{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_54697/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_54697","id":"gutenberg_54697","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/54697","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Category: Short Stories","Tales -- India","Vampires -- India -- Folklore"],"text":"THE BAIT\u00c2L PACHCHISI\n\nOr, The Twenty-Five Tales Of a Sprite\n\nBy John Platts\n\nTranslated From The Hindi Text of Dr. Duncan Forbes\n\n(One of Her Majesty\u2019s Inspectors of Schools in the Central Provinces of\nIndia)\n\nLondon: Wm. H. Allen & Co.\n\n1871\n\n[Illustration: 0006]\n\n\n\n\nTRANSLATORS PREFACE.\n\nThe English translation of these tales has been made by special\nrequest, to meet repeated demands for a translation of the text as\nedited by the late Dr. Duncan Forbes. The aim of the Translator has been\nto produce a work which would enable the student to study the original\nwith facility and accuracy. It being considered that few save students\nwho are compelled to study the Hindi original would be likely to peruse\nthe work, the translation has been made as literal as it was possible\nto make it without doing unpardonable violence to English idiom. All\ndifficulties have been boldly, if not successfully, met; and explanatory\nand other notes have been added, wherever the text appeared to call for\nsuch. The study of the translation must not be supposed to dispense with\nthat of the Grammar of the language; it will be found, however, to prove\nof the highest utility to a student who has mastered the elementary\nprinciples of Grammar, and uses it--not as a mere \u201ccrib\u201d but--for the\npurpose of discovering what light it sheds on the application of those\nprinciples.\n\n\n\n\nPREFACE\n\nTHE origin of these tales is as follows:--In the reign of the Emperor\nMuhammad Shah, Raj\u00e3 Jaisinh Saw\u00e3r (who was the ruler of. Jainagar)\nordered the eminent poet, named S\u00fcrat, to translate the Bait\u00e3l Pachisi\n(which was in the Sanskrit) into the Braj dialect. Thereupon he\ntranslated it into the dialect of Braj, in accordance with the king\u2019s\ncommand. And now, during the reign of the Emperor Sf\u00e3hi \u2019Alam, and\nin the time of the lord of lords, the cream of exalted princes, the\nPrivy-Counsellor of the Monarch of England, whose court stands as high\nas Saturn; the noblest of the noble, the Governor-General, Marquis\nWellesley (may his government be perpetuated!); and in accordance with\nthe bidding of His Honour, Mr. John Gilchrist (may his good fortune\nendure!); to the end that illustrious gentleman may learn and\nunderstand, the poet Mazhar Ali Khan (whose _nom de plume_ is Vila),\nwith the aid of the poet Shr\u00ef Lall\u00fc L\u00e3l, rendered the same into easy\nlanguage, such as high and low use in speaking, and which the learned\nand the ignorant, the talented and the obtuse, would all comprehend, and\nwhich would be easy to the mind of every one, no difficulty of any kind\npresenting itself to the intellect, and wherein the dialect of Braj\nfrequently occurs.\n\nNow, in conformity with the command of the Professor of Hindi, the\nbounteous patron, His Honour, Captain James Mouat, (may his prosperity\nlast long!) T\u00e3rin\u00efcharan Mitra, (in preparing the work) for the press,\nhas struck out such Sanskrit and Braj words as seldom occur in the Urdu\ndialect, and introduced words in current use. Some words, however, in\nuse among the Hindus, the exclusion of which he regarded as detrimental,\nhe has preserved intact. He trusts that the work may meet with a\nfavourable reception.\n\n\n\n\nTHE BAIT\u00c2L PACHCHISI.\n\n\n\n\nINTRODUCTORY TALE.\n\nThere was a city named Dh\u00e3r\u00e3nagar, the king of which was Gandharb Sen.\nHe had four queens, and by them six sons, one more learned and more\npowerful than another. Fate ordaining, after some days the king died,\nand his eldest son, Shank by name, became king in his stead. Again,\nafter some days, a younger brother, Vikram, after slaying his eldest\nbrother, himself became king, and began to govern well. Day by day his\ndominion so increased that he became king of all India; * and, after\nfixing his government on a firm basis, he established an \u00e6ra.\n\n     * Jambudwip is the name of one of the seven divisions of the\n     world, and implies, the central division, or the known\n     world; according to the Bauddhas, it is confined to India.\n\nAfter some time the king thought to himself that he ought to visit those\ncountries of which he had heard. * Having determined on this, he made\nover his throne to his younger brother Bharthari, and himself assuming\nthe guise of a devotee, set out to wander from land to land and forest\nto forest.\n\n     * Lit.--The king thought in his mind, \u201cI should travel over\n     those countries whose names I am hearing.\u201d\n\nA Brahman was practising austerities in that city. One day a deity\nbrought and presented to him the fruit of immortality. He then took the\nfruit home and said to his wife, \u201cWhoever shall eat this will become\nimmortal; the deity told me this at the time of giving, the fruit.\u201d\n Hearing this, the Brahman\u2019s wife wept excessively, and began to say,\n\u201cThis is a great evil we have to suffer! For, becoming immortal, how\nlong shall we go on begging alms? Nay, to die is better than this;\n(for) if we die, then we escape from the trials of the world.\u201d Then the\nBrahman said, \u201cI took the fruit and brought it; but, hearing your words,\nI am bereft of understanding. Now I will do whatever you bid.\u201d Then his\nwife said to him, \u201cGive this fruit to the king, and in exchange for it\ntake wealth, whereby we may enjoy the advantages of this world as well\nas that to come.\u201d\n\nHearing this speech, the Brahman went to the king and gave him his\nblessing; (and) after explaining the circumstances of the fruit, said,\n\u201cGreat king! do you take this fruit and give me some wealth; there is\nhappiness for me in your being long-lived.\u201d Theking having given\nthe Brahman a lakh of rupees and dismissed him, entered the female\napartments, and giving the fruit to the queen whom he loved most, said,\n\u201cO queen! do thou eat this, for thou wilt become immortal, and wilt\ncontinue young for ever.\u201d The queen, hearing this, took the fruit from\nthe king, (and) he came out into his court.\n\nA certain kotw\u00e3l was the paramour of that queen: to him she gave the\nfruit. It so happened that a courtesan was the kotw\u00e3l\u2019s mistress; he\ngave the fruit to her and described its virtues. That courtesan\nthought to herself that the fruit was a fitting present for the king.\nDetermining this in her mind, she went and presented the fruit to the\nking. His majesty took the fruit and dismissed her with much wealth; and\ncontemplating the fruit, and pondering within himself, he became sick of\nthe world, and began to say, \u201cThe perishable wealth of this world is\nof no use whatever; for through it one must ultimately fall into hell.\nPreferable to this is the practising of religious duties and the biding,\nin the remembrance of the Deity, whereby it may be well in the future.\u201d\n\nComing to this determination, he entered the female apartments and asked\nthe queen what she had done with the fruit (he gave her). She replied,\n\u201cI ate it up.\u201d Then the king showed the queen that fruit. She, on the\ninstant of setting eyes on it, stood aghast, and was unable to make any\nreply. After that, the king having come forth, had the fruit washed, and\nate it, and abandoning his kingdom and throne, assumed the guise of\na devotee, and betook himself unaccompanied, and without holding\ncommunication with a soul, to the jungle.\n\nThe throne of Vikram became vacant. When this news reached king Indra,\nhe sent a demon to guard Dh\u00e3r\u00e3nagar. He kept watch over the city day\nand night. To be brief, the report of this matter spread from country to\ncountry, that king Bharthari had abandoned his government and gone away.\nKing Vikram, too, heard the news, and immediately came to his country.\nIt was then midnight: he was entering the city at that hour, when that\ndemon called out, \u201cWho art thou? and whither goest thou? Stand still\n(and) mention thy name.\u201d Then the king said, \u201cIt is I, king Vikram; I\nam entering my own city: who art thou, to challenge me?\u201d Then the demon\nreplied, saying, \u201cThe deities have sent me to guard this city: if you\nare really king Vikram, first fight with me, and then enter the city.\u201d\n\nOn hearing these words the king girt tight his waist-cloth and\nchallenged the demon. Thereupon the demon, too, stood up to him. The\nbattle began. At last the king threw the demon and sat upon his breast.\nThen he said, \u201cO king! thou hast thrown me; I grant thy life as a boon.\u201d\n Upon this the king, laughing, said, \u201cThou art gone mad; whose life\ndost thou grant? Did I will, I could slay thee; how canst thou grant me\nlife?\u201d Then the demon said, \u201cO king! I am about to save thee from death;\nfirst attend to a tale of mine, and thereafter rule over the whole\nworld free from all care.\u201d At length the king set him free, and began to\nlisten attentively to his tale.\n\nThen the demon addressed him thus: \u201cThere was in this city a very\nliberal king, named Chandrabh\u00e3n. One day he went forth casually into\nthe jungle; when, what should he behold but an ascetic hanging, head\ndownwards, from a tree, and sustaining himself by inhaling smoke\nalone--neither receiving anything from any one, nor speaking to any\none. Perceiving this state of his, the king returned home, and seating\nhimself in his court, said, \u2018Whoever will bring this ascetic (here),\nshall receive a lakh of rupees.\u2019 A courtesan bearing these words, came\nto the king and spake thus: \u2018If I obtain your majesty\u2019s leave, I will\nhave a child begotten by that ascetic, and bring it here mounted on his\nshoulder.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cThe king was astonished at hearing this speech, and binding the\ncourtesan to (the fulfilment of her contract to) bring the ascetic by\ngiving her a flake of betel-leaf, * dismissed her. She went to that\nwild, and reaching the ascetic\u2019s place, perceived that he was really\nhanging head-downwards, neither eating nor drinking anything, and that\nhe was withered up. In short, that courtesan prepared some sweetmeat,\nand put it into the ascetic\u2019s mouth: he, finding it sweet, ate it up\nwith zest. Thereupon the courtesan applied more (to his mouth). Thus for\ntwo days did she continue feeding him with sweetmeat, by eating which\nhe gained a certain degree of strength. Then, opening his eyes, and\ndescending from the tree, he inquired of her, \u2018On what business hast\nthou come hither?\u2019\u201d\n\n     * I am obliged to render thus periphrastically the words\n     tapasvi ke lane ke, waste b\u00efr\u00e3 dekar. The bir\u00e3 is a betel-\n     leaf, made up with a preparation of areca-nut, chunara,\n     cloves, &c. It is given and accepted as a pledge for the\n     performance of an act.\n\n\u201cThe courtesan replied, \u2018I am the daughter of a god; I was practising\nreligious austerities in heaven; I have now come into this wild.\u2019\nThe devotee said again, \u2018Where is thy hut? Show me it.\u2019 Thereupon the\ncourtesan brought the ascetic to her hut, and commenced feeding him\nwith savoury (_lit._ six-flavoured) viands, so that the ascetic left\noff inhaling smoke; and took to eating food and drinking water daily.\nEventually Cupid troubled him; upon which he had carnal intercourse with\nher, (and) vitiated his austerities; and the courtesan became pregnant.\nIn ten months a boy was born. When he was some months old, the woman\nsaid to the devotee, \u2018O saint! you should now set out on a pilgrimage\nwhereby all the sins of the flesh may be blotted out.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cDeluding him with such words, she mounted the boy on his shoulder, and\nstarted for the king\u2019s court, whence she had set out, after taking up\nthe gage to accomplish this matter. When she came before the king, his\nmajesty recognised her from a distance, and seeing the child on the\nshoulder of the devotee, began saying to the courtiers; \u2018Just see!\nthis is the very same courtesan, who went to bring the devotee!\u2019 They\nreplied, \u2018O king! you are quite right; this is the very same; and\nbe pleased to observe that all that she had stated in your majesty\u2019s\npresence ere she set forth, has come to pass.