the incarnation of -justice, the very representative of Vishnu and the destroyer of all -the sorrows of his people. - -(115) '"When he approached the throne that blossomed with the rays of -many gems and was hung with clusters of pearls, like the elephant of -space approaching the tree of desire, all the wide quarters of space, -like creepers weighed down by bees, bowed down before his majesty; -and of him, I think, even Indra was envious. From him, too, proceeded a -host of virtues, like a flock of hamsas from Mount Krauca, brightening -the earth's surface, and gladdening the hearts of all mankind. His -fame wandered, so that the world echoed with it throughout the ten -regions, making fair the world of gods and demons, like a streak of -foam of the stream of milk tossed by Mandara, ambrosial sweet. His -royal glory never for a moment laid aside the shade of her umbrella, -as though scorched by the heat of a splendour hard to bear. (116) -His achievements were heard by the people like news of good fortune, -were received like the teaching of a guru, were valued like a good -omen, were murmured like a hymn, and were remembered like a sacred -text. And while he was king, though the flight of the mountains was -stayed, the flight of thought was free; suffixes alone were dependent, -and the people feared no foe; nought dared to face him but his mirror; -the pressure of Durga [199] was given to iva's image alone; the bow -was only borne by the clouds; there was no uprising save of banners, no -bending save of bows, no shaft sped home save the bee's on the bamboo, -no enforced wandering save of the images of gods in a procession, -no imprisonment save of flowers in their calyx, no restraint save of -the senses; wild elephants entered the pale, but none paled before -the water-ordeal; the only sharpness was in the edge of the sword; -the only endurance of the flame [200] was by ascetics; the only passing -the Balance [201] was by the stars; the only clearing of baneful [202] -waters was in the rising of Agastya; the only cutting short was of -hair and nails; the only stained garb was of the sky on stormy days; -the only laying bare was of gems, and not of secret counsels; the only -mysteries [203] were those of religion; (117) none ceased to behold -the light save slaughtered Taraka [204] in the praises of Kumara; none -dreaded eclipse save the sun; none passed over the First-born [205] -save the moon; none heard of the Disobedient save in the Mahabharata; -none grasped the rod [206] save in the decline of life; none clung -to a sinister object save the sword-sheath; no stream of liberality -was interrupted save the elephant's ichor; no squares were deserted -save those on the dice-board. - -'"That king had a minister, by name ukanasa, a Brahman, whose -intelligence was fixed on all the affairs of the kingdom, whose -mind had plunged deeply into the arts and astras, and whose strong -affection for the king had grown up in him from childhood. Skilled in -the precepts of political science, pilot of the world's government, -unshaken in resolve by the greatest difficulties, he was the castle of -constancy, the station of steadfastness, the bridge of bright truth, -the guide to all goodness, the conductor in conduct, the ordainer -of all ordered life. Like the serpent esha, enduring the weight of -the world; like the ocean, full of life; like Jarasandha, shaping -war and peace; [207] (118) like iva, at home with Durga [208]; -like Yuddhishthira, a dayspring of Dharma, he knew all the Vedas -and Vedangas, and was the essence of the kingdom's prosperity. He -was like Brihaspati [209] to Sunasira; like ukra to Vrishaparvan; -like Vaishtha to Daaratha; like Vivamitra to Rama; like Dhaumya to -Ajataatru; like Damanaka to Nala. He, by the force of his knowledge, -thought that Lakshmi was not hard to win, resting though she were on -the breast of Narayana, terrible with the scars of the weapons of the -demons of hell, and a strong shoulder hardened by the pitiless pressure -of Mount Mandara as it moved to and fro. Near him knowledge spread -wide, thick with many a tendril, and showed the fruits gained from -conquered realms like a creeper near a tree. (119) To him throughout -the earth's surface, measured by the circumference of the four oceans, -and filled with the goings to and fro of many thousands of spies, every -whisper of the kings was known as though uttered in his own palace. - -'"Now, Tarapida while yet a child had conquered the whole earth ringed -by the seven Dvipas by the might of his arm, thick as the trunk of -Indra's elephant, and he devolved the weight of the empire on that -councillor named ukanasa, and having made his subjects perfectly -contented, he searched for anything else that remained to be done. - -'"And as he had crushed his enemies and had lost all cause for fear, -and as the strain of the world's affairs had become a little relaxed, -for the most part he began to pursue the ordinary pleasures of youth. - -(124) '"And some time passed while the king pursued the pleasures of -youth, and entrusted the affairs of state to his minister; and after -a time he came to the end of all the other pleasures of life, and the -only one he did not get was the sight of a son born to him; so that -his zenana was like reeds showing only flowers without fruit; and as -youth went by there arose in him a regret produced by childlessness, -and his mind was turned away from the desire of the pleasures of sense, -and he felt himself alone, though surrounded by a thousand princes; -blind, though possessed of sight; without support, though supporting -the world. - -(125) '"But the fairest ornament of this king was his queen Vilasavati; -as the moon's digit to the braided hair of iva, as the splendour -of the Kaustubha gem to the breast of the foe [210] of Kaitabha, -as the woodland garland to Balarama, as the shore to the ocean, as -the creeper to the tree, as the outburst of flowers to the spring, -as the moonlight to the moon, as the lotus-bed to the lake, as the -array of stars to the sky, as the circling of hamsas to Lake Manasa, -as the line of sandal-woods to Mount Malaya, as the jewelled crest to -esha, so was she to her lord; she reigned peerless in the zenana, -and created wonder in the three worlds, as though she were the very -source of all womanly grace. - -'"And it chanced once that, going to her dwelling, he beheld her -seated on a stately [211] couch, weeping bitterly, surrounded by -her household mute in grief, their glances fixed in meditation, and -attended by her chamberlains, who waited afar with eyes motionless -in anxious thought, while the old women of the zenana were trying -to console her. Her silken robes were wet with ceaseless tears; her -ornaments were laid aside; her lotus-face rested on her left hand; and -her tresses were unbound and in disorder. As she arose to welcome him, -the king placed her on the couch again, and sitting there himself, -ignorant of the cause of her weeping, and in great alarm, wiped away -with his hand the tears from her cheeks, saying: (126) 'My queen, -what means this weeping, voiceless and low with the weight of the -heavy sorrow concealed in thy heart? For these eyelashes of thine are -stringing, as it were, a network of pearls of dropping tears. Why, -slender one, art thou unadorned? and why has not the stream of lac -fallen on thy feet like early sunlight on rosy lotus-buds? And why -are thy jewelled anklets, with their murmur like teals on the lake -of love, not graced with the touch of thy lotus-feet? And why is -this waist of thine bereft of the music of the girdle thou hast laid -aside? And why is there no device painted on thy breast like the deer -on the moon? and why is that slender neck of thine, fair-limbed queen, -not adorned with a rope of pearls as the crescent on iva's brow by -the heavenly stream? And why dost thou, erst so gay, wear in vain -a face whose adornment is washed away with flowing tears? And why -is this hand, with its petal-like cluster of soft fingers, exalted -into an ear-jewel, as though it were a rosy lotus? (127) And why, -froward lady, dost thou raise thy straight brow undecked with the -mark of yellow pigment, and surrounded by the mass of thine unbound -tresses? For these flowing locks of thine, bereft of flowers, grieve -my eyes, like the loss of the moon in the dark fortnight, clouded in -masses of thickest gloom. Be kind, and tell me, my queen, the cause -of thy grief. For this storm of sighs with which the robe on thy -breast is quivering bows my loving heart like a ruddy tendril. Has -any wrong been done by me, or by any in thy service? Closely as I -examine myself, I can truly see no failure of mine towards thee. For -my life and my kingdom are wholly thine. Let the cause of thy woe, -fair queen, be told.' But Vilasavati, thus addressed, made no reply, -and turning to her attendants, he asked the cause of her exceeding -grief. Then her betel-nut bearer, Makarika, who was always near her, -said to the king: 'My lord, how could any fault, however slight, -be committed by thee? (128) And how in thy presence could any of thy -followers, or anyone else, offend? The sorrow of the queen is that her -union with the king is fruitless, as though she were seized by Rahu, -and for a long time she has been suffering. For at first our lady -was like one in heavy grief, was only occupied with difficulty by -the persuasion of her attendants in the ordinary duties of the day, -however fitting they might be, such as sleeping, bathing, eating, -putting on of ornaments, and the like, and, like a Lakshmi of the lower -world, ceaselessly upbraided divine love. [212] But in her longing -to take away the grief of my lord's heart, she did not show her sad -change. Now, however, as it was the fourteenth day of the month, -she went to worship holy Mahakala, and heard in a recitation of the -Mahabharata, "No bright abodes await the childless, for a son is he -who delivers from the sunless shades"; and when she heard this, she -returned to her palace, and now, though reverently entreated thereto -by her attendants, she takes no pleasure in food, nor does she busy -herself in putting on her jewels, nor does she vouchsafe to answer -us; (129) she only weeps, and her face is clouded with a storm of -ever-flowing tears. My lord has heard, and must judge.' So saying, -she ceased; and, with a long and passionate sigh, the king spoke thus: - -'"'My queen, what can be done in a matter decreed by fate? Enough of -this weeping beyond measure! For it is not on us that the gods are -wont to bestow their favours. In truth, our heart is not destined to -hold the bliss of that ambrosial draught, the embrace of a child of -our own. In a former life no glorious deed was done; for a deed done -in a former life brings forth fruit in man's life on earth; even the -wisest man cannot change destiny. Let all be done that may be done in -this mortal life. Do more honour to the gurus; redouble thy worship of -the gods; let thy good works be seen in thy reverence to the rishis; -for the rishis are a powerful deity, and if we serve them with all our -might, they will give boons that fulfil our heart's desire, hard though -it be to gain. (130) For the tale is an old one how King Brihadratha -in Magadha won by the power of Candakauika a son Jarasandha, victor -of Vishnu, peerless in prowess, fatal to his foes. Daaratha, too, -when very old, received by the favour of Rishyaringa, son of the great -saint Vibhandaka, four sons, unconquerable as the arms of Narayana, -and unshaken as the depths of the oceans. [213] And many other royal -sages, having conciliated ascetics, have enjoyed the happiness of -tasting the ambrosia of the sight of a son. For the honour paid to -saints is never without its reward. - -'"'And for me, when shall I behold my queen ready to bear a child, -pale as the fourteenth night when the rising of the full moon is at -hand; and when will her attendants, hardly able to bear the joy of -the great festival of the birth of my son, carry the full basket of -gifts? When will my queen gladden me wearing yellow robes, and holding -a son in her arms, like the sky with the newly-risen sun and the early -sunlight; and when will a son give me joy of heart, with his curly -hair yellow with many a plant, a few ashes mixed with mustard-seed -on his palate, which has a drop of ghi on it as a talisman, (131) -and a thread bright with yellow dye round his neck, as he lies on his -back and smiles with a little toothless mouth; when will this baby -destroy all the darkness of sorrow in my eyes like an auspicious lamp -welcomed by all the people, handed from one to another by the zenana -attendants, shining tawny with yellow dye; and when will he adorn the -courtyard, as he toddles round it, followed by my heart and my eyes, -and gray with the dust of the court; and when will he walk from one -place to another and the power of motion be formed in his knees, -so that, like a young lion, he may try to catch the young tame deer -screened behind the crystal walls? And when, running about at will -in the courtyard, will he run after the tame geese, accompanied -by the tinkling of the anklets of the zenana, and weary his nurse, -who will hasten after him, following the sound of the bells of his -golden girdle; (132) and when will he imitate the antics of a wild -elephant, and have his cheeks adorned with a line of ichor painted in -black aloe, full of joy at the sound of the bell held in his mouth, -gray with the dust of sandal-wood scattered by his uplifted hand, -shaking his head at the beckoning of the hooked finger; and when -will he disguise the faces of the old chamberlains with the juice of -handfuls of lac left after being used to colour his mother's feet; -and when, with eyes restless in curiosity, will he bend his glance -on the inlaid floors, and with tottering steps pursue his own shadow; -and when will he creep about during the audience in front of me as I -stand in my audience-hall, with his eyes wandering bewildered by the -rays of the gems, and have his coming welcomed by the outstretched -arms of a thousand kings? Thinking on a hundred such desires, I pass -my nights in suffering. Me, too, the grief arising from our want of -children burns like a fire day and night. The world seems empty; -I look on my kingdom as without fruit. But what can I do towards -Brahma, from whom there is no appeal? Therefore, my queen, cease -thy continual grief. Let thy heart be devoted to endurance and to -duty. For increase of blessings is ever nigh at hand for those who -set their thoughts on duty.' (133) Thus saying, with a hand like -a fresh tendril, he took water and wiped her tear-stained face, -which showed as an opening lotus; and having comforted her again and -again with many a speech sweet with a hundred endearments, skilled to -drive away grief, and full of instruction about duty, he at last left -her. And when he was gone, Vilasavati's sorrow was a little soothed, -and she went about her usual daily duties, such as putting on of her -adornments. And from that time forth she was more and more devoted to -propitiating the gods, honouring Brahmans, and paying reverence to -all holy persons; whatever recommendation she heard from any source -she practised in her longing for a child, nor did she count the -fatigue, however great; she slept within the temples of Durga, dark -with smoke of bdellium ceaselessly burnt, on a bed of clubs covered -with green grass, fasting, her pure form clothed in white raiment; -(134) she bathed under cows endued with auspicious marks, adorned for -the occasion by the wives of the old cowherds in the herd-stations, -with golden pitchers laden with all sorts of jewels, decorated with -branches of the pipal, decked with divers fruits and flowers and -filled with holy water; every day she would rise and give to Brahmans -golden mustard-leaves adorned with every gem; she stood in the midst -of a circle drawn by the king himself, in a place where four roads -meet, on the fourteenth night of the dark fortnight, and performed -auspicious rites of bathing, in which the gods of the quarters were -gladdened by the various oblations offered; she honoured the shrines -of the siddhas and sought the houses of neighbouring Matrikas, [214] -in which faith was displayed by the people; she bathed in all the -celebrated snake-ponds; with a sun-wise turn, she worshipped the pipal -and other trees to which honour was wont to be shown; after bathing, -with hands circled by swaying bracelets, she herself gave to the -birds an offering of curds and boiled rice placed in a silver cup; -she offered daily to the goddess Durga a sacrifice consisting of -parched grain of oblation, boiled rice, sesamum sweetmeats, cakes, -unguents, incense, and flowers, in abundance; (135) she besought, -with a mind prostrate in adoration, the naked wandering ascetics, -bearing the name of siddhas, and carrying their begging-bowls filled -by her; she greatly honoured the directions of fortune-tellers; -she frequented all the soothsayers learned in signs; she showed all -respect to those who understood the omens of birds; she accepted all -the secrets handed down in the tradition of a succession of venerable -sages; in her longing for the sight of a son, she made the Brahmans -who came into her presence chant the Veda; she heard sacred stories -incessantly repeated; she carried about little caskets of mantras -filled with birch-leaves written over in yellow letters; she tied -strings of medicinal plants as amulets; even her attendants went -out to hear passing sounds and grasped the omens arising from them; -she daily threw out lumps of flesh in the evening for the jackals; -she told the pandits the wonders of her dreams, and at the cross-roads -she offered oblation to iva. - -'"And as time went on, it chanced once that near the end of night, -when the sky was gray as an old pigeon's wing, and but few stars -were left, the king saw in a dream the full moon entering the mouth -of Vilasavati, as she rested on the roof of her white palace, like a -ball of lotus-fibres into the mouth of an elephant. (136) Thereupon -he woke, and arising, shedding brightness through his dwelling by -the joyous dilation of his eyes, he straightway called ukanasa -and told him the dream; whereto the latter, filled with sudden joy, -replied: 'Sire, our wishes and those of thy subjects are at length -fulfilled. After a few days my lord will doubtless experience the -happiness of beholding the lotus-face of a son; for I, too, this night -in a dream saw a white-robed Brahman, of godlike bearing and calm -aspect, place in Manorama's [215] lap a lotus that rained drops of -honey, with a hundred outspread white petals, like the moon's digits, -and a thousand quivering stamens forming its matted locks. Now, -all auspicious omens which come to us foretell the near approach of -joy; and what other cause of joy can there be than this? for dreams -seen at the close of night are wont to bear fruit in truth. (137) -Certainly ere long the queen shall bear a son that, like Mandhatri, -shall be a leader among all royal sages, and a cause of joy to all the -world; and he shall gladden thy heart, O king, as the lotus-pool in -autumn with its burst of fresh lotuses gladdens the royal elephant; -by him thy kingly line shall become strong to bear the weight of -the world, and shall be unbroken in its succession as the stream of -a wild elephant's ichor.' As he thus spoke, the king, taking him by -the hand, entered the inner apartments and gladdened the queen, with -both their dreams. And after some days, by the grace of the gods, -the hope of a child came to Vilasavati, like the moon's image on a -lake, and she became thereby yet more glorious, like the line of the -Nandana wood with the tree of Paradise, or the breast of Vishnu with -the Kaustubha gem. - -(138) '"On one memorable day the king had gone at evening to an inner -pavilion, where, encircled by a thousand lamps, burning bright with -abundance of scented oil, he was like the full moon in the midst of -stars, or like Narayana seated among the thousand jewelled hoods of -the king of snakes; he was surrounded only by a few great kings who -had received the sprinkling of coronation; his own attendants stood -at some distance; close by ukanasa was sitting on a high stool, clad -in white silk, with little adornment, a statesman profound as the -depths of ocean; and with him the king was holding a conversation on -many topics, full of the confidence that had grown with their growth, -when he was approached by the handmaiden Kulavardhana, the queen's -chief attendant, always skilled in the ways of a court, well trained -by nearness to royalty, and versed in all auspicious ceremonies, -who whispered in his ear the news about Vilasavati. (139) At her -words, so fresh to his ears, the king's limbs were bedewed as if -with ambrosia, a thrill passed through his whole body, and he was -bewildered with the draught of joy; his cheeks burst into a smile; -under the guise of the bright flash of his teeth he scattered abroad -the happiness that overflowed his heart, and his eye, with its pupil -quivering, and its lashes wet with tears of gladness, fell on the face -of ukanasa. And when ukanasa saw the king's exceeding joy, such as he -had never seen before, and beheld the approach of Kulavardhana with a -radiant smile on her face, though he had not heard the tidings, yet, -from constantly revolving the matter in his mind, he saw no other -cause befitting the time of this excess of gladness; (140) he saw -all, and bringing his seat closer to the king, said in a low voice: -'My lord, there is some truth in that dream; for Kulavardhana has -her eyes radiant, and thy twin eyes announce a cause of great joy, -for they are dilated, their pupils are tremulous, and they are bathed -in tears of joy, and as they seem to creep to the lobes of thy ears -in their eagerness to hear the good tidings, they produce, as it were, -the beauty of an ear-pendant of blue lotuses. My longing heart yearns -to hear the festival that has sprung up for it. Therefore let my lord -tell me what is this news.' When he had thus said, the king replied -with a smile: 'If it is true as she says, then all our dream is true; -but I cannot believe it. How should so great a happiness fall to -our lot? For we are no fitting vessel for the bearing of such good -tidings. Kulavardhana is always truthful, and yet when I consider -how unworthy I am of such joy, I look upon her as having changed her -nature. Rise, therefore; I myself will go and ask the queen if it is -true, and then I shall know.' (141) So saying, he dismissed all the -kings, and taking off his ornaments, gave them to Kulavardhana, and -when, on his gracious dismissal of her with gifts, he received her -homage paid with a deep reverence as she touched the earth with her -straight brow, he rose with ukanasa and went to the inner apartments, -hurried on by a mind filled with exceeding happiness, and gladdened -by the throbbing of his right eye, which seemed to mimic the play of -a blue lotus-petal stirred by the wind. He was followed by a scanty -retinue, as befitted so late a visit, and had the thick darkness of -the courtyard dispelled by the brightness of the lamps of the women -who went before him, though their steady flame flickered in the wind."' - - - -[Bana then describes the birth of Tarapida's son, who is named -Candrapida, from the king's dream about the moon, and also that of -ukanasa's son Vaiampayana. [216]] - - - -(155) '"And as Candrapida underwent in due course all the circle of -ceremonies, beginning with the tying of his top-knot, his childhood -passed away; and to prevent distraction, Tarapida had built for him -a palace of learning outside the city, stretching half a league along -the Sipra river, surrounded by a wall of white bricks like the circle -of peaks of a snow-mountain, girt with a great moat running along -the walls, guarded by very strong gates, having one door kept open -for ingress, with stables for horses and palanquins close by, and -a gymnasium constructed beneath--a fit palace for the immortals. He -took infinite pains in gathering there teachers of every science, and -having placed the boy there, like a young lion in a cage, forbidding -all egress, surrounding him with a suite composed mainly of the sons -of his teachers, removing every allurement to the sports of boyhood, -and keeping his mind free from distraction, on an auspicious day (156) -he entrusted him, together with Vaiampayana, to masters, that they -might acquire all knowledge. Every day when he rose, the king, with -Vilasavati and a small retinue, went to watch him, and Candrapida, -undisturbed in mind and kept to his work by the king, quickly grasped -all the sciences taught him by teachers, whose efforts were quickened -by his great powers, as they brought to light his natural abilities; -the whole range of arts assembled in his mind as in a pure jewelled -mirror. He gained the highest skill in word, sentence, proof, law, -and royal policy; in gymnastics; in all kinds of weapons, such as -the bow, quoit, shield, scimitar, dart, mace, battle-axe, and club; -in driving and elephant-riding; in musical instruments, such as the -lute, fife, drum, cymbal, and pipe; in the laws of dancing laid down -by Bharata and others, and the science of music, such as that of -Narada; in the management of elephants, the knowledge of a horse's -age, and the marks of men; in painting, leaf-cutting, the use of -books, and writing; in all the arts of gambling, knowledge of the -cries of birds, and astronomy; in testing of jewels, (157) carpentry, -the working of ivory; in architecture, physic, mechanics, antidotes, -mining, crossing of rivers, leaping and jumping, and sleight of hand; -in stories, dramas, romances, poems; in the Mahabharata, the Puranas, -the Itihasas, and the Ramayana; in all kinds of writing, all foreign -languages, all technicalities, all mechanical arts; in metre, and -in every other art. And while he ceaselessly studied, even in his -childhood an inborn vigour like that of Bhima shone forth in him -and stirred the world to wonder. For when he was but in play the -young elephants, who had attacked him as if he were a lion's whelp, -had their limbs bowed down by his grasp on their ears, and could not -move; with one stroke of his scimitar he cut down palm-trees as if -they were lotus-stalks; his shafts, like those of Paraurama when -he blazed to consume the forest of earth's royal stems, cleft only -the loftiest peaks; he exercised himself with an iron club which -ten men were needed to lift; and, except in bodily strength, he was -followed close in all his accomplishments by Vaiampayana, (158) -who, by reason of the honour Candrapida felt for his deep learning, -and of his reverence due to ukanasa, and because they had played in -the dust and grown up together, was the prince's chief friend, and, -as it were, his second heart, and the home of all his confidences. He -would not be without Vaiampayana for a moment, while Vaiampayana -never for an instant ceased to follow him, any more than the day -would cease to follow the sun. - -'"And while Candrapida was thus pursuing his acquaintance with all -knowledge, the spring of youth, loved of the three worlds as the amrita -draught of the ocean, gladdening the hearts of men as moonrise gladdens -the gloaming; transient in change of iridescent glow, like the full -arch of Indra's bow to the rainy season; weapon of love, like the -outburst of flowers to the tree of desire; beautiful in ever freshly -revealed glow, like sunrise to the lotus-grove; ready for all play -of graceful motion, like the plumes of the peacock, became manifest -and brought to flower in him, fair as he was, a double beauty; love, -lord of the hour, stood ever nigh, as if to do his bidding; his chest -expanded like his beauty; his limbs won fulness, like the wishes of his -friends; his waist became slender, like the host of his foes; (159) -his form broadened, like his liberality; his majesty grew, like his -hair; his arms hung down more and more, like the plaits of his enemies' -wives; his eyes became brighter, like his conduct; his shoulders broad, -like his knowledge; and his heart deep, like his voice. - -'"And so in due course the king, learning that Candrapida had grown to -youth, and had completed his knowledge of all the arts, studied all the -sciences, and won great praise from his teachers, summoned Balahaka, -a mighty warrior, and, with a large escort of cavalry and infantry, -sent him on a very auspicious day to fetch the prince. And Balahaka, -going to the palace of learning, entered, announced by the porters, -and bending his head till its crest-jewels rested on the ground, -sat down, by the prince's permission, on a seat befitting his office, -as reverently as though in the king's presence; after a short pause -he approached Candrapida and respectfully gave the king's message: -'Prince, the king bids me say: "Our desires are fulfilled; the astras -have been studied; all the arts have been learnt; thou hast gained -the highest skill in all the martial sciences. (160) All thy teachers -give thee permission to leave the house of learning. Let the people -see that thou hast received thy training, like a young royal elephant -come out from the enclosure, having in thy mind the whole orb of -the arts, like the full moon newly risen. Let the eyes of the world, -long eager to behold thee, fulfil their true function; for all the -zenanas are yearning for thy sight. This is now the tenth year of -thine abode in the school, and thou didst enter it having reached -the experience of thy sixth year. This year, then, so reckoned, is -the sixteenth of thy life. Now, therefore, when thou hast come forth -and shown thyself to all the mothers longing to see thee, and hast -saluted those who deserve thy honour, do thou lay aside thy early -discipline, and experience at thy will the pleasures of the court -and the delights of fresh youth. Pay thy respects to the chiefs; -honour the Brahmans; protect thy people; gladden thy kinsfolk. There -stands at the door, sent by the king, this horse, named Indrayudha, -swift as Garuda or as the wind, the chief jewel of the three worlds; -(161) for in truth the monarch of Persia, who esteemed him the wonder -of the universe, sent him with this message: 'This noble steed, sprung -straight from the waters of ocean, was found by me, and is worthy for -thee, O king, to mount;' and when he was shown to those skilled in a -horse's points, they said: 'He has all the marks of which men tell us -as belonging to Uccaihravas; there never has been nor will be a steed -like him.' Therefore let him be honoured by thy mounting him. These -thousand princes, all sons of anointed kings, highly-trained, heroic, -wise, and accomplished, and of long descent, sent for thine escort, -wait on horseback, all eager to salute thee."' Having thus said, -Balahaka paused, and Candrapida, laying his father's command on his -head, in a voice deep as a new cloud gave the order, 'Let Indrayudha -be brought,' for he desired to mount him. - -'"Immediately on his command Indrayudha was brought, and he beheld that -wondrous steed, led by two men on each side grasping the circle of -the bit, and using all their efforts to curb him. He was very large, -his back being just within reach of a man's uplifted hand; he seemed -to drink the sky, which was on a level with his mouth; with a neigh -which shook the cavity of his belly, and filled the hollows of the -three worlds, he, as it were, upbraided Garuda for his vain trust -in his fabled speed; (162) with a nostril snorting in wrath at any -hindrance to his course, he, in his pride, examined the three worlds, -that he might leap over them; his body was variegated with streaks -of black, yellow, green, and pink, like Indra's bow; he was like a -young elephant, with a many-hued rug spread over him; like iva's -bull, pink with metallic dust from butting at Kailasa's peaks; like -Parvati's lion, with his mane crimsoned with the red streak of the -demon's clotted blood; and like the very incarnation of all energy, -with a sound emitted from his ever-quivering nostrils, he seemed -to pour forth the wind inhaled in his swift course; he scattered -the foam-flakes that frothed from his lips from the champing of -the points of the bit which rattled as he rolled it in his mouth, -as if they were mouthfuls of ambrosia drunk in his ocean home. (164) -And, beholding this steed, whose like was never before seen, in form -fit for the gods, meet for the kingdom of the whole universe, (165) -possessed of all the favourable marks, the perfection of a horse's -shape, the heart of Candrapida, though of a nature not easily moved, -was touched with amazement, and the thought arose in his mind: 'What -jewel, if not this wondrous horse, was brought up by the Suras and -Asuras when they churned the waters of ocean and whirled round Mount -Mandara with the serpent Vasuki revolving in ceaseless gyration? And -what has Indra gained by his lordship of the three worlds if he did not -mount this back, broad as Mount Meru? Surely Indra was cheated by the -ocean when his heart was gladdened by Uccaihravas! And I think that -so far he has not crossed the sight of holy Narayana, who even now -does not give up his infatuation for riding Garuda. My father's royal -glory surpasses the riches of the kingdom of heaven, in that treasures -such as this, which can hardly be gained in the whole universe, come -here into servitude. From its magnificence and energy, this form of -his seems the shrine of a god, and the truth of this makes me fear to -mount him. For forms like this, fit for the gods and the wonder of -the universe, belong to no common horse. Even deities, subject to a -muni's curse, have been known to leave their own bodies and inhabit -other bodies brought to them by the terms of the curse. (166) For -there is a story of old how Sthulairas, a muni of great austerity, -cursed an Apsaras named Rambha, the ornament of the three worlds; and -she, leaving heaven, entered the heart of a horse, and thus, as the -story goes, dwelt for a long time on earth as a mare, in the service of -King atadhanvan, at Mrittikavati; and many other great-souled beings, -having had their glory destroyed by the curse of munis, have roamed the -world in various forms. Surely this must be some noble being subject -to a curse! My heart declares his divinity.' Thus thinking, he rose, -wishing to mount; and in mind only approaching the steed, he prayed -thus: 'Noble charger, thou art that thou art! All hail to thee! Yet -let my audacity in mounting thee be forgiven! for even deities whose -presence is unknown taste of a contumely all unmeet for them.' - -'"As if knowing his thought, Indrayudha looked at him with eye -askance, the pupil turned and partly closed by the lashing of his -tossing mane, (167) and repeatedly struck the ground with his right -hoof, till the hair on his chest was gray with the dust it cast up, -as though summoning the prince to mount, with a pleasant whinnying -long drawn out into a gentle soft murmur blent with the snorting of -his quivering nostrils. Whereupon Candrapida mounted Indrayudha, -as though invited thereunto by his pleasant neighing; and, having -mounted, he passed out, thinking the whole universe but a span long, -and beheld a cavalcade of which the furthest limits could not be seen; -it deafened the hollows of the three worlds with the clatter of hoofs -breaking up the earth, fierce as a shower of stones let fall from the -clouds, and with a neighing sounding the fiercer from nostrils choked -with dust; it decked the sky with a forest of lances all horrent, -whose shafts gleamed bright when touched by the sun, like a lake half -hidden in a grove of blue lotus-buds upborne on their stalks; from its -darkening the eight quarters with its thousand umbrellas all raised, -it was like a mass of clouds iridescent with the full arch of Indra's -bow shining on them; (168) while from the horses' mouths being white -with foam-flakes cast abroad, and from the undulating line of their -ceaseless curvetting, it rose to sight like a mass of ocean billows -in the flood of final destruction; all the horses were in motion at -Candrapida's approach, as the waves of ocean at the moon's rising; -and the princes, each wishing to be first in their eagerness to pay -their homage, having their heads unprotected by the hasty removal of -their umbrellas, and weary with trying to curb their horses, which -were wild with trampling on each other, drew around the prince. As -Balahaka presented each by name, they bowed, bending low their heads, -which showed the glow of loyalty under the guise of the rays uprising -from the rubies in their waving crests, and which, from their having -buds held up in adoration, were like lotuses resting on the water -in the pitchers of coronation. Having saluted them, Candrapida, -accompanied by Vaiampayana, also mounted, straightway set out for -the city. (169) He was shaded by a very large umbrella with a gold -stick, borne above him, formed like the lotus on which royal glory -might dwell, like the moon's orb to the moon-lotus grove of royal -races, like an island being formed by the flow of the cavalcade, -in hue like the circle of Vasuki's hood whitened by the sea of milk, -garlanded with many a rope of pearls, bearing the device of a lion -designed above. The flowers in his ears were set dancing by the wind -of the cowries waved on either side, and his praises were sung by many -thousands of retainers running before him, young, for the most part, -and brave, and by the bards, who ceaselessly recited aloud auspicious -verses, with a soft cry of 'Long life and victory.' - -'"And as he passed on his way to the city, like a manifestation -of the god of love no longer bodiless, [217] all the people, like -a lotus-grove awakened by the moon's rising, left their work and -gathered to behold him. - -'"'Kartikeya scorns the name of Kumara, [218] since his own form is -looked on with scorn by the throng of lotus-faces when this prince is -by. Surely we reap the reward of great virtue in that we behold that -godlike form with eyes wide with the overflow of love sprung up within -us, and upraised in eager curiosity. (170) Our birth in this world -has now brought forth its fruit. Nevertheless, all hail to blessed -Krishna, who in the guise of Candrapida has assumed a new form!' With -such words the city folk folded their hands in adoration and bowed -before him. And from the thousand windows which were unclosed from -curiosity to behold Candrapida, the city itself became as it were a -mass of open eyes; for straightway on hearing that he had left the -palace of learning filled with all knowledge, women eager to see -him mounted the roofs hastily throughout the city, leaving their -half-done work; some with mirrors in their left hand were like the -nights of the full moon, when the moon's whole orb is gleaming; some, -with feet roseate with fresh lac, were like lotus-buds whose flowers -had drunk the early sunlight; some, with their tender feet enmeshed in -the bells of their girdle, fallen to the ground in their haste, were -like elephants moving very slowly, checked by their chain; some were -robed in rainbow hues, like the beauty of a day in the rainy season; -some raised feet that blossomed into the white rays of their nails, -like tame kalahamsas drawn by the sound of the anklets; (171) some -held strings of large pearls in their hands, as if in imitation of -Rati with her crystal rosary grasped in grief for the death of Love; -some, with wreaths of pearls falling between their breasts, were like -the glory of evening when the pairs of cakravakas are separated by a -pure slender stream; some, with rainbow flashes rising from the gems of -their anklets, shone as if lovingly accompanied by tame peacocks; some, -with their jewelled cups half drunk, distilled, as it were, from their -rosy flower-like lips a sweet nectar. Others, too, with their orbed -faces appearing at the interstices of the emerald lattices, presented -to the eyes a lotus-grove with its opening buds traversing the sky, -as they gazed on the prince. On a sudden there arose a tinkling of -ornaments born of hasty motion, with many a sound of lutes struck -sweetly on their chords, blended with the cry of cranes summoned by -the clanging of the girdles, accompanied by the noise of peacocks -shut up in the zenana and rejoicing in the thunder caused by the -stairs being struck by stumbling feet, (172) soft with the murmur of -kalahamsas fluttering in fear of the clash of fresh clouds, imitating -the triumphant cry of Love, taking captive the ears of lovely women -with their ropes of jewels resounding shrilly as they touched one -another, and re-echoing through all the corners of the houses. In -a moment the dense throng of maidens made the palaces seem walled -with women; the ground seemed to blossom by the laying on it of their -lac-strewn lotus-feet; the city seemed girt with grace by the stream -of fair forms; the sky seemed all moon by the throng of orbed faces; -the circle of space seemed a lotus-grove by reason of the hands all -raised to ward off the heat; the sunshine seemed robed in rainbows -by the mass of rays from the jewels, and the day seemed formed of -blue lotus-petals by the long line of bright glances. As the women -gazed on him with eyes fixed and widened in curiosity, the form of -Candrapida entered into their hearts as though they were mirrors or -water or crystal; and as the glow of love manifested itself there, -their graceful speech became straightway mirthful, confidential, -confused, envious, scornful, derisive, coquettish, loving, or full -of longing. (173) As, for instance: 'Hasty one, wait for me! Drunk -with gazing, hold thy mantle! Simpleton, lift up the long tresses -that hang about thy face! Remove thy moon-digit ornament! Blinded -with love, thy feet are caught in the flowers of thine offering, and -thou wilt fall! Love-distraught, tie up thy hair! Intent on the sight -of Candrapida, raise thy girdle! Naughty one, lift up the ear-flower -waving on thy cheek! Heartless one, pick up thine earring! Eager in -youth, thou art being watched! Cover thy bosom! Shameless one, gather -up thy loosened robe! Artfully artless, go on quicker! Inquisitive -girl, take another look at the king! Insatiable, how long wilt thou -look? Fickle-hearted, think of thine own people! Impish girl, thy -mantle has fallen, and thou art mocked! Thou whose eyes art filled -with love, seest thou not thy friends? Maiden full of guile, thou wilt -live in sorrow with thy heart in causeless torment! Thou who feignest -coyness, what mean thy crafty glances? (174) look boldly! Bright with -youth, why rest thy weight against us? Angry one, go in front! Envious -girl, why block up the window? Slave of love, thou bringest my outer -robe to utter ruin! Drunk with love's breath, restrain thyself! Devoid -of self-control, why run before thine elders? Bright in strength, why -so confused? Silly girl, hide the thrill of love's fever! Ill-behaved -girl, why thus weary thyself? Changeful one, thy girdle presseth thee, -and thou sufferest vainly! Absent-minded, thou heedest not thyself, -though outside thy house! Lost in curiosity, thou hast forgotten how -to breathe! Thou whose eyes art closed in the happy imagination of -union with thy beloved, open them! He is passing! Bereft of sense by -the stroke of love's arrow, place the end of thy silken robe on thy -head to keep off the sun's rays! Thou who hast taken the vow of Sati, -thou lettest thine eyes wander, not seeing what is to be seen! Wretched -one, thou art cast down by the vow not to gaze on other men! Vouchsafe -to rise, dear friend, and to look at the blessed fish-bannered god, -[219] without his banner and bereft of Rati, visibly present. (175) -His crest of malati flowers under his umbrella looks like a mass -of moonbeams fallen in under the idea that night has set in, on -his head dark with swarms of bees. His cheek is fair as a garland -of open irisha flowers touched with green by the splendour of his -emerald earring. Our youthful glow of love, under the guise of rich -ruby rays among the pearl necklaces, shines out eager to enter his -heart. It is so seen by him among the cowries. Moreover, what is he -laughing at as he talks to Vaiampayana, so that the circle of space -is whitened with his bright teeth? Balahaka, with the edge of his -silken mantle green as a parrot's plumage, is removing from the tips -of his hair the dust raised by the horses' hoofs. His bough-like foot, -soft as Lakshmi's lotus-hand, is raised and sportively cast athwart -his horse's shoulder. His hand, with tapering fingers and bright -as pink lotus-buds, is outstretched to its full length to ask for -betel-nut, just as an elephant's trunk in eagerness for mouthfuls -of vallisneria. (176) Happy is she who, a fellow-bride with earth, -shall, like Lakshmi, win that hand outvying the lotus! Happy, too, -is Queen Vilasavati, by whom he who is able to bear the whole earth -was nourished in birth, as the elephant of the quarters by Space!' - -'"And as they uttered these and other sayings of the same kind, -Candrapida, drunk in by their eyes, summoned by the tinkling of their -ornaments, followed by their hearts, bound by the ropes of the rays -of their jewels, honoured with the offering of their fresh youth, -bestrewn with flowers and rice in salutation like a marriage fire, -advancing step by step on a mass of white bracelets slipping from -their languid arms, reached the palace."' - - - -[Dismounting and leaning on Vaiampayana, he entered the court, -preceded by Balahaka, and passing through the crowd of attendant -kings, beheld his father seated on a white couch and attended by his -guards. [220]] - - - -'"(189) And on the chamberlain's saying 'Behold him!' the prince, -with his head bent low, and its crest shaking, while yet afar off -made his salutation, and his father, crying from afar, 'Come, come -hither!' stretched forth both arms, raised himself slightly from his -couch, while his eyes filled with tears of joy and a thrill passed over -his body, and embraced his reverently-bent son as though he would bind -him fast [221] and absorb him, and drink him in. And after the embrace, -Candrapida sat down on the bare ground by his father's footstool, -kicking away the cloak which had been rolled up and hastily made into -a seat by his own betel-nut bearer, and softly bidding her take it -away; (190) and then Vaiampayana, being embraced by the king like his -own son, sat down on a seat placed for him. When he had been there a -short time, assailed, as it were, by glances from the women who stood -motionless, with the waving of the cowries forgotten, glances of love, -long as strings of lotus stirred by the wind, from fine eyes tremulous -and askant, he was dismissed with the words, 'Go, my son, salute thy -loving mother, who longs to see thee, and then in turn gladden all -who nurtured thee by thy sight.' Respectfully rising, and stopping -his suite from following him, he went with Vaiampayana to the zenana, -led by the royal servants meet to enter therein, and approaching his -mother, saluted her"' [as she sat surrounded by her attendants and -by