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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. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: The Baitâl Pachchisi - Or, The Twenty-Five Tales of a Sprite; Translated From The - Hindi Text of Dr. Duncan Forbes - -Author: John Platts - Duncan Forbes - -Release Date: May 10, 2017 [EBook #54697] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BAITÂL PACHCHISI *** - - - - -Produced by David Widger from page images generously -provided by the Internet Archive - - - - - - -</pre> - - <div style="height: 8em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h1> - THE BAITÂL PACHCHISI - </h1> - <h3> - Or, The Twenty-Five Tales Of a Sprite - </h3> - <h2> - By John Platts - </h2> - <h3> - Translated From The Hindi Text of Dr. Duncan Forbes - </h3> - <h4> - (One of Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Schools in the Central Provinces of - India) - </h4> - <h4> - London: Wm. H. Allen & Co. - </h4> - <h3> - 1871 - </h3> - <p> - <br /><br /><a name="linkimage-0001" id="linkimage-0001"> </a> - </p> - <div class="fig" style="width:50%;"> - <img src="images/0006.jpg" alt="0006 " width="100%" /><br /> - </div> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <p> - <b>CONTENTS</b> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2H_4_0001"> TRANSLATORS PREFACE. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2H_PREF"> PREFACE </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2H_4_0003"> <b>THE BAITÂL PACHCHISI.</b> </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2H_4_0004"> INTRODUCTORY TALE. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2H_4_0005"> TALE I. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2H_4_0006"> TALE II. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2H_4_0007"> TALE III. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2H_4_0008"> TALE IV. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2H_4_0009"> TALE V. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2H_4_0010"> TALE VI. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2H_4_0011"> TALE VII. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2H_4_0012"> TALE VIII. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2H_4_0013"> TALE IX. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2H_4_0014"> TALE X. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2H_4_0015"> TALE XI. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2H_4_0016"> TALE XII. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2H_4_0017"> TALE XIII. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2H_4_0018"> TALE XIV. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2H_4_0019"> TALE XV. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2H_4_0020"> TALE XVI. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2H_4_0021"> TALE XVII. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2H_4_0022"> TALE XVIII. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2H_4_0023"> TALE XIX. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2H_4_0024"> TALE XX. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2H_4_0025"> TALE XXI. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2H_4_0026"> TALE XXII. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2H_4_0027"> TALE XXIII. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2H_4_0028"> TALE XXIV. </a> - </p> - <p class="toc"> - <a href="#link2H_4_0029"> TALE XXV. </a> - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <a name="link2H_4_0001" id="link2H_4_0001"> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - TRANSLATORS PREFACE. - </h2> - <p class="pfirst"> - <span class="dropcap" style="font-size: 4.00em">T</span>he English - translation of these tales has been made by special request, to meet - repeated demands for a translation of the text as edited by the late Dr. - Duncan Forbes. The aim of the Translator has been to produce a work which - would enable the student to study the original with facility and accuracy. - It being considered that few save students who are compelled to study the - Hindi original would be likely to peruse the work, the translation has - been made as literal as it was possible to make it without doing - unpardonable violence to English idiom. All difficulties have been boldly, - if not successfully, met; and explanatory and other notes have been added, - wherever the text appeared to call for such. The study of the translation - must not be supposed to dispense with that of the Grammar of the language; - it will be found, however, to prove of the highest utility to a student - who has mastered the elementary principles of Grammar, and uses it—not - as a mere “crib” but—for the purpose of discovering what light it - sheds on the application of those principles. - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <a name="link2H_PREF" id="link2H_PREF"> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - PREFACE - </h2> - <p class="pfirst"> - <span class="dropcap" style="font-size: 4.00em">T</span>HE origin of these - tales is as follows:—In the reign of the Emperor Muhammad Shah, Rajã - Jaisinh Sawãr (who was the ruler of. Jainagar) ordered the eminent poet, - named Sürat, to translate the Baitãl Pachisi (which was in the Sanskrit) - into the Braj dialect. Thereupon he translated it into the dialect of - Braj, in accordance with the king’s command. And now, during the reign of - the Emperor Sfãhi ’Alam, and in the time of the lord of lords, the - cream of exalted princes, the Privy-Counsellor of the Monarch of England, - whose court stands as high as Saturn; the noblest of the noble, the - Governor-General, Marquis Wellesley (may his government be perpetuated!); - and in accordance with the bidding of His Honour, Mr. John Gilchrist (may - his good fortune endure!); to the end that illustrious gentleman may learn - and understand, the poet Mazhar Ali Khan (whose <i>nom de plume</i> is - Vila), with the aid of the poet Shrï Lallü Lãl, rendered the same into - easy language, such as high and low use in speaking, and which the learned - and the ignorant, the talented and the obtuse, would all comprehend, and - which would be easy to the mind of every one, no difficulty of any kind - presenting itself to the intellect, and wherein the dialect of Braj - frequently occurs. - </p> - <p> - Now, in conformity with the command of the Professor of Hindi, the - bounteous patron, His Honour, Captain James Mouat, (may his prosperity - last long!) Tãrinïcharan Mitra, (in preparing the work) for the press, has - struck out such Sanskrit and Braj words as seldom occur in the Urdu - dialect, and introduced words in current use. Some words, however, in use - among the Hindus, the exclusion of which he regarded as detrimental, he - has preserved intact. He trusts that the work may meet with a favourable - reception. - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <a name="link2H_4_0003" id="link2H_4_0003"> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h1> - THE BAITÂL PACHCHISI. - </h1> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <a name="link2H_4_0004" id="link2H_4_0004"> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - INTRODUCTORY TALE. - </h2> - <p class="pfirst"> - <span class="dropcap" style="font-size: 4.00em">T</span>here was a city - named Dhãrãnagar, the king of which was Gandharb Sen. He had four queens, - and by them six sons, one more learned and more powerful than another. - Fate ordaining, after some days the king died, and his eldest son, Shank - by name, became king in his stead. Again, after some days, a younger - brother, Vikram, after slaying his eldest brother, himself became king, - and began to govern well. Day by day his dominion so increased that he - became king of all India; * and, after fixing his government on a firm - basis, he established an æra. - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * Jambudwip is the name of one of the seven divisions of the - world, and implies, the central division, or the known - world; according to the Bauddhas, it is confined to India. -</pre> - <p> - After some time the king thought to himself that he ought to visit those - countries of which he had heard. * Having determined on this, he made over - his throne to his younger brother Bharthari, and himself assuming the - guise of a devotee, set out to wander from land to land and forest to - forest. - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * Lit.—The king thought in his mind, “I should travel over - those countries whose names I am hearing.” - </pre> - <p> - A Brahman was practising austerities in that city. One day a deity brought - and presented to him the fruit of immortality. He then took the fruit home - and said to his wife, “Whoever shall eat this will become immortal; the - deity told me this at the time of giving, the fruit.” Hearing this, the - Brahman’s wife wept excessively, and began to say, “This is a great evil - we have to suffer! For, becoming immortal, how long shall we go on begging - alms? Nay, to die is better than this; (for) if we die, then we escape - from the trials of the world.” Then the Brahman said, “I took the fruit - and brought it; but, hearing your words, I am bereft of understanding. Now - I will do whatever you bid.” Then his wife said to him, “Give this fruit - to the king, and in exchange for it take wealth, whereby we may enjoy the - advantages of this world as well as that to come.” - </p> - <p> - Hearing this speech, the Brahman went to the king and gave him his - blessing; (and) after explaining the circumstances of the fruit, said, - “Great king! do you take this fruit and give me some wealth; there is - happiness for me in your being long-lived.” Theking having given the - Brahman a lakh of rupees and dismissed him, entered the female apartments, - and giving the fruit to the queen whom he loved most, said, “O queen! do - thou eat this, for thou wilt become immortal, and wilt continue young for - ever.” The queen, hearing this, took the fruit from the king, (and) he - came out into his court. - </p> - <p> - A certain kotwãl was the paramour of that queen: to him she gave the - fruit. It so happened that a courtesan was the kotwãl’s mistress; he gave - the fruit to her and described its virtues. That courtesan thought to - herself that the fruit was a fitting present for the king. Determining - this in her mind, she went and presented the fruit to the king. His - majesty took the fruit and dismissed her with much wealth; and - contemplating the fruit, and pondering within himself, he became sick of - the world, and began to say, “The perishable wealth of this world is of no - use whatever; for through it one must ultimately fall into hell. - Preferable to this is the practising of religious duties and the biding, - in the remembrance of the Deity, whereby it may be well in the future.” - </p> - <p> - Coming to this determination, he entered the female apartments and asked - the queen what she had done with the fruit (he gave her). She replied, “I - ate it up.” Then the king showed the queen that fruit. She, on the instant - of setting eyes on it, stood aghast, and was unable to make any reply. - After that, the king having come forth, had the fruit washed, and ate it, - and abandoning his kingdom and throne, assumed the guise of a devotee, and - betook himself unaccompanied, and without holding communication with a - soul, to the jungle. - </p> - <p> - The throne of Vikram became vacant. When this news reached king Indra, he - sent a demon to guard Dhãrãnagar. He kept watch over the city day and - night. To be brief, the report of this matter spread from country to - country, that king Bharthari had abandoned his government and gone away. - King Vikram, too, heard the news, and immediately came to his country. It - was then midnight: he was entering the city at that hour, when that demon - called out, “Who art thou? and whither goest thou? Stand still (and) - mention thy name.” Then the king said, “It is I, king Vikram; I am - entering my own city: who art thou, to challenge me?” Then the demon - replied, saying, “The deities have sent me to guard this city: if you are - really king Vikram, first fight with me, and then enter the city.” - </p> - <p> - On hearing these words the king girt tight his waist-cloth and challenged - the demon. Thereupon the demon, too, stood up to him. The battle began. At - last the king threw the demon and sat upon his breast. Then he said, “O - king! thou hast thrown me; I grant thy life as a boon.” Upon this the - king, laughing, said, “Thou art gone mad; whose life dost thou grant? Did - I will, I could slay thee; how canst thou grant me life?” Then the demon - said, “O king! I am about to save thee from death; first attend to a tale - of mine, and thereafter rule over the whole world free from all care.” At - length the king set him free, and began to listen attentively to his tale. - </p> - <p> - Then the demon addressed him thus: “There was in this city a very liberal - king, named Chandrabhãn. One day he went forth casually into the jungle; - when, what should he behold but an ascetic hanging, head downwards, from a - tree, and sustaining himself by inhaling smoke alone—neither - receiving anything from any one, nor speaking to any one. Perceiving this - state of his, the king returned home, and seating himself in his court, - said, ‘Whoever will bring this ascetic (here), shall receive a lakh of - rupees.’ A courtesan bearing these words, came to the king and spake thus: - ‘If I obtain your majesty’s leave, I will have a child begotten by that - ascetic, and bring it here mounted on his shoulder.’” - </p> - <p> - “The king was astonished at hearing this speech, and binding the courtesan - to (the fulfilment of her contract to) bring the ascetic by giving her a - flake of betel-leaf, * dismissed her. She went to that wild, and reaching - the ascetic’s place, perceived that he was really hanging head-downwards, - neither eating nor drinking anything, and that he was withered up. In - short, that courtesan prepared some sweetmeat, and put it into the - ascetic’s mouth: he, finding it sweet, ate it up with zest. Thereupon the - courtesan applied more (to his mouth). Thus for two days did she continue - feeding him with sweetmeat, by eating which he gained a certain degree of - strength. Then, opening his eyes, and descending from the tree, he - inquired of her, ‘On what business hast thou come hither?’” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * I am obliged to render thus periphrastically the words - tapasvi ke lane ke, waste bïrã dekar. The birã is a betel- - leaf, made up with a preparation of areca-nut, chunara, - cloves, &c. It is given and accepted as a pledge for the - performance of an act. -</pre> - <p> - “The courtesan replied, ‘I am the daughter of a god; I was practising - religious austerities in heaven; I have now come into this wild.’ The - devotee said again, ‘Where is thy hut? Show me it.’ Thereupon the - courtesan brought the ascetic to her hut, and commenced feeding him with - savoury (<i>lit.</i> six-flavoured) viands, so that the ascetic left off - inhaling smoke; and took to eating food and drinking water daily. - Eventually Cupid troubled him; upon which he had carnal intercourse with - her, (and) vitiated his austerities; and the courtesan became pregnant. In - ten months a boy was born. When he was some months old, the woman said to - the devotee, ‘O saint! you should now set out on a pilgrimage whereby all - the sins of the flesh may be blotted out.’” - </p> - <p> - “Deluding him with such words, she mounted the boy on his shoulder, and - started for the king’s court, whence she had set out, after taking up the - gage to accomplish this matter. When she came before the king, his majesty - recognised her from a distance, and seeing the child on the shoulder of - the devotee, began saying to the courtiers; ‘Just see! this is the very - same courtesan, who went to bring the devotee!’ They replied, ‘O king! you - are quite right; this is the very same; and be pleased to observe that all - that she had stated in your majesty’s presence ere she set forth, has come - to pass.’” - </p> - <p> - “When the ascetic heard these remarks of the king and courtiers, he - perceived that the king had adopted these measures to disturb his - religious meditations. With these thoughts in his mind, the devotee - returned from thence, and getting out of the city, slew the child, - repaired to another jungle, and began to perform penance. And after some - time that king died, and the devotee completed his penance.” - </p> - <p> - “The short of the story is this, that you three men have been born under - one asterism, one conjunction, and in one moment. You took birth in a - king’s house; the second was an oilman’s (child); the third, the devotee, - was born in a potter’s house. You still govern here, while the oilman’s - son <i>was</i> the ruler of the infernal regions; but that potter, - bringing his religious meditations to thorough perfection, has killed the - oilman, turned him into a demon in a burning-ground and placed him hanging - head-downwards on a siris-tree, and is intent on killing you. If you - escape him, you will rule. I have apprised you of all these circumstances; - do not be careless with respect to them.” Having narrated thus much, the - demon departed. He (the king) entered his private palace. - </p> - <p> - When it was morn the king came forth, and took his seat (on the throne), - and gave the order for a general court. As many servants as there were, - great and small, all came and made their offerings in the presence, and - festive music burst forth. An extraordinary gladness and rejoicing - possessed the whole city, such that in every place, and every house, dance - and song arose. After this the king began to govern justly. - </p> - <p> - It is related that one day an ascetic named Shãnt-shil appeared at the - king’s court with a fruit in his hand, and, presenting the fruit to the - king, spread a cloth, and sat down there. After a short time he went away - again. On his departure the king thought to himself that this was probably - the person of whom the demon had spoken. Habouring this suspicion, he did - not eat the fruit, and, summoning the steward, he gave it to him, with - instructions to keep it carefully. The devotee, however, came constantly - in this same manner, and left a fruit every day. - </p> - <p> - It so happened that one day the king went to inspect his stable, - accompanied by some attendants. - </p> - <p> - During that interval the ascetic, too, arrived there, and presented the - king with a fruit in the usual manner. He began tossing it in the air, - when all of a sudden it fell from his hand on the ground, and a monkey - took it up and broke it in pieces. So exquisite a ruby came out of it that - the king and his attendants were astonished at the sight of its - brilliance. Thereupon the king said to the devotee; “Why hast thou given - me this ruby?” - </p> - <p> - On this he said, “O great king! it is written in the Shastra that one - should not go empty-handed to the following places, viz., those of kings, - spiritual teachers, astrologers, physicians and daughters, for at these - places one obtains benefit for benefit. Sire! why do you speak of a single - ruby? As many fruits as I have given you, every one of them contains a - jewel.” Hearing these words, the king told the steward to bring all the - fruits he had given to him. On receiving the king’s order, the steward - immediately brought them; and, having had the fruits broken open, he found - a ruby in each. When he beheld so many rubies the king was excessively - pleased, and, summoning a tester of precious stones, began having the - rubies tested, saying the while, “Nothing will accompany one (from this - world); integrity is the great essential in the world; tell me honestly, - therefore, the exact value of each gem.” - </p> - <p> - Hearing these words the jeweller said, “O king! you have spoken the truth. - He whose integrity is safe, his all is safe: integrity alone accompanies - us, and that it is which proves of advantage in both worlds. Hear, O king! - each gem is perfect as to colour, stone, and form. Were I to declare the - value of each to be a crore of rupees, even that would not come up to the - mark. Of a truth, each gem is worth a clime.” Hearing this, the king was - pleased beyond measure, and conferring a robe of honour on the jeweller, - dismissed him; and taking the devotee’s hand, he brought and seated him on - the throne, and began thus: “My whole realm is not worth even one of these - rubies; tell me, then, what is the explanation of this, that you, a - religious mendicant, have presented me with so many gems?” - </p> - <p> - The ascetic said, “Your majesty! it is not proper to speak publicly of the - following things, viz., magic and incantations, drugs employed in - medicines, religious duties, family affairs, the eating of impure meats, - evil speech which one has heard—all these things are not spoken of - in public; I will tell you in private. Attend! it is a rule, that whatever - is heard by three pairs of ears remains no secret; the words which reach - two pairs of ears no man hears; while the contents of one pair of ears are - unknown to Brahma himself, not to speak of man.” On hearing these words, - the king took the devotee apart and began to say, “O holy man! you have - given me so many rubies, and have not once partaken of food even; you have - put me to great shame! Let me know what it is you desire.” The ascetic - said, “Sire! I am about to practice magical arts in a large - body-burning-ground on the bank of the river Godavari, whereby I shall - acquire supernatural powers, and so I beg of you to pass one whole night - with me; by your being near me my magic arts will succeed.” Then the king - said, “Very well; I will come: leave word with me of the day.” The ascetic - said, “Do you come to me, armed and unattended, on the Tuesday evening of - the dark half of the month Bhãdon.” The king replied, “You may go; I will - assuredly come, and alone.” - </p> - <p> - Having thus exacted a promise from the king and taken leave, he, for his - part, went into a temple and made preparations, and taking all necessaries - with him, went and fixed himself in a place for burning bodies; while here - the king began to ponder (over what had happened). In the meantime the - moment (for him to depart) too, arrived. Upon this the king there and then - girt on his sword, tightened the cloth he wore between his legs, and - betook himself alone to the devotee by night, and greeted him. The devotee - requested him to be seated, whereupon the king sat down, and then - perceived goblins, evil spirits, and witches, in various frightful shapes, - dancing around; while the ascetic, seated in the centre, was striking two - skulls together by way of music. The king felt no fear or alarm on - beholding this state of things; but said to the devotee, “What command is - there for me?” He replied, “O king! now that you have come, do this;—at - a distance of two <i>kos</i> south of this place is a burning-ground, - wherein is a siris-tree, on which a corpse is suspended; bring that - (corpse) to me at once to this place, where I shall be performing my - devotions.” Having despatched the king thither, he himself settled down in - devotional attitude and began muttering prayers. - </p> - <p> - For one thing, the darkness of the night was in itself terrifying; more - than this, the downpour of the rain was as unceasing as if it would rain - for once and all that night; whilst the goblins and ghosts, too, were - creating such an uproar, that even daring heroes would have been agitated - at the spectacle;—the king, however, went on his way. The snakes, - which kept coming and twining themselves about his legs, he used to - disentangle by repeating incantations. At length, when after passing - somehow or other over a perilous road, the king reached the - burning-ground, he perceived that goblins were constantly seizing men and - destroying them; witches continually munching the livers of children; - tigers were roaring, and elephants screaming. In short, when he noticed - the tree, he perceived that every leaf and branch of it, from the root to - the topmost twig, was burning furiously, while from all four sides arose a - tumultuous cry of “Kill him! kill him! Seize him! seize him! Take care he - does not escape!” - </p> - <p> - The king had no fears on beholding that state of things; but he said to - himself, “It may or may not be so, but (I am convinced) this is the same - devotee about whom the demon spoke to me.” And having gone close and - observed, he perceived a corpse fastened by a string, and hanging head - downwards. He was glad to see the corpse, thinking his trouble had been - rewarded. Taking his sword and shield, he climbed the tree fearlessly, and - struck such a blow with the sword that the rope was severed and the corpse - fell down, and instantly began to weep aloud. On hearing his voice the - king was pleased, and began to say to himself, “Well! this man at least is - alive.” Then, descending, he enquired of him who he was. He burst out - laughing as soon as he heard (the question). The king was greatly - astonished at this. Again the corpse climbed up the tree and suspended - himself. The king, too, that instant climbed up, and clutching him under - his arm, brought him down, and said, “Vile wretch! tell me who thou art.” - He made no reply. The king reflected and said to himself, “Perhaps this is - the very oilman whom the demon said the devotee had deposited in the place - where bodies are burnt.” Thus reflecting, he bound him up in his mantle - and brought him to the devotee. The man who displays such courage will (be - sure to) succeed in his under-takings. - </p> - <p> - Then the sprite * said, “Who art thou? and whither art thou taking me?” - The king replied, “I am king Vikram, and am taking thee off to a devotee.” - He rejoined, “I will go on one condition,—if thou utterest a word on - the way, I will come straight back.” The king agreed to his condition and - went off with him. Then the sprite said, “O king! those who are learned, - discerning, and wise—<i>their</i> days are passed in the delight of - song and the shãstras, while the days of the unwise and foolish are spent - in dissipation and sleep. Hence, it is best that this long road should be - beguiled by profitable converse: do you attend, O king! to the story I - relate.” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * Betal or baitãl, is a sprite haunting cemeteries, or, - rather, places where bodies are burned and animating dead - bodies. -</pre> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <a name="link2H_4_0005" id="link2H_4_0005"> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - TALE I. - </h2> - <p class="pfirst"> - <span class="dropcap" style="font-size: 4.00em">T</span>here was a king of - Banãras, named Pratãpmukut; and Bajra-mukut was the name of his son, whose - queen’s name was Mahãdevï. One day the prince, accompanied by his - minister’s son, went to the chase, and advanced far into a jungle, in the - midst of which he beheld a beautiful tank; on the margin of which wild - geese, brãhmanï ducks, male and female, cranes and water-fowl were, one - and all, disporting on all four sides <i>ghats</i> of solid masonry were - constructed: within the tank, the lotus was in full bloom: on the sides - were planted trees of different kinds, under the dense shade of which the - breezes came cool and refreshing, while birds were warbling on the boughs; - and in the forest bloomed flowers of varied hues, on which whole swarms of - bees were buzzing;—(such was the scene) when they arrived by the - margin of that tank, and washed their hands and faces, and reascended. - </p> - <p> - “On that spot was a temple sacred to Mahãdeva, Fastening their horses, and - entering the temple, they paid adoration to Mahãdeva, and came out. While - they were engaged in adoration, the daughter of a certain king, - accompanied by a host of attendants, came to another margin of the tank to - bathe; and, having finished her ablutions, meditations and prayers, she, - with her own maidens, began to walk about in the shade of the trees. On - this side the minister’s son was seated, and the king’s son was walking - about, when, suddenly, his eyes, and the eyes of the king’s daughter, met. - As soon as he beheld her beauty, the king’s son was fascinated, and began - saying to himself, ‘You wretch, Cupid! why do you molest me?’ And when the - princess beheld the prince, she took in her hand the lotus-flower which - she had fixed on her head after her devotions, placed it to her ear, bit - it with her teeth, put it under her foot, then took it up and pressed it - to her bosom, and, taking her maidens with her, mounted (her chariot) and - departed home.” - </p> - <p> - “And the prince, sinking into the depths of despair, and overwhelmed with - grief on account of her absence, came to the minister’s son, and with a - feeling of shame laid before him the actual, state of affairs, saying, ‘O - friend! I have seen a most beautiful damsel; (but) I know neither her name - nor her abode: should I not possess her, I will give up my life: this I am - firmly resolved upon in my mind.’ Hearing these circumstances, the - minister’s son caused him to mount, and brought him home, it is true; but - the king’s son was so restless from grief at separation, that he entirely - abandoned writing, reading, eating, drinking, sleeping, the business of - government—everything. He used to be constantly sketching her - portrait and gazing at it and weeping; not speaking himself, nor listening - to what others said.” - </p> - <p> - “When the minister’s son saw this state of his, the result of separation - from his flame, he said to him, ‘Whosoever treads the path of love doth - not survive; or if he survive, he suffers great sorrow. * On this account - the wise avoid treading this path.’ The king’s son, on hearing his words, - replied, ‘I, in sooth, have entered upon this path, be there joy in it or - be there pain.’ When he heard so determined a speech from him, he (the - minister’s son) said, ‘Great king! at the time of leaving did she say - anything to you, or you to her?’ Upon this he made answer, saying, ‘I said - nothing, nor did I hear anything from her.’ Then the minister’s son said, - ‘It will be very difficult to find her.’ He said, ‘If she be secured, my - life will be preserved; otherwise, it is lost.’” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * Lit.—Whosoever has placed his step in the path of love - has not survived after it; or if he has survived, then he - has experienced great affliction. -</pre> - <p> - “He enquired again, ‘Did she make no signs even?’ The prince said, ‘These - are the gestures she made,—suddenly seeing me, she took the - lotus-flower from her head, put it to her ear, bit it with her teeth, - placed it under her foot, and pressed it to her bosom.’ On hearing this, - the minister’s son said, ‘I have comprehended her signs, and discovered - her name, habitation, and all about her.’ He (the prince) replied, - ‘Explain to me whatever you have discovered.’ He began to say, ‘Attend, O - king! Her having taken the lotus-flower from her head and put it to her - ear, is equivalent to her having informed you that she is an inhabitant of - the Karnãtak (Carnatic); and in biting it with her teeth, she intimated - that she is the daughter of king Dãnta-vãt; and by pressing it under her - foot, she declared that her name is Padmãvati; and in again taking it up - and pressing it to her bosom, she informed you that you dwell in her - heart.’ When the prince heard these words, he said to him, ‘It is - advisable that you take me to the city in which she dwells.’ No sooner had - he said this than both dressed themselves, girt on their arms, and taking - some jewels with them, mounted their horses and took the road to that - quarter.” - </p> - <p> - “Having reached the Kamãtak after several days, and having arrived below - the palaces of the king in their stroll through the city, what do they see - there but an old woman sitting at her door and plying her cotton-wheel. - The two, dismounting from their horses, approached her, and began to say, - ‘Mother! we are travelling merchants, our goods are following us; we have - come on ahead to seek a lodging; if you will give us a place, we will - abide.’ On looking at their faces and hearing their words, the old woman - took compassion on them and said, ‘This house is yours; remain here as - long as you please,’ In short, they took possession of the house on - hearing, this; and after some delay the old woman came and kindly sat with - them, and began chatting with them. On this, the minister’s son enquired - of her, ‘What family and relations have you got? and how do you subsist?’ - The old woman said, ‘My son is very comfortably provided for in the king’s - service, and your humble servant is the wet-nurse of Padmãvatï, the king’s - daughter; in consequence of old age having overtaken me I remain at home, - but the king provides for my maintenance. Once a day, however, I go - regularly to see that girl; it is on my return from thence, in my home, - alone, that I give vent to my woe.’” - </p> - <p> - “Hearing these words, the prince rejoiced at heart, and said to the old - woman, ‘When you are starting to-morrow, please carry a message from me - too.’ She replied, ‘Son! what need to defer it till tomorrow? I will this - moment convey any message of yours that you communicate to me.’ Then he - said, ‘Do you go and tell her this,—The prince whom you saw on the - margin of the tank on the fifth day of the light half of the month Jeth - has arrived here.’” - </p> - <p> - “On hearing these words the old woman took her stick and went to the - palace. When she got there she found the princess sitting alone. When she - appeared before her, she (the princess) saluted her. - </p> - <p> - “The old woman gave her, her blessing, and said, ‘Daughter! I tended you - in your infancy, and suckled you. God has now caused you to grow up: what - my heart now desires is, that I should see you happy in your prime, then - should I, too, receive comfort.’ Addressing her in such affectionate words - as these, she proceeded to say, ‘The prince whose heart you took captive - on the fifth day of the light half of Je|h, by the side of the tank, has - alighted at my house, (and) has sent you this message, for you to perform - the promise you made him, now that he has arrived. And I tell you, for my - part, that that prince is worthy of you, and is as excellent in - disposition and mental qualities as you are beautiful.’” - </p> - <p> - “On hearing these words she became angry, and applying sandal to her - hands, and slapping the face of the old woman, began to say, ‘Wretch! get - out of my house!’ She rose annoyed, and went, in that very condition, - straight to the prince, and related all that had happened to her. The - prince was astounded at these words. Then the minister’s son spoke, - saying, ‘Great king! feel no anxiety; this matter has not come within your - comprehension.’ Hereupon he said, ‘True; do you then explain it, that my - mind may obtain rest.’ He said, ‘In smearing sandal on the ten fingers, - and striking the (woman on the) face, she intimated, that when the ten - nights of moonlight shall come to an end, she will meet you in the dark.’” - </p> - <p> - “To be brief, after ten days the old woman again went and announced him; - then she tinged three of her fingers with saffron, and struck them on her - cheek, saying, ‘Get out of my house!’ After all, the old woman moved from - thence in despair, and came and related to the prince all that had - occurred. He was engulfed in an ocean of sorrow as soon as he heard it. - Seeing this state of his, the minister’s son said again, ‘Be not alarmed, - the purport of this matter is something else.’ He replied, ‘My heart is - disquieted; tell me quickly.’ Then he said, ‘She is in the state which - women are in every month, and hence has stipulated for three days more; on - the fourth day she will send for you.’ In short, when the three days - elapsed, the old woman made enquiries after her health on the part of the - prince. Then she brought the old woman angrily to the western wicket, and - turned her out. Again the old woman came and informed the prince of this - event: he became cast-down at hearing it. On this the minister’s son said, - ‘The explanation of the affair is, that she has invited you to-night by - way of that wicket.’ He was pleased beyond measure at hearing this. To be - brief, when the hour arrived, they took out brown suits of clothes, - arranged them, fastened on their turbands, dressed themselves, placed - their weapons in order about them, and were ready; by this time midnight - had passed. At that time an universal stillness prevailed, when they, too, - pursued their way in unbroken silence.” - </p> - <p> - “When they arrived near the wicket, the minister’s son remained standing - without, and he (the prince) entered the wicket. What does he perceive, - but the princess, too, standing there expecting him! Thus their eyes met. - Then the princess laughed, and, closing the wicket, took the prince with - her into the festive chamber. Arrived there, the prince beheld censers - filled with perfume alight in different parts of the room, and maidens - dressed in garments of various colours standing respectfully, with hands - joined, each according to her station; on one side a couch of flowers - spread; atr-holders, pan-boxes, rose-water bottles, trays and - four-partitioned boxes arranged in order; on another side, compound - essences, prepared sandal-wood, mixed perfumes, musk, and saffron filled - in metal cups; here, coloured boxes of exquisite confections laid out; - there, sweetmeats of various kinds placed in order; all the doors and - walls adorned with pictures and paintings, and holding such faces, that - the beholder would be enchanted, at the very sight of each single one. In - short, everything that could contribute to pleasure and enjoyment was got - together. The whole scene was one of an extraordinary character, of which - no adequate description can be given.” - </p> - <p> - “Such was the apartment to which the princess Padmãvatï took the prince - and gave him a seat, and having his feet washed, and applying sandal to - his body, and placing a garland of flowers round his neck, and sprinkling - rose-water over him, began fanning him with her own hands. Upon this the - prince said, ‘At the mere sight of you I have become refreshed; why do you - take so much trouble? These delicate hands are not fit to handle a fan; - give me the fan; you be seated.’ Padmãvatï replied, ‘Great king! you have - been at great trouble to come here for my sake, it behoves me to wait upon - you.’ Then a maiden took the fan from the princess’s hand, and said, ‘This - is my business; I will attend on you, and do you both enjoy yourselves.’ - They began eating betel-leaf together, and engaging in familiar - conversation, when, by this time, it became morning. The princess - concealed him; (and) when night came on, they again engaged in amorous - pleasures. Thus several days passed away. Whenever the prince showed a - wish to depart the princess would not permit him. A month passed thus; - then the prince became much disturbed, and very anxious.” - </p> - <p> - “Once it happened that he was sitting alone by night and thinking thus to - himself, ‘Country, throne, family,—everything had already been - separated from me; but such a friend as mine, by whose means I found all - this happiness, even him have I not met for a whole month! What will he be - saying in his heart? and how do I know what may be happening to him?’ He - was sitting occupied with these anxious thoughts when, in the meanwhile, - the princess too arrived, and seeing his predicament, began to inquire, - ‘Great king! what grief possesses you that you are sitting so dispirited - here? Tell me.’ Then he said, ‘I have a very dear friend, the son of the - minister; for a whole month I have received no accounts of him: he is such - a clever, learned friend, that through <i>his</i> talents (it was that) I - obtained thee, and <i>he</i> (it was who) explained all thy secrets.’ The - princess said, ‘Great king! your soul is really there; what happiness can - you enjoy here? Hence, this is best,—I will prepare confections and - sweetmeats, and all kinds of meats, and have them sent; do you, too, go - there and feast and comfort him well, and return with your mind at ease.’” - </p> - <p> - “On hearing this the prince rose up and came forth; and the princess had - different kinds of sweetmeats, with poison mixed, cooked and sent. The - prince had but just gone and sat beside the minister’s son when the - sweetmeats arrived. The minister’s son enquired, ‘Great king! how did - these sweetmeats come here?’ The prince replied, ‘I was sitting there - anxious concerning you, when the princess came, and looking at me, asked, - ‘Why do you sit cast-down? Explain the reason of it.’ On this I gave her a - full account of your skill in reading secrets. * On hearing this account, - she gave me permission to come to you, and had these sent for you; if you - will partake of them, my heart, too, will be rejoiced.’ Then the - minister’s son said, ‘You have brought poison for me; it is well, indeed, - that <i>you</i> did not eat of it. Sire! listen to a word from me,—a - woman has no love for her lover’s friend: you did not act wisely in - mentioning my name there.’ On hearing this the prince said, ‘You talk of - such a thing as no one would ever do: if man have no fear of man, it is to - be presumed he fears God at least.’” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * In thus translating, I take bhed-chaturãï as a compound: - other translators render it, “the secrets of your - cleverness,” which seems to me to be grammatically - inadmissible, and to lose the sense. -</pre> - <p> - “With these words he took a round sweetmeat from among them and threw it - to a dog. As soon as the dog ate it he died convulsed. Seeing this turn of - affairs, the prince became incensed, and began to say, ‘It is unbecoming - to associate with so false a woman; up to this hour her love has found - place in my heart; now, however, it is all over.’ * On hearing this the - minister’s son said, ‘Your majesty! what has happened, has happened (i.e., - let bygones be bygones); you should now act in such a manner that you may - be able to get her away to your home.’ The prince said, ‘Brother! this, - too, can be accomplished by you alone.’ The minister’s son said, ‘To-day - do this one thing,—go again to Padmãvati, and do just what I tell - you,—first go and display much regard and affection for her; (and) - when she falls asleep, take off her jewels, and strike her on the left - thigh with this trident, and instantly come away from thence.’” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * This translation may seem rather free, but it is not wide - of the sense, which is, “I know well that I have no lore for - her now.” This peculiarly idiomatic use of the word mdlum - occurs in the Bagh-o-bahãr, Arãyishi Mahfil, and many other - Urdu works, and has ever proved a stumbling-block to - translators. -</pre> - <p> - “Having received these instructions, the prince went to Padmãvati at - night, and after much affectionate conversation, they both lay down - together to sleep; but he was secretly watching his opportunity..To be - brief, when the princess fell asleep, he took off all her ornaments, - struck her on the left thigh with the trident, and came to his own house. - He recounted all the occurrences to the minister’s son, and laid the - jewels before him. He then took up the jewels, took the prince with him, - and, assuming the guise of a devotee, went and sat in a place for burning - bodies. He himself took the part of a spiritual teacher, and making him - (the prince) his disciple, said to him, ‘You go into the market and sell - these jewels; if anyone should seize you while doing this, bring him to - me.’” - </p> - <p> - “Receiving his instructions, the prince took the jewels with him to the - city, and showed them to a goldsmith in close proximity to the king’s - palace-gate. As soon as he saw them he recognised them, and said, ‘These - are the princess’s jewels; tell me truly, where did you get them?’ He was - saying this to him when ten or twenty more men gathered round. To be - brief, the kotwãl, hearing the news, sent men and had the prince, together - with the jewels and the goldsmith, seized and brought before him, and - inspecting the jewels, asked him to state truly where he had got them. - When he said, ‘My spiritual preceptor has given them to me to sell, but I - know not whence he got them,’—then the kotwãl had the preceptor also - apprehended and brought before him, and taking them both, together with - the jewels, into the presence of the king, related all the circumstances.” - </p> - <p> - “On hearing the narrative the king addressed the devotee, saying, ‘Master! - whence did you obtain these jewels?’ The devotee said, ‘Your majesty! on - the fourteenth night of the dark lunar fortnight I visited a - burning-ground to perfect some spells for a witch: when the witch came, I - took off her jewels and apparel, and made the impression of a trident on - her left thigh; in this way these ornaments came into my possession.’ On - hearing this statement of the devotee’s, the king went into his private - apartments, and the devotee to his seat * (in the burning-ground). The - king said to the queen, ‘Just see if there is a mark on Padmãvati’s left - thigh or not, and (if so) what sort of a mark there is.’ The queen having - gone and looked, found the mark of a trident. She returned and said to the - king, ‘Your majesty! there are three parallel marks; indeed, it appears as - if some one had struck her with a trident.’” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * The ãsan is, generally, the skin of a deer, or leopard, or - tiger, which religious mendicants carry with them to sit - upon. The hide of a black antelope is commonly preferred. - Some of the gods are fabled to use the lotus-flower for the - purpose. -</pre> - <p> - “On hearing this account, the king came out and sent for the kotwãl, and - told him to go and bring the devotee. The kotwãl set off to bring the - devotee on the instant of receiving the order; and the king began - reflecting thus,—‘The affairs of one’s household, and the intentions - of one’s heart, and any loss which has befallen one—these it is not - right to disclose to anyone;’ when, in the interval, the kotwãl brought - the devotee into the presence. Then the king took the devotee aside and - questioned him, saying, ‘Spiritual guide! what punishment is laid down in - the scriptures for a woman?’ On this the devotee said, ‘Your majesty! if a - Brahman, a cow, a wife, a child, or any one dependent on us, be guilty of - a disgraceful act, it is prescribed that such should be banished from the - country.’” - </p> - <p> - “On hearing this the king had Padmãvati conveyed away in a litter and left - in a jungle. Thereupon both the prince and the minister’s son started from - their lodging on horseback, went to that jungle, took the Princess - Padmãvati with them, and set out for their own country. After some days - each reached his father’s house. The greatest joy took possession of all, - high and low; and these (i.e., the prince and the princess,) entered upon - a life of mutual happiness.” - </p> - <p> - After relating so much of the tale the sprite asked King Vikramãjït, “To - which of those four does guilt attach? If you do not decide this point, - you will be cast into hell.” King Vikram said, “The guilt attaches to the - king.” The sprite replied, “How does the sin fall on the king?” Vikram - answered him thus, “The minister’s son simply did his duty to his master; - and the kotwãl obeyed the king’s command; and the princess attained her - object; hence, the guilt falls on the king for having inconsiderately - expelled her from the country.” - </p> - <p> - On hearing these words from the king’s mouth, the sprite went and - suspended himself on that same tree. - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <a name="link2H_4_0006" id="link2H_4_0006"> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - TALE II. - </h2> - <p class="pfirst"> - <span class="dropcap" style="font-size: 4.00em">O</span>n looking about - him, the king perceived that the sprite was not present; so he went - straight away back, and, reaching that place, climbed up the tree, bound - the corpse, and placing him on his shoulders, set off. Then the sprite - said, “O king! the second story is as follows:—” - </p> - <p> - “On the bank of the Yamunã (Jamnã) is a city named Dharmmasthal, the king - of which is named Gunãdhip. Moreover, a Brahman named Kesava lives there, - who is in the habit of performing his devotions and religious duties on - the banks of the Jamnã; and his daughter’s name was Madhumãvati. She was - very beautiful. When she became marriageable, her mother, father, and - brother, were all three intent on getting her married. It happened that - while her father had gone one day, with one of his supporters, * to a - marriage ceremony somewhere, and her brother to his teacher’s in the - village, for instruction, in their absence a Brahman’s son came to the - house. Her mother, seeing the youth’s beauty. and excellent qualities, - said, ‘I will give my daughter in marriage to thee.’ And there the Brahman - had agreed to give his daughter to a young Brahman; while his son had - given his word to a Brahman at the place where he had gone to study, that - he would give him his sister.” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * Jafman, from the Sanskrit Yajamãna is a person who - institutes a sacrifice, and pays for it. In a village where - there is a hereditary priest, the priest’s fees are paid by - the villagers (who constitute his jajmãn), and that whether - they choose to employ his services, or those of any other - priest. I object, therefore, to the meaning of “employer” as - being inexact, and to that of “customer” as being both - inexact and inelegant. -</pre> - <p> - “After some days those two (i.e., the father and son) arrived with the two - youths, and here (at home) the third youth was stopping from the first - (awaiting them). One’s name was Tribikram, the other’s Bãman; the third’s - Madhusüdan; they were all on a par in point of good looks, moral - excellence, learning, and age. On seeing them, the Brahman began to - reflect thus, ‘One girl, and three suitors-elect! To whom shall I give - her, to whom not? And we have all three given our words to the three of - them: this is a strange piece of business that has happened! What shall I - do?’” - </p> - <p> - “He was sitting reflecting thus when in the meantime a snake bit the girl, - (and) she died. On hearing the news, her father, brother, and the three - youths, all five ran off in a body, and, after much toil and trouble, - brought all the snake-charmers, conjurers, and as many practisers of magic - arts for the purpose of expelling poison, as there were (in the place). - They all looked at the girl, and said she could not be restored to life. - The first said, ‘A man bitten by a snake on the fifth, sixth, eighth, - nine, or fourteenth day of the lunar month does not survive.’ A second - said, ‘One who has been bitten on a Saturday or Tuesday, too, does not - live.’ A third said, ‘Poison which has ascended (into the system) when the - moon is in the fourth, tenth, ninth, sixteenth, nineteenth, and third - asterisms of its path, does not descend.’ * A fourth said, ‘One bitten in - any of the following members, viz., an organ of sense, the lips, the - cheek, the neck, the abdomen, or the navel, cannot escape.’” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * Any one who has seen the conjurers at work will know that - the operator always pretends to work the poison ont of the - system downwards, from the head towards the feet; hence the - expressions “ascending” and “descend” in connection with the - action of the poison. -</pre> - <p> - “A fifth said, ‘In this instance even Brahma could not restore to life; of - what account are we then? Do you now perform her funeral rites; we are - off.’ Having said this, the conjurers went away; and the Brahman took the - corpse away, burnt it in the place for such rites, and went off.” - </p> - <p> - “Now, after he had gone, those three youths acted in this wise:—One - of them picked up and fastened together her charred bones, and becoming a - religious mendicant, went forth to wander from forest to forest. - </p> - <p> - “The second, having tied her ashes up in a bundle, built a hut, and began - living on that very spot. The third became a devotee, furnished himself - with a wallet and neck-band, and set out to wander from land to land. One - day he went to a Brahman’s house in some country for food. The resident * - Brahman, on seeing him, began to say. ‘Very well; eat food here to-day.’ - On hearing this he sat down there. When the food was ready, he had his - hands and feet washed, and took and seated him in the square place where - the food was cooked, and himself sat down near him; and his wife came to - serve out the food. Some was served, some remained, when her youngest son - cried, and seized the border of his mother’s mantle. She was trying to - make him let it go, but he would not; and as much as she tried to soothe - him, he but cried the more, and became more obstinate. On this the - Brahman’s wife, becoming angry, took up the child and threw him into the - burning fire-place; the child was burnt to ashes.” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * The word grihasti means properly a Brahman who is settled - in a house and performs the duties of the father of a - family. -</pre> - <p> - “When the Brahman (the guest) witnessed this occurrence, he rose up - without eating anything. Then the master of the house said, ‘Why do you - not eat?’ He replied, ‘How can one partake of food in his house where a - diabolical deed has been perpetrated.’ On hearing this the householder - arose, and going to another part of his house, brought a book on the - science of restoring to life, took a charm from it, muttered some prayers, - and brought his son back to life. Then that Brahman, seeing this wonder, - began to ponder in his mind, ‘If this book were to fall into my hands I, - too, could restore my beloved to life.’ Having made up his mind on this - point, he ate the food, and tarried there. To be brief, when night came - on, after some time all partook of supper, and went and lay down in their - respective places, and were chatting together on one subject or another. - The Brahman, too, went and lay down apart, but kept lying awake. When he - thought that the night was far advanced, and all had gone to sleep, he - arose quietly, softly entered his (host’s) room, took that book, and - decamped; and in the course of several days he arrived at the place where - he (the father) had burnt the Brahman’s daughter. He found the other two - Brahmans there also, sitting and conversing together. Those two also, - recognising him, approached and met him, and inquired, saying, ‘Brother! - you have wandered from land to land, it is true; but, tell us, have you - learned any science as well?’ - </p> - <p> - “He said, ‘I have learned the science of restoring the dead to life.’ As - soon as they heard this, they said, ‘If you have learned this, restore our - beloved to life.’ He replied, ‘Make a heap of the ashes and bones, and I - will restore it to life.’ They gathered together the ashes and bones. Then - he took a charm out of the book, and muttered prayers; the girl rose up - alive. Thereupon Cupid so blinded the three of them that they began - wrangling among themselves.” - </p> - <p> - Having related so much of the tale, the sprite said, “O king! tell me - this; to whom did that woman (by right) belong? (or, whose wife was - she?).” King Vikram replied, “To him who built the hut and stayed there.” - The sprite said, “If he had not preserved the bones, how could she have - been restored to life? And if the other had not returned instructed in the - science, how could he have restored her to life?” The king made answer - thus:—“He who had preserved her bones, occupied the place of her - son; and he who gave her life, became, as it were, her father; hence, she - became the wife of him who built a hut and remained there with the ashes.” - On hearing this answer, the sprite went again and suspended himself on - that tree. The king, too, arrived close at his heels, and, having bound - him, and placed him on his shoulder, started off with him again. - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <a name="link2H_4_0007" id="link2H_4_0007"> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - TALE III. - </h2> - <p class="pfirst"> - <span class="dropcap" style="font-size: 4.00em">T</span>he sprite said, “O - king! there is a city named Bardwãn, wherein is a king named Rüpsen. It - happened one day that the king was seated in an apartment adjoining the - gate (of his palace), when, from without the gate, the loud voices of some - people reached him. The king said, ‘Who is at the gate? and what noise is - that taking place?’ Upon this the gatekeeper replied, ‘Great king! you - have asked a fine question! Knowing this to be the gate of a wealthy - personage, numbers of persons of all kinds come and sit at it for the sake - of money, and converse on a variety of topics; this is <i>their</i> - noise.’” - </p> - <p> - “On hearing this the king kept silent. In the meanwhile a traveller, named - Birbar, a Rajput, came from the south to the king’s gate, in the hope of - obtaining service. The gate-keeper, after ascertaining his circumstances, - said to the king, ‘Your majesty! an armed man has come in the hope of - entering your service, and stands at the door: with your majesty’s leave - he shall come before you.’ Having heard this, the king gave the order to - bring him in. He went and brought him. Then the king asked, ‘O Rãjpüt! How - much shall I allow thee for daily expenses?’ On hearing this Birbar said, - ‘Give me a thousand <i>tolas</i> (about 833 oz.) of gold daily, and I - shall be able to subsist.’ The king enquired, ‘How many persons are there - with you (dependent on you)?’ He replied, ‘First, my wife; second, a son; - third, a daughter; fourth, myself: there is no fifth person with me.’ - Hearing him speak thus, all the people of the king’s court turned away - their faces and began laughing; but the king began to consider why he had - asked for a large sum of money. Ultimately he thought it out in his own - mind, that a vast sum of money given away will some day prove of - advantage. Coming to this conclusion, he sent for his treasurer and said, - ‘Give this Birbar a thousand <i>tolas</i> of gold daily from my treasury.’ - </p> - <p> - “On hearing this order, Birbar took a thousand <i>tolas</i> of gold for - that day, and brought it to the place where he was staying, and dividing - it into two parts, distributed one half among the Brahmans; and again - dividing the remaining half into two parts, distributed one portion - thereof among pilgrims, devotees, the worshippers of Vishnu, and religious - mendicants; and of the one part which remained he had food cooked and fed - the poor, and what remained over he consumed himself. In this way he, with - his wife and children, used regularly to subsist. And every night he used - to take his sword and shield and go and mount guard over the king’s couch; - and when the king, roused from sleep, used to call out, ‘Is any, one in - waiting?’ then he used to answer, ‘Birbar is in attendance; what may be - your commands?’ Thus answered he whenever the king called out, and - thereupon, whatever he (the king) ordered to be done, he executed.” - </p> - <p> - “In this way, through eagerness for wealth, he used to keep awake the - whole night long; nay, whether eating, drinking, sleeping, sitting still, - or moving about (that is to say) during the whole twenty-four hours (<i>lit.</i> - eight watches), he used to keep his lord in mind. The practice is, that if - one person sells another, this one becomes sold; but a servant, by - entering service, sells <i>himself</i>; and, when sold, he becomes a - dependant; and once dependant, he has no prospect of peace. It is - notorious, that however clever, wise, and learned he may be, still, when - he is in his master’s presence, he remains quite silent, like a dumb - person, through fear. So long as he is aloof from him, he is at rest. On - this account it is that the learned say, ‘To perform the duties of a - servant is more difficult than to perform religious duties.’” - </p> - <p> - “(To) the story: It is related, that one day the weeping voice of a woman - chanced to come at night-time from the burning-ground. On hearing it the - king called out, ‘Is any one in waiting?’ Birbar instantly answered, ‘I am - here; your commands.’ Thereupon the king gave him this order,—‘Go to - the spot whence yon weeping voice of a woman proceeds, and enquire of her - the cause of her weeping, and return quickly.’ Having given him this order - the king began to say to himself, ‘Whosoever desires to test his servant - should order him to do things in season and out of season; if he execute - his order, know that he is worth something; and if he object, be sure that - he is worthless. And in this same way prove brethren and friends in days - of adversity, and a wife in poverty.’” - </p> - <p> - “In fine, on receiving this order, he took the direction whence the sound - of her weeping proceeded; and the king also, after dressing himself in - black, followed him secretly, for the purpose of observing his courage. In - this interval Birbar arrived there. What does he behold in the - burning-ground, but a beautiful woman, lavishly decked with jewels from - head to foot, crying aloud and bitterly! At one moment she was dancing, at - another leaping, at another running; and not a tear in her eyes! And while - repeatedly beating her head, and crying out, ‘Alas! alas!’ she kept - dashing herself on the ground. Seeing this her condition, Birbar asked, - ‘Why art thou crying and beating thyself so violently? Who art thou? and - what trouble has befallen thee?’” - </p> - <p> - “On this she said, ‘I am the royal glory.’ Birbar said, ‘Why art thou - weeping?’ Upon this she began relating her case to Birbar, saying, - ‘Impious acts (<i>lit</i>. acts such as a Shüdra performs) are committed - in the king’s house, whence misfortune will find admission therein, and I - shall depart thence; after the lapse of a month the king will suffer much - affliction and die; this is the sorrow which makes me weep. Further, I - have enjoyed great happiness in his house, and hence this regret: and this - matter will in nowise prove false.’” - </p> - <p> - “Birbar then asked, ‘Is there any such remedy for it, whereby the king may - escape, and live a hundred years?’ She said, ‘Towards the east, at a - distance of four <i>kos</i> (eight miles), is a temple sacred to (the - goddess) Devi; if you will cut off your son’s head with your own hand, and - offer it to that goddess, then the king will reign a hundred years - precisely as he now reigns, and no harm of any kind will’ befall the - king.’” - </p> - <p> - “As soon as he had heard these words, Birbar went home, and the king also - followed him. To be brief, when he got home, he awoke his wife, and - minutely related the whole story to her. On hearing the circumstances, she - roused the son alone; but the daughter also awoke. Then that woman said to - her boy, ‘Son! by sacrificing your head the king’s life will be saved, and - the government, too, will endure.’ When the boy heard this, he said, - ‘Mother! in the first place, it is your command; in the second, it is for - my lord’s service; thirdly, if this body come of use to a deity, nothing - in the world is better for me; in my opinion, than this: it is not right - to delay any longer now in this business. There is a saying, ‘If one have - a son, to have him under control,—a body, free from disease,—science, - such that one benefits thereby,—a friend, prudent,—a wife, - submissive,—if these five things are obtainable by man, they are the - bestowers of happiness and the averters of trouble: if a servant be - unwilling, a king parsimonious, a friend insincere, and a wife - disobedient, these four things are the banishers of peace and the - promoters of misery.’” - </p> - <p> - “Birbar again addressed his wife, saying, ‘If thou wilt willingly give up - thy child, I will take him away and sacrifice him for the king.’ She - replied, saying, ‘I have no concern with son, daughter, brother, kinsfolk, - mother, father, or any one; from you it is that my happiness proceeds; and - in the moral Code, too, it is thus written,—‘A woman is purified - neither by offerings nor by religious offices; her religion consists in - serving and honouring her husband, no matter whether he be lame, maimed in - the hands, dumb, deaf, blind of both eyes, blind of one eye, a leper, - hunch-backed,—of whatever kind he be, if she perform any description - of virtuous action in the world, while she does not obey her husband, she - will fall into hell.’ His son said, ‘Father! the man by whom’ his master’s - business is accomplished—<i>his</i> continuing to live in the world - is attended with advantage; and in this there is advantage in both - worlds.’ Then his daughter said, ‘If the mother give poison to the - daughter, and the father sell the son, and the king seize everything, then - whose protection shall we seek?”’ - </p> - <p> - “The four, deliberating with one another somewhat after the above fashion, - went to the temple of Devi. The king also secretly followed them. When - Birbar arrived there, he entered the temple, paid his adoration to Devi, - and joined his hands in supplication, and said, ‘O Devi! grant that by the - sacrificing of my son the king may live a hundred years.’ Saying so much, - he struck such a blow with the sword that his son’s head fell upon the - ground. On witnessing her brother’s death, the daughter struck a blow with - the sword on her own neck, so that her head and body fell asunder. Seeing - her son and daughter dead, Birbar’s wife struck such a stroke with the - sword on her own neck, that her head was severed from her body. Further, - seeing the death of those three, Birbar, reflecting in his mind, began to - say, ‘When my <i>son</i> is dead, for whose sake shall I retain service? - and to whom shall I give the gold I receive from the king?’ Having - reflected thus, he struck such a blow with the sword on his own neck, that - his head was severed from his body. Again, beholding the death of these - four, the king sajd to himself, ‘For my sake the lives of his family have - perished; accursed is it any longer to govern a realm for which the whole - family of one is destroyed, while one holds sovereignty; it is no virtue - thus to reign.’ Having deliberated thus, the king was on the point of - killing himself with the sword; in the meantime, however, Devi came and - seized his hand, and said, ‘Son! I am well pleased at thy courage, and - will grant thee whatever boon thou mayest ask of me.’ The king said, - ‘Mother! if thou art pleased, restore all these four to life.’ Devi said, - ‘This same shall take place,’ and on the instant of saying it, Bhawãni - brought the water of life from the nether regions, and restored all four - to life. After that the king bestowed half his kingdom on Birbar.” - </p> - <p> - Having related so much, the sprite said, “Blessed is the servant who did - not grudge his life, and that of his family, for his master’s sake! And - happy is the king who showed no eagerness to cling to his dominion and his - life. O king! I ask you this,—Whose virtue, of those five, was the - most excellent?” Then King Vikramãjït said, “The king’s virtue was the - greatest.” The sprite asked, “Why?” Then the king answered, saying, “It - behoves the servant to lay down his life for his master, for this is his - duty; but since the king gave up his throne for the sake of his servant, - and valued not his life at a straw, the king’s merit was the superior.” - Having heard these words, the sprite again went and suspended himself on - the tree in that burning-ground. - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <a name="link2H_4_0008" id="link2H_4_0008"> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - TALE IV. - </h2> - <p class="pfirst"> - <span class="dropcap" style="font-size: 4.00em">T</span>he king, having - gone there again, bound the sprite and brought him away. Then the sprite - said, “O king! there is a town named Bhogwati, of which Rüpsen is the - king, and he has a parrot named Chürãman. One day the king asked the - parrot, ‘What different things do you know?’ Then the parrot said, ‘Your - majesty! I know everything.’ The king rejoined, ‘Tell me, then, if you - know where there is a beautiful maiden equal to me in rank.’ Then the - parrot said, ‘Your majesty! in the country of Magadh there is a king named - Magadheshwar, and his daughter’s name is Chandrãvatï; you will be married - to her. She is very beautiful, and very learned.’” - </p> - <p> - “On hearing these words from the parrot, the king summoned an astrologer - named Chandrakãnt, and asked him, ‘To what maid shall I be married?’ He - also, having made the discovery through his knowledge of astrology, said, - ‘There is a maiden named Chandrãvatï; you will be married to her.’ - </p> - <p> - “Hearing these words, the king summoned a Brahman, and after explaining - all, said to him at the moment of despatching him to King Magadheshwar, - ‘If you return, after placing the arrangements for my marriage on a firm - basis, I will make you happy.’ Having heard these words, the Brahman took - leave.” - </p> - <p> - “Now, in the possession of King Magadheshwar’s daughter was a <i>maina,</i> - whose name was <i>Madanmanjari.</i> - </p> - <p> - “In the same way the princess, too, one day asked Madanmanjari, ‘Where is - there a husband worthy of me?’ On this the <i>maina</i> said, ‘Rüpsen is - the King of Bhogwati; <i>he</i> will be thy lord.’ To be brief, unseen (of - one another), the one had become enamoured of the other, when, in the - course of a few days, the Brahman also arrived there, and delivered his - own sovereign’s message to that king. He too consented to his proposal, - and summoning a Brahman of his own, entrusted to him the nuptial gifts and - all customary things, sent him along with that Brahman, and gave him this - injunction, ‘Do you go and present my compliments to the king, and having - marked his forehead with the usual unguents, return quickly: when you - return I will make preparations for the wedding.’” - </p> - <p> - “The short of the story is, the two Brahmans set out thence. In the course - of some days they arrived at King Rüpsen’s, and related all the - occurrences of that place. On hearing this the king was pleased, and after - making all (necessary) preparations, set out to be married. Reaching that - country after some days, he married, and after receiving the bridal gifts - and dowry, and bidding adieu to the king, started for his own kingdom. - When leaving, the princess took Madanmanjari’s cage with her too. After - some days they arrived in their own country, and commenced living happily - in their palace.” - </p> - <p> - “It happened one day that the cages of both the parrot and the <i>mainã</i> - were placed near the throne, and the king and queen entered into - conversation, saying, ‘No one’s life passes happily without a companion; - hence it is best for us to marry the parrot and <i>mainã</i> to one - another, and put them both in one cage; then will they also live happily.’ - After conversing together thus, they had a large cage brought, and put - both into it.” - </p> - <p> - “Some days after, the king and queen were seated conversing with each - other, when the parrot began to talk to the <i>mainã</i>, saying, ‘Sexual - intercourse is the essence of all bliss in this world; and he who, on - being born into the world, has not enjoyed sexual intercourse—his - life has been passed in vain. Hence, do thou let me copulate with thee.’ - On hearing this the <i>mainã</i> said, ‘I have no desire for a male.’ - Thereupon he inquired ‘Why?’ The <i>mainã</i> said, ‘The male sex are - sinful, irreligious, deceivers, and wife-killers.’ Hearing this, the - parrot said, ‘The female sex, too, are deceitful, false, stupid, - avaricious creatures, and murderesses.’” - </p> - <p> - “When the two commenced wrangling in this manner, the king asked, ‘Why are - you two quarrelling with each other?’ The <i>maina</i> replied, ‘Great - king! the male sex are evil-doers and wife-killers, and hence I have no - desire to have a male partner. Your majesty! I will tell you a tale, do - you be pleased to hearken; for such (as I describe them) are men.’” - </p> - <h3> - THE MAINA’S STORY. - </h3> - <p> - “‘There was a city named Ilãpur, and a merchant named Mahãdhan dwelt - there, who could not get a family. On this account he was continually - making pilgrimages and keeping fasts, and always hearing the Purãnas read, - and he used to give gifts largely to the Brahmans. In fine, after some - considerable time, by God’s will, a son was born in that merchant’s house. - He celebrated the event with great pomp, and gave large gifts to the - Brahmans and bards, and also gave away a good deal to the hungry, thirsty, - and indigent. When he reached the age of five years, he placed him (in - school) for instruction. He used to leave home for the purpose of - learning, but used to gamble with the boys when he got there.” - </p> - <p> - “‘After some time the merchant died, and he (the son) becoming his own - master, used to spend his days in gambling and his nights in fornication. - Thus he dissipated his whole wealth in a few years, and having no - alternative, quitted his country, and proceeding from bad to worse, - arrived at the city of Chandrapur. In that place dwelt a merchant named - Hemgupt, who possessed much wealth. He went to him, and mentioned his - father’s name and circumstances. He (the merchant) felt instant pleasure - on hearing these accounts; and rising and embracing him, inquired, ‘How - came you here?’ Then he said, ‘I had engaged a vessel, and set out for an - island to trade, and having arrived there, and sold the goods, had taken - in other goods as cargo, and left with the vessel for my own land, when - suddenly so violent a storm arose that the ship was wrecked, and I was - left seated on a plank; and so, drifting on, I have reached this shore. - But I feel a sense of shame at having lost all my property and wealth. How - can I now return and show my face to my fellow-citizens in this state?’” - </p> - <p> - “‘To be brief, when he uttered such words in his presence, he (the - merchant) too began to think to himself, ‘God has relieved me of any - anxiety without any effort of my own (<i>lit</i>. I sitting at home); now, - a coincidence like this occurs through the mercy of God alone; it behoves - me to make no delay now. The best thing to be done is to give my girl in - marriage * to him; whatever is done now is best; as for the morrow—who - knows what it may bring forth!’ Forming this grand design in his mind, he - came to his wife and began to say, ‘A merchant’s son has arrived; if you - approve, we will give Ratnãvati in marriage to him.’ She, too, was - delighted on hearing (this), and said, ‘Sir merchant! when God brings - about a coincidence like this, then alone does it occur; for the desire of - our hearts has been obtained without our bestirring ourselves in the least - (<i>lit</i>., we sitting quietly at home); hence, it is best not to delay, - but quickly send for the family priest, have the auspicious moment - determined, and give her away in marriage.’ Hereupon the merchant sent for - the priest, had the fortunate planetary conjunction determined, and gave - his daughter away, bestowing a large dowry upon her. In fine, when the - marriage had taken place, they commenced living together there.” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * Lit. “make the girl’s hands yellow.” Among the Hindus, for - some days before marriage, the hands of a betrothed couple - are stained yellow with turmeric. -</pre> - <p> - “‘To proceed:—After some days, he said to the merchant’s daughter, - ‘A long time has passed since I arrived in your land, and no news of my - household has reached me, and my mind remains troubled in consequence. I - have told you my whole case; you should now so explain matters to your - mother that she may, of her own free will, allow me to depart, that I may - return to my own city. If it be your wish, do you also come.’ On this, she - said to her mother, ‘My husband desires permission to depart to his own - land; do you, too, act in such a manner now that his mind may receive no - pain.’” - </p> - <p> - “‘The merchant’s wife went to her husband, and said, ‘Your son-in-law asks - leave to return home.’ On hearing this, the merchant said, ‘Very well; we - will let him go, for we can exercise no authority over a stranger’s son; - we will, do that alone wherein his pleasure consists.’ Having said this, - he sent for his daughter, and asked, ‘Will you go to your father-in-law’s, - or remain at your mother’s? Speak your own mind.’ At this she blushed, and - gave no answer, (but) returned to her husband, and said, ‘My parents have - declared that they will do that wherein your pleasure consists; don’t you - leave me behind.’ To be brief, the merchant summoned his son-in-law, - loaded him with wealth, and dismissed him, and allowed his daughter to - accompany him in a litter, together with a female servant. After this, he - set out from thence.” - </p> - <p> - “‘When he reached a certain jungle, he said to the merchant’s daughter, - ‘There is great danger here; if you will take off your jewels and give - them to me, I will fasten them round my waist; when we come to a town you - can put them on again.’ She no sooner heard this than she took off all her - ornaments, and he having taken them, and sent away the bearers of the - litter, killed the woman-servant and threw her into a well, and pushing - her (his wife) into a well also, went off to his own country with all the - jewels.” - </p> - <p> - “‘In the meantime, a traveller came along that road, and hearing the sound - of weeping, stopped, and began to say to himself, ‘How comes the weeping - voice of a human bring (to be heard) in this jungle?’ Having reflected - thus, he proceeded in the direction of the sound of the crying, and - perceived a well. On looking into it, what does he behold but a woman - weeping! Then he took out the woman, and commenced questioning her on her - circumstances, saying, ‘Who art thou, and how didst thou fall into this - (well)?’ On hearing this, she said, ‘I am the daughter of Hemgupt, the - merchant, and was accompanying my husband to his country, when thieves - waylaid us, killed my servant and threw her into a well, and bound and - carried off my husband together with my jewels. I have no intelligence of - him, nor he of me.’ When he heard this, the traveller took her along with - him, and left her at the merchant’s door.” - </p> - <p> - “‘She went to her parents. They, at the sight of her, began enquiring, - ‘What has happened to thee?’ She said, ‘Robbers came and plundered us on - the road, and after killing the servant and casting her into a well, - pushed me into a dry well, and bound and carried off my husband, together - with my jewels. When they began demanding more money, he said to them, - ‘You have taken all I possessed, what have I now left?’ Beyond this, - whether they killed him or let him go, I have no knowledge.’ Then her - father said, ‘Daughter! feel no anxiety; thy husband lives, and, God - willing, will join thee in a few days, for robbers take money, not life.’” - </p> - <p> - “‘In fine, the merchant gave her other ornaments in place’ of all that had - disappeared, and comforted and consoled her greatly. And the merchant’s - son, also, having reached home, and sold the jewels, spent his days and - nights in the company of loose women, and in gambling, so much so, that - all his money was expended. Then he came to want bread. At last, when he - began to suffer extreme misery, he one day bethought himself of going to - his father-in-law’s, and pretending that a grandson had been born to him, - and that he had come to congratulate him on the event. Having determined - on this in his mind, he set out.” - </p> - <p> - “‘In the course of several days he arrived there. When he was about to - enter the house, his wife saw from the front that her husband was coming - (and said to herself), ‘He must not be allowed to turn back through any - apprehension he may feel.’ Upon this she approached him and said, - ‘Husband! be not at all troubled in mind; I have told my father that - robbers came and killed my servant, and after making me take off all my - jewels, and casting me into a well, bound and carried off my husband. Do - you tell the same tale; feel no anxiety; the house is yours, and I am your - slave.’ After speaking thus she entered the house. He went to the - merchant, who rose and embraced him, and questioned him on all that had - befallen him. He related everything precisely as his wife had instructed - him to do.” - </p> - <p> - “‘Rejoicings took place throughout the house. Then the merchant, after - providing him with the means of bathing, and placing food before him, and - after ministering much comfort, said, ‘This house is yours, abide (here) - in peace.’ He commenced living there. In brief, after several days the - merchant’s daughter came and lay with him one night with her jewels on, - and fell asleep. When it was midnight, he perceived that she had fallen - into a sound sleep. He then inflicted such a wound on her neck, that she - died; and after stripping her of all her jewels, he took the road to his - own country.” - </p> - <p> - “‘After narrating so much the <i>maina</i> said, ‘This, your majesty! I - saw with my own eyes. For this reason I have no wish to have anything to - do with a male. You see, your majesty! what villains men are! Who would - love such, and so cherish a serpent in her own home? Will your majesty be - pleased to consider this point,—What crime had that woman - committed?’” - </p> - <p> - “Having heard this, the king said, ‘O parrot! do you tell me what faults - there are in women.’ Thereupon the parrot said, ‘Attend, O king!’” - </p> - <h3> - THE PARROT’S STORY. - </h3> - <p> - “‘There is a city (called) Kanchanpur, where (dwelt) a merchant, named - Sãgardatt, whose son’s name was Shridatt. The name of another city is - Jayshripur, where there was a merchant, named Somadatt, and his daughter’s - name was Jayshri. She had married the son of that merchant, and the son - had gone to a certain country to trade. She used to live at her parents’ - house. In fine, when he had spent twelve years in trading, and she arrived - at woman’s estate here, she one day addressed a companion of hers thus: - ‘Sister! my youth is being wasted; up to this moment I have tasted none of - the world’s joys.’ On hearing these words, her companion said to her, ‘Be - of good cheer! God willing, thy husband will soon come and join thee.’” - </p> - <p> - “‘She got vexed at these words, and ascending to the upper chamber, and - peeping through the lattice, saw a young man coming along. When he drew - near her, his eyes and hers suddenly met. The hearts of both went forth to - one another. Then she said to her companion, ‘Bring that man to me.’ On - hearing this, the companion went and said to him, ‘Somadatt’s daughter - wishes to see you in private; but do you come to my house.’ She then put - him on the track to her house. He said, ‘I will come at night.’ The - companion came and informed the merchant’s daughter that he had promised - to come at night. When she heard this, Jayshri said to her companion, ‘You - go home; when he arrives, let me know, and I will also come when free to - leave home.’” - </p> - <p> - “‘On hearing her words, her companion went home, and seating herself at - the door, began watching for his coming. In the meantime he arrived. She - seated him in the doorway, saying, ‘You sit here; I will go and give - notice of your arrival.’ And she came to Jayshri and said, ‘Your - sweetheart has arrived.’ On hearing this she said, ‘Wait awhile; let the - household go to sleep, and then I will come.’ And so, after some delay, - when it was near midnight, and all had gone to sleep, then she arose - softly and accompanied her, and arrived there in a very short time; and - the two met in her house without restraint. When nearly an hour and a half - * of night remained, she rose and returned home, and went quietly to - sleep; and he also went to his house at daybreak.” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * Lit,—“Four gharis.” A ghari is equal to twenty-four - minutes; and hence the exact time would be six minutes more - than “an hour and a half.” - </pre> - <p> - “‘Many days passed thus. At last her husband, too, returned from foreign - parts to his father-in-law’s house. When she beheld her husband she became - troubled in mind, and said to her companion, ‘Such is my anxiety, what - shall I do? whither shall I go? Sleep, hunger, thirst, all are forgotten; - nothing is agreeable to me (<i>lit</i>. neither hot nor cold pleases me). - And she told her the whole state of her heart. To be brief, she got - through the day somehow or other; but at night, when her husband had - finished supper, his mother-in-law had a bed made for him in a separate - building, and sent word to him to go and take repose, while she said to - her daughter, ‘You go and do your duty to your husband.’” - </p> - <p> - “‘She turned up her nose and knitted her brows on hearing this, and - remained silent. On this her mother rebuked her sharply, and sent her off - to him. Being powerless, she went there, but lay on the bed with her face - turned away. The more he kept addressing her in words of tenderness, the - more vexed would she become. On this he presented her with all the various - descriptions of apparel, and the jewels which he had brought for her from - different places, and said, ‘Wear these.’ Then, in truth, she became still - more vexed, and frowned and turned away her face. And he, too, went to - sleep in despair; for he was fatigued with the journey. To her, however, - thinking of her lover, sleep came not.” - </p> - <p> - “‘When she thought that he was in an unconscious sleep, she arose softly, - and leaving him asleep, went fearlessly in the dark night to the abode of - her lover; and a thief seeing her on the way, thought to himself ‘Where - can this woman be going, alone, with her jewels on, at this midnight - hour.’ Thus soliloquising, he followed her. In short, she managed somehow - to reach her lover’s house. Now, there, a snake had bitten and left him; - he was lying dead. She thought he was sleeping. Being, as it was, consumed - with the fire of separation, she clasped him to her without restraint, and - began caressing him; and the thief from a distance was watching the fun.” - </p> - <p> - “‘An evil spirit, too, was seated on a pipal tree there, looking on at the - scene. All at once it came into his mind to enter his (dead) body and have - carnal intercourse with her. Having resolved on this, he entered the body, - and after having intercourse with her, bit off her nose with his teeth, - and went and sat on the same tree. The thief observed all these - occurrences. And she, in despair, went as she was, all stained with blood, - to her companion, and related all that had happened. Whereupon her - companion said, ‘Go quickly to thy husband ere yet the sun rise, and, - arrived there, weep aloud and bitterly. If any one should question thee, - say, ‘He has cut off my nose.’” - </p> - <p> - “‘She went thither on the instant of hearing her companion’s words, and - commenced weeping and wailing excessively. Hearing the noise of her - weeping, all her relations came, and lo! she had no nose,—was - sitting noseless! Then they exclaimed, ‘O you shameless, wicked, pitiless, - mad wretch! Why have you bitten off her nose without any fault on her - part?’ He, too, became alarmed on witnessing this farce, and began to say - to himself, ‘Trust not a wanton-minded woman, a black snake, an armed man, - an enemy,—and fear the wiles of a woman. What can an eminent poet - not describe? What does he not know who has acquired supernatural power? - What absurd nonsense does a drunkard not chatter? What can a woman not - accomplish? True it is, that the defects of horses, the thunder of the - clouds, the wiles of woman, and the destiny of man,—these things - even the gods do not comprehend; what power has man, then (to understand - them)?’” - </p> - <p> - “‘In the meantime her father gave information of the occurrence to the - city magistrate. Policemen came from the station there, and bound and - brought him before the magistrate. The magistrate of the city gave notice - to the king. The king having sent for him, and questioned him about the - case, he declared he knew nothing. And on his summoning the merchant’s - daughter, and interrogating her, she replied, ‘Your majesty! when you see - plainly (what has happened), why do you question me?’ Then the king said - to him, ‘What punishment shall I inflict on thee?’ On hearing this, he - replied, ‘Do unto me whatever you deem just.’ The king said, ‘Away with - him, and impale him!’ On receiving the king’s order the people took him - away to impale him.” - </p> - <p> - “‘Observe the coincidence;—that thief was also standing there, - looking on at the scene. When he was convinced that this man was about to - be unjustly put to death, he raised a cry for justice. The king summoned - him, and asked, ‘Who art thou?’ He said, ‘Great king! I am a thief; and - this man is innocent; his blood is about to be unjustly shed; you have not - given judgment at all wisely.’ Hereupon the king summoned him (the - husband) also, and questioned the thief, saying, ‘Declare the truth on thy - honour! What are the facts of this case?’ The thief then gave a detailed - account of the circumstances; and the king, too, comprehended them - thoroughly. Ultimately he sent attendants, and had the woman’s nose - brought from the mouth of her lover, who was lying dead, and inspected it. - Then he was assured that the man was guiltless, and the thief truthful. - Hereupon the thief said, ‘To cherish the good, and punish evil-doers, has - from of old been a duty of kings.’” - </p> - <p> - “After relating so much of the tale, the parrot Chürãman said, ‘Great - king! such embodiments of all crime are women! The king having had the - woman’s face blackened and her head shaved, had her mounted on an ass, and - taken round the city, and then set at liberty; and after giving betel-leaf - to the thief and the merchant’s son, he allowed them to depart.’” - </p> - <p> - Having related so much of the story, the sprite said, “O king! to which of - these two does the greater guilt attach?” Then King Bir Vikramãjit said, - “To the woman.” On this the sprite said, “How so?” On hearing this, the - king said, “However depraved a man may be, still some sense of right and - wrong remains in him; but a woman does not give a thought to right and - wrong; hence great guilt attached to the woman.” Hearing these words, the - sprite went again and hung himself on the same tree. The king went again - and took him down from the tree, tied him up in a bundle, placed him on - his shoulder, and carried him away. - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <a name="link2H_4_0009" id="link2H_4_0009"> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - TALE V. - </h2> - <p class="pfirst"> - <span class="dropcap" style="font-size: 4.00em">T</span>he sprite said, “O - king! there is a city named Ujjain, of which Mahãbal was king. Now, he had - an envoy named Haridãs. The name of that envoy’s daughter was Mahãdevï. - She was extremely beautiful. When she became marriageable, her father - thought that he ought to seek a husband for her, and give her in marriage. - In short, the girl one day said to her father, ‘Father! give me in - marriage to some one who is possessed of all accomplishments. On this, he - said, ‘I will give thee to one who is acquainted with all science.’” - </p> - <p> - “One day subsequent to this, the king summoned Haridãs, and said, ‘There - is in the south a king named Harichand; go and ask after his health and - welfare for me, and bring me news thereof.’ On receiving the king’s - command he took leave, and arriving at that king’s after some days, - delivered to him the whole message of his royal master, and took up his - permanent abode near that monarch.” - </p> - <p> - “To be brief, it happened one day that the king questioned him, saying, - ‘Haridãs! has the Iron Age (i.e. the fourth age of the world, or the age - of vice) begun yet or not?’ On this he put his hands together and said, - ‘Your majesty! we are already in the Iron Age (<i>lit</i>. the Iron Age is - present); for falsehood is rife in the world, and truth has decreased; - people utter soft words to one’s face, while they harbour deceit in their - hearts; virtue has vanished; vice has increased; the earth has begun to - yield less fruit; kings have begun levying contributions by violence; - Brahmans have become covetous; women have abandoned modesty; the son obeys - not the father’s command; brother trusts not brother; friendship has - departed from amongst friends; faith is no longer found in masters, and - servants have cast aside the duty they owe to masters, and every - description of impropriety meets the eye.’” - </p> - <p> - “When he had said all this to the king, his majesty arose and went into - the private apartments, and he (the envoy) came and sat down in his own - place. In the meantime a Brahman’s son came to him and said, ‘I have come - to solicit something of you.’ On hearing this, he said, ‘What request have - you to make? Mention it.’ He replied, ‘Give me your daughter in marriage.’ - Haridãs said, ‘I will give her to him in whom all accomplishments exist.’ - Hearing this, he rejoined, ‘I am acquainted with all the sciences.’ Then - said the envoy, ‘Show me something of thy knowledge; I shall thus be able - to judge whether thou art versed in science.’ Hereupon the Brahman’s son - said, ‘I have made a car which has this marvellous property, that it will - convey you in a moment to any place you may wish to go to.’ Then Haridãs - replied, ‘Bring the car to me in the morning.’” - </p> - <p> - “In fine, he brought the car to Haridãs early in the morning. Then the two - mounted the car, and arrived in the City of Ujjain. Here, however, it so - happened that, previous to his arrival, another Brahman’s son had come, - and said to his eldest son, ‘Give me your sister in marriage and he also - had replied, saying, ‘I will give her to one who is learned in all the - sciences;’ and that Brahman’s son, too, had said, ‘I am acquainted with - all knowledge and science.’ On hearing this, he had said, ‘To you will I - give her.’ Another Brahman’s son had said to the girl’s mother, ‘Give me - your daughter.’ She, too, had given him the same answer; viz., ‘I will - give my girl to him who is acquainted with all science.’ That Brahman’s - son also had replied, ‘I am acquainted with the whole body of science - contained in the <i>Shãstras</i>, and can shoot an arrow which will hit an - object which is merely heard, and not seen.’ On hearing this, she, too, - had said, ‘I consent, and will give her to thee.’” - </p> - <p> - “In short, all the three suitors had come and met together in this way. - Haridãs began to think to himself, ‘One girl and three suitors! to whom - shall I give her, and to whom not?’ He was troubled with this thought, - when a demon came at night and carried off the girl to the summit of a - mountain in the Vindhyã range. It is said that too much of anything is not - good. Sïtã was exceedingly beautiful, and Rãvan carried her off; King Bali - gave gifts largely,—he became indigent; Rãvan utterly ruined his - family by his excessive pride.” - </p> - <p> - “In brief, when mom arrived, and none of the household found the girl, - they began to fancy all sorts of things; and the three suitors, too, on - bearing of the matter, came there. One of them was a wise man,—him - Haridãs questioned, saying, ‘O wise man! tell me whither the girl has - gone?’ He considered for a moment or so, and said, ‘A demon has carried - off your daughter, and lodged her on a mountain.’ On this, the second - said, ‘I will kill the demon and bring her back.’ Then, again, the third - said, ‘Mount my car and bring her back.’ On the instant of hearing this, - he mounted the car, reached the place, slew the demon, and forthwith - brought her back. And then they began quarrelling with one another. - Thereupon the father pondered over the matter in his mind, and said, ‘All - of them have conferred obligations on me, to whom shall I give her, and to - whom not?’” Having related so much of the story, the sprite said, “Now, - king Vikram! whose wife, out of the three, did the maiden become?” He - replied, “She became the wife of him who slew the demon and brought her - back.” The sprite said, “The good qualities of all were on a par,—how - came she to become his wife?” The king replied, “The other two simply - conferred favours, for which they were recompensed; but this one fought - with and slew him (the demon) and brought her away, hence she became his - wife.” On hearing this the sprite went again to the same tree, and - suspended himself on it, and the king, too, went immediately, bound the - sprite, placed him on his shoulder, and carried him off as before. - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <a name="link2H_4_0010" id="link2H_4_0010"> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - TALE VI. - </h2> - <p class="pfirst"> - <span class="dropcap" style="font-size: 4.00em">A</span>gain the sprite - said, “O king! there is a city named Dharmpur, of which Dharmshil was - king; and his minister’s name was Andhak. He said one day to the king, - ‘Your majesty! build a temple, and place an image of Devi therein, and pay - constant adoration thereto, for this is said in the <i>Shãstra</i> to - possess great merit.’ Thereupon the king had a temple built and (the image - of) Devi placed in it, and began offering adoration after the manner - prescribed by the Vedas; and he would not drink water without having - worshipped.” - </p> - <p> - “When a considerable time had passed thus, the minister said one day, - ‘Great king! the saying is well known,—The house of a sonless man is - empty, a fool’s mind is empty, and everything pertaining to an indigent - person is empty.’ On hearing these words, the king went to the temple of - Devi, and joining his hands in supplication, began to extol her, saying, - ‘O Devi! Brahma, Vishnü, Rudra, Indra await thy bidding the livelong day; - and thou it was who didst seize the demons Mahish-aspr, Chand Mund, - Raktbij, and slaying the evil spirits, relieved the earth of its burthen; - and wheresoever trouble has befallen thy worshippers, there thou hast gone - and aided them; and in this hope I have approached thy threshhold; fulfil - now the desire of my heart also.’” - </p> - <p> - “When the king had celebrated the praises of the goddess to this extent, a - voice issued from the temple of Devi, saying, ‘King! I am well pleased - with thee; ask any boon that thou may’st desire.’ The king said, ‘Mother! - if thou art pleased with me, grant me a son.’ Devi replied, ‘King! thou - shalt have a son (who shall be) very powerful and very glorious.’ Then the - king made offerings of sandal, unbroken rice, flowers, incense, lamps and - consecrated food, and paid adoration. Moreover, he made it a practice of - worshipping thus daily. To be brief, after some days a son was born to the - king. The king, with his family and kindred, proceeded with music and - song, and worshipped at the shrine of Devi.” - </p> - <p> - “In the meantime, it happened one day that a washerman, accompanied by a - friend of his, was coming from a certain town towards this city, and the - temple of Devi met his eye. He resolved on prostrating himself (before the - shrine). At that moment he beheld a washerman’s daughter, who was very - handsome, coming towards him. He was fascinated at the sight of her, and - went to worship Devi. After prostrating himself, he joined his hands in - supplication, and said in his heart, ‘O Devi! if, through thy favour, my - marriage to this beautiful being should take place, I will devote my head - as an offering to thee.’ After making this vow, and prostrating himself, - he took his friend with him, and went to his own city.” - </p> - <p> - “When he arrived there, the separation (from his love) so troubled him - that sleep, hunger, thirst—all were forgotten. He spent the whole - day in thoughts of her. On perceiving this woful state of his, his friend - went and told his father all the circumstances. His father also became - alarmed on hearing these things, and reflecting on the matter began to - say, ‘From observing his state it seems (to me) that if his betrothal to - that maiden does not take place, he will grieve to death; wherefore it is - better to marry him to the girl, that thus he may be saved.’” - </p> - <p> - “Having thus considered, he took his son’s friend with him, and on - reaching that town, went to the girl’s father and said, ‘I have come to - solicit something of you; if you will grant my request, I will make it - known.’ He replied, ‘If I possess the thing, I will give it; speak out.’ - Having secured his promise thus, he said, ‘Give your daughter in marriage - to my son.’ On hearing this, he too agreed to the proposal; and having had - a priest called in, and the day, the auspicious conjunction, and the - moment determined, said, ‘Bring your son; I, for my part, will stain my - daughter’s hands yellow.’ * On hearing this, he arose, returned to his own - house, got ready all the requisites for the marriage, and set out for the - ceremony; and on reaching the place, and having the marriage ceremony - performed, he took his son and daughter-in-law with him and returned home; - and the bride and bridegroom commenced a happy life together.” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * Lit. “make the girl’s hands yellow.” Among the Hindus, for - some days before marriage, the hands of a betrothed couple - are stained yellow with turmeric. -</pre> - <p> - “Again, after some time, an occasion of rejoicing arose at the girl’s - father’s, and so an invitation came to these (the bride and bridegroom) - also. The wife and husband got ready, and taking their friend with them, - set out for that city. When they arrived near the place, the temple of - Devi came in sight, and then, his vow came to his mind. Thereupon he - reflected and said to himself, ‘I am a great liar, and a very irreligious - wretch, for I have lied to Devi herself!’ Having said this to himself, he - spoke to his friend, saying, ‘Do you tarry here while I pay a visit to - Devi.’ And to his wife he said, ‘Do thou also stay here.’ Having said this - and gone to the temple, he bathed in the pool, went before Devi, joined - his hands in supplication, addressed her reverentially, and raised a sword - and struck himself on the neck His head was severed from his body, and - fell upon the ground.” - </p> - <p> - “To be brief, after some delay, his friend thought that as he had been - gone a very long while and had not yet returned, he ought to go and see - (what had happened); so he said to the wife, ‘Stay here; I will soon hunt - him up and bring him here.’ Having said this, he went into the temple of - Devi, and lo! his (friend’s) head was lying apart from his body! On - beholding this state of things there, he began to say to himself, ‘The - world is a hard place! No one will suppose that he, with his own hand, - offered his head as a sacrifice to Devi; on the contrary, they will say, - that, as his wife was very beautiful, he (the friend), in order to possess - her, killed him, and is practising this artful trick. Therefore it is - preferable to die here; whereas to obtain an evil reputation in the world - is not desirable.’” - </p> - <p> - “Having said this, he bathed in the pool, came into the presence of Devi, - joined his hands and made obeisance, and taking up the sword, struck - himself on the neck, so that his head was severed from his body. And she, - weary of standing there alone, and watching for their return till she - quite despaired, went in quest of them into the temple of Devi. Arrived - there, what does she behold but the two lying dead! Then, seeing them both - dead, she thought to herself, ‘People will not believe that these two have - voluntarily offered themselves as sacrifices to Devi. Everybody will say - that the widow was a wanton wretch, (and) that she killed them both and - left them that she might indulge in her depravity. It is better to die - than to endure such infamy.’” - </p> - <p> - “Alter reflecting thus, she plunged into the pool (and bathed), and coming - into the presence of Devi, bowed her head in obeisance; (then) taking up - the sword, was about to strike herself on the neck, when Devi descended - from the throne, and came and seized her hand, and said, ‘Daughter! ask a - boon; I am well-pleased with thee.’ On this she said, ‘Mother! if thou art - pleased with me, restore these two to life.’ Then Devi said, ‘Unite their - heads to their bodies.’ In the tumult of her joy she changed the heads in - putting them on. And Devi brought the water of life and sprinkled it upon - them. The two rose up alive, and began disputing one with another; one - saying, ‘She is my wife;’ the other, ‘She is mine.’” - </p> - <p> - Having related so much of the story, the sprite said, “Now king - Vikramãjit! of which of these two is she the wife?” The king said, - “Hearken! The guiding principle for this is laid down in the book of law, - thus: ‘The Ganges is the best of rivers, and Sumeru is the most excellent - of mountains, and Kalpavriksh * is the most excellent of trees, (and) the - head is supreme among all the members of the body. According to this - judgment she becomes the wife of him who possesses the superior member.’” - On hearing these words the sprite went and again suspended himself on that - tree; and the king having gone and bound him, placed him on his shoulder - and carried him off. - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * Kalpavriksh is a fabulous tree, yielding all wishes, said - to exist in the paradise of India. -</pre> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <a name="link2H_4_0011" id="link2H_4_0011"> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - TALE VII. - </h2> - <p class="pfirst"> - <span class="dropcap" style="font-size: 4.00em">T</span>he sprite said, “O - king! there is a city named Champãpur, the king of which is Champakeshwar. - And the queen’s name is Sulochanã, and the daughter’s Tribhuvan-sundari. - She is an eminently-beautiful woman, whose face is like the moon, hair - like black clouds, eyes like a gazelle’s, eyebrows (arched) like a bow, - nose like a parrot’s (beak), neck like a pigeon’s, teeth like the grains - of a pomegranate; the redness of whose lips resembles that of the <i>kandüri</i>, - * whose waist is like a leopard’s, hands and feet like the tender lotus, - complexion like the champa-flower; in short, the bloom of her youth was - daily on the increase.” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * The kandüri is a cucurbitaceous plant with red fruit, or - the gourd of the momordica monadelpha. Its Hindi name is - bimb. -</pre> - <p> - “When she became marriageable, the king and queen began to feel anxious in - their minds. And the news spread among the monarchs of the different - countries (round about) that so beautiful a girl had been born in the - palace of king Champakeshwar that, at a mere glance at her beauty, gods, - men, and holy sages, remain fascinated. Thereupon the kings of the - different countries had each his likeness painted, and sent it by the - hands of a Brahman to king Champakeshwar. - </p> - <p> - “The king received and showed the portraits of all the monarchs to his - daughter, but none of them suited her fancy. Thereupon the king said, ‘Do - thou, then, make a public choice of a husband.’ To this, too, she did not - agree, but said to her father, ‘Father! give me to him who possesses the - three qualities of beauty, strength, and superior knowledge.’” - </p> - <p> - “In fine, when several days had elapsed, four suitors came from four - different countries. Then the king said to them, ‘Do each of you set forth - clearly before me the superior qualities and knowledge he possesses.’ One - of them said, ‘I possess such knowledge that I manufacture a cloth and - sell it for five rubies. When I realise the price, I give one of the - rubies to Brahmans, of another I make an offering to the gods, a third I - wear on my own person, a fourth I reserve for my wife, the fifth I sell, - and constantly support myself with the money so obtained. No one else - possesses this knowledge. And as to the good looks I possess,—they - are open to view.’ The second said, ‘I am acquainted with the languages of - both land and aquatic beasts and birds; have no equal in strength; and my - beauty is before you.’ The third said, ‘So well do I comprehend the - learned writings that no equal of mine exists; and my beauty is before - your eyes.’ The fourth said, ‘I stand alone in my knowledge of the use of - weapons; * there is no one like me; I can shoot an arrow which will strike - an object which is heard, but not seen; and my beauty is famous in the - world,—you, too, must surely see it.’” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * I suspect an error in the text here; viz., shãstra for - shastra; for the third suitor had already claimed the - possession of unrivalled excellence in the shãstras, while - the fourth boasts of his superior shill in archery, which - would certainly seem to accord better with shastra than - shãstra. Moreover, the judgment of King Vikram shows - satisfactorily, I think, that shastra is the word intended. -</pre> - <p> - “On hearing the statements of the four of them, the king began to think to - himself, ‘All four are on a par as to excellences; to which should I give - the girl?’ Having reflected thus, he went to his daughter and set forth - the virtues of the whole four of them, and said, ‘To which of them shall I - give thee (in marriage)?’ On hearing this, she hung down her head through - modesty, and kept silent, making no answer.” - </p> - <p> - After relating so much of the story, the sprite said, “Now, King Vikram! - for which of them is this woman suited?” The king replied, “He who makes - cloth and sells it is a <i>südra</i> by caste; and he who knows the - languages is a <i>bais</i> by caste; he who has studied the learned - writings is a <i>Brahman</i>; and he who hits with an arrow an object - which is simply, heard, and not seen, is of <i>her</i> caste: the woman is - suitable for him.” On hearing these words, the sprite went again and hung - himself on that tree; and the king, too, went thither, bound him, placed - him on his shoulder, and carried him off. - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <a name="link2H_4_0012" id="link2H_4_0012"> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - TALE VIII. - </h2> - <p class="pfirst"> - <span class="dropcap" style="font-size: 4.00em">T</span>hen the sprite - said, “O king! there is a city named Mithalãvatï, the king of which is - Gunãdhip. A young rãjpüt, named Chiramdeva, came from a distant land to - enter his service. He used to go daily to pay his respects to the king, - but did not obtain an interview. And in the course of a year he consumed - all the money he had brought (with him) while tarrying here without - employment, and there (in his native land), his home went to ruin.” - </p> - <p> - “It happened one day that the king mounted his horse for the chase, and - Chiramdeva also joined his cavalcade. The king became accidentally - separated from his followers in a forest, and the attendants lost - themselves in another jungle; one, however, Chiramdeva, was following the - king. At length, he called out, and said, ‘Your majesty! all the - attendants have remained behind, while I am accompanying you, making my - horse keep pace with yours.’ On hearing this, the king reined in his - horse, and so he came up (to the king). The king looked at him, and asked, - ‘How hast thou become so emaciated?’” - </p> - <p> - “Then he replied, ‘If I live with a master, such that he cherishes - thousands of people, while he takes no thought of me, no blame (attaches) - to him for this, but rather my own fate is to blame. As, for example, by - daylight the whole world is clearly visible; yet it is not visible to the - owl;—what blame can be imputed to the sun for this? It is - astonishing to me that he who caused the means, of subsistence to reach me - in my mother’s womb, should take no thought of me now, when I have been - born, and am capable of enjoying worldly aliment. I know not whether he - sleeps or is dead. And, in my opinion, it is better to swallow deadly - poison and die, than to ask for goods and money from a great man who, - while giving the same, makes a wry face, and turns up his nose (in - contempt), and raises his brows. Now these six things render a man - contemptible,—first, the friendship of a perfidious man; second, - causeless laughter; third, altercation with a woman; fourth, the serving a - bad master; fifth, riding a donkey; sixth, unpolished (or uncouth) speech. - * And the following five things the Creator records in a man’s destiny at - the time of his birth,—First, length of life; second, acts; third, - wealth; fourth, know-ledge; fifth, reputation. O king! so long as a man’s - virtues ** are conspicuous, all continue to be his servants; but when his - virtues decrease, his very friends become his enemies.” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * Lit.—A dialect without Sanskrit. - - ** I should much prefer translating “so long as a man’s - fortunes are in the ascendant,” were it not that none of the - lexicons I have seen sanctions the sense of “fortunes” for - punya. -</pre> - <p> - “This one thing, however, is certain; by serving a good master one derives - benefit sooner or later; he does not remain unbenefited.’” - </p> - <p> - “On hearing this, the king pondered over all these words, but did not then - make any reply. He said this to him, however, ‘I feel hungry; bring me - something to eat from somewhere.’ Chiramdeva said, ‘Your majesty! bread ** - is not to be obtained here.’ Having said this, he went into the jungle, - killed a deer, took out a flint and steel from his pocket, kindled a fire, - broiled some slices of meat, and served up a plentiful meal to the king, - and partook of it himself as well. To be brief, when the king was quite - satisfied, *** he said, ‘Now, Rãjpüt I conduct me to the city, for the - road is not known to me.’ He conducted the king into the city, and brought - him to his palace. Then the king appointed him to an office, and bestowed - many robes and jewels upon him. After that, he continued in close - attendance upon the king.” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - ** Lit.—“Grain-food,” which might mean boiled rice, or - cakes of bread and boiled pulse. - - *** Lit.—When the king’s belly was filled. -</pre> - <p> - “In short, the king one day sent that Rãjpüt on some business to the - seaside. When he reached the sea-shore, he beheld a temple (dedicated) to - Devi. He entered it, and worshipped Devi. But, on the instant of his - coming out thence, a beautiful damsel came up to him from behind, and - began questioning him, saying, ‘O man! why hast thou come here?’ He - replied, ‘I have come in quest of pleasure, and at the sight of thy beauty - I am fascinated.’ She said, ‘If thou hast any design on me, first go and - bathe in this pool; after that I will listen to whatever thou shalt say to - me.’” - </p> - <p> - “On the instant of hearing this, he took off his clothes, entered the pool - and dipped, and came out, and lo! he was standing in his own city! On - beholding this marvel, he was filled with fear, and returning home in his - helplessness, clothed himself, and went and related the whole story to the - king. The king no sooner heard it than he said, ‘Show me this wonder - also.’ This said, he ordered the horses, and both mounted and set off. - After several days, they reached the sea-shore, and entered the same - temple of Devi, and paid adoration. Farther, when the king came out, the - very same damsel, accompanied by a female friend, came and stood beside - the king, and on beholding the king’s handsome appearance, became - fascinated, and said, ‘O king! I will execute any command you may give - me.’ The king replied, saying, ‘If thou wilt obey my command, become the - wife of my servant.’ She said, ‘I have become the slave of thy beauty, how - then can I become his wife?’ The king replied, ‘It was but this instant - thou saidst to me, ‘I will obey any command you may give me.’ Now, - whatever the good promise they perform. Keep thy plighted word, (and) - become the wife of my servant.’ On hearing this, she said, ‘Your word is - law to me.’ Thereupon the king married his servant to her without the - usual ceremonies, * and brought them both with him to his palace.” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * A gandharb marriage is one where the usual formalities are - dispensed with, and the parties become man and wife by - mutual consent. -</pre> - <p> - Having related so much of the story, the sprite said, “Tell me, O king! Of - master and servant, whose was the greater virtue?” The king said, “The - servant’s.” The sprite said again, “Was not the merit of the king greater, - who obtained so beautiful a woman, and bestowed her on his servant?” - Thereupon king Bir Vikramãjït said, “What superior merit is there in their - conferring favours, whose office it is to do so? But he who, while having - his own, interests to attend to, promotes the interests of another—<i>he</i> - is the greater. For this reason, the servant’s merit was the greater.” On - hearing these words, the sprite went and hung himself on that same tree; - and the king went and again took him down from thence, placed him on his - shoulder, and carried him away. - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <a name="link2H_4_0013" id="link2H_4_0013"> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - TALE IX. - </h2> - <p class="pfirst"> - <span class="dropcap" style="font-size: 4.00em">T</span>he sprite said, “O - king! there-is a city named Madanpur, where was a king named Birbar. Now, - in that same country there was a merchant named Hiranyadatt, whose - daughter’s name was Madansenã. One day, in the spring-time, she went, with - her female friends, into her garden, to stroll about and enjoy the scene. - It so happened that, previous to her coming out, Somdatt, the son of a - merchant named Dharmdatt, had come, with a friend, to take a stroll in the - forest. On his return thence, he came into that garden; (and) on beholding - her, became enamoured, and began to say to his friend, ‘Brother! Should - she ever be united to me, then my living will be to some purpose; and if - not, then my living in the world is in vain.’” - </p> - <p> - “Addressing these words to his friend, (and) being distracted by the pangs - of separation, he involuntarily approached her, and seizing her hand, - began to say, ‘If thou wilt not love me, I will sacrifice my life on thy - account.’ She replied, ‘Act not thus; that would be a sin.’ Then he said, - ‘Thy amorous glances have pierced my heart, and the fire of separation - from thee has consumed my body; my whole consciousness and understanding - have been destroyed by this pain; and at this moment, through the - overpowering influence of love, I have no regard for right or wrong; but - if thou wilt give me thy word, new life will enter my soul.’ She said, ‘On - the fifth day from this day my marriage will take place; but I will first - have intercourse with thee, and afterwards abide at my husband’s.’ After - giving him this promise, and taking her oath (to keep it) she departed to - her home, and he to his.” - </p> - <p> - “To be brief, on the fifth day her marriage took place. Her husband - brought her to his home after the marriage. After some days the wives of - her husband’s younger and elder brothers compelled her to go to her - husband at night. She entered the nuptial chamber, and sat quietly down in - a corner. In the meantime, her husband seeing her, took her hand, and made - her sit on the bed. In fine, as he was about to embrace her, she; shook - him off with her hand, and related to him all that she had promised the - merchant’s son. On hearing this her husband said, ‘If thou really desirest - to go to him, go.’” - </p> - <p> - “Having received her husband’s permission, she started for the merchant’s - place. A thief seeing her on the road, came up to her in delight, and - said, ‘Whither goest thou alone, at this midnight hour, in this - pitch-darkness, bedecked with such garments and jewels?’ She replied, ‘To - the place where my dearly beloved dwells.’ On hearing this the thief said, - ‘Who is thy protector here?’ She began to say, ‘Cupid, my protector, with - his bow and arrows, is with me.’ Having said this, she then related her - whole story to the thief, from beginning to end, and said, ‘Do not spoil - my attire; I give thee my word that, when I return thence, I will deliver - my jewels to thee.’” - </p> - <p> - “On hearing this, the thief said to himself, ‘She leaves me, in truth, - with a promise to deliver up her jewels to me; then why should I spoil her - attire?’ Thus reflecting, he let her go. (He) himself sat down there, - while she went to the place where Somdatt was lying asleep. She having - suddenly roused him as soon as she got there, he arose bewildered, and - commenced saying, ‘Art thou the daughter of a god, or sage, or serpent? * - Tell me truly, who art thou? and whence art thou come to me?’ She replied, - ‘I am the daughter of a man—the daughter of the merchant - Hiranyadatt; Madansenã is my name; and dost thou not remember that thou - didst forcibly seize my hand in the grove, and didst insist on my giving - thee my oath; and I swore, at thy bidding, that I would leave the man I - was married to and come to thee? I have come accordingly; do unto me - whatever thou pleasest.’” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * Nig is the name of the fabulous serpents (said to have a - human face), inhabiting Pãtala, or the infernal regions. -</pre> - <p> - “On this he asked, ‘Hast thou told this story to thy husband, or not?’ She - replied, saying, ‘I have mentioned the whole affair, and after becoming - acquainted with everything, he has allowed me to come to thee.’ Somdatt - said, ‘This matter is like jewels without apparel, or food without - clarified butter, or singing out of tune—all these things are alike. - Similarly, dirty garments mar beauty, bad food saps the strength, a wicked - wife deprives of life, a bad son ruins the family. Whereas a demon takes - life on his being enraged, a woman, either as a friend or a foe, is in - both cases the occasion of sorrow. What a woman does not do is of little - moment; for she does not give utterance to the thoughts of her mind; and - what is at the tip of her tongue she does not reveal; and what she does, - she does not tell of. A wonderful creature has God created in the world in - woman.’” - </p> - <p> - “After uttering these words, the merchant’s son answered her, saying, ‘I - will have nothing to do with another’s wife.’ On hearing this she took her - way back home again. On the way she met the thief, (and) told him the - whole story. The thief, on hearing it, applauded her highly, and let her - go. She came nigh her husband and told him all the circumstances; but her - husband evinced no affection for her, and said, ‘The beauty of the cuckoo - consists in its note alone; a woman’s beauty consists in her fidelity to - her husband; and the beauty of an ugly man is his knowledge; the beauty of - a devotee is his patient suffering.’” - </p> - <p> - Having related so much of the story, the sprite said, “O king! whose is - the highest merit of these three?” King Vikramãjït replied, “The thief’s - merit is the greatest.” The sprite said, “How?” The king replied, “Seeing - her heart set on another man, her husband gave her up; through dread of - the king, Somdatt let her alone; whereas there was no reason for the - thief’s leaving her unmolested. Hence the thief is the superior.” On - hearing this, the sprite went again and suspended himself on that tree; - and the king also went there, took him down from the tree, bound and - placed him on his shoulder, and once more carried him away. - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <a name="link2H_4_0014" id="link2H_4_0014"> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - TALE X. - </h2> - <p class="pfirst"> - <span class="dropcap" style="font-size: 4.00em">T</span>he sprite said, “O - king! in the country of Gaur there is a city called Baradmãn, and the king - of that place was named Gunshekhar. His minister was a follower of the - Jain persuasion, Abhaichand by name. Through his persuasion, the king, - too, entered the pale of the Jain religion. He prohibited the worship of - Shiva, as also that of Vishnu, and offerings of cattle, grants of land, - oblations * to deceased ancestors, gambling and intoxicating liquors—all - these he interdicted: no one was allowed to practise them in the city, and - no one could carry away bones to the Ganges. And the minister, too, with - the king’s sanction for these matters, had it proclaimed in the city, that - whoever performs these acts, the king will confiscate all his property, - and inflict punishment on him, and expel him from the city.” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * These oblations consist of balls (pind) of meat, or rice - mixed up with milk, curds, flowers, &c., and offered to the - manes at the several Shraddhas (or funeral ceremonies and - worship of the manes) by the nearest surviving relations. -</pre> - <p> - “Thereafter the minister said one day to the king, ‘Attend, O king! to an - exposition of the sacred law Whosoever takes the life of any one, this - same takes his life also in another state of existence. It is on account - of this sin that living and dying are inseparable from man on his entering - this world. He is born again and again, and again he dies. Hence, it - behoves man, on his being born into the world, to treasure up virtuous - deeds. Observe (how) Brahmã, Yishnü, Mahãdeva, in one form or another, - become incarnate in the world under the influence of love, anger, - covetousness, or infatuation! A cow, forsooth, is superior to them, for - she is free from passion, hatred, pride, anger, covetousness, infatuation; - moreover, she sustains the subjects. And the sons which are born to her - also impart the utmost ease to the living things of the earth, and cherish - them. It is for this reason that all the deities and holy sages hold the - cow sacred. Therefore, to worship the gods, is not well: worship the cow - in this world. And it is a duty to protect the life of every animal, from - the elephant to the ant; including beasts, birds, &c., up to man; - there is no duty equal to that in the world. Those who add to their flesh - by eating the flesh of other creatures, ultimately suffer the torments of - hell. Hence it is incumbent on man to preserve life. Those who regard not - the sufferings of others, but go on destroying the life of other - creatures, and eating them—their lives are shortened on the earth, - and they are born cripples, or lame, or blind of one eye, or blind of both - eyes, or dwarfs, or hunch-backed, or with some such bodily defect. - According to the limbs of beasts and birds which they devour, they - eventually lose similar members of their own. Further, the drinking of - intoxicating liquors is a great sin. Hence the consumption of flesh and - intoxicating drinks is not right.’” - </p> - <p> - “Thus unfolding to the king the wisdom stored up in his mind, the minister - made him so sound a convert to the Jain faith, that whatever he advised - the king did; and he paid no respect to any Brahman, ascetic, itinerant - devotee, or religious mendicant; * and governed his kingdom according to - this religion. One day, coming under the power of death, he died. - Thereupon his son, Dharm-dhwaj by name, ascended the throne, and began to - reign. One day, having had the minister, Abhaichand, seized, and seven - plaits made of the hair on his head, and his face blackened, and (the - minister) himself seated on a donkey, and a drum beaten and hands clapped - (in derision) after him, he then banished him from the kingdom, and - carried on his government free from all anxiety.” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * The sewra, sanyasi, and darwesh, are all religious - mendicants; the first is of the Jain religion, the second a - Brahman, and the third a Muhammadan. -</pre> - <p> - “One day, in the spring-time, the king, accompanied by his queens, went to - take a stroll in a garden. There was a large tank in that garden, and the - lotus was in full bloom therein. On beholding the beauty of the tank, the - king stripped off his clothes, and went down to bathe. Having plucked a - flower, and come to the side, he was handing it to one of the queens, when - it slipped from his hand and fell on the queen’s foot; and by the blow it - inflicted the queen’s foot was broken. On this the king became alarmed, - and forthwith coming out from the tank, began applying remedies; and in - the meantime night came on, and the moon shone forth. No sooner did the - moon’s beams fall, than blisters arose on the body of the second queen. - Farther, just then the sound of a wooden pestle from some householder’s - suddenly reached the third queen, and she was instantly attacked with so - severe a headache, that she fainted away.” - </p> - <p> - After narrating so much, the sprite said, “O king! which of these three - was the most delicate?” The king replied, “The one who got the pain in the - head and fainted away, she was the most delicate.” On hearing these words, - the sprite again went and suspended himself on that tree; and the king - went there and took him down, and, making a bundle of him, placed him on - his shoulder, and walked off with him. - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <a name="link2H_4_0015" id="link2H_4_0015"> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - TALE XI. - </h2> - <p class="pfirst"> - <span class="dropcap" style="font-size: 4.00em">T</span>he sprite said, - “Your majesty! there is a city named Punyapur, the king of which was named - Ballabh, and his minister’s name was Satyaprakash, (and) the name of the - minister’s wife was Lakshmi. One day the king said to his minister, ‘If - one who is a king does not enjoy himself with beautiful women, his holding - sovereignty is in vain.’ Having said this, and made over the burthen of - government to the minister, he himself gladly entered upon a course of - amorous pleasures. He abandoned all cares of the state, and commenced - spending his days and nights in enjoyment.” - </p> - <p> - “It so happened that, one day, the minister was sitting dejected at home, - when his wife asked him, ‘Husband! you seem to me to be very weak?’ He - replied, saying, ‘Night and day the cares of government weigh heavily on - me, and hence my body has become feeble; while the king is the whole day - long occupied with his own pleasures and enjoyment.’ The minister’s wife - said, ‘O husband! you have carried on the government for a long time, now - take leave of the king, and undertake a pilgrimage for few days.’” - </p> - <p> - “He remained silent on hearing this speech of hers. Afterwards, when he - stirred out (<i>lit</i>. when he rose thence), he went to the king at the - time of his holding a court, and, obtaining his permission to go, set out - on a pilgrimage. Journeying on, he reached Setband Rãmeshwar, * on the - sea-coast. As soon as he arrived there, he visited the shrine of Mahãdeva, - and came out (of the temple), when, his gaze happening to stray towards - the sea, what does he behold, but a (marvellous) tree of gold come up out - of it, the leaves of which were emeralds, the blossoms topazes, the fruits - corals,—it presented a most beautiful sight! And seated on the tree - was a very beautiful woman, holding a lute in her hands, and singing in - most soft and sweet strains. After a few minutes the tree disappeared in - the ocean.” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * etband (from the Sanskrit setu-bandha) signifies a dike or - bridge, and is applied to the ridge of rooks between the - Coromandel coast and Ceylon. This dike or bridge is said to - have been built by the allies of Rama (i.e., the monkey army - under the leadership of Hanuman), when he invaded Ceylon to - recover his wife Sltã, who had been carried off thither by - Bãvan. It is said that, as fast as the monkeys built up the - dike, Bãvan destroyed it; so, to prevent his doing this, - Bãma erected a temple to Shiva (the god adored by Bavan) at - the extremity of the dike. Thenceforth Setband Rãmeshwar - became a place of pilgrimage. -</pre> - <p> - “After beholding this spectacle there, the minister turned back and came - to his own city, and, proceeding to the king, made obeisance, and joining - his hands, said, ‘Your Majesty! I have witnessed a marvellous sight!’ The - monarch said, ‘Describe it.’ The minister said, ‘Your majesty! men of - olden time have said that one should not speak of such things as are - beyond the comprehension of any one, and which no one would credit. But - this thing I saw plainly with my eyes, and hence I speak of it. Your - majesty! at the place where the Lord Raghunãth has bridged the ocean, lo! - a golden tree came up out of the sea, which was so splendidly loaded with - emerald leaves, topaz flowers, and coral fruit, that a description of it - is impossible! And upon it was a very beautiful woman, with a lute in her - hands, singing the sweetest of strains. But after a few minutes that tree - was lost to sight in the ocean.’” - </p> - <p> - “On hearing these words, the king entrusted the government to the - minister, and set out alone for the sea-shore. After several days he - arrived there, and entered the temple to pay adoration to Mahãdeva; and - having bowed down and worshipped, he came out, when lo! the same tree, - woman, and all, rose up (out of the sea). As soon as the king saw her, he - leaped into the sea, and went and sat on the same tree. She, together with - the king, descended to the nether regions. ** She looked at him (the king) - and said, ‘Valiant man! Why hast thou come hither?’ The king replied, ‘I - have come, attracted by thy beauty.’ She rejoined, ‘If thou wilt not have - intercourse with me during the dark fortnight of the lunar month, I will - marry thee.’ The king consented to this arrangement. Notwithstanding this, - however, she took the king’s solemn promise, and then married him.” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * Raghunãth (i.e., the lord of the family of Raghu,) is a - title of Rama, who, as an incarnation of Vishnu, was born in - the family of Raghu. - - ** Pãtãla is one of the seven Hindu hells, and the region - under the earth which is the abode of the Nagas, or serpents - with human faces. -</pre> - <p> - “To be brief, when the dark nights set in, she said, ‘Your majesty is not - to remain near me today.’ On hearing this, the king left her, taking his - sword with him; and going apart, kept secret watch. When it was midnight, - a demon came, and, on the instant of arriving, folded her in his arms. No - sooner did the king witness this, than he rushed forward with his sword, - and said, ‘Foul fiend! lay not thy hand on my wife before my eyes! First - fight with me. It was only ere I had set my eyes on you that fear - possessed me; now I have no fear.’” - </p> - <p> - “This said, he drew his sword, and struck such a blow, that the head (of - the demon) was severed from the body, and lay quivering on the ground. On - beholding this, she said, ‘O gallant man! thou hast done me a great - kindness!’ After saying this, she spoke again, saying, ‘It is not every - mountain that contains rubies, nor every city that holds true men, nor - does the sandal-tree grow in every forest, nor do pearls exist in the head - of every elephant.’ Thereupon the king enquired, ‘Why did this demon come - to thee on the fourteenth night of the waning moon?’” - </p> - <p> - “She said, ‘My father’s name is Vidyãdhar. I am said Vidyãdhar’s daughter. - Sundari is my name. Now it was an established custom for my father not to - partake of food without me. One day I was not at home at meal-time; - thereupon father became angry and pronounced a curse on me, saying, ‘A - demon will come and embrace thee every fourteenth night of the waning - moon.’ On hearing this, I said, ‘Father! you have indeed given me your - curse; but now have mercy on me!’ He replied, ‘When an intrepid man shall - come and slay that demon, thou wilt escape from this curse.’ Now, - therefore, I have escaped from that curse; and I will now go and pay my - respects to my father.’” - </p> - <p> - “The king said, ‘If thou appreciatest the kindness I have done thee, come - at once and visit my dominions; after that, go and visit thy father.’ She - said, ‘Very well; I consent to what you say.’ Thereupon the king brought - heir with him to his capital. Festive music and rejoicing began to take - place. The news spread throughout the city that the king had arrived. Then - songs of congratulation and merry-making commenced in every house; and - after that, all the musicians and singers of the city came and offered - their congratulations at the court. The king gave away many presents, and - performed many pious acts.” - </p> - <p> - “Again, after some days that fair one said, ‘Now, your majesty! I will go - to my father’s.’ The king said in sadness, ‘Very well: go.’ When she - perceived the king to be sad, she said, ‘Your majesty! I will not go.’ The - king said, ‘Why hast thou given up the idea of going to thy father?’ She - replied, ‘I have now become one of the human race, and my father is a - demi-god; * were I to go now, he would show me no respect: this is my - reason for not going.’ On hearing this the king was highly delighted, and - gave away lacs of rupees in presents and religious offerings. Hearing of - these matters touching the king, the minister died broken-hearted.” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * The Gandharvas are demi-gods inhabiting Indra’s heaven, - and serving as celestial musicians. -</pre> - <p> - Having told so much of the tale, the sprite said, “O king! why did the - minister die?” Then king Bïr Vikramãjït said, “The minister perceived that - the king had taken to sensual enjoyments, and banished all the cares of - government from his mind; that the subjects had lost their master (or - protector); and so, no one would heed what he (the minister) said. This is - the anxiety of which he died.” Having heard this, the sprite went again - and hung himself on that tree. The king went again, as on previous - occasions, and placed him on his shoulder, and carried him away. - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <a name="link2H_4_0016" id="link2H_4_0016"> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - TALE XII. - </h2> - <p class="pfirst"> - <span class="dropcap" style="font-size: 4.00em">T</span>he sprite said, “O - king Bir Vikramãjit! There is a city named Chürãpur, where a king named - Chürãman ruled, whose spiritual teacher’s name was Devaswãmi, and he had a - son named Hariswãmï. He was as beautiful as Cupid, equalled Brihaspati * - in his knowledge of scientific and religious treatises, and was as wealthy - as Kuvera. He wedded and brought home a Brahman’s daughter, whose name was - Lãvanyavatï.” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * Brihaspati is the regent of the planet Jupiter, and the - preceptor of the gods. Kuvera is the god of wealth. -</pre> - <p> - “To be brief, one night in the hot season they were both sleeping soundly - on the flat roof of a summer house. The woman’s veil accidentally slipped - off her face, while a demi-god, seated on a car, was proceeding somewhere - through the air. His gaze suddenly falling upon her, he lowered the car, - and placing her, asleep, on the car, flew off with her. After some time - the Brahman also awoke, and lo! his wife was not (beside him). On this he - became alarmed, and coming down from thence, searched throughout the - house. When he did not find her there either, he went about seeking her - through all the streets and lanes of the city, but did not find her. - Thereupon he began to say to himself, ‘Who has carried her off? and - whither has she gone?”’ - </p> - <p> - “In short, when his efforts were of no avail, he returned home helpless - and regretful, and searched for her there a second time, but did not find - her. When the house appeared desolate to him without her, he lost all - self-control in his disquietude and misery, and began crying out, Oh, - darling of my soul! oh, darling of my soul! Further, being exceedingly - agitated by her separation from him, he gave up the position of a - householder, renounced the world, girt a simple waist-cloth round his - loins, rubbed the ashes of burnt cow-dung on his body, put on a necklace - of beads, quitted the town, and set out on a pilgrimage. Proceeding on his - pilgrimage from town to town, and village to village, he reached a certain - town at midday.” - </p> - <p> - “When extreme hunger left him no alternative, he made a cup-shaped vessel - of the leaves of a dhãk-tree, and carrying it to the house of a Brahman, - said to him, ‘Give me some food in alms.’ (The fact is, when a man comes - under the influence of love, he has no thought of duty, caste, or food; - and, regardless of everything, he eats food wherever he can obtain it.) - When he begged alms of the Brahman, he (the Brahman) took the cup-shaped - vessel from him and entered the house, and brought it (back) to him filled - with rice boiled in milk. He took the cup, and came to the margin of a - tank. There was a large banyan-tree there. He placed the cup at the root - of that, and went to wash his face and hands in the tank.” - </p> - <p> - “A black snake came out from the roots of the tree, and having dipped its - mouth into the cup, went away; and so the whole contents of the cup had - become poisoned, when, in the meantime, he also returned after washing his - hands and face. This matter, however, was unknown to him; while hunger, on - the other hand, beset him sorely. (Thus) he ate the rice and milk as soon - as he came, and the poison instantly entered his system. Thereupon he went - to the Brahman and said, ‘Thou hast given me poison, and I am now dying of - it.’ Having said so much, he reeled and fell, and died. Again, the - Brahman, seeing him dead, turned his own wife out of the house, and said, - ‘Go thou hence, thou murderess of a Brahman!’” - </p> - <p> - Having told so much of the tale, the sprite said, “O king! to which of - these does the guilt of killing a Brahman attach?” The king said, “Poison - exists in a snake’s mouth as a matter of course; therefore no guilt - attaches to it. Again, the Brahman gave him alms, considering him to be - hungry; (therefore) guilt does not attach to him. Further, the Brahman’s - wife had given him alms at the bidding of her husband; she, too, is - without sin. And he ate the milk and rice unwittingly, and hence he also - is guiltless. In short, whoever imputes guilt to anyone of these, is - himself a sinner.” On hearing this, the sprite went again and hung on to - that tree; and the king also went there, and taking him down and binding - him, placed him on his shoulder, and carried him away from there. - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <a name="link2H_4_0017" id="link2H_4_0017"> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - TALE XIII. - </h2> - <p class="pfirst"> - <span class="dropcap" style="font-size: 4.00em">T</span>he sprite said, “O - king! there is a city named Chandra-hriday, and a king named Randhir ruled - there. There was in the city a merchant named Dharmdhwaj, whose daughter’s - name was Shobhani; and indeed she was very beautiful. Her youthful prime - was daily developing itself, and her beauty was each moment increasing.” - </p> - <p> - “It so happened that robberies became a nightly occurrence in that city. - When the merchants experienced much vexation at the hands of the thieves, - they all went to the king in a body and said, ‘Your majesty! thieves have - committed great outrage in the city; we can no longer dwell in the place.’ - The king replied, saying, ‘Well; what has happened is beyond remedy (<i>lit.</i>, - what has happened, has happened); but henceforth you shall suffer no - annoyance; I will take vigorous measures against them.’ After saying this, - the king summoned a number of people and told them off to keep guard, and - directed them how to keep watch, and commanded them to slay the thieves - wherever they found them, without asking any questions.” - </p> - <p> - “People began to keep watch over the city, by night, and yet robberies - took place. All the merchants proceeded in a body to the king, and said, - ‘Your majesty has sent watchmen, and yet the thieves have not decreased in - number, and thefts occur daily.’ The king replied, ‘Do you take your leave - now; from to-night I will go forth to watch over the city.’ On hearing - this, they left the king, and went each to his own home. Now, when it was - night, the king took his sword and shield, and, on foot and alone, began - his watch over the city. Having advanced some distance in the course of - his watch, and looked closely, he perceived a thief coming towards him. On - seeing him, the king called out, ‘Who art thou?’ He replied, saying, ‘I am - a thief; who art thou?’ The king said (in reply), ‘I also am a thief.’ He - was pleased on hearing this, and said, ‘Let us commit a robbery - together.’” - </p> - <p> - “Settling this matter between them, the king and the thief, conversing - with one another, entered one of the quarters of the city, and after - committing thefts in several houses, carried off the articles, and came to - a well without the city, and having gone down into it, ultimately reached - the chief city of the nether regions. The thief stationed the king at the - gate, and took the money and treasures to his own house. In the meantime a - woman-servant came out of his house, and, seeing the king, began to say, - ‘Your majesty! what a place you have come to with that miscreant! Well - will it be if, ere he return, you fly hence as fast as you possibly can; - otherwise he will kill you as soon as he arrives,’ The king replied, ‘But - I do not know the road! In which direction should I go?’ Then the servant - showed him the road, and the king came to his palace.” - </p> - <p> - “In fine, on the following day the king, with all his forces, went to the - chief city of the nether regions by the road down the well, and surrounded - the entire household of the thief; but the thief, escaping by some other - road, went to the ruler of that city, who was a demon, and said, ‘A king - has led an attack against my house with the view to kill me; at this - moment, either you must aid me, or I will give up dwelling in your city, - and take my abode in some other place.’ On hearing this, the demon said, - graciously, ‘You have supplied me with food; I am well pleased with you.’ - Having said this, the demon went where the king was with his army, - surrounding the house, and began devouring the men and horses. And the - king fled on beholding the form of the demon; and all such as were able to - run away, escaped; and the rest the demon devoured.” - </p> - <p> - “To be brief the king was running off alone, when the thief came and cried - out, ‘Art thou, a Rajpüt, flying from the battle?’ On the instant of - hearing this, the king halted again, and the two confronted one another, - and began to fight. At length the king overcame him, and bound his hands - behind his back, and brought him into the city. After that, having had him - bathed and washed, and clothed in fine apparel, and mounted on a camel, he - sent him all round the city, accompanied by a crier, and ordered the - impaling stake to be erected for him. Whoever among the people of the city - saw him said, ‘This same thief has plundered the whole city, and the king - will now impale him.’” - </p> - <p> - “When the thief arrived near the house of the merchant Dharmdhwaj, the - merchant’s daughter hearing the sound of the crier’s drum, asked her - handmaid, ‘What is this proclamation about?’ She replied, ‘The king has - brought captive the thief who used to commit robberies in the city. Now he - will impale him.’ On hearing this, she also came running (to the lattice) - to see. No sooner did she behold the thief’s comeliness and manly form - than she became fascinated; and, coming to her father, said, ‘Do you go to - the king this moment, and return with that thief released.’ The merchant - said, ‘How can it be expected that, at my request, the king will release - the thief who has robbed his whole city, and on whose account his whole - army has been destroyed?’ She again urged, ‘If you have to give up even - all you possess for the king to release him, do you bring him away free; - and should he not come, I too will sacrifice my life.’” - </p> - <p> - “On hearing this, the merchant went to the king, and said, ‘Your majesty! - receive five lacs of rupees from me, and set the thief at liberty.’ The - king said, ‘This thief robbed the whole city, and my whole army was - swallowed up through him. I will not on any account let him go.’ When the - king did not heed his request, he returned home in despair, and said to - his daughter, ‘I said all that it was right to say, but the king did not - consent.’” - </p> - <p> - “In the meantime, having had the thief taken round the city, they brought - him to a stand-still near the impaling stake. Now, the thief having heard - of the predicament of the merchant’s daughter, first laughed aloud, and - then wept bitterly. The people the while pulled him down on the stake. And - the merchant’s daughter, receiving intimation of his death, came to the - same place to devote herself to death for his sake. She had a funeral pile - constructed, and sitting thereon, had the thief taken off the stake, - placed his head on her lap, apd quietly seated herself to be burnt. She - was on the point of having the torch put to it (the pile), when (a temple - sacred to Devi happening to be on the spot) Devi instantly came out of her - temple and said, ‘Daughter! I am pleased with thy courage; request a - boon.’ She said, ‘Mother! if thou art pleased with me, restore this thief - to life.’ Thereupon the goddess said, ‘Even so shall it be.’ Having said - this, she brought nectar from the under-world, and restored the thief to - life.” - </p> - <p> - Having told so much of the story, the sprite inquired, “Say, O king! why - the thief first laughed, and why he afterwards wept?” The king said, “I - know the reason why he laughed, and I know also why he wept. Attend, O - sprite! The thief thought within himself,—‘Now that she is giving up - all that she possesses to the king for my sake, what return can I make?’ - He wept at the thought of this. Again, however, he reflected, ‘She loved - me when I was about to die: the ways of God are altogether inscrutable; He - bestows wealth on the unlucky, knowledge on one of low origin, a beautiful - wife on a fool, and He causes rain to fall in showers on the mountains.’ - Thinking of such things, he laughed.” On hearing this, the sprite went - again and hung on to that tree. The king returned there, and unloosing - him, made a bundle of him, placed him on his shoulder, and took him away. - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <a name="link2H_4_0018" id="link2H_4_0018"> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - TALE XIV. - </h2> - <p class="pfirst"> - <span class="dropcap" style="font-size: 4.00em">T</span>he sprite said, - “Attend, King Vikram! There is a city named Kusmavati, of which one - Subichãr was king, whose daughter’s name was Chandra-prabhã. When she - became marriageable, she went out one spring day, along with her - companions, to stroll about in the garden. Now, before arrangements had - been made for the ladies to come out (i.e., before the garden had been - cleared of all strangers and others not permitted to set eyes on the - women), a Brahman’s son, named Manswi, of twenty years or so, very - handsome, had come into the garden in the course of his wanderings, and - meeting with cool shade under a tree, had fallen asleep there. The king’s - attendants came and made arrangements for the ladies of the seraglio in - the garden, but it so happened that none of them saw the Brahman’s son - sleeping there; and so he continued sleeping under that tree, and the - princess entered the garden with her attendants. Strolling about with her - companions, where does she come but to the place where the Brahman’s son - was sleeping! She no sooner arrived there than he also awoke at the sound - of the people’s footsteps. The eyes of both met; and to such a degree did - they come under Cupid’s power, that on the one side the Brahman’s son fell - upon the ground in a swoon, on the other, she too was so beside herself, - that her legs began to tremble. Her companions, however, quickly laid hold - of her on the very instant. At last, they laid her down in a litter, and - brought her home. And the Brahman’s son was lying in so complete a state - of insensibility here, that he had no consciousness whatever of his body - or mind.” - </p> - <p> - “During this interval two Brahmans, named Shashi and Müldeva, from the - country of Kanvrü, where they had studied the (occult) sciences, happened - to pass by there. Müldeva, seeing the Brahman’s son lying, said, ‘Shashi! - how is it that he is lying in such utter unconsciousness?’ He replied, ‘A - damsel has shot forth the arrows of her eyes from the bow of her eyebrows; - hence he is lying insensible.’ Müldeva said, ‘We ought to rouse him.’ He - replied, ‘What need is there for you to rouse him?’ He did not heed - Shashi’s words, but sprinkled water over him, and restored him to - consciousness, and asked, ‘What has been the matter with thee?’ The - Brahman said, ‘One should relate his troubles to him who can remove them; - for what is to be gained by relating your sorrows to him who, on hearing - of them, is unable to remove them?’ He said, ‘Well, tell me your troubles; - I will remove them.’” - </p> - <p> - “On hearing this, he said, ‘It was but now that the princess came here - with her companions; and it was through seeing her that I have fallen into - this state. Should I obtain possession of her, I will preserve my life; - otherwise I will abandon life.’ Then he replied, ‘Come to my abode; I will - exert myself to the utmost to obtain her; and, if I should not succeed, I - will bestow great wealth upon thee.’ Thereupon Manswi said, ‘God has - created many a jewel in the world; but the jewel, woman, surpasses all; - and for her sake it is that man treasures up wealth. When I have lost the - woman, what will I do with the wealth? Brute beasts are better off in the - world than those who do not possess themselves of handsome wives. The - fruit of merit is wealth, and the advantage of wealth is ease, and the - consequence of ease is (the taking) a wife; now, what happiness can there - be where there is no wife?’ On hearing this, Müldeva said, ‘I will give - thee whatsoever thou may’st ask for.’ Then he said, ‘O Brahman obtain that - same maiden’s hand for me.’ Müldeva thereupon said, ‘So be it; come along - with me; I will have that very maiden bestowed on thee.’” - </p> - <p> - “In short, ministering much comfort to him, he took him to his house; and - when he reached there, he prepared two magic pills. One pill he gave to - the (young) Brahman, saying, ‘When thou puttest this into thy mouth, thou - wilt be turned into a girl of twelve years; and when thou takest it out of - thy mouth, thou wilt become the self-same man thou wert before.’ He said - further, ‘Put this into thy mouth.’ On his putting it into his mouth, he - became a girl of twelve years. And he, (Müldeva) having put the other pill - into his own mouth, became transformed into an old man of eighty years; - and taking that young girl with him, he proceeded to the king.” - </p> - <p> - “The king, seeing the Brahman, saluted him, gave him a seat, and another - to the young girl also. Then the Brahman gave him his blessing in verse, - saying, ‘May he whose glory pervades the three worlds; and who, taking the - form of a dwarf, deceived * King Bali; and who, taking monkeys with him, - bridged the ocean; ** and who, supporting the mountain (Go vardhan) on his - hand, *** protected the cowherds from the bolts of Indra,—may the - same Vasudeva protect you!’ On hearing this, the king inquired, ‘Whence - has your highness come?’ The Brahman, Mãldeva, replied, ‘I have come from - the other side of the Ganges, and my home is there; and I had gone to - bring away my son’s wife, (and) in my absence, a general flight from the - village took place; and so I know not whither my wife and son have fled - to. And now, with this girl with me, how shall I seek them? It is, - therefore, advisable that I leave this (girl) with your majesty. Keep her - with the greatest care until I return.’” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * Ball was a powerful king, who, by his austerities and - devotion, overcame Indra in battle, and obtained power over - heaven and earth. The gods became alarmed at this, and - sought the aid of Vishnü, who visited the earth in the form - of a dwarf, and went before Bali, who, according to custom, - offered him presents. These the dwarf, affecting utter - contempt for worldly wealth, declined, saying he merely - wanted as much territory as could be comprised in three of - his paces. Bali laughed, and granted his request; whereupon - the dwarf increased his stature to prodigious dimensions, - and, at one step, placed his foot on the heavens; at the - next, on the earth; and, no room remaining for the third - step, he placed his foot on Bali’s head, and so pressed him - down to the region of Nãga-loka, beneath the earth, where he - was kept in confinement, and bound with bonds made of - twisted serpents. - - ** etband (from the Sanskrit setu-bandha) signifies a dike - or bridge, and is applied to the ridge of rooks between the - Coromandel coast and Ceylon. This dike or bridge is said to - have been built by the allies of Rama (i.e., the monkey army - under the leadership of Hanuman), when he invaded Ceylon to - recover his wife Sltã, who had been carried off thither by - Bãvan. It is said that, as fast as the monkeys built up the - dike, Bãvan destroyed it; so, to prevent his doing this, - Bãma erected a temple to Shiva (the god adored by Bavan) at - the extremity of the dike. Thenceforth Setband Rãmeshwar - became a place of pilgrimage. - - *** This allusion to the exploits of Krishna the curious - reader will find fully explained in the 26th chapter of the - “Prem Sãgar.” - </pre> - <p> - “On hearing these words of the Brahman’s, the king began thinking to - himself, ‘How shall I take charge of a very beautiful young woman? And if - I do not take her, this Brahman will curse me, (and) my dominion will be - overthrown.’ Having thought this over in his mind, the king said, ‘Your - highness! the command you have given me shall be obeyed.’ On this, the - king summoned his daughter, and said, ‘Daughter! take this Brahman’s - daughter-in-law and keep her with you, with all care and attention; and, - whether sleeping or waking, eating or drinking, or moving about, do not - let her be away from you for a moment.’ On hearing this, the princess took - hold of the hand of the Brahman’s daughter-in-law, and led her away to her - own apartment. At night, the two slept in one bed, and began conversing - with each other. In the course of conversation, the Brahman’s - daughter-in-law said, ‘Tell me, O princess! to what trouble is it owing - that you have become so worn and feeble?”’ - </p> - <p> - “The princess said, ‘I went one day in the spring, accompanied by my - female friends, to stroll about in the garden, and there beheld a very - handsome, Cupid-like Brahman, and our eyes met. He swooned away on one - side, and I became unconscious on the other. Then my companions, seeing my - predicament, brought me home. And I am totally ignorant of both his name - and his abode. His image fills my eyes, and I have not the least desire - for food and drink. It is through this trouble that my body has been - reduced to the state you see.’ On hearing this, the Brahman’s - daughter-in-law said, ‘What wilt thou give me if I bring thy beloved and - thee together?’ The princess said, ‘I will remain thy slave for ever.’ - Hearing this, he took the magic pill out of his mouth and became a man - again; and she was abashed at beholding him. After that, the Brahman’s son - married her after the fashion of Gandharb marriages; and used constantly - to convert himself thus into a man at night, and to remain a woman by day. - At length, after six months, the princess became pregnant.” - </p> - <p> - “They say that, one day, the king went with his whole family to a marriage - festival at his minister’s house. There the minister’s son beheld that - Brahman’s son disguised as a woman, and fell in love as soon as he saw her - (or him), and began to say to a friend of his, ‘If this woman does not - become mine, I will sacrifice my life.’ In the interval, the king having - partaken of the feast, returned to the palace with his family. But the - condition of the minister’s son became most painful through the anguish of - separation from his beloved, and he gave up food and water. Seeing this - state (of his), his friend went and informed the minister. And the - minister, on hearing the story, went and said to the king, ‘Your majesty! - love for that Brahman’s daughter-in-law has brought my son to a wretched - state. He has given up eating and drinking. If you would kindly give the - Brahman’s daughter-in-law to me, his life would be saved.’” - </p> - <p> - “On hearing this, the king said angrily, ‘Thou fool! It is not the nature - of kings to do such a wrong. Hearken! Is it right to give away to another - that which is given in trust, without the permission of the person making - over the trust, that you mention this matter to me?’ On hearing this, the - minister returned home in despair. But perceiving the suffering of his - son, he also gave up meat and drink. When three days passed without the - minister’s eating and drinking, then, indeed, all the officials combined, - and said to the king, ‘Your majesty! the minister’s son is in a precarious - state, and in the event of his dying, the minister, too, will not survive. - And on the minister’s dying, the affairs of the state will come to a - stand-still. It is better that you consent to that which we state.’ - Hearing this, the king gave them permission to speak. Then one of them - said, ‘Your majesty! it is long since that old Brahman left this, and he - has not returned; God knows whether he is dead or alive. It is therefore - right that you give that Brahman’s daughter-in-law to the minister’s son, - and so uphold your kingdom; and should he return, you can give him - villages and wealth. Should he not be satisfied with this, get his son - married (to another maiden) and let him depart.’” - </p> - <p> - “On hearing this, the king sent for the Brahman’s daughter-in-law, and - said, ‘Go thou to the house of my minister’s son.’ She said, ‘The virtue - of a woman is destroyed by her being gifted with excessive beauty, and a - Brahman’s character is lost by his serving a king, and a cow is ruined by - grazing in remote pastures, and wealth vanishes on meeting with abuse.’ - After saying so much, she added, ‘If your majesty would give me to the - minister’s son, settle this matter with him, viz., that he will do - whatever I tell him; then will I go to his house.’ The king said, ‘Say! - what should he do.’ She replied, ‘Your majesty! I am a Brahman woman, and - he is a Kshatri by caste; hence it is best that he first perform all the - prescribed pilgrimages; after that I will cohabit with him.’” - </p> - <p> - “When he heard this speech, the king sent for the minister’s son and said - to him, ‘Go thou, first, and visit all the places of pilgrimage; after - that I will give the Brahman’s girl to thee,’ On hearing these words from - the king, the minister’s son said, ‘Your majesty! let her go and take up - her abode in my house, and then I will go on pilgrimage.’ After hearing - this, the king said to the Brahman’s girl, ‘If thou will first go and take - up thy abode in his house, he will set out on pilgrimage.’ Having no - alternative, the Brahman’s girl went at the king’s bidding and took up her - abode in his house. Then the minister’s son said to his wife, ‘Do you both - live together in one place, on terms of the greatest affection and - friendliness, and on no account quarrel and fight with each other, and - never go to a strange house.’” - </p> - <p> - “Having given them these instructions, he, for his part, set out on a - pilgrimage; and here (at home), his wife, whose name was - Saubhagya-sundari, lying at night on one bed along with the Brahman’s - daughter-in-law, began conversing on various topics. After some time the - wife of the minister’s son spake as follows:—‘O friend! at this - moment I am consumed with the flame of love; but how can my desire be - attained?’ - </p> - <p> - “The other said, ‘If I accomplish thy desire, what wilt thou give me?’ She - replied, ‘I will be thy humble and obedient slave for ever.’ On this he - took the magic pill out of his mouth and became transformed into a man. - Thus he regularly transformed himself into a man by night, and into a - woman by day. After that, indeed, great love existed between the two of - them.” - </p> - <p> - “In short, six months passed away in this manner, and the minister’s son - returned. On the one hand, the people hearing of his arrival, began to - rejoice; and on the other, the Brahman’s daughter-in-law, having taken the - magic pill out of her mouth and transformed herself into a man, came out - from the house by way of the wicket, and went off. Again, after some time, - he came to the same Brahman, Müldeva, who had given him the magic pill, - and told him his whole story from beginning to end. Then Müldeva, after - hearing all the circumstances, took the magic pill from him and gave it to - his companion, Shashi, and each of them put the pill (he had) into his - mouth. One was transformed into an old man, and the other a young man of - twenty. After this the two went to the king’s.’” - </p> - <p> - “The king saluted them on the instant of seeing them, and gave them seats. - And they, too, gave (the king) their blessings. After inquiring after - their health and welfare, the king spake to Müldeva, saying, ‘Where have - you been detained for so many days?’ The Brahman said, ‘Your majesty! I - went to search for this son of mine, and having discovered him, I have - brought him to you. If you will now give up his wife, I will take both - daughter-in-law and son home.’ Then the king related the whole story to - the Brahman. The Brahman became very angry on hearing it, and said to the - king, ‘What proceeding is this, for thee to give my son’s wife to another? - Well! thou hast acted as thou pleasedst; but now receive my curse.’ - Thereupon the king said, ‘O holy man! be not angry; I will do whatever you - bid me.’ The Brahman said, ‘So be it; if, through fear of my curse, thou - wilt do as I say, then give thy daughter in marriage to my son.’ On - hearing this, the king summoned an astrologer, and after having the - auspicious conjunction and moment determined, gave his daughter in - marriage to the Brahman’s son. Then he took leave of the king and came to - his own village, bringing the princess, together with her dowry, along - with him.” - </p> - <p> - “On hearing this intelligence, the Brahman Manswi also came there, and - commenced quarrelling with him, saying, ‘Give me my wife.’ The Brahman - named Shashi said, ‘I have married her before ten witnesses and brought - her home; she is my wife.’ He replied, ‘She is with child by me; how can - she become thy wife?’ And they went on wrangling with each other. Müldeva - reasoned much with both of them, but neither heeded what he said.” - </p> - <p> - After relating so much of the story, the sprite said, “Say, king Bir - Vikramajit! whose wife was she?” The king replied, “She became the wife of - the Brahman Shashi.” Then the sprite said, “Pregnant by the other Brahman, - how could she become the wife of this one?” The king said, “No one was - aware of her being with child by that Brahman; whereas this one married - her in the presence of ten arbitrators; therefore she became his wife. And - the child, too, will have the right to perform his funeral obsequies.” On - hearing this, the sprite went and hung on to the same tree. Again did the - king go, and, after binding the sprite, and placing him on his shoulder, - carry him away. - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <a name="link2H_4_0019" id="link2H_4_0019"> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - TALE XV. - </h2> - <p class="pfirst"> - <span class="dropcap" style="font-size: 4.00em">T</span>he sprite said, “O - king! there is a mountain named Himachal, where there is a city of the - demi-gods (or celestial musicians); and king Jïmütketu ruled there. Once - upon a time he worshipped Kalpãbriksh a great deal for the sake of a son. - Thereupon Kalpabriksh was pleased, and said, ‘I am pleased at perceiving - thy services to me; ask any boon thou desirest.’ The monarch replied, - saying, ‘Grant me a son, so that my kingdom and my name may endure,’ It - (the tree) stud, ‘Even so shall it be.’” - </p> - <p> - “After some time the king had a son. He experienced extreme joy, and held - rejoicings with much noise and display. After making numerous presents and - charitable gifts, he summoned the priests and fixed on a name for him. The - priests named him Jïmüt-bãhan. When he became twelve years of age he began - to worship Shiva; and having completed the study of all the learned - writings, became a very intelligent, meditative, resolute, intrepid, and - learned man; there was no equal of his in those times. And as many people - as dwelt under his sway, all were alive to their respective duties.” - </p> - <p> - “When he attained to manhood, he, too, worshipped Kalpabriksh assiduously; - whereupon Kalpabriksh was pleased, and said to him, ‘Ask whatsoever thou - desirest, I will give it to thee.’ On this, Jïmüt-bãhan said, ‘If you are - pleased with me, take away all poverty from my subjects, and let all those - who dwell in my dominions become equal in point of possessions and - riches.’ When Kalpabriksh granted the boon, all became so well off by the - possession of wealth, that no one would obey the order of any person, and - no one would do work for any one.” - </p> - <p> - “When the subjects of that realm became such as has been described, the - brothers and kinsfolk of the king began to reason together, saying, ‘Both - father and son are completely under the influence of religion, and the - people do not obey their commands; it is therefore best to seize and - imprison the pair of them, and take their kingdom from them.’ In fine, the - king was not on his guard against them; and they having plotted together, - went with an army and surrounded the king’s palace.” - </p> - <p> - “When this news reached the king, he said to his son, ‘What shall we do - now?’ The prince said, ‘Your majesty! you be pleased to abide here in - peace; I will away and destroy them this instant.’ The king said, ‘O son! - this body is frail, and riches, too, are unabiding; when a man is born, - death, too, attends him; hence we should now give up dominion, and - practise religious duties. It is not right to commit a heinous sin for the - sake of such a body, and for the sake of a kingdom; for even king - Yudhishthir experienced remorse after his great war with the descendants - of Bharat.’ On hearing this, his son said, ‘So be it! make over the - government to your kinsmen, and you yourself depart and practise religious - austerities.’” - </p> - <p> - “Having resolved on this, and summoned his brothers and nephews, and - handed over the government to them, father and son both ascended the - mountain Malayãchal, and on reaching the summit, built a hut and dwelt - there. A friendship arose between Jïmüt-bãhan and a holy sage’s son. One - day the king’s son and the son of the sage went out together for a stroll - on the top of the mountain. A temple, sacred to Bhawãnï, came in sight - there. Within the temple, a princess, with a lute in her hands, was - singing in front of the goddess. The eyes of the princess and those of - Jïinüt-bãhan met, and both became smitten with love. But the princess, - restraining her feelings, and stricken with shame, turned her steps - homeward; and he, too, for his part, being put to shame by the presence of - the sage’s son, came to his own place. That night was passed by both the - lovers (<i>lit.</i> rosecheeked ones) in extreme restlessness.” - </p> - <p> - “As soon as morn appeared, the princess set out from her quarter, for the - temple of Devi, and the prince, too (starting from this side), no sooner - arrived than he perceived that the princess was there. Then he asked her - female companion, ‘Whose daughter is she?’ The companion said, ‘She is the - daughter of king Malayketu; her name is Malayãvatï, and she is a virgin as - yet.’ After saying this, the companion (spoke) again (and) asked the - prince, ‘Say, handsome man! whence have you come? and what is your name?’ - He replied, ‘I am the son of the monarch of the demi-gods, whose name is - Jïmüt-ketu; and my name is Jïmüt-bãhan. In consequence of our Government - being overthrown, we, father and son, have come and taken up our abode - here.’” - </p> - <p> - “Again, the companion, after hearing these words, related all to the - princess. She was much pained at heart on hearing them, and returned home; - and at night she lay down with a load of care on her mind. But her - companion perceiving this state of her’s, disclosed the story to her - mother. The queen, on hearing it, mentioned it to the king, and said, - ‘Your majesty! your daughter has become marriageable; why do you not seek - a husband for her?’ On hearing this, the king thought the matter over in - his mind, and that very moment summoned his son Mitrãvasu, and said, ‘Son! - seek a husband for your sister and bring him here.’ Then he spoke, saying, - ‘The king of the demi-gods, Jïmüt-ketu by name, and whose son is named - Jïmüt-bãhan, having abandoned his kingdom, has, I hear, come here with his - son.’ On hearing this, king Malay-ketu said, ‘I will give the girl to - Jiraüt-bãhan.’” - </p> - <p> - “Having said this, he bade his son go and bring Jimüt-bãhan from the - king’s. He, on receipt of the king’s command, set out for that house, and, - on arriving there, said to the father, ‘Let your son accompany me, as my - father has sent for him to bestow his daughter upon him.’ On hearing, - this, king Jïmüt-ketu sent his son along with him, and he came here (to - King Malay-ketu’s house). Then King Malay-ketu celebrated his marriage - Gandharb fashion. When his marriage had taken place, he brought the bride - and Mitrãvasu with him to his own house. Then the three of them paid their - respects to the king, and the king also gave them his blessing. Thus did - that day pass.’” - </p> - <p> - “On the morrow’s mom, however, the two princes went out, as soon as they - rose, to take a walk on that mountain of Malayãgir. * On reaching the - place, what does Jïmüt-bãhan perceive but a very lofty heap of something - white. Thereupon he questioned his brother-in-law, saying, ‘Brother! how - is it that this white heap is seen here?’ He replied, ‘Millions of young - <i>nags</i> (or serpents with human faces) come here from the infernal - regions; these <i>Garur</i> ** comes and devours; this heap is composed of - their bones.’ On hearing this, Jïmüt bãhan said to his brother-in-law, - ‘Friend! you go home (alone) and take your food; for I always engage in - worship at this hour, and the time for me to worship has now arrived.’” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * This mountain has already been called Malayachal; the - change of name is merely apparent, however, for achal and - giri both signify Mil or mountain; Malaya is the actual - name. It is a mountain south of the Narbada, and is made - famous in Sanskrit poetry for the cool southerly breeze - which always prevails there. - - ** Garur is a gigantic bird with a human face, said to be - the vehicle of Vishnu. He is the elder brother of Indra, - being the produce of the second egg laid by Banitã. This - will account for Garur’s possessing the power to bring - nectar from the nether regions. -</pre> - <p> - “On hearing this, he did go; and Jïmüt-bãhan having advanced further, the - sound of weeping began to reach him. When, continuing his advance in the - direction of the sound of the voice, he reached the spot, what does he - behold but an old woman weeping with the burden of her trouble. He went up - to her and asked, ‘Why weepest thou, mother?’ Thereupon she said, ‘To-day - comes the turn of the serpent Sankhchür, who is my son; Garur will come - and eat him up; it is on account of this trouble that I weep.’ He said, ‘O - mother! weep not; I will give up my life in lieu of thy son’s.’ The old - woman said, ‘Pray do not so! <i>thou</i> art my (son) Sankhchür.’” - </p> - <p> - “She was saying this, when, at that moment, Sankhchür arrived; and hearing - (her words), said, ‘Your majesty! worthless wretches like myself are born - and die in vast numbers; but a just and compassionate being like you is - not born every day (<i>lit</i>. every hour); do not, therefore, sacrifice - your life for mine; for, thousands of human beings will be benefited by - your remaining alive; whereas it makes no difference whether I live or - die.’ Then Jïmüt-bãhan said, ‘It is not the way of true men to say (that - they will do a thing) and (then) not to do it. Go thou whence thou - camest.’” - </p> - <p> - “When he heard this, Shankhchur, for his part, went to pay adoration to - Devi, and Garur descended from the sky. In the meantime, the prince - perceived that each leg of his was as long as four bamboos, and his beak - was as long as a palm-tree, his belly like a mountain, his eyes like - gates, and his feathers like clouds. All at once he rushed with open beak - upon the prince. The first time the prince saved himself; but the second - time he flew off with him in his beak, and began wheeling upwards in the - air. While this was going on, a bracelet, on the jewel of which the - prince’s name was engraved, became unfastened, and fell, all covered with - blood, before the princess. She fell down in a swoon at the sight of it.” - </p> - <p> - “When, after a few minutes, she recovered her senses, she sent word of all - that had happened to her father and mother. They came (to her) on hearing - of this calamity, and on seeing the ornament covered with blood, burst - into tears. Now, the three of them set out in quest (of him), and, on the - road, Shankhchür too joined them, and advancing beyond them, went to the - place where he had seen the prince, and began calling out repeatedly, - saying, ‘O Garur! let him go! let him go! He is not thy food. <i>My</i> - name is Shankchür. I am thy food.’” - </p> - <p> - “On hearing this, Garur descended in alarm, and thought to himself, ‘I - have eaten either a Brahman or a Kshatri; what is this I have done!’ After - this, he said to the prince, ‘O man! tell me truly; why art thou giving up - thy life?’ The prince replied, ‘O Garur! trees cast their shade over - others; and while they themselves stand in the sun, blossom and bear fruit - for the benefit of others. Such is the character of good men and trees. - What is the advantage of this body if it do not come of use to others? The - saying is well known that, The more they rub sandal-wood, the more it - gives out its perfume; and the more they go on peeling the sugar-cane, and - cutting it up into pieces, the more does its flavour increase; and the - more they pass gold through the fire, the more surpassingly beautiful does - it become. Those who are noble do not give up their natural qualities even - on losing their lives. What matters it whether men praise them or blame - them? What matters it whether riches abide with them or not? What does it - signify whether they die this moment, or after a length of time? The men - who walk in the path of rectitude place not their feet in any other path, - happen what may. What matters it whether they are fat or lean? In fact, - his living is bootless whose body proves of no benefit (to anyone); while - those who live for the good of others—their living is advantageous. - To live for the mere sake of living, is the way in which dogs and crows, - even, cherish life. Those who lay down their lives for the sake of a - Brahman, a cow, a friend, or a wife, nay, more, for the sake of a - stranger, assuredly dwell in paradise for ever.’” - </p> - <p> - “Garur said, ‘Everyone in the world cherishes his own life; and scarce, - indeed, are those in the world who lay down their own lives to save the - lives of others.’ After saying this, Garur added, ‘Ask a boon; I am - pleased with thy courage.’ On hearing this, Jïmüt-bãhan said, ‘O god! if - you are pleased with me, then henceforth eat no more serpents, and restore - to life those you have eaten.’ On hearing this, Garur brought the water of - life from the infernal regions, and sprinkled it over the bones of the - serpents, so that they rose up alive again. And he said to him (the - prince), ‘O Jimüt-bãhan, by my favour thy lost kingdom will be restored to - thee.’” - </p> - <p> - “After granting this boon, Garur departed to his own abode, and Sankhchür - also went home; and Jïmüt-bãhan too left the place, and met his - father-in-law and mother-in-law and wife on the road Then he came in their - company to his father. When they heard of these circumstances, his uncle - and cousins, and indeed all his kinsfolk, came to visit him, and after - falling at his feet (to implore forgiveness), took him away, and placed - him on the throne.” - </p> - <p> - After relating so much of the story, the sprite asked, “O king! whose - virtue was greatest among these?” King Bïr Vikramãjït replied, - “Sankhchür’s.” - </p> - <p> - “How so?” asked the sprite. The king said, “Sankhchür, who had gone away - (and so, got safe off,) returned to give up his life, and saved him (the - prince) from being eaten by Garur.” The sprite said, “Why was not the - virtue of him greatest, who laid down his life for another?” The king - replied, “Jïmüt-bãhan was a <i>Kshatri</i> by caste. He was accustomed to - holding his life in his hand, and hence he found it no hard matter to - sacrifice his life.” On hearing this, the sprite went again and hung on to - that tree; and the king, having gone there and bound him, placed him on - his shoulder, and carried him off. - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <a name="link2H_4_0020" id="link2H_4_0020"> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - TALE XVI. - </h2> - <p class="pfirst"> - <span class="dropcap" style="font-size: 4.00em">T</span>he sprite said, “Ô - King Bir Vikramãjït! there is a. city named Chandra-shekhar, and a - merchant named Ratandatt was an inhabitant thereof. He had one only - daughter, whose name was Unmãdinï. When she attained to womanhood, her - father went to the king of the place, and said, ‘Your majesty! I have a - daughter (<i>lit</i>. there is a girl in my house); if you desire to - possess her, take her; otherwise I will give her to some one else.’” - </p> - <p> - “When the king heard this, he summoned two or three old servants, and said - to them, ‘Go and inspect the appearance of the merchant’s daughter.’ They - came to the merchant’s house at the monarch’s bidding, and all became - fascinated at the sight of the girl’s beauty,—such beauty, as if a - brilliant light was placed in a dark house; eyes like those of a gazelle; - plaits of hair like female snakes; eyebrows like a bow; nose like a - parrot’s; a set of teeth (<i>lit</i>. the set of thirty-two) like a string - of pearls; lips like the <i>kandüri</i> throat like a pigeon’s; waist like - the leopard’s; hands and feet like a tender lotus; a face like the moon, a - complexion of the colour of the <i>champã</i>, a gait like that of a - goose, and a voice like the cuckoo’s; at the sight of her beauty the - female divinities of Indra’s paradise would feel abashed.” - </p> - <p> - “On beholding beauty of this kind, so abundantly rich in all graces, they - decided among themselves, (saying), ‘If such a woman enter the king’s - household, the king will become her slave, and will not give a thought to - the affairs of government. Hence, it is better to tell the king that she - is ill-favoured, (and) not worthy of him.’ Having determined thus, they - came thence to the king, and gave the following account:—‘We have - seen the girl; she is not worthy of you.’ On hearing this, the king said - to the merchant, ‘I will not wed her.’ Thereupon what does the merchant do - on returning home, but give his daughter in marriage to one Balbhadra, who - was the commander in-chief of the king’s army. She took up her abode in - his house.” - </p> - <p> - “It is said that, one day, the royal cavalcade passed by that way; and she - too was standing, fully attired, on her house-top, at the moment; (and) - her eyes and those of the monarch chanced to meet. The king began to say - to himself, ‘Is this the daughter of a god, or a female divinity, or the - daughter of a human being?’ The short of it is, he was fascinated at the - sight of her beauty, and returned thence to his palace in a state of - extreme agitation. The warder, on beholding his countenance, said, ‘Your - majesty! what bodily pain are you suffering from?’ The monarch replied, - ‘While coming along the road to-day I saw a beautiful woman on a - house-top. I know not whether she is a houri, or a fairy, or a human - being; but her beauty drove my mind distracted all at once; and hence (it - is that) I am agitated.’” - </p> - <p> - “On hearing this, the door-keeper said, ‘Your majesty! she is the daughter - of that same merchant (who offered his daughter to you). Balbbadra, your - majesty’s commander-in-chief, has brought her home as his wife/ The king - said, ‘Those whom I sent to see her appearance have deceived me,’ After - saying this, the king ordered the mace-bearer to bring those persons - before him without delay. On receiving this order from the king, the - mace-bearer went and brought them. In short, when they came before the - king, his majesty said, ‘The errand on which I sent you, and that which - was the desire of my heart—these things you failed to accomplish; on - the contrary, you fabricated a false story, and gave it to me as an - answer. Now, to-day, I have seen her with my own eyes. She is so beautiful - a woman, rich in all distinguishing qualities, that it would be difficult - to meet with her equal in these times.’” - </p> - <p> - “On hearing this, they said, ‘What your majesty says is true; but - graciously listen to the object we had in view in representing her to your - majesty as ill-favoured. We decided among ourselves that, if so beautiful - a woman enter the royal household, your majesty would become her slave on - the instant of beholding her, and would neglect all the affairs of the - State, and so the kingdom would go to ruin. It was in consequence of this - apprehension that we invented such a story, and laid it before you.’” - </p> - <p> - “When he heard this, the king <i>said</i> to them, ‘You speak the truth;’ - but he experienced the greatest uneasiness thinking of her. Now, the - king’s distress of mind was known to everyone, when, at the moment, - Balbhadra, too, arrived, and putting his hands together (in humble - supplication), stood before the king, and said, ‘O lord of ‘the earth! I - am your servant, she is your hand-maid, and you to suffer so much pain on - her account! Be pleased, therefore, to give the order that she may be - brought before you.’ On hearing these words, the king said very angrily, - ‘It is a grievous wrong to approach another’s wife! What is this thou hast - said to me? What! am I a lawless wretch, that I should commit an infamous - deed! The wife of another is as a mother, and the wealth of another is on - a par with mud. Hear me, brother! As a man regards his own heart, so - should he regard the hearts of others.’ Balbhadra spoke again, saying, - ‘She is my servant. When I give her to your majesty, how can she any - longer be the wife of another?’ The king replied; ‘I will not commit an - act whereby reproach would attach to me in the world.’ The - commander-in-chief said again, ‘Your majesty! I will turn her out of the - house, and place her somewhere else, and after making a prostitute of her, - will bring her to you.’ Thereupon the monarch said, ‘If thou makest a - harlot of a virtuous woman I will punish thee severely.’” - </p> - <p> - “After saying this, the king pined at the recollection of her, and, in the - course of ten days, died. Then the commander-in-chief, Balbhadra, went and - asked his spiritual teacher, ‘My master has died for the sake of Unmadini; - what is it right for me to do now? Favour me with your commands in this - matter.’ He said, ‘It is the duty of a servant to give up his life also - after his master’s.’ This servant gladly went to the place where they had - conveyed the king for cremation. During the time in which the king’s - funeral pile was got ready, he, too, had quitted himself of his ablutions - and devotions; and when they lighted the pile, he too drew near the pile, - and raising his joined hands to the sun, began to say, ‘O Sun-deity! in - thought, word and deed, I solicit the gratification of this desire, viz., - that at every successive birth I may meet with this same master, and (for - this) hymn your praises.’ Having uttered this, he bowed in adoration, and - leaped into the fire.” - </p> - <p> - “When Unmãdini received this intelligence, she went to her spiritual - teacher, and telling him all, asked, saying, ‘Your highness! what is the - duty of a wife?’ He replied, ‘It is by doing her duty to him to whom her - father and mother have given her that she is termed a woman of good - family; and it is thus written in the book of law, viz.—The woman - who in her husband’s lifetime practises austerities and fasting, shortens - the life of her husband, and is finally cast into hell-But the best thing - is this, that a woman by doing her duty to her husband, no matter how - wanting he may be, secures her own salvation. Moreover, the woman who - entertains the desire to sacrifice herself for her husband in the - burning-ground, most undoubtedly derives as much benefit from as many - steps as she takes towards this as would be derived from an equal number - of horse-sacrifices. * Further, there is no virtue equal to that of a - woman’s sacrificing herself for her husband on the funeral pile.’ On - hearing this, she made her salutation, and returned home; and after - bathing, and performing her devotions, and giving large gifts to Brahmans, - went to the funeral pile, and going once round to the right in adoration, - said, ‘O Lord! I am Thy servant in each succeeding birth.’ Having said - this, she, too, went and seated herself in the fire, and was consumed.” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * The ashwamedha, or horse-sacrifice, is one performed by - powerful kings alone, as it involves a vast expense. It is - regarded as of the highest efficacy, and as far excelling - all ordinary sacrifices. -</pre> - <p> - After relating so much of the story, the sprite said, “O king! whose - virtue was greatest of these three?” King Bir Vikramãjït replied, “The - king’s.” The sprite said, “How so?” The king replied, “He left alone the - wife given to him by the commander-in-chief, while he sacrificed his life - on her account, and yet preserved his virtue. It behoves a servant to lay - down his life for his master; and it is right for a wife to sacrifice - herself for her lord. Therefore the virtue of the king was greatest.” - Having heard these words, the sprite went and hung on to that same tree. - The king, too, followed him, and again bound him, and placed him on his - shoulder, and carried him away. - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <a name="link2H_4_0021" id="link2H_4_0021"> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - TALE XVII. - </h2> - <p class="pfirst"> - <span class="dropcap" style="font-size: 4.00em">T</span>he sprite said, - “Your majesty! there was a king of Ujjain, named Mahãsain; and an - inhabitant of that place was a Brahman, Devasharmã, whose son’s name was - Gunãkar. He (the son) turned out a great gambler; so much so that he lost - at play all the wealth the Brahman possessed. Thereupon all the members of - the family turned Gunãkar out of house and home. And he could not help - himself in any way; (so) having no other resource, he took his departure - from the place, and in several days’ time came to a certain city. What - does he see there but a devotee sitting over a fire, and inhaling smoke by - way of penance. After saluting him, he, too, sat down there. The devotee - asked him, ‘Wilt thou eat anything?’ He replied, ‘Your highness! of course - I will eat, if you give me (something).’ The devotee filled a human skull - with food and brought it to him. On seeing it he said, ‘I’ll not eat food - out of this skull.’” - </p> - <p> - “When he did not partake of the food, the ascetic repeated such an - incantation, that a fairy * appeared before him with joined hands, and - said, ‘Your highness! I will execute any command you may give me.’ The - ascetic said, ‘Give this Brahman whatever food he desires.’ On hearing - this, she built a very fine house, and furnishing it with all comforts, - took him away with her from that place, and seating him on a stool, placed - various kinds of condiments and meats, by dishfuls, before him. He ate - whatever he liked to his heart’s content. Again, after this, she placed - the pãn-box before him, and after rubbing down saffron and sandal in - rose-water, applied (the mixture) to his body. Farther, she clothed him in - garments scented with sweet perfumes, threw a garland of flowers round his - neck, and bringing him away thence, seated him on a bed. Now while this - was taking place it became evening, and she, too, having first decked - herself out, went and sat on the bed, and the Brahman passed the whole - night in pleasure and enjoyment.” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * Yakshani is a female Yakshã, or kind of demi-god, - attendant on Kuvera, the god of wealth. -</pre> - <p> - “When morn arrived, the fairy went away to her own place, and he came to - the devotee and said, ‘Master! she’s gone away; what shall I do now?’ The - ascetic said, ‘She came through the power of magic art, and abides near - him who possesses the art.’ He replied, ‘Impart this art to me, your - highness! that I may practise it.’ Then the devotee gave him a charm, and - said, ‘Practise this charm for forty days, at midnight, sitting in water, - and with a steadfast mind.’ Thus used he to go to practise the charm, - while many and various frightful objects appeared in view; but he felt no - alarm at any of them. When the time expired, he came to the devotee and - said, ‘Your highness! I come from practising (the charm) for the number of - days you prescribed.’ He said, ‘Now practise it for that number of days, - sitting in fire.’ He replied, ‘Master! I will go and pay a visit to my - family, and then return and practise it.’” - </p> - <p> - “After saying this to the devotee, he took leave and went home; and when - his relations saw him, they embraced him and commenced weeping; while his - father said, ‘O Gunãkar; where have you been so many days, and why did you - forget your home! O my son, it is said that, he who leaves a faithful wife - and lives apart, and turns his back on a youthful woman, or he who does - not care for one who loves him, is on a level with the lowest * of the - low. It is said, farther, that no virtue equals the domestic virtues, and - no woman in the world imparts happiness equal to that which the mistress - of one’s house imparts; and those who slight their parents are impious - men, and their future state will never, never be one of salvation; thus - has Brahma declared.’” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * Lit,—Is equal to a chandil, or man of the lowest of the - mixed tribes. -</pre> - <p> - “On this <i>Gunãkar</i> spoke, saying, ‘This body is composed of flesh and - blood, which same is food for worms; and its nature is such that, if you - neglect it for a day, a fetid smell proceeds from it. Fools are they who - feel affection for such a body, and wise are they who set not their heart - on it. Further, it is of the nature of this body that it is repeatedly - born and destroyed. What dependence can one place on such a body! Cleanse - it ever so much, it does not become clean; just as an earthen vessel, - filled with filth, does not become clean by washing the outer surface; or - however much one washes charcoal, it does not become white. Again, by what - means can that body become clean, in which the fount of impurity is - never-failing?’ Having said so much, he spoke again, saying, ‘Whose father - (is one)? Whose mother? Whose wife? Whose brother? * The way of this world - is such, that numbers come and numbers depart. Those who offer sacrifices - and burnt-offerings consider Agni (fire) their god; while those who are - deficient in understanding make an image and worship it as god; but the - class of ascetics regard god as in their very bodies. I will not practise - such domestic duties (as those you have mentioned), but will practise - religious meditation.’” ** “Having said this, he bid adieu to his kindred, - and came where the devotee was, and practised the charm, seated in fire. - The fairy, however, did not come. Then he went to the devotee, and the - devotee said to him, ‘Hast thou not acquired the art?’ Thereupon he said, - ‘Just so, Master! I have not acquired it!’” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * This may also be rendered, “Who has a father,” &c. - - ** Yogãbhyãs may mean, either “the particular practice of - devotion by which union with God is supposed to be - obtained,” or “the practice of the magic art.” - </pre> - <p> - “Having related so much of the story, the sprite said, ‘Say, O king! why - did he not acquire the art?’ The king replied, saying, ‘The practiser was - of two minds, (i e., did not give his undivided attention to the task), - and hence he failed to acquire it. And it is said that a spell is - perfected by (the operator’s) being of one mind (or by his giving his - entire mind to it), and does not succeed on his thoughts being divided. - Further, it is also said that those who are wanting in liberality do not - obtain celebrity; and those who lack truthfulness are without shame; those - who are wanting in justice do not acquire wealth; and those who lack - meditation do not find God.” - </p> - <p> - “When the sprite heard this he said, ‘How can the operator who sat in fire - to work his spell be termed two-minded?’ The king replied, ‘When, at the - time of practising the spell, he went to visit his family, the devotee - said to himself in vexation, ‘Why did I teach the magic art to so - vacillating an operator?’ and it was in consequence of this that he did - not acquire the art. And it is said, that however much a man may exert - himself, destiny attends him all the same; and whatever number of things - he may achieve by force of his intellect, he, nevertheless, obtains that - alone which fate has recorded.” On hearing this the sprite went again and - hung on to that tree; and the king, too, followed him, and having bound - him, and placed him on his shoulder, took him away. - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <a name="link2H_4_0022" id="link2H_4_0022"> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - TALE XVIII. - </h2> - <p class="pfirst"> - <span class="dropcap" style="font-size: 4.00em">T</span>he sprite said, - “Your majesty! There was a city named Kubalpur, the name of the king of - which was Sudakshi. Now, a merchant named Dhanãkshi used also to live in - that city, and he had a daughter whose name was Dhanvati. He gave her in - marriage in her childhood to a merchant named Gauridatt. After a - considerable time she had a girl, whom she named Mohani. When she attained - to some years, her father died, and the merchant’s kinsfolk seized all his - property. She, in her helplessness, left the house in the darkness of the - night, and taking her daughter with her, set out for the house of her - parents.” - </p> - <p> - “After proceeding but a short distance, she lost the road, and came upon a - burning-ground, where a thief was stretched upon an impaling-stake. Her - hand quite unexpectedly came in contact with his foot. He called out, ‘Who - is it that put me to pain just now?’ On this she replied, ‘I have not - willingly inflicted pain on you forgive my fault.’ He said, ‘No one gives - either pain or pleasure to another; according as the Creator decrees one’s - fate shall be, so he experiences; and those who affirm that they did such - and such things, are very unwise; for men are fixed to the cord of fate, - which draws them after it whithersoever it pleases. The ways of the - Creator are utterly inscrutable; for men propose a thing to themselves, - and He brings something quite different to pass.’” - </p> - <p> - “On hearing this, Dhanvati said, ‘O man! who art thou?’ He replied, ‘I am - a thief; this is my third day on the impaling-stake, and life will not - quit the body.’ She said, ‘For what reason?’ He replied, saying, ‘I am - unmarried; if thou wilt give me thy daughter in marriage, I will give thee - ten millions of gold-mohurs.’ It is notorious that greediness of gain is - the root of all evil, pleasure the source of pain, and love the source of - sorrow. Whoever keeps clear of these three lives happy. It is not every - one, however, who can give them up. Eventually, Dhanvati, through greed, - became willing to give him her daughter, and asked, ‘It is my desire that - thou shouldst have a son; but how can this be?’ He replied, saying, ‘when - she attains to womanhood, send for a handsome Brahman, and give him five - hundred gold-mohurs, and place her with him; thus will she have a son.’” - </p> - <p> - “When she heard this, Dhanvati married the girl to him by giving her four - turns round the stake. Then the thief said to her, ‘There is a banyan-tree - near a large well of masonry to the east of this; the gold-mohurs lie - buried beneath it; go thou and take them.’ He said this, and died. She - went in the direction indicated, and on arriving there, took a few - gold-mohurs from those buried» and came to her parents’ house. After - relating her story to them, she brought them with her to her husband’s - land. Then she built a large house and began living in it; and the girl - increased in stature daily.” - </p> - <p> - “When she had become a woman, she was standing one day with a female - companion on the house-top, and casting her eyes along the road, while - just at that moment a young Brahman passed that way, and she, at the sight - of him, was smitten with love, and said to her friend, ‘O my friend! bring - this man to my mother.’ On hearing this, she went and brought the Brahman - to her mother. She said, on seeing him, ‘O Brahman! my daughter is young; - if thou wilt lie with her, I will give thee a hundred gold-mohurs for a - son.’ On hearing this, he said, ‘I will do so.’” - </p> - <p> - “Whilst they were conversing thus, evening came on. They gave him food to - his mind, and he supped. It is a well known saying that enjoyment is of - eight kinds,—1. Perfume; 2. Woman; 3. Apparel; 4. Song; 5. <i>Pan</i>; - 6. Food; 7. The couch; 8. Ornaments. All these existed there. To be brief, - when the first watch of the night was at hand (or, was nigh passed), he - repaired to the nuptial chamber, and spent the whole night in pleasure and - enjoyment with her. When it became morning, he went home, and she arose - and came to her companions. Then one of them enquired, ‘Say! What - pleasures did you enjoy with your love in the night?’ She replied, ‘When I - went and sat near him, a kind of tremour made itself felt in my heart; - (but) when he smiled and took hold of my hand, I was quite overcome, and - no consciousness of what took place remained to me. And it is said that if - a husband be—1. possessed of renown; 2. brave; 3. clever; 4. a - chief; 5. liberal; 6. endowed with good qualities; 7. a protector of his - wife,—such a man a wife never forgets even in the world to come, - much less in this world.” - </p> - <p> - “The gist of the story is, that on that very night she conceived. When the - full time came, a boy was born. On the sixth night, the mother saw in a - vision an ascetic, with matted hair on his head, a shining moon on his - forehead, ashes of burnt cow-dung rubbed over him, wearing a white - Brahminical thread, seated on a white lotus, wearing a necklace of white - snakes, with a string of skulls thrown round his neck, and with a skull in - one hand and a trident in the other, thus assuming a most terrifying - appearance, come before her, and begin to say, ‘To-morrow, at midnight, - place a bag of one thousand gold-mohurs in a large basket, and enclosing - this boy therein, leave it at the gate of the palace.’” - </p> - <p> - “As soon as she saw this, her eyes opened. And on its becoming morning, - she told all the circumstances to her mother. When her mother heard this, - she, on the following day, put the boy in a basket in the very manner - directed, and left him at the king’s gate. Now, here (at the palace) the - king saw an apparition with ten arms, five heads, each head having three - eyes in it, and a moon upon it, very large teeth, a trident in his hand—a - most terrifying form, which came before him and said, ‘O king! a basket is - placed at thy door; bring away the child that is in it; he it is who will - maintain thy dominion.’” - </p> - <p> - “As soon as the king heard this, his eyes opened. He then related the - whole affair to the queen. After that, rising up thence, and coming to the - door, he perceived the basket placed there. On the instant of opening the - basket and peering into it, he beheld a boy and a bag of one thousand - gold-mohurs in it. He took up the child himself, and told the door-keepers - to bring in the bag. He then went into the female apartments, and placed - the child on the queen’s lap.” - </p> - <p> - “By this time the day broke. The king came out, and summoning the sages - and astrologers, questioned them, saying, ‘Tell me, what marks of royalty - are perceptible in this child?’ Thereupon one of the sages, who was - acquainted with the science of interpreting the spots on the human body, - spoke, saying, ‘Your majesty! three marks are distinctly perceived on this - child; 1. a broad chest; 2. a high forehead; 3. a large face; in addition - to these, your majesty! the whole thirty-two marks which are assigned to - man exist in this one. Have no apprehensions on his account; he will rule - over the kingdom.’ On hearing this, the king was pleased, and taking off a - chaplet of pearls from his own neck, presented it to that Brahman; and - after giving large gifts to all the Brahmans, he bade them name the child. - Then the sages said, ‘Your majesty! be pleased to sit down with the queen - fastened to you; let her majesty sit with the child in her lap; and summon - all the musicians, singers, and others employed on festive occasions, and - cause rejoicings to take place; then will we give him a name after the - manner prescribed by the sacred writings.’” - </p> - <p> - “When the monarch heard this, he ordered his minister to do whatever they - bid him. The minister had rejoicings for the birth of the child forthwith - proclaimed throughout the city. On hearing this, all the professional - rejoicers were in attendance, and congratulatory songs rung forth from - every home; festive music began to strike up in the king’s palace, and - rejoicing to take place. Then the king and the queen, with the child in - her lap, came and sat within a square filled with coloured meal, perfumes, - and sweetmeats, and the Brahmans began reading the scriptures. An - astrologer from among the Brahmans, having first determined the auspicious - planetary conjunction and time, named the child Hardatti After that, he - grew daily. At length, at the age of nine years, he finished the study of - the six learned volumes, and fourteen sciences, and became a profound - scholar. In the meantime, according to what was willed by God, it happened - that his father and mother died. He ascended the throne, and began to - govern justly.” - </p> - <p> - “After, several years, the king one day thought to himself, ‘What have I - done for my parents in return for being born in their family? The saying - is that,—Those who are compassionate, deal compassionately with all; - they it is who are wise, and to them it is that Paradise is allotted. And - the gifts, worship, religious penances, pilgrimages, and listening to the - scriptures of those who are not pure of heart, is all in vain. And those - who perform the funeral ceremonies and worship of the Manes without faith, - and in pride, derive no advantage thereby, and so, their fathers go with - their desires unfulfilled.’ Reflecting and pondering on this matter, the - king decided that he ought now to perform the funeral ceremonies of his - fathers. Thereupon King Hardatt proceeded to Gayã, and on arriving there, - invoked the names of his fathers, and began offering oblations * to them - on the bank of the River Phalgü, when the hands of all three ** came up - out of the river. He was troubled in mind on seeing this, wondering to - which of the hands he should give (the oblations), and to which not.” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * These oblations consist of balls (pind) or lumps of meat, - or rice mixed up with milk, curds, flowers, &c. - - ** That is the thief’s, the Brahman’s who begat him, and the - king’s who adopted him. The Hindus believe that when a son - performs the ceremony in question, the father is permitted - to come from the other world and receive the oblation. -</pre> - <p> - Having reached this stage of the story, the sprite said, “O King Vikram! - to which of the three was it right to give the oblations?” Then the king - said, “To the thief.” The sprite said again, “For what reason?” Thereupon - he (the king) said, “The seed of the Brahman had been bought; and the king - took a thousand gold mohurs and brought up the boy; and therefore neither - of these two had any right to the oblation.” On hearing these words, the - sprite went again and hung on to that tree, and the king carried him away - bound from thence. - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <a name="link2H_4_0023" id="link2H_4_0023"> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - TALE XIX. - </h2> - <p class="pfirst"> - <span class="dropcap" style="font-size: 4.00em">T</span>he sprite said, “O - king! there is a city named Chitraküt, the king of which was Rupdatt. One - day he mounted his horse and went forth alone to hunt; and, having lost - his way, got into a great forest. What does he see on going there but a - large tank, in which lotuses were flowering, and various kinds of birds - were sporting. On all four sides of the tank cool and perfume-laden - breezes were blowing under the shade of the dense foliage of the trees. - He, for his part, was overcome with the heat, (so) he tied his horse to a - tree, and spread the saddle-cloth, and sat down. A half-hour or so had - passed when the daughter of a holy sage, very beautiful, and in the prime - of youth, came to gather flowers. Seeing her plucking the flowers, the - king became deeply enamoured. When she was returning to her abode, after - gathering the flowers, the king said, ‘What conduct is this of yours, for - you not to attend to me when I have come as a guest to your abode?’” - </p> - <p> - “On hearing this she stood still again. Then the king said, ‘They say that - if one of low caste come as a guest to the house of one of the highest - caste, even he is entitled to respect; and whether he be a thief, or an - outcast, or an enemy, or a parricide,—if such a one even comes to - one’s house, it is right to show him honour; for a guest is more to be - honoured than anyone else.’ When the king spoke thus, she stood still. - Then, in truth, the two began to ogle one another. In the meantime the - holy sage also came up. The king saluted the devotee on seeing him, and he - (in return) blessed him, saying, ‘May you live long.’” - </p> - <p> - “Having said so much, he asked the king, ‘Why have you come here?’ He - replied, ‘Your holiness I I have come a hunting.’ He said, ‘Why dost thou - commit a great sin? It is said that one man commits a sin and many men - reap the fruits thereof.’ The king said, ‘Your holiness! kindly favour me - with your judgment of right and wrong.’ Thereupon the sage said, ‘Attend, - your majesty! A great wrong is done in killing an animal that lives in the - forest, supporting itself on grass * and water; and it is a very - meritorious act in man to cherish beasts and birds. It is said, moreover, - that those who render unapprehensive the timid and refuge-seeking, receive - the reward of those who are most liberal givers. It is also said, that no - religious austerity equals forbearance, and no happiness equals that of - contentment, and no wealth equals friendship, and there is no virtue like - mercy. Moreover, those men who are conscious of their duties, and show no - pride on acquiring riches, accomplishments, learning, renown, or - supremacy; and those who are content with their own wives, and are - truth-speakers—such men obtain, final salvation hereafter. And those - who kill ascetics with matted hair, and without clothes and arms, - experience the torments of hell at the last. And the king who does not - punish the oppressors of his subjects, he also experiences the torments of - hell. And those who have carnal intercourse with a king’s wife, or the - wife or daughter of a friend, or with a woman eight or nine months - advanced in pregnancy—they are cast into the (lowest and) greatest - hell of all. Thus is it declared in the book of law and religion.’” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * The text has tant by mistake, for trin. -</pre> - <p> - “On hearing this, the monarch said, ‘The sins which I have heretofore - committed in ignorance are done, and are beyond recall; henceforth, God - willing, I will not commit such again.’ The holy sage was pleased at the - king’s speaking thus, and said ‘I will grant thee any boon thou may’st ask - for; I am highly pleased with thee.’ Then the king spoke, saying, ‘Your - holiness! if you are pleased with me, give me your daughter.’ When the - sage heard this, he married his daughter to the king, after the manner of - Gandharb marriages, and departed to his own place. Then the king took the - saint’s daughter and set out for his capital. On the road, about mid-way, - the sun set and the moon rose. Then the king, seeing a shady tree, - alighted beneath it, and tying the horse to its root, spread his - saddle-covering and lay down along with her. Thereupon, at the hour of - midnight, a Brahman-devouring demon came and awoke the king, saying, ‘O - king! I will devour thy wife.’ The king said, ‘Act not so; whatever thou - askest for, I will grant.’ Then the demon said, ‘O king! if thou wilt cut - off the head of a Brahman’s son seven years’ old, and give it to me with - thine own hand, I will not eat her.’ The king replied, ‘Even so will I do; - but do thou come to me seven days hence in my capital, and I will give it - thee.’” - </p> - <p> - “Having bound the king by a promise thus, the demon departed to his own - place; and on the morn arriving, the king also left and came to his - palace. The minister hearing of it (i e., the king’s arrival) made great - rejoicings, and came and presented gifts; and the king, after telling the - minister of the adventure (with the demon), asked, ‘Say, what expedient - shall we adopt in the matter, for the demon will come on the seventh day?’ - The minister said, ‘Your majesty! feel no anxiety whatever; God will make - all right.’ After saying so much, the minister had an image made of a - maund and a quarter of gold, and jewels studded therein, and having it - placed on a cart, and (conveyed away, and) set up at a point where four - roads met, he said to the keepers thereof, ‘If any persons come to look at - this, say to them that any Brahman who will allow the king to cut off the - head of a seven-year-old son of his may take possession of this.’ Having - said this, he came away. Thereupon the keepers used to say this to those - who came to look at it (the image).” - </p> - <p> - “Two days passed away without any result. On the third day, however, a - weakly Brahman, who had three sons, hearing of this matter, came home and - began saying to his wife, ‘If thou wilt give a son of thine to the king - for a sacrifice, an image of a maund and a quarter of gold, and studded - with jewels, will come into the house.’ On hearing this, his wife said, ‘I - will not give the youngest son.’ The Brahman said, ‘The eldest I will not - part with.’ When the second son heard this, he said, ‘Father! give me up.’ - He replied, ‘Very well.’ Then the Brahman spoke again, saying, ‘Wealth it - is which is the source of all happiness in this world. Now, what happiness - can reach him who lacks wealth? and if one be poor, his coming into the - world is useless.’” - </p> - <p> - “Having said this, he took the second son, and gave him up to the guards, - and brought away the image to his house; and the people, for their part, - took the boy to the minister. Further, when seven days passed away, the - demon, too, came. The king took sandal, unbroken rice, flowers, perfumes, - lamps, food for the deity, fruits and betel-leaf, and paid adoration to - him; and, summoning the boy, took his sword in his hand, and stood ready - to sacrifice him. Thereupon the boy first laughed, and then wept. While he - was doing this, the king struck him a blow with the sword, so that his - head was severed (from his body). True it is, as the sages have said,—Woman - is the source (<i>lit</i>. mine) of misery in the world, the abode of - imprudence * (or immorality), the destroyer of courage (or daring), and - the occasioner of infatuation, (and) the bereaver of virtue. Who has - pronounced such a source (<i>lit</i>, root) of venom to be the highest - good? Again, it is said,—Store up wealth against adversity, and - disburse wealth to guard your wife, and give up wealth and wife to save - your own life.” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * The only meanings assigned to binti in the vocabulary are, - “submission,” “respects,” “solicitation,” none of which seem - to apply here. Deriving the word from the Sanskrit vi-nïti, - I prefer giving it the signification I have done. -</pre> - <p> - Having related so much of the story, the sprite said, “Your majesty! a man - weeps at the moment of dying; will you account for this,—Why did he - (the boy) laugh?” The monarch replied, “He laughed at the thought of this,—viz., - That in infancy a mother protects (her child), and on his growing up the - father cherishes him; (and) in both good and bad times a king befriends - his subjects,—Such is the way of the world; whereas, my predicament - is such that my father and mother have delivered me over to the king - through greed of wealth, and he stands, sword in hand, ready to slay me, - and the demon desires a sacrifice; no single one of them feels (a spark - of) pity.” On hearing this, the sprite went and hung on to that same tree; - and the king also speedily arrived there, and binding him, placed him on - his shoulder, and carried him off. - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <a name="link2H_4_0024" id="link2H_4_0024"> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - TALE XX. - </h2> - <p class="pfirst"> - <span class="dropcap" style="font-size: 4.00em">T</span>he sprite said, “O - king! there is a city named Bishalpur, the king of which was named - Bipuleshwar. In his city lived a merchant whose name was Arthdatt, and his - daughter’s name was Anaug-manjari. He had married her to a merchant of - Kanwalpur, named Munni. Some days after, the merchant crossed the ocean on - a mercantile venture; and when she attained to womanhood here (at home), - she was standing one day in the pavilion, and observing what was going on - in the road, when at that moment a Brahman’s son named Kamalãkar was - coming along. The eyes of the pair met, and they became enamoured of each - other at first sight. Again, after a quarter of an hour or so, recovering - self-possession, the Brahman’s son, in the restlessness consequent on - separation from his beloved, proceeded to the house of his friend; and - here she, too, was in extreme distress through the pain of separation from - him, when, in the meantime, a female companion came and took her up; she - had, however, no self-consciousness remaining. Then she (the companion) - sprinkled rose-water (over her) and made her smell perfumes, and while so - doing, her senses returned, and she said, ‘O Cupid! Mahãdeva burnt thee to - ashes, * and yet thou wilt not desist from thy knavish tricks, but comest - and inflictest pain on innocent, feeble women.’” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * Mahãdeva, or hiva, was once engaged in religious - meditation, when Kamdeva, or Cupid, excited amorous desires - within his breast; whereupon the angry god reduced him to - ashes by a fiery glance. The curious reader will find a - detailed account of the circumstance in the fifty-sixth - Chapter of the Prem Sagar. -</pre> - <p> - “She was uttering these words, when evening came on, and the moon - appeared. Then she said, while gazing at the moonlight, ‘O moon! I used to - be told that the water of life is in you, and that you shed it in your - beams; to-day, however, even you have begun to pour down venom.’ She then - said to her companion, ‘Take me up, and lead me away from this place, for - I am being burnt to death by the moonlight.’ Thereupon she raised her and - took her to the pavilion, and said, ‘Dost thou feel no shame at uttering - such words?’ Then she said, ‘O friend! I am fully aware of all; but Cupid - has wounded me, and rendered me void of shame; and I make great efforts to - be patient, but the more I continue to be consumed with the fire of - separation, the more venom-like does home appear to me.’ The companion - said, ‘Keep thy mind at ease; I will relieve thee of all thy suffering.’” - </p> - <p> - “Having said thus much, the companion went home, and she (the love-lorn) - determined in her mind that she would quit this body for his sake, and, - being born again, enjoy life well with him. With this longing in her mind, - she threw a noose on her neck, and was about drawing it tight, when the - companion arrived, and instantly taking the rope off her neck, said, - ‘Everything can be attained by living, not by dying.’ She replied, ‘Better - is it to die than suffer such pain.’ The companion said, ‘Repose awhile, - and I will go and bring him.’” - </p> - <p> - “Having said this, she went to the place where Kamalãkar was, and taking a - secret look at him, perceived that he also was much disturbed by the - separation from his beloved, while his friend was rubbing down sandal in - rose water and applying it to his body, and fanning him with tender leaves - of the plantain-tree; despite which, he was crying out all aflame (with - passion) and saying to his friend, ‘Bring me poison, I will sacrifice my - life and be released from this suffering. Observing this state of his, she - said to herself, ‘However courageous, learned, sagacious, discreet, and - patient a man may be, Cupid reduces him to a state of distraction all the - same.’ These thoughts having passed through her mind, the companion said - to him, ‘O Kamalãkar! Anangmanjari has sent word to thee to come and - bestow life on her.’ He replied, ‘She, indeed, has given life to me.’” - </p> - <p> - “After saying this, he rose up, and the companion went to her (the - love-sick maiden), taking him along with her. When he got there, lo! she - was lying dead! Thereupon he also uttered a cry of anguish, and therewith - his spirit fled. And when it became morning, her household took both of - them to the burning-ground, and arranging the pile, placed them thereon - and set fire to it, when, in the meantime, her husband also arrived at the - burning-ground, on his return from abroad. Then, hearing the sound of the - people’s weeping, he went there, and what does he behold but his wife - burning with a strange man! He, also, being distracted with love, burnt - himself ta death in the same fire. The people of the city, hearing this - intelligence, began saying one to another, ‘Neither has eye seen, nor ear - heard of so wonderful an event!’” - </p> - <p> - After relating so much of the story, the sprite said, “O king! whose love, - of these three, was greatest?” The king said, “Her husband was the deepest - lover.” - </p> - <p> - “Why?” said the sprite. The king replied, “He, who, on seeing his wife - dead for another’s sake, put aside anger, and cheerfully laid down his - life through love for her—he is the deepest lover.” Hearing these - words, the sprite went again and hung on to that tree. The king, too, went - there, bound him, placed him on his shoulder, and carried him off. - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <a name="link2H_4_0025" id="link2H_4_0025"> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - TALE XXI. - </h2> - <p class="pfirst"> - <span class="dropcap" style="font-size: 4.00em">T</span>he sprite said, - “Your majesty! there is a city named Jaysthal, the king of which was named - Varddhamãn. In his city was a Brahman named Vishnuswami, who had four - sons; one a gambler, the second a lover of women, the third a fornicator, - the fourth an atheist. The Brahman was one day admonishing his sons, - saying, ‘Wealth abides not in the house of him who gambles.’ The gambler - became greatly annoyed at hearing this. And he (the father) spoke again, - saying, ‘It is said in the Rãjnit (or book of policy), Cut off the nose - and ears of a gambler, and expel him from the land, so that others may not - gamble; and although the gambler may have a wife and family in his house, - do not consider them as in the house, for there’s no knowing when he may - lose them (at play). Again, those who are attracted by the wiles of - courtesans purchase suffering for their own souls, while they part with - their all under the influence of harlots, and take to stealing in the end. - It is said, further, that wise men keep far away from such women as - ensnare their hearts in a moment; whereas the unwise give up their hearts, - and so lose all their honesty, good disposition, reputation, conduct, - judgment, piety, and moral character. Moreover, the exhortation of their - spiritual preceptors is unpalatable to them. It is also said that—When - one has lost his own sense of shame, why should he fear to dishonour any - one else? And there is a proverb to the effect that—When will the - cat that devours its own young allow a rat to escape!’ He went on to say, - ‘Those who do not acquire knowledge in their childhood, and who on - attaining to manhood become engrossed in amorous pleasures, and continue - to pride themselves on their youth,—those persons, in their old age, - are consumed with regretful longings (for that which they have neglected - in their youth).’” - </p> - <p> - “On hearing these words, all four of them came mutually to the decision - that it was better for an ignorant man to die than live; and hence, it was - best for them to visit some other land and study science. Determining on - this, they went to another city, and after some time, having studied and - become learned, they set out for their home. What do they see on the road - but a Kanjar, * who, after skinning and cutting up a dead tiger, and - making a bundle of its bones, was about to take them away. Thereupon they - said to one another, ‘Come, let each of us put his knowledge to the - proof.’ Having determined on this, one of them called him (the Kanjar) and - gave him something, and taking the bundle, sent him away; and, quitting - the road, they opened the bundle. One of them arranged all the bones in - their proper places, repeated an incantation and sprinkled something over - them, so that they became united. In the same way the second brought the - flesh together on the bones. The third, in the same manner, fixed the skin - on the flesh. The fourth, in the same way, raised it to life. Thereupon it - devoured the whole four of them as soon as it arose.” - </p> - <p> - After reaching this point of the story, the sprite said, “Your majesty! - who was the greatest fool of those four?” King Vikram replied, “He who - restored it to life was the greatest fool. And it is said, that knowledge - without wisdom is of no use whatever; on the contrary, wisdom is superior - to learning; and those who lack wisdom die just as he who raised the tiger - to life died.” When the sprite heard these words, he went and suspended - himself on that same tree. Again did the king bind him, place him on his - shoulder, and carry him away as before. - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * Kanjar is the name of a low caste of people generally - employed in mean offices, such as carrying away carcasses, - &c. The snake-charmers are of his caste. -</pre> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <a name="link2H_4_0026" id="link2H_4_0026"> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - TALE XXII. - </h2> - <p> - The sprite said, “Your majesty! there is a city named Biswapur, the king - of which was named Bidagdha. A Brahman, named Nãrãyan, dwelt in his city. - He one day began thinking to himself, ‘My body has become old, and I am - acquainted with the science which enables one to enter another’s body; it - is therefore better that I quit this old body, and enter the body of some - young man and enjoy life.’ When he had determined on this in his mind, he - set about entering a youthful body; but first he wept, and then he - laughed, and after that he entered it and came home. All his kinsfolk, - however, were aware of what he had done, and thereupon he said to them, ‘I - have now become an ascetic.’” - </p> - <p> - “Having said this, he began to recite (as follows): ‘He who dries up the - fountain of hope with the fire of austere devotion, and placing his soul - therein, (thus) deadens his senses—he may be termed a wise devotee. - But the way of the people of this world is (such), that the body may waste - away, the head shake, the teeth drop out, and they walk about with a stick - in their old age, yet, even then, desire is not quenched. And thus it is - that time passes away—day comes, night arrives, a month is over, a - year is completed; one is a child, then an old man, while nothing is known - as to who one himself is (<i>lit</i>. I am), and who others are, and why - one grieves for another. One comes, another goes, and ultimately all life - must depart—not one of these will remain. Many and various bodies - are there, and many and various minds, and many and various affections, - and various kinds of delusions has Brahma created; but the wise escape - these, and quenching hope and desire, shaving their heads, taking a staff - and water-pot in their hands, subduing the passions of love and anger, - become ascetics, and wander barefooted from one place of pilgrimage to - another; these same find eternal salvation. This world, moreover, is as a - dream; to whom can you impart pleasure in it, to whom pain? It is even - like the new leaf shooting from the centre of the plaintain tree, wherein - is no pith whatever. And those who pride themselves on riches, youth, or - knowledge, are unwise. Again, they who turn devotees, and, taking a - water-pot in hand, beg alms from door to door, and nourishing their bodies - with milk, clarified butter, and sugar, become lustful, and have sexual - intercourse with women, they nullify their religious meditations.’ After - repeating so much, he proceeded, saying, ‘I will now go on a pilgrimage.’ - On hearing these words, his relations were much pleased.” - </p> - <p> - Having told so much of the story, the sprite said, “Your majesty! why did - he weep, and why did he laugh?” Then the king said, “Calling to mind his - mother’s love in his infancy, and the happiness of his youth, and from a - feeling of affection in having remained so many days in that body, he - wept; and having succeeded in his art, and entered a new body, he laughed - with pleasure.” On hearing these words, the sprite went and hung on to the - same tree; (and) again did the king bind him as before, place him on his - shoulder, and carry him away. - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <a name="link2H_4_0027" id="link2H_4_0027"> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - TALE XXIII. - </h2> - <p class="pfirst"> - <span class="dropcap" style="font-size: 4.00em">T</span>his sprite said, - “Your majesty! there was a city named Dharmpur, where a king named Dharmaj - ruled. In his city was a Brahman named Govind, versed in the whole four - Vedas and all the six learned treatises, and a careful observer of all his - religious duties; and Haridatt, Somdatt, Yagyadatt and Brahmadatt were his - four sons. They were very learned, very clever, and at all times obedient - to their father. After some time his eldest son died, and he, too, was at - the point of death through grief for him.” - </p> - <p> - “At that time, Vishnusharma, the king’s family priest, came and began - reasoning with him, saying, ‘When this (being) man enters the mother’s - womb, he first suffers pain there; secondly, falling under the influence - of love in youth, he endures the anguish of separation from his beloved; - thirdly, becoming old, he is involved in suffering through his body being - feeble. In brief, many are the sorrows attendant on (man’s) being born in - the world, and few (are) the joys; for the world is the source of sorrow. - If a man were to climb to the top of a tree, or go and sit on the summit - of a mountain, or remain hiding in water, or sneak into an iron cage and - remain therein, or go and conceal himself in the infernal regions—even - then death would not let him escape. Moreover, whatever one may be—whether - learned or a fool, rich or poor, wise or unwise, strong or weak—still, - this all devouring death lets no one escape. The full duration of a man’s - life is a hundred years; of this, half passes away in night, and half of - the half in childhood and old age; the remainder is spent in contention, - the (distress arising from) separation from those we love, and affliction. - Further, the soul that is, is as restless as a watery wave; how, then, can - it yield man any peace? And now, in this Iron Age, to meet with truthful - men is a difficult matter; while countries are daily laid! waste, kings - are avaricious, the earth yields little fruit, thieves and evil doers - commit violence on the earth; and but little of religion, devotion, and - truth remain in the world; kings are tyrannical, Brahmans covetous, men - have fallen under the influence of women, wives have become wanton, sons - have begun reviling their fathers, and friends (have begun to display) - enmity. Observe, further, that death did not even spare the great - Chimanyu, whose maternal uncle was Kanhaiya, and father Arjun. And when - Yama * carries off a man, wealth remains behind in his house, and father, - mother, wife, son, brothers and kindred—no one proves of any avail; - his good and evil deeds, his vices and his virtues alone accompany him; - while those same kinsfolk take him to the burning-ground and burn him. And - see (how) the night comes to an end on one side, while day dawns on the - other; here the moon sets, there the sun rises. In the same way youth - departs, old age comes on; thus, also, time goes on passing away, and yet, - even while perceiving this, man does not learn wisdom. Observe, again, in - the First, or Golden Age, Mandhãta, a great king, who filled (<i>lit</i>. - covered) the whole earth with the fame of his virtue; and in the Second, - or Silver Age, the glorious monarch Rãmchandra, who, bridging the sea, - destroyed such a fortress as Lanka, and slew Rãvan; and in the Third Age, - Yudhisthir reigned in such a manner that people sing of his renown to this - day—yet death did not spare even these. Moreover, the birds which - fly in the air, and the animals which dwell in the sea, when the hour - arrives, even these fall into trouble. No one has escaped sorrow on coming - into this world. To grieve on this account is folly. It is best, - therefore, to practise religious duties.’” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * Yama is the judge of the deceased, and ruler of the - infernal regions: also, the god of death. -</pre> - <p> - “When Vishnusharmã had reasoned with him in this manner, it came into the - Brahman’s mind that he would thenceforth perform meritorious and pious - acts. Having thought this over in his mind, he said to his sons, ‘I am - about to sit down to a sacrifice; you go and bring me a turtle from the - sea.’ On receiving their father’s command, they went to a fisherman, and - said, ‘Take a rupee, and catch a turtle for us.’ He took it, and caught - one, and gave it to them. Then the eldest of the brothers said to the - second, ‘Do thou take it up.’ He said to the youngest, ‘Brother! do thou - take it up.’ He replied, saying, ‘I will not touch it; a bad smell will - cling to my hands, and I am very nice * in (my) eating.’ The second said, - ‘I am very particular in my intercourse with women.’ The eldest said, ‘I - am particular in (the matter of) sleeping on a bed.’” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * I hazard this meaning for chatur in the teeth of the - vocabulary and the dictionaries, as, the meanings contained - therein do not seem to me to apply. The student, however, - may, if he pleases, substitute “sharp” or “clever” for - “nice.” - </pre> - <p> - “Thus did the three of them begin wrangling; and leaving the turtle where - it was, they proceeded, quarrelling the while, to the king’s gate, and - said to the gatekeeper, ‘Three Brahmans have come seeking justice; go thou - and tell this to the king.’ On hearing this, the doorkeeper went and - informed the king. The king summoned them, and asked, ‘Why are you - quarrelling one with another?’ Then the youngest of them said, ‘Your - majesty! I am very particular as to food.’ The second said, ‘Lord of the - earth! I am very particular as to women.’ The eldest said, ‘Incarnation of - justice! I am particular in the matter of beds.’” - </p> - <p> - “When the monarch heard this, he said, ‘Each of you submit to a trial.’ - They said, ‘Very well.’ The king sent for his cook, and said, ‘Prepare - various kinds of condiments and meats, and give this Brahman a thoroughly - good repast.’ On hearing this, the cook went and prepared food, and taking - with him the one who was nice in the matter of food, seated him in front - of the dishes. He was on the point of taking up a mouthful and putting it - into his mouth, when an offensive smell came from it. He let it go, washed - his hands, and came to the king. The king asked, ‘Didst thou enjoy thy - repast?’ Then he said, ‘Your majesty! I perceived a disagreeable smell in - the food, (and) did not eat.’ The king said again, ‘State the cause of the - offensive smell.’ He replied, ‘Your majesty! it was rice which had been - grown on a burning-ground; the smell of corpses proceeded from it, and - hence I did not eat it.’” - </p> - <p> - “On hearing this, the king summoned his steward, and asked, ‘Sirrah! from - what village does this rice come?’ He replied, ‘From Shibpur, your - majesty!’ The king said, ‘Summon the landholder of that village.’ - Thereupon the steward had the landholder brought before the monarch. The - king asked him, ‘On what land was this rice grown?’ He replied, ‘On a - burning-ground, your majesty!’ When the king heard this, he said to that - Brahman, ‘Thou art indeed a connoisseur in the matter of food.’” - </p> - <p> - “After this, he had the one who was nice in the matter of women sent for, - and having a bed laid out in an apartment, and all the requisites for - enjoyment placed therein, had a beautiful woman brought and placed near - him, and the two while lying down began conversing with each other. The - king was secretly looking on through a lattice. Now, the Brahman was about - to give her a kiss, when smelling her breath, he turned away his face, and - went to sleep. The king having witnessed this conduct, entered his palace - and sought repose. Rising early in the morning, he came into the court, - and summoned that Brahman, and asked, ‘O Brahman! didst thou pass the - night pleasantly?’ He replied, ‘Your majesty! I found no pleasure.’ ‘Why?’ - asked the king again. The Brahman replied, ‘The smell of a goat proceeded - from her mouth, and my mind was much distressed in consequence.’ When the - king heard this, he summoned the procuress, and inquired, ‘Whence didst - thou bring this (woman)? and who is she?’ She said, ‘She is my sister’s - daughter; her mother died when she was three months old, and I brought her - up on goat’s milk.’ On hearing this, the monarch said, ‘Thou art indeed a - connoisseur in respect of women.’” - </p> - <p> - “After that he had a very fine bed prepared, and caused the Brahman who - was a nice judge of beds to sleep thereon. On its becoming morning, the - king sent for him, and asked, ‘Didst thou sleep comfortably through the - night?’ He replied, ‘Your majesty ‘I had no sleep the whole night long.’ - ‘Why?’ asked the king. He replied, ‘Your majesty! in the seventh fold of - the bedding there was a hair, which was pricking my back, and I had no - sleep in consequence.’ On hearing this, the king looked into the seventh - fold of the bedding, and lo! a hair was found. Thereupon he said to him, - ‘Thou art indeed a nice judge of beds.’” - </p> - <p> - After relating so much of the story, the sprite asked, “Who was the - greatest connoisseur of those three?” King Bir Yikramajit replied, “He who - was the connoisseur in the matter of beds.” When the sprite heard this, he - went again and hung on to that tree; (and) the king also went there on the - instant, and bound him, placed him on his shoulder, and carried him away. - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <a name="link2H_4_0028" id="link2H_4_0028"> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - TALE XXIV. - </h2> - <p class="pfirst"> - <span class="dropcap" style="font-size: 4.00em">T</span>he sprite said, - “Your majesty! in the country of Kaling there was a Brahman named Yagya - Sharmã, whose wife’s name was Somadattã. She was very beautiful. The - Brahman began offering sacrifices, whereupon his wife had a beautiful boy. - When he attained the age of five years, his father began teaching him the - <i>Shãstras</i>. At the age of twelve years he had finished the study of - all the Shãstras, and become a great scholar; and he began to be in - constant attendance upon, and to help his father.” - </p> - <p> - “After the lapse of some time the boy died, and in their sorrow for him - his parents uttered loud cries of lamentation and wailing. On receiving - this news all his kinsfolk hastened thither, and fastening the boy upon a - bier, took him away to the burning-ground; and when there, began - repeatedly gazing at him, and saying to one another, ‘See! even in death - he appears beautiful!’ They were uttering words like these, and arranging - the pyre, while an ascetic was also seated there engaged in religious - austerity. He hearing these words began to think to himself, ‘My body has - become very old; if I enter this boy’s body, I can practise religious - meditation with ease and comfort.’” - </p> - <p> - “Having thought thus, he entered the body of the child, turned round, and - pronouncing the names of Rãm (Balarãm) and Krishn, sat up as one sits up - from sleep. When the people witnessed this, they all returned to their - homes in astonishment; while his father lost all desire for the world on - witnessing this marvel; first he laughed, then he wept.” - </p> - <p> - After relating so much of the story, the sprite said, “Say, your majesty! - why he laughed, and why he wept.” Thereupon the king said, “Seeing the - ascetic enter his body, and so learning the art (of changing one’s own - body for another) he laughed; and through regret at having to quit his own - body he wept, thinking, ‘Thus shall I too some day have to abandon my own - body.’” Hearing this, the sprite went again and suspended himself on that - tree; and the king, too, arriving close at his heels, bound him, put him - on his shoulder, and carried him away. - </p> - <p> - <br /><br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <a name="link2H_4_0029" id="link2H_4_0029"> </a> - </p> - <div style="height: 4em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h2> - TALE XXV. - </h2> - <p class="pfirst"> - <span class="dropcap" style="font-size: 4.00em">T</span>hen the sprite - said, “Your majesty! there is a city in the south named Dharmpur, a king - of which was named, Mahãbal. Once upon a time another king of that same - region led an army against and invested his capital. He continued fighting - for several days. When his army went over (in part) to the enemy, and a - portion was cut to pieces, then, having no help for it, he took his wife - and daughter with him, and went forth by night into the jungle. After he - had penetrated several miles (<i>lit</i>. kos) into the jungle, the day - broke, and a village came in view. Then, leaving the queen and princess - seated beneath a tree, he went himself towards the village to get - something to eat, and in the meantime (a body of) Bhils came and - surrounded him, and told him to throw down his arms.” - </p> - <p> - “On hearing this, the king commenced discharging arrows, and they did the - same from their side. Thus did the fight last for three hours, and - several, of the Bhils were slain. In the meantime an arrow struck the - king’s forehead with such force that he reeled and fell, and one of them - came up and out off the king’s head. When the queen and princess saw the - king dead, they took their way back to the jungle weeping and beating - their breasts. After having proceeded a <i>kos</i> or two thus, they got - tired and sat down, and began to be troubled with many an anxious - thought.” - </p> - <p> - “During this time a king, named Chandrasen, together with his son, while - pursuing the game, came into that jungle, and the king noticing the - foot-prints of the two (women), said to his son, ‘Whence have the - foot-prints of human feet come in this vast forest?’ The prince replied, - ‘Your majesty! these are women’s foot-prints; a man’s foot is not so - small.’ The king observed, ‘True, man has not got such delicate feet.’ The - prince said again, ‘They have just this moment passed.’ The monarch said, - ‘Come, let us seek them in the jungle; if we find them, I will give her - whose foot this large one is to thee; and I will take the other.’ Having - entered into this mutual compact, they went forward, and perceived the two - seated. They were delighted on seeing them, and seating them on their - horses in the manner agreed upon, they brought them home. The prince took - possession of the queen, and the king of the princess.” - </p> - <p> - Having related so much of the story, the sprite said, “Your majesty! what - relationship will there be between the children of these two?” On hearing - this, the king held his tongue through ignorance. - </p> - <p> - Then the sprite said in great glee, “Your majesty! I have been highly - pleased at witnessing your patience and courage; I tell you one thing, - however; do you attend thereto,—viz.: one, the hairs of whose body - are like thorns, and whose body (itself) is like wood, and whose name is - Shãntshïl, has come into your city, and he it is who has deputed you to - fetch me, (while) he himself is seated in the burning-ground working his - spells, and desires to kill you. I therefore forewarn you, that when he - has finished his devotions, he will say to you, ‘Your majesty! prostrate - yourself so that eight parts of your body may touch the ground.’ You - should then say, ‘I am the king of kings, and all potentates bow low in - salutation before me; up to this hour I have not bowed in adoration to any - one, and I know not how to do so; you are a spiritual teacher, kindly show - me how to do so, and then will I do it.’. When he bows down, give him such - a blow with your sword that his head may become severed (from his body); - then will you reign uninterruptedly; whereas, if you will not do this, he - will slay you, and reign permanently.” - </p> - <p> - Having warned the king in these words, the sprite came out of that corpse, - and went his way; and while somewhat of night still remained, the king - brought the corpse and placed it before the ascetic. The ascetic became - glad on seeing it, and lauded the king greatly. After that, he repeated - incantations and raised the corpse to life, and offered up a - ‘burnt-offering in sacrifice: and sitting with his face southwards, - offered to his god all the materials he had pre? pared; and after offering - up betel leaf, flowers, incense, lamps, and consecrated food, he said to - the king, “Make obeisance; very glorious will thy dignity become, and the - eight supernatural faculties * will always abide in thy house.” - </p> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - * These powers are—1. Mahima, or the faculty of making - one’s self as bulky as one pleases. 2. Laghims, or the - faculty of making one’s self as light as one pleases. 3. - Anima, or the power of making one’s self infinitely small. - 4. Prakamya, or the power of gratifying one’s desires. 5. - Vashita, or power of subjecting all things to one’s will. 6. - Ishita or supreme sway. 7. Prãpti, or the power of obtaining - everything. 8. Kãmãvasãÿitwam, or the power of subduing and - quenching natural desire. -</pre> - <p> - On hearing this, the king called to mind the words of the sprite, and - joining his hands, said with the utmost humility, “Your reverence! I know - not how to bow in adoration; you, however, are a spiritual teacher; if you - will kindly teach me, I will do it.” As the ascetic, on hearing this, - lowered his head to prostrate himself, that instant the king struck him - such a blow with his sword that his head was severed; and the sprite came - and showered down flowers. It is declared that there is nothing unlawful - in slaying him who would himself slay another. - </p> - <p> - At that time Indra and the rest of the gods, having witnessed the king’s - courage, mounted their cars and began to raise shouts of victory and - exultation. And king Indra said in pleasure to king Bïr Vikramãjït, “Ask a - boon.” Then the king joined his hands and said, “Your majesty! Let this - story concerning me become famous in the world.” Indra replied, “So long - as the moon, sun, earth and sky endure, this story shall be famous; and - thou shalt be ruler over the whole earth.” - </p> - <p> - After saying this, king Indra went to his place, and the king took those - two corpses and threw them both into the oil-cauldron. Thereupon the two - heroes came and presented themselves, and began to say, “What command is - there for us?” The king replied, “When I remember you, then do you come.” - Taking from them their promise to do this, the king returned home, and - began to attend to his government. It is said that,—Whether one be - learned or a fool, a child or a man, he alone who is wise will win - success. - </p> - <div style="height: 6em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Baitâl Pachchisi, by -John Platts and Duncan Forbes - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BAITÂL PACHCHISI *** - -***** This file should be named 54697-h.htm or 54697-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/6/9/54697/ - -Produced by David Widger from page images generously -provided by the Internet Archive - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law 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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