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen the ascetic heard these remarks of the king and courtiers, he\nperceived that the king had adopted these measures to disturb his\nreligious meditations. With these thoughts in his mind, the devotee\nreturned from thence, and getting out of the city, slew the child,\nrepaired to another jungle, and began to perform penance. And after some\ntime that king died, and the devotee completed his penance.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe short of the story is this, that you three men have been born under\none asterism, one conjunction, and in one moment. You took birth in\na king\u2019s house; the second was an oilman\u2019s (child); the third, the\ndevotee, was born in a potter\u2019s house. You still govern here, while the\noilman\u2019s son _was_ the ruler of the infernal regions; but that potter,\nbringing his religious meditations to thorough perfection, has killed\nthe oilman, turned him into a demon in a burning-ground and placed him\nhanging head-downwards on a siris-tree, and is intent on killing you.\nIf you escape him, you will rule. I have apprised you of all these\ncircumstances; do not be careless with respect to them.\u201d Having narrated\nthus much, the demon departed. He (the king) entered his private palace.\n\nWhen it was morn the king came forth, and took his seat (on the throne),\nand gave the order for a general court. As many servants as there were,\ngreat and small, all came and made their offerings in the presence,\nand festive music burst forth. An extraordinary gladness and rejoicing\npossessed the whole city, such that in every place, and every house,\ndance and song arose. After this the king began to govern justly.\n\nIt is related that one day an ascetic named Sh\u00e3nt-shil appeared at the\nking\u2019s court with a fruit in his hand, and, presenting the fruit to the\nking, spread a cloth, and sat down there. After a short time he went\naway again. On his departure the king thought to himself that this\nwas probably the person of whom the demon had spoken. Habouring this\nsuspicion, he did not eat the fruit, and, summoning the steward, he gave\nit to him, with instructions to keep it carefully. The devotee, however,\ncame constantly in this same manner, and left a fruit every day.\n\nIt so happened that one day the king went to inspect his stable,\naccompanied by some attendants.\n\nDuring that interval the ascetic, too, arrived there, and presented the\nking with a fruit in the usual manner. He began tossing it in the air,\nwhen all of a sudden it fell from his hand on the ground, and a monkey\ntook it up and broke it in pieces. So exquisite a ruby came out of it\nthat the king and his attendants were astonished at the sight of its\nbrilliance. Thereupon the king said to the devotee; \u201cWhy hast thou given\nme this ruby?\u201d\n\nOn this he said, \u201cO great king! it is written in the Shastra that one\nshould not go empty-handed to the following places, viz., those of\nkings, spiritual teachers, astrologers, physicians and daughters, for at\nthese places one obtains benefit for benefit. Sire! why do you speak\nof a single ruby? As many fruits as I have given you, every one of them\ncontains a jewel.\u201d Hearing these words, the king told the steward to\nbring all the fruits he had given to him. On receiving the king\u2019s order,\nthe steward immediately brought them; and, having had the fruits broken\nopen, he found a ruby in each. When he beheld so many rubies the king\nwas excessively pleased, and, summoning a tester of precious stones,\nbegan having the rubies tested, saying the while, \u201cNothing will\naccompany one (from this world); integrity is the great essential in the\nworld; tell me honestly, therefore, the exact value of each gem.\u201d\n\nHearing these words the jeweller said, \u201cO king! you have spoken the\ntruth. He whose integrity is safe, his all is safe: integrity alone\naccompanies us, and that it is which proves of advantage in both worlds.\nHear, O king! each gem is perfect as to colour, stone, and form. Were\nI to declare the value of each to be a crore of rupees, even that would\nnot come up to the mark. Of a truth, each gem is worth a clime.\u201d Hearing\nthis, the king was pleased beyond measure, and conferring a robe of\nhonour on the jeweller, dismissed him; and taking the devotee\u2019s hand, he\nbrought and seated him on the throne, and began thus: \u201cMy whole realm\nis not worth even one of these rubies; tell me, then, what is the\nexplanation of this, that you, a religious mendicant, have presented me\nwith so many gems?\u201d\n\nThe ascetic said, \u201cYour majesty! it is not proper to speak publicly of\nthe following things, viz., magic and incantations, drugs employed in\nmedicines, religious duties, family affairs, the eating of impure meats,\nevil speech which one has heard--all these things are not spoken of in\npublic; I will tell you in private. Attend! it is a rule, that whatever\nis heard by three pairs of ears remains no secret; the words which reach\ntwo pairs of ears no man hears; while the contents of one pair of ears\nare unknown to Brahma himself, not to speak of man.\u201d On hearing these\nwords, the king took the devotee apart and began to say, \u201cO holy man!\nyou have given me so many rubies, and have not once partaken of food\neven; you have put me to great shame! Let me know what it is you\ndesire.\u201d The ascetic said, \u201cSire! I am about to practice magical arts in\na large body-burning-ground on the bank of the river Godavari, whereby I\nshall acquire supernatural powers, and so I beg of you to pass one whole\nnight with me; by your being near me my magic arts will succeed.\u201d Then\nthe king said, \u201cVery well; I will come: leave word with me of the day.\u201d\n The ascetic said, \u201cDo you come to me, armed and unattended, on the\nTuesday evening of the dark half of the month Bh\u00e3don.\u201d The king replied,\n\u201cYou may go; I will assuredly come, and alone.\u201d\n\nHaving thus exacted a promise from the king and taken leave, he, for\nhis part, went into a temple and made preparations, and taking all\nnecessaries with him, went and fixed himself in a place for burning\nbodies; while here the king began to ponder (over what had happened). In\nthe meantime the moment (for him to depart) too, arrived. Upon this\nthe king there and then girt on his sword, tightened the cloth he wore\nbetween his legs, and betook himself alone to the devotee by night, and\ngreeted him. The devotee requested him to be seated, whereupon the king\nsat down, and then perceived goblins, evil spirits, and witches, in\nvarious frightful shapes, dancing around; while the ascetic, seated in\nthe centre, was striking two skulls together by way of music. The king\nfelt no fear or alarm on beholding this state of things; but said to the\ndevotee, \u201cWhat command is there for me?\u201d He replied, \u201cO king! now that\nyou have come, do this;--at a distance of two _kos_ south of this place\nis a burning-ground, wherein is a siris-tree, on which a corpse is\nsuspended; bring that (corpse) to me at once to this place, where I\nshall be performing my devotions.\u201d Having despatched the king thither,\nhe himself settled down in devotional attitude and began muttering\nprayers.\n\nFor one thing, the darkness of the night was in itself terrifying; more\nthan this, the downpour of the rain was as unceasing as if it would rain\nfor once and all that night; whilst the goblins and ghosts, too,\nwere creating such an uproar, that even daring heroes would have been\nagitated at the spectacle;--the king, however, went on his way. The\nsnakes, which kept coming and twining themselves about his legs, he used\nto disentangle by repeating incantations. At length, when after\npassing somehow or other over a perilous road, the king reached the\nburning-ground, he perceived that goblins were constantly seizing\nmen and destroying them; witches continually munching the livers of\nchildren; tigers were roaring, and elephants screaming. In short, when\nhe noticed the tree, he perceived that every leaf and branch of it, from\nthe root to the topmost twig, was burning furiously, while from all four\nsides arose a tumultuous cry of \u201cKill him! kill him! Seize him! seize\nhim! Take care he does not escape!\u201d\n\nThe king had no fears on beholding that state of things; but he said to\nhimself, \u201cIt may or may not be so, but (I am convinced) this is the same\ndevotee about whom the demon spoke to me.\u201d And having gone close and\nobserved, he perceived a corpse fastened by a string, and hanging head\ndownwards. He was glad to see the corpse, thinking his trouble had been\nrewarded. Taking his sword and shield, he climbed the tree fearlessly,\nand struck such a blow with the sword that the rope was severed and\nthe corpse fell down, and instantly began to weep aloud. On hearing his\nvoice the king was pleased, and began to say to himself, \u201cWell! this man\nat least is alive.\u201d Then, descending, he enquired of him who he was.\nHe burst out laughing as soon as he heard (the question). The king was\ngreatly astonished at this. Again the corpse climbed up the tree and\nsuspended himself. The king, too, that instant climbed up, and clutching\nhim under his arm, brought him down, and said, \u201cVile wretch! tell me\nwho thou art.\u201d He made no reply. The king reflected and said to himself,\n\u201cPerhaps this is the very oilman whom the demon said the devotee had\ndeposited in the place where bodies are burnt.\u201d Thus reflecting, he\nbound him up in his mantle and brought him to the devotee. The man who\ndisplays such courage will (be sure to) succeed in his under-takings.\n\nThen the sprite * said, \u201cWho art thou? and whither art thou taking\nme?\u201d The king replied, \u201cI am king Vikram, and am taking thee off to a\ndevotee.\u201d He rejoined, \u201cI will go on one condition,--if thou utterest\na word on the way, I will come straight back.\u201d The king agreed to his\ncondition and went off with him. Then the sprite said, \u201cO king! those\nwho are learned, discerning, and wise--_their_ days are passed in the\ndelight of song and the sh\u00e3stras, while the days of the unwise and\nfoolish are spent in dissipation and sleep. Hence, it is best that this\nlong road should be beguiled by profitable converse: do you attend, O\nking! to the story I relate.\u201d\n\n     * Betal or bait\u00e3l, is a sprite haunting cemeteries, or,\n     rather, places where bodies are burned and animating dead\n     bodies.\n\n\n\n\nTALE I.\n\nThere was a king of Ban\u00e3ras, named Prat\u00e3pmukut; and Bajra-mukut was the\nname of his son, whose queen\u2019s name was Mah\u00e3dev\u00ef. One day the prince,\naccompanied by his minister\u2019s son, went to the chase, and advanced far\ninto a jungle, in the midst of which he beheld a beautiful tank; on the\nmargin of which wild geese, br\u00e3hman\u00ef ducks, male and female, cranes and\nwater-fowl were, one and all, disporting on all four sides _ghats_ of\nsolid masonry were constructed: within the tank, the lotus was in full\nbloom: on the sides were planted trees of different kinds, under the\ndense shade of which the breezes came cool and refreshing, while birds\nwere warbling on the boughs; and in the forest bloomed flowers of varied\nhues, on which whole swarms of bees were buzzing;--(such was the scene)\nwhen they arrived by the margin of that tank, and washed their hands and\nfaces, and reascended.\n\n\u201cOn that spot was a temple sacred to Mah\u00e3deva, Fastening their horses,\nand entering the temple, they paid adoration to Mah\u00e3deva, and came out.\nWhile they were engaged in adoration, the daughter of a certain king,\naccompanied by a host of attendants, came to another margin of the tank\nto bathe; and, having finished her ablutions, meditations and prayers,\nshe, with her own maidens, began to walk about in the shade of the\ntrees. On this side the minister\u2019s son was seated, and the king\u2019s son\nwas walking about, when, suddenly, his eyes, and the eyes of the king\u2019s\ndaughter, met. As soon as he beheld her beauty, the king\u2019s son was\nfascinated, and began saying to himself, \u2018You wretch, Cupid! why do you\nmolest me?\u2019 And when the princess beheld the prince, she took in\nher hand the lotus-flower which she had fixed on her head after her\ndevotions, placed it to her ear, bit it with her teeth, put it under\nher foot, then took it up and pressed it to her bosom, and, taking her\nmaidens with her, mounted (her chariot) and departed home.