aged ascetic women, who read and recited legends to her [222]]. - -'"(191) She raised him, while her attendants, skilled in doing her -commands, stood around her, and, with a loving caress, held him in -a long embrace, as though thinking inwardly of a hundred auspicious -words to say, and straightway, when the claims of affection had been -satisfied, and she had embraced Vaiampayana, she sat down, and drew -Candrapida, who was reverently seated on the ground, forcibly and -against his will to rest in her arms; (192) and when Vaiampayana -was seated on a stool quickly brought by the attendants, she embraced -Candrapida again and again on brow, breast, and shoulders, and said, -with many a caressing touch: 'Hard-hearted, my child, was thy father, -by whom so fair a form, meet to be cherished by the whole universe, -was made to undergo great fatigue for so long! How didst thou endure -the tedious restraint of thy gurus? Indeed, young as thou art, thou -hast a strong man's fortitude! Thy heart, even in childhood, has lost -all idle liking for childish amusement and play. Ah well, all devotion -to natural and spiritual parents is something apart; and as I now see -thee endowed, by thy father's favour, with all knowledge, so I shall -soon see thee endowed with worthy wives.' Having thus said as he bent -his head, smiling half in shame, she kissed him on the cheek, which was -a full reflection of her own, and garlanded with open lotuses; and he, -when he had stayed a short time, gladdened in turn by his presence the -whole zenana. Then, departing by the royal door, he mounted Indrayudha, -who was standing outside, and, followed by the princes, went to see -ukanasa,"' [and at the gate of an outer court, filled with priests -of many sects, he dismounted [223]] '"(194) and entered the palace -of ukanasa, which resembled a second royal court. On entering he -saluted ukanasa like a second father as he stood in the midst of -thousands of kings, showing him all respect, with his crest bent -low even from afar. ukanasa, quickly rising, while the kings rose -one after another, and respectfully advancing straight to him, with -tears of joy falling from eyes wide with gladness, heartily, and with -great affection, embraced him, together with Vaiampayana. Then the -prince, rejecting the jewelled seat respectfully brought, sat on the -bare ground, and next to him sat Vaiampayana; and when he sat on the -ground, the whole circle of kings, except ukanasa, leaving their own -seats, sat also on the ground. ukanasa stood silent for a moment, -showing his extreme joy by the thrill that passed over his limbs, -and then said to the prince: 'Truly, my child, now that King Tarapida -has seen thee grown to youth and possessed of knowledge, he has at -length gained the fruit of his rule over the universe. Now all the -blessings of thy parents have been fulfilled. Now the merit acquired -in many other births has borne fruit. Now the gods of thy race are -content. (195) For they who, like thee, astonish the three worlds, -do not become the sons of the unworthy. For where is thy age? and -where thy superhuman power and thy capacity of reaching boundless -knowledge? Yea, blessed are those subjects who have thee for their -protector, one like unto Bharata and Bhagiratha. What bright deed -of merit was done by Earth that she has won thee as lord? Surely, -Lakshmi is destroyed by persisting in the caprice of dwelling in -Vishnu's bosom, that she does not approach thee in mortal form! But, -nevertheless, do thou with thine arm, as the Great Boar with his -circle of tusks, bear up for myriads of ages the weight of the earth, -helping thy father.' Thus saying, and offering homage with ornaments, -dresses, flowers, and unguents, he dismissed him. Thereupon the -prince, rising, and entering the zenana, visited Vaiampayana's -mother, by name Manorama, and, departing, mounted Indrayudha, and -went to his palace. It had been previously arranged by his father, -and had white jars filled and placed on the gates, like an image of -the royal palace; it had garlands of green sandal boughs, thousands of -white flags flying, and filled the air with the sound of auspicious -instruments of music; open lotuses were strewn in it. A sacrifice to -Agni had just been performed, every attendant was in bright apparel, -every auspicious ceremony for entering a house had been prepared. On -his arrival he sat for a short time on a couch placed in the hall, -and then, together with his princely retinue, performed the day's -duties, beginning with bathing and ending with a banquet; (196) and -meanwhile he arranged that Indrayudha should dwell in his own chamber. - -'"And in these doings of his the day came to a close; the sun's orb -fell with lifted rays like the ruby anklet--its interstices veiled in -its own light--of the Glory of Day, as she hastens from the sky. (198) -And when evening had begun, Candrapida, encircled by a fence of lighted -lamps, went on foot to the king's palace, (199) and having stayed a -short time with his father, and seen Vilasavati, he returned to his -own house and lay down on a couch, many-hued with the radiance of -various gems, like Krishna on the circle of esha's hoods. - -'"And when night had turned to dawn, he, with his father's leave, -rose before sunrise, in eagerness for the new delight of hunting, and, -mounting Indrayudha, went to the wood with a great retinue of runners, -horses, and elephants. His eagerness was doubled by huntsmen leading -in a golden leash hounds large as asses. With arrows whose shafts -were bright as the leaves of a blossoming lotus, and fit to cleave -the frontal bones of young wild elephants, he slew wild boars, lions, -arabhas, [224] yaks, and many other kinds of deer by thousands, -(200) while the woodland goddesses looked at him with half-closed -eyes, fluttered by fear of the twanging of his bow. Other animals by -his great energy he took alive. And when the sun reached the zenith, -he rode home from the wood (201) with but a few princes who were well -mounted, going over the events of the chase, saying: 'Thus I killed -a lion, thus a bear, thus a buffalo, thus a arabha, thus a stag.' - -'"On dismounting, he sat down on a seat brought hastily by his -attendants, took off his corselet, and removed the rest of his riding -apparel; he then rested a short time, till his weariness was removed -by the wind of waving fans; having rested, he went to the bathroom, -provided with a hundred pitchers of gold, silver, and jewels, and -having a gold seat placed in its midst. And when the bath was over, -and he had been rubbed in a separate room with cloths, his head -was covered with a strip of pure linen, his raiment was put on, -and he performed his homage to the gods; and when he entered the -perfuming-room, there approached him the court women attendants, -appointed by the grand chamberlain and sent by the king, slaves of -Vilasavati, with Kulavardhana, and zenana women sent from the whole -zenana, bearing in baskets different ornaments, wreaths, unguents, -and robes, which they presented to him. Having taken them in due order -from the women, he first himself anointed Vaiampayana. When his own -anointing was done, and giving to those around him flowers, perfumes, -robes, and jewels, as was meet, (202) he went to the banquet-hall, -rich in a thousand jewelled vessels, like the autumn sky gleaming with -stars. He there sat on a doubled rug, with Vaiampayana next him, -eagerly employed, as was fitting, in praising his virtues, and the -host of princes, placed each in order of seniority on the ground, -felt the pleasure of their service increased by seeing the great -courtesy with which the prince said: 'Let this be given to him, -and that to him!' And so he duly partook of his morning meal. - -'"After rinsing his mouth and taking betel, he stayed there a short -time, and then went to Indrayudha, and there, without sitting down, -while his attendants stood behind him, with upraised faces, awaiting -his commands, and talking mostly about Indrayudha's points, he himself, -with heart uplifted by Indrayudha's merits, scattered the fodder -before him, and departing, visited the court; and in the same order -of routine he saw the king, and, returning home, spent the night -there. Next day, at dawn, he beheld approaching a chamberlain, by -name Kailasa, the chief of the zenana, greatly trusted by the king, -accompanied by a maiden of noble form, in her first youth, from -her life at court self-possessed, yet not devoid of modesty, (203) -growing to maidenhood, and in her veil of silk red with cochineal, -resembling the Eastern quarter clothed in early sunshine. (204) And -Kailasa, bowing and approaching, with his right hand placed on the -ground, spoke as follows: - -'"'Prince, Queen Vilasavati bids me say: "This maiden, by name -Patralekha, daughter of the King of Kuluta, was brought with the -captives by the great king on his conquest of the royal city of -Kuluta while she was yet a little child, and was placed among the -zenana women. And tenderness grew up in me towards her, seeing she -was a king's daughter and without a protector, and she was long -cared for and brought up by me just like a daughter. Therefore, -I now send her to thee, thinking her fit to be thy betel-bearer; -but she must not be looked on by thee, great prince of many days, -as thine other attendants. She must be cared for as a young maiden; -she must be shielded from the thoughtless like thine own nature; -she must be looked on as a pupil. (205) Like a friend, she must -be admitted to all thy confidences. By reason of the love that has -long grown up in me, my heart rests on her as on my own daughter; -and being sprung from a great race, she is fitted for such duties; -in truth, she herself will in a few days charm the prince by her -perfect gentleness. My love for her is of long growth, and therefore -strong; but as the prince does not yet know her character, this is -told to him. Thou must in all ways strive, happy prince, that she may -long be thy fitting companion."' When Kailasa had thus spoken and was -silent, Candrapida looked long and steadily at Patralekha as she made -a courteous obeisance, and with the words, 'As my mother wishes,' -dismissed the chamberlain. And Patralekha, from her first sight of -him, was filled with devotion to him, and never left the prince's -side either by night or day, whether he was sleeping, or sitting, -or standing, or walking, or going to the court, just as if she were -his shadow; while he felt for her a great affection, beginning from -his first glance at her, and constantly growing; he daily showed -more favour to her, and counted her in all his secrets as part of -his own heart. - -'"As the days thus passed on, the king, eager for the anointing of -Candrapida as crown prince, (206) appointed chamberlains to gather -together all things needful for it; and when it was at hand, ukanasa, -desirous of increasing the prince's modesty, great as it already was, -spoke to him at length during one of his visits: 'Dear Candrapida, -though thou hast learnt what is to be known, and read all the astras, -no little remains for thee to learn. For truly the darkness arising -from youth is by nature very thick, nor can it be pierced by the sun, -nor cleft by the radiance of jewels, nor dispelled by the brightness -of lamps. The intoxication of Lakshmi is terrible, and does not cease -even in old age. There is, too, another blindness of power, evil, not -to be cured by any salve. The fever of pride runs very high, and no -cooling appliances can allay it. The madness that rises from tasting -the poison of the senses is violent, and not to be counteracted by -roots or charms. The defilement of the stain of passion is never -destroyed by bathing or purification. The sleep of the multitude -of royal pleasures is ever terrible, and the end of night brings no -waking. Thus thou must often be told at length. Lordship inherited even -from birth, fresh youth, peerless beauty, superhuman talent, all this -is a long succession of ills. (207) Each of these separately is a home -of insolence; how much more the assemblage of them! For in early youth -the mind often loses its purity, though it be cleansed with the pure -waters of the astras. The eyes of the young become inflamed, though -their clearness is not quite lost. Nature, too, when the whirlwind of -passion arises, carries a man far in youth at its own will, like a dry -leaf borne on the wind. This mirage of pleasure, which captivates the -senses as if they were deer, always ends in sorrow. When the mind has -its consciousness dulled by early youth, the characteristics of the -outer world fall on it like water, all the more sweetly for being -but just tasted. Extreme clinging to the things of sense destroys -a man, misleading him like ignorance of his bearings. But men such -as thou art the fitting vessels for instruction. For on a mind free -from stain the virtue of good counsel enters easily, as the moon's -rays on a moon crystal. The words of a guru, though pure, yet cause -great pain when they enter the ears of the bad, as water does; (208) -while in others they produce a nobler beauty, like the ear-jewel on -an elephant. They remove the thick darkness of many sins, like the -moon in the gloaming. [225] The teaching of a guru is calming, and -brings to an end the faults of youth by turning them to virtue, just -as old age takes away the dark stain of the locks by turning them to -gray. This is the time to teach thee, while thou hast not yet tasted -the pleasures of sense. For teaching pours away like water in a heart -shattered by the stroke of love's arrow. Family and sacred tradition -are unavailing to the froward and undisciplined. Does a fire not burn -when fed on sandal-wood? Is not the submarine fire the fiercer in -the water that is wont to quench fire? But the words of a guru are a -bathing without water, able to cleanse all the stains of man; they are -a maturity that changes not the locks to gray; they give weight without -increase of bulk; though not wrought of gold, they are an ear-jewel -of no common order; without light they shine; without startling they -awaken. They are specially needed for kings, for the admonishers of -kings are few. (209) For from fear, men follow like an echo the words -of kings, and so, being unbridled in their pride, and having the cavity -of their ears wholly stopped, they do not hear good advice even when -offered; and when they do hear, by closing their eyes like an elephant, -they show their contempt, and pain the teachers who offer them good -counsel. For the nature of kings, being darkened by the madness of -pride's fever, is perturbed; their wealth causes arrogance and false -self-esteem; their royal glory causes the torpor brought about by the -poison of kingly power. First, let one who strives after happiness -look at Lakshmi. For this Lakshmi, who now rests like a bee on the -lotus-grove of a circle of naked swords, has risen from the milk ocean, -has taken her glow from the buds of the coral-tree, her crookedness -from the moon's digit, her restlessness from the steed Uccaihrava, -her witchery from Kalakuta poison, her intoxication from nectar, and -from the Kaustubha gem her hardness. (210) All these she has taken -as keepsakes to relieve her longing with memory of her companions' -friendship. There is nothing so little understood here in the world -as this base Lakshmi. When won, she is hard to keep; when bound fast -by the firm cords of heroism, she vanishes; when held by a cage of -swords brandished by a thousand fierce champions, she yet escapes; -when guarded by a thick band of elephants, dark with a storm of ichor, -she yet flees away. She keeps not friendships; she regards not race; -she recks not of beauty; she follows not the fortunes of a family; -she looks not on character; she counts not cleverness; she hears -not sacred learning; she courts not righteousness; she honours not -liberality; she values not discrimination; she guards not conduct; -she understands not truth; she makes not auspicious marks her guide; -like the outline of an arial city, she vanishes even as we look on -her. She is still dizzy with the feeling produced by the eddying of -the whirlpool made by Mount Mandara. As if she were the tip of a -lotus-stalk bound to the varying motion of a lotus-bed, she gives -no firm foothold anywhere. Even when held fast with great effort -in palaces, she totters as if drunk with the ichor of their many -wild elephants. (211) She dwells on the sword's edge as if to learn -cruelty. She clings to the form of Narayana as if to learn constant -change of form. Full of fickleness, she leaves even a king, richly -endowed with friends, judicial power, treasure, and territory, as she -leaves a lotus at the end of day, though it have root, stalk, bud, and -wide-spreading petals. Like a creeper, she is ever a parasite. [226] -Like Ganga, though producing wealth, she is all astir with bubbles; -like the sun's ray, she alights on one thing after another; like the -cavity of hell, she is full of dense darkness. Like the demon Hidamba, -her heart is only won by the courage of a Bhima; like the rainy season, -she sends forth but a momentary flash; like an evil demon, she, with -the height of many men, [227] crazes the feeble mind. As if jealous, -she embraces not him whom learning has favoured; she touches not -the virtuous man, as being impure; she despises a lofty nature as -unpropitious; she regards not the gently-born, as useless. She leaps -over a courteous man as a snake; (212) she avoids a hero as a thorn; -she forgets a giver as a nightmare; she keeps far from a temperate man -as a villain; she mocks at the wise as a fool; she manifests her ways -in the world as if in a jugglery that unites contradictions. For, -though creating constant fever, [228] she produces a chill; [229] -though exalting men, she shows lowness of soul; though rising from -water, she augments thirst; though bestowing lordship, [230] she -shows an unlordly [231] nature; though loading men with power, she -deprives them of weight; [232] though sister of nectar, she leaves a -bitter taste; though of earthly mould, [233] she is invisible; though -attached to the highest, [234] she loves the base; like a creature of -dust, she soils even the pure. Moreover, let this wavering one shine -as she may, she yet, like lamplight, only sends forth lamp-black. For -she is the fostering rain of the poison-plants of desire, the hunter's -luring song to the deer of the senses, the polluting smoke to the -pictures of virtue, the luxurious couch of infatuation's long sleep, -the ancient watch-tower of the demons of pride and wealth. (213) She is -the cataract gathering over eyes lighted by the astras, the banner of -the reckless, the native stream of the alligators of wrath, the tavern -of the mead of the senses, the music-hall of alluring dances, the lair -of the serpents of sin, the rod to drive out good practices. She is -the untimely rain to the kalahamsas [235] of the virtues, the hotbed -of the pustules of scandal, the prologue of the drama of fraud, the -roar of the elephant of passion, the slaughter-house of goodness, -the tongue of Rahu for the moon of holiness. Nor see I any who has -not been violently embraced by her while she was yet unknown to him, -and whom she has not deceived. Truly, even in a picture she moves; -even in a book she practises magic; even cut in a gem she deceives; -even when heard she misleads; even when thought on she betrays. - -'"'When this wretched evil creature wins kings after great toil by -the will of destiny, they become helpless, and the abode of every -shameful deed. For at the very moment of coronation their graciousness -is washed away as if by the auspicious water-jars; (214) their heart -is darkened as by the smoke of the sacrificial fire; their patience is -swept away as by the kua brooms of the priest; their remembrance of -advancing age is concealed as by the donning of the turban; the sight -of the next world is kept afar as by the umbrella's circle; truth is -removed as by the wind of the cowries; virtue is driven out as by the -wands of office; the voices of the good are drowned as by cries of -"All hail!" and glory is flouted as by the streamers of the banners. - -'"'For some kings are deceived by successes which are uncertain as the -tremulous beaks of birds when loose from weariness, and which, though -pleasant for a moment as a firefly's flash, are contemned by the wise; -they forget their origin in the pride of amassing a little wealth, -and are troubled by the onrush of passion as by a blood-poisoning -brought on by accumulated diseases; they are tortured by the senses, -which though but five, in their eagerness to taste every pleasure, -turn to a thousand; they are bewildered by the mind, which, in -native fickleness, follows its own impulses, and, being but one, -gets the force of a hundred thousand in its changes. Thus they fall -into utter helplessness. They are seized by demons, conquered by imps, -(215) possessed by enchantments, held by monsters, mocked by the wind, -swallowed by ogres. Pierced by the arrows of Kama, they make a thousand -contortions; scorched by covetousness, they writhe; struck down by -fierce blows, they sink down. [236] Like crabs, they sidle; like -cripples, with steps broken by sin, they are led helpless by others; -like stammerers from former sins of falsehood, they can scarce babble; -like saptacchada [237] trees, they produce headache in those near them; -like dying men, they know not even their kin; like purblind [238] men, -they cannot see the brightest virtue; like men bitten in a fatal hour, -they are not waked even by mighty charms; like lac-ornaments, they -cannot endure strong heat; [239] like rogue elephants, being firmly -fixed to the pillar of self-conceit, they refuse teaching; bewildered -by the poison of covetousness, they see everything as golden; like -arrows sharpened by polishing, [240] when in the hands of others they -cause destruction; (216) with their rods [241] they strike down great -families, like high-growing fruit; like untimely blossoms, though -fair outwardly, they cause destruction; they are terrible of nature, -like the ashes of a funeral pyre; like men with cataract, they can -see no distance; like men possessed, they have their houses ruled by -court jesters; when but heard of, they terrify, like funeral drums; -when but thought of, like a resolve to commit mortal sin, they bring -about great calamity; being daily filled with sin, they become wholly -puffed up. In this state, having allied themselves to a hundred sins, -they are like drops of water hanging on the tip of the grass on an -anthill, and have fallen without perceiving it. - -'"'But others are deceived by rogues intent on their own -ends, greedy of the flesh-pots of wealth, cranes of the palace -lotus-beds! "Gambling," say these, "is a relaxation; adultery a sign -of cleverness; hunting, exercise; drinking, delight; recklessness, -heroism; neglect of a wife, freedom from infatuation; (217) contempt -of a guru's words, a claim to others' submission; unruliness of -servants, the ensuring of pleasant service; devotion to dance, song, -music, and bad company, is knowledge of the world; hearkening to -shameful crimes is greatness of mind; tame endurance of contempt is -patience; self-will is lordship; disregard of the gods is high spirit; -the praise of bards is glory; restlessness is enterprise; lack of -discernment is impartiality." Thus are kings deceived with more than -mortal praises by men ready to raise faults to the grade of virtues, -practised in deception, laughing in their hearts, utterly villainous; -and thus these monarchs, by reason of their senselessness, have their -minds intoxicated by the pride of wealth, and have a settled false -conceit in them that these things are really so; though subject to -mortal conditions, they look on themselves as having alighted on -earth as divine beings with a superhuman destiny; they employ a pomp -in their undertakings only fit for gods (218) and win the contempt -of all mankind. They welcome this deception of themselves by their -followers. From the delusion as to their own divinity established in -their minds, they are overthrown by false ideas, and they think their -own pair of arms have received another pair; [242] they imagine their -forehead has a third eye buried in the skin. [243] They consider the -sight of themselves a favour; they esteem their glance a benefit; they -regard their words as a present; they hold their command a glorious -boon; they deem their touch a purification. Weighed down by the -pride of their false greatness, they neither do homage to the gods, -nor reverence Brahmans, nor honour the honourable, nor salute those -to whom salutes are due, nor address those who should be addressed, -nor rise to greet their gurus. They laugh at the learned as losing -in useless labour all the enjoyment of pleasure; they look on the -teaching of the old as the wandering talk of dotage; they abuse the -advice of their councillors as an insult to their own wisdom; they -are wroth with the giver of good counsel. - -'"'At all events, the man they welcome, with whom they converse, -whom they place by their side, advance, (219) take as companion of -their pleasure and recipient of their gifts, choose as a friend, -the man to whose voice they listen, on whom they rain favours, of -whom they think highly, in whom they trust, is he who does nothing -day and night but ceaselessly salute them, praise them as divine, -and exalt their greatness. - -'"'What can we expect of those kings whose standard is a law of -deceit, pitiless in the cruelty of its maxims; whose gurus are family -priests, with natures made merciless by magic rites; whose teachers -are councillors skilled to deceive others; whose hearts are set on a -power that hundreds of kings before them have gained and lost; whose -skill in weapons is only to inflict death; whose brothers, tender as -their hearts may be with natural affection, are only to be slaughtered. - -'"'Therefore, my Prince, in this post of empire which is terrible in -the hundreds of evil and perverse impulses which attend it, and in this -season of youth which leads to utter infatuation, thou must strive -earnestly not to be scorned by thy people, nor blamed by the good, -nor cursed by thy gurus, nor reproached by thy friends, nor grieved -over by the wise. Strive, too, that thou be not exposed by knaves, -(220) deceived by sharpers, preyed upon by villains, torn to pieces -by wolvish courtiers, misled by rascals, deluded by women, cheated by -fortune, led a wild dance by pride, maddened by desire, assailed by the -things of sense, dragged headlong by passion, carried away by pleasure. - -'"'Granted that by nature thou art steadfast, and that by thy father's -care thou art trained in goodness, and moreover, that wealth only -intoxicates the light of nature, and the thoughtless, yet my very -delight in thy virtues makes me speak thus at length. - -'"'Let this saying be ever ringing in thine ears: There is none so -wise, so prudent, so magnanimous, so gracious, so steadfast, and -so earnest, that the shameless wretch Fortune cannot grind him to -powder. Yet now mayest thou enjoy the consecration of thy youth to -kinghood by thy father under happy auspices. Bear the yoke handed down -to thee that thy forefathers have borne. Bow the heads of thy foes; -raise the host of thy friends; after thy coronation wander round the -world for conquest; and bring under thy sway the earth with its seven -continents subdued of yore by thy father. - -'"'This is the time to crown thyself with glory. (221) A glorious -king has his commands fulfilled as swiftly as a great ascetic.' - -'"Having said thus much, he was silent, and by his words Candrapida -was, as it were, washed, wakened, purified, brightened, bedewed, -anointed, adorned, cleansed, and made radiant, and with glad heart -he returned after a short time to his own palace. - -'"Some days later, on an auspicious day, the king, surrounded by a -thousand chiefs, raised aloft, with ukanasa's help, the vessel of -consecration, and himself anointed his son, while the rest of the -rites were performed by the family priest. The water of consecration -was brought from every sacred pool, river and ocean, encircled by -every plant, fruit, earth, and gem, mingled with tears of joy, and -purified by mantras. At that very moment, while the prince was yet wet -with the water of consecration, royal glory passed on to him without -leaving Tarapida, as a creeper still clasping its own tree passes -to another. (222) Straightway he was anointed from head to foot by -Vilasavati, attended by all the zenana, and full of tender love, with -sweet sandal white as moonbeams. He was garlanded with fresh white -flowers; decked [244] with lines of gorocana; adorned with an earring -of durva grass; clad in two new silken robes with long fringes, white -as the moon; bound with an amulet round his hand, tied by the family -priest; and had his breast encircled by a pearl-necklace, like the -circle of the Seven Rishis come down to see his coronation, strung -on filaments from the lotus-pool of the royal fortune of young royalty. - -'"From the complete concealment of his body by wreaths of white flowers -interwoven and hanging to his knees, soft as moonbeams, and from his -wearing snowy robes he was like Narasimha, shaking his thick mane, -[245] or like Kailasa, with its flowing streams, or Airavata, rough -with the tangled lotus-fibres of the heavenly Ganges, or the Milky -Ocean, all covered with flakes of bright foam. - -(223) '"Then his father himself for that time took the chamberlain's -wand to make way for him, and he went to the hall of assembly and -mounted the royal throne, like the moon on Meru's peak. Then, when he -had received due homage from the kings, after a short pause the great -drum that heralded his setting out on his triumphal course resounded -deeply, under the stroke of golden drum-sticks. Its sound was as the -noise of clouds gathering at the day of doom; or the ocean struck by -Mandara; or the foundations of earth by the earthquakes that close an -aeon; or a portent-cloud, with its flashes of lightning; or the hollow -of hell by the blows of the snout of the Great Boar. And by its sound -the spaces of the world were inflated, opened, separated, outspread, -filled, turned sunwise, and deepened, and the bonds that held the -sky were unloosed. The echo of it wandered through the three worlds; -for it was embraced in the lower world by esha, with his thousand -hoods raised and bristling in fear; it was challenged in space by the -elephants of the quarters tossing their tusks in opposition; it was -honoured with sunwise turns in the sky by the sun's steeds, tossing -[246] their heads in their snort of terror; (224) it was wondrously -answered on Kailasa's peak by iva's bull, with a roar of joy in the -belief that it was his master's loudest laugh; it was met in Meru by -Airavata, with deep trumpeting; it was reverenced in the hall of the -gods by Yama's bull, with his curved horns turned sideways in wrath -at so strange a sound; and it was heard in terror by the guardian -gods of the world. - -'"Then, at the roar of the drum, followed by an outcry of 'All -hail!' from all sides, Candrapida came down from the throne, and -with him went the glory of his foes. He left the hall of assembly, -followed by a thousand chiefs, who rose hastily around him, strewing -on all sides the large pearls that fell from the strings of their -necklaces as they struck against each other, like rice sportively -thrown as a good omen for their setting off to conquer the world. He -showed like the coral-tree amid the white buds of the kalpa-trees; -[247] or Airavata amid the elephants of the quarters bedewing him with -water from their trunks; or heaven, with the firmament showering stars; -or the rainy season with clouds ever pouring heavy drops. - -(225) '"Then an elephant was hastily brought by the mahout, adorned -with all auspicious signs for the journey, and on the inner seat -Patralekha was placed. The prince then mounted, and under the shade of -an umbrella with a hundred wires enmeshed with pearls, beauteous as -Kailasa standing on the arms of Ravana, and white as the whirlpools -of the Milky Ocean under the tossing of the mountain, he started on -his journey. And as he paused in his departure he saw the ten quarters -tawny with the rich sunlight, surpassing molten lac, of the flashing -crest-jewels of the kings who watched him with faces hidden behind the -ramparts, as if the light were the fire of his own majesty, flashing -forth after his coronation. He saw the earth bright as if with his own -glow of loyalty when anointed as heir-apparent, and the sky crimson -as with the flame that heralded the swift destruction of his foes, -and daylight roseate as with lac-juice from the feet of the Lakshmi -of earth coming to greet him. - -'"On the way hosts of kings, with their thousand elephants swaying -in confusion, their umbrellas broken by the pressure of the crowd, -their crest-jewels falling low as their diadems bent in homage, (226) -their earrings hanging down, and the jewels falling on their cheeks, -bowed low before him, as a trusted general recited their names. The -elephant Gandhamadana followed the prince, pink with much red lead, -dangling to the ground his ear-ornaments of pearls, having his head -outlined with many a wreath of white flowers, like Meru with evening -sunlight resting on it, the white stream of Ganges falling across it, -and the spangled roughness of a bevy of stars on its peak. Before -Candrapida went Indrayudha, led by his groom, perfumed with saffron -and many-hued, with the flash of golden trappings on his limbs. And -so the expedition slowly started towards the Eastern Quarter. [248] - -'"Then the whole army set forth with wondrous turmoil, with its forest -of umbrellas stirred by the elephants' movements, like an ocean -of destruction reflecting on its advancing waves a thousand moons, -flooding the earth. - -(227) '"When the prince left his palace Vaiampayana performed every -auspicious rite, and then, clothed in white, anointed with an ointment -of white flowers, accompanied by a great host of powerful kings, shaded -by a white umbrella, followed close on the prince, mounted on a swift -elephant, like a second Crown Prince, and drew near to him like the -moon to the sun. Straightway the earth heard on all sides the cry: -'The Crown Prince has started!' and shook with the weight of the -advancing army. - -(228) '"In an instant the earth seemed as it were made of horses; -the horizon, of elephants; the atmosphere, of umbrellas; the sky, -of forests of pennons; the wind, of the scent of ichor; the human -race, of kings; the eye, of the rays of jewels; the day, of crests; -the universe, of cries of 'All hail!' - -(228-234 condensed) '"The dust rose at the advance of the army like -a herd of elephants to tear up the lotuses of the sunbeams, or a -veil to cover the Lakshmi of the three worlds. Day became earthy; -the quarters were modelled in clay; the sky was, as it were, resolved -in dust, and the whole universe appeared to consist of but one element. - -(234) '"When the horizon became clear again, Vaiampayana, looking at -the mighty host which seemed to rise from the ocean, was filled with -wonder, and, turning his glance on every side, said to Candrapida: -'What, prince, has been left unconquered by the mighty King -Tarapida, for thee to conquer? What regions unsubdued, for thee -to subdue? (235) What fortresses untaken, for thee to take? What -continents unappropriated, for thee to appropriate? What treasures -ungained, for thee to gain? What kings have not been humbled? By whom -have the raised hands of salutation, soft as young lotuses, not been -placed on the head? By whose brows, encircled with golden bands, -have the floors of his halls not been polished? Whose crest-jewels -have not scraped his footstool? Who have not accepted his staff of -office? Who have not waved his cowries? Who have not raised the cry of -"Hail!"? Who have not drunk in with the crocodiles of their crests, -the radiance of his feet, like pure streams? For all these princes, -though they are imbued with the pride of armies, ready in their rough -play to plunge into the four oceans; though they are the peers of -the great kings Daaratha, Bhagiratha, Bharata, Dilipa, Alarka, and -Mandhatri; though they are anointed princes, soma-drinkers, haughty in -the pride of birth, yet they bear on the sprays of crests purified with -the shower of the water of consecration the dust of thy feet of happy -omen, like an amulet of ashes. By them as by fresh noble mountains, -the earth is upheld. These their armies that have entered the heart of -the ten regions follow thee alone. (236) For lo! wherever thy glance -is cast, hell seems to vomit forth armies, the earth to bear them, the -quarters to discharge them, the sky to rain them, the day to create -them. And methinks the earth, trampled by the weight of boundless -hosts, recalls to-day the confusion of the battles of the Mahabharata. - -'"'Here the sun wanders in the groves of pennons, with his orb -stumbling over their tops, as if he were trying, out of curiosity, -to count the banners. The earth is ceaselessly submerged under -ichor sweet as cardamons, and flowing like a plait of hair, from the -elephants who scatter it all round, and thick, too, with the murmur -of the bees settling on it, so that it shines as if filled with the -waves of Yamuna. The lines of moon-white flags hide the horizon, like -rivers that in fear of being made turbid by the heavy host have fled -to the sky. It is a wonder that the earth has not to-day been split -into a thousand pieces by the weight of the army; and that the bonds -of its joints, the noble mountains, are not burst asunder; and that -the hoods of esha, the lord of serpents, in distress at the burden -of earth pressed down under the load of troops, do not give way.' - -(237) '"While he was thus speaking, the prince reached his palace. It -was adorned with many lofty triumphal arches; dotted with a thousand -pavilions enclosed in grassy ramparts, and bright with many a tent -of shining white cloth. Here he dismounted, and performed in kingly -wise all due rites; and though the kings and ministers who had come -together sought to divert him with various tales, he spent the rest -of the day in sorrow, for his heart was tortured with bitter grief for -his fresh separation from his father. When day was brought to a close -he passed the night, too, mostly in sleeplessness, with Vaiampayana -resting on a couch not far from his own, and Patralekha sleeping hard -by on a blanket placed on the ground; his talk was now of his father, -now of his mother, now of ukanasa, and he rested but little. At dawn -he arose, and with an army that grew at every march, as it advanced -in unchanged order, he hollowed the earth, shook the mountains, dried -the rivers, emptied the lakes, (238) crushed the woods to powder, -levelled the crooked places, tore down the fortresses, filled up the -hollows, and hollowed the solid ground. - -'"By degrees, as he wandered at will, he bowed the haughty, exalted -the humble, encouraged the fearful, protected the suppliant, rooted -out the vicious, and drove out the hostile. He anointed princes in -different places, gathered treasures, accepted gifts, took tribute, -taught local regulations, established monuments of his visit, -made hymns of worship, and inscribed edicts. He honoured Brahmans, -reverenced saints, protected hermitages, and showed a prowess that won -his people's love. He exalted his majesty, heaped up his glory, showed -his virtues far and wide, and won renown for his good deeds. Thus -trampling down the woods on the shore, and turning the whole expanse -of ocean to gray with the dust of his army, he wandered over the earth. - -'"The East was his first conquest, then the Southern Quarter, marked -by Trianku, then the Western Quarter, which has Varuna for its sign, -and immediately afterwards the Northern Quarter adorned by the Seven -Rishis. Within the three years that he roamed over the world he had -subdued the whole earth, with its continents, bounded only by the -moat of four oceans. - -(239) '"He then, wandering sunwise, conquered and occupied Suvarnapura, -not far from the Eastern Ocean, the abode of those Kiratas who dwell -near Kailasa, and are called Hemajakutas, and as his army was weary -from its worldwide wandering, he encamped there for a few days to rest. - -'"One day during his sojourn there he mounted Indrayudha to hunt, and -as he roamed through the wood he beheld a pair of Kinnaras wandering -down at will from the mountains. Wondering at the strange sight, -and eager to take them, he brought up his horse respectfully near -them and approached them. But they hurried on, fearing the unknown -sight of a man, and fleeing from him, while he pursued them, doubling -Indrayudha's speed by frequent pats on his neck, and went on alone, -leaving his army far behind. Led on by the idea that he was just -catching them, he was borne in an instant fifteen leagues from his -own quarters by Indrayudha's speed as it were at one bound, and was -left companionless. (240) The pair of Kinnaras he was pursuing were -climbing a steep hill in front of him. He at length turned away his -glance, which was following their progress, and, checked by the -steepness of the ascent, reined in Indrayudha. Then, seeing that -both his horse and himself were tired and heated by their toils, -he considered for a moment, and laughed at himself as he thought: -'Why have I thus wearied myself for nothing, like a child? What -matters it whether I catch the pair of Kinnaras or not? If caught, -what is the good? if missed, what is the harm? What a folly this is -of mine! What a love of busying myself in any trifle! What a passion -for aimless toil! What a clinging to childish pleasure! The good -work I was doing has been begun in vain. The needful rite I had begun -has been rendered fruitless. The duty of friendship I undertook has -not been performed. The royal office I was employed in has not been -fulfilled. The great task I had entered on has not been completed. My -earnest labour in a worthy ambition has been brought to nought. Why -have I been so mad as to leave my followers behind and come so -far? (241) and why have I earned for myself the ridicule I should -bestow on another, when I think how aimlessly I have followed these -monsters with their horses' heads? I know not how far off is the army -that follows me. For the swiftness of Indrayudha traverses a vast -space in a moment, and his speed prevented my noticing as I came by -what path I should turn back, for my eyes were fixed on the Kinnaras; -and now I am in a great forest, spread underfoot with dry leaves, -with a dense growth of creepers, underwood, and branching trees. Roam -as I may here I cannot light on any mortal who can show me the way -to Suvarnapura. I have often heard that Suvarnapura is the farthest -bound of earth to the north, and that beyond it lies a supernatural -forest, and beyond that again is Kailasa. This then is Kailasa; so -I must turn back now, and resolutely seek to make my way unaided to -the south. For a man must bear the fruit of his own faults.' - -'"With this purpose he shook the reins in his left hand, and turned -the horse's head. Then he again reflected: (242) 'The blessed sun -with glowing light now adorns the south, as if he were the zone-gem -of the glory of day. Indrayudha is tired; I will just let him eat -a few mouthfuls of grass, and then let him bathe and drink in some -mountain rill or river; and when he is refreshed I will myself drink -some water, and after resting a short time under the shade of a tree, -I will set out again.' - -'"So thinking, constantly turning his eyes on every side for water, he -wandered till at length he saw a track wet with masses of mud raised -by the feet of a large troop of mountain elephants, who had lately -come up from bathing in a lotus-pool. (243) Inferring thence that -there was water near, he went straight on along the slope of Kailasa, -the trees of which, closely crowded as they were, seemed, from their -lack of boughs, to be far apart, for they were mostly pines, al, and -gum olibanum trees, and were lofty, and like a circle of umbrellas, -to be gazed at with upraised head. There was thick yellow sand, -and by reason of the stony soil the grass and shrubs were but scanty. - -(244) '"At length he beheld, on the north-east of Kailasa, a very -lofty clump of trees, rising like a mass of clouds, heavy with its -weight of rain, and massed as if with the darkness of a night in the -dark fortnight. - -'"The wind from the waves, soft as sandal, dewy, cool from passing -over the water, aromatic with flowers, met him, and seemed to woo him; -and the cries of kalahamsas drunk with lotus-honey, charming his ear, -summoned him to enter. So he went into that clump, and in its midst -beheld the Acchoda Lake, as if it were the mirror of the Lakshmi of the -three worlds, the crystal chamber of the goddess of earth, the path -by which the waters of ocean escape, the oozing of the quarters, the -avatar of part of the sky, Kailasa taught to flow, Himavat liquefied, -moonlight melted, iva's smile turned to water, (245) the merit of -the three worlds abiding in the shape of a lake, a range of hills of -lapis lazuli changed into water, or a mass of autumn clouds poured -down in one spot. From its clearness it might be Varuna's mirror; -it seemed to be fashioned of the hearts of ascetics, the virtues of -good men, the bright eyes of deer, or the rays of pearls. - -(247) '"Like the person of a great man, it showed clearly the -signs of fish, crocodile, tortoise, and cakra; [249] like the -story of Kartikeya, the lamentations of the wives of Krauca [250] -resounded in it; it was shaken by the wings of white Dhartarashtras, -as the Mahabharata by the rivalry of Pandavas and Dhartarashtras; -and the drinking of poison by iva was represented by the drinking -of its water by peacocks, as if it were the time of the churning of -ocean. It was fair, like a god, with a gaze that never wavers. (248) -Like a futile argument, it seemed to have no end; and was a lake most -fair and gladdening to the eyes. - -'"The very sight of it seemed to remove Candrapida's weariness, -and as he gazed he thought: - -'"'Though my pursuit of the horse-faced pair was fruitless, yet now -that I see this lake it has gained its reward. My eyes' reward in -beholding all that is to be seen has now been won, the furthest point -of all fair things seen, the limit of all that gladdens us gazed upon, -the boundary line of all that charms us descried, the perfection of all -that causes joy made manifest, and the vanishing-point of all worthy -of sight beheld. (249) By creating this lake water, sweet as nectar, -the Creator has made his own labour of creation superfluous. For this, -too, like the nectar that gladdens all the senses, produces joy to -the eye by its purity, offers the pleasure of touch by its coolness, -gladdens the sense of smell by the fragrance of its lotuses, pleases -the ear with the ceaseless murmur of its hamsas, and delights the -taste with its sweetness. Truly it is from eagerness to behold this -that iva leaves not his infatuation for dwelling on Kailasa. Surely -Krishna no longer follows his own natural desire as to a watery couch, -for he sleeps on the ocean, with its water bitter with salt, and leaves -this water sweet as nectar! Nor is this, in sooth, the primval lake; -for the earth, when fearing the blows of the tusks of the boar of -destruction, entered the ocean, all the waters of which were designed -but to be a draught for Agastya; whereas, if it had plunged into this -mighty lake, deep as many deep hells, it could not have been reached, -I say not by one, but not even by a thousand boars. (250) Verily it -is from this lake that the clouds of doom at the seasons of final -destruction draw little by little their water when they overwhelm the -interstices of the universe, and darken all the quarters with their -destroying storm. And methinks that the world, Brahma's egg, which in -the beginning of creation was made of water, was massed together and -placed here under the guise of a lake.' So thinking, he reached the -south bank, dismounted and took off Indrayudha's harness; (251) and -the latter rolled on the ground, arose, ate some mouthfuls of grass, -and then the prince took him down to the lake, and let him drink and -bathe at will. After that, the prince took off his bridle, bound two -of his feet by a golden chain to the lower bough of a tree hard by, -and, cutting off with his dagger some durva grass from the bank of -the lake, threw it before the horse, and went back himself to the -water. He washed his hands, and feasted, like the cataka, on water; -like the cakravaka, he tasted pieces of lotus-fibre; like the moon -with its beams, he touched the moon-lotuses with his finger-tips; -like a snake, he welcomed the breeze of the waves; [251] like one -wounded with Love's arrows, he placed a covering of lotus-leaves on -his breast; like a mountain elephant, when the tip of his trunk is wet -with spray, he adorned his hands with spray-washed lotuses. Then with -dewy lotus-leaves, with freshly-broken fibres, he made a couch on a -rock embowered in creepers, and rolling up his cloak for a pillow, -lay down to sleep. After a short rest, he heard on the north bank -of the lake a sweet sound of unearthly music, borne on the ear, and -blent with the chords of the vina. (252) Indrayudha heard it first, -and letting fall the grass he was eating, with ears fixed and neck -arched, turned towards the voice. The prince, as he heard it, rose -from his lotus-couch in curiosity to see whence this song could arise -in a place deserted by men, and cast his glance towards the region; -but, from the great distance, he was unable, though he strained his -eyes to the utmost, to discern anything, although he ceaselessly -heard the sound. Desiring in his eagerness to know its source, -he determined to depart, and saddling and mounting Indrayudha, he -set forth by the western forest path, making the song his goal; the -deer, albeit unasked, were his guides, as they rushed on in front, -delighting in the music. [252] - -(253-256 condensed) '"Welcomed by the breezes of Kailasa, he went -towards that spot, which was surrounded by trees on all sides, and -at the foot of the slope of Kailasa, on the left bank of the lake, -called Candraprabha, which whitened the whole region with a splendour -as of moonlight, he beheld an empty temple of iva. - -(257) '"As he entered the temple he was whitened by the falling on -him of ketaki pollen, tossed by the wind, as if for the sake of seeing -iva he had been forcibly made to perform a vow of putting on ashes, -or as if he were robed in the pure merits of entering the temple; -and, in a crystal shrine resting on four pillars, he beheld iva, the -four-faced, teacher of the world, the god whose feet are honoured by -the universe, with his emblem, the linga, made of pure pearl. Homage -had been paid to the deity by shining lotuses of the heavenly Ganges, -that might be mistaken for crests of pearls, freshly-plucked and wet, -with drops falling from the ends of their leaves, like fragments of -the moon's disc split and set upright, or like parts of iva's own -smile, or scraps of esha's hood, or brothers of Krishna's conch, -or the heart of the Milky Ocean. - -(258) '"But, seated in a posture of meditation, to the right of the -god, facing him, Candrapida beheld a maiden vowed to the service of -iva, who turned the region with its mountains and woods to ivory by -the brightness of her beauty. For its lustre shone far, spreading -through space, white as the tide of the Milky Ocean, overwhelming -all things at the day of doom, or like a store of penance gathered -in long years and flowing out, streaming forth massed together -like Ganges between the trees, giving a fresh whiteness to Kailasa, -and purifying the gazer's soul, though it but entered his eye. The -exceeding whiteness of her form concealed her limbs as though she had -entered a crystal shrine, or had plunged into a sea of milk, or were -hidden in spotless silk, or were caught on the surface of a mirror, -or were veiled in autumn clouds. She seemed to be fashioned from the -quintessence of whiteness, without the bevy of helps for the creation -of the body that consist of matter formed of the five gross elements. - -(259) She was like sacrifice impersonate, come to worship iva, in -fear of being seized by the unworthy; or Rati, undertaking a rite -of propitiation to conciliate him, for the sake of Kama's body; -or Lakshmi, goddess of the Milky Ocean, longing for a digit of -iva's moon, her familiar friend of yore when they dwelt together -in the deep; or the embodied moon seeking iva's protection from -Rahu; or the beauty of Airavata, [253] come to fulfil iva's wish -to wear an elephant's skin; or the brightness of the smile on the -right face of iva become manifest and taking a separate abode; or -the white ash with which iva besprinkles himself, in bodily shape; -or moonlight made manifest to dispel the darkness of iva's neck; -or the embodied purity of Gauri's mind; or the impersonate chastity -of Kartikeya; or the brightness of iva's bull, dwelling apart from -his body; (260) or the wealth of flowers on the temple trees come of -themselves to worship iva; or the fulness of Brahma's penance come -down to earth; or the glory of the Prajapatis of the Golden Age, -resting after the fatigue of wandering through the seven worlds; -or the Three Vedas, dwelling in the woods in grief at the overthrow -of righteousness in the Kali Age; or the germ of a future Golden Age, -in the form of a maiden; or the fulness of a muni's contemplation, in -human shape; or a troop of heavenly elephants, falling into confusion -on reaching the heavenly Ganges; or the beauty of Kailasa, fallen in -dread of being uprooted by Ravana; or the Lakshmi of the vetadvipa -[254] come to behold another continent; or the grace of an opening -kaa-blossom looking for the autumn; or the brightness of esha's -body leaving hell and come to earth; or the brilliance of Balarama, -which had left him in weariness of his intoxication; or a succession -of bright fortnights massed together. - -'"She seemed from her whiteness to have taken a share from all the -hamsas; (261) or to have come from the heart of righteousness; or to -have been fashioned from a shell; or drawn from a pearl; or formed -from lotus-fibres; or made of flakes of ivory; or purified by brushes -of moonbeams; or inlaid with lime; or whitened with foam-balls of -ambrosia; or laved in streams of quicksilver; or rubbed with melted -silver; or dug out from the moon's orb; or decked with the hues of -kutaja, jasmine, and sinduvara flowers. She seemed, in truth, to be -the very furthest bound of whiteness. Her head was bright with matted -locks hanging on her shoulders, made, as it were, of the brightness of -morning rays taken from the sun on the Eastern Mountain, tawny like -the quivering splendour of flashing lightning, and, being wet from -recent bathing, marked with the dust of iva's feet clasped in her -devotion; she bore iva's feet marked with his name in jewels on her -head, fastened with a band of hair; (262) and her brow had a sectarial -mark of ashes pure as the dust of stars ground by the heels of the -sun's horses. (266) She was a goddess, and her age could not be known -by earthly reckoning, but she resembled a maiden of eighteen summers. - -'"Having beheld her, Candrapida dismounted, tied his horse to a -bough, and then, reverently bowing before the blessed iva, gazed -again on that heavenly maiden with a steady unswerving glance. And -as her beauty, grace, and serenity stirred his wonder, the thought -arose in him: 'How in this world each matter in its turn becomes of -no value! For when I was pursuing the pair of Kinnaras wantonly and -vainly I beheld this most beautiful place, inaccessible to men, and -haunted by the immortals. (267) Then in my search for water I saw -this delightful lake sought by the Siddhas. While I rested on its -bank I heard a divine song; and as I followed the sound, this divine -maiden, too fair for mortal sight, met my eyes. For I cannot doubt -her divinity. Her very beauty proclaims her a goddess. And whence -in the world of men could there arise such harmonies of heavenly -minstrelsy? If, therefore, she vanishes not from my sight, nor mounts -the summit of Kailasa, nor flies to the sky, I will draw near and ask -her, "Who art thou, and what is thy name, and why hast thou in the -dawn of life undertaken this vow?" This is all full of wonder.' With -this resolve he approached another pillar of the crystal shrine, -and sat there, awaiting the end of the song. - -'"Then when she had stilled her lute, like a moon-lotus bed when -the pleasant hum of the bees is silenced, (268) the maiden rose, -made a sunwise turn and an obeisance to iva, and then turning round, -with a glance by nature clear, and by the power of penance confident, -she, as it were, gave courage to Candrapida, as if thereby she were -sprinkling him with merits, laving him with holy water, purifying him -with penance, freeing him from stain, giving him his heart's desire, -and leading him to purity. - -'"'Hail to my guest!' said she. 'How has my lord reached this -place? Rise, draw near, and receive a guest's due welcome.' So she -spake; and he, deeming himself honoured even by her deigning to speak -with him, reverently arose and bowed before her. 'As thou biddest, -lady,' he replied, and showed his courtesy by following in her steps -like a pupil. And on the way he thought: 'Lo, even when she beheld me -she did not vanish! Truly a hope of asking her questions has taken hold -of my heart. And when I see the courteous welcome, rich in kindness, -of this maiden, fair though she be with a beauty rare in ascetics, -I surely trust that at my petition she will tell me all her story.' - -(269) '"Having gone about a hundred paces, he beheld a cave, with -its entrance veiled by dense tamalas, showing even by day a night of -their own; its edge was vocal with the glad bees' deep murmur on the -bowers of creepers with their opening blossoms; it was bedewed with -torrents that in their sheer descent fell in foam, dashing against -the white rock, and cleft by the axe-like points of the jagged -cliff, with a shrill crash as the cold spray rose up and broke; -it was like a mass of waving cowries hanging from a door, from the -cascades streaming down on either side, white as iva's smile, or as -pearly frost. Within was a circle of jewelled pitchers; on one side -hung a veil worn in sacred meditation; a clean pair of shoes made of -cocoanut matting hung on a peg; one corner held a bark bed gray with -dust scattered by the ashes the maiden wore; the place of honour was -filled by a bowl of shell carved with a chisel, like the orb of the -moon; and close by there stood a gourd of ashes. - -'"On the rock at the entrance Candrapida took his seat, and when the -maiden, having laid her lute on the pillow of the bark bed, took in -a leafy cup some water from the cascade to offer to her guest, and he -said as she approached (270): 'Enough of these thy great toils. Cease -this excess of grace. Be persuaded, lady. Let this too great honour -be abandoned. The very sight of thee, like the aghamarshana hymn, -stills all evil and sufficeth for purification. Deign to take thy -seat!' Yet being urged by her, he reverently, with head bent low, -accepted all the homage she gave to her guest. When her cares for -her guest were over, she sat down on another rock, and after a short -silence he told, at her request, the whole story of his coming in -pursuit of the pair of Kinnaras, beginning with his expedition of -conquest. The maiden then rose, and, taking a begging bowl, wandered -among the trees round the temple; and ere long her bowl was filled -with fruits that had fallen of their own accord. As she invited -Candrapida to the enjoyment of them, the thought arose in his heart: -'Of a truth, there is nought beyond the power of penance. For it is -a great marvel how the lords of the forest, albeit devoid of sense, -yet, like beings endowed with sense, gain honour for themselves by -casting down their fruits for this maiden. A wondrous sight is this, -and one never seen before.' - -'"So, marvelling yet more, he brought Indrayudha to that spot, -unsaddled him, and tied him up hard by. (271) Then, having bathed in -the torrent, he partook of the fruits, sweet as ambrosia, and drank -the cool water of the cascade, and having rinsed his mouth, he waited -apart while the maiden enjoyed her repast of water, roots, and fruit. - -'"When her meal was ended and she had said her evening prayer, and -taken her seat fearlessly on the rock, the Prince quietly approached -her, and sitting down near her, paused awhile and then respectfully -said: - -'"'Lady, the folly that besets mankind impels me even against my -will to question thee, for I am bewildered by a curiosity that has -taken courage from thy kindness. For even the slightest grace of -a lord emboldens a weak nature: even a short time spent together -creates intimacy. Even a slight acceptance of homage produces -affection. Therefore, if it weary thee not, I pray thee to honour me -with thy story. For from my first sight of thee a great eagerness has -possessed me as to this matter. Is the race honoured by thy birth, -lady, that of the Maruts, or Rishis, or Gandharvas, or Guhyakas, -or Apsarases? And wherefore in thy fresh youth, tender as a flower, -has this vow been taken? (272) For how far apart would seem thy youth, -thy beauty, and thine exceeding grace, from this thy peace from all -thoughts of earth! This is marvellous in mine eyes! And wherefore -hast thou left the heavenly hermitages that gods may win, and that -hold all things needful for the highest saints, to dwell alone in -this deserted wood? And whereby hath thy body, though formed of the -five gross elements, put on this pure whiteness? Never have I heard -or seen aught such as this. I pray thee dispel my curiosity, and tell -me all I ask.' - -'"For a little time she pondered his request in silence, and then she -began to weep noiselessly, and her eyes were blinded by tears which -fell in large drops, carrying with them the purity of her heart, -showering down the innocence of her senses, distilling the essence -of asceticism, dropping in a liquid form the brightness of her eyes, -most pure, falling on her white cheeks like a broken string of pearls, -unceasing, splashing on her bosom covered by the bark robe. - -(273) '"And as he beheld her weeping Candrapida reflected: 'How hardly -can misfortune be warded off, if it takes for its own a beauty like -this, which one might have deemed beyond its might! Of a truth there -is none whom the sorrows of life in the body leave untouched. Strong -indeed is the working of the opposed powers of pleasure and pain. [255] -These her tears have created in me a further curiosity, even greater -than before. It is no slight grief that can take its abode in a -form like hers. For it is not a feeble blow that causes the earth -to tremble.' - -'"While his curiosity was thus increased he felt himself guilty of -recalling her grief, and rising, brought in his folded hand from the -torrent some water to bathe her face. But she, though the torrent of -her tears was in nowise checked by his gentleness, yet bathed her -reddened eyes, and drying her face with the edge of her bark robe, -slowly said with a long and bitter sigh: - -(274) '"'Wherefore, Prince, wilt thou hear the story of my ascetic -life, all unfit for thy ears? for cruel has been my heart, hard my -destiny, and evil my condition, even from my birth. Still, if thy -desire to know be great, hearken. It has come within the range of -our hearing, usually directed to auspicious knowledge, that there -are in the abode of the gods maidens called Apsarases. Of these -there are fourteen families: one sprung from the mind of Brahma, -another from the Vedas, another from fire, another from the wind, -another from nectar when it was churned, another from water, another -from the sun's rays, another from the moon's beams, another from -earth, and another from lightning; one was fashioned by Death, and -another created by Love; besides, Daksha, father of all, had among -his many daughters two, Muni and Arishta, and from their union with -the Gandharvas were sprung the other two families. These are, in sum, -the fourteen races. But from the Gandharvas and the daughters of -Daksha sprang these two families. Here Muni bore a sixteenth son, by -name Citraratha, who excelled in virtues Sena and all the rest of his -fifteen brothers. For his heroism was famed through the three worlds; -his dignity was increased by the name of Friend, bestowed by Indra, -whose lotus feet are caressed by the crests of the gods cast down -before him; and even in childhood he gained the sovereignty of all the -Gandharvas by a right arm tinged with the flashing of his sword. (275) -Not far hence, north of the land of Bharata, is his dwelling, Hemakuta, -a boundary mountain in the Kimpurusha country. There, protected by -his arm, dwell innumerable Gandharvas. By him this pleasant wood, -Caitraratha, was made, this great lake Acchoda was dug out, and this -image of iva was fashioned. But the son of Arishta, in the second -Gandharva family, was as a child anointed king by Citraratha, lord of -the Gandharvas, and now holds royal rank, and with a countless retinue -of Gandharvas dwells likewise on this mountain. Now, from that family -of Apsarases which sprang from the moon's nectar was born a maiden, -fashioned as though by the grace of all the moon's digits poured in -one stream, gladdening the eyes of the universe, moonbeam-fair, in -name and nature a second Gauri. [256] (276) Her Hamsa, lord of the -second family, wooed, as the Milky Ocean the Ganges; with him she -was united, as Rati with Kama, or the lotus-bed with the autumn; -and enjoying the great happiness of such a union she became the -queen of his zenana. To this noble pair I was born as only daughter, -ill-omened, a prey for grief, and a vessel for countless sorrows; -my father, however, having no other child, greeted my birth with a -great festival, surpassing that for a son, and on the tenth day, with -the customary rites he gave me the fitting name of Mahaveta. In his -palace I spent my childhood, passed from lap to lap of the Gandharva -dames, like a lute, as I murmured the prattle of babyhood, ignorant as -yet of the sorrows of love; but in time fresh youth came to me as the -honey-month to the spring, fresh shoots to the honey-month, flowers -to the fresh shoots, bees to the flowers, and honey to the bees. - -'"' [257]And one day in the month of honey I went down with my mother -to the Acchoda lake to bathe, when its beauties were spread wide in -the spring, and all its lotuses were in flower. - -(278) '"'I worshipped the pictures of iva, attended by Bringiriti, -which were carved on the rocks of the bank by Parvati when she came -down to bathe, and which had the reverential attendance of ascetics -portrayed by the thin footprints left in the dust. "How beautiful!" I -cried, "is this bower of creepers, with its clusters of flowers of -which the bees' weight has broken the centre and bowed the filaments; -this mango is fully in flower, and the honey pours through the holes in -the stalks of its buds, which the cuckoo's sharp claws have pierced; -how cool this sandal avenue, which the serpents, terrified at the -murmur of hosts of wild peacocks, have deserted; how delightful the -waving creepers, which betray by their fallen blossoms the swinging of -the wood-nymphs upon them; how pleasant the foot of the trees on the -bank where the kalahamsas have left the line of their steps imprinted -in the pollen of many a flower!" Drawn on thus by the ever-growing -charms of the wood, I wandered with my companions. (279) And at a -certain spot I smelt the fragrance of a flower strongly borne on the -wind, overpowering that of all the rest, though the wood was in full -blossom; it drew near, and by its great sweetness seemed to anoint, to -delight, and to fill the sense of smell. Bees followed it, seeking to -make it their own: it was truly a perfume unknown heretofore, and fit -for the gods. I, too, eager to learn whence it came, with eyes turned -into buds, and drawn on like a bee by that scent, and attracting to -me the kalahamsas of the lake by the jangling of my anklets loudly -clashed in the tremulous speed of my curiosity, advanced a few steps -and beheld a graceful youthful ascetic coming down to bathe. He was -like Spring doing penance in grief for Love made the fuel of iva's -fire, or the crescent on iva's brow performing a vow to win a full -orb, or Love restrained in his eagerness to conquer iva: by his great -splendour he appeared to be girt by a cage of quivering lightning, -embosomed in the globe of the summer sun, or encircled in the flames -of a furnace: (280) by the brightness of his form, flashing forth ever -more and more, yellow as lamplight, he made the grove a tawny gold; -his locks were yellow and soft like an amulet dyed in gorocana. The -line of ashes on his brow made him like Ganges with the line of a -fresh sandbank, as though it were a sandal-mark to win Sarasvati, -[258] and played the part of a banner of holiness; his eyebrows were -an arch rising high over the abode of men's curses; his eyes were -so long that he seemed to wear them as a chaplet; he shared with -the deer the beauty of their glance; his nose was long and aquiline; -the citron of his lower lip was rosy as with the glow of youth, which -was refused an entrance to his heart; with his beardless cheek he was -like a fresh lotus, the filaments of which have not yet been tossed -by the bees in their sport; he was adorned with a sacrificial thread -like the bent string of Love's bow, or a filament from the lotus grove -of the pool of penance; in one hand he bore a pitcher like a kesara -fruit with its stalk; in the other a crystal rosary, strung as it were -with the tears of Rati wailing in grief for Love's death. (281) His -loins were girt with a muja-grass girdle, as though he had assumed -a halo, having outvied the sun by his innate splendour; the office -of vesture was performed by the bark of the heavenly coral-tree, -[259] bright as the pink eyelid of an old partridge, and washed in -the waves of the heavenly Ganges; he was the ornament of ascetic -life, the youthful grace of holiness, the delight of Sarasvati, the -chosen lord of all the sciences, and the meeting-place of all divine -tradition. He had, like the summer season, [260] his ashadha [261]; -he had, like a winter wood, the brightness of opening millet, and he -had like the month of honey, a face adorned with white tilaka. [262] -With him there was a youthful ascetic gathering flowers to worship -the gods, his equal in age and a friend worthy of himself. - -(282) '"'Then I saw a wondrous spray of flowers which decked his ear, -like the bright smile of woodland ri joying in the sight of spring, -or the grain-offering of the honey-month welcoming the Malaya winds, or -the youth of the Lakshmi of flowers, or the cowrie that adorns Love's -elephant; it was wooed by the bees; the Pleiads lent it their grace; -and its honey was nectar. "Surely," I decided, "this is the fragrance -which makes all other flowers scentless," and gazing at the youthful -ascetic, the thought arose in my mind: "Ah, how lavish is the Creator -who has skill [263] to produce the highest perfection of form, for he -has compounded Kama of all miraculous beauty, excelling the universe, -and yet has created this ascetic even more fair, surpassing him, like a -second love-god, born of enchantment. (283) Methinks that when Brahma -[264] made the moon's orb to gladden the world, and the lotuses to be -Lakshmi's palace of delight, he was but practising to gain skill for -the creation of this ascetic's face; why else should such things be -created? Surely it is false that the sun with its ray Sushumna [265] -drinks all the digits of the moon as it wanes in the dark fortnight, -for their beams are cast down to enter this fair form. How otherwise -could there be such grace in one who lives in weary penance, beauty's -destroyer?" As I thus thought, Love, beauty's firm adherent, who knows -not good from ill, and who is ever at hand to the young, enthralled -me, together with my sighs, as the madness of spring takes captive -the bee. Then with a right eye gazing steadily, the eyelashes half -closed, the iris darkened by the pupil's tremulous sidelong glance, -I looked long on him. With this glance I, as it were, drank him in, -besought him, told him I was wholly his, offered my heart, tried -to enter into him with my whole soul, sought to be absorbed in him, -implored his protection to save Love's victim, showed my suppliant -state that asked for a place in his heart; (284) and though I asked -myself, "What is this shameful feeling that has arisen in me, unseemly -and unworthy a noble maiden?" yet knowing this, I could not master -myself, but with great difficulty stood firm, gazing at him. For -I seemed to be paralyzed, or in a picture, or scattered abroad, or -bound, or in a trance, and yet in wondrous wise upheld, as though -when my limbs were failing, support was at the same moment given; -for I know not how one can be certain in a matter that can neither -be told nor taught, and that is not capable of being told, for it -is only learnt from within. Can it be ascertained as presented by -his beauty, or by my own mind, or by love, or by youth or affection, -or by any other causes? I cannot tell. Lifted up and dragged towards -him by my senses, led forward by my heart, urged from behind by Love, -I yet by a strong effort restrained my impulse. (285) Straightway -a storm of sighs went forth unceasingly, prompted by Love as he -strove to find a place within me; and my bosom heaved as longing to -speak earnestly to my heart, and then I thought to myself: "What an -unworthy action is this of vile Kama, who surrenders me to this cold -ascetic free from all thoughts of love! Truly, the heart of woman -is foolish exceedingly, since it cannot weigh the fitness of that -which it loves. For what has this bright home of glory and penance -to do with the stirrings of love that meaner men welcome? Surely -in his heart he scorns me for being thus deceived by Kama! Strange -it is that I who know this cannot restrain my feeling! (286) Other -maidens, indeed, laying shame aside, have of their own accord gone -to their lords; others have been maddened by that reckless love-god; -but not as I am here alone! How in that one moment has my heart been -thrown into turmoil by the mere sight of his form, and passed from my -control! for time for knowledge and good qualities always make Love -invincible. It is best for me to leave this place while I yet have -my senses, and while he does not clearly see this my hateful folly -of love. Perchance if he sees in me the effects of a love he cannot -approve, he will in wrath make me feel his curse. For ascetics are -ever prone to wrath." Thus having resolved, I was eager to depart, -but, remembering that holy men should be reverenced by all, I made an -obeisance to him with eyes turned to his face, eyelashes motionless, -not glancing downwards, my cheek uncaressed by the flowers dancing -in my ears, my garland tossing on my waving hair, and my jewelled -earrings swinging on my shoulders. - -'"'As I thus bent, the irresistible command of love, the inspiration -of the spring, the charm of the place, the frowardness of youth, the -unsteadiness of the senses, (287) the impatient longing for earthly -goods, the fickleness of the mind, the destiny that rules events--in -a word, my own cruel fate, and the fact that all my trouble was -caused by him, were the means by which Love destroyed his firmness -by the sight of my feeling, and made him waver towards me like a -flame in the wind. He too was visibly thrilled, as if to welcome the -newly-entering Love; his sighs went before him to show the way to his -mind which was hastening towards me; the rosary in his hand trembled -and shook, fearing the breaking of his vow; drops rose on his cheek, -like a second garland hanging from his ear; his eyes, as his pupils -dilated and his glance widened in the joy of beholding me, turned -the spot to a very lotus-grove, so that the ten regions were filled -by the long rays coming forth like masses of open lotuses that had -of their own accord left the Acchoda lake and were rising to the sky. - -'"'By the manifest change in him my love was redoubled, and I fell -that moment into a state I cannot describe, all unworthy of my -caste. "Surely," I reflected, "Kama himself teaches this play of the -eye, though generally after a long happy love, else whence comes this -ascetic's gaze? (288) For his mind is unversed in the mingled feelings -of earthly joys, and yet his eyes, though they have never learnt the -art, pour forth the stream of love's sweetness, rain nectar, are half -closed by joy, are slow with distress, heavy with sleep, roaming with -pupils tremulous and languid with the weight of gladness, and yet -bright with the play of his eyebrows. Whence comes this exceeding -skill that tells the heart's longing wordlessly by a glance alone?" - -'"'Impelled by these thoughts I advanced, and bowing to the second -young ascetic, his companion, I asked: "What is the name of his -Reverence? Of what ascetic is he the son? From what tree is this -garland woven? For its scent, hitherto unknown, and of rare sweetness, -kindles great curiosity in me." - -'"'With a slight smile, he replied: "Maiden, what needs this -question? But I will enlighten thy curiosity. Listen! - -'"'"There dwells in the world of gods a great sage, vetaketu; his -noble character is famed through the universe; his feet are honoured by -bands of siddhas, gods, and demons; (289) his beauty, exceeding that -of Nalakubara, [266] is dear to the three worlds, and gladdens the -hearts of goddesses. Once upon a time, when seeking lotuses for the -worship of the gods, he went down to the Heavenly Ganges, which lay -white as iva's smile, while its water was studded as with peacocks' -eyes by the ichor of Airavata. Straightway Lakshmi, enthroned on -a thousand-petalled white lotus close by, beheld him coming down -among the flowers, and looking on him, she drank in his beauty with -eyes half closed by love, and quivering with weight of joyous tears, -and with her slender fingers laid on her softly-opening lips; and -her heart was disturbed by Love; by her glance alone she won his -affection. A son was born, and taking him in her arms with the words, -'Take him, for he is thine,' she gave him to vetaketu, who performed -all the rites of a son's birth, and called him Pundarika, because he -was born in a pundarika lotus. Moreover, after initiation, he led him -through the whole circle of the arts. (290) This is Pundarika whom you -see. And this spray comes from the parijata tree, [267] which rose -when the Milky Ocean was churned by gods and demons. How it gained -a place in his ear contrary to his vow, I will now tell. This being -the fourteenth day of the month, he started with me from heaven to -worship iva, who had gone to Kailasa. On the way, near the Nandana -Wood, a nymph, drunk with the juice of flowers, wearing fresh mango -shoots in her ear, veiled completely by garlands falling to the knees, -girt with kesara flowers, and resting on the fair hand lent her by the -Lakshmi of spring, took this spray of parijata, and bending low, thus -addressed Pundarika: 'Sir, let, I pray, this thy form, that gladdens -the eyes of the universe, have this spray as its fitting adornment; -let it be placed on the tip of thy ear, for it has but the playfulness -that belongs to a garland; let the birth of the parijata now reap -its full blessing!' At her words, his eyes were cast down in modesty -at the praise he so well deserved, and he turned to depart without -regarding her; but as I saw her following us, I said, 'What is the -harm, friend. Let her courteous gift be accepted!' and so by force, -against his will, the spray adorns his ear. Now all has been told: -who he is, whose son, and what this flower is, and how it has been -raised to his ear." (291) When he had thus spoken, Pundarika said to -me with a slight smile: "Ah, curious maiden, why didst thou take the -trouble to ask this? If the flower, with its sweet scent, please thee, -do thou accept it," and advancing, he took it from his own ear and -placed it in mine, as though, with the soft murmur of the bees on it, -it were a prayer for love. At once, in my eagerness to touch his hand, -a thrill arose in me, like a second parijata flower, where the garland -lay; while he, in the pleasure of touching my cheek, did not see that -from his tremulous fingers he had dropped his rosary at the same time -as his timidity; but before it reached the ground I seized it, and -playfully placed it on my neck, where it wore the grace of a necklace -unlike all others, while I learnt the joy of having my neck clasped, -as it were, by his arm. - -'"'As our hearts were thus occupied with each other, my umbrella-bearer -addressed me: "Princess, the Queen has bathed. It is nearly time -to go home. Do thou, therefore, also bathe." At her words, like a -newly-caught elephant, rebellious at the first touch of the new hook, -I was unwillingly dragged away, and as I went down to bathe, I could -hardly withdraw my eyes, for they seemed to be drowned in the ambrosial -beauty of his face, or caught in the thicket of my thrilling cheek, -or pinned down by Love's shafts, or sewn fast by the cords [268] -of his charms. - -(292) '"'Meanwhile, the second young ascetic, seeing that he was -losing his self-control, gently upbraided him: "Dear Pundarika, this -is unworthy of thee. This is the way trodden by common men. For the -good are rich in self-control. Why dost thou, like a man of low caste, -fail to restrain the turmoil of thy soul? Whence comes this hitherto -unknown assault of the senses, which so transforms thee? Where is -thine old firmness? Where thy conquest of the senses? Where thy -self-control? Where thy calm of mind, thine inherited holiness, -thy carelessness of earthly things? Where the teaching of thy guru, -thy learning of the Vedas, thy resolves of asceticism, thy hatred of -pleasure, thine aversion to vain delights, thy passion for penance, thy -distaste for enjoyments, thy rule over the impulses of youth? Verily -all knowledge is fruitless, study of holy books is useless, initiation -has lost its meaning, pondering the teaching of gurus avails not, -proficiency is worthless, learning leads to nought, since even men like -thee are stained by the touch of passion, and overcome by folly. (293) -Thou dost not even see that thy rosary has fallen from thy hand, -and has been carried away. Alas! how good sense fails in men thus -struck down. Hold back this heart of thine, for this worthless girl -is seeking to carry it away." - -'"'To these words he replied, with some shame: "Dear Kapijala, -why dost thou thus misunderstand me? I am not one to endure this -reckless girl's offence in taking my rosary!" and with his moonlike -face beautiful in its feigned wrath, and adorned the more by the dread -frown he tried to assume, while his lip trembled with longing to kiss -me, he said to me, "Playful maiden, thou shalt not move a step from -this place without giving back my rosary." Thereupon I loosed from -my neck a single row of pearls as the flower-offering that begins -a dance in Kama's honour, and placed it in his outstretched hand, -while his eyes were fixed on my face, and his mind was far away. I -started to bathe, but how I started I know not, for my mother and my -companions could hardly lead me away by force, like a river driven -backwards, and I went home thinking only of him. - -(294) '"'And entering the maidens' dwelling, I began straightway to ask -myself in my grief at his loss: "Am I really back, or still there? Am -I alone, or with my maidens? Am I silent, or beginning to speak? Am -I awake or asleep? Do I weep or hold back my tears? Is this joy or -sorrow, longing or despair, misfortune or gladness, day or night? Are -these things pleasures or pains?" All this I understood not. In my -ignorance of Love's course, I knew not whither to go, what to do, -hear, see, or speak, whom to tell, nor what remedy to seek. Entering -the maidens' palace, I dismissed my friends at the door, and shut -out my attendants, and then, putting aside all my occupations, I -stood alone with my face against the jewelled window. I gazed at the -region which, in its possession of him, was richly decked, endowed -with great treasure, overflowed by the ocean of nectar, adorned with -the rising of the full moon, and most fair to behold, I longed to ask -his doings even of the breeze wafted from thence, or of the scent of -the woodland flowers, or of the song of the birds. (295) I envied even -the toils of penance for his devotion to them. For his sake, in the -blind adherence of love, I took a vow of silence. I attributed grace -to the ascetic garb, because he accepted it, beauty to youth because -he owned it, charm to the parijata flower because it touched his ear, -delight to heaven because he dwelt there, and invincible power to -love because he was so fair. Though far away, I turned towards him -as the lotus-bed to the sun, the tide to the moon, or the peacock -to the cloud. I bore on my neck his rosary, like a charm against the -loss of the life stricken by his absence. I stood motionless, though -a thrill made the down on my cheek like a kadamba flower ear-ring, -as it rose from the joy of being touched by his hand, and from the -parijata spray in my ear, which spoke sweetly to me of him. - -'"'Now my betel-bearer, Taralika, had been with me to bathe; she came -back after me rather late, and softly addressed me in my sadness: -"Princess, one of those godlike ascetics we saw on the bank of Lake -Acchoda--(296) he by whom this spray of the heavenly tree was placed -in thy ear--as I was following thee, eluded the glance of his other -self, and approaching me with soft steps between the branches of a -flowering creeper, asked me concerning thee, saying, 'Damsel, who is -this maiden? Whose daughter is she? What is her name? And whither goes -she?' I replied: 'She is sprung from Gauri, an Apsaras of the moon -race, and her father Hamsa is king of all the Gandharvas; the nails of -his feet are burnished by the tips of the jewelled aigrettes on the -turbans of all the Gandharvas; his tree-like arms are marked by the -cosmetics on the cheeks of his Gandharva wives, and the lotus-hand of -Lakshmi forms his footstool. The princess is named Mahaveta, and she -has set out now for the hill of Hemakuta, the abode of the Gandharvas.' - -'"'"When this tale had been told by me, he thought silently for a -moment, and then looking long at me with a steady gaze, as if gently -entreating me, he said: 'Damsel, thy form, young as thou art, is of -fair promise, and augurs truth and steadfastness. Grant me, therefore, -one request.' Courteously raising my hands, I reverently replied: -(297) 'Wherefore say this? Who am I? When great-souled men such as -thou, meet for the honour of the whole universe, deign to cast even -their sin-removing glance on one like me, their act wins merit--much -more if they give a command. Say, therefore, freely what is to be -done. Let me be honoured by thy bidding.' - -'"'"Thus addressed, he saluted me with a kindly glance, as a friend, -a helper, or a giver of life; and taking a shoot from a tamala-tree -hard by, he crushed it on the stones of the bank, broke off a piece -from his upper bark garment as a tablet, and with the tamala-juice, -sweet as the ichor of a gandha elephant, wrote with the nail of the -little finger of his lotus-hand, and placed it in my hand, saying, 'Let -this letter be secretly given by thee to that maiden when alone.'" With -these words she drew it from the betel-box and showed it to me. - -'"'As I took from her hand that bark letter, I was filled with this -talk about him, which, though but a sound, produced the joy of contact, -and though for the ears alone, had its pervading presence in all my -limbs manifested by a thrill, as if it were a spell to invoke Love; -and in his letter I beheld these lines: [269] - - - A hamsa on the Manas lake, lured by a creeper's treacherous shine, - My heart is led a weary chase, lured by that pearly wreath of - thine. [270] - - -(298) '"'By the reading of this, an even greater change for the worse -was wrought in my lovesick mind, as in one who has lost his way, -by also losing his bearings; as in a blind man, by a night of the -dark fortnight; as in a dumb man, by cutting out the tongue; as in an -ignorant man, by a conjuror's waving fan; as in a confused talker, -by the delirium of fever; as in one poisoned, by the fatal sleep; -as in a wicked man, by atheistic philosophy; as in one distraught, by -strong drink; or as in one possessed, by the action of the possessing -demon; so that in the turmoil it created in me, I was tossed like a -river in flood. I honoured Taralika for having seen him again, as one -who had acquired great merit, or who had tasted the joys of heaven, -or had been visited by a god, or had her highest boon granted, or -had drunk nectar, or had been anointed queen of the three worlds. I -spoke to her reverently, as if, though always by me, she were a -rare visitant, and though my familiar friend, she were hitherto -unknown. I looked on her, though behind me, as above the world; -I tenderly caressed the curls on her cheek, and entirely set at -nought the condition of mistress and maid, again and again asking, -(299) "How was he seen by thee? What did he say to thee? How long -wert thou there? How far did he follow us?" And shutting out all my -attendants, I spent the whole day with her in the palace, listening to -that tale. The sun's orb hanging in the sky became crimson, sharing -my heart's glow; the Lakshmi of sunlight longing for the sight of -the flushed sun, and preparing her lotus-couch, turned pale as though -faint with love; the sunbeams, rosy as they fell on waters dyed with -red chalk, rose from the lotus-beds clustering like herds of woodland -elephants; the day, with an echo of the joyous neighing of the steeds -of the sun's chariot longing to rest after their descent of the sky, -entered the caves of Mount Meru; the lotus-beds, as the bees entered -the folded leaves of the red lilies, seemed to close their eyes as -though their hearts were darkened by a swoon at the sun's departure; -the pairs of cakravakas, each taking the other's heart, safely hidden -in the hollow lotus-stalks whereof they had eaten together, were -now parted; and my umbrella-bearer approaching me, said as follows: -(300) "Princess, one of those youthful hermits is at the door, and -says he has come to beg for a rosary." At the hermit's name, though -motionless, I seemed to approach the door, and suspecting the reason of -his coming, I summoned another chamberlain, whom I sent, saying, "Go -and admit him." A moment later I beheld the young ascetic Kapijala, -who is to Pundarika as youth to beauty, love to youth, spring to love, -southern breezes to spring, and who is indeed a friend worthy of him; -he followed the hoary chamberlain as sunlight after moonlight. As he -drew near his appearance betrayed to me trouble, sadness, distraction, -entreaty, and a yearning unfulfilled. With a reverence I rose and -respectfully brought him a seat; and when he was reluctantly forced -to accept it, I washed his feet and dried them on the silken edge of -my upper robe; and then sat by him on the bare ground. For a moment -he waited, as if eager to speak, when he cast his eyes on Taralika -close by. Knowing his desire at a glance, I said, "Sir, she is one -with me. (301) Speak fearlessly." At my words Kapijala replied: -"Princess, what can I say? for through shame my voice does not reach -the sphere of utterance. How far is the passionless ascetic who -lives on roots in the woods from the illusion of passion that finds -its home in restless souls, and is stained with longing for earthly -pleasures, and filled with the manifold sports of the Love God. See how -unseemly all this is! What has fate begun? God easily turns us into -a laughing-stock! I know not if this be fitting with bark garments, -or seemly for matted locks, or meet for penance, or consonant with the -teaching of holiness! Such a mockery was never known! I needs must -tell you the story. No other course is visible; no other remedy is -perceived; no other refuge is at hand; no other way is before me. If -it remains untold, even greater trouble will arise. A friend's life -must be saved even at the loss of our own; so I will tell the tale: - -'"'"It was in thy presence that I sternly rebuked Pundarika, and after -that speech I left him in anger and went to another place, leaving -my task of gathering flowers. After thy departure, I remained apart a -short time, (302) and then, becoming anxious as to what he was doing, -I turned back and examined the spot from behind a tree. As I did not -see him there, the thought arose within me, 'His mind was enslaved -by love, and perchance he followed her; and now that she is gone, -he has regained his senses, and is ashamed to come within my sight; -or he has gone from me in wrath, or departed hence to another place -in search of me.' Thus thinking, I waited some time, but, troubled by -an absence I had never since my birth suffered for a moment, I again -thought, 'It may be that, in shame at his failure in firmness, he will -come to some harm; for shame makes everything possible; he must not, -then, be left alone.' With this resolve, I earnestly made search for -him. But as I could not see him, though I sought on all sides, made -anxious by love for my friend, I pictured this or that misfortune, -and wandered long, examining glades of trees, creeper bowers among the -sandal avenues, and the banks of lakes, carefully glancing on every -side. (303) At length I beheld him in a thicket of creepers near -a lake, a very birthplace for spring, most fair, and in its close -growth