\u201d\n\n\u201cAnd the prince, sinking into the depths of despair, and overwhelmed\nwith grief on account of her absence, came to the minister\u2019s son, and\nwith a feeling of shame laid before him the actual, state of affairs,\nsaying, \u2018O friend! I have seen a most beautiful damsel; (but) I know\nneither her name nor her abode: should I not possess her, I will give\nup my life: this I am firmly resolved upon in my mind.\u2019 Hearing these\ncircumstances, the minister\u2019s son caused him to mount, and brought\nhim home, it is true; but the king\u2019s son was so restless from grief\nat separation, that he entirely abandoned writing, reading, eating,\ndrinking, sleeping, the business of government--everything. He used to\nbe constantly sketching her portrait and gazing at it and weeping; not\nspeaking himself, nor listening to what others said.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen the minister\u2019s son saw this state of his, the result of separation\nfrom his flame, he said to him, \u2018Whosoever treads the path of love\ndoth not survive; or if he survive, he suffers great sorrow. * On this\naccount the wise avoid treading this path.\u2019 The king\u2019s son, on hearing\nhis words, replied, \u2018I, in sooth, have entered upon this path, be there\njoy in it or be there pain.\u2019 When he heard so determined a speech from\nhim, he (the minister\u2019s son) said, \u2018Great king! at the time of leaving\ndid she say anything to you, or you to her?\u2019 Upon this he made answer,\nsaying, \u2018I said nothing, nor did I hear anything from her.\u2019 Then the\nminister\u2019s son said, \u2018It will be very difficult to find her.\u2019 He said,\n\u2018If she be secured, my life will be preserved; otherwise, it is lost.\u2019\u201d\n\n     * Lit.--Whosoever has placed his step in the path of love\n     has not survived after it; or if he has survived, then he\n     has experienced great affliction.\n\n\u201cHe enquired again, \u2018Did she make no signs even?\u2019 The prince said,\n\u2018These are the gestures she made,--suddenly seeing me, she took the\nlotus-flower from her head, put it to her ear, bit it with her teeth,\nplaced it under her foot, and pressed it to her bosom.\u2019 On hearing this,\nthe minister\u2019s son said, \u2018I have comprehended her signs, and discovered\nher name, habitation, and all about her.\u2019 He (the prince) replied,\n\u2018Explain to me whatever you have discovered.\u2019 He began to say, \u2018Attend,\nO king! Her having taken the lotus-flower from her head and put it\nto her ear, is equivalent to her having informed you that she is an\ninhabitant of the Karn\u00e3tak (Carnatic); and in biting it with her\nteeth, she intimated that she is the daughter of king D\u00e3nta-v\u00e3t; and by\npressing it under her foot, she declared that her name is Padm\u00e3vati;\nand in again taking it up and pressing it to her bosom, she informed you\nthat you dwell in her heart.\u2019 When the prince heard these words, he\nsaid to him, \u2018It is advisable that you take me to the city in which she\ndwells.\u2019 No sooner had he said this than both dressed themselves, girt\non their arms, and taking some jewels with them, mounted their horses\nand took the road to that quarter.\u201d\n\n\u201cHaving reached the Kam\u00e3tak after several days, and having arrived below\nthe palaces of the king in their stroll through the city, what do\nthey see there but an old woman sitting at her door and plying her\ncotton-wheel. The two, dismounting from their horses, approached her,\nand began to say, \u2018Mother! we are travelling merchants, our goods are\nfollowing us; we have come on ahead to seek a lodging; if you will give\nus a place, we will abide.\u2019 On looking at their faces and hearing their\nwords, the old woman took compassion on them and said, \u2018This house\nis yours; remain here as long as you please,\u2019 In short, they took\npossession of the house on hearing, this; and after some delay the old\nwoman came and kindly sat with them, and began chatting with them. On\nthis, the minister\u2019s son enquired of her, \u2018What family and relations\nhave you got? and how do you subsist?\u2019 The old woman said, \u2018My son is\nvery comfortably provided for in the king\u2019s service, and your humble\nservant is the wet-nurse of Padm\u00e3vat\u00ef, the king\u2019s daughter; in\nconsequence of old age having overtaken me I remain at home, but the\nking provides for my maintenance. Once a day, however, I go regularly to\nsee that girl; it is on my return from thence, in my home, alone, that I\ngive vent to my woe.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cHearing these words, the prince rejoiced at heart, and said to the old\nwoman, \u2018When you are starting to-morrow, please carry a message from\nme too.\u2019 She replied, \u2018Son! what need to defer it till tomorrow? I will\nthis moment convey any message of yours that you communicate to me.\u2019\nThen he said, \u2018Do you go and tell her this,--The prince whom you saw on\nthe margin of the tank on the fifth day of the light half of the month\nJeth has arrived here.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cOn hearing these words the old woman took her stick and went to the\npalace. When she got there she found the princess sitting alone. When\nshe appeared before her, she (the princess) saluted her.\n\n\u201cThe old woman gave her, her blessing, and said, \u2018Daughter! I tended you\nin your infancy, and suckled you. God has now caused you to grow up:\nwhat my heart now desires is, that I should see you happy in your\nprime, then should I, too, receive comfort.\u2019 Addressing her in such\naffectionate words as these, she proceeded to say, \u2018The prince whose\nheart you took captive on the fifth day of the light half of Jeh, by\nthe side of the tank, has alighted at my house, (and) has sent you this\nmessage, for you to perform the promise you made him, now that he has\narrived. And I tell you, for my part, that that prince is worthy of\nyou, and is as excellent in disposition and mental qualities as you are\nbeautiful.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cOn hearing these words she became angry, and applying sandal to her\nhands, and slapping the face of the old woman, began to say, \u2018Wretch!\nget out of my house!\u2019 She rose annoyed, and went, in that very\ncondition, straight to the prince, and related all that had happened to\nher. The prince was astounded at these words. Then the minister\u2019s son\nspoke, saying, \u2018Great king! feel no anxiety; this matter has not come\nwithin your comprehension.\u2019 Hereupon he said, \u2018True; do you then explain\nit, that my mind may obtain rest.\u2019 He said, \u2018In smearing sandal on the\nten fingers, and striking the (woman on the) face, she intimated, that\nwhen the ten nights of moonlight shall come to an end, she will meet you\nin the dark.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cTo be brief, after ten days the old woman again went and announced him;\nthen she tinged three of her fingers with saffron, and struck them on\nher cheek, saying, \u2018Get out of my house!\u2019 After all, the old woman moved\nfrom thence in despair, and came and related to the prince all that had\noccurred. He was engulfed in an ocean of sorrow as soon as he heard\nit. Seeing this state of his, the minister\u2019s son said again, \u2018Be not\nalarmed, the purport of this matter is something else.\u2019 He replied,\n\u2018My heart is disquieted; tell me quickly.\u2019 Then he said, \u2018She is in the\nstate which women are in every month, and hence has stipulated for three\ndays more; on the fourth day she will send for you.\u2019 In short, when the\nthree days elapsed, the old woman made enquiries after her health on\nthe part of the prince. Then she brought the old woman angrily to\nthe western wicket, and turned her out. Again the old woman came and\ninformed the prince of this event: he became cast-down at hearing it.\nOn this the minister\u2019s son said, \u2018The explanation of the affair is,\nthat she has invited you to-night by way of that wicket.\u2019 He was pleased\nbeyond measure at hearing this. To be brief, when the hour arrived,\nthey took out brown suits of clothes, arranged them, fastened on their\nturbands, dressed themselves, placed their weapons in order about\nthem, and were ready; by this time midnight had passed. At that time\nan universal stillness prevailed, when they, too, pursued their way in\nunbroken silence.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen they arrived near the wicket, the minister\u2019s son remained standing\nwithout, and he (the prince) entered the wicket. What does he perceive,\nbut the princess, too, standing there expecting him! Thus their eyes\nmet. Then the princess laughed, and, closing the wicket, took the prince\nwith her into the festive chamber. Arrived there, the prince beheld\ncensers filled with perfume alight in different parts of the room, and\nmaidens dressed in garments of various colours standing respectfully,\nwith hands joined, each according to her station; on one side a couch\nof flowers spread; atr-holders, pan-boxes, rose-water bottles, trays\nand four-partitioned boxes arranged in order; on another side, compound\nessences, prepared sandal-wood, mixed perfumes, musk, and saffron filled\nin metal cups; here, coloured boxes of exquisite confections laid out;\nthere, sweetmeats of various kinds placed in order; all the doors and\nwalls adorned with pictures and paintings, and holding such faces, that\nthe beholder would be enchanted, at the very sight of each single one.\nIn short, everything that could contribute to pleasure and enjoyment was\ngot together. The whole scene was one of an extraordinary character, of\nwhich no adequate description can be given.\u201d\n\n\u201cSuch was the apartment to which the princess Padm\u00e3vat\u00ef took the prince\nand gave him a seat, and having his feet washed, and applying sandal\nto his body, and placing a garland of flowers round his neck, and\nsprinkling rose-water over him, began fanning him with her own hands.\nUpon this the prince said, \u2018At the mere sight of you I have become\nrefreshed; why do you take so much trouble? These delicate hands are not\nfit to handle a fan; give me the fan; you be seated.\u2019 Padm\u00e3vat\u00ef replied,\n\u2018Great king! you have been at great trouble to come here for my sake,\nit behoves me to wait upon you.\u2019 Then a maiden took the fan from the\nprincess\u2019s hand, and said, \u2018This is my business; I will attend on\nyou, and do you both enjoy yourselves.\u2019 They began eating betel-leaf\ntogether, and engaging in familiar conversation, when, by this time, it\nbecame morning. The princess concealed him; (and) when night came on,\nthey again engaged in amorous pleasures. Thus several days passed away.\nWhenever the prince showed a wish to depart the princess would not\npermit him. A month passed thus; then the prince became much disturbed,\nand very anxious.\u201d\n\n\u201cOnce it happened that he was sitting alone by night and thinking thus\nto himself, \u2018Country, throne, family,--everything had already been\nseparated from me; but such a friend as mine, by whose means I found all\nthis happiness, even him have I not met for a whole month! What will he\nbe saying in his heart? and how do I know what may be happening to\nhim?\u2019 He was sitting occupied with these anxious thoughts when, in the\nmeanwhile, the princess too arrived, and seeing his predicament, began\nto inquire, \u2018Great king! what grief possesses you that you are sitting\nso dispirited here? Tell me.\u2019 Then he said, \u2018I have a very dear friend,\nthe son of the minister; for a whole month I have received no accounts\nof him: he is such a clever, learned friend, that through _his_ talents\n(it was that) I obtained thee, and _he_ (it was who) explained all thy\nsecrets.\u2019 The princess said, \u2018Great king! your soul is really there;\nwhat happiness can you enjoy here? Hence, this is best,--I will prepare\nconfections and sweetmeats, and all kinds of meats, and have them sent;\ndo you, too, go there and feast and comfort him well, and return with\nyour mind at ease.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cOn hearing this the prince rose up and came forth; and the princess had\ndifferent kinds of sweetmeats, with poison mixed, cooked and sent. The\nprince had but just gone and sat beside the minister\u2019s son when the\nsweetmeats arrived. The minister\u2019s son enquired, \u2018Great king! how did\nthese sweetmeats come here?