appearing to be made wholly of flowers, of bees, of cuckoos, -and of peacocks. From his entire absence of employment, he was as one -painted, or engraved, or paralyzed, or dead, or asleep, or in a trance -of meditation; he was motionless, yet wandering from his right course; -alone, yet possessed by Love; all aglow, yet raising a pallid face; -absent-minded, yet giving his love a place within him; silent, and yet -telling a tale of Love's great woe; seated on a stone, yet standing -in face of death. He was tormented by Kama, who yet, in fear of many -a curse, remained unseen. By his great stillness he appeared to be -deserted by the senses which had entered into him to behold the love -that dwelt in his heart, and had fainted in fear at its unbearable -heat, or had left him in wrath at the tossing of his mind. From eyes -steadily closed, and dimmed within by the smoke of Love's keen fire, -he ceaselessly poured forth a storm of tears trickling down through -his eyelashes. (304) The filaments of the creepers near trembled in -the sighs which rushed out, bearing the redness of his lips like the -upstarting ruddy flame of Kama burning his heart. As his hand rested -on his left cheek, his brow, from the clear rays of his nails rising -upwards, seemed to have a fresh mark of sandal very pure; from the late -removal of his earring, the parijata flower, his ear was endowed with -a tamala shoot or a blue lotus by the bees that murmured a charm to -bewitch love, under the guise of their soft hum as they crept up in -longing for what remained of that fragrance. Under the guise of his -hair rising in a passionate thrill he seemed to bear on his limbs a -mass of broken points of the flowery darts of Love's arrows discharged -into his pores. With his right hand he bore on his breast a string of -pearls that, by being interlaced with the flashing rays of his nails, -seemed bristling in joy at the pleasure of touching his palm, and that -was, as it were, a banner of recklessness. He was pelted by the trees -with pollen, like a powder to subdue Love; he was caressed by aoka -shoots tossed by the wind, and transferring to him their rosy glow; -he was besprinkled by woodland Lakshmi with honey-dew from clusters -of fresh flowers, like waters to crown Love; he was struck by Love -with campak buds, which, as their fragrance was drunk in by bees, were -like fiery barbs all smoking; (305) he was rebuked by the south wind, -as if by the hum of the bees maddened by the many scents of the wood; -he was bewildered by the honey-month, as by cries of 'All hail!' to -Spring raised by the cuckoos in their melodious ecstasy. Like the -risen moon, he was robed in paleness; like the stream of Ganges in -summer, he had dwindled to meagreness; like a sandal-tree with a -fire at its heart, he was fading away. He seemed to have entered -on another birth, and was as another man, strange and unfamiliar; -he was changed into another shape. As one entered by an evil spirit, -ruled by a great demon, possessed by a strong devil, drunk, deluded, -blind, deaf, dumb, all merged in joy and love, he had reached the -climax of the mind's slavery when possessed by Love, and his old self -could no longer be known. - -'"'"As with a steady glance I long examined his sad state, I became -despondent, and thought in my trembling heart: 'This is of a truth -that Love whose force none can resist; for by him Pundarika has -been in a moment brought to a state for which there is no cure. For -how else could such a storehouse of learning become straightway -unavailing? (306) It is, alas! a miracle in him who from childhood has -been firm of nature and unswerving in conduct, and whose life was the -envy of myself and the other young ascetics. Here, like a mean man, -despising knowledge, contemning the power of penance, he has rooted -up his deep steadfastness, and is paralyzed by Love. A youth which has -never swerved is indeed rare!' I went forward, and sitting down by him -on the same stone, with my hand resting on his shoulder, I asked him, -though his eyes were still closed: 'Dear Pundarika, tell me what this -means.' Then with great difficulty and effort he opened his eyes, -which seemed fastened together by their long closing, and which were -red from incessant weeping and overflowing with tears as if shaken -and in pain, while their colour was that of a red lotus-bed veiled in -white silk. He looked at me long with a very languid glance, and then, -deeply sighing, in accents broken by shame, he slowly and with pain -murmured: 'Dear Kapijala, why ask me what thou knowest?' Hearing this, -and thinking that Pundarika was suffering in this way a cureless ill, -but that still, as far as possible, a friend who is entering a wrong -course should be held back to the utmost by those who love him, -I replied: 'Dear Pundarika, I know it well. (307) I will only ask -this question: Is this course you have begun taught by your gurus, -or read in the holy books? or is this a way of winning holiness, -or a fresh form of penance, or a path to heaven, or a mystic vow, -or a means of salvation, or any other kind of discipline? Is this -fitting for thee even to imagine, much less to see or tell? Like a -fool, thou seest not that thou art made a laughing-stock by that -miscreant Love. For it is the fool who is tormented by Love. For -what is thy hope of happiness in such things as are honoured by the -base, but blamed by the good? He truly waters a poison tree under -the idea of duty, or embraces the sword plant for a lotus-wreath, or -lays hold on a black snake, taking it for a line of smoke of black -aloes, or touches a burning coal for a jewel, or tries to pull out -the club-like tusk of a wild elephant, thinking it a lotus-fibre; he -is a fool who places happiness in the pleasures of sense which end -in sorrow. And thou, though knowing the real nature of the senses, -why dost thou carry thy knowledge as the firefly his light, [271] -only to be concealed, in that thou restrainest not thy senses when they -start out of their course like streams turbid [272] in their passionate -onrush? Nor dost thou curb thy tossing mind. (308) Who, forsooth, is -this Love-god? Relying on thy firmness, do thou revile this miscreant.' - -'"'"As I thus spoke he wiped with his hand his eyes streaming with -tears poured through his eyelashes, and while he yet leant on me, -replied, rebuking my speech: 'Friend, what need of many words? Thou -at least art untouched! Thou hast not fallen within the range of -Love's shafts, cruel with the poison of snakes! It is easy to teach -another! and when that other has his senses and his mind, and sees, -hears, and knows what he has heard, and can discern good and evil, -he is then fit for advice. But all this is far from me; all talk of -stability, judgment, firmness, reflection, has come to an end. How -do I even breathe but by strong effort? The time for advice is long -past. The opportunity for firmness has been let slip; the hour for -reflection is gone; the season for stability and judgment has passed -away. Who but thee could give advice at this time, or could attempt -to restrain my wandering? To whom but thee should I listen? or who -else in the world is a friend like thee? What ails me that I cannot -restrain myself? Thou sawest in a moment my wretched plight. The -time, then, for advice is now past. (309) While I breathe, I long -for some cure for the fever of love, violent as the rays of twelve -suns [273] at the end of the world. My limbs are baked, my heart is -seething, my eyes are burning, and my body on fire. Do, therefore, -what the time demands.' He then became silent, and after this speech -I tried again and again to rouse him; but as he did not listen even -when tenderly and affectionately exhorted in the words of the pure -teaching of the astras full of cases like his own, together with -the legendary histories, I thought, 'He is gone too far; he cannot -be turned back. Advice is now useless, so I will make an effort -just to preserve his life.' With this resolve I rose and went, and -tore up some juicy lotus-fibres from the lake; then, taking some -lotus-petals marked by water, I plucked lotuses of all kinds, sweet -with the fragrance of the aromatic pollen within, and prepared a -couch on that same rock in the bower. And as he rested there at ease -(310), I crushed soft twigs of the sandal-trees hard by, and with -its juice, naturally sweet and cold as ice, made a mark on his brow, -and anointed him from head to foot. I allayed the perspiration by -camphor-dust powdered in my hand, broken from the interstices of the -split bark of the trees near, and fanned him with a plantain-leaf -dripping with pure water, while the bark robe he wore was moist with -the sandal placed on his breast; and as I again and again strewed -fresh lotus couches, and anointed him with sandal, and removed the -perspiration, and constantly fanned him, the thought arose in my mind, -'Surely nothing is too hard for Love! For how far apart would seem -Pundarika, by nature simple and content with his woodland home, like -a fawn, and Mahaveta, the Gandharva princess, a galaxy of graces: -surely there is nothing for Love in the world hard, or difficult, or -unsubdued, or impossible. He scornfully attempts the hardest tasks, -nor can any resist him. For why speak of beings endowed with sense -when, if it so please him, he can bring together even things without -sense? For the night lotus-bed falls in love with the sun's ray, -and the day-lotus leaves her hatred of the moon, and night is joined -to day, (311) and moonlight waits on darkness, and shade stands in -the face of light, and lightning stays firm in the cloud, and old age -accompanies youth; and what more difficult thing can there be than that -one like Pundarika, who is an ocean of unfathomable depth, should thus -be brought to the lightness of grass? Where is his former penance, and -where his present state? Truly it is a cureless ill that has befallen -him! What must I now do or attempt, or whither go, or what refuge or -resource, or help or remedy, or plan, or recourse, is there by which -his life may be sustained? Or by what skill, or device, or means, -or support, or thought, or solace, may he yet live?' These and other -such thoughts arose in my downcast heart. But again I thought, 'What -avails dwelling on this useless thought? His life must be preserved -by any means, good or bad, (312) and there is no other way to save it -but by her union with him; and as he is timid by reason of his youth, -and moreover thinks the affairs of love contrary to his vow, unseemly, -and a mockery in himself, he certainly, even at his last breath, will -not gratify his longing by himself approaching her. This his disease -of love admits no delay. Good men always hold that a friend's life -must be saved even by a blameworthy deed; so that though this is a -shameful and wrong action, it has yet become imperative for me. What -else can be done? What other course is there? I will certainly go to -her. I will tell her his state.' Thus thinking, I left the place on -some pretext, and came hither without telling him, lest perchance -he should feel that I was engaged in an unseemly employment, and -should in shame hold me back. This being the state of affairs, -thou, lady, art the judge of what action is needful for the time, -worthy of so great a love, fitting for my coming, and right for -thyself." With these words he became silent, fixing his eyes on my -face to see what I should say. But I, having heard him, was plunged, -as it were, into a lake of ambrosial joy, or immersed in an ocean -of the sweets of love, floating above all joys, mounting to the -pinnacle of all desires, resting at the utmost bound of gladness. I -showed my happiness by joyful tears pouring clear, large, and heavy, -because my eyelashes were not closed, strung like a garland by their -unceasing succession, and not touching my cheek, because my face was -somewhat bent in sudden shame; (313) and I thought at once: "0 joy, -that Love entangles him as well as me, so that even while tormenting -me, he has in part showed me kindness; and if Pundarika is indeed in -such a plight, what help has not Love given me, or what has he not -done for me, or what friend is like him, or how could a false tale, -even in sleep, pass the lips of the calm-souled Kapijala? And if this -be so, what must I do, and what must I say in his presence?" While -I was thus deliberating, a portress hastily entered, and said to me: -"Princess, the Queen has learnt from her attendants that thou art ill, -and is now coming." On hearing this, Kapijala, fearing the contact -of a great throng, quickly rose, saying: "Princess, a cause of great -delay has arisen. The sun, the crest-jewel of the three worlds, is -now sinking, so I will depart. But I raise my hands in salutation as -a slight offering for the saving of my dear friend's life; that is -my greatest treasure." (314) Then, without awaiting my reply, he with -difficulty departed, for the door was blocked by the entrance of the -attendants that heralded my Lady Mother. There were the portresses -bearing golden staves; the chamberlains with unguents, cosmetics, -flowers, and betel, holding waving cowries; and in their train were -humpbacks, barbarians, deaf men, eunuchs, dwarfs, and deaf mutes. - -'"'Then the Queen came to me, and after a long visit, went home; -but I observed nothing of what she did, said, or attempted while -with me, for my heart was far away. When she went the sun, with his -steeds bright as haritala pigeons, lord of life to the lotuses, and -friend of the cakravakas, had sunk to rest, and the face of the West -was growing crimson, and the lotus-beds were turning green, and the -East was darkening to blue; and the world of mortals was overcome -by a blackness like a wave of the ocean of final destruction turbid -with the mud of hell. I knew not what to do, and asked Taralika, -"Seest thou not, Taralika, how confused is my mind? My senses are -bewildered with uncertainty, and I am unable myself to see in the -least what I should do. (315) Do thou tell me what is right to do, for -Kapijala is now gone, and he told his tale in thy presence. What if, -like a base-born maiden, I cast away shame, relinquish self-control, -desert modesty, contemn the reproach of men, transgress good behaviour, -trample on conduct, despise noble birth, accept the disgrace of a -course blinded by love, and without my father's leave, or my mother's -approval, I were to go to him myself and offer him my hand? This -transgression against my parents would be a great wrong. But if, -taking the other alternative, I follow duty, I shall in the first -place accept death, and even so I shall break the heart of his -reverence Kapijala, who loved him first, and who came hither of -his own accord. And again, if perchance that man's death is brought -about by my deed in destroying his hopes, then causing the death of -an ascetic would be a grave sin." While I thus considered, the East -became gray with the glimmering light of moonrise, like a line of -woods in spring with the pollen of flowers. And in the moonlight the -eastern quarter showed white as if with the powdered pearls from the -frontal bone of the elephant of darkness torn open by the lion-moon, -(316) or pale with sandal-dust falling from the breast of the nymphs -of the eastern mountain, or light with the rising of sand in an -island left by the tide, stirred by the wind on the waves of the -ever-moving ocean. Slowly the moonlight glided down, and made bright -the face of night, as if it were the flash of her teeth as she softly -smiled at the sight of the moon; then evening shone with the moon's -orb, as if it were the circle of esha's hoods breaking through the -earth as it rose from hell; after that, night became fair with the -moon, the gladdener of the world of mortals, the delight of lovers, -now leaving its childhood behind and becoming the ally of Love, -with a youthful glow arising within it, the only fitting light for -the enjoyment of Love's pleasures, ambrosial, climbing the sky like -youth impersonate. Then I beheld the risen moon as if flushed with -the coral of the ocean it had just left, crimsoned with the blood -of its deer struck by the paw of the lion of the Eastern Mountain, -marked with the lac of Rohini's [274] feet, as she spurned her lord -in a love quarrel, (317) and ruddy with his newly-kindled glow. And -I, though the fire of Love burnt within me, had my heart darkened; -though my body rested on the lap of Taralika, I was a captive in the -hands of Love; though my eyes were fixed on the moon, I was looking -on death, and I straightway thought, "There are the honey-month, the -Malaya winds, and all other such things brought together, and in the -same place to have this evil miscreant moon cannot be endured. My -heart cannot bear it. Its rising now is like a shower of coals to -one consumed by fever, or a fall of snow to one ill from cold, or the -bite of a black snake to one faint with the swelling of poison." And -as I thus thought, a swoon closed my eyes, like the sleep brought -by moonlight that withers the lotuses of the day. Soon, however, I -regained consciousness by means of the fanning and sandal unguents -of the bewildered Taralika, and I saw her weeping, her face dimmed -with ceaseless tears, pressing the point of a moist moonstone to my -brow, and seeming possessed by despair impersonate. As I opened my -eyes, she fell at my feet, and said, raising hands yet wet with the -thick sandal ointment: "Princess, why think of shame or disrespect to -parents? Be kind; send me, and I will fetch the beloved of thy heart; -(318) rise, or go thither thyself. Henceforth thou canst not bear -this Love that is an ocean whose manifold passionate waves [275] -are swelling at the rise of a strong moon." To this speech I replied: -"Mad girl, what is love to me? The moon it is, even the lord of the -night lotuses, who removes all scruples, undermines all search for -means of escape, conceals all difficulties, takes away all doubts, -contemns all fears, roots out all shame, veils the sinful levity of -going myself to my lover, avoids all delay, and has come merely to -lead me either to Pundarika or to death. Rise, therefore; for while I -have life I will follow him and honour him who, dear as he is, tortures -my heart." Thus saying, I rose, leaning on her, for my limbs were yet -unsteady with the weakness of the swoon caused by Love, and as I rose -my right eye throbbed, presaging ill, and in sudden terror I thought: -"What new thing is this threatened by Destiny?" - -(319) '"'The firmament was now flooded with moonlight, as if the -moon's orb, which had not yet risen far, was, like the waterpipe -of the temple of the universe, discharging a thousand streams of -the heavenly Ganges, pouring forth the waves of an ambrosial ocean, -shedding many a cascade of sandal-juice, and bearing floods of nectar; -the world seemed to learn what life was in the White Continent, -and the pleasures of seeing the land of Soma; the round earth was -being poured out from the depths of a Milky Ocean by the moon, which -was like the rounded tusk of the Great Boar; the moonrise offerings -were being presented in every house by the women with sandal-water -fragrant with open lotuses; the highways were crowded with thousands -of women-messengers sent by fair ladies; girls going to meet their -lovers ran hither and thither, veiled in blue silk and fluttered -by the dread of the bright moonlight as if they were the nymphs of -the white day lotus groves concealed in the splendours of the blue -lotuses; the sky became an alluvial island in the river of night, with -its centre whitened by the thick pollen of the groves of open night -lotuses; while the night lotus-beds in the house-tanks were waking, -encircled by bees which clung to every blossom; (320) the world of -mortals was, like the ocean, unable to contain the joy of moonrise, -and seemed made of love, of festivity, of mirth, and of tenderness: -evening was pleasant with the murmur of peacocks garrulous in gladness -at the cascade that fell from the waterpipes of moonstone. - -'"'Taralika accompanied me, holding powders, perfumes, unguents, -betel, and various flowers, and I had also that napkin, wet with -the sandal ointment which had been applied in my swoon, and which -had its nap slightly disordered and gray with the partly-dried -mark of sandalwood clinging to it; the rosary was on my neck; the -parijata spray was kissing the tip of my ear; veiled in red silk -that seemed fashioned from rays of rubies, I went down from the top -of that palace, unseen by any of my devoted attendants. On my way I -was pursued by a swarm of bees, which hastened, leaving lotus-beds -and deserting gardens, drawn by the scent of the parijata spray, -sportively forming a blue veil round me. I departed through the door -of the pleasure-grove and set out to meet Pundarika. (321) As I went, -I thought, seeing myself attended by Taralika only: "What needs pomp -of retinue when we seek our dearest! Surely our servants then but -play a mockery of attendance, for Love follows me with shaft fitted -to the strung bow; the moon, stretching out a long ray, [276] draws -me on like a hand; passion supports me at every step from fear of -a fall; my heart rushes on with the senses, leaving shame behind; -longing has gained certainty, and leads me on." Aloud I said: "Oh, -Taralika, would that this miscreant moon would with its beams seize -him by the hair and draw him forward like myself!" As I thus spoke, -she smilingly replied: "Thou art foolish, my princess! What does -the moon want with Pundarika? Nay, rather, he himself, as though -wounded by Love, does all these things for thee; for under the guise -of his image he kisses thy cheeks marked with drops of perspiration; -with trembling ray he falls on thy fair breast; he touches the gems -of thy girdle; entangled in thy bright nails, he falls at thy feet; -moreover, the form of this lovesick moon wears the pallor of a sandal -unguent dried by fever; (322) he stretches out his rays [277] white -as lotus-fibres; under the guise of his reflection he falls on crystal -pavements; with rays [278] gray as the dust from the filaments inside -the ketaki, he plunges into lotus-pools; he touches with his beams -[279] the moonstones wet with spray; he hates the day lotus-groves -with their pairs of cakravakas once severed." With such discourse -fitting for the time I approached that spot in her company. I then -bathed my feet, gray with pollen from the creeper flowers on our path, -in a spot near Kapijala's abode which had a stream of moonstone, -liquefied by moonrise, flowing from Kailasa's slope; and there, -on the left bank of the lake, I heard the sound of a man's weeping, -softened by distance. Some fear had arisen within me at first, from -the quivering of my right eye, and now that my heart was yet more -torn by this cry, as if my downcast mind were telling some dreadful -tidings within, I cried in terror: "Taralika, what means this?" And -with trembling limbs I breathlessly hastened on. - -'"'Then I heard afar a bitter cry, clear in the calm of night: "Alas, -I am undone! I am consumed! I am deceived! What is this that has -befallen me? What has happened? I am uprooted! (323) Cruel demon Love, -evil and pitiless, what shameful deed hast thou brought to pass? Ah, -wicked, evil, wanton Mahaveta, how had he harmed thee? Ah, evil, -wanton, monstrous [280] moon, thou hast gained thy desire. Cruel -soft breeze of the South, thy softness is gone, and thy will is -fulfilled. That which was to be done is done. Go now as thou wilt! Ah, -venerable vetaketu, tender to thy son, thou knowest not that thy -life is stolen from thee! Dharma, thou art dispossessed! Penance, -thou art protectorless! Eloquence, thou art widowed! Truth, thou art -lordless! Heaven, thou art void! Friend, protect me! Yet I will follow -thee! I cannot remain even a moment without thee, alone! How canst thou -now suddenly leave me, and go thy way like a stranger on whom my eyes -had never rested? Whence comes this thy great hardness? Say, whither, -without thee, shall I go? Whom shall I implore? What refuge shall I -seek? I am blinded! For me space is empty! Life is aimless, penance -vain, the world void of joy! With whom shall I wander, to whom speak, -with whom hold converse? Do thou arise! Grant me an answer. Friend, -where is thine old love to me? Where that smiling welcome that never -failed me?" - -(324) '"'Such were the words I heard Kapijala utter; and as I heard -them I uttered a loud cry, while yet far off, as if my life had fallen; -and with my silk cloak torn as it clung to the creepers by the lake's -bank, and my feet placed on the ground regardless of its being rough -or even, and as hastily as I could, I went on to that place, stumbling -at every step, and yet as if led on by one who lifted me up again. - -'"'There I beheld Pundarika lying on a couch made on a slab of -moonstone wet with showers of cool spray, close to the lake; it -was made of lotus-fibres like a garland of tender flowers from -all lilies, and seemed to be formed wholly of the points of Love's -arrows. Pundarika seemed from his great stillness to be listening for -the sound of my step. He seemed to have gained a moment's happiness in -sleep, as if Love's pain had been quenched by inward wrath; he seemed -engaged in a yoga penance of holding his breath, as an atonement -for his breach of ascetic duty; he seemed to murmur, with bright yet -trembling lip: "By thy deed am I come to this pass." He seemed pierced -by the moonbeams which, under the guise of his bright finger-nails -placed on a heart throbbing with Love's fire, fell on his back as he -lay averted in hatred of the moon. (325) He bore a mark on his brow -of a line of sandal, which, by its being pale from dryness, was like -a digit of Love's waning moon portending his own destruction. Life -seemed to leave him in anger, saying: "Fool, another is dearer to thee -than I!" His eyes were not wholly closed; their pupils were slightly -turned to look; they were red with ceaseless weeping; they seemed to -drop blood, since by failure of breath his tears were exhausted; and -they were partly curved in pain at Love's darts. He now experienced -the pain of unconsciousness, as if together with the torment of love he -were also yielding life itself; he seemed to meditate a new version of -Love's mystery, and to practise an unwonted retention of breath. His -life seemed to be carried off as a prize [281] by Love, who had in -kindness arranged my coming. On his brow was a sandal tripundraka mark; -he wore a sacrificial thread of juicy lotus-fibre; his dress clung -to his shoulder beautiful as the leaf that ensheathes a plantain; -his rosary had only the thickness of a single row; [282] the ashes on -his brow were of abundant white camphor-powder; he was fair with the -string of lotus-fibre, bound on his arm as an amulet; he seemed to wear -the garb of Love's vow, as if completing a charm for my coming. With -his eye he tenderly uttered the reproach: "Hard-hearted! I was but -followed by one glance, and never again received thy favour." (326) -His lips were slightly open, so that his form gleamed white in the -rays of his teeth, which came forth as if they were moonbeams that -had entered him to take away his life; with his left hand placed on -a heart breaking with the pain of love, he seemed to say: "Be kind, -depart not with my life, thou that art dear as life!" and so to hold -me firmly in his heart; his right hand, which from the uneven rays -of his nails jutting forth seemed to drop sandal, was raised as if to -ward off the moonlight; near him stood his pitcher, the friend of his -penance, with neck upright, as if it gazed at the path by which his -life was just rising; the garland of lotus-fibres which adorned his -neck bound him as if with a rope of moonbeams to lead him to another -world; and when, at the sight of me, Kapijala, with a cry of "Help, -help!" raised his hands, and crying aloud with redoubled tears, fell -on his neck, at that very moment I, wicked and ill-fated as I was, -beheld that noble youth yield up his life. The darkness of a swoon came -upon me, and I descended into hell; nor knew I anything of whither -I then went, or what I did or said. Neither knew I why my life did -not at that moment leave me; (327) whether from the utter hardness -of my stupefied heart, or from the callousness to bear thousands -of troubles of my wretched body, or from being fated to endure a -long grief, or from being a vessel of evil earned in another birth, -or from the skill of my cruel destiny in bestowing sorrow, or from -the singular perversity of malign accursed love. Only this I know: -that when at length in my misery I regained consciousness, I found -myself writhing on the ground, tortured, as if I had fallen on a fire, -by a grief too hard to bear. I could not believe aught so impossible -as that he should die and I yet live, and rising with a bitter cry of -"Alas, what is this--mother, father, friends?" I exclaimed: "Ah, my -Lord, thou who upholdest my life, speak to me! Whither goest thou, -pitilessly leaving me alone and protectorless? Ask Taralika what I -have suffered for thy sake. Hardly have I been able to pass the day, -drawn out into a thousand ages. Be gracious! Utter but one word! Show -tenderness to her that loves thee! Look but a little on me! Fulfil -my longing! I am wretched! I am loyal! I am thine in heart! I am -lordless! I am young! I am helpless! I am unhappy! I am bereft of -other refuge! I am vanquished by Love! Why showest thou no pity? Say -what I have done or left undone, what command I have neglected, -or in what thing pleasing to thee I have not shown affection, that -thou art wroth. (328) Fearest thou not the reproach of men in that -thou goest, deserting me, thy handmaid, without cause? Yet why think -of me, perverse and wicked, and skilled to deceive by false shows of -love! Alas, I yet live! Alas, I am accursed and undone! For why? I -have neither thee, nor honour, nor kinsfolk, nor heaven. Shame on -me, a worker of evil deeds, for whose sake this fate hath befallen -thee. There is none of so murderous a heart as I who went home, -leaving one so peerless as thou. What to me were home, mother, -father, kinsfolk, followers? Alas, to what refuge shall I flee? Fate, -show pity to me! I entreat thee. Lady of destiny, give me a boon of -mercy! Show compassion! Protect a lordless lady! Ye woodland goddesses, -be kind! Give back his life! Help, Earth, that bringest favours to -all! Night, showest thou no mercy? Father Kailasa, thy protection -I implore. Show thy wonted pity!" Such were my laments, so far as -I remember, and I murmured incoherently as one held by a demon, -or possessed or mad, or struck down by an evil spirit. In the tears -that fell in torrents upon me I was turned to water, I melted away, -I took upon me a shape of water; my laments, followed by the sharp -rays of my teeth, fell as if with showers of tears; (329) my hair, -with its flowers ever falling, seemed to shed teardrops, and my -very ornaments by the tears of pure gemlight that sprang from them -seemed to raise their lament. I longed for my own death as for his -life; I yearned to enter his heart with my whole soul, dead though -he were; with my hand I touched his cheeks, and his brow with the -roots of his hair, white with dry sandal, and his shoulders with the -lotus-fibres on them, and his heart covered with lotus-leaves and -flecks of sandal-juice. With the tender reproach, "Thou art cruel, -Pundarika! Thou carest nought that I am thus wretched!" I again -sought to win him back. I again embraced him, I again clasped his -neck, and wept aloud. Then I rebuked that string of pearls, saying: -"Ah, wicked one, couldst not even thou have preserved his life till -my coming?" Then again I fell at Kapijala's feet with the prayer, -"Be kind, my lord; restore him to life!" and again, clinging to -Taralika's neck, I wept. Even now, when I think of it, I know -not how these piteous, tender words came forth from my ill-fated -heart--words all unthought, unlearnt, untaught, unseen before; -nor whence these utterances arose; nor whence these heart-rending -cries of despair. My whole being was changed. (330) For there rose a -deluge wave of inward tears, the springs of weeping were set loose, -the buds of wailing came forth, the peaks of sorrow grew lofty and -a long line of madness was begun.' And so, as she thus told her own -tale, she seemed again to taste the bitterness of that former plight, -so cruel, and so hardly endured, and a swoon bereft her of sense. In -the force of her swoon she fell on the rock, and Candrapida hastily -stretched out his hand, like her servant, and supported her, full of -sorrow. At length he brought her back to consciousness by fanning -her with the edge of her own bark garment, wet with tears. Filled -with pity, and with his cheeks bathed in tears, he said to her, -as she came to life: 'Lady, it is by my fault that thy grief has -been brought back to its first freshness, and that thou hast come to -this pass. Therefore no more of this tale. Let it be ended. Even I -cannot bear to hear it. For the story even of past sorrow endured by -a friend pains us as if we ourselves were living through it. [283] -Thou wilt not therefore surely place on the fire of grief that life -so precious and so hardly preserved?' (331) Thus addressed, with a -long, hot sigh and eyes dissolved in tears, she despairingly replied: -'Prince, even in that dreadful night my hated life did not desert me; -[284] it is not likely that it will leave me now. Even blessed Death -turns away his eyes from one so ill-fated and wicked. Whence could -one so hard-hearted feel grief? all this can be but feigned in a -nature so vile. But be that as it may, that shameless heart has -made me chief among the shameless. For to one so adamantine as to -have seen love in all his power, and yet to have lived through this, -what can mere speaking of it matter? - -'"'Or what could there be harder to tell than this very thing, which -is supposed to be impossible to hear or say? I will at least briefly -tell the marvel that followed on that thunderbolt, and I will tell, -too, what came as a tiny dim cause of my prolonging my life, which by -its mirage so deludes me that I bear about a hated body, almost dead, -alien to me, burdensome, unfitted to my needs, and thankless for my -care. That shall suffice. Afterwards, in a sudden change [285] of -feeling, with resolve firmly set on death, lamenting bitterly, I cried -to Taralika: "Rise, cruel-hearted girl; how long wilt thou weep? Bring -together wood and make a pile. I will follow the lord of my life." - -(332) '"'Straightway a being swiftly left the moon's orb and descended -from the sky. Behind him he trailed a silken vesture hanging from -his crest, white as the foam of nectar, and waving in the wind; -his cheeks were reddened with the bright gems that swayed in his -ears; on his breast he bore a radiant necklace, from the size of its -pearls like a cluster of stars; his turban was tied with strips of -white silk; his head was thick with curling locks, and dark as bees; -his earring was an open moon lotus; on his shoulder was the impress -of the saffron lines that adorned his wives; he was white as a moon -lotus, lofty in stature, endowed with all the marks of greatness, and -godlike in form; he seemed to purify space by the light shed round him -clear as pure water, and to anoint it as by a thick frost with a dewy -ambrosial shower that created a chill as he shed it from his limbs, -cool and fragrant, and to besprinkle it with a rich store of goirsha -[286] sandal-juice. - -'"'With arms sturdy as the trunk of Airavata, and fingers white as -lotus-fibres and cool to the touch, he lifted my dead lord, (333) -and, in a voice deep as a drum, he said to me: "Mahaveta, my child, -thou must not die; for thou shalt again be united with him!" And with -these words, tender as a father's, he flew into the sky with Pundarika. - -'"'But this sudden event filled me with fear, dismay, and eager -anxiety, and with upraised face I asked Kapijala what it might -mean. He, however, started up hastily without replying, and with the -cry, "Monster, whither goest thou with my friend?" with uplifted eyes -and sudden wrath he hastily girt up his loins, and following him in -his flight, in hot pursuit he rose into the sky; and while I yet gazed -they all entered amongst the stars. But the departure of Kapijala was -to me like a second death of my beloved, and it redoubled my grief, -so that my heart was rent asunder. Bewildered what to do, I cried -to Taralika: "Knowest thou not? Tell me what this means!" But she, -with all a woman's timidity at the sight, was at that very moment -trembling in all her limbs, overcome by a fear stronger than her grief, -and was frightened, moreover, by the dread of my death; and so with -downcast heart she piteously replied: "Princess, wretch that I am, -I know not! Yet this is a great miracle. The man is of no mortal -mould, and thou wert pityingly comforted by him in his flight as by a -father. Such godlike beings are not wont to deceive us, even in sleep, -much less face to face; and when I think it over I cannot see the -least cause for his speaking falsely. (334) It is meet, therefore, -that thou shouldst weigh it, and restrain thy longing for death. In -thy present state it is in truth a great ground for comfort. Moreover, -Kapijala has gone in pursuit of Pundarika. From him thou canst learn -whence and who this being is, and why Pundarika on his death was by -him raised and carried off, and whither he is carried, and wherefore -thou wert consoled by him with the boon of a hope of reunion that -exceeds thought; then thou canst devote thyself either to life or -death. For when death is resolved upon, it is easy to compass. But -this can wait; for Kapijala, if he lives, will certainly not rest -without seeing thee; therefore let thy life be preserved till his -return." Thus saying, she fell at my feet. And I, from the thirst -for life that mortals find so hard to overcome, and from the weakness -of woman's nature, and from the illusion his words had created, and -from my anxiety for Kapijala's return, thought that that plan was -best for the time, and did not die. For what will not hope achieve? - -'"'That night I spent in Taralika's company on the bank of the lake. To -my wretchedness it was like a night of doom, [287] drawn out to a -thousand years, all torment, all grief, all hell, all fire. (335) -Sleep was rooted out, and I tossed on the ground; my face was hidden -by the loosened and dishevelled tresses that clung to my cheeks, -wet with tears and gray with dust, and my throat was weak, for my -voice failed, broken with piteous weeping. - -'"'At dawn I arose and bathed in the lake, and having formed my -resolve, I took, for love of Pundarika, his pitcher and his bark -garments and his rosary; for I clearly knew the worthlessness of the -world. I perceived my own lack of merit; I pictured to myself the -remediless cruelty of the blows of fate; I pondered the inevitableness -of grief; I beheld the harshness of destiny; I meditated the course -of love, rich in sorrow; I learnt the inconstancy of earthly things; -I considered the frailness of all joys. Father and mother were -disregarded; kinsfolk and followers abandoned; the joys of earth were -banished from my mind; the senses held in firm restraint. - -'"'I took the ascetic vow, and sought the protection of iva, lord -of the three worlds and helper of the helpless. Next day my father -came, having somehow learnt my story, bringing with him my mother and -kinsfolk. Long he wept, and strove with all his might and by every -means--prayers, admonitions, and tender words of every kind--to lead -me home. (336) And when he understood my firm resolve, and knew that I -could not be turned from that infatuation, he could not, even though -without hope, part with his love for his child; and though I often -bade him go, he stayed for some days, and went home at length full -of grief, and with his heart hot within him. - -'"'After his going, it was only by empty tears that I could show -my gratitude to my lord; by many a penance I wasted my hated body, -worn away by love of him, rich in ill, devoid of shame, ill-omened, -and the home of a thousand tortures of grief; I lived but on water -and the roots and fruits of the wood; under the guise of telling -my beads I counted his virtues; thrice a day I bathed in the lake; -I daily worshipped iva, and in this cell I dwelt with Taralika, -tasting the bitterness of a long grief. Such am I, evil, ill-omened, -shameless, cruel, cold, murderous, contemptible, useless, fruitless, -helpless, and joyless. (337) Why should one so noble as thou deign -to look on or speak with me, the doer of that monstrous crime, the -slaughter of a Brahman?' Thus saying, she covered her face with the -white edge of her bark garment, as if veiling the moon with a fleck -of autumn cloud, and, unable to quell the irresistible torrent of -her tears, she gave way to her sobs, and began to weep loud and long. - -'"From the very first Candrapida had been filled with reverence -by her beauty, modesty, and courtesy; by the charm of her speech, -her unselfishness and her austerity; and by her serenity, humility, -dignity, and purity. But now he was carried away both by the story of -her life, which showed her noble character, and by her devoted spirit, -and a fresh tenderness arose in him. With softened heart he gently -said: 'Lady, those may weep who fear pain, and are devoid of gratitude, -and love pleasure, for they are unable to do anything worthy of love, -and show their affection merely by vain tears. But thou who hast -done all rightly, what duty of love hast thou left undone, that thou -weepest? For Pundarika's sake, thy kinsfolk who from thy birth have -been around thee, dear as they were, have been forsaken as if they -were strangers. (338) Earthly pleasures, though at thy feet, have -been despised and reckoned light as grass. The joys of power, though -their riches excelled the empire of Indra, have been resigned. Thy -form has been emaciated by dread penances, even though by nature it -was slender as a lotus-stalk. Thou hast taken the ascetic vow. Thy -soul has been devoted to great penance. Thou hast dwelt in the woods, -hard though it be for a woman. Moreover, life is easily resigned by -those whom sorrow has overwhelmed, but it needs a greater effort not -to throw away life in heavy grief. This following another to death is -most vain! It is a path followed by the ignorant! It is a mere freak -of madness, a path of ignorance, an enterprise of recklessness, a view -of baseness, a sign of utter thoughtlessness, and a blunder of folly, -that one should resign life on the death of father, brother, friend, -or husband. If life leaves us not of itself, we must not resign -it. For this leaving of life, if we examine it, is merely for our -own interest, because we cannot bear our own cureless pain. To the -dead man it brings no good whatever. For it is no means of bringing -him back to life, or heaping up merit, or gaining heaven for him, -or saving him from hell, or seeing him again, or being reunited with -him. (339) For he is led helplessly, irresistibly to another state -meet for the fruits of his own deeds. And yet he shares in the guilt -of the friend who has killed himself. But a man who lives on can help -greatly, by offerings of water and the like, both the dead man and -himself; but by dying he helps neither. Remember how Rati, the sole -and beloved wife of Love, when her noble husband, who won the hearts -of all women, was burnt up by the fire of iva, yet did not yield -her life; and remember also Kunti, of the race of Vrishni, daughter -of Surasena, for her lord was Pandu the wise; his seat was perfumed -by the flowers in the crests of all the kings whom he had conquered -without an effort, and he received the tribute of the whole earth, -and yet when he was consumed by Kindama's curse she still remained -alive. Uttara, too, the young daughter of Virata, on the death of -Abhimanyu, gentle and heroic, and joyful to the eyes as the young -moon, yet lived on. And Duhalya, too, daughter of Dhritarashtra, -tenderly cared for by her hundred brothers; when Jayadratha, king of -Sindhu, was slain by Arjuna, fair as he was and great as he had become -by iva's [288] gift, yet made no resignation of her life. (340) -And others are told of by thousands, daughters of Rakshasas, gods, -demons, ascetics, mortals, siddhas and Gandharvas, who when bereft -of their husbands yet preserved their lives. Still, where reunion -is doubtful, life might be yielded. But for thee, thou hast heard -from that great being a promise of reunion. What doubt can there be -in a matter of thine own experience, and how could falsehood find -a place in the words of such noble truth-speaking saints, even when -there might be greater cause? And what union could there be between -the dead and the living? Therefore of a surety that wondrous being -was filled with pity and carried away Pundarika to heaven solely -to bring him back to life. For the power of great men transcends -thought. Life has many aspects. Destiny is manifold. Those skilled in -penance are fitted for wondrous miracles. Many are the forms of power -gained by previous actions. Moreover, however subtly we may consider -the matter, what other cause can we imagine for Pundarika's being -taken away, but the gift of fresh life. And this, thou must know, -is not impossible. It is a path often trodden. (341) For Pramadvara, -daughter of Vivavasu, king of the Gandharvas and Menaka, lost her -life through a poisonous snake at the hermitage of Sthulakea, and -the young ascetic Ruru, son of Pramati and grandson of the Bhrigu -Cyavana, provided her with half his own life. And when Arjuna was -following the Avamedha steed, he was pierced in the van of the -battle by an arrow from his own son Babhruvahana, and a Naga maiden, -Ulupa, brought him back to life. When Parikshit, Abhimanyu's son, -was consumed by Avatthama's fiery dart, though he had already died -at birth, Krishna, filled with pity by Uttara's lament, restored -his precious life. And at Ujjayini, he whose steps are honoured -by the three worlds, carried off from the city of death the son of -Sandipani the Brahman, and brought him back. [289] And in thy case, -too, the same will somehow come to pass. For by thy present grief, -what is effected or what won? Fate is all-powerful. Destiny is -strong. We cannot even draw a breath at our own will. The freaks of -that accursed and most harsh destiny are exceeding cruel. A love fair -in its sincerity is not allowed long to endure; for joys are wont to -be in their essence frail and unlasting, while sorrows by their nature -are long-lived. (342) For how hardly are mortals united in one life, -while in a thousand lives they are separated. Thou canst not surely -then blame thyself, all undeserving of blame. For these things often -happen to those who enter the tangled path of transmigration, and it -is the brave who conquer misfortune.' With such gentle and soothing -words he consoled her, and made her, albeit reluctantly, bathe her -face with water brought in his joined hands from the cascade. - -'"Straightway the sun began to sink, as if he were leaving the day's -duties from grief at hearing Mahaveta's story. Then day faded away; -the sun hung shining red as the pollen of a cluster of priyangu in full -blossom; the quarters of space were losing the glow of sunset soft -as silk dyed in the juice of many lotuses; (343) the sky was tinged -with red, glowing like the pupils of a partridge, [290] while its -blue was hidden; twilight was reddening and lighting up the earth, -tawny as a pigeon's eye; the clusters of stars shone forth, vying -with each other; the darkness of night was deepening into black, -and stealing away the broad path of the stars with its form dark as a -forest buffalo; the woodland avenues seemed massed together as their -green was hidden by deep gloom; the wind wandered cooled by night-dew, -with its path tracked by the perfume of the wild flowers as it stirred -the tangle of trees and creepers; and when night had its birds all -still in sleep Mahaveta slowly rose, and saying her evening prayers, -washed her feet with water from the pitcher and sat down with a hot, -sorrowful sigh on her bark couch. Candrapida, too, rose and poured a -libation of water strewn with flowers, said his evening prayer, and -made a couch on the other rock with soft creeper boughs. As he rested -upon it he went over Mahaveta's story again in his mind. 'This evil -Love,' thought he, 'has a power hard alike to cure and to endure. For -even great men, when overcome by him, regard not the course of time, -but suddenly lose all courage and surrender life. Yet all hail to -Love, whose rule is honoured throughout the three worlds!' (344) -And again he asked her: 'She that was thy handmaiden, thy friend in -the resolve to dwell in the woods, and the sharer of the ascetic vow -taken in thy sorrow--Taralika, where is she?' 'Noble sir,' she replied, -'from the race of Apsarases sprung from ambrosia of which I told you, -there was born a fair-eyed daughter named Madira, [291] who married -King Citraratha, the king whose footstool was formed of the buds in -the crests of all the Gandharvas. Charmed by her countless virtues, -he showed his favour by giving her the title of Chief Queen, bearing -with it cowrie, sceptre and umbrella, marked by a golden throne, -and placing all the zenana below her--a woman's rarest glory! And, -as they pursued together the joys of youth in their utter devotion -to each other, a priceless daughter was in due time born to them, -by name Kadambari, most wondrous, the very life of her parents, and -of the whole Gandharva race, and even of all living beings. From her -birth she was the friend of my childhood, and shared with me seat, -couch, meat and drink; on her my deepest love was set, and she was -the home of all my confidence, and like my other heart. Together we -learnt to dance and sing, and our childhood passed away free from -restraint in the sports that belong to it. (345) From sorrow at my -unhappy story she made a resolve that she would in nowise accept a -husband while I was still in grief, and before her girl friends she -took an oath, saying: "If my father should in anywise or at any time -wish to marry me against my will and by force, I will end my life -by hunger, fire, cord, or poison." Citraratha himself heard all the -resolution of his daughter, spoken of positively in the repeated -gossip of her attendants, and as time went on, seeing that she was -growing to full youth, he became prey to great vexation, and for a -time took pleasure in nothing, and yet, as she was his only child and -he dearly loved her, he could say nothing to her, though he saw no -other resource. But as he deemed the time now ripe, he considered the -matter with Queen Madira, and sent the herald Kshiroda to me at early -dawn with the message: "Dear Mahaveta, our hearts were already burnt -up by thy sad fate, and now this new thing has come upon us. To thee -we look to win back Kadambari." Thereupon, in reverence to the words -of one so respected, and in love to my friend, I sent Taralika with -Kshiroda to bid Kadambari not add grief to one already sad enough; -(346) for if she wished me to live she must fulfil her father's words; -and ere Taralika had been long gone, thou, noble sir, camest to this -spot.' So saying she was silent. - -'"Then the moon arose, simulating by his mark the heart of Mahaveta, -burnt through by the fire of grief, bearing the great crime of -the young ascetic's death, showing the long ingrained scar of the -burning of Daksha's curse, [292] white with thick ashes, and half -covered by black antelope skin, like the left breast of Durga, the -crest-jewel of iva's thick locks. (347) Then at length Candrapida -beheld Mahaveta asleep, and quietly lay down himself on his leafy -couch and fell asleep while thinking what Vaiampayana and sorrowing -Patralekha and his princely compeers would then be imagining about him. - -'"Then at dawn, when Mahaveta had honoured the twilight and was -murmuring the aghamarshana, and Candrapida had said his morning -prayer, Taralika was seen coming with a Gandharva boy named Keyuraka -(348). As she drew near, she looked long at Candrapida, wondering -who he might be, and approaching Mahaveta, she bowed low and sat -respectfully by her. Then Keyuraka, with head low bent even from -afar, took his place on a rock some way off, assigned to him by a -glance from Mahaveta, and was filled with wonder at the sight of -Candrapida's marvellous beauty, rare, mocking that of gods, demons, -Gandharvas, and Vidyadharas, and surpassing even the god of love. - -(349) '"When she had finished her prayers, Mahaveta asked Taralika, -'Didst thou see my dear Kadambari well? and will she do as I -said?' 'Princess,' said Taralika, in a very sweet voice, with -head respectfully inclined, 'I saw Princess Kadambari well in all -respects, and told her all thine advice; and what was her reply, -when with a continuous stream of thick tears she had heard it, that -her lute-player Keyuraka, whom she has sent, shall tell thee;' and -as she ceased Keyuraka said, 'Princess Mahaveta, my lady Kadambari, -with a close embrace, sends this message, "Is this, that Taralika -has been sent to tell me, said to please my parents or to test my -feelings, or to subtly reproach me for my crime in dwelling at home; -or is it a desire to break our friendship, or a device to desert -one who loves her, or is it simply anger? Thou knowest that my heart -overflows with a love that was inborn in me. How wert thou not ashamed -to send so cruel a message? Thou, erst so soft of speech, from whom -hast thou learnt to speak unkindness and utter reproach? Who in his -senses would, even if happy, make up his mind to undertake even a -slight matter that would end in pain? how much less one like me, -whose heart is struck down by deep grief? For in a heart worn by a -friend's sorrow, what hope is there of joy, what contentment, what -pleasures or what mirth? (350) How should I fulfil the desire of Love, -poisonous, pitiless, unkind, who has brought my dear friend to so -sad a plight? Even the hen cakravaka, when the lotus-beds are widowed -by the sun's setting, renounces from the friendship that arises from -dwelling among them, the joys of union with her lord; how much more, -then, should women! While my friend dwells day and night sorrowing -for the loss of her lord and avoiding the sight of mankind, how -could anyone else enter my heart; and while my friend in her sorrow -tortures herself with penances and suffers great pain, how could I -think so lightly of that as to seek my own happiness and accept a -husband, or how could any happiness befall me? For from love of thee -I have in this matter accepted disgrace by embracing an independent -life contrary to the wont of maidens. I have despised noble breeding, -transgressed my parent's commands, set at nought the gossip of mankind, -thrown away modesty, a woman's inborn grace; how, tell me, should such -a one go back? Therefore I salute thee, I bow before thee, I embrace -thy feet; be gracious to me. As thou hast gone hence into the forest, -taking my life with thee, make not this request in thy mind, even in -a dream."' (351) Thus having said, he became silent, and Mahaveta -thought long, and then dismissed Keyuraka, saying, 'Do thou depart; -I will go to her and do what is fitting.' On his departure she said -to Candrapida, 'Prince, Hemakuta is pleasant and the royal city of -Citraratha marvellous; the Kinnara country is curious, the Gandharva -world beautiful, and Kadambari is noble and generous of heart. If -thou deemest not the journey too tedious, if no serious business is -hindered, if thy mind is curious to behold rare sights, if thou art -encouraged by my words, if the sight of wonders gives thee joy, if -thou wilt deign to grant my request, if thou thinkest me worthy of -not being denied, if any friendship has grown up between us, or if -I am deserving of thy favour, then thou canst not disdain to fulfil -this prayer. Thou canst go hence with me, and see not only Hemakuta, -that treasure of beauty, but my second self, Kadambari; and having -removed this foolish freak of hers, thou canst rest for one day, -and return hither the next morn. For by the sight of thy kindness so -freely [293] given, my grief has become bearable, since I have told -thee my story, breathed out as it was from a heart long overwhelmed -with the darkness of grief. (352) For the presence of the good gives -joy even to those who are sad at heart, and a virtue springs from -such as thou art that wholly tends to make others happy.' - -'"'Lady,' replied Candrapida, 'from the first moment of seeing thee -I have been devoted to thy service. Let thy will be imposed without -hesitation'; so saying, he started in her company. - -'"In due time he reached Hemakuta, the royal city of the Gandharvas, -and passing through the seven inner courts with their golden arches, -the prince approached the door of the maidens' dwelling. Escorted -by porters, who ran forward at the sight of Mahaveta, bowing while -yet far off, and holding their golden staves, he entered and beheld -the inside of the maidens' palace. It seemed a new woman's world, -consisting wholly of women in countless numbers, as if the womankind -of the three worlds had been gathered together to make such a total; -or it might be a fresh manless creation, a yet unborn continent of -girls, a fifth women's era, a fresh race created by Prajapati out of -hatred for men, or a treasury of women prepared for the making of many -yugas. The wave of girlish beauty which surrounded it on all sides, -which flooded space, sprinkled nectar on the day, rained splendour on -the interstices of the world, and shone lustrous as an emerald, made -the place all aglow as if with thousands of moons; (353) it seemed -modelled in moonlight; jewels made another sky; service was done by -bright glances; every part was made for youthful pleasures; here was -an assemblage for Rati's sports, a material for Love's practice; here -the entrance of all was made smooth by Love; here all was affection, -beauty, the supreme deity of passion, the arrows of Love, here all -was wonder, marvel, and tenderness of youth. (356) When he had gone a -little way in he heard the pleasant talk of the maidens round Kadambari -as they wandered hither and thither. Such as 'Lavalika, deck the -lavali trenches with ketaki pollen. Sagarika, sprinkle jewelled dust -in the tanks of scented water. Mrinalika, inlay with saffron dust the -pairs of toy [294] cakravakas in the artificial lotus-beds. Makarika, -scent the pot-pourri with camphor-juice. Rajanika, place jewelled -lamps in the dark tamala avenues. Kumudika, cover the pomegranates -with pearly nets to keep off the birds. Nipunika, draw saffron -lines on the breasts of the jewelled dolls. Utpalika, sweep with -golden brooms the emerald arbour in the plaintain house. Kesarika, -sprinkle with wine the houses of bakul flowers. Malatika, redden with -red lead the ivory roof of Kama's shrine. Nalinika, give the tame -kalahamsas lotus-honey to drink. Kadalika, take the tame peacocks to -the shower-bath. Kamalinika, give some sap from the lotus-fibres to -the young cakravakas. Cutalatika, give the caged pigeons their meal -of mango-buds. Pallavika, distribute to the tame haritala pigeons -some topmost leaves of the pepper-tree. Lavangika, throw some pieces -of pippali leaves into the partridges' cages. Madhukarika, make some -flowery ornaments. Mayurika, dismiss the pairs of kinnaras in the -singing-room. Kandalika, bring up the pairs of partridges to the top -of the playing hill. Harinika, give the caged parrots and mainas -their lesson.' - -(358) '"Then he beheld Kadambari herself in the midst of her pavilion -encircled by a bevy of maidens sitting by her, whose glittering gems -made them like a cluster of kalpa trees. [295] (359) She was resting -on her bent arms, which lay on a white pillow placed on a small couch -covered with blue silk; she was fanned by cowrie-bearers, that in the -motion of their waving arms were like swimmers in the wide-flowing -stream of her beauty, as if it covered the earth, which was only held -up by the tusks of Mahavaraha. - -'"And as her reflection fell, she seemed on the jewelled pavement -below to be borne away by serpents; on the walls hard by to be led -by the guardians of space; on the roof above to be cast upwards by -the gods; to be received by the pillars into their inmost heart; -to be drunk in by the palace mirrors, to be lifted to the sky by the -Vidyadharas scattered in the pavilion, looking down from the roof; -to be surrounded by the universe concealed in the guise of pictures, -all thronging together to see her; to be gazed at by the palace itself, -which had gained a thousand eyes to behold her, in that the eyes of its -peacocks' tails were outspread as they danced to the clashing of her -gems; and to be steadily looked on by her own attendants, who seemed -in their eagerness to behold her to have gained a divine insight. - -'"Her beauty bore the impress of awakening love, though but yet in -promise, and she seemed to be casting childhood aside like a thing -of no worth. - -(365) '"Such was Kadambari as the prince beheld her. Before her was -seated Keyuraka, loud in praise of Candrapida's beauty, as Kadambari -questioned him, saying, 'Who is he, and what are his parentage, name, -appearance, and age? What did he say, and what didst thou reply? How -long didst thou see him? how has he become so close a friend to -Mahaveta? and why is he coming hither?' - -'"Now, on beholding the moonlike beauty of Kadambari's face, the -prince's heart was stirred like the tide of ocean. 'Why,' thought he, -'did not the Creator make all my senses into sight, or what noble -deed has my eye done that it may look on her unchecked? Surely it is -a wonder! The Creator has here made a home for every charm! Whence -have the parts of this exceeding beauty been gathered? Surely from -the tears that fell from the Creator's eyes in the labour of thought, -as he gently moulded her with his hands, all the lotuses in the world -have their birth.' - -(366) '"And as he thus thought his eye met hers, and she, thinking, -'This is he of whom Keyuraka spoke,' let her glance, widened by wonder -at his exceeding beauty, dwell long and quietly on him. Confused -by the sight of Kadambari, yet illumined by the brightness of her -gaze, he stood for a moment like a rock, while at the sight of him a -thrill rose in Kadambari, her jewels clashed, and she half rose. Then -love caused a glow, but the excuse was the effort of hastily rising; -trembling hindered her steps--the hamsas around, drawn by the sound of -the anklets, got the blame; the heaving of a sigh stirred her robe--it -was thought due to the wind of the cowries; her hand fell on her heart, -as if to touch Candrapida's image that had entered in--it pretended to -cover her bosom; she let fall tears of joy--the excuse was the pollen -falling from the flowers in her ear. Shame choked her voice--the swarm -of bees hastening to the lotus sweetness of her mouth was the cause; -(367) the pain of the first touch of Love's arrow caused a sigh--the -pain of the ketaki thorns amidst the flowers shared the guilt; a tremor -shook her hand--keeping off the portress who had come with a message -was her pretence; and while love was thus entering into Kadambari, -a second love, as it were, arose, who with her entered the heart -of Candrapida. For he thought the flash of her jewels but a veil, -her entrance into his heart a favour, the tinkling of her gems a -conversation, her capture of all his senses a grace, and contact -with her bright beauty the fulfilment of all his wishes. Meanwhile -Kadambari, advancing with difficulty a few steps, affectionately and -with yearning embraced her friend, who also yearned for the sight -of her so long delayed; and Mahaveta returned her embrace yet more -closely, and said, 'Dear Kadambari, in the land of Bharata there is a -king named Tarapida, who wards off all grief [296] from his subjects, -and who has impressed his seal on the Four Oceans by the edge of the -hoofs of his noble steeds; and this his son, named Candrapida, decked -[297] with the orb of earth resting on the support of his own rock-like -arms, has, in pursuit of world conquest, approached this land; and -he, from the moment I first beheld him, has instinctively become my -friend, though there was nought to make him so; and, though my heart -was cold from its resignation of all ties, yet he has attracted it by -the rare and innate nobility of his character. (368) For it is rare -to find a man of keen mind who is at once true of heart, unselfish in -friendship, and wholly swayed by courtesy. Wherefore, having beheld -him, I brought him hither by force. For I thought thou shouldst -behold as I have done a wonder of Brahma's workmanship, a peerless -owner of beauty, a supplanter of Lakshmi, earth's joy in a noble lord, -the surpassing of gods by mortals, the full fruition of woman's eyes, -the only meeting-place of all graces, the empire of nobility, and the -mirror of courtesy for men. And my dear friend has often been spoken -of to him by me. Therefore dismiss shame on the ground of his being -unseen before, lay aside diffidence as to his being a stranger, cast -away suspicion rising from his character being unknown, and behave -to him as to me. He is thy friend, thy kinsman, and thy servant.' At -these words of hers Candrapida bowed low before Kadambari, and as she -glanced sideways at him affectionately there fell from her eyes, with -their beautiful pupils turned towards the corner of their long orbs, -a flood of joyous tears, as though from weariness. The moonlight of a -smile, white as nectar, darted forth, as if it were the dust raised -by the heart as it hastily set out; one eyebrow was raised as if to -bid the head honour with an answering reverence the guest so dear to -the heart; (369) her hand crept to her softly parting lips, and might -seem, as the light of an emerald ring flashed between the fingers, -to have taken some betel. She bowed diffidently, and then sat down on -the couch with Mahaveta, and the attendants quickly brought a stool -with gold feet and a covering of white silk, and placed it near the -couch, and Candrapida took his seat thereon. To please Mahaveta, the -portresses, knowing Kadambari's wishes, and having by a hand placed on -closed lips received an order to stop all sounds, checked on every side -the sound of pipe, lute and song, and the Magadha women's cry of 'All -hail!' (370) When the servants had quickly brought water, Kadambari -herself washed Mahaveta's feet, and, drying them with her robe, -sat on the couch again; and Madalekha, a friend worthy of Kadambari, -dear as her own life and the home of all her confidence, insisted -on washing Candrapida's feet, unwilling though he were. Mahaveta -meanwhile asked Kadambari how she was, and lovingly touched with her -hand the corner of her friend's eyes, which shone with the reflected -light of her earrings; she lifted the flowers in Kadambari's ear, -all covered with bees, and softly stroked the coils of her hair, -roughened by the wind of the cowries. And Kadambari, ashamed, from -love to her friend, of her own well-being, as though feeling that in -still dwelling at home she had committed a crime, said with an effort -that all was well with her. Then, though filled with grief and intent -on gazing at Mahaveta's face, yet her eye, with its pupil dark and -quivering as it looked out sideways, was, under the influence of love, -with bow fully bent, irresistibly drawn by Candrapida's face, and she -could not turn it away. At that same moment she felt jealousy [298] -of his being pictured on the cheek of her friend standing near--the -pain of absence as his reflection faded away on her own breast, -pierced by a thrill--the anger of a rival wife as the image of the -statues fell on him--the sorrow of despair as he closed his eyes, -and blindness as his image was veiled by tears of joy. - -(371) '"At the end of a moment Mahaveta said to Kadambari as she was -intent on giving betel: 'Dear Kadambari, the moment has approached for -us to show honour to our newly arrived guest, Candrapida. Therefore -give him some.' But averting her bent face, Kadambari replied slowly -and indistinctly, 'Dear friend, I am ashamed to do so, for I do not -know him. Do thou take it, for thou canst without the forwardness -there would be in me, and give it him'; and it was only after many -persuasions, that with difficulty, and like a village maiden, she -resolved to give it. Her eyes were never drawn from Mahaveta's face, -her limbs trembled, her glance wavered, she sighed deeply, she was -stunned by Love with his shaft, and she seemed a prey to terror -as she stretched forth her hand, holding the betel as if trying to -cling to something under the idea she was falling. The hand Candrapida -stretched out, by nature pink, as if red lead had fallen upon it from -the flapping of his triumphal elephant, was darkened by the scars of -the bowstring, and seemed to have drops of collyrium clinging to it -from touching the eyes of his enemies' Lakshmi, weeping as he drew -her by the hair; (372) its fingers by the forth-flashing rays of -his nails seemed to run up hastily, to grow long and to laugh, and -the hand seemed to raise five other fingers in the five senses that, -in desire to touch her, had just made their entry full of love. Then -contending feelings [299] took possession of Kadambari as if they -had gathered together in curiosity to see the grace at that moment so -easy of access. Her hand, as she did not look whither it was going, -was stretched vainly forth, and the rays of its nails seemed to hasten -forward to seek Candrapida's hand; and with the murmur of the line -of bracelets stirred by her trembling, it seemed to say, as drops of -moisture arose on it, 'Let this slave offered by Love be accepted,' -[300] as if she were offering herself, and 'Henceforth it is in thy -hand,' as if she were making it into a living being, and so she gave -the betel. And in drawing back her hand she did not notice the fall -of her bracelet, which had slipped down her arm in eagerness to touch -him, like her heart pierced by Love's shaft; and taking another piece -of betel, she gave it to Mahaveta. - -(373) '"Then there came up with hasty steps a maina, a very flower, -in that her feet were yellow as lotus filaments, her beak was like -a campak bud, and her wings blue as a lotus petal. Close behind her -came a parrot, slow in gait, emerald-winged, with a beak like coral -and neck bearing a curved, three-rayed rainbow. Angrily the maina -began: 'Princess Kadambari, why dost thou not restrain this wretched, -ill-mannered, conceited bird from following me? If thou overlookest -my being oppressed by him, I will certainly destroy myself. I swear -it truly by thy lotus feet.' At these words Kadambari smiled; but -Mahaveta, not knowing the story, asked Madalekha what she was saying, -and she told the following tale: 'This maina, Kalindi, is a friend -of Princess Kadambari, and was given by her solemnly in marriage to -Parihasa, the parrot. And to-day, ever since she saw him reciting -something at early dawn to Kadambari's betel-bearer, Tamalika, alone, -she has been filled with jealousy, and in frowardness of wrath will -not go near him, or speak, or touch, or look at him; and though -we have all tried to soothe her, she will not be soothed.' (374) -Thereat a smile spread over Candrapida's face, and he softly laughed -and said, 'This is the course of gossip. It is heard in the court; -by a succession of ears the attendants pass it on; the outside -world repeats it; the tale wanders to the ends of the earth, and we -too hear how this parrot Parihasa has fallen in love with Princess -Kadambari's betel-bearer, and, enslaved by love, knows nothing of the -past. Away with this ill-behaved, shameless deserter of his wife, -and away with her too! But is it fitting in the Princess not to -restrain her giddy slave? Perhaps her cruelty, however, was shown at -the first in giving poor Kalindi to this ill-conducted bird. What can -she do now? For women feel that a shared wifehood is the bitterest -matter for indignation, the chief cause for estrangement, and the -greatest possible insult. Kalindi has been only too patient that in -the aversion caused by this weight of grief she has not slain herself -by poison, fire, or famine. For nothing makes a woman more despised; -and if, after such a crime, she is willing to be reconciled and to -live with him again, shame on her! enough of her! let her be banished -and cast out in scorn! Who will speak to her or look at her again, -and who will mention her name?' A laugh arose among Kadambari's women -as they heard [301] his mirthful words. (375) But Parihasa, hearing -his jesting speech, said: 'Cunning Prince, she is clever. Unsteady -as she is, she is not to be taken in by thee or anyone else. She -knows all these crooked speeches. She understands a jest. Her mind is -sharpened by contact with a court. Cease thy jests. She is no subject -for the talk of bold men. For, soft of speech as she is, she knows -well the time, cause, measure, object, and topic for wrath and for -peace.' Meanwhile, a herald came up and said to Mahaveta: 'Princess, -King Citraratha and Queen Madira send to see thee,' and she, eager -to go, asked Kadambari, 'Friend, where should Candrapida stay?' The -latter, inwardly smiling at the thought that he had already found a -place in the heart of thousands of women, said aloud, 'Dear Mahaveta, -why speak thus? Since I beheld him I have not been mistress of myself, -far less than of my palace and my servants. Let him stay wherever it -pleases him and my dear friend's heart.' Thereon Mahaveta replied, -"Let him stay in the jewelled house on the playing hill of the royal -garden near thy palace,' and went to see the king. - -(376) '"Candrapida went away at her departure, followed by maidens, -sent for his amusement by the portress at Kadambari's bidding, -players on lute and pipe, singers, skilful dice and draught players, -practised painters and reciters of graceful verses; he was led by -his old acquaintance Keyuraka to the jewelled hall on the playing hill. - -'"When he was gone the Gandharva princess dismissed her girl-friends -and attendants, and followed only by a few, went into the palace. There -she fell on her couch, while her maidens stayed some way off, full -of respect, and tried to comfort her. At length she came to herself, -and remaining alone, she was filled with shame. For Modesty censured -her: 'Light one, what hast thou begun?' Self-respect reproached her: -'Gandharva Princess, how is this fitting for thee?' Simplicity mocked -her: 'Where has thy childhood gone before its day was over?' Youth -warned her: 'Wilful girl, do not carry out alone any wild plan of -thine own!' Dignity rebuked her: 'Timid child, this is not the course -of a high-born maiden.' Conduct blamed her: 'Reckless girl, avoid -this unseemly behaviour!' High Birth admonished her: 'Foolish one, -love hath led thee into lightness.' Steadfastness cried shame on her: -'Whence comes thine unsteadiness of nature?' Nobility rebuked her: -'Self-willed, my authority is set at nought by thee.' - -(377) '"And she thought within herself, 'What shameful conduct is this -of mine, in that I cast away all fear, and show my unsteadiness and -am blinded by folly. In my audacity I never thought he was a stranger; -in my shamelessness I did not consider that he would think me light of -nature; I never examined his character; I never thought in my folly if -I were worthy of his regard; I had no dread of an unexpected rebuff; -I had no fear of my parents, no anxiety about gossip. Nay, more, I -did not in my unkindness [302] remember that Mahaveta was in sorrow; -in my stupidity I did not notice that my friends stood by and beheld -me; in my utter dullness I did not see that my servants behind were -observing me. Even grave minds would mark such utter forgetfulness of -seemliness; how much more Mahaveta, who knows the course of love; -and my friends skilled in all its ways, and my attendants who know -all its symptoms, and whose wits are sharpened by life at court. The -slaves of a zenana have keen eyes in such matters. My evil fate has -undone me! Better were it for me now to die than live a shameful -life. What will my father and mother and the Gandharvas say when they -hear this tale? What can I do? What remedy is there? How can I cover -this error? To whom can I tell this folly of my undisciplined senses, -(378) and where shall I go, consumed by Kama, the five-arrowed god? I -had made a promise in Mahaveta's sorrow, I had announced it before -my friends, I had sent a message of it by the hands of Keyuraka, and -how it has now come about that that beguiling Candrapida has been -brought hither, I know not, ill-fated that I am; whether it be by -cruel fate or proud love, or nemesis of my former deeds, or accursed -death, or anything else. But some power unseen, unknown, unheard of, -unthought of and unimagined before, has come to delude me. At the -mere sight of him I am a captive in bonds; I am cast into a cage -and handed over by my senses; I am enslaved and led to him by Love; -I am sent away by affection; I am sold at a price by my feelings; I -am made as a household chattel by my heart. I will have nothing to do -with this worthless one!' Thus for a moment she resolved. But having -made this resolve, she was mocked by Candrapida's image stirred by -the trembling of her heart, 'If thou, in thy false reserve, will have -nought to do with me, I will go.' She was asked by her life, which -clung to her in a farewell embrace before starting at the moment of -her determination to give up Candrapida; (379) she was addressed by a -tear that rose at that moment, 'Let him be seen once more with clearer -eyes, whether he be worthy of rejection or no'; she was chidden by -Love, saying, 'I will take away thy pride together with thy life;' -and so her heart was again turned to Candrapida. Overwhelmed, when -the force of her meditation had collapsed, by the access of love, -she rose, under its sway, and stood looking through the window at the -playing hill. And there, as if bewildered by a veil of joyful tears, -she saw with her memory, not her eyes; as if fearing to soil with a -hot hand her picture, she painted with her fancy, not with her brush; -dreading the intervention of a thrill, she offered an embrace with -her heart, not her breast; unable to bear his delay in coming, she -sent her mind, not her servants, to meet him. - -'"Meanwhile, Candrapida willingly entered the jewelled house, as if it -were a second heart of Kadambari. On the rock was strewn a blanket, -with pillows piled on it at either end, and thereon he lay down, -with his feet in Keyuraka's lap, while the maidens sat round him -in the places appointed for them. With a heart in turmoil he betook -himself to reflection: 'Are these graces of Princess Kadambari, that -steal all men's hearts, innate in her, or has Love, with kindness won -by no service of mine, ordained them for me? (380) For she gave me a -sidelong glance with loving, reddened eyes half curved as if they were -covered with the pollen of Love's flowery darts as they fell on her -heart. She modestly veiled herself with a bright smile fair as silk -as I looked at her. She offered the mirror of her cheek to receive my -image, as in shame at my gaze she averted her face. She sketched on -the couch with her nail the first trace of wilfulness of a heart that -was giving me entrance. Her hand, moist with the fatigue of bringing -me the betel, seemed in its trembling to fan her hot face, as if it -were a tamala branch she had taken, for a swarm of bees hovered round -it, mistaking it for a rosy lotus. Perhaps,' he went on to reflect, -'the light readiness to hope so common among mortals is now deceiving -me with a throng of vain desires; and the glow of youth, devoid of -judgment, or Love himself, makes my brain reel; whence the eyes of -the young, as though struck by cataract, magnify even a small spot; -and a tiny speck of affection is spread far by youthful ardour as by -water. An excited heart like a poet's imagination is bewildered by -the throng of fancies that it calls up of itself, and draws likenesses -from everything; youthful feelings in the hand of cunning love are as -a brush, and shrink from painting nothing; and imagination, proud of -her suddenly gained beauty, turns in every direction. (381) Longing -shows as in a dream what I have felt. Hope, like a conjuror's wand, -[303] sets before us what can never be. Why, then,' thought he again, -'should I thus weary my mind in vain? If this bright-eyed maiden -is indeed thus inclined towards me, Love, who is so kind without my -asking, will ere long make it plain to me. He will be the decider of -this doubt.' Having at length come to this decision, he rose, then -sat down, and merrily joined the damsels in gentle talk and graceful -amusements--with dice, song, lute, tabor, concerts of mingled sound, -and murmur of tender verse. After resting a short time he went out -to see the park, and climbed to the top of the pleasure hill. - -'"Kadambari saw him, and bade that the window should be opened to watch -for Mahaveta's return, saying, 'She tarries long,' and, with a heart -tossed by Love, mounted to the roof of the palace. There she stayed -with a few attendants, protected from the heat by a gold-handled -umbrella, white as the full moon, and fanned by the waving of four -yaks' tails pure as foam. She seemed to be practising an adornment fit -for going to meet [304] Candrapida, by means of the bees which hovered -round her head, eager for the scent of the flowers, which veiled her -even by day in darkness. Now she leaned on the point of the cowrie, -now on the stick of the umbrella; now she laid her hands on Tamalika's -shoulder, (382), now she clung to Madalekha; now she hid herself amidst -her maidens, looking with sidelong glance; now she turned herself -round; now she laid her cheek on the tip of the portress's staff; -now with a steady hand she placed betel on her fresh lips; now she -laughingly ran a few steps in pursuit of her maidens scattered by the -blows of the lotuses she threw at them. And in looking at the prince, -and being gazed at by him, she knew not how long a time had passed. At -last a portress announced Mahaveta's return, and she went down, and -albeit unwilling, yet to please Mahaveta she bathed and performed -the wonted duties of the day. - -'"But Candrapida went down, and dismissing Kadambari's followers, -performed the rites of bathing, and worshipped the deity honoured -throughout the mountain, and did all the duties of the day, including -his meal, on the pleasure hill. There he sat on an emerald seat -which commanded the front of the pleasure hill, pleasant, green as -a pigeon, bedewed with foam from the chewing of fawns, shining like -Yamuna's waters standing still in fear of Balarama's plough, glowing -crimson with lac-juice from the girls' feet, sanded with flower-dust, -hidden in a bower, a concert-house of peacocks. He suddenly beheld -day eclipsed by a stream of white radiance, rich in glory, (383) -light drunk up as by a garland of lotus-fibres, earth flooded as by -a Milky Ocean, space bedewed as by a storm of sandal-juice, and the -sky painted as with white chunam. - -'"'What!' thought he, 'is our lord, the Moon, king of plants, -suddenly risen, or are a thousand shower-baths set going with their -white streams let loose by a spring, or is it the heavenly Ganges, -whitening the earth with her wind-tossed spray, that has come down -to earth in curiosity?' - - [305]'"Then, turning his eyes in the direction of the light, he - beheld Kadambari, and with her Madalekha and Taralika bearing a - pearl necklace on a tray covered with white silk. (384) Thereupon - Candrapida decided that it was this necklace that eclipsed [306] - moonlight, and was the cause of the brightness, and by rising while - she was yet far off, and by all wonted courtesies, he greeted the - approach of Madalekha. For a moment she rested on that emerald seat, - and then, rising, anointed him with sandal perfume, put on him two - white robes, (385) crowned him with malati flowers, and then gave - him the necklace, saying, 'This thy gentleness, my Prince, so devoid - of pride, must needs subjugate every heart. Thy kindness gives an - opening even to one like me; by thy form thou art lord of life to - all; by that tenderness shown even where there is no claim on thee, - thou throwest on all a bond of love; the innate sweetness of thy - bearing makes every man thy friend; these thy virtues, manifested - with such natural gentleness, give confidence to all. Thy form - must take the blame, for it inspires trust even at first sight; - else words addressed to one of such dignity as thou would seem all - unmeet. For to speak with thee would be an insult; our very respect - would bring on us the charge of forwardness; our very praise would - display our boldness; our subservience would manifest lightness, - our love self-deception, our speech to thee audacity, our service - impertinence, our gift an insult. Nay, more, thou hast conquered - our hearts; what is left for us to give thee? Thou art lord of our - life; what can we offer thee? Thou hast already bestowed the great - favour of thy presence; what return could we make? Thou by thy sight - hast made our life worth having; how can we reward thy coming? (386) - Therefore Kadambari with this excuse shows her affection rather than - her dignity. Noble hearts admit no question of mine and thine. Away - with the thought of dignity. Even if she accepted slavery to one - like thee, she would do no unworthy act; even if she gave herself - to thee, she would not be deceived; if she gave her life, she - would not repent. The generosity of a noble heart is always bent - on kindness, and does not willingly reject affection, and askers - are less shamefaced than givers. But it is true that Kadambari - knows she has offended thee in this matter. Now, this necklace, - called esha, [307] because it was the only jewel left of all that - rose at the churning of nectar, was for that reason greatly valued - by the Lord of Ocean, and was given by him to Varuna on his return - home. By the latter it was given to the Gandharva king, and by him - to Kadambari. And she, thinking thy form worthy of this ornament, - in that not the earth, but the sky, is the home of the moon, hath - sent it to thee. And though men like thee, who bear no ornament - but a noble spirit, find it irksome to wear the gems honoured by - meaner men, yet here Kadambari's affection is a reason for thee to - do so. (387) Did not Vishnu show his reverence by wearing on his - breast the kaustubha gem, because it rose with Lakshmi; and yet he - was not greater than thee, nor did the kaustubha gem in the least - surpass the esha in worth; nor, indeed, does Lakshmi approach in - the slightest degree to imitating Kadambari's beauty. And in truth, - if her love is crushed by thee, she will grieve Mahaveta [308] with - a thousand reproaches, and will slay herself. Mahaveta therefore - sends Taralika with the necklace to thee, and bids me say thus: - "Let not Kadambari's first impulse of love be crushed by thee, even - in thought, most noble prince."' Thus having said, she fastened on - his breast the necklace that rested like a bevy of stars on the slope - of the golden mountain. Filled with amazement, Candrapida replied: - 'What means this, Madalekha? Thou art clever, and knowest how to - win acceptance for thy gifts. By leaving me no chance of a reply, - thou hast shown skill in oratory. Nay, foolish maiden, what are we - in respect of thee, or of acceptance and refusal; truly this talk - is nought. Having received kindness from ladies so rich in courtesy, - let me be employed in any matter, whether pleasing or displeasing to - me. But truly there lives not the man whom the virtues of the most - courteous lady Kadambari do not discourteously [309] enslave.' (388) - Thus saying, after some talk about Kadambari, he dismissed Madalekha, - and ere she had long gone the daughter of Citraratha dismissed her - attendants, rejected the insignia of wand, umbrella, and cowrie, - and accompanied only by Tamalika, again mounted to the roof of her - palace to behold Candrapida, bright with pearls, silk raiment and - sandal, go to the pleasure hill, like the moon to the mount of - rising. There, with passionate glances imbued with every grace, - she stole his heart. (390) And when it became too dark to see, she - descended from the roof, and Candrapida, from the slope of the hill. - -'"Then the moon, source of nectar, gladdener of all eyes, arose with -his rays gathered in; he seemed to be worshipped by the night-lotuses, -to calm the quarters whose faces were dark as if with anger, and -to avoid the day-lotuses as if from fear of waking them; under the -guise of his mark he wore night on his heart; he bore in the glow of -rising the lac that had clung to him from the spurning of Rohini's -feet; he pursued the sky, in its dark blue veil, like a mistress; -and by reason of his great goodwill, spread beauty everywhere. - -'"And when the moon, the umbrella of the supreme rule of Kama, the -lord of the lotuses, the ivory earring that decks the night, had -risen, and when the world was turned to whiteness, as though overlaid -with ivory, Candrapida lay down on a cool moonlit slab, pearl white, -pointed out by Kadambari's servants. It was washed with fresh sandal, -garlanded with pure sinduvara flowers, and carved round with a leafy -tracery of lotus petals. It lay on the shore of a palace lotus tank, -that seemed from the full moonlight to be made of night-lotuses, -[310] with steps white with bricks washed by the waves, as it wafted a -breeze fanned by the ripples; (391) pairs of hamsas lay there asleep, -and pairs of cakravakas kept up their dirge of separation thereon. And -while the Prince yet rested there Keyuraka approached him, and told -him that Princess Kadambari had come to see him. Then Candrapida rose -hastily, and beheld Kadambari drawing near. Few of her friends were -with her; all her royal insignia were removed; she was as it were -a new self, in the single necklace she wore; her slender form was -white with the purest sandal-juice; an earring hung from one ear; she -wore a lotus-petal in the ear, soft as a budding digit of the moon; -she was clad in robes of the kalpa-tree, [311] clear as moonlight; -and in the garb that consorted with that hour she stood revealed like -the very goddess of moonrise, as she rested on the hand offered by -Madalekha. Drawing near, she showed a grace prompted by love, and -took her seat on the ground, where servants are wont to sit, like a -maiden of low degree; and Candrapida, too, though often entreated by -Madalekha to sit on the rocky seat, took his place on the ground by -Madalekha; and when all the women were seated he made an effort to -speak, saying, 'Princess, to one who is thy slave, and whom even a -glance gladdens, there needs not the favour of speech with thee, far -less so great a grace as this. (392) For, deeply as I think, I cannot -see in myself any worth that this height of favour may befit. Most -noble and sweet in its laying aside of pride is this thy courtesy, -in that such grace is shown to one but newly thy servant. Perchance -thou thinkest me a churl that must be won by gifts. Blessed, truly, -is the servant over whom is thy sway! How great honour is bestowed -on the servants deemed worthy of the bestowal of thy commands. But -the body is a gift at the service of any man, and life is light as -grass, so that I am ashamed in my devotion to greet thy coming with -such a gift. Here am I, here my body, my life, my senses! Do thou, -by accepting one of them, raise it to honour.' - -'"Madalekha smilingly replied to this speech of his: 'Enough, -Prince. My friend Kadambari is pained by thy too great ceremony. Why -speakest thou thus? She accepts thy words without further talk. And -why, too, is she brought to suspense by these too flattering -speeches?' and then, waiting a short time, she began afresh: 'How is -King Tarapida, how Queen Vilasavati, how the noble ukanasa? What is -Ujjayini like, and how far off is it? What is the land of Bharata? And -is the world of mortals pleasant?' So she questioned him. (393) -After spending some time in such talk, Kadambari rose, and summoning -Keyuraka, who was lying near Candrapida, and her attendants, she went -up to her sleeping-chamber. There she adorned a couch strewn with -a coverlet of white silk. Candrapida, however, on his rock passed -the night like a moment in thinking, while his feet were rubbed by -Keyuraka, of the humility, beauty, and depth of Kadambari's character, -the causeless kindness of Mahaveta, the courtesy of Madalekha, the -dignity of the attendants, the great splendour of the Gandharva world, -and the charm of the Kimpurusha land. - -'"Then the moon, lord of stars, weary of being kept awake by the sight -of Kadambari, descended, as if to sleep, to the forest on the shore, -with its palms and tamalas, talis, banyans, and kandalas, [312] cool -with the breeze from the hardly stirred [313] ripples. As though with -the feverish sighs of a woman grieving for her lover's approaching -absence, the moonlight faded away. Lakshmi, having passed the night -on the moon lotuses, lay on the sun lotuses, as though love had sprung -up in her at the sight of Candrapida. At the close of night, when the -palace lamps grew pale, as if dwindling in longing as they remembered -the blows of the lotuses in maidens' ears, the breezes of dawn, -fragrant with creeper-flowers, were wafted, sportive with the sighs -of Love weary from ceaselessly discharging his shafts; the stars were -eclipsed by the rising dawn, and took their abode, as through fear, in -the thick creeper bowers of Mount Mandara. [314] (394) Then when the -sun arose, with its orb crimson as if a glow remained from dwelling -in the hearts of the cakravakas, Candrapida, rising from the rock, -bathed his lotus face, said his morning prayer, took his betel, and -then bade Keyuraka see whether Princess Kadambari was awake or no, and -where she was; and when it was announced to him by the latter on his -return that she was with Mahaveta in the bower of the courtyard below -the Mandara palace, he started to see the daughter of the Gandharva -king. There he beheld Mahaveta surrounded by wandering ascetic women -like visible goddesses of prayer, with marks of white ash on their -brow, and hands quickly moving as they turned their rosaries; bearing -the vow of iva's followers, clad in robes tawny with mineral dyes, -bound to wear red cloth, robed in the ruddy bark of ripe cocoanuts, -or girdled with thick white cloth; with fans of white cloth; with -staves, matted locks, deer-skins, and bark dresses; with the marks of -male ascetics; reciting the pure praises of iva, Durga, Kartikeya, -Viravasa, [315] Krishna, Avalokitevara, the Arhat, Virica. [316] -Mahaveta herself was showing honour to the elder kinswomen of the -king, the foremost of the zenana, by salutes, courteous speeches, -by rising to meet them and placing reed seats for them. - -(395) '"He beheld Kadambari also giving her attention to the -recitation of the Mahabharata, that transcends all good omens, by -Narada's sweet-voiced daughter, with an accompaniment of flutes soft -as the murmur of bees, played by a pair of Kinnaras sitting behind -her. She was looking in a mirror fixed before her at her lip, pale as -beeswax when the honey is gone, bathed in the moonlight of her teeth, -though within it was darkened by betel. She was being honoured by a -sunwise turn in departing by a tame goose wandering like the moon -in a fixed circle, with wide eyes raised to her sirisha earrings -in its longing for vallisneria. Here the prince approached, and, -saluting her, sat down on a seat placed on the dais. After a short -stay he looked at Mahaveta's face with a gentle smile that dimpled -his cheek, and she, at once knowing his wish, said to Kadambari: -'Dear friend, Candrapida is softened by thy virtues as the moonstone -by the moon, and cannot speak for himself. He wishes to depart; for -the court he has left behind is thrown into distress, not knowing what -has happened. Moreover, however far apart you may be from each other, -this your love, like that of the sun and the day lotus, or the moon and -the night lotus, will last till the day of doom. Therefore let him go.' - -(396) '"'Dear Mahaveta,' replied Kadambari, 'I and my retinue belong -as wholly to the prince as his own soul. Why, then, this ceremony?' So -saying, and summoning the Gandharva princes, she bade them escort -the prince to his own place, and he, rising, bowed before Mahaveta -first, and then Kadambari, and was greeted by her with eyes and -heart softened by affection; and with the words, 'Lady, what shall -I say? For men distrust the multitude of words. Let me be remembered -in the talk of thy retinue,' he went out of the zenana; and all the -maidens but Kadambari, drawn by reverence for Candrapida's virtues, -followed him on his way like his subjects to the outer gate. - -'"On their return, he mounted the steed brought by Keyuraka, and, -escorted by the Gandharva princes, turned to leave Hemakuta. His whole -thoughts on the way were about Kadambari in all things both within and -without. With a mind wholly imbued with her, he beheld her behind him, -dwelling within him in his bitter grief for the cruel separation; -or before him, stopping him in his path; or cast on the sky, as if -by the force of longing in his heart troubled by parting, so that -he could perfectly see her face; he beheld her very self resting -on his heart, as if her mind were wounded with his loss. When he -reached Mahaveta's hermitage, he there beheld his own camp, which -had followed the tracks of Indrayudha. - -(397) '"Dismissing the Gandharva princes, he entered his own abode -amidst the salutations of his troops full of joy, curiosity, -and wonder; and after greeting the rest of the court, he spent -the day mostly in talk with Vaiampayana and Patralekha, saying, -'Thus said Mahaveta, thus Kadambari, thus Madalekha, thus Tamalika, -thus Keyuraka.' No longer did royal Glory, envious at the sight -of Kadambari's beauty, find in him her joy; for him night passed -in wakefulness as he thought, with a mind in ceaseless longing, of -that bright-eyed maiden. Next morning, at sunrise, he went to his -pavilion with his mind still fixed on her, and suddenly saw Keyuraka -entering with a doorkeeper; and as the latter, while yet far off, -cast himself on the ground, so that his crest swept the floor, -Candrapida cried, 'Come, come,' greeting him first with a sidelong -glance, then with his heart, then with a thrill. Then at last he -hastened forward to give him a hearty and frank embrace, and made -him sit down by himself. Then, in words brightened by the nectar of -a smile, and transfused with overflowing love, he reverently asked: -'Say, Keyuraka, is the lady Kadambari well, and her friends, and -her retinue, and the lady Mahaveta?' With a low bow, Keyuraka, as -though he had been bathed, anointed, and refreshed by the smile that -the prince's deep affection had prompted, replied respectfully: - -'"'She is now well, in that my lord asks for her.' And then he showed -a folded lotus-leaf, wrapped in wet cloth, with its opening closed -by lotus filaments, and a seal of tender lotus filaments set in a -paste of wet sandal. (398) This he opened, and showed the tokens -sent by Kadambari, such as milky betel-nuts of emerald hue, with -their shells removed and surrounded with fresh sprays, betel-leaves -pale as the cheek of a hen-parrot, camphor like a solid piece of -iva's moon, and sandal ointment pleasant with rich musk scent. 