\u2019 The prince replied, \u2018I was sitting there\nanxious concerning you, when the princess came, and looking at me,\nasked, \u2018Why do you sit cast-down? Explain the reason of it.\u2019 On this I\ngave her a full account of your skill in reading secrets. * On hearing\nthis account, she gave me permission to come to you, and had these sent\nfor you; if you will partake of them, my heart, too, will be rejoiced.\u2019\nThen the minister\u2019s son said, \u2018You have brought poison for me; it is\nwell, indeed, that _you_ did not eat of it. Sire! listen to a word from\nme,--a woman has no love for her lover\u2019s friend: you did not act wisely\nin mentioning my name there.\u2019 On hearing this the prince said, \u2018You talk\nof such a thing as no one would ever do: if man have no fear of man, it\nis to be presumed he fears God at least.\u2019\u201d\n\n     * In thus translating, I take bhed-chatur\u00e3\u00ef as a compound:\n     other translators render it, \u201cthe secrets of your\n     cleverness,\u201d which seems to me to be grammatically\n     inadmissible, and to lose the sense.\n\n\u201cWith these words he took a round sweetmeat from among them and threw it\nto a dog. As soon as the dog ate it he died convulsed. Seeing this\nturn of affairs, the prince became incensed, and began to say, \u2018It is\nunbecoming to associate with so false a woman; up to this hour her love\nhas found place in my heart; now, however, it is all over.\u2019 * On hearing\nthis the minister\u2019s son said, \u2018Your majesty! what has happened, has\nhappened (i.e., let bygones be bygones); you should now act in such a\nmanner that you may be able to get her away to your home.\u2019 The prince\nsaid, \u2018Brother! this, too, can be accomplished by you alone.\u2019 The\nminister\u2019s son said, \u2018To-day do this one thing,--go again to Padm\u00e3vati,\nand do just what I tell you,--first go and display much regard and\naffection for her; (and) when she falls asleep, take off her jewels, and\nstrike her on the left thigh with this trident, and instantly come away\nfrom thence.\u2019\u201d\n\n     * This translation may seem rather free, but it is not wide\n     of the sense, which is, \u201cI know well that I have no lore for\n     her now.\u201d This peculiarly idiomatic use of the word mdlum\n     occurs in the Bagh-o-bah\u00e3r, Ar\u00e3yishi Mahfil, and many other\n     Urdu works, and has ever proved a stumbling-block to\n     translators.\n\n\u201cHaving received these instructions, the prince went to Padm\u00e3vati at\nnight, and after much affectionate conversation, they both lay down\ntogether to sleep; but he was secretly watching his opportunity..To be\nbrief, when the princess fell asleep, he took off all her ornaments,\nstruck her on the left thigh with the trident, and came to his own\nhouse. He recounted all the occurrences to the minister\u2019s son, and laid\nthe jewels before him. He then took up the jewels, took the prince with\nhim, and, assuming the guise of a devotee, went and sat in a place for\nburning bodies. He himself took the part of a spiritual teacher, and\nmaking him (the prince) his disciple, said to him, \u2018You go into the\nmarket and sell these jewels; if anyone should seize you while doing\nthis, bring him to me.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cReceiving his instructions, the prince took the jewels with him to the\ncity, and showed them to a goldsmith in close proximity to the king\u2019s\npalace-gate. As soon as he saw them he recognised them, and said, \u2018These\nare the princess\u2019s jewels; tell me truly, where did you get them?\u2019 He\nwas saying this to him when ten or twenty more men gathered round. To\nbe brief, the kotw\u00e3l, hearing the news, sent men and had the prince,\ntogether with the jewels and the goldsmith, seized and brought before\nhim, and inspecting the jewels, asked him to state truly where he had\ngot them. When he said, \u2018My spiritual preceptor has given them to me\nto sell, but I know not whence he got them,\u2019--then the kotw\u00e3l had the\npreceptor also apprehended and brought before him, and taking them both,\ntogether with the jewels, into the presence of the king, related all the\ncircumstances.\u201d\n\n\u201cOn hearing the narrative the king addressed the devotee, saying,\n\u2018Master! whence did you obtain these jewels?\u2019 The devotee said, \u2018Your\nmajesty! on the fourteenth night of the dark lunar fortnight I visited a\nburning-ground to perfect some spells for a witch: when the witch came,\nI took off her jewels and apparel, and made the impression of a trident\non her left thigh; in this way these ornaments came into my possession.\u2019\nOn hearing this statement of the devotee\u2019s, the king went into his\nprivate apartments, and the devotee to his seat * (in the\nburning-ground). The king said to the queen, \u2018Just see if there is a\nmark on Padm\u00e3vati\u2019s left thigh or not, and (if so) what sort of a mark\nthere is.\u2019 The queen having gone and looked, found the mark of a\ntrident. She returned and said to the king, \u2018Your majesty! there are\nthree parallel marks; indeed, it appears as if some one had struck her\nwith a trident.\u2019\u201d\n\n     * The \u00e3san is, generally, the skin of a deer, or leopard, or\n     tiger, which religious mendicants carry with them to sit\n     upon. The hide of a black antelope is commonly preferred.\n     Some of the gods are fabled to use the lotus-flower for the\n     purpose.\n\n\u201cOn hearing this account, the king came out and sent for the kotw\u00e3l, and\ntold him to go and bring the devotee. The kotw\u00e3l set off to bring\nthe devotee on the instant of receiving the order; and the king began\nreflecting thus,--\u2018The affairs of one\u2019s household, and the intentions of\none\u2019s heart, and any loss which has befallen one--these it is not right\nto disclose to anyone;\u2019 when, in the interval, the kotw\u00e3l brought the\ndevotee into the presence. Then the king took the devotee aside and\nquestioned him, saying, \u2018Spiritual guide! what punishment is laid down\nin the scriptures for a woman?\u2019 On this the devotee said, \u2018Your majesty!\nif a Brahman, a cow, a wife, a child, or any one dependent on us,\nbe guilty of a disgraceful act, it is prescribed that such should be\nbanished from the country.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cOn hearing this the king had Padm\u00e3vati conveyed away in a litter and\nleft in a jungle. Thereupon both the prince and the minister\u2019s son\nstarted from their lodging on horseback, went to that jungle, took the\nPrincess Padm\u00e3vati with them, and set out for their own country.\nAfter some days each reached his father\u2019s house. The greatest joy took\npossession of all, high and low; and these (i.e., the prince and the\nprincess,) entered upon a life of mutual happiness.\u201d\n\nAfter relating so much of the tale the sprite asked King Vikram\u00e3j\u00eft, \u201cTo\nwhich of those four does guilt attach? If you do not decide this point,\nyou will be cast into hell.\u201d King Vikram said, \u201cThe guilt attaches to\nthe king.\u201d The sprite replied, \u201cHow does the sin fall on the king?\u201d\n Vikram answered him thus, \u201cThe minister\u2019s son simply did his duty to\nhis master; and the kotw\u00e3l obeyed the king\u2019s command; and the princess\nattained her object; hence, the guilt falls on the king for having\ninconsiderately expelled her from the country.\u201d\n\nOn hearing these words from the king\u2019s mouth, the sprite went and\nsuspended himself on that same tree.\n\n\n\n\nTALE II.\n\nOn looking about him, the king perceived that the sprite was not\npresent; so he went straight away back, and, reaching that place,\nclimbed up the tree, bound the corpse, and placing him on his shoulders,\nset off. Then the sprite said, \u201cO king! the second story is as\nfollows:--\u201d\n\n\u201cOn the bank of the Yamun\u00e3 (Jamn\u00e3) is a city named Dharmmasthal, the\nking of which is named Gun\u00e3dhip. Moreover, a Brahman named Kesava lives\nthere, who is in the habit of performing his devotions and religious\nduties on the banks of the Jamn\u00e3; and his daughter\u2019s name was\nMadhum\u00e3vati. She was very beautiful. When she became marriageable,\nher mother, father, and brother, were all three intent on getting her\nmarried. It happened that while her father had gone one day, with one of\nhis supporters, * to a marriage ceremony somewhere, and her brother to\nhis teacher\u2019s in the village, for instruction, in their absence a\nBrahman\u2019s son came to the house. Her mother, seeing the youth\u2019s beauty.\nand excellent qualities, said, \u2018I will give my daughter in marriage to\nthee.\u2019 And there the Brahman had agreed to give his daughter to a young\nBrahman; while his son had given his word to a Brahman at the place\nwhere he had gone to study, that he would give him his sister.\u201d\n\n     * Jafman, from the Sanskrit Yajam\u00e3na is a person who\n     institutes a sacrifice, and pays for it. In a village where\n     there is a hereditary priest, the priest\u2019s fees are paid by\n     the villagers (who constitute his jajm\u00e3n), and that whether\n     they choose to employ his services, or those of any other\n     priest. I object, therefore, to the meaning of \u201cemployer\u201d as\n     being inexact, and to that of \u201ccustomer\u201d as being both\n     inexact and inelegant.\n\n\u201cAfter some days those two (i.e., the father and son) arrived with the\ntwo youths, and here (at home) the third youth was stopping from the\nfirst (awaiting them). One\u2019s name was Tribikram, the other\u2019s B\u00e3man; the\nthird\u2019s Madhus\u00fcdan; they were all on a par in point of good looks, moral\nexcellence, learning, and age. On seeing them, the Brahman began to\nreflect thus, \u2018One girl, and three suitors-elect! To whom shall I give\nher, to whom not? And we have all three given our words to the three of\nthem: this is a strange piece of business that has happened! What shall\nI do?\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cHe was sitting reflecting thus when in the meantime a snake bit the\ngirl, (and) she died. On hearing the news, her father, brother, and\nthe three youths, all five ran off in a body, and, after much toil\nand trouble, brought all the snake-charmers, conjurers, and as many\npractisers of magic arts for the purpose of expelling poison, as there\nwere (in the place). They all looked at the girl, and said she could\nnot be restored to life. The first said, \u2018A man bitten by a snake on the\nfifth, sixth, eighth, nine, or fourteenth day of the lunar month does\nnot survive.\u2019 A second said, \u2018One who has been bitten on a Saturday or\nTuesday, too, does not live.\u2019 A third said, \u2018Poison which has ascended\n(into the system) when the moon is in the fourth, tenth, ninth,\nsixteenth, nineteenth, and third asterisms of its path, does not\ndescend.\u2019 * A fourth said, \u2018One bitten in any of the following members,\nviz., an organ of sense, the lips, the cheek, the neck, the abdomen, or\nthe navel, cannot escape.\u2019\u201d\n\n     * Any one who has seen the conjurers at work will know that\n     the operator always pretends to work the poison ont of the\n     system downwards, from the head towards the feet; hence the\n     expressions \u201cascending\u201d and \u201cdescend\u201d in connection with the\n     action of the poison.\n\n\u201cA fifth said, \u2018In this instance even Brahma could not restore to life;\nof what account are we then? Do you now perform her funeral rites; we\nare off.\u2019 Having said this, the conjurers went away; and the Brahman\ntook the corpse away, burnt it in the place for such rites, and went\noff.\u201d\n\n\u201cNow, after he had gone, those three youths acted in this wise:--One of\nthem picked up and fastened together her charred bones, and becoming a\nreligious mendicant, went forth to wander from forest to forest.\n\n\u201cThe second, having tied her ashes up in a bundle, built a hut, and began\nliving on that very spot. The third became a devotee, furnished himself\nwith a wallet and neck-band, and set out to wander from land to land.\nOne day he went to a Brahman\u2019s house in some country for food. The\nresident * Brahman, on seeing him, began to say. \u2018Very well; eat food\nhere to-day.\u2019 On hearing this he sat down there. When the food was\nready, he had his hands and feet washed, and took and seated him in the\nsquare place where the food was cooked, and himself sat down near him;\nand his wife came to serve out the food. Some was served, some remained,\nwhen her youngest son cried, and seized the border of his mother\u2019s\nmantle. She was trying to make him let it go, but he would not; and as\nmuch as she tried to soothe him, he but cried the more, and became more\nobstinate. On this the Brahman\u2019s wife, becoming angry, took up the\nchild and threw him into the burning fire-place; the child was burnt to\nashes.\u201d\n\n     * The word grihasti means properly a Brahman who is settled\n     in a house and performs the duties of the father of a\n     family.\n\n\u201cWhen the Brahman (the guest) witnessed this occurrence, he rose up\nwithout eating anything. Then the master of the house said, \u2018Why do you\nnot eat?\u2019 He replied, \u2018How can one partake of food in his house where\na diabolical deed has been perpetrated.\u2019 On hearing this the householder\narose, and going to another part of his house, brought a book on the\nscience of restoring to life, took a charm from it, muttered some\nprayers, and brought his son back to life. Then that Brahman, seeing\nthis wonder, began to ponder in his mind, \u2018If this book were to fall\ninto my hands I, too, could restore my beloved to life.\u2019 Having made up\nhis mind on this point, he ate the food, and tarried there. To be brief,\nwhen night came on, after some time all partook of supper, and went and\nlay down in their respective places, and were chatting together on one\nsubject or another. The Brahman, too, went and lay down apart, but kept\nlying awake. When he thought that the night was far advanced, and all\nhad gone to sleep, he arose quietly, softly entered his (host\u2019s) room,\ntook that book, and decamped; and in the course of several days he\narrived at the place where he (the father) had burnt the Brahman\u2019s\ndaughter. He found the other two Brahmans there also, sitting and\nconversing together. Those two also, recognising him, approached and met\nhim, and inquired, saying, \u2018Brother! you have wandered from land to\nland, it is true; but, tell us, have you learned any science as well?\u2019\n\n\u201cHe said, \u2018I have learned the science of restoring the dead to life.\u2019 As\nsoon as they heard this, they said, \u2018If you have learned this, restore\nour beloved to life.\u2019 He replied, \u2018Make a heap of the ashes and bones,\nand I will restore it to life.\u2019 They gathered together the ashes and\nbones. Then he took a charm out of the book, and muttered prayers; the\ngirl rose up alive. Thereupon Cupid so blinded the three of them that\nthey began wrangling among themselves.\u201d\n\nHaving related so much of the tale, the sprite said, \u201cO king! tell me\nthis; to whom did that woman (by right) belong? (or, whose wife was\nshe?).\u201d King Vikram replied, \u201cTo him who built the hut and stayed\nthere.\u201d The sprite said, \u201cIf he had not preserved the bones, how could\nshe have been restored to life? And if the other had not returned\ninstructed in the science, how could he have restored her to life?\u201d The\nking made answer thus:--\u201cHe who had preserved her bones, occupied the\nplace of her son; and he who gave her life, became, as it were, her\nfather; hence, she became the wife of him who built a hut and remained\nthere with the ashes.\u201d On hearing this answer, the sprite went again\nand suspended himself on that tree. The king, too, arrived close at his\nheels, and, having bound him, and placed him on his shoulder, started\noff with him again.\n\n\n\n\nTALE III.\n\nThe sprite said, \u201cO king! there is a city named Bardw\u00e3n, wherein is a\nking named R\u00fcpsen. It happened one day that the king was seated in an\napartment adjoining the gate (of his palace), when, from without the\ngate, the loud voices of some people reached him. The king said, \u2018Who\nis at the gate? and what noise is that taking place?\u2019 Upon this the\ngatekeeper replied, \u2018Great king! you have asked a fine question! Knowing\nthis to be the gate of a wealthy personage, numbers of persons of\nall kinds come and sit at it for the sake of money, and converse on a\nvariety of topics; this is _their_ noise.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cOn hearing this the king kept silent. In the meanwhile a traveller,\nnamed Birbar, a Rajput, came from the south to the king\u2019s gate, in\nthe hope of obtaining service. The gate-keeper, after ascertaining his\ncircumstances, said to the king, \u2018Your majesty! an armed man has come\nin the hope of entering your service, and stands at the door: with your\nmajesty\u2019s leave he shall come before you.\u2019 Having heard this, the king\ngave the order to bring him in. He went and brought him. Then the king\nasked, \u2018O R\u00e3jp\u00fct! How much shall I allow thee for daily expenses?\u2019 On\nhearing this Birbar said, \u2018Give me a thousand _tolas_ (about 833 oz.)\nof gold daily, and I shall be able to subsist.\u2019 The king enquired, \u2018How\nmany persons are there with you (dependent on you)?\u2019 He replied, \u2018First,\nmy wife; second, a son; third, a daughter; fourth, myself: there is no\nfifth person with me.\u2019 Hearing him speak thus, all the people of the\nking\u2019s court turned away their faces and began laughing; but the king\nbegan to consider why he had asked for a large sum of money. Ultimately\nhe thought it out in his own mind, that a vast sum of money given away\nwill some day prove of advantage. Coming to this conclusion, he sent\nfor his treasurer and said, \u2018Give this Birbar a thousand _tolas_ of gold\ndaily from my treasury.\u2019\n\n\u201cOn hearing this order, Birbar took a thousand _tolas_ of gold for that\nday, and brought it to the place where he was staying, and dividing\nit into two parts, distributed one half among the Brahmans; and again\ndividing the remaining half into two parts, distributed one portion\nthereof among pilgrims, devotees, the worshippers of Vishnu, and\nreligious mendicants; and of the one part which remained he had food\ncooked and fed the poor, and what remained over he consumed himself. In\nthis way he, with his wife and children, used regularly to subsist. And\nevery night he used to take his sword and shield and go and mount guard\nover the king\u2019s couch; and when the king, roused from sleep, used to\ncall out, \u2018Is any, one in waiting?\u2019 then he used to answer, \u2018Birbar is\nin attendance; what may be your commands?\u2019 Thus answered he whenever\nthe king called out, and thereupon, whatever he (the king) ordered to be\ndone, he executed.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn this way, through eagerness for wealth, he used to keep awake the\nwhole night long; nay, whether eating, drinking, sleeping, sitting\nstill, or moving about (that is to say) during the whole twenty-four\nhours (_lit._ eight watches), he used to keep his lord in mind. The\npractice is, that if one person sells another, this one becomes sold;\nbut a servant, by entering service, sells _himself_; and, when sold, he\nbecomes a dependant; and once dependant, he has no prospect of peace. It\nis notorious, that however clever, wise, and learned he may be, still,\nwhen he is in his master\u2019s presence, he remains quite silent, like a\ndumb person, through fear. So long as he is aloof from him, he is at\nrest. On this account it is that the learned say, \u2018To perform the duties\nof a servant is more difficult than to perform religious duties.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201c(To) the story: It is related, that one day the weeping voice of a\nwoman chanced to come at night-time from the burning-ground. On hearing\nit the king called out, \u2018Is any one in waiting?\u2019 Birbar instantly\nanswered, \u2018I am here; your commands.\u2019 Thereupon the king gave him this\norder,--\u2018Go to the spot whence yon weeping voice of a woman proceeds,\nand enquire of her the cause of her weeping, and return quickly.\u2019\nHaving given him this order the king began to say to himself, \u2018Whosoever\ndesires to test his servant should order him to do things in season and\nout of season; if he execute his order, know that he is worth something;\nand if he object, be sure that he is worthless. And in this same\nway prove brethren and friends in days of adversity, and a wife in\npoverty.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cIn fine, on receiving this order, he took the direction whence the\nsound of her weeping proceeded; and the king also, after dressing\nhimself in black, followed him secretly, for the purpose of observing\nhis courage. In this interval Birbar arrived there. What does he behold\nin the burning-ground, but a beautiful woman, lavishly decked with\njewels from head to foot, crying aloud and bitterly! At one moment she\nwas dancing, at another leaping, at another running; and not a tear in\nher eyes! And while repeatedly beating her head, and crying out,\n\u2018Alas! alas!\u2019 she kept dashing herself on the ground. Seeing this her\ncondition, Birbar asked, \u2018Why art thou crying and beating thyself so\nviolently? Who art thou? and what trouble has befallen thee?\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cOn this she said, \u2018I am the royal glory.\u2019 Birbar said, \u2018Why art thou\nweeping?\u2019 Upon this she began relating her case to Birbar, saying,\n\u2018Impious acts (_lit_. acts such as a Sh\u00fcdra performs) are committed in\nthe king\u2019s house, whence misfortune will find admission therein, and\nI shall depart thence; after the lapse of a month the king will suffer\nmuch affliction and die; this is the sorrow which makes me weep.\nFurther, I have enjoyed great happiness in his house, and hence this\nregret: and this matter will in nowise prove false.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cBirbar then asked, \u2018Is there any such remedy for it, whereby the king\nmay escape, and live a hundred years?\u2019 She said, \u2018Towards the east, at\na distance of four _kos_ (eight miles), is a temple sacred to (the\ngoddess) Devi; if you will cut off your son\u2019s head with your own hand,\nand offer it to that goddess, then the king will reign a hundred years\nprecisely as he now reigns, and no harm of any kind will\u2019 befall the\nking.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cAs soon as he had heard these words, Birbar went home, and the king\nalso followed him. To be brief, when he got home, he awoke his wife, and\nminutely related the whole story to her. On hearing the circumstances,\nshe roused the son alone; but the daughter also awoke. Then that woman\nsaid to her boy, \u2018Son! by sacrificing your head the king\u2019s life will be\nsaved, and the government, too, will endure.\u2019 When the boy heard this,\nhe said, \u2018Mother! in the first place, it is your command; in the second,\nit is for my lord\u2019s service; thirdly, if this body come of use to a\ndeity, nothing in the world is better for me; in my opinion, than this:\nit is not right to delay any longer now in this business. There is a\nsaying, \u2018If one have a son, to have him under control,--a body, free\nfrom disease,--science, such that one benefits thereby,--a friend,\nprudent,--a wife, submissive,--if these five things are obtainable by\nman, they are the bestowers of happiness and the averters of trouble: if\na servant be unwilling, a king parsimonious, a friend insincere, and a\nwife disobedient, these four things are the banishers of peace and the\npromoters of misery.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cBirbar again addressed his wife, saying, \u2018If thou wilt willingly give\nup thy child, I will take him away and sacrifice him for the king.\u2019\nShe replied, saying, \u2018I have no concern with son, daughter, brother,\nkinsfolk, mother, father, or any one; from you it is that my happiness\nproceeds; and in the moral Code, too, it is thus written,--\u2018A woman\nis purified neither by offerings nor by religious offices; her religion\nconsists in serving and honouring her husband, no matter whether he be\nlame, maimed in the hands, dumb, deaf, blind of both eyes, blind of one\neye, a leper, hunch-backed,--of whatever kind he be, if she perform any\ndescription of virtuous action in the world, while she does not obey\nher husband, she will fall into hell.