'The -lady Kadambari,' said he, 'salutes thee with folded hands that kiss -her crest, and that are rosy with the rays of her tender fingers; -Mahaveta with a greeting and embrace; Madalekha with a reverence -and a brow bathed in the moonlight of the crest-gem she has let fall; -the maidens with the points of the fish-ornaments and the parting of -their hair resting on the ground; and Taralika, with a prostration -to touch the dust of thy feet. Mahaveta sends thee this message: -"Happy truly are they from whose eyes thou art never absent. For -in truth thy virtues, snowy, cold as the moon when thou art by, in -thine absence burn like sunlight. Truly all yearn for the past day -as though it were that day whereon fate with such toil brought forth -amrita. Without thee the royal Gandharva city is languid as at the end -of a feast. (399) Thou knowest that I have surrendered all things; yet -my heart, in my despite, desires to see thee who art so undeservedly -kind. Kadambari, moreover, is far from well. She recalls thee with thy -smiling face like Love himself. Thou, by the honour of thy return, -canst make her proud of having some virtues of her own. For respect -shown by the noble must needs confer honour. And thou must forgive -the trouble of knowing such as we. For thine own nobility gives this -boldness to our address. And here is this esha necklace, which was -left by thee on thy couch."' So saying, he loosed it from his band, -where it was visible by reason of the long rays that shot through the -interstices of the fine thread, and placed it in the fan-bearer's hand. - -'"'This, indeed, is the reward of doing homage at Mahaveta's feet, -that the lady Kadambari should lay so great a weight of honour on -her slave as to remember him," said Candrapida, as he placed all on -his head [317] and accepted it. The necklace he put round his neck, -after anointing it with an ointment cool, pleasant, and fragrant, -as it were with the beauty of Kadambari's cheeks distilled, or the -light of her smile liquefied, or her heart melted, or her virtues -throbbing forth. (400) Taking some betel, he rose and stood, with his -left arm on Keyuraka's shoulder, and then dismissed the courtiers, -who were gladly paying their wonted homage, and at length went -to see his elephant Gandhamadana. There he stayed a short time, -and after he had himself given to the elephant a handful of grass, -that, being jagged with the rays of his nails, was like lotus-fibre, -he went to the stable of his favourite steed. On the way he turned -his face now on this side, now on that, to glance at his retinue, -and the porters, understanding his wish, forbade all to follow him, -and dismissed the retinue, so that he entered the stable with Keyuraka -alone. The grooms bowed and departed, with eyes bewildered by terror -at their dismissal, and the prince set straight Indrayudha's cloth, -which had fallen a little on one side, pushed back his mane, tawny -as a lion's, which was falling on his eyes and half closing them, and -then, negligently resting his foot on the peg of the tethering-rope, -and leaning against the stable wall, he eagerly asked: - -'"'Tell me, Keyuraka, what has happened in the Gandharva court since -my departure? In what occupation has the Gandharva princess spent -the time? What were Mahaveta and Madalekha doing? What talk was -there? How were you and the retinue employed? And was there any -talk about me?' Then Keyuraka told him all: 'Listen, prince. On -thy departure, the lady Kadambari, with her retinue, climbed to the -palace roof, making in the maidens' palace with the sound of anklets -the beat of farewell drums that rose from a thousand hearts; (401) -and she gazed on thy path, gray with the dust of the cavalcade. When -thou wert out of sight, she laid her face on Mahaveta's shoulder, and, -in her love, sprinkled the region of thy journey with glances fair as -the Milky Ocean, and, warding off the sun's touch, as it were, with -the moon assuming in jealousy the guise of a white umbrella, she long -remained there. Thence she reluctantly tore herself away and came down, -and after but a short rest in the pavilion, she arose and went to the -pleasaunce where thou hadst been. She was guided by bees murmuring in -the flowers of oblation; startled by the cry of the house peacocks, -she checked their note as they looked up at the shower-like rays of -her nails, by the circlets which lay loose round her throat; at every -step she let her hand rest on creeper-twigs white with flowers, and -her mind on thy virtues. When she reached the pleasaunce, her retinue -needlessly told her: "Here the prince stayed on the spray-washed rock, -with its creeper-bower bedewed by the stream from a pipe that ends -in an emerald fish-head; here he bathed in a place covered by bees -absorbed in the fragrance of the scented water; here he worshipped -iva on the bank of the mountain stream, sandy with flower-dust; here -he ate on a crystal stone which eclipsed moonlight; and here he slept -on a pearly slab with a mark of sandal-juice imprinted on it." (402) -And so she passed the day, gazing on the signs of thy presence; and -at close of day Mahaveta prepared for her, though against her will, a -meal in that crystal dwelling. And when the sun set and the moon rose, -soon, as though she were a moonstone that moonlight would melt, and -therefore dreaded the entrance of the moon's reflection, she laid her -hands on her cheeks, and, as if in thought, remained for a few minutes -with closed eyes; and then rising, went to her sleeping-chamber, -scarcely raising her feet as they moved with graceful, languid gait, -seemingly heavy with bearing the moon's reflection on their bright -nails. Throwing herself on her couch, she was racked by a severe -headache, and overcome by a burning fever, and, in company with the -palace-lamps, the moon-lotuses, and the cakravakas, she passed the -night open-eyed in bitter grief. And at dawn she summoned me, and -reproachfully bade me seek for tidings of thee.' - -'"At these words, Candrapida, all eager to depart, shouted: 'A -horse! a horse!' and left the palace. Indrayudha was hastily saddled, -and brought round by the grooms, and Candrapida mounted, placing -Patralekha behind him, leaving Vaiampayana in charge of the camp, -dismissing all his retinue, and followed by Keyuraka on another steed, -he went to Hemakuta. (403) On his arrival, he dismounted at the gate of -Kadambari's palace, giving his horse to the doorkeeper, and, followed -by Patralekha, eager for the first sight of Kadambari, he entered, and -asked a eunuch who came forward where the lady Kadambari was. Bending -low, the latter informed him, that she was in the ice-bower on the -bank of the lotus-tank below the Mattamayura pleasaunce; and then the -prince, guided by Keyuraka, went some distance through the women's -garden, and beheld day grow green, and the sunbeams turn into grass -by the reflection of the plantain-groves with their emerald glow, -and there he beheld Kadambari. (410) Then she looked with tremulous -glance at her retinue, as, coming in one after another, they announced -Candrapida's approach, and asked each by name: 'Tell me, has he really -come, and hast thou seen him? How far off is he?' She gazed with -eyes gradually brightening as she saw him yet afar off, and rose from -her couch of flowers, standing like a newly-caught elephant bound to -her post, and trembling in every limb. She was veiled in bees drawn -as vassals by the fragrance of her flowery couch, all murmuring; her -upper garment was in confusion, and she sought to place on her bosom -the shining necklace; (411) she seemed to beg the support of a hand -from her own shadow as she laid her left hand on the jewelled pavement; -she seemed to receive herself as a gift by sprinkling [318] with her -right hand moist with the toil of binding together her falling locks; -she poured forth tears of joy cool as though the sandal-juice of her -sectarial mark had entered in and been united with them; she washed -with a line of glad tears her smooth cheeks, that the pollen from -her garland had tinged with gray, as if in eagerness that the image -of her beloved might fall thereon; she seemed to be drawn forward by -her long eyes fastened on Candrapida's face, with its pupil fixed in -a sidelong glance, and her head somewhat bent, as if from the weight -of the sandal-mark on her brow. - -'"And Candrapida, approaching, bowed first before Mahaveta, then -courteously saluted Kadambari, and when she had returned his obeisance, -and seated herself again on the couch, and the portress had brought -him a gold stool with legs gleaming with gems, he pushed it away -with his foot, and sat down on the ground. Then Keyuraka presented -Patralekha, saying: 'This is Prince Candrapida's betel-box bearer -and most favoured friend.' And Kadambari, looking on her, thought: -'How great partiality does Prajapati bestow on mortal women!' And -as Patralekha bowed respectfully, she bade her approach, and placed -her close behind herself, amidst the curious glances of all her -retinue. (412) Filled even at first sight with great love for her, -Kadambari often touched her caressingly with her slender hand. - -'"Now, Candrapida, having quickly performed all the courtesies of -arrival, beheld the state of Citraratha's daughter, and thought: -'Surely my heart is dull, in that it cannot even now believe. Be -it so. I will, nevertheless, ask her with a skilfully-devised -speech.' [319] Then he said aloud: 'Princess, I know that this pain, -with its unceasing torment, has come on thee from love. Yet, slender -maiden, it torments thee not as us. I would gladly, by the offering -of myself, restore thee to health. For I pity thee as thou tremblest; -and as I see thee fallen under the pain of love, my heart, too, falls -prostrate. For thine arms are slender and unadorned, and thou bearest -in thine eye a red lotus like a hybiscus [320] from the deep wasting -of fever. And all thy retinue weep ceaselessly for thy pain. Accept -thine ornaments. Take of thine own accord thy richest adornments; for -as the creeper shines hidden in bees and flowers, so shouldst thou.' - -'"Then Kadambari, though naturally simple by reason of her youth, yet, -from a knowledge taught by love, understood all the meaning of this -darkly-expressed speech. (413) Yet, not realizing that she had come to -such a point in her desires, supported by her modesty, she remained -silent. She sent forth, however, the radiance of a smile at that -moment on some pretext, as though to see his face darkened by the bees -which were gathered round its sweetness. Madalekha therefore replied: -'Prince, what shall I say? This pain is cruel beyond words. Moreover, -in one of so delicate a nature what does not tend to pain? Even cool -lotus-fibres turn to fire and moonlight burns. Seest thou not the pain -produced in her mind by the breezes of the fans? Only her strength -of mind keeps her alive.' But in heart alone did Kadambari admit -Madalekha's words as an answer to the prince. His mind, however, was in -suspense from the doubtfulness of her meaning, and after spending some -time in affectionate talk with Mahaveta, at length with a great effort -he withdrew himself, and left Kadambari's palace to go to the camp. - -'"As he was about to mount his horse, Keyuraka came up behind him, -and said: 'Prince, Madalekha bids me say that Princess Kadambari, ever -since she beheld Patralekha, has been charmed by her, and wishes to -keep her. She shall return later. (414) Having heard her message, thou -must decide' 'Happy,' replied the prince, 'and enviable is Patralekha, -in that she is honoured by so rare a favour by the princess. Let her -be taken in.' So saying, he went to the camp. - -'"At the moment of his arrival he beheld a letter-carrier well known -to him, that had come from his father's presence, and, stopping -his horse, he asked from afar, with eyes widened by affection: -'Is my father well, and all his retinue? and my mother and all the -zenana?' Then the man, approaching with a reverence, saying, 'As -thou sayest, prince,' gave him two letters. Then the prince, placing -them on his head, and himself opening them in order, read as follows: -'Hail from Ujjayini. King Tarapida, king of kings, whose lotus-feet -are made the crest on the head of all kings, greets Candrapida, the -home of all good fortune, kissing him on his head, which kisses the -circle of the flashing rays of his crest jewels. Our subjects are -well. Why has so long a time passed since we have seen thee? Our -heart longs eagerly for thee. The queen and the zenana pine for -thee. Therefore, let the cutting short of this letter be a cause of -thy setting out.' And in the second letter, sent by ukanasa, he read -words of like import. Vaiampayana, too, at that moment came up, and -showed another pair of letters of his own to the same effect. (415) -So with the words, 'As my father commands,' he at once mounted his -horse, and caused the drum of departure to be sounded. He instructed -Meghanada, son of Balahaka, the commander-in-chief, who stood near him -surrounded by a large troop: 'Thou must come with Patralekha. Keyuraka -will surely bring her as far as here, and by his lips a message must -be sent with a salutation to Princess Kadambari. Truly the nature of -mortals deserves the blame of the three worlds, for it is discourteous, -unfriendly, and hard to grasp, in that, when the loves of men suddenly -clash, they do not set its full value on spontaneous tenderness. Thus, -by my going, my love has become a cheating counterfeit; my faith -has gained skill in false tones; my self-devotion has sunk into base -deceit, having only a pretended sweetness; and the variance of voice -and thought has been laid bare. But enough of myself. The princess, -though a mate for the gods, has, by showing her favour to an unworthy -object, [321] incurred reproach. For the ambrosially kind glances of -the great, when they fall in vain on unfitting objects, cause shame -afterwards. And yet my heart is not so much weighed down by shame -for her as for Mahaveta. For the princess will doubtless often blame -her for her ill-placed partiality in having painted my virtues with -a false imputation of qualities I did not possess. What, then, shall -I do? My parents' command is the weightier. Yet it controls my body -alone. (416) But my heart, in its yearning to dwell at Hemakuta, has -written a bond of slavery for a thousand births to Princess Kadambari, -[322] and her favour holds it fast [323] as the dense thicket holds a -forester. Nevertheless, I go at my father's command. Truly from this -cause the infamous Candrapida will be a byword to the people. Yet, -think not that Candrapida, if he lives, will rest without again tasting -the joy of worshipping the lotus-feet of the princess. Salute with -bent head and sunwise turn the feet of Mahaveta. Tell Madalekha that -a hearty embrace, preceded by an obeisance, is offered her; salute -Tamalika, and inquire on my behalf after all Kadambari's retinue. Let -blessed Hemakuta be honoured by me with upraised hands.' After giving -this message, he set Vaiampayana over the camp, instructing his friend -to march [324] slowly, without overtasking the army. Then he mounted, -accompanied by his cavalry, mostly mounted on young horses, wearing the -grace of a forest of spears, breaking up the earth with their hoofs, -and shaking Kailasa with their joyful neighing as they set out; and -though his heart was empty, in the fresh separation from Kadambari, -he asked the letter-carrier who clung to his saddle concerning the -way to Ujjayini. - -(417-426 condensed) '"And on the way he beheld in the forest a red -flag, near which was a shrine of Durga, guarded by an old Dravidian -hermit, who made his abode thereby. - -(426) '"Dismounting, he entered, and bent reverently before the -goddess, and, bowing again after a sunwise turn, he wandered about, -interested in the calm of the place, and beheld on one side the -wrathful hermit, howling and shouting at him; and at the sight, -tossed as he was by passionate longing in his absence from Kadambari, -he could not forbear smiling a moment; but he checked his soldiers, -who were laughing and beginning a quarrel with the hermit; and at -length, with great difficulty, he calmed him with many a soothing and -courteous speech, and asked him about his birthplace, caste, knowledge, -wife and children, wealth, age, and the cause of his ascetic vow. On -being asked, the latter described himself, and the prince was greatly -interested by him as he garrulously described his past heroism, beauty, -and wealth, and thus diverted his mind in its soreness of bereavement; -and, having become friendly with him, he caused betel to be offered to -him. (427) When the sun set, the princes encamped under the trees that -chanced [325] to be near; the golden saddles of the steeds were hung -on boughs; the steeds showed the exertions they had gone through, -from the tossing of their manes dusty with rolling on the earth, -and after they had taken some handfuls of grass and been watered, -and were refreshed, they were tethered, with the spears dug into the -ground before them; the soldiery, wearied [326] with the day's march, -appointed a watch, and gladly went to sleep on heaps of leaves near -the horses; the encampment was bright as day, for the darkness was -drunk up by the light of many a bivouac fire, and Candrapida went to a -couch prepared for him by his retinue, and pointed out to him by his -porters, in front of the place where Indrayudha was tethered. But -the very moment he lay down restlessness seized his heart, and, -overcome by pain, he dismissed the princes, and said nothing even -to the special favourites who stood behind him. With closed eyes -he again and again went in heart to the Kimpurusha land. With fixed -thought he recalled Hemakuta. He thought on the spontaneous kindness -of Mahaveta's favours. [327] He constantly longed for the sight -of Kadambari as his life's highest fruit. He continually desired -the converse of Madalekha, so charming in its absence of pride. He -wished to see Tamalika. He looked forward to Keyuraka's coming. He -beheld in fancy the winter palace. He often sighed a long, feverish -sigh. He bestowed on the esha necklace a kindness beyond that for -his kin. (428) He thought he saw fortunate Patralekha standing behind -him. Thus he passed the night without sleep; and, rising at dawn, -he fulfilled the hermit's wish by wealth poured out at his desire, -and, sojourning at pleasant spots on the way, in a few days he -reached Ujjayini. A thousand hands, like lotuses of offering to a -guest raised in reverent salutation, were raised by the citizens in -their confusion and joy at his sudden coming, as he then unexpectedly -entered the city. The king heard from the retinue [328] hastening to -be first to tell him that Candrapida was at the gate, and bewildered -by sudden gladness, with steps slow from the weight of joy, he went to -meet his son. Like Mandara, he drew to himself as a Milky Ocean his -spotless silk mantle that was slipping down; like the kalpa-tree, -with its shower of choice pearls, he rained tears of gladness; -he was followed by a thousand chiefs that were round him--chiefs -with topknots white with age, anointed with sandal, wearing untorn -[329] linen robes, bracelets, turbans, crests and wreaths, bearing -swords, staves, umbrellas and cowries, making the earth appear rich -in Kailasas and Milky Oceans. The prince, seeing his father from afar, -dismounted, and touched the ground with a head garlanded by the rays of -his crest-jewels. Then his father stretched out his arms, bidding him -approach, and embraced him closely; and when he had paid his respects -to all the honourable persons who were there, he was led by the king -to Vilasavati's palace. (429) His coming was greeted by her and her -retinue, and when he had performed all the auspicious ceremonies of -arrival, he stayed some time in talk about his expedition of conquest, -and then went to see ukanasa. Having duly stayed there some time, he -told him that Vaiampayana was at the camp and well, and saw Manorama; -and then returning, he mechanically [330] performed the ceremonies -of bathing, and so forth, in Vilasavati's palace. On the morrow he -went to his own palace, and there, with a mind tossed by anxiety, -he deemed that not only himself, but his palace and the city, and, -indeed, the whole world, was but a void without Kadambari, and so, in -his longing to hear news of her, he awaited the return of Patralekha, -as though it were a festival, or the winning of a boon, or the time -of the rising of amrita. - -'"A few days later Meghanada came with Patralekha, and led her in; -and as she made obeisance from afar, Candrapida smiled affectionately, -and, rising reverently, embraced her; for though she was naturally -dear to him, she was now yet dearer as having won a fresh splendour -from Kadambari's presence. He laid his slender hand on Meghanada's -back as he bent before him, and then, sitting down, he said: 'Tell me, -Patralekha, is all well with Mahaveta and Madalekha, and the lady -Kadambari? (430) And are all her retinue well, with Tamalika and -Keyuraka?' 'Prince,' she replied, 'all is well, as thou sayest. The -lady Kadambari, with her friends and retinue, do thee homage by making -their raised hands into a wreath for their brows.' At these words the -prince dismissed his royal retinue, and went with Patralekha into -the palace. Then, with a tortured heart, no longer able from its -intense love to overcome his eagerness to hear, he sent his retinue -far away and entered the house. With his lotus-feet he pushed away -the pair of hamsas that were sleeping happily on the slope beneath a -leafy bower that made an emerald banner; and, resting in the midst -of a fresh bed of hybiscus, that made a sunshade with its broad, -long-stalked leaves, he sat down, and asked: 'Tell me, Patralekha, -how thou hast fared. How many days wert thou there? What favour did -the princess show thee? What talk was there, and what conversation -arose? Who most remembers us, and whose affection is greatest?' [331] -Thus questioned, she told him: 'Give thy mind and hear all. When thou -wert gone, I returned with Keyuraka, and sat down near the couch of -flowers; and there I gladly remained, receiving ever fresh marks of -kindness from the princess. What need of words? (431) The whole of -that day her eye, her form, her hand, were on mine; her speech dwelt -on my name and her heart on my love. On the morrow, leaning on me, -she left the winter palace, and, wandering at will, bade her retinue -remain behind, and entered the maidens' garden. By a flight of emerald -steps, that might have been formed from Jamuna's [332] waves, she -ascended to a white summer-house, and in it she stayed some time, -leaning against a jewelled pillar, deliberating with her heart, -wishing to say something, and gazing on my face with fixed pupil -and motionless eyelashes. As she looked she formed her resolve, and, -as if longing to enter love's fire, she was bathed in perspiration; -whereat a trembling came upon her, so that, shaking in every limb as -though fearing to fall, she was seized by despair. - -'"'But when I, who knew her thoughts, fixed my mind on her, and, -fastening my eyes on her face, bade her speak, she seemed to be -restrained by her own trembling limbs; with a toe that marked the -floor as if for retreat, she seemed to rub out her own image in shame -that it should hear her secret; (432) with her lotus foot--its anklets -all set jingling by the scratching of the floor--she pushed aside the -tame geese; with a strip of silk made into a fan for her hot face, -she drove away the bees on her ear-lotuses; to the peacock she gave, -like a bribe, a piece of betel broken by her teeth; and gazing often -on every side lest a wood-goddess should listen, much as she longed -to speak, she was checked in her utterance by shame, and could not -speak a word. [333] Her voice, in spite of her greatest efforts, -was wholly burnt up by love's fire, borne away by a ceaseless flow -of tears, overwhelmed by onrushing griefs, broken by love's falling -shafts, banished by invading sighs, restrained by the hundred -cares that dwelt in her heart, and drunk by the bees that tasted -her breath, so that it could not come forth. In brief, she made a -pearl rosary to count her many griefs with the bright tears that -fell without touching her cheeks, as with bent head she made the -very image of a storm. Then from her shame learnt its full grace; -modesty, a transcendant modesty; simplicity, simplicity; courtesy, -courtesy; (433) fear, timidity; coquetry, its quintessence; despair, -its own nature; and charm, a further charm. And so, when I asked her, -"Princess, what means this?" she wiped her reddened eyes, and, holding -a garland woven by the flowers of the bower with arms which, soft as -lotus-fibres, seemed meant to hold her firmly in the excess of her -grief, she raised one eyebrow, as if gazing on the path of death, -and sighed a long, fevered sigh. And as, in desire to know the cause -of her sorrow, I pressed her to tell me, she seemed to write on the -ketaki petals scratched by her nails in her shame, and so deliver her -message. She moved her lower lip in eagerness to speak, and seemed to -be whispering to the bees who drank her breath, and thus she remained -some time with eyes fixed on the ground. - -'"'At last, often turning her glance to my face, she seemed to purify, -with the tears that fell from her brimming eyes, the voice that the -smoke of Love's fire had dimmed. And, in the guise of tears, she bound -up with the rays of her teeth, flashing in a forced smile, the strange -syllables of what she had meant to say, but forgotten in her tremor, -and with great difficulty betook herself to speech. "Patralekha," she -said to me, "by reason of my great favour for thee, neither father, -mother, Mahaveta, Madalekha, nor life itself is dear to me as thou -hast been since I first beheld thee. (434) I know not why my heart has -cast off all my friends and trusts in thee alone. To whom else can I -complain, or tell my humiliation, or give a share in my woe? When I -have shown thee the unbearable burden of my woe, I will die. By my life -I swear to thee I am put to shame by even my own heart's knowledge of -my story; how much more by another's? How should such as I stain by -ill report a race pure as moonbeams, and lose the honour which has -descended from my sires, and turn my thoughts on unmaidenly levity, -acting thus without my father's will, or my mother's bestowal, or my -elders' congratulations, without any announcement, without sending -of gifts, or showing of pictures? Timidly, as one unprotected, -have I been led to deserve my parents' blame by that overweening -Candrapida. Is this, I pray, the conduct of noble men? Is this the -fruit of our meeting, that my heart, tender as a lotus filament, -is now crushed? For maidens should not be lightly treated by youths; -the fire of love is wont to consume first their reserve and then their -heart; the arrows of love pierce first their dignity and then their -life. Therefore, I bid thee farewell till our meeting in another birth, -for none is dearer to me than thou. (435) By carrying out my resolve -of death, I shall cleanse my own stain." So saying, she was silent. - -'"'Not knowing the truth of her tale, I sorrowfully, as if ashamed, -afraid, bewildered, and bereft of sense, adjured her, saying: -"Princess, I long to hear. Tell me what Prince Candrapida has -done. What offence has been committed? By what discourtesy has he -vexed that lotus-soft heart of thine, that none should vex? When I -have heard this, thou shalt die on my lifeless body." Thus urged, -she again began: "I will tell thee; listen carefully. In my dreams -that cunning villain comes daily and employs in secret messages a -caged parrot and a starling. In my dreams he, bewildered in mind with -vain desires, writes in my earrings to appoint meetings. He sends -love-letters with their syllables washed away, filled with mad hopes, -most sweet, and showing his own state by the lines of tears stained -with pigment falling on them. By the glow of his feelings he dyes my -feet against my will. In his reckless insolence he prides himself on -his own reflection in my nails. (436) In his unwarranted boldness -he embraces me against my will in the gardens when I am alone, -and almost dead from fear of being caught, as the clinging of my -silken skirts to the branches hinders my steps, and my friends the -creepers seize and deliver me to him. Naturally crooked, he teaches -the very essence of crookedness to a heart by nature simple by the -blazonry he paints on my breast. Full of guileful flattery, he fans -with his cool breath my cheeks all wet and shining as with a breeze -from the waves of my heart's longing. He boldly places the rays of his -nails like young barley-sheaves on my ear, though his hand is empty, -because its lotus has fallen from his grasp relaxed in weariness. He -audaciously draws me by the hair to quaff the sweet wine of his breath, -inhaled by him when he watered his favourite bakul-flowers. Mocked by -his own folly, he demands on his head the touch of my foot, destined -for the palace aoka-tree. [334] In his utter love madness, he says: -'Tell me, Patralekha, how a madman can be rejected?' For he considers -refusal a sign of jealousy; he deems abuse a gentle jest; he looks -on silence as pettishness; he regards the mention of his faults as a -device for thinking of him; he views contempt as the familiarity of -love; he esteems the blame of mankind as renown." - -'"'A sweet joy filled me as I heard her say this, and I thought, -(437) "Surely Love has led her far in her feelings for Candrapida. If -this indeed be true, he shows in visible form, under the guise of -Kadambari, his tender feeling towards the prince, and he is met -by the prince's innate and carefully-trained virtues. The quarters -gleam with his glory; a rain of pearls is cast by his youth on the -waves of the ocean of tenderness; his name is written by his youthful -gaiety on the moon; his own fortune is proclaimed by his happy lot; -and nectar is showered down by his grace as by the digits of the moon." - -'"'Moreover, the Malaya wind has at length its season; moonrise has -gained its full chance; the luxuriance of spring flowers has won a -fitting fruit; the sharpness of wine has mellowed to its full virtue, -and the descent of love's era is now clearly manifest on earth. - -'"'Then I smiled, and said aloud: "If it be so, princess, cease thy -wrath. Be appeased. Thou canst not punish the prince for the faults of -Kama. These truly are the sports of Love, the god of the Flowery Bow, -not of a wanton Candrapida." - -'"'As I said this, she eagerly asked me: "As for this Kama, whoever -he may be, tell me what forms he assumes." - -'"'"How can he have forms?" replied I. "He is a formless fire. For -without flame he creates heat; without smoke he makes tears flow; -without the dust of ashes he shows whiteness. Nor is there a being -in all the wide universe who is not, or has not been, or will not be, -the victim of his shaft. Who is there that fears him not? (438) Even -a strong man is pierced by him when he takes in hand his flowery bow. - -'"'"Moreover, when tender women are possessed by him, they gaze, -and the sky is crowded with a thousand images of their beloved. They -paint the loved form; the earth is a canvas all too small. They reckon -the virtues of their hero; number itself fails them. They listen to -talk about their dearest; the Goddess of Speech herself seems all too -silent. They muse on the joys of union with him who is their life; -and time itself is all too short to their heart." - -'"'She pondered a moment on this ere she replied: "As thou sayest, -Patralekha, Love has led me into tenderness for the prince. For all -these signs and more are found in me. Thou art one with my own heart, -and I ask thee to tell me what I should now do? I am all unversed in -such matters. Moreover, if I were forced to tell my parents, I should -be so ashamed that my heart would choose death rather than life." - -'"'Then again I answered; "Enough, princess! Why this needless talk -of death as a necessary condition? [335] Surely, fair maiden, though -thou hast not sought to please him, Love has in kindness given thee -this boon. Why tell thy parents? Love himself, like a parent, plans -for thee; (439) like a mother, he approves thee; like a father, he -bestows thee; like a girl friend, he kindles thine affection; like -a nurse, he teaches thy tender age the secrets of love. Why should I -tell thee of those who have themselves chosen their lords? For were -it not so, the ordinance of the svayamvara in our law-books [336] -would be meaningless. Be at rest, then, princess. Enough of this talk -of death. I conjure thee by touching thy lotus-foot to send me. I am -ready to go. I will bring back to thee, princess, thy heart's beloved." - -'"'When I had said this, she seemed to drink me in with a tender -glance; she was confused by an ardour of affection which, though -restrained, found a path, and burst through the reserve that Love's -shafts had pierced. In her pleasure at my words, she cast off the -silken outer robe which clung to her through her weariness, and -left it suspended on her thrilling limbs. [337] She loosened the -moonbeam necklace on her neck, put there as a noose to hang herself, -and entangled in the fish ornaments of her swinging earring. Yet, -though her whole soul was in a fever of joy, she supported herself -by the modesty which is a maiden's natural dower, and said: "I -know thy great love. But how could a woman, tender of nature as a -young irisha-blossom, show such boldness, especially one so young -as I? (440) Bold, indeed, are they who themselves send messages, or -themselves deliver a message. I, a young maiden, [338] am ashamed to -send a bold message. What, indeed, could I say? 'Thou art very dear,' -is superfluous. 'Am I dear to thee?' is a senseless question. 'My -love for thee is great,' is the speech of the shameless. 'Without -thee I cannot live,' is contrary to experience. 'Love conquers -me,' is a reproach of my own fault. 'I am given to thee by Love,' -is a bold offering of one's self. 'Thou art my captive,' is the -daring speech of immodesty. 'Thou must needs come,' is the pride of -fortune. 'I will come myself,' is a woman's weakness. 'I am wholly -devoted to thee,' is the lightness of obtruded affection. 'I send -no message from fear of a rebuff,' is to wake the sleeper. [339] -'Let me be a warning of the sorrow of a service that is despised,' -is an excess of tenderness. 'Thou shalt know my love by my death,' -is a thought that may not enter the mind."'"' - - - - - - - -PART II. - - -(441) I hail, for the completion of the difficult toil of this -unfinished tale, Uma and iva, parents of earth, whose single body, -formed from the union of two halves, shows neither point of union -nor division. - -(442) I salute Narayana, creator of all, by whom the man-lion form -was manifested happily, showing a face terrible with its tossing mane, -and displaying in his hand quoit, sword, club and conch. - -I do homage to my father, that lord of speech, the creator by whom that -story was made that none else could fashion, that noble man whom all -honour in every house, and from whom I, in reward of a former life, -received my being. - -(443) When my father rose to the sky, on earth the stream of the -story failed with his voice. And I, as I saw its unfinished state -was a grief to the good, began it, but from no poetic pride. - -For that the words flow with such beauty is my father's special gift; -a single touch of the ray of the moon, the one source of nectar, -suffices to melt the moonstone. - -As other rivers at their full enter the Ganges, and by being absorbed -in it reach the ocean, so my speech is cast by me for the completion -of this story on the ocean-flowing stream of my father's eloquence. - -Reeling under the strong sweetness of Kadambari [340] as one -intoxicated, I am bereft of sense, in that I fear not to compose an -ending in my own speech devoid of sweetness and colour. - -(444) The seeds that promise fruit and are destined to flower are -forced by the sower with fitting toils; scattered in good ground, they -grow to ripeness; but it is the sower's son who gathers them. [341] - - - -'"Moreover," Kadambari continued, "if the prince were brought shame -itself, put to shame by my weakness, would not allow a sight of -him. (446) Fear itself, frightened at the crime of bringing him by -force, would not enter his presence. Then all would be over if my -friend Patralekha did her utmost from love to me, and yet could not -induce him to come, even by falling at his feet, either perchance -from his respect for his parents, or devotion to royal duty, or love -of his native land, or reluctance towards me. Nay, more. (448) I am -that Kadambari whom he saw resting on a couch of flowers in the winter -palace, and he is that Candrapida, all ignorant of another's pain, -who stayed but two days, and then departed. I had promised Mahaveta -not to marry while she was in trouble, though she besought me not -to promise, saying, that Kama often takes our life by love even for -one unseen. (449) But this is not my case. For the prince, imaged by -fancy, ever presents himself to my sight, and, sleeping or waking, -in every place I behold him. Therefore talk not of bringing him." - -'(450) Thereupon I [342] reflected, "Truly the beloved, as shaped in -the imagination, is a great support to women separated from their -loves, especially to maidens of noble birth." (451) And I promised -Kadambari that I would bring thee, O Prince. (452) Then she, roused by -my speech full of thy name, as by a charm to remove poison, suddenly -opened her eyes, and said, "I say not that thy going pleases me, -Patralekha. (453) It is only when I see thee that I can endure my -life; yet if this desire possess thee, do what thou wilt!" So saying, -she dismissed me with many presents. - -'Then with slightly downcast face Patralekha continued: "The recent -kindness of the princess has given me courage, my prince, and I am -grieved for her, and so I say to thee, 'Didst thou act worthily of -thy tender nature in leaving her in this state?'" - -'Thus reproached by Patralekha, and hearing the words of Kadambari, -so full of conflicting impulses, the prince became confused; (454) -and sharing in Kadambari's feeling, he asked Patralekha with tears, -"What am I to do? Love has made me a cause of sorrow to Kadambari, -and of reproach to thee. (455) And methinks this was some curse that -darkened my mind; else how was my mind deceived when clear signs were -given, which would create no doubt even in a dull mind? All this my -fault has arisen from a mistake. I will therefore now, by devoting -myself to her, even with my life, act so that the princess may know -me not to be of so hard a heart." - -'(456) While he thus spoke a portress hastened in and said: "Prince, -Queen Vilasavati sends a message saying, 'I hear from the talk -of my attendants that Patralekha, who had stayed behind, has now -returned. And I love her equally with thyself. Do thou therefore come, -and bring her with thee. The sight of thy lotus face, won by a thousand -longings, is rarely given.'" - -'"How my life now is tossed with doubts!" thought the prince. "My -mother is sorrowful if even for a moment she sees me not. (457) My -subjects love me; but the Gandharva princess loves me more. Princess -Kadambari is worthy of my winning, and my mind is impatient of delay;" -so thinking, he went to the queen, and spent the day in a longing of -heart hard to bear; (458) while the night he spent thinking of the -beauty of Kadambari, which was as a shrine of love. - -'(459) Thenceforth pleasant talk found no entrance into him. His -friends' words seemed harsh to him; the conversation of his kinsmen -gave him no delight. (460) His body was dried up by love's fire, but -he did not yield up the tenderness of his heart. (461) He despised -happiness, but not self-control. - -'While he was thus drawn forward by strong love, which had its -life resting on the goodness and beauty of Kadambari, and held -backwards by his very deep affection for his parents, he beheld -one day, when wandering on the banks of the Sipra, a troop of horse -approaching. (462) He sent a man to inquire what this might be, and -himself crossing the Sipra where the water rose but to his thigh, -he awaited his messenger's return in a shrine of Kartikeya. Drawing -Patralekha to him, he said, "Look! that horse-man whose face can -scarce be descried is Keyuraka!" - -'(463) He then beheld Keyuraka throw himself from his horse while -yet far off, gray with dust from swift riding, while by his changed -appearance, his lack of adornment, his despondent face, and his eyes -that heralded his inward grief, he announced, even without words, -the evil plight of Kadambari. Candrapida lovingly called him as he -hastily bowed and drew near, and embraced him. And when he had drawn -back and paid his homage, the prince, having gratified his followers by -courteous inquiries, looked at him eagerly, and said, "By the sight of -thee, Keyuraka, the well-being of the lady Kadambari and her attendants -is proclaimed. When thou art rested and at ease, thou shalt tell me -the cause of thy coming;" and he took Keyuraka and Patralekha home -with him on his elephant. (464) Then he dismissed his followers, and -only accompanied by Patralekha, he called Keyuraka to him, and said: -"Tell me the message of Kadambari, Madalekha and Mahaveta." - -'"What shall I say?" replied Keyuraka; "I have no message from any of -these. For when I had entrusted Patralekha to Meghanada, and returned, -and had told of thy going to Ujjayini, Mahaveta looked upwards, -sighed a long, hot sigh, and saying sadly, 'It is so then,' returned -to her own hermitage to her penance. Kadambari, as though bereft of -consciousness, ignorant of Mahaveta's departure, only opened her eyes -after a long time, scornfully bidding me tell Mahaveta; and asking -Madalekha (465) if anyone ever had done, or would do, such a deed as -Candrapida, she dismissed her attendants, threw herself on her couch, -veiled her head, and spent the day without speaking even to Madalekha, -who wholly shared her grief. When early next morning I went to her, -she gazed at me long with tearful eyes, as if blaming me. And I, when -thus looked at by my sorrowing mistress, deemed myself ordered to go, -and so, without telling the princess, I have approached my lord's -feet. Therefore vouchsafe to hear attentively the bidding of Keyuraka, -whose heart is anxious to save the life of one whose sole refuge is in -thee. For, as by thy first coming that virgin [343] forest was stirred -as by the fragrant Malaya wind, so when she beheld thee, the joy of -the whole world, like the spring, love entered her as though she were -a red aoka creeper. (466) But now she endures great torture for thy -sake." (466-470) Then Keyuraka told at length all her sufferings, till -the prince, overcome by grief, could bear it no longer and swooned. - -'Then, awakening from his swoon, he lamented that he was thought too -hard of heart to receive a message from Kadambari or her friends, -and blamed them for not telling him of her love while he was there. - -(476) '"Why should there be shame concerning one who is her servant, -ever at her feet, that grief should have made its home in one so -tender, and my desires be unfulfilled? (477) Now, what can I do -when at some days' distance from her. Her body cannot even endure -the fall of a flower upon it, while even on adamantine hearts like -mine the arrows of love are hard to bear. When I see the unstable -works began by cruel Fate, I know not where it will stop. (478) -Else where was my approach to the land of the immortals, in my vain -hunt for the Kinnaras? where my journey to Hemakuta with Mahaveta, -or my sight of the princess there, or the birth of her love for me, -or my father's command, that I could not transgress, for me to return, -though my longing was yet unfulfilled? It is by evil destiny that -we have been raised high, and then dashed to the ground. Therefore -let us do our utmost to console [344] the princess." (479) Then in -the evening he asked Keyuraka, "What thinkest thou? Will Kadambari -support life till we arrive? (480) Or shall I again behold her face, -with its eyes like a timid fawn's?" "Be firm, prince," he replied. "Do -thine utmost to go." The prince had himself begun plans for going; -but what happiness or what content of heart would there be without -his father's leave, and how after his long absence could that be -gained? A friend's help was needed here, but Vaiampayana was away. - -'(484) But next morning he heard a report that his army had reached -Daapura, and thinking with joy that he was now to receive the favour -of Fate, in that Vaiampayana was now at hand, he joyfully told the -news to Keyuraka. (485) "This event," replied the latter, "surely -announces thy going. Doubtless thou wilt gain the princess. For when -was the moon ever beheld by any without moonlight, or a lotus-pool -without a lotus, or a garden without creeper? Yet there must be delay -in the arrival of Vaiampayana, and the settling with him of thy -plans. But I have told thee the state of the princess, which admits -of no delay. Therefore, my heart, rendered insolent by the grace -bestowed by thy affection, desires that favour may be shown me by a -command to go at once to announce the joy of my lord's coming." (486) -Whereat the prince, with a glance that showed his inward satisfaction, -replied: "Who else is there who so well knows time and place, or who -else is so sincerely loyal? This, therefore, is a happy thought. Go to -support the life of the princess and to prepare for my return. But let -Patralekha go forward, too, with thee to the feet of the princess. For -she is favoured by the princess." Then he called Meghanada, and bade -him escort Patralekha, (487) while he himself would overtake them -when he had seen Vaiampayana. Then he bade Patralekha tell Kadambari -that her noble sincerity and native tenderness preserved him, even -though far away and burnt by love's fire, (489) and requested her -bidding to come. (491) After their departure, he went to ask his -father's leave to go to meet Vaiampayana. The king lovingly received -him, and said to ukanasa: (492) "He has now come to the age for -marriage. So, having entered upon the matter with Queen Vilasavati, -let some fair maiden be chosen. For a face like my son's is not often -to be seen. Let us then gladden ourselves now by the sight of the -lotus face of a bride." ukanasa agreed that as the prince had gained -all knowledge, made royal fortune firmly his own, and wed the earth, -there remained nothing for him to do but to marry a wife. "How fitly," -thought Candrapida, "does my father's plan come for my thoughts of a -union with Kadambari! (493) The proverb 'light to one in darkness,' -or 'a shower of nectar to a dying man,' is coming true in me. After -just seeing Vaiampayana, I shall win Kadambari." Then the king went -to Vilasavati, and playfully reproached her for giving no counsel as -to a bride for her son. (494) Meanwhile the prince spent the day in -awaiting Vaiampayana's return. And after spending over two watches -of the night sleepless in yearning for him, (495) the energy of his -love was redoubled, and he ordered the conch to be sounded for his -going. (497) Then he started on the road to Daapura, and after going -some distance he beheld the camp, (501) and rejoiced to think he would -now see Vaiampayana; and going on alone, he asked where his friend -was. But weeping women replied: "Why ask? How should he be here?" And -in utter bewilderment he hastened to the midst of the camp. (502) There -he was recognised, and on his question the chieftains besought him to -rest under a tree while they related Vaiampayana's fate. He was, they -said, yet alive, and they told what had happened. (505) "When left by -thee, he halted a day, and then gave the order for our march. 