\u2019 His son said, \u2018Father! the man by\nwhom\u2019 his master\u2019s business is accomplished--_his_ continuing to live in\nthe world is attended with advantage; and in this there is advantage in\nboth worlds.\u2019 Then his daughter said, \u2018If the mother give poison to the\ndaughter, and the father sell the son, and the king seize everything,\nthen whose protection shall we seek?\u201d\u2019\n\n\u201cThe four, deliberating with one another somewhat after the above\nfashion, went to the temple of Devi. The king also secretly followed\nthem. When Birbar arrived there, he entered the temple, paid his\nadoration to Devi, and joined his hands in supplication, and said,\n\u2018O Devi! grant that by the sacrificing of my son the king may live a\nhundred years.\u2019 Saying so much, he struck such a blow with the sword\nthat his son\u2019s head fell upon the ground. On witnessing her brother\u2019s\ndeath, the daughter struck a blow with the sword on her own neck, so\nthat her head and body fell asunder. Seeing her son and daughter dead,\nBirbar\u2019s wife struck such a stroke with the sword on her own neck, that\nher head was severed from her body. Further, seeing the death of those\nthree, Birbar, reflecting in his mind, began to say, \u2018When my _son_ is\ndead, for whose sake shall I retain service? and to whom shall I give\nthe gold I receive from the king?\u2019 Having reflected thus, he struck such\na blow with the sword on his own neck, that his head was severed from\nhis body. Again, beholding the death of these four, the king sajd to\nhimself, \u2018For my sake the lives of his family have perished; accursed is\nit any longer to govern a realm for which the whole family of one is\ndestroyed, while one holds sovereignty; it is no virtue thus to reign.\u2019\nHaving deliberated thus, the king was on the point of killing himself\nwith the sword; in the meantime, however, Devi came and seized his hand,\nand said, \u2018Son! I am well pleased at thy courage, and will grant thee\nwhatever boon thou mayest ask of me.\u2019 The king said, \u2018Mother! if thou\nart pleased, restore all these four to life.\u2019 Devi said, \u2018This same\nshall take place,\u2019 and on the instant of saying it, Bhaw\u00e3ni brought the\nwater of life from the nether regions, and restored all four to life.\nAfter that the king bestowed half his kingdom on Birbar.\u201d\n\nHaving related so much, the sprite said, \u201cBlessed is the servant who did\nnot grudge his life, and that of his family, for his master\u2019s sake! And\nhappy is the king who showed no eagerness to cling to his dominion and\nhis life. O king! I ask you this,--Whose virtue, of those five, was the\nmost excellent?\u201d Then King Vikram\u00e3j\u00eft said, \u201cThe king\u2019s virtue was the\ngreatest.\u201d The sprite asked, \u201cWhy?\u201d Then the king answered, saying, \u201cIt\nbehoves the servant to lay down his life for his master, for this is his\nduty; but since the king gave up his throne for the sake of his servant,\nand valued not his life at a straw, the king\u2019s merit was the superior.\u201d\n Having heard these words, the sprite again went and suspended himself on\nthe tree in that burning-ground.\n\n\n\n\nTALE IV.\n\nThe king, having gone there again, bound the sprite and brought him\naway. Then the sprite said, \u201cO king! there is a town named Bhogwati, of\nwhich R\u00fcpsen is the king, and he has a parrot named Ch\u00fcr\u00e3man. One day\nthe king asked the parrot, \u2018What different things do you know?\u2019 Then the\nparrot said, \u2018Your majesty! I know everything.\u2019 The king rejoined, \u2018Tell\nme, then, if you know where there is a beautiful maiden equal to me in\nrank.\u2019 Then the parrot said, \u2018Your majesty! in the country of Magadh\nthere is a king named Magadheshwar, and his daughter\u2019s name is\nChandr\u00e3vat\u00ef; you will be married to her. She is very beautiful, and very\nlearned.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cOn hearing these words from the parrot, the king summoned an astrologer\nnamed Chandrak\u00e3nt, and asked him, \u2018To what maid shall I be married?\u2019\nHe also, having made the discovery through his knowledge of astrology,\nsaid, \u2018There is a maiden named Chandr\u00e3vat\u00ef; you will be married to her.\u2019\n\n\u201cHearing these words, the king summoned a Brahman, and after explaining\nall, said to him at the moment of despatching him to King Magadheshwar,\n\u2018If you return, after placing the arrangements for my marriage on a firm\nbasis, I will make you happy.\u2019 Having heard these words, the Brahman took\nleave.\u201d\n\n\u201cNow, in the possession of King Magadheshwar\u2019s daughter was a _maina,_\nwhose name was _Madanmanjari._\n\n\u201cIn the same way the princess, too, one day asked Madanmanjari, \u2018Where is\nthere a husband worthy of me?\u2019 On this the _maina_ said, \u2018R\u00fcpsen is the\nKing of Bhogwati; _he_ will be thy lord.\u2019 To be brief, unseen (of one\nanother), the one had become enamoured of the other, when, in the course\nof a few days, the Brahman also arrived there, and delivered his own\nsovereign\u2019s message to that king. He too consented to his proposal, and\nsummoning a Brahman of his own, entrusted to him the nuptial gifts and\nall customary things, sent him along with that Brahman, and gave him\nthis injunction, \u2018Do you go and present my compliments to the king, and\nhaving marked his forehead with the usual unguents, return quickly: when\nyou return I will make preparations for the wedding.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cThe short of the story is, the two Brahmans set out thence. In the\ncourse of some days they arrived at King R\u00fcpsen\u2019s, and related all the\noccurrences of that place. On hearing this the king was pleased, and\nafter making all (necessary) preparations, set out to be married.\nReaching that country after some days, he married, and after receiving\nthe bridal gifts and dowry, and bidding adieu to the king, started for\nhis own kingdom. When leaving, the princess took Madanmanjari\u2019s cage\nwith her too. After some days they arrived in their own country, and\ncommenced living happily in their palace.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt happened one day that the cages of both the parrot and the _main\u00e3_\nwere placed near the throne, and the king and queen entered into\nconversation, saying, \u2018No one\u2019s life passes happily without a companion;\nhence it is best for us to marry the parrot and _main\u00e3_ to one another,\nand put them both in one cage; then will they also live happily.\u2019 After\nconversing together thus, they had a large cage brought, and put both\ninto it.\u201d\n\n\u201cSome days after, the king and queen were seated conversing with each\nother, when the parrot began to talk to the _main\u00e3_, saying, \u2018Sexual\nintercourse is the essence of all bliss in this world; and he who, on\nbeing born into the world, has not enjoyed sexual intercourse--his life\nhas been passed in vain. Hence, do thou let me copulate with thee.\u2019 On\nhearing this the _main\u00e3_ said, \u2018I have no desire for a male.\u2019 Thereupon\nhe inquired \u2018Why?\u2019 The _main\u00e3_ said, \u2018The male sex are sinful,\nirreligious, deceivers, and wife-killers.\u2019 Hearing this, the parrot\nsaid, \u2018The female sex, too, are deceitful, false, stupid, avaricious\ncreatures, and murderesses.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen the two commenced wrangling in this manner, the king asked, \u2018Why\nare you two quarrelling with each other?\u2019 The _maina_ replied, \u2018Great\nking! the male sex are evil-doers and wife-killers, and hence I have no\ndesire to have a male partner. Your majesty! I will tell you a tale, do\nyou be pleased to hearken; for such (as I describe them) are men.\u2019\u201d\n\n\nTHE MAINA\u2019S STORY.\n\n\u201c\u2018There was a city named Il\u00e3pur, and a merchant named Mah\u00e3dhan dwelt\nthere, who could not get a family. On this account he was continually\nmaking pilgrimages and keeping fasts, and always hearing the Pur\u00e3nas\nread, and he used to give gifts largely to the Brahmans. In fine, after\nsome considerable time, by God\u2019s will, a son was born in that merchant\u2019s\nhouse. He celebrated the event with great pomp, and gave large gifts to\nthe Brahmans and bards, and also gave away a good deal to the hungry,\nthirsty, and indigent. When he reached the age of five years, he placed\nhim (in school) for instruction. He used to leave home for the purpose\nof learning, but used to gamble with the boys when he got there.\u201d\n\n\u201c\u2018After some time the merchant died, and he (the son) becoming his\nown master, used to spend his days in gambling and his nights in\nfornication. Thus he dissipated his whole wealth in a few years, and\nhaving no alternative, quitted his country, and proceeding from bad to\nworse, arrived at the city of Chandrapur. In that place dwelt a merchant\nnamed Hemgupt, who possessed much wealth. He went to him, and mentioned\nhis father\u2019s name and circumstances. He (the merchant) felt instant\npleasure on hearing these accounts; and rising and embracing him,\ninquired, \u2018How came you here?\u2019 Then he said, \u2018I had engaged a vessel,\nand set out for an island to trade, and having arrived there, and sold\nthe goods, had taken in other goods as cargo, and left with the vessel\nfor my own land, when suddenly so violent a storm arose that the ship\nwas wrecked, and I was left seated on a plank; and so, drifting on, I\nhave reached this shore. But I feel a sense of shame at having lost\nall my property and wealth. How can I now return and show my face to my\nfellow-citizens in this state?\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201c\u2018To be brief, when he uttered such words in his presence, he (the\nmerchant) too began to think to himself, \u2018God has relieved me of any\nanxiety without any effort of my own (_lit_. I sitting at home); now, a\ncoincidence like this occurs through the mercy of God alone; it behoves\nme to make no delay now. The best thing to be done is to give my girl in\nmarriage * to him; whatever is done now is best; as for the morrow--who\nknows what it may bring forth!\u2019 Forming this grand design in his mind,\nhe came to his wife and began to say, \u2018A merchant\u2019s son has arrived; if\nyou approve, we will give Ratn\u00e3vati in marriage to him.\u2019 She, too, was\ndelighted on hearing (this), and said, \u2018Sir merchant! when God brings\nabout a coincidence like this, then alone does it occur; for the desire\nof our hearts has been obtained without our bestirring ourselves in the\nleast (_lit_., we sitting quietly at home); hence, it is best not to\ndelay, but quickly send for the family priest, have the auspicious\nmoment determined, and give her away in marriage.\u2019 Hereupon the merchant\nsent for the priest, had the fortunate planetary conjunction determined,\nand gave his daughter away, bestowing a large dowry upon her. In fine,\nwhen the marriage had taken place, they commenced living together\nthere.\u201d\n\n     * Lit. \u201cmake the girl\u2019s hands yellow.\u201d Among the Hindus, for\n     some days before marriage, the hands of a betrothed couple\n     are stained yellow with turmeric.\n\n\u201c\u2018To proceed:--After some days, he said to the merchant\u2019s daughter, \u2018A\nlong time has passed since I arrived in your land, and no news of my\nhousehold has reached me, and my mind remains troubled in consequence. I\nhave told you my whole case; you should now so explain matters to your\nmother that she may, of her own free will, allow me to depart, that I\nmay return to my own city. If it be your wish, do you also come.\u2019 On\nthis, she said to her mother, \u2018My husband desires permission to depart\nto his own land; do you, too, act in such a manner now that his mind may\nreceive no pain.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201c\u2018The merchant\u2019s wife went to her husband, and said, \u2018Your son-in-law\nasks leave to return home.\u2019 On hearing this, the merchant said, \u2018Very\nwell; we will let him go, for we can exercise no authority over a\nstranger\u2019s son; we will, do that alone wherein his pleasure consists.\u2019\nHaving said this, he sent for his daughter, and asked, \u2018Will you go to\nyour father-in-law\u2019s, or remain at your mother\u2019s? Speak your own mind.\u2019\nAt this she blushed, and gave no answer, (but) returned to her husband,\nand said, \u2018My parents have declared that they will do that wherein your\npleasure consists; don\u2019t you leave me behind.