'Yet,' -said he, 'Lake Acchoda is mentioned in the Purana as very holy. Let us -bathe and worship iva in the shrine on its bank. For who will ever, -even in a dream, behold again this place haunted by the gods?' (506) -But beholding a bower on the bank he gazed at it like a brother long -lost to sight, as if memories were awakened in him. And when we urged -him to depart, he made as though he heard us not; but at last he -bade us go, saying that he would not leave that spot. (508) 'Do I not -know well' said he, 'all that you urge for my departure? But I have -no power over myself, and I am, as it were, nailed to the spot, and -cannot go with you.' (510) So at length we left him, and came hither." - -'Amazed at this story, which he could not have even in a dream -imagined, Candrapida wondered: "What can be the cause of his resolve -to leave all and dwell in the woods? I see no fault of my own. He -shares everything with me. Has anything been said that could hurt him -by my father or ukanasa?" (517) He at length returned to Ujjayini, -thinking that where Vaiampayana was there was Kadambari also, -and resolved to fetch him back. (518) He heard that the king and -queen had gone to ukanasa's house, and followed them thither. (519) -There he heard Manorama lamenting the absence of the son without -whose sight she could not live, and who had never before, even in -his earliest years, shown neglect of her. (520) On his entrance the -king thus greeted him: "I know thy great love for him. Yet when I -hear thy story my heart suspects some fault of thine." But ukanasa, -his face darkened with grief and impatience, said reproachfully: "If, -O king, there is heat in the moon or coolness in fire, then there may -be fault in the prince. (521) Men such as Vaiampayana are portents of -destruction, (522) fire without fuel, polished mirrors that present -everything the reverse way; (523) for them the base are exalted, -wrong is right, and ignorance wisdom. All in them makes for evil, and -not for good. Therefore Vaiampayana has not feared thy wrath, nor -thought that his mother's life depends on him, nor that he was born -to be a giver of offerings for the continuance of his race. (524) -Surely the birth of one so evil and demoniac was but to cause us -grief." (525) To this the king replied: "Surely for such as I to -admonish thee were for a lamp to give light to fire, or daylight an -equal splendour to the sun. Yet the mind of the wisest is made turbid -by grief as the Manasa Lake by the rainy season, and then sight is -destroyed. Who is there in this world who is not changed by youth? When -youth shows itself, love for elders flows away with childhood. (528) -My heart grieves when I hear thee speak harshly of Vaiampayana. Let -him be brought hither. Then we can do as is fitting." (529) ukanasa -persisted in blaming his son; but Candrapida implored leave to fetch -him home, and ukanasa at length yielded. (532) Then Candrapida -summoned the astrologers, and secretly bade them name the day for -his departure, when asked by the king or ukanasa, so as not to delay -his departure. "The conjunction of the planets," they answered him, -"is against thy going. (533) Yet a king is the determiner of time. On -whatever time thy will is set, that is the time for every matter." Then -they announced the morrow as the time for his departure; and he spent -that day and night intent on his journey, and deeming that he already -beheld Kadambari and Vaiampayana before him. - -'(534) And when the time came, Vilasavati bade him farewell in deep -sorrow: "I grieved not so for thy first going as I do now. My heart -is torn; my body is in torture; my mind is overwhelmed. (535) I know -not why my heart so suffers. Stay not long away." He tried to console -her, and then went to his father, who received him tenderly, (539) -and finally dismissed him, saying: "My desire is that thou shouldst -take a wife and receive the burden of royalty, so that I may enter on -the path followed by royal sages; but this matter of Vaiampayana is -in the way of it, and I have misgivings that my longing is not to be -fulfilled; else how could he have acted in so strange a way? Therefore, -though thou must go, my son, return soon, that my heart's desire may -not fail." (540) At length he started, and spent day and night on his -journey in the thought of his friend and of the Gandharva world. (544) -And when he had travelled far the rainy season came on, and all the -workings of the storms found their counterpart in his own heart. (548) -Yet he paused not on his way, nor did he heed the entreaties of his -chieftains to bestow some care on himself, but rode on all day. (549) -But a third part of the way remained to traverse when he beheld -Meghanada, and, asking him eagerly concerning Vaiampayana, (550) he -learnt that Patralekha, sure that the rains would delay his coming, -had sent Meghanada to meet him, and that the latter had not been to the -Acchoda lake. (552) With redoubled grief the prince rode to the lake, -and bade his followers guard it on all sides, lest Vaiampayana should -in shame flee from them; but all his search found no traces of his -friend. (553) "My feet," thought he, "cannot leave this spot without -him, and yet Kadambari has not been seen. Perchance Mahaveta may know -about this matter; I will at least see her." So he mounted Indrayudha, -and went towards her hermitage. There dismounting, he entered; but -in the entrance of the cave he beheld Mahaveta, with difficulty -supported by Taralika, weeping bitterly. (554) "May no ill," thought -he, "have befallen Kadambari, that Mahaveta should be in this state, -when my coming should be a cause of joy." Eagerly and sorrowfully he -questioned Taralika, but she only gazed on Mahaveta's face. Then -the latter at last spoke falteringly: "What can one so wretched -tell thee? Yet the tale shall be told. When I heard from Keyuraka of -thy departure, my heart was torn by the thought that the wishes of -Kadambari's parents, my own longing, and the sight of Kadambari's -happiness in her union with thee had not been brought about, and, -cleaving even the bond of my love to her, I returned home to yet -harsher penance than before. (555) Here I beheld a young Brahman, -like unto thee, gazing hither and thither with vacant glance. But at -the sight of me his eyes were fixed on me alone, as if, though unseen -before, he recognised me, though a stranger, he had long known me, -and gazing at me like one mad or possessed, he said at last: 'Fair -maiden, only they who do what is fitting for their birth, age, and form -escape blame in this world. Why toilest thou thus, like perverse fate, -in so unmeet an employment, in that thou wastest in stern penance a -body tender as a garland? (556) The toil of penance is for those who -have enjoyed the pleasures of life and have lost its graces, but not -for one endowed with beauty. If thou turnest from the joys of earth, -in vain does Love bend his bow, or the moon rise. Moonlight and the -Malaya wind serve for naught.'" - -'"But I, caring for nothing since the loss of Pundarika, asked no -questions about him, (557) and bade Taralika keep him away, for some -evil would surely happen should he return. But in spite of being kept -away, whether from the fault of love or the destiny of suffering that -lay upon us, he did not give up his affection; and one night, while -Taralika slept, and I was thinking of Pundarika, (559) I beheld in the -moonlight, clear as day, that youth approaching like one possessed. The -utmost fear seized me at the sight. 'An evil thing,' I thought, -'has befallen me. If he draw near, and but touch me with his hand, -this accursed life must be destroyed; and then that endurance of it, -which I accepted in the hope of again beholding Pundarika, will have -been in vain.' While I thus thought he drew near, and said: 'Moon-faced -maiden, the moon, Love's ally, is striving to slay me. Therefore I -come to ask protection. Save me, who am without refuge, and cannot -help myself, for my life is devoted to thee. (560) It is the duty of -ascetics to protect those who flee to them for protection. If, then, -thou deign not to bestow thyself on me, the moon and love will slay -me.' At these words, in a voice choked by wrath, I exclaimed: 'Wretch, -how has a thunderbolt failed to strike thy head in the utterance of -these thy words? Surely the five elements that give witness of right -and wrong to mortals are lacking in thy frame, in that earth and air -and fire and the rest have not utterly destroyed thee. Thou hast learnt -to speak like a parrot, without thought of what was right or wrong -to say. Why wert thou not born as a parrot? (561) I lay on thee this -fate, that thou mayest enter on a birth suited to thine own speech, -and cease to make love to one such as I.' So saying, I turned towards -the moon, and with raised hands prayed: 'Blessed one, lord of all, -guardian of the world, if since the sight of Pundarika my heart has -been free from the thought of any other man, may this false lover by -the truth of this my saying, fall into the existence pronounced by -me.' Then straightway, I know not how, whether from the force of love, -or of his own sin, or from the power of my words, he fell lifeless, -like a tree torn up by the roots. And it was not till he was dead that -I learnt from his weeping attendants that he was thy friend, noble -prince." Having thus said, she bent her face in shame and silently -wept. But Candrapida, with fixed glance and broken voice, replied: -"Lady, thou hast done thine utmost, and yet I am too ill-fated to -have gained in this life the joy of honouring the feet of the lady -Kadambari. Mayest thou in another life create this bliss for me." (562) -With these words his tender heart broke, as if from grief at failing -to win Kadambari, like a bud ready to open when pierced by a bee. - -'Then Taralika burst into laments over his lifeless body and into -reproaches to Mahaveta. And as the chieftains, too, raised their cry -of grief and wonder, (564) there entered, with but few followers, -Kadambari herself, attired as to meet her lover, though a visit -to Mahaveta was the pretext of her coming, and while she leant on -Patralekha's hand, she expressed her doubts of the prince's promised -return, (565) and declared that if she again beheld him she would not -speak to him, nor be reconciled either by his humility or her friend's -endeavours. Such were her words; but she counted all the toil of -the journey light in her longing to behold him again. But when she -beheld him dead, with a sudden cry she fell to the ground. And when -she recovered from her swoon, she gazed at him with fixed eyes and -quivering mouth, like a creeper trembling under the blow of a keen -axe, and then stood still with a firmness foreign to her woman's -nature. (566) Madalekha implored her to give her grief the relief of -tears, lest her heart should break, and remember that on her rested the -hopes of two races. "Foolish girl," replied Kadambari, with a smile, -"how should my adamantine heart break if it has not broken at this -sight? These thoughts of family and friends are for one who wills to -live, not for me, who have chosen death; for I have won the body of -my beloved, which is life to me, and which, whether living or dead, -whether by an earthly union, or by my following it in death, suffices -to calm every grief. It is for my sake that my lord came hither and -lost his life; how, then, could I, by shedding tears, make light of -the great honour to which he has raised me? or how bring an ill-omened -mourning to his departure to heaven? or how weep at the joyous moment -when, like the dust of his feet, I may follow him? Now all sorrow is -far away. (567) For him I neglected all other ties; and now, when he is -dead, how canst thou ask me to live? In dying now lies my life, and to -live would be death to me. Do thou take my place with my parents and -my friends, and mayest thou be the mother of a son to offer libations -of water for me when I am in another world. Thou must wed the young -mango in the courtyard, dear to me as my own child, to the madhavi -creeper. Let not a twig of the aoka-tree that my feet have caressed be -broken, even to make an earring. Let the flowers of the malati creeper -I tended be plucked only to offer to the gods. Let the picture of Kama -in my room near my pillow be torn in pieces. The mango-trees I planted -must be tended so that they may come to fruit. (568) Set free from the -misery of their cage the maina Kalindi and the parrot Parihasa. Let -the little mongoose that rested in my lap now rest in thine. Let my -child, the fawn Taralaka, be given to a hermitage. Let the partridges -on the pleasure-hill that grew up in my hand be kept alive. See that -the hamsa that followed my steps be not killed. Let my poor ape be -set free, for she is unhappy in the house. Let the pleasure-hill be -given to some calm-souled hermit, and let the things I use myself be -given to Brahmans. My lute thou must lovingly keep in thine own lap, -and anything else that pleases thee must be thine own. But as for -me, I will cling to my lord's neck, and so on the funeral pyre allay -the fever which the moon, sandal, lotus-fibres, and all cool things -have but increased." (569) Then she embraced Mahaveta, saying: "Thou -indeed hast some hope whereby to endure life, even though its pains -be worse than death; but I have none, and so I bid thee farewell, -dear friend, till we meet in another birth." - -'As though she felt the joy of reunion, she honoured the feet of -Candrapida with bent head, and placed them in her lap. (570) At -her touch a strange bright light arose from Candrapida's body, and -straightway a voice was heard in the sky: "Dear Mahaveta, I will -again console thee. The body of thy Pundarika, nourished in my world -and by my light, free from death, awaits its reunion with thee. The -other body, that of Candrapida, is filled with my light, and so is -not subject to death, both from its own nature, and because it is -nourished by the touch of Kadambari; it has been deserted by the -soul by reason of a curse, like the body of a mystic whose spirit -has passed into another form. Let it rest here to console thee and -Kadambari till the curse be ended. Let it not be burnt, nor cast into -water, nor deserted. It must be kept with all care till its reunion." - -'All but Patralekha were astounded at this saying, and fixed their -gaze on the sky; but she, recovering, at the cool touch of that light, -from the swoon brought on by seeing the death of Candrapida, rose, -hastily seizing Indrayudha from his groom, saying: "However it may be -for us, thou must not for a moment leave thy master to go alone without -a steed on his long journey;" and plunged, together with Indrayudha, -into the Acchoda Lake. (571) Straightway there rose from the lake a -young ascetic, and approaching Mahaveta, said mournfully: "Princess -of the Gandharvas, knowest thou me, now that I have passed through -another birth?" Divided between joy and grief, she paid homage to -his feet, and replied: "Blessed Kapijala, am I so devoid of virtue -that I could forget thee? And yet this thought of me is natural, -since I am so strangely ignorant of myself and deluded by madness -that when my lord Pundarika is gone to heaven I yet live. (572) Tell -me of Pundarika." He then recalled how he had flown into the sky in -pursuit of the being who carried off Pundarika, and passing by the -wondering gods in their heavenly cars, he had reached the world of -the moon. "Then that being," he continued, "placed Pundarika's body -on a couch in the hall called Mahodaya, and said: 'Know me to be the -moon! (573) When I was rising to help the world I was cursed by thy -friend, because my beams were slaying him before he could meet his -beloved; and he prayed that I, too, might die in the land of Bharata, -the home of all sacred rites, knowing myself the pains of love. But I, -wrathful at being cursed for what was his own fault, uttered the curse -that he should endure the same lot of joy or sorrow as myself. When, -however, my anger passed away, I understood what had happened about -Mahaveta. Now, she is sprung from the race that had its origin in -my beams, and she chose him for her lord. Yet he and I must both -be born twice in the world of mortals, else the due order of births -will not be fulfilled. I have therefore carried the body hither, and -I nourish it with my light lest it should perish before the curse is -ended, and I have comforted Mahaveta. (574) Tell the whole matter to -Pundarika's father. His spiritual power is great, and he may find a -remedy.' And I, rushing away in grief, leapt off another rider in a -heavenly chariot, and in wrath he said to me: 'Since in the wide path -of heaven thou hast leapt over me like a horse in its wild course, -do thou become a horse, and descend into the world of mortals.' To -my tearful assurance that I had leapt over him in the blindness of -grief, and not from contempt, he replied: 'The curse, once uttered, -cannot be recalled. But when thy rider shall die, thou shalt bathe and -be freed from the curse.' Then I implored him that as my friend was -about to be born with the moon-god, in the world of mortals, I might, -as a horse, constantly dwell with him. (575) Softened by my affection, -he told me that the moon would be born as a son to King Tarapida -at Ujjayini, Pundarika would be the son of his minister, ukanasa, -and that I should be the prince's steed. Straightway I plunged into -the ocean, and rose as a horse, but yet lost not consciousness of the -past. I it was who purposely brought Candrapida hither in pursuit of -the kinnaras. And he who sought thee by reason of the love implanted -in a former birth, and was consumed by a curse in thine ignorance, -was my friend Pundarika come down to earth." - -'Then Mahaveta beat her breast with a bitter cry, saying: "Thou didst -keep thy love for me through another birth, Pundarika; I was all the -world to thee; and yet, like a demon, born for thy destruction even in -a fresh life, I have received length of years but to slay thee again -and again. (576) Even in thee, methinks, coldness must now have sprung -up towards one so ill-fated, in that thou answerest not my laments;" -and she flung herself on the ground. But Kapijala pityingly replied: -"Thou art blameless, princess, and joy is at hand. Grieve not, -therefore, but pursue the penance undertaken by thee; for to perfect -penance naught is impossible, and by the power of thine austerities -thou shalt soon be in the arms of my friend." - -'(577) Then Kadambari asked Kapijala what had become of Patralekha -when she plunged with him into the tank. But he knew naught of what -had happened since then, either to her, or his friend, or Candrapida, -and rose to the sky to ask the sage vetaketu, Pundarika's father, -to whom everything in the three worlds was visible. - -'(577-578) Then Mahaveta counselled Kadambari, whose love to her was -drawn the closer from the likeness of her sorrow, that she should -spend her life in ministering to the body of Candrapida, nothing -doubting that while others, to gain good, worshipped shapes of wood -and stone that were but images of invisible gods, she ought to worship -the present deity, veiled under the name of Candrapida. Laying his -body tenderly on a rock, Kadambari put off the adornments with which -she had come to meet her lover, keeping but one bracelet as a happy -omen. She bathed, put on two white robes, rubbed off the deep stain of -betel from her lips, (579) and the very flowers, incense, and unguents -she had brought to grace a happy love she now offered to Candrapida -in the worship due to a god. That day and night she spent motionless, -holding the feet of the prince, and on the morrow she joyfully saw -that his brightness was unchanged, (581) and gladdened her friends -and the prince's followers by the tidings. (582) The next day she sent -Madalekha to console her parents, and they sent back an assurance that -they had never thought to see her wed, and that now they rejoiced -that she had chosen for her husband the incarnation of the moon-god -himself. They hoped, when the curse was over, to behold again her -lotus-face in the company of their son-in-law. (583) So comforted, -Kadambari remained to tend and worship the prince's body. Now, when -the rainy season was over, Meghanada came to Kadambari, and told her -that messengers had been sent by Tarapida to ask the cause of the -prince's delay, (584) and that he, to spare her grief, had told them -the whole story, and bade them hasten to tell all to the king. They, -however, had replied that this might doubtless be so; yet, to say -nothing of their hereditary love for the prince, the desire to see so -great a marvel urged them to ask to be allowed to behold him; their -long service deserved the favour; and what would the king say if they -failed to see Candrapida's body? (585) Sorrowfully picturing to herself -what the grief of Tarapida would be, Kadambari admitted the messengers, -(586) and as they tearfully prostrated themselves, she consoled them, -saying that this was a cause for joy rather than sorrow. "Ye have seen -the prince's face, and his body free from change; therefore hasten to -the king's feet. Yet do not spread abroad this story, but say that ye -have seen the prince, and that he tarries by the Acchoda Lake. For -death must come to all, and is easily believed; but this event, -even when seen, can scarce win faith. It profits not now, therefore, -by telling this to his parents, to create in them a suspicion of -his death; but when he comes to life again, this wondrous tale will -become clear to them." (587) But they replied: "Then we must either not -return or keep silence. But neither course is possible; nor could we -so greet the sorrowing king." She therefore sent Candrapida's servant -Tvaritaka with them, to give credit to the story, for the prince's -royal retinue had all taken a vow to live there, eating only roots -and fruits, and not to return till the prince himself should do so. - -(589) 'After many days, Queen Vilasavati, in her deep longing for -news of her son, went to the temple of the Divine Mothers of Avanti, -[345] the guardian goddesses of Ujjayini, to pray for his return; and -on a sudden a cry arose from the retinue: "Thou art happy, O Queen! The -Mothers have shown favour to thee! Messengers from the prince are at -hand." Then she saw the messengers, with the city-folk crowding round -them, asking news of the prince, or of sons, brothers, and other -kinsfolk among his followers, (591) but receiving no answers. She -sent for them to the temple court, and cried: "Tell me quickly of my -son. (592) Have ye seen him?" And they, striving to hide their grief, -replied: "O Queen, he has been seen by us on the shore of the Acchoda -Lake, and Tvaritaka will tell thee the rest." "What more," said she, -"can this unhappy man tell me? For your own sorrowful bearing has -told the tale. Alas, my child! Wherefore hast thou not returned? When -thou didst bid me farewell, I knew by my forebodings that I should not -behold thy face again. (593) This all comes from the evil deeds of my -former birth. Yet think not, my son, that I will live without thee, -for how could I thus even face thy father? And yet, whether it be -from love, or from the thought that one so fair must needs live, or -from the native simplicity of a woman's mind, my heart cannot believe -that ill has befallen thee." (594) Meanwhile, the news was told to -the king, and he hastened to the temple with ukanasa, and tried to -rouse the queen from the stupor of grief, saying: (595) "My queen, -we dishonour ourselves by this show of grief. Our good deeds in a -former life have carried us thus far. We are not the vessel of further -joys. That which we have not earned is not won at will by beating -the breast. The Creator does what He wills, and depends on none. We -have had the joy of our son's babyhood and boyhood and youth. We have -crowned him, and greeted his return from his world conquest. (596) -All that is lacking to our wishes is that we have not seen him wed, -so that we might leave him in our place, and retire to a hermitage. But -to gain every desire is the fruit of very rare merit. We must, however, -question Tvaritaka, for we know not all yet." (597) But when he heard -from Tvaritaka how the prince's heart had broken, he interrupted him, -and cried that a funeral pyre should be prepared for himself near the -shrine of Mahakala. (598) All his treasure was to be given to Brahmans, -and the kings who followed him were to return to their own lands. Then -Tvaritaka implored him to hear the rest of the story of Vaiampayana, -and his grief was followed by wonder; while ukanasa, showing the -desire of a true friend to forget his own grief and offer consolation, -said: (599) "Sire, in this wondrous transitory existence, wherein -wander gods, demons, animals and men, filled with joy and grief, -there is no event which is not possible. Why then doubt concerning -this? If from a search for reason, how many things rest only on -tradition, and are yet seen to be true? As the use of meditation -or certain postures to cure a poisoned man, the attraction of the -loadstone, the efficacy of mantras, Vedic or otherwise, in actions -of all kinds, wherein sacred tradition is our authority. (600) Now -there are many stories of curses in the Puranas, the Ramayana, the -Mahabharata, and the rest. For it was owing to a curse that Nahusha -[346] became a serpent, Saudasa [347] a cannibal, Yayati decrepit, -Triamku [348] a Candala, the heaven-dwelling Mahabhisha was born -as antanu, while Ganga became his wife, and the Vasus, [349] his -sons. Nay, even the Supreme God, Vishnu, was born as Yamadagni's son, -and, dividing himself into four, he was born to Daaratha, and also -to Vasudeva at Mathura. Therefore the birth of gods among mortals -is not hard of belief. And thou, sire, art not behind the men of -old in virtue, nor is the moon greater than the god from whom the -lotus springs. Our dreams at our sons' birth confirm the tale; the -nectar that dwells in the moon preserves the prince's body, (601) -and his beauty that gladdens the world must be destined to dwell in -the world. We shall therefore soon see his marriage with Kadambari, -and therein find all the past troubles of life more than repaid. Do -then thine utmost by worshipping gods, giving gifts to Brahmans, -and practising austerities, to secure this blessing." (602-604) The -king assented, but expressed his resolve to go himself to behold the -prince, and he and the queen, together with ukanasa and his wife, -went to the lake. (605) Comforted by the assurance of Meghanada, who -came to meet him, that the prince's body daily grew in brightness, -he entered the hermitage; (606) while, at the news of his coming, -Mahaveta fled in shame within the cave, and Kadambari swooned. And -as he looked on his son, who seemed but to sleep, the queen rushed -forward, and with fond reproaches entreated Candrapida to speak -to them. (608) But the king reminded her that it was her part to -comfort ukanasa and his wife. "She also, to whom we shall owe the -joy of again beholding our son alive, even the Gandharva princess, -is yet in a swoon; do thou take her in thine arms, and bring her -back to consciousness." Then she tenderly touched Kadambari, saying -"Be comforted, my mother, [350] for without thee, who could have -preserved the body of my son Candrapida? Surely thou must be wholly -made of amrita, that we are again able to behold his face." (609) At -the name of Candrapida and the touch of the queen, so like his own, -Kadambari recovered her senses, and was helped by Madalekha to pay -due honour, though with face bent in shame, to his parents. She -received their blessing--"Mayest thou live long, and long enjoy an -unwidowed life"--and was set close behind Vilasavati. The king then -bade her resume her care of the prince, and took up his abode in -a leafy bower near the hermitage, provided with a cool stone slab, -and meet for a hermit, (610) and told his royal retinue that he would -now carry out his long-cherished desire of an ascetic life, and that -they must protect his subjects. "It is surely a gain if I hand over -my place to one worthy of it, and by this enfeebled and useless body -of mine win the joys of another world." - -'So saying, he gave up all his wonted joys, and betook himself to -the unwonted life in the woods; he found a palace beneath the trees; -the delights of the zenana, in the creepers; the affection of friends, -in the fawns; the pleasure of attire, in rags and bark garments. (611) -His weapons were rosaries; his ambition was for another world; his -desire for wealth was in penance. He refused all the delicacies that -Kadambari and Mahaveta offered him, and so dwelt with his queen and -ukanasa, counting all pains light, so that every morning and evening -he might have the joy of seeing Candrapida.' - -Having told this tale, [351] the sage Jabali said with a scornful -smile to his son Harita and the other ascetics: 'Ye have seen how this -story has had power to hold us long, and to charm our hearts. And this -is the love-stricken being who by his own fault fell from heaven, -and became on earth Vaiampayana, son of ukanasa. He it is who, -by the curse of his own wrathful father, and by Mahaveta's appeal -to the truth of her heart, has been born as a parrot.' (612) As he -thus spoke, I awoke, as it were, out of sleep, and, young as I was, -I had on the tip of my tongue all the knowledge gained in a former -birth; I became skilled in all arts; I had a clear human voice, -memory, and all but the shape of a man. My affection for the prince, -my uncontrolled passion, my devotion to Mahaveta, all returned. A -yearning arose in me to know about them and my other friends, and -though in deepest shame, I faintly asked Jabali: 'Now, blessed saint, -that thou hast brought back my knowledge, my heart breaks for the -prince who died in grief for my death. (613) Vouchsafe to tell me -of him, so that I may be near him; even my birth as an animal will -not grieve me.' With mingled scorn and pity he replied: 'Wilt thou -not even now restrain thine old impatience? Ask, when thy wings are -grown.' Then to his son's inquiry how one of saintly race should be -so enslaved by love, he replied that this weak and unrestrained nature -belonged to those born, like me, from a mother only. For the Veda says, -'As a man's parents are, so is he,' (614) and medical science, too, -declares their weakness. And he said my life now would be but short, -but that when the curse was over, I should win length of years. I -humbly asked by what sacrifices I should gain a longer life, but he -bade me wait, and as the whole night had passed unobserved in his -story, (615) he sent the ascetics to offer the morning oblation, while -Harita took me, and placed me in his own hut near his couch, and went -to his morning duties. (616) During his absence, I sorrowfully thought -how hard it would be to rise from being a bird to being a Brahman, -not to say a saint, who has the bliss of heaven. Yet if I could not -be united to those I loved in past lives why should I yet live? But -Harita then returned, and told me that Kapijala was there. (617-618) -When I saw him weary, yet loving as ever, I strove to fly to him, and -he, lifting me up, placed me in his bosom, and then on his head. (619) -Then he told me, 'Thy father vetaketu knew by divine insight of -thy plight, and has begun a rite to help thee. As he began it I was -set free from my horse's shape; (620) but he kept me till Jabali had -recalled the past to thee, and now sends me to give thee his blessing, -and say that thy mother Lakshmi is also helping in the rite.' (621) -Then, bidding me stay in the hermitage, he rose to the sky, to take -part in the rite. (622) After some days, however, my wings were grown, -and I resolved to fly to Mahaveta, so I set off towards the north; -(623) but weariness soon overtook me, and I went to sleep in a tree, -only to wake in the snare of a terrible Candala. (624) I besought -him to free me, for I was on the way to my beloved, but he said he -had captured me for the young Candala princess, who had heard of -my gifts. With horror I heard that I, the son of Lakshmi and of a -great saint, must dwell with a tribe shunned even by barbarians; -(625) but when I urged that he could set me free without danger, -for none would see him, he laughed, and replied: 'He, for whom there -exist not the five guardians of the world, [352] witnesses of right -and wrong, dwelling within his own body to behold his actions, will -not do his duty for fear of any other being.' (626) So he carried me -off, and as I looked out in hope of getting free from him, I beheld -the barbarian settlement, a very market-place of evil deeds. It was -surrounded on all sides by boys engaged in the chase, unleashing their -hounds, teaching their falcons, mending snares, carrying weapons, and -fishing, horrible in their attire, like demoniacs. Here and there the -entrance to their dwellings, hidden by thick bamboo forests, was to -be inferred, from the rising of smoke of orpiment. On all sides the -enclosures were made with skulls; (627) the dustheaps in the roads -were filled with bones; the yards of the huts were miry with blood, -fat, and meat chopped up. The life there consisted of hunting; the -food, of flesh; the ointment, of fat; the garments, of coarse silk; -the couches, of dried skins; the household attendants, of dogs; the -animals for riding, of cows; the men's employment, of wine and women; -the oblation to the gods, of blood; the sacrifice, of cattle. The -place was the image of all hells. (628) Then the man brought me to -the Candala maiden, who received me gladly, and placed me in a cage, -saying: 'I will take from thee all thy wilfulness.' What was I to -do? Were I to pray her to release me, it was my power of speech that -had made her desire me; were I silent, anger might make her cruel; -(629) still, it was my want of self-restraint that had caused all my -misery, and so I resolved to restrain all my senses, and I therefore -kept entire silence and refused all food. - -Next day, however, the maiden brought fruits and water, and when I -did not touch them she said tenderly: 'It is unnatural for birds and -beasts to refuse food when hungry. If thou, mindful of a former birth, -makest distinction of what may or may not be eaten, yet thou art now -born as an animal, and canst keep no such distinction. (630) There is -no sin in acting in accordance with the state to which thy past deeds -have brought thee. Nay, even for those who have a law concerning food, -it is lawful, in a time of distress, to eat food not meet for them, -in order to preserve life. Much more, then, for thee. Nor needst thou -fear this food as coming from our caste; for fruit may be accepted -even from us; and water, even from our vessels, is pure, so men say, -when it falls on the ground.' I, wondering at her wisdom, partook of -food, but still kept silence. - -'After some time, when I had grown up, I woke one day to find myself -in this golden cage, and beheld the Candala maiden as thou, O king, -hast seen her. (631) The whole barbarian settlement shewed like -a city of the gods, and before I could ask what it all meant, the -maiden brought me to thy feet. But who she is and why she has become a -Candala, and why I am bound or brought hither, I am as eager as thou, -O king, to learn.' - -Thereupon the king, in great amazement, sent for the maiden, and she, -entering, overawed the king with her majesty, and said with dignity: -'Thou gem of earth, lord of Rohini, joy of Kadambari's eyes--thou, O -moon, hast heard the story of thy past birth, and that of this foolish -being. Thou knowest from him how even in this birth he disregarded his -father's command, and set off to seek his bride. Now I am Lakshmi, -his mother, and his father, seeing by divine insight that he had -started, bade me keep him in safety till the religious rite for him was -completed, and lead him to repentance. (632) The rite is now over. The -end of the curse is at hand. I brought him to thee that thou mightest -rejoice with him thereat. I became a Candala to avoid contact with -mankind. Do ye both therefore, straightway leave bodies beset with the -ills of birth, old age, pain, and death, and win the joy of union with -your beloved.' So saying, she suddenly rose to the sky, followed by -the gaze of all the people, while the firmament rang with her tinkling -anklets. The king, at her words, remembered his former birth and said: -'Dear Pundarika, now called Vaiampayana, happy is it that the curse -comes to an end at the same moment for us both'; but while he spoke, -Love drew his bow, taking Kadambari as his best weapon, and entered -into the king's heart to destroy his life. (635) The flame of love -wholly consumed him, and from longing for Mahaveta, Vaiampayana, -who was in truth Pundarika, endured the same sufferings as the king. - -Now at this time there set in the fragrant season of spring, as if to -burn him utterly, (636) and while it intoxicated all living beings, -it was used by Love as his strongest shaft to bewilder the heart of -Kadambari. On Kama's festival she passed the day with great difficulty, -and at twilight, when the quarters were growing dark, she bathed, -worshipped Kama, and placed before him the body of Candrapida, washed, -anointed with musk-scented sandal, and decked with flowers. (637) -Filled with a deep longing, she drew nigh, as if unconsciously and -suddenly, bereft by love of a woman's native timidity, she could -no longer restrain herself, and clasped Candrapida's neck as though -he were yet alive. At her ambrosial embrace the prince's life came -back to him, and, clasping her closely, like one awakened from sleep -(638), he gladdened her by saying: 'Timid one, away with fear! Thine -embrace hath brought me to life; for thou art born of the Apsaras race -sprung from nectar, and it was but the curse that prevented thy touch -from reviving me before. I have now left the mortal shape of udraka, -that caused the pain of separation from thee; but this body I kept, -because it won thy love. Now both this world and the moon are bound -to thy feet. Vaiampayana, too, the beloved of thy friend Mahaveta, -has been freed from the curse with me.' While the moon, hidden -in the shape of Candrapida, thus spoke, Pundarika descended from -the sky, pale, wearing still the row of pearls given by Mahaveta, -and holding the hand of Kapijala. (639) Gladly Kadambari hastened -to tell Mahaveta of her lover's return, while Candrapida said: -'Dear Pundarika, though in an earlier birth thou wast my son-in-law, -[353] thou must now be my friend, as in our last birth.' Meanwhile, -Keyuraka set off to Hemakuta to tell Hamsa and Citraratha, and -Madalekha fell at the feet of Tarapida, who was absorbed in prayer -to iva, Vanquisher of Death, and Vilasavati, and told them the -glad tidings. (640) Then the aged king came, leaning on ukanasa, -with the queen and Manorama, and great was the joy of all. Kapijala -too brought a message to ukanasa from vetakatu, saying: 'Pundarika -was but brought up by me; but he is thy son, and loves thee; do thou -therefore keep him from ill, and care for him as thine own. (641) I -have placed in him my own life, and he will live as long as the moon; -so that my desires are fulfilled. The divine spirit of life in me now -yearns to reach a region surpassing the world of gods.' That night -passed in talk of their former birth; and next day the two Gandharva -kings came with their queens, and the festivities were increased a -thousandfold. Citraratha, however, said: 'Why, when we have palaces of -our own, do we feast in the forest? Moreover, though marriage resting -only on mutual love is lawful among us, [354] yet let us follow the -custom of the world.' 'Nay,' replied Tarapida. 'Where a man hath -known his greatest happiness, there is his home, even if it be the -forest.1 (642) And where else have I known such joy as here? [355] -All my palaces, too, have been given over to thy son-in-law; take -my son, therefore, with his bride, and taste the joys of home.' Then -Citraratha went with Candrapida to Hemakuta, and offered him his whole -kingdom with the hand of Kadambari. Hamsa did the same to Pundarika; -but both refused to accept anything, for their longings were satisfied -with winning the brides dear to their hearts. - -Now, one day Kadambari, though her joy was complete, asked her husband -with tears: 'How is it that when we all have died and come to life, -and have been united with each other, Patralekha alone is not here, -nor do we know what has become of her?' 'How could she be here, my -beloved?' replied the prince tenderly. 'For she is my wife Rohini, -and, when she heard I was cursed, grieving for my grief, she refused -to leave me alone in the world of mortals, and though I sought to -dissuade her, she accepted birth in that world even before me, that -she might wait upon me. (643) When I entered on another birth, she -again wished to descend to earth; but I sent her back to the world -of the moon. There thou wilt again behold her.' But Kadambari, in -wonder at Rohini's nobility, tenderness, loftiness of soul, devotion, -and charm, was abashed, and could not utter a word. - -The ten nights that Candrapida spent at Hemakuta passed as swiftly -as one day; and then, dismissed by Citraratha and Madira, who were -wholly content with him, he approached the feet of his father. There he -bestowed on the chieftains who had shared his sufferings a condition -like his own, and laying on Pundarika the burden of government, -followed the steps of his parents, who had given up all earthly -duties. Sometimes from love of his native land, he would dwell in -Ujjayini, where the citizens gazed at him with wide, wondering eyes; -sometimes, from respect to the Gandharva king, at Hemakuta, beautiful -beyond compare; sometimes, from reverence to Rohini, in the world -of the moon, where every place was charming from the coolness and -fragrance of nectar; sometimes, from love to Pundarika, by the lake -where Lakshmi dwelt, on which the lotuses ever blossomed night and day, -and often, to please Kadambari, in many another fair spot. - -With Kadambari he enjoyed many a pleasure, to which the yearning of -two births gave an ever fresh [356] and inexhaustible delight. Nor -did the Moon rejoice alone with Kadambari, nor she with Mahaveta, -but Mahaveta with Pundarika, and Pundarika with the Moon, all spent -an eternity of joy in each other's company, and reached the very -pinnacle of happiness. - - - - - - - -APPENDIX. - - -DESCRIPTION OF UJJAYINI. - - -(102) There is a town by name Ujjayini, the proudest gem of the -three worlds, the very birthplace of the golden age, created by the -blessed Mahakala, [357] Lord of Pramathas, [358] Creator, Preserver -and Destroyer of the Universe, as a habitation meet for himself, like -a second earth. It is encompassed by a moat deep as hell--as by the -ocean, mistaking it for another earth--and surrounded by fenced walls, -white with plaster, like Kailasa, with its many points showing clear -against the sky, through joy at being the dwelling of iva. - -It is adorned with large bazaars, like the oceans when their waters -were drunk by Agastya, stretching far, with gold-dust for sand, -with conch and oyster pearls, coral and emeralds laid bare. The -painted halls that deck it are filled with gods, demons, Siddhas, -[359] Gandharvas, genii, and snakes, (103) and show like a row of -heavenly chariots come down from the sky to behold fair women at -ceaseless festivals. Its crossways shine with temples like Mandara -whitened by the milk raised up by the churning stick, with spotless -golden vases for peaks, and white banners stirred by the breeze -like the peaks of Himalaya with the heavenly Ganges falling on -them. Commons gray with ketaki pollen, dark with green gardens, -watered by buckets constantly at work, and having wells adorned with -brick seats, lend their charm. Its groves are darkened by bees vocal -with honey draughts, its breeze laden with the sweetness of creeper -flowers, all trembling. It pays open honour to Kama, with banners -marked with the fish on the house-poles, with bells ringing merrily, -with crimson pennons of silk, and red cowries steady, made of coral, -standing upright in every house. Its sin is washed away by the -perpetual recitation of sacred books. (104) It resounds with the cry -of the peacocks, intent on a wild dance with their tails outspread -from excitement in the bathing-houses, wherein is the steady, deep -sound of the drums, and a storm caused by the heavy showers of spray, -and beautiful rainbows made by the sunbeams cast upon it. It glitters -with lakes, fair with open blue water-lilies, with their centre white -as unclosed moon-lotuses, beautiful in their unwavering gaze, [360] -like the thousand eyes of Indra. It is whitened with ivory turrets on -all sides, endowed with plantain groves, white as flecks of ambrosial -foam. It is girt with the river Sipra, which seems to purify the sky, -with its waves forming a ceaseless frown, as though jealously beholding -the river of heaven on the head of iva, while its waters sway over -the rounded forms of the Malavis, wild with the sweetness of youth. - -The light-hearted race that dwell there, like the moon on the locks -of iva, spread their glory [361] through all the earth, and have -their horn filled with plenty; [362] like Mainaka, they have known no -pakshapata; [363] like the stream of the heavenly Ganges, with its -golden lotuses, their heaps of gold and rubies [364] shine forth; -like the law-books, they order the making of water-works, bridges, -temples, pleasure-grounds, wells, hostels for novices, wayside sheds -for watering cattle, and halls of assembly; like Mandara, they have -the best treasures of ocean drawn up for them; though they have charms -against poison, [365] yet they fear snakes; [366] though they live -on the wicked, [367] they give their best to the good; though bold, -they are very courteous; though pleasant of speech, they are truthful; -though handsome, [368] content with their wives; though they invite -the entrance of guests, they know not how to ask a boon; though they -seek love and wealth, they are strictly just; though virtuous, they -fear another world. [369] They are connoisseurs in all arts, pleasant -[370] and intelligent. They talk merrily, are charming in their humour, -spotless in their attire, (106) skilled in foreign languages, clever -at subtleties of speech, [371] versed in stories of all kinds, [372] -accomplished in letters, having a keen delight in the Mahabharata, -Puranas, and Ramayana, familiar with the Brihatkatha, masters of the -whole circle of arts, especially gambling, lovers of the astras, -devoted to light literature, calm as a fragrant spring breeze, -constantly going to the south; [373] upright, [374] like the wood of -Himalaya; skilled in the worship of Rama, [375] like Lakshmana; open -lovers of Bharata, like atrughna; [376] like the day, following the -sun; [377] like a Buddhist, bold in saying 'Yes' about all kinds of -gifts; [378] like the doctrine of the Samkhya philosophy, possessed -of noble men; [379] like Jinadharma, pitiful to life. - -The city seems possessed of rocks, with its palaces; it stretches like -a suburb with its long houses; it is like the tree that grants desires -with its good citizens; it bears in its painted halls the mirror of -all forms. Like twilight, it shines with the redness of rubies; [380] -(107) like the form of the Lord of Heaven, it is purified with the -smoke of a hundred sacrifices; like the wild dance of iva, it has -the smiles, which are its white markets; [381] like an old woman, it -has its beauty worn; [382] like the form of Garuda, it is pleasing -in being the resting-place of Vishnu; [383] like the hour of dawn, -it has its people all alert; like the home of a mountaineer, it has -palaces in which ivory cowries [384] are hanging; like the form of -esha, [385] it always bears the world; like the hour of churning -the ocean, it fills the end of the earth with its hubbub; [386] -like the rite of inauguration, it has a thousand gold pitchers [387] -at hand; like Gauri, it has a form fit to sit on the lion-throne; -like Aditi, honoured in a hundred houses of the gods; like the -sports of Mahavaraha, showing the casting down of Hiranyaksha; -[388] like Kadru, it is a joy to the race of reptiles; [389] like -the Harivama, it is charming with the games of many children. [390] -(108) Though its courts are open to all, its glory is uninjured; -[391] though it glows with colour, [392] it is white as nectar; -though it is hung with strings of pearls, yet when unadorned [393] -it is adorned the most; though composed of many elements, [394] it is -yet stable, and it surpasses in splendour the world of the immortals. - -There the sun is daily seen paying homage to Mahakala, for his steeds -vail their heads at the charm of the sweet chant of the women singing -in concert in the lofty white palaces, and his pennon droops before -him. There his rays fall on the vermeil floors like the crimson of -eve; and on the emerald seats, as though busy in creating lotus beds; -on the lapis-lazuli, as though scattered on the sky; on the circling -aloe smoke, as though eager to break its dense gloom; on the wreaths -of pearl, as though disdaining the clusters of stars; (109) on the -women's faces, as though kissing unfolding lotuses; on the splendour of -crystal walls, as though falling amid the pale moonlight of morning; -on the white silken banners, as though hanging on the waves of the -heavenly Ganges; on the sun-gems, as though blossoming from them; -on the sapphire lattices, as though entering the jaws of Rahu. There -darkness never falls, and the nights bring no separation to the pairs -of cakravakas; nor need they any lamps, for they pass golden as with -morning sunshine, from the bright jewels of women, as though the world -were on fire with the flame of love. There, though iva is at hand, -the cry of the hamsas in the houses, arising sweet and ceaseless, -at the kindling of love, fills the city with music, like the mourning -of Rati for the burning of the God of Love. There the palaces stretch -forth their flags, whose silken fringes gleam and flutter at night -in the wind, like arms to remove the mark of the moon put to shame -by the fair lotus-faced Malavis. (110) There the moon, deer-marked, -moves, in the guise of his reflection, on the jewel pavement, cool -with the sprinkling of much sandal-water, as though he had fallen -captive to Love at the sight of the faces of the fair city dames -resting on the palace roofs. There the auspicious songs of dawn -raised by the company of caged parrots and starlings, though they -sing their shrillest, as they wake at night's close, are drowned and -rendered vain by the tinkling of women's ornaments, reaching far, -and outvying the ambrosial voices of the tame cranes. [395] (111) -There dwells iva, who has pierced the demon Andhaka with his sharp -trident, who has a piece of the moon on his brow polished by the -points of Gauri's anklets, whose cosmetic is the dust of Tripura, -and whose feet are honoured by many bracelets fallen from Rati's -outstretched arms as she pacifies him when bereft of Kama. - - - -DESCRIPTION OF TARAPIDA. [396] - -(112) Like hell, he was the refuge of the lords of earth, [397] -fearing when their soaring pride was shorn; [398] like the stars, he -was followed by the wise men; [399] like Love, he destroyed strife; -[400] like Daaratha, he had good friends; [401] (113) like iva, -he was followed by a mighty host; [402] like esha, he had the weight -of the earth upon him; [403] like the stream of Narmada, his descent -was from a noble tree. [404] He was the incarnation of Justice, the -very representative of Vishnu, the destroyer of all the sorrows of -his people. He re-established justice, which had been shaken to its -foundations by the Kali Age, set on iniquity, and mantled in gloom -by the spread of darkness, just as iva re-established Kailasa when -carried off by Ravana. He was honoured by the world as a second Kama, -created by iva when his heart was softened by the lamentations -of Rati. - -(113-115) Before him bowed conquered kings with eyes whose pupils were -tremulous and quivering from fear, with the bands of the wreaths on -their crest ornaments caught by the rays of his feet, and with the line -of their heads broken by the lotus-buds held up in adoration. They -came from the Mount of Sunrise, [405] which has its girdle washed -by the ocean waves, where the flowers on the trees of its slopes are -doubled by stars wandering among the leaves, where the sandal-wood is -wet with the drops of ambrosia that fall from the moon as it rises, -where the clove-trees [406] blossom when pierced by the hoofs of -the horses of the sun's chariot, where the leaves and shoots of the -olibanum-trees are cut by the trunk of the elephant Airavata; (114) -from Setubandha, built with a thousand mountains seized by the hand -of Nala, [407] where the fruit on the lavali-trees is carried off by -monkeys, where the feet of Rama are worshipped by the water-deities -coming up from the sea, and where the rock is starred with pieces -of shell broken by the fall of the mountain; from Mandara, where the -stars are washed by the waters of pure waterfalls, where the stones are -polished by the rubbing of the edge of the fish ornament of Krishna -rising at the churning of ambrosia, where the slopes are torn by the -weight of the feet moving in the effort of drawing hither and thither -Vasuki coiled in the struggles of Gods and demons, where the peaks are -sprinkled with ambrosial spray; from Gandhamadana, beautiful with the -hermitage of Badarika marked with the footprints of Nara and Narayana, -where the peaks are resonant with the tinkling of the ornaments of -the fair dames of Kuvera's city, where the water of the streams is -purified by the evening worship of the Seven Rishis, and where the -land around is perfumed by the fragments of lotuses torn up by Bhima. - - - -CANDRAPIDA'S ENTRY INTO THE PALACE. - -(188) Preceded by groups of chamberlains, hastening up and bowing, -he received the respectful homage of the kings, who had already taken -their position there, who came forward on all sides, who had the ground -kissed by the rays of the crest-jewels loosened from their crests and -thrown afar, and who were introduced one by one by the chamberlains; -at every step he had auspicious words for his dismounting uttered by -old women of the zenana, who had come out from inside, and were skilled -in old customs; having passed through the seven inner courts crowded -with thousands of different living beings, as if they were different -worlds, he beheld his father. The king was stationed within, surrounded -by a body-guard whose hands were stained black by ceaseless grasping of -weapons, who had their bodies, with the exception of hands, feet, and -eyes, covered with dark iron coats of mail, (189) like elephant-posts -covered with swarms of bees ceaselessly attracted by desire of the -scent of ichor, hereditary in their office, of noble birth, faithful; -whose heroism might be inferred from their character and gestures, -and who in their energy and fierceness were like demons. On either -side he had white cowries ceaselessly waved by his women; and he -sat on a couch white as a wild goose, and bright as a fair island, -as if he were the heavenly elephant on the water of Ganges. - - - -VILASAVATI'S ATTENDANTS. - -(190) Approaching his mother, he saluted her. She was surrounded by -countless zenana attendants in white jackets, like ri with the waves -of milk, and was having her time wiled away by elderly ascetic women, -very calm in aspect, wearing tawny robes, like twilight in its clouds, -worthy of honour from all the world, with the lobes of their ears long, -knowing many stories, relating holy tales of old, reciting legends, -holding books, and giving instructions about righteousness. (191) -She was attended by eunuchs using the speech and dress of women, and -wearing strange decorations; she had a mass of cowries constantly waved -around her, and was waited upon by a bevy of women seated around her, -bearing clothes, jewels, flowers, perfumes, betel, fans, unguents, -and golden jars; she had strings of pearls resting on her bosom, as -the earth has the stream of Ganges flowing in the midst of mountains, -and the reflection of her face fell on a mirror close by, like the -sky when the moon's orb has entered into the sun. - - - -UKANASA'S PALACE. - -(192) He reached ukanasa's gate, which was crowded with a troop of -elephants appointed for the watch, obstructed by thousands of horses, -(193) confused with the hustling of countless multitudes, visited -day and night by Brahmans, aivas, and red-robed men skilled in -the teaching of akyamuni, clothed as it were in the garments of -righteousness, sitting on one side by thousands, forming circles, -coming for various purposes, eager to see ukanasa, having their -eyes opened by the ointment of their several astras, and showing -their respectful devotion by an appearance of humility. The gateway -was filled with a hundred thousand she-elephants of the tributary -kings who had entered the palace with double blankets drawn round -the mahouts who sat on their shoulders, having their mahouts asleep -from weariness of their long waiting, some saddled and some not, -nodding their heads from their long standing motionless. The prince -dismounted in the outer court, as though he were in a royal palace, -though not stopped by the guards standing in the entrance and running -up in haste; and having left his horse at the entrance, leaning on -Vaiampayana, and having his way shown by circles of gatekeepers, -who hastened up, pushing away the bystanders, he received the salutes -of bands of chiefs who arose with waving crests to do him homage, -and beheld the inner courts with all the attendants mute in fear -of the scolding of cross porters, and having the ground shaken by -hundreds of feet of the retinues of neighbouring kings frightened by -the moving wands, (194) and finally entered the palace of ukanasa, -bright inside with fresh plaster, as if it were a second royal court. - - - -DESCRIPTION OF NIGHT. - -(196) The brightness of day approached the west, following the path -of the sun's chariot-wheels, like a stream of water. Day wiped away -all the glow of the lotuses with the sun's orb hastening downwards -like a hand roseate as fresh shoots. The pairs of cakravakas, whose -necks were hidden in swarms of bees approaching from familiarity -with the scent of lotuses, were separated as if drawn by the noose -of destiny. The sun's orb poured forth, under the guise of a rosy -glow, the lotus honey-draught, as it were, drunk in with its rays -till the end of day, as if in weariness of its path through the -heavens. And when in turn the blessed sun approached another world, -and was a very red lotus-earring of the West, when twilight shone -forth with its lotus-beds opening into the lake of heaven, (197) -when in the quarters of space lines of darkness showed clear like -decorations of black aloes; when the glow of eve was driven out by -darkness like a band of red lotuses by blue lotuses dark with bees; -when bees slowly entered the hearts of red lotuses, as if they were -shoots of darkness, to uproot the sunshine drunk in by the lotus-beds; -when the evening glow had melted away, like the garland round the face -of the Lady of night; when the oblations in honour of the goddess of -twilight were cast abroad in all quarters; when the peacock's poles -seemed tenanted by peacocks, by reason of the darkness gathered round -their summits, though no peacocks were there; when the doves, very -ear-lotuses of the Lakshmi of palaces, were roosting in the holes of -the lattices; when the swings of the zenana had their bells dumb, -and their gold seats motionless and bearing no fair dames; when -the bands of parrots and mainas ceased chattering, and had their -cages hung up on the branches of the palace mango-trees; when the -lutes were banished, and their sound at rest in the ceasing of the -concert; when the tame geese were quiet as the sound of the maidens' -anklets was stilled; (198) when the wild elephants had the clefts of -their cheeks free from bees, and their ornaments of pearls, cowries, -and shells taken away; when the lights were kindled in the stables -of the king's favourite steeds; when the troops of elephants for the -first watch were entering; when the family priests, having given their -blessing, were departing; when the jewelled pavements, emptied almost -of attendants on the dismissal of the king's suite, spread out wide, -kissed by the reflection of a thousand lights shining in the inner -apartments, like offerings of golden campak-blossoms; when the palace -tanks, with the splendours of the lamps falling on them, seemed as if -the fresh sunlight had approached to soothe the lotus-beds grieved by -separation from the sun; when the caged lions were heavy with sleep; -and when Love had entered the zenana like a watchman, with arrows in -hand and bow strung; when the words of Love's messenger were uttered -in the ear, bright in tone as the blossoms in a garland; when the -hearts of froward dames, widowed by grief, were smouldering in the -fire transmitted to them from the sun-crystals; and when evening had -closed in, Candrapida ... went to the king's palace.... - - - -THE REGION OF KAILASA. - -(243) The red arsenic-dust scattered by the elephants' tusks crimsoned -the earth. The clefts of the rock were festooned with shoots of -creepers, now separating and now uniting, hanging in twists, twining -like leafage; the stones were wet with the ceaseless dripping of -gum-trees; the boulders were slippery with the bitumen that oozed from -the rocks. The slope was dusty with fragments of yellow orpiment broken -by the mountain horses' hoofs; powdered with gold scattered from the -holes dug out by the claws of rats; lined by the hoofs of musk-deer -and yaks sunk in the sand and covered with the hair of rallakas and -rankus fallen about; filled with pairs of partridges resting on the -broken pieces of rock; with the mouths of its caves inhabited by pairs -of orang-outangs; with the sweet scent of sulphur, and with bamboos -that had grown to the length of wands of office. - - - -PASSAGES PRINTED IN THE APPENDIX. [408] - - - 102, 1--110, 6 - 111, 1-4 - 112, 6--115, 1 - 188, 4--189, 5 - 190, 6--191, 5 - 192, 11--194, 2 - 196, 4--199, 1 - 243, 4-10 - - - -PASSAGES CONDENSED OR OMITTED. [409] - - - 11, 7--15, 2 - *31, 10--34, 2 - 46, 7--48, 4 - 81, 3-10 - 83, 1-8 - 85, 3--89, 4 - 119, 3--124, 3 - 137, 7--138, 3 - 141, 6--155, 5 - 162, 8--164, 8 - 176, 6--188, 4 - *199, 5--200, 9 - 203, 2--204, 2 - *227, 4--234, 6 - 242, 6-10 - *245, 4--248, 3 - 250, 3-8 - *252, 7--256, 5 - 262, 1--266, 3 - 276, 9--277, 8 - 285, 2-4 - *346, 7--348, 7 - 353, 6--355, 9 - 357, 1-10 - 359, 12--365, 2 - 369, 2-8 - *383, 6--384,9 - 388, 5--390, 4 - 403, 6--410, 3 - 417, 1--426, 3 - - - - - - - -NOTES - - -[1] It is needless to give here more than the few facts essential -for the understanding of 'Kadambari,' for the life and times of Bana -will probably be treated of in the translation of the 'Harsha-Carita' -by Professor Cowell and Mr. Thomas in this series; and Professor -Peterson's Introduction to his edition of 'Kadambari' (Bombay Sanskrit -Series, 1889) deals fully with Bana's place in literature. The facts -here given are, for the most part, taken from the latter work. - -[2] E.g., the Madhuban grant of Sam 25, E. I. i., 67 ff. For this -and other chronological references I am indebted to Miss C. M. Duff, -who has let me use the MS. of her 'Chronology of India.' - -[3] For Bana's early life, V. 'Harsha-Carita,' chs. i., ii. I have -to thank Mr. F. W. Thomas for allowing me to see the proof-sheets of -his translation. - -[4] Peterson, 'Kadambari,' pp. 96-98; and 'The Subhashitavali,' -edited by Peterson (Bombay Sanskrit Series, 1886), pp. 62-66. - -[5] Translated by Mr. C. Tawney (Calcutta, 1884), vol. ii., -pp. 17-26. Somadeva's date is about A.D. 1063. - -[6] V. Peterson, 'Kadambari,' pp. 82-96. - -[7] Translated by Ballantyne and Pramada-Dasa-Mitra (Calcutta, 1875), - 567. The italics represent words supplied by the translators. - -[8] Kadambari,' p. 69. - -[9] Professor Peterson does not, however, make this deduction in -favour of Bana's own version. - -[10] I.e., rasa, poetic charm. - -[11] 'Kadambari,' Nirnaya Sagara Press, Bombay, pp. 205-221. 'Evam -samatikramatsu--ajagama.' - -[12] Bombay edition, p. 6. - -[13] Professor Cowells review of 'A Bengali Historical -Novel.' Macmillan, April, 1872. - -[14] V. Peterson, 'Kadambari,' p. 42. - -[15] Indeed, this description is so like in spirit to that of -Clairvaux, that I cannot forbear quoting a few lines of the latter. The -writer describes the workshops where the brethren labour, and the -orchard used for rest and quiet thought, and goes on to say how the -Aube is raised by the toils of the brethren to the level of the Abbey; -it throws half its water into the Abbey, 'as if to salute the brethren, -and seems to excuse itself for not coming in its whole force.' Then -'it returns with rapid current to the stream, and renders to it, -in the name of Clairvaux, thanks for all the services which it has -performed.' The writer then goes on to tell of the fountain which, -protected by a grassy pavilion, rises from the mountain, and is -quickly engulfed in the valley, 'offering itself to charm the sight -and supply the wants of the brethren, as if it were not willing to -have communition with any others than saints.' This last is surely -a touch worthy of Bana. V. Dr. Eale's translation of 'St. Bernard's -Works.' London, 1889, vol. ii., pp. 462-467. - -[16] Translated by Mr. C. Tawney. Oriental Translation Fund Series, -p. 113. - -[17] V. 'Kadambari,' Nirnaya Sagara, p. 19, l. 2. - -[18] 'Hiouen Thsang,' translated by St. Julien, 'Mmoires sur les -Contres Occidentals,' I., pp. 247-265. Cf. also 'Harsha-Carita,' -ch. viii. (p. 236 of the translation), where he pays great honour to -a Buddhist sage. - -[19] E. I. i. 67. - -[20] V. 'Katha-Sarit-Sagara,' i. 505. - -[21] V. 'Kadambari,' pp. 97-104. - -[22] V. 'History of Indian Literature,' translation, London, 1878, -p. 232. - -[23] V. 'Sahitya-Darpana,' 626-628. - -[24] Ibid., 630. - -[25] - - 'Not on thy sole, but on thy soul, harsh Jew, - Thou makest thy knife keen.' - - 'Merchant of Venice,' IV. 1, 123 (Globe edition). - - - 'Now is it Rome indeed, and room enough, - When there is in it but one only man.' - - 'Julius Csar,' I. 2, 156. - -[26] V. 'Sahitya-Darpana,' 664. - -[27] Ibid., 718-722. - -[28] Ibid., 738. - -[29] V. Peterson, 'Kadambari,' p. 36. - -[30] Cf. Spenser's stanzas on Mutability. - -[31] V. infra, p. 208. - -[32] V. infra, p. 2. - -[33] The list looks long, but the pages in the 'Nirnaya-Sagara' -edition contain frequently but few lines, and many of the omissions -are a line or two of oft-repeated similes. - -[34] Beginning at p. 566 of the 'Nirnaya-Sagara' edition. - -[35] I here take the opportunity to acknowledge what by an oversight -was omitted in its proper place, my indebtedness to Professor Cowell -for the rendering into English verse of two couplets given on pp. 11 -and 113. - -[36] As the three Vedas, or the triad. - -[37] Vishnu Purana, Bk. v., ch. 33. - -[38] His guru. - -[39] Rasa = (a) the eight rasas; (b) love. - -[40] ayya = (a) composition; (b) couch. - -[41] (a) Which sparkle with emphatic words and similes; (b) like -flashing lamps. - -[42] (a) Pun; (b) proximity. - -[43] Hanging on his ear (as an ornament). - -[44] In the case of elephants, 'having their ichor regulated by a -proper regimen.' - -[45] With renowned warriors on their backs. - -[46] Having trunks as thick as sacrificial posts. - -[47] I.e., Vasavadatta and the Brihatkatha; or, r., advitiya, -unrivalled. - -[48] (a) Unconquerable in might; (b) having unconquerable shafts. - -[49] In the case of Brahma, 'he made his chariot of flamingoes.' - -[50] (a) His hand was wet with a stream of constant giving; (b) -the trunk was wet with ichor. - -[51] Or, to the sun's orb. - -[52] Vinata = (a) mother of Garuda; (b) humble. - -[53] Or, caste. - -[54] Or, fines of gold. - -[55] Or, fickle affections. - -[56] Had, mada = (a) pride; (b) ichor. - -[57] Or, breaking away from virtue. - -[58] Or, tribute. - -[59] In autumn, the hamsas, or wild geese, return. - -[60] Or, bamboos. - -[61] Ram. I. 60. - -[62] He had (a) great faults; (b) a long arm. - -[63] Dark. - -[64] I.e., imposed no heavy tribute. - -[65] Or, 'with citra and ravana,' lunar mansions. - -[66] Or, living creatures. - -[67] (a) Of lowly birth; (b) not dwelling on earth. - -[68] (a) Candala; (b) elephant. - -[69] Or, ajati, without caste. - -[70] Alaka = (a) curls; (b) a city. - -[71] Or, whose love would be a reproach. - -[72] A verse in the arya measure. - -[73] Vipula, Acala, and aa, characters in the Brihatkatha. Or, -broad mountains and hares. - -[74] Varuna, tree; varuna, wine. - -[75] Or, with lightning. - -[76] Constellations. The moon was supposed to have a deer dwelling -in it. - -[77] (a) The cowries held by the suite; (b) different kinds of deer. - -[78] (a) Rocky; (b) having iva. - -[79] Kua: (a) Sita's son; (b) grass. Niacara: (a) Ravana; (b) owls. - -[80] (a) Mark of aloes on the brow; (b) tilaka trees and aloe trees -all bright. - -[81] (a) Love; (b) madana trees. - -[82] As an amulet. - -[83] Name of an ornament. - -[84] Wine-cups. - -[85] (a) Halls; (b) al trees. - -[86] (a) Clapping of hands; (b) palm-trees. - -[87] (a) Arrows; (b) reeds. - -[88] (a) Trees; (b) eyes. - -[89] (a) As tamala trees (very dark); (b) with tamala trees. - -[90] Virata, a king who befriended the Pandavas. The chief of his army -was named Kicaka. F. Mbh., Bk. iv., 815. Kicaka also means 'bamboo.' - -[91] Or, the twinkling stars of the Deer constellation, pursued by -the Hunter (a constellation). - -[92] Bark garments, matted locks, and rags of grass. - -[93] (a) Seven leaves; (b) a tree. - -[94] (a) Of fierce disposition; (b) full of wild beasts. - -[95] The sign of a vow. - -[96] Or perhaps, 'not caring for the fascination of the beauty of -Ravana,' i.e. his sister. He was loved by Ravana's sister. - -[97] Does this refer to the reflection of the sky in its clear water? - -[98] almali = silk cotton-tree. - -[99] Lit., 'striving upwards to see.' - -[100] Indra's wood. - -[101] akuni = (a) bird; (b) name of Duryodhana's supporter. - -[102] Or, 'by Vanamala,' Krishna's chaplet. - -[103] Tara = (a) wife of Sugriva, the monkey king; (b) star. - -[104] Mountaineer. - -[105] Arjuna, or Karttavirya, was captured by Ravana when sporting -in the Nerbuddha, and was killed by Paraurama. V. Vishnu Purana, -Bk. iv., ch. 11. - -[106] Dushana was one of Ravana's generals; Khara was Ravana's brother, -and was slain by Rama. - -[107] Cf. Uttararamacarita, Act V. - -[108] Ekalavya, king of the Nishadas, killed by Krishna. Mbh., I., 132. - -[109] Or, curls. - -[110] V. Harivama, 83. - -[111] Or, with clouds. - -[112] She-rhinoceros. - -[113] Or, rainbows. - -[114] Ekacakra = (a) a city possessed by Vaka; (b) one army, or -one quoit. - -[115] Naga = (a) elephant; (b) snake. - -[116] Or, ikhandi, a son of Drupada, a friend of the Pandavas. - -[117] Or, mirage. - -[118] Or, eager for the Manasa lake. The Vidyadhara was a good or -evil genius attending the gods. V. Kulluka on Manu, xii., 47. - -[119] Yojanagandha, mother of Vyasa. - -[120] Or, 'bearing the form of Bhima.' He was Bhima's son. V. Mbh., -I., 155. - -[121] (a) Crescent moon of iva; (b) eyes of peacocks' tails. - -[122] Hiranyakaipu. V. Harivama, 225. - -[123] Or, an ambitious man surrounded by bards (to sing his praises). - -[124] Or, loving blood. - -[125] Nishadas = (a) mountaineers; (b) the highest note of the scale. - -[126] (a) Had passed many ages; (b) had killed many birds. - -[127] Or, great wealth. - -[128] Black. - -[129] Or, Durga. - -[130] Or, mountain. - -[131] (a) Magnanimity; (b) great strength. - -[132] Anabhibhavaniya. - -[133] (a) Awakening cry; (b) moral law. - -[134] Owls are supposed to be descendants of the sage Vivamitra. - -[135] As omens. - -[136] Piitana, a demon, or, according to the commentary here, -a tiger. - -[137] Lit., 'creating a doubt of.' - -[138] Cf. Emerson's Essay on Experience: 'Sleep lingers all our -life-time about our eyes, as night hovers all day in the boughs of -the fir-tree.' - -[139] Read, rama. - -[140] Lit., 'To have been an extract from.' - -[141] Sacred to Indra, and burnt by Agni with the help of Arjuna -and Krishna. - -[142] Three horizontal lines. - -[143] Truth in thought, word, and deed. - -[144] Read, Nishpatata. - -[145] Nilapandu, mottled blue and white. The Hindu penance is to be -between five fires: four on earth and the sun above. V. Manu, vi. 23. - -[146] The sign of a vow. - -[147] (a) Bark garment; (b) bark of trees. - -[148] (a) Girdle. V. Manu, ii. 42; (b) mountain slope. - -[149] Or, the moon. - -[150] Or, with. - -[151] (a) Kripa = compassion; (b) Kripa was the teacher of Avatthama, -or Drauni. - -[152] Or, Virgo, Cervus, the Pleiads and Draco. - -[153] (a) Having twilight drunk up; (b) having many faults eradicated. - -[154] Rajas = (a) dust; (b) passion. - -[155] In performance of a vow. V. Manu, vi. 23. - -[156] Or, 'of the demon Naraka,' slain by Krishna. Harivama, 122. - -[157] Or, had stars tawny at the junction of night and day. - -[158] Lit., (a) Holding all his passions in firm restraint; (b) -having the axle of its wheels firm. - -[159] Lit., (a) He had a body wasted by secret performance of penance; -(b) he brought to nought the enemies' plans of battle by secret -counsel and by his army. - -[160] Or, having caves with whirlpools and the circles of shells -oblique. - -[161] Or, quays. - -[162] (a) Perhaps Pushkara, the place of pilgrimage in Ajmere; -(b) lotus-grove. - -[163] (a) Having entrance into great halls; (b) being absorbed -in Brahma. - -[164] Or, salvation. - -[165] Or, inflicted punishment; or, though intent on the Sama veda, -he was yet a dandi; i.e., an ascetic who despises ritual. - -[166] Having beautiful matted locks. - -[167] (a) Having no left eye; (b) having no crooked glances. - -[168] R. V., x. 190. - -[169] Another kind of bread-tree. - -[170] The Commentary explains it as 'Veda.' - -[171] The tridandaka or three staves of the mendicant Brahman who -has resigned the world. - -[172] Or, impassioned glances. - -[173] (a) Moulting; (b) partisanship. - -[174] Bala = (a) hair; (b) children. - -[175] Rama, woman. - -[176] akuni = (a) a bird; (b) Duryodhana's uncle. - -[177] Vayu = (a) wind; (b) breath. - -[178] (a) Teeth; (b) Brahmans. - -[179] Or, dullness. - -[180] Or, seeking prosperity. - -[181] Or, seek enjoyment. - -[182] Or good fortune. - -[183] The Garhapatya, Dakshina, and Ahavaniya fires. - -[184] Proverbial phrase for clearness. - -[185] Vishnu Purana, vi., ch. 3, 'The seven solar rays dilate to -seven suns, and set the three worlds on fire.' - -[186] Lit., 'is leader of.' - -[187] Or, caprice. - -[188] Vishnu Purana, i., 123. - -[189] Semi-divine beings dwelling between the earth and the sun. - -[190] Tara = (a) stars; (b) wife of Brihaspati, carried away by -the moon. - -[191] (a) "Wife of the sage Vaishtha; (b) the morning star. - -[192] (a) Constellation; (b) staff borne during a vow. - -[193] (a) Constellation; (b) roots for the hermits' food. - -[194] Or, constellation. - -[195] iva. - -[196] Caste. - -[197] Friends. - -[198] I.e., king, minister, and energy. - -[199] Or, misfortune. - -[200] An ordeal. - -[201] An ordeal. - -[202] (a) Clearing of the waters after the rainy season; (b) ordeal -of poison. - -[203] (a) Magic; (b) practice of Yoga. - -[204] (a) Lit., 'tearing out of eyes;' (b) slaughter of the demon -Taraka by Kartikeya. - -[205] A star in the Scorpion's tail. - -[206] Seizing of tribute. - -[207] Or, having his body united. V. Dowson, 'Classical Dictionary.' - -[208] Having fortresses subdued. - -[209] These are teachers of the gods and heroes. - -[210] Vishnu. - -[211] Lit., 'firm.' - -[212] (a) The gods; (b) love. - -[213] Four was the number of the oceans and of the arms of Narayana. - -[214] The divine mothers, or personified energies of the chief deities. - -[215] Wife of ukanasa. - -[216] Summary of pp. 141-155. - -[217] Or, Ananga, name of Kama. - -[218] Since he can only give it the name, not the substance or -meaning. Kumara = (a) name of Kartikeya; (b) prince. - -[219] Kama. - -[220] Summary of pp. 176-189. - -[221] Lit., 'sew him to himself.' - -[222] Summary of pp. 190, 191. - -[223] Summary of p. 193. - -[224] arabha, a fabulous animal supposed to have eight legs, and to -dwell in the snowy mountains. - -[225] (a) Many sins; (b) twilight. - -[226] Lit., (a) climbs trees; (b) protects parasites. - -[227] (a) Showing the elevation of many men; (b) rising in stature -to the height of many men. - -[228] Or, arrogance. - -[229] Or, stupidity. - -[230] Or, wealth. - -[231] Or, ill-fortune. - -[232] Balam = (a) strength; (b) army. Laghuma = (a) lightness; -(b) triviality. - -[233] Vigrahavati = (a) having a body; (b) full of strife. - -[234] Purushottama, i.e., Vishnu. - -[235] The rainy season sends away the hamsas. - -[236] Lit., their limbs fail them. - -[237] Which have a strong scent. - -[238] Men having throbbing eyes. - -[239] (a) A noble man; (b) fire. - -[240] Or, drink. - -[241] Or, taxes. - -[242] Like Vishnu. - -[243] Like iva. - -[244] Lit., 'inlaid.' - -[245] Or, kesara flowers. - -[246] Recaka, so commentary. - -[247] Both trees of paradise. - -[248] The quarter of atakratu or Indra. - -[249] All auspicious signs. Cakra is (a) a quoit; (b) a cakravaka. - -[250] (a) A demon; (b) the heron. - -[251] For the love of snakes for the breeze, V. Raghuvama, XIII., -12, and Buddhacarita, I., 44. Snakes are sometimes called vayubaksha. - -[252] The following reference to Thomas Bell's 'History of British -Quadrupeds' was given by Mr. S. B. Charlesworth. 'Writing about the -deer of our parks (p. 404) he (Bell) quotes Playford's "Introduction to -Music" as follows: "Travelling some years since, I met on the road near -Royston a herd of about twenty deer following a bagpipe and violin, -which while the music played went forward. When it ceased they all -stood still, and in this manner they were brought out of Yorkshire -to Hampton Court."' V. supra, pp. 40, 79. - -[253] Meghaduta, 38. - -[254] The dvipas are continents separated from each other by -oceans. The vetadvipa, or White Continent, is, according to Weber, -suggested by Alexandria. V. 'Indische Studien,' I., 400; II., 397, 398. - -[255] Dvandva, a pair of opposites, as, e.g., pleasure and pain. - -[256] (a) Brilliant; (b) Durga. - -[257] Summary of p. 277. - -[258] The Commentary says: 'A house is whitened to welcome anyone. The -face (or mouth) is the dwelling of Sarasvati.' - -[259] Mandara, one of the trees of Paradise. - -[260] The month June-July. - -[261] Staff. - -[262] (a) A tilaka, or mark of ashes; (b) abundance of tilaka trees -white with blossoms. - -[263] Read Kaualasya. - -[264] Cf. 'Dulce rudimentum meditantis lilia quondam natur, cum -sese opera ad majora pararet.'--Rapin, on the convolvulus. V. Hallam, -'Hist. of Lit.,' Pt. iv., ch. v. - -[265] Vishnu Purana, Wilson, 1865, vol. ii., p. 297. - -[266] Son of Kuvera. - -[267] The coral tree. - -[268] Or, virtue. - -[269] 'In the arya metre,' in the Sanskrit. - -[270] Manasijanma = (a) born in the Manasa lake; (b) born in the mind, -i.e., love. Muktalata = (a) a white creeper; (b) a pearl necklace. - -[271] Scilicet, in the day. - -[272] Turbid with (a) dust; (b) passion. - -[273] The Vishnu Purana, Bk. vi., ch. iii., mentions seven suns. - -[274] The asterism Rohini. - -[275] Utkalika = (a) wave; (b) longing. - -[276] Or, hand. - -[277] Hands. - -[278] Feet. - -[279] Hands. - -[280] Candracandala (lit., 'base-born moon') is intended as an -assonance. - -[281] Purnapatra, a basket of gifts to be scrambled for at a wedding. - -[282] I.e., the row of pearls given by Mahaveta. - -[283] Omit, priyajanavivasavacanani. - -[284] Read, parityakta. - -[285] Read, antare. - -[286] Goirsha, a kind of fragrant sandal. - -[287] V. Vishnu Purana, Bk. i., ch. iii. (For the description of -Brahma's night.) - -[288] - - Tatah Saindhavako raja kshudras, tata, Jayadrathah, - Varadanena Rudrasya sarvan nah samavarayat. - - -('Then the vile Sindh kinglet, Jayadratha, through the boon conferred -by Rudra, O my son, kept us all back.')--Mahabharata, vii., 2574. - -[289] Harivama, 4906. - -[290] The cakora, or Greek partridge, was said to have its eyes turned -red in the presence of poison. - -[291] Madira, intoxicating, bewitching; so called because her eyes -were madirah. - -[292] Daksha cursed the moon with consumption at the appeal of his -forty-nine daughters, the moon's wives, who complained of his special -favour to the fiftieth sister. - -[293] Lit., 'without cause.' - -[294] Lit., 'going by machinery.' - -[295] Trees of paradise. - -[296] A pun on pida, grief. - -[297] A pun on pida, a chaplet. - -[298] Read irshyam, vyatham, and rosham, as the Calcutta edition. - -[299] 'All the rasas,' the ten emotions of love, fear, etc., enumerated -by writers on rhetoric. - -[300] Because water was poured out to ratify a gift. - -[301] Bhashita, literally, 'addressed by'; or read, bhavita, 'entering -into the spirit of.' - -[302] Read nirdakshinyaya. - -[303] A bundle of peacock feathers waved by the conjuror to bewilder -the audience. - -[304] The dark blue of the bees was like the blue veil worn by women -going to meet their lovers. - -[305] This passage is condensed. - -[306] Read musho. - -[307] I.e., 'relic,' or 'remaining.' - -[308] Read Mahavetam. - -[309] Cf. 'Harsha Carita' (Bombay edition, p. 272), -'Paramevarottamangapatadurlalitangam'. - -[310] Read Kumudamayya. - -[311] A tree of paradise. - -[312] Tali, a kind of palm; Kandala, a plantain. - -[313] Or, reading avirala, thick coming. - -[314] The Vishnu Purana, Bk. ii., ch. ii., calls Mandara the Mountain -of the East; Gandhamadana, of the South; Vipula, of the West; and -Suparva, of the North. - -[315] Father of Kuvera. - -[316] Brahma. - -[317] A phrase denoting readiness to obey. V. supra, p. 15. - -[318] Pouring water into the hand was the confirmation of a -gift. V. supra, p. 150. - -[319] Transpose iti. - -[320] Hybiscus mutabilis changes colour thrice a day. - -[321] Or, at a wrong time. - -[322] Remove the stop after asyah and Candrapidah, and place one -after gantum. - -[323] 'It is not allowed by her favour to move.' - -[324] Read suhridapi gantavyam, 'his friend must go.' - -[325] Or, sampanna, 'full-grown, having fruit and flowers,' according -to the commentary. - -[326] Read khinne. - -[327] Read prasadanam. - -[328] Read janat, etc. - -[329] V. supra, p. 12, where the robes of the chiefs are torn by -their ornaments in their hasty movements. - -[330] Paravaa iva, or, 'with mind enslaved to other thoughts.' - -[331] Read garigasi. - -[332] The Jamuna is a common comparison for blue or green. - -[333] Placing a stop after gaditum instead of after nihesham. - -[334] An allusion to the idea that the aoka would bud when touched -by the foot of a beautiful woman. - -[335] Anubandha, one of the four necessary conditions in writing. (a) -Subject-matter; (b) purpose; (c) relation between subject treated -and its end; (d) competent person to hear it.-- V. 'Vedanta Sara.,' -p. 2-4; 'Vacaspatya Dictionary.' - -[336] 'Manu,' ix., 90. - -[337] I.e., the down on the body rises from joy (a common idea in -Sanskrit writers), and holds the robe on its points. - -[338] Read, Samdianti, and place the stop after svayam instead of -after samdianti. - -[339] I.e., awake a sleeping lion. - -[340] Or, 'wine.' - -[341] Bhushanabhatta, after these introductory lines, continues -Patralekha's account of Kadambari's speech, and completes the story. - -[342] I.e., Patralekha. - -[343] Literally, 'that forest of creepers, sc. maidens.' - -[344] So commentary. - -[345] Avanti is the province of which Ujjayini is the capital. For -the Divine Mothers, V. supra, p. 56. - -[346] V. supra, pp. 19, 20, 47. - -[347] A king of the solar race. - -[348] V. supra, p. 6. - -[349] Read ashtanam api Vasunam. - -[350] The commentary says 'mother' is said to a daughter-in-law, -just as tata, 'father,' is said to a son. - -[351] The parrot's own history is now continued from p. 47. - -[352] The commentary explains these as Indra, Yama, Varuna, Soma -and Kuvera. The Calcutta translation apparently translates a reading -mahabhutani. - -[353] As the betrothed of Mahaveta, who was of the moon-race of -Apsarases. - -[354] For gandharva marriage, v. Manu., iii. 32. - -[355] Cf. M. Arnold: - - - 'Ah, where the spirit its highest life hath led, - All spots, match'd with that spot, are less divine.' - - -[356] Apunarukta, 'without tautology.' - -[357] iva. - -[358] Fiends attendant on iva. - -[359] Vide p. 98. - -[360] Or, with fishes. - -[361] Or, light. - -[362] Literally (a) whose wealth is crores of rupees; (b) in the case -of the moon, 'whose essence is in its horns.' - -[363] (a) Partizanship; (b) cutting of pinions. When the rest of the -mountains lost their wings, Mainaka escaped. - -[364] Or, padma, 1000 billions. - -[365] Or, emeralds. - -[366] Or, rogues. - -[367] Or, granaries. - -[368] Or, learned. - -[369] Or, though full of energy, they fear their enemies. - -[370] Or, liberal. - -[371] V. Sahitya-Darpana, 641. - -[372] Ibid., 568. - -[373] Or, offering gifts. - -[374] Or, containing pine-trees. - -[375] Or, attentive to women. - -[376] Brother of Rama and Bharata. - -[377] Or, their friends. - -[378] Or, of the Sarvastivadin School (a subdivision of the Vaibhashika -Buddhists). - -[379] Or, matter and spirit. - -[380] Or, lotus-hued. - -[381] In the case of iva, 'loud laughter, bright as nectar.' - -[382] It has treasure vaults. - -[383] Or, keeping its covenants firm. - -[384] Or, houses whitened with ivory and cowries. - -[385] Or, having splendid mountains always at hand. - -[386] Or, false. - -[387] Or, gold pieces. - -[388] (a) Demon; (b) golden dice. - -[389] Or, rogues. - -[390] Or, the sporting of King Bala. - -[391] Though the free intercourse with women is allowed, it is of -irreproachable conduct. - -[392] Its castes are loved. - -[393] Vihara (a) without necklaces; (b) having temples. - -[394] Having many citizens. - -[395] Then follows: 'There--demons,' p. 47, l. 18. - -[396] Follows p. 48, l. 17, 'gay.' - -[397] Read kulaih; (a) Kings; (b) mountains. - -[398] Loss of dependencies; or, loss of wings. - -[399] Or, by the star Budha. - -[400] Or, his body was destroyed. - -[401] Or, Sumitra, wife of Daaratha. - -[402] Or, by the 'Lord of Battles,' i.e., Kartikeya. - -[403] Or, was honoured for his patience. - -[404] (a) A great family; (b) a great bamboo from which the river is -said to rise. - -[405] V. supra, p. 162. - -[406] Read lavanga. - -[407] A monkey chief. - -[408] The figures refer to the page and line of the Nirnaya-Sagara -edition of Kadambari. - -[409] Passages marked * are condensed, and only occasional phrases -are translated. - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Kadambari of Bana, by Bana and Bhushanabhatta - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE KADAMBARI OF BANA *** - -***** This file should be named 41128-8.txt or 41128-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/1/1/2/41128/ - -Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net/ for Project -Gutenberg (This book was produced from scanned images of -public domain material from the Google Print project.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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