\u2019 To be brief, the merchant\nsummoned his son-in-law, loaded him with wealth, and dismissed him,\nand allowed his daughter to accompany him in a litter, together with a\nfemale servant. After this, he set out from thence.\u201d\n\n\u201c\u2018When he reached a certain jungle, he said to the merchant\u2019s daughter,\n\u2018There is great danger here; if you will take off your jewels and give\nthem to me, I will fasten them round my waist; when we come to a town\nyou can put them on again.\u2019 She no sooner heard this than she took off\nall her ornaments, and he having taken them, and sent away the bearers\nof the litter, killed the woman-servant and threw her into a well, and\npushing her (his wife) into a well also, went off to his own country\nwith all the jewels.\u201d\n\n\u201c\u2018In the meantime, a traveller came along that road, and hearing the\nsound of weeping, stopped, and began to say to himself, \u2018How comes the\nweeping voice of a human bring (to be heard) in this jungle?\u2019 Having\nreflected thus, he proceeded in the direction of the sound of the\ncrying, and perceived a well. On looking into it, what does he\nbehold but a woman weeping! Then he took out the woman, and commenced\nquestioning her on her circumstances, saying, \u2018Who art thou, and how\ndidst thou fall into this (well)?\u2019 On hearing this, she said, \u2018I am the\ndaughter of Hemgupt, the merchant, and was accompanying my husband to\nhis country, when thieves waylaid us, killed my servant and threw her\ninto a well, and bound and carried off my husband together with my\njewels. I have no intelligence of him, nor he of me.\u2019 When he heard\nthis, the traveller took her along with him, and left her at the\nmerchant\u2019s door.\u201d\n\n\u201c\u2018She went to her parents. They, at the sight of her, began enquiring,\n\u2018What has happened to thee?\u2019 She said, \u2018Robbers came and plundered us\non the road, and after killing the servant and casting her into a\nwell, pushed me into a dry well, and bound and carried off my husband,\ntogether with my jewels. When they began demanding more money, he said\nto them, \u2018You have taken all I possessed, what have I now left?\u2019 Beyond\nthis, whether they killed him or let him go, I have no knowledge.\u2019 Then\nher father said, \u2018Daughter! feel no anxiety; thy husband lives, and,\nGod willing, will join thee in a few days, for robbers take money, not\nlife.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201c\u2018In fine, the merchant gave her other ornaments in place\u2019 of all\nthat had disappeared, and comforted and consoled her greatly. And the\nmerchant\u2019s son, also, having reached home, and sold the jewels, spent\nhis days and nights in the company of loose women, and in gambling, so\nmuch so, that all his money was expended. Then he came to want bread.\nAt last, when he began to suffer extreme misery, he one day bethought\nhimself of going to his father-in-law\u2019s, and pretending that a grandson\nhad been born to him, and that he had come to congratulate him on the\nevent. Having determined on this in his mind, he set out.\u201d\n\n\u201c\u2018In the course of several days he arrived there. When he was about to\nenter the house, his wife saw from the front that her husband was coming\n(and said to herself), \u2018He must not be allowed to turn back through\nany apprehension he may feel.\u2019 Upon this she approached him and said,\n\u2018Husband! be not at all troubled in mind; I have told my father that\nrobbers came and killed my servant, and after making me take off all my\njewels, and casting me into a well, bound and carried off my husband.\nDo you tell the same tale; feel no anxiety; the house is yours, and I am\nyour slave.\u2019 After speaking thus she entered the house. He went to the\nmerchant, who rose and embraced him, and questioned him on all that had\nbefallen him. He related everything precisely as his wife had instructed\nhim to do.\u201d\n\n\u201c\u2018Rejoicings took place throughout the house. Then the merchant, after\nproviding him with the means of bathing, and placing food before him,\nand after ministering much comfort, said, \u2018This house is yours, abide\n(here) in peace.\u2019 He commenced living there. In brief, after several\ndays the merchant\u2019s daughter came and lay with him one night with her\njewels on, and fell asleep. When it was midnight, he perceived that she\nhad fallen into a sound sleep. He then inflicted such a wound on her\nneck, that she died; and after stripping her of all her jewels, he took\nthe road to his own country.\u201d\n\n\u201c\u2018After narrating so much the _maina_ said, \u2018This, your majesty! I saw\nwith my own eyes. For this reason I have no wish to have anything to\ndo with a male. You see, your majesty! what villains men are! Who would\nlove such, and so cherish a serpent in her own home? Will your\nmajesty be pleased to consider this point,--What crime had that woman\ncommitted?\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cHaving heard this, the king said, \u2018O parrot! do you tell me what faults\nthere are in women.\u2019 Thereupon the parrot said, \u2018Attend, O king!\u2019\u201d\n\n\nTHE PARROT\u2019S STORY.\n\n\u201c\u2018There is a city (called) Kanchanpur, where (dwelt) a merchant, named\nS\u00e3gardatt, whose son\u2019s name was Shridatt. The name of another city\nis Jayshripur, where there was a merchant, named Somadatt, and his\ndaughter\u2019s name was Jayshri. She had married the son of that merchant,\nand the son had gone to a certain country to trade. She used to live at\nher parents\u2019 house. In fine, when he had spent twelve years in trading,\nand she arrived at woman\u2019s estate here, she one day addressed a\ncompanion of hers thus: \u2018Sister! my youth is being wasted; up to this\nmoment I have tasted none of the world\u2019s joys.\u2019 On hearing these words,\nher companion said to her, \u2018Be of good cheer! God willing, thy husband\nwill soon come and join thee.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201c\u2018She got vexed at these words, and ascending to the upper chamber, and\npeeping through the lattice, saw a young man coming along. When he drew\nnear her, his eyes and hers suddenly met. The hearts of both went forth\nto one another. Then she said to her companion, \u2018Bring that man to\nme.\u2019 On hearing this, the companion went and said to him, \u2018Somadatt\u2019s\ndaughter wishes to see you in private; but do you come to my house.\u2019 She\nthen put him on the track to her house. He said, \u2018I will come at night.\u2019\nThe companion came and informed the merchant\u2019s daughter that he had\npromised to come at night. When she heard this, Jayshri said to her\ncompanion, \u2018You go home; when he arrives, let me know, and I will also\ncome when free to leave home.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201c\u2018On hearing her words, her companion went home, and seating herself at\nthe door, began watching for his coming. In the meantime he arrived.\nShe seated him in the doorway, saying, \u2018You sit here; I will go and\ngive notice of your arrival.\u2019 And she came to Jayshri and said, \u2018Your\nsweetheart has arrived.\u2019 On hearing this she said, \u2018Wait awhile; let the\nhousehold go to sleep, and then I will come.\u2019 And so, after some delay,\nwhen it was near midnight, and all had gone to sleep, then she arose\nsoftly and accompanied her, and arrived there in a very short time; and\nthe two met in her house without restraint. When nearly an hour and a\nhalf * of night remained, she rose and returned home, and went quietly\nto sleep; and he also went to his house at daybreak.\u201d\n\n     * Lit,--\u201cFour gharis.\u201d A ghari is equal to twenty-four\n     minutes; and hence the exact time would be six minutes more\n     than \u201can hour and a half.\u201d\n\n\u201c\u2018Many days passed thus. At last her husband, too, returned from foreign\nparts to his father-in-law\u2019s house. When she beheld her husband she\nbecame troubled in mind, and said to her companion, \u2018Such is my anxiety,\nwhat shall I do? whither shall I go? Sleep, hunger, thirst, all are\nforgotten; nothing is agreeable to me (_lit_. neither hot nor cold\npleases me). And she told her the whole state of her heart. To be brief,\nshe got through the day somehow or other; but at night, when her husband\nhad finished supper, his mother-in-law had a bed made for him in a\nseparate building, and sent word to him to go and take repose, while she\nsaid to her daughter, \u2018You go and do your duty to your husband.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201c\u2018She turned up her nose and knitted her brows on hearing this, and\nremained silent. On this her mother rebuked her sharply, and sent her\noff to him. Being powerless, she went there, but lay on the bed with\nher face turned away. The more he kept addressing her in words of\ntenderness, the more vexed would she become. On this he presented her\nwith all the various descriptions of apparel, and the jewels which he\nhad brought for her from different places, and said, \u2018Wear these.\u2019 Then,\nin truth, she became still more vexed, and frowned and turned away her\nface. And he, too, went to sleep in despair; for he was fatigued with\nthe journey. To her, however, thinking of her lover, sleep came not.\u201d\n\n\u201c\u2018When she thought that he was in an unconscious sleep, she arose\nsoftly, and leaving him asleep, went fearlessly in the dark night to\nthe abode of her lover; and a thief seeing her on the way, thought to\nhimself \u2018Where can this woman be going, alone, with her jewels on, at\nthis midnight hour.\u2019 Thus soliloquising, he followed her. In short,\nshe managed somehow to reach her lover\u2019s house. Now, there, a snake had\nbitten and left him; he was lying dead. She thought he was sleeping.\nBeing, as it was, consumed with the fire of separation, she clasped him\nto her without restraint, and began caressing him; and the thief from a\ndistance was watching the fun.\u201d\n\n\u201c\u2018An evil spirit, too, was seated on a pipal tree there, looking on at\nthe scene. All at once it came into his mind to enter his (dead) body\nand have carnal intercourse with her. Having resolved on this, he\nentered the body, and after having intercourse with her, bit off her\nnose with his teeth, and went and sat on the same tree. The thief\nobserved all these occurrences. And she, in despair, went as she was,\nall stained with blood, to her companion, and related all that had\nhappened. Whereupon her companion said, \u2018Go quickly to thy husband ere\nyet the sun rise, and, arrived there, weep aloud and bitterly. If any\none should question thee, say, \u2018He has cut off my nose.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201c\u2018She went thither on the instant of hearing her companion\u2019s words,\nand commenced weeping and wailing excessively. Hearing the noise of her\nweeping, all her relations came, and lo! she had no nose,--was sitting\nnoseless! Then they exclaimed, \u2018O you shameless, wicked, pitiless, mad\nwretch! Why have you bitten off her nose without any fault on her part?\u2019\nHe, too, became alarmed on witnessing this farce, and began to say to\nhimself, \u2018Trust not a wanton-minded woman, a black snake, an armed man,\nan enemy,--and fear the wiles of a woman. What can an eminent poet not\ndescribe? What does he not know who has acquired supernatural power?\nWhat absurd nonsense does a drunkard not chatter? What can a woman not\naccomplish? True it is, that the defects of horses, the thunder of the\nclouds, the wiles of woman, and the destiny of man,--these things even\nthe gods do not comprehend; what power has man, then (to understand\nthem)?\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201c\u2018In the meantime her father gave information of the occurrence to the\ncity magistrate. Policemen came from the station there, and bound and\nbrought him before the magistrate. The magistrate of the city gave\nnotice to the king. The king having sent for him, and questioned him\nabout the case, he declared he knew nothing. And on his summoning the\nmerchant\u2019s daughter, and interrogating her, she replied, \u2018Your majesty!\nwhen you see plainly (what has happened), why do you question me?\u2019 Then\nthe king said to him, \u2018What punishment shall I inflict on thee?\u2019 On\nhearing this, he replied, \u2018Do unto me whatever you deem just.\u2019 The king\nsaid, \u2018Away with him, and impale him!\u2019 On receiving the king\u2019s order the\npeople took him away to impale him.\u201d\n\n\u201c\u2018Observe the coincidence;--that thief was also standing there, looking\non at the scene. When he was convinced that this man was about to be\nunjustly put to death, he raised a cry for justice. The king summoned\nhim, and asked, \u2018Who art thou?\u2019 He said, \u2018Great king! I am a thief; and\nthis man is innocent; his blood is about to be unjustly shed; you have\nnot given judgment at all wisely.\u2019 Hereupon the king summoned him (the\nhusband) also, and questioned the thief, saying, \u2018Declare the truth\non thy honour! What are the facts of this case?\u2019 The thief then gave a\ndetailed account of the circumstances; and the king, too, comprehended\nthem thoroughly. Ultimately he sent attendants, and had the woman\u2019s nose\nbrought from the mouth of her lover, who was lying dead, and inspected\nit. Then he was assured that the man was guiltless, and the thief\ntruthful. Hereupon the thief said, \u2018To cherish the good, and punish\nevil-doers, has from of old been a duty of kings.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cAfter relating so much of the tale, the parrot Ch\u00fcr\u00e3man said, \u2018Great\nking! such embodiments of all crime are women! The king having had the\nwoman\u2019s face blackened and her head shaved, had her mounted on an ass,\nand taken round the city, and then set at liberty; and after giving\nbetel-leaf to the thief and the merchant\u2019s son, he allowed them to\ndepart.\u2019\u201d\n\nHaving related so much of the story, the sprite said, \u201cO king! to which\nof these two does the greater guilt attach?\u201d Then King Bir Vikram\u00e3jit\nsaid, \u201cTo the woman.\u201d On this the sprite said, \u201cHow so?\u201d On hearing\nthis, the king said, \u201cHowever depraved a man may be, still some sense of\nright and wrong remains in him; but a woman does not give a thought to\nright and wrong; hence great guilt attached to the woman.\u201d Hearing these\nwords, the sprite went again and hung himself on the same tree. The king\nwent again and took him down from the tree, tied him up in a bundle,\nplaced him on his shoulder, and carried him away.\n\n\n\n\nTALE V.\n\nThe sprite said, \u201cO king! there is a city named Ujjain, of which\nMah\u00e3bal was king. Now, he had an envoy named Harid\u00e3s. The name of that\nenvoy\u2019s daughter was Mah\u00e3dev\u00ef. She was extremely beautiful. When she\nbecame marriageable, her father thought that he ought to seek a husband\nfor her, and give her in marriage. In short, the girl one day said to\nher father, \u2018Father! give me in marriage to some one who is possessed of\nall accomplishments. On this, he said, \u2018I will give thee to one who is\nacquainted with all science.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cOne day subsequent to this, the king summoned Harid\u00e3s, and said, \u2018There\nis in the south a king named Harichand; go and ask after his health\nand welfare for me, and bring me news thereof.\u2019 On receiving the king\u2019s\ncommand he took leave, and arriving at that king\u2019s after some days,\ndelivered to him the whole message of his royal master, and took up his\npermanent abode near that monarch.\u201d\n\n\u201cTo be brief, it happened one day that the king questioned him, saying,\n\u2018Harid\u00e3s! has the Iron Age (i.e. the fourth age of the world, or the age\nof vice) begun yet or not?\u2019 On this he put his hands together and said,\n\u2018Your majesty! we are already in the Iron Age (_lit_. the Iron Age is\npresent); for falsehood is rife in the world, and truth has decreased;\npeople utter soft words to one\u2019s face, while they harbour deceit in\ntheir hearts; virtue has vanished; vice has increased; the earth has\nbegun to yield less fruit; kings have begun levying contributions by\nviolence; Brahmans have become covetous; women have abandoned modesty;\nthe son obeys not the father\u2019s command; brother trusts not brother;\nfriendship has departed from amongst friends; faith is no longer found\nin masters, and servants have cast aside the duty they owe to masters,\nand every description of impropriety meets the eye.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen he had said all this to the king, his majesty arose and went into\nthe private apartments, and he (the envoy) came and sat down in his own\nplace. In the meantime a Brahman\u2019s son came to him and said, \u2018I have\ncome to solicit something of you.\u2019 On hearing this, he said, \u2018What\nrequest have you to make? Mention it.\u2019 He replied, \u2018Give me your\ndaughter in marriage.\u2019 Harid\u00e3s said, \u2018I will give her to him in whom all\naccomplishments exist.\u2019 Hearing this, he rejoined, \u2018I am acquainted\nwith all the sciences.\u2019 Then said the envoy, \u2018Show me something of thy\nknowledge; I shall thus be able to judge whether thou art versed in\nscience.\u2019 Hereupon the Brahman\u2019s son said, \u2018I have made a car which has\nthis marvellous property, that it will convey you in a moment to any\nplace you may wish to go to.\u2019 Then Harid\u00e3s replied, \u2018Bring the car to me\nin the morning.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cIn fine, he brought the car to Harid\u00e3s early in the morning. Then the\ntwo mounted the car, and arrived in the City of Ujjain. Here, however,\nit so happened that, previous to his arrival, another Brahman\u2019s son had\ncome, and said to his eldest son, \u2018Give me your sister in marriage and\nhe also had replied, saying, \u2018I will give her to one who is learned\nin all the sciences;\u2019 and that Brahman\u2019s son, too, had said, \u2018I am\nacquainted with all knowledge and science.\u2019 On hearing this, he had\nsaid, \u2018To you will I give her.\u2019 Another Brahman\u2019s son had said to the\ngirl\u2019s mother, \u2018Give me your daughter.\u2019 She, too, had given him the same\nanswer; viz., \u2018I will give my girl to him who is acquainted with all\nscience.\u2019 That Brahman\u2019s son also had replied, \u2018I am acquainted with\nthe whole body of science contained in the _Sh\u00e3stras_, and can shoot an\narrow which will hit an object which is merely heard, and not seen.\u2019\nOn hearing this, she, too, had said, \u2018I consent, and will give her to\nthee.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cIn short, all the three suitors had come and met together in this way.\nHarid\u00e3s began to think to himself, \u2018One girl and three suitors! to whom\nshall I give her, and to whom not?\u2019 He was troubled with this thought,\nwhen a demon came at night and carried off the girl to the summit of a\nmountain in the Vindhy\u00e3 range. It is said that too much of anything is\nnot good. S\u00eft\u00e3 was exceedingly beautiful, and R\u00e3van carried her off;\nKing Bali gave gifts largely,--he became indigent; R\u00e3van utterly ruined\nhis family by his excessive pride.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn brief, when mom arrived, and none of the household found the girl,\nthey began to fancy all sorts of things; and the three suitors, too,\non bearing of the matter, came there. One of them was a wise man,--him\nHarid\u00e3s questioned, saying, \u2018O wise man! tell me whither the girl has\ngone?\u2019 He considered for a moment or so, and said, \u2018A demon has carried\noff your daughter, and lodged her on a mountain.\u2019 On this, the second\nsaid, \u2018I will kill the demon and bring her back.\u2019 Then, again, the third\nsaid, \u2018Mount my car and bring her back.\u2019 On the instant of hearing this,\nhe mounted the car, reached the place, slew the demon, and forthwith\nbrought her back. And then they began quarrelling with one another.\nThereupon the father pondered over the matter in his mind, and said,\n\u2018All of them have conferred obligations on me, to whom shall I give her,\nand to whom not?\u2019\u201d Having related so much of the story, the sprite said,\n\u201cNow, king Vikram! whose wife, out of the three, did the maiden become?\u201d\n He replied, \u201cShe became the wife of him who slew the demon and brought\nher back.\u201d The sprite said, \u201cThe good qualities of all were on a\npar,--how came she to become his wife?\u201d The king replied, \u201cThe other two\nsimply conferred favours, for which they were recompensed; but this one\nfought with and slew him (the demon) and brought her away, hence she\nbecame his wife.\u201d On hearing this the sprite went again to the same\ntree, and suspended himself on it, and the king, too, went immediately,\nbound the sprite, placed him on his shoulder, and carried him off as\nbefore.\n\n\n\n\nTALE VI.\n\nAgain the sprite said, \u201cO king! there is a city named Dharmpur, of\nwhich Dharmshil was king; and his minister\u2019s name was Andhak. He said\none day to the king, \u2018Your majesty! build a temple, and place an image\nof Devi therein, and pay constant adoration thereto, for this is said in\nthe _Sh\u00e3stra_ to possess great merit.\u2019 Thereupon the king had a temple\nbuilt and (the image of) Devi placed in it, and began offering adoration\nafter the manner prescribed by the Vedas; and he would not drink water\nwithout having worshipped.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen a considerable time had passed thus, the minister said one day,\n\u2018Great king! the saying is well known,--The house of a sonless man is\nempty, a fool\u2019s mind is empty, and everything pertaining to an indigent\nperson is empty.\u2019 On hearing these words, the king went to the temple of\nDevi, and joining his hands in supplication, began to extol her, saying,\n\u2018O Devi! Brahma, Vishn\u00fc, Rudra, Indra await thy bidding the livelong\nday; and thou it was who didst seize the demons Mahish-aspr, Chand\nMund, Raktbij, and slaying the evil spirits, relieved the earth of its\nburthen; and wheresoever trouble has befallen thy worshippers, there\nthou hast gone and aided them; and in this hope I have approached thy\nthreshhold; fulfil now the desire of my heart also.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen the king had celebrated the praises of the goddess to this extent,\na voice issued from the temple of Devi, saying, \u2018King! I am well\npleased with thee; ask any boon that thou may\u2019st desire.\u2019 The king said,\n\u2018Mother! if thou art pleased with me, grant me a son.\u2019 Devi replied,\n\u2018King! thou shalt have a son (who shall be) very powerful and very\nglorious.\u2019 Then the king made offerings of sandal, unbroken rice,\nflowers, incense, lamps and consecrated food, and paid adoration.\nMoreover, he made it a practice of worshipping thus daily. To be brief,\nafter some days a son was born to the king. The king, with his family\nand kindred, proceeded with music and song, and worshipped at the shrine\nof Devi.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn the meantime, it happened one day that a washerman, accompanied by a\nfriend of his, was coming from a certain town towards this city, and the\ntemple of Devi met his eye. He resolved on prostrating himself (before\nthe shrine). At that moment he beheld a washerman\u2019s daughter, who was\nvery handsome, coming towards him. He was fascinated at the sight of\nher, and went to worship Devi. After prostrating himself, he joined his\nhands in supplication, and said in his heart, \u2018O Devi! if, through thy\nfavour, my marriage to this beautiful being should take place, I will\ndevote my head as an offering to thee.\u2019 After making this vow, and\nprostrating himself, he took his friend with him, and went to his own\ncity.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen he arrived there, the separation (from his love) so troubled him\nthat sleep, hunger, thirst--all were forgotten. He spent the whole day\nin thoughts of her. On perceiving this woful state of his, his friend\nwent and told his father all the circumstances. His father also became\nalarmed on hearing these things, and reflecting on the matter began to\nsay, \u2018From observing his state it seems (to me) that if his betrothal to\nthat maiden does not take place, he will grieve to death; wherefore it\nis better to marry him to the girl, that thus he may be saved.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cHaving thus considered, he took his son\u2019s friend with him, and on\nreaching that town, went to the girl\u2019s father and said, \u2018I have come to\nsolicit something of you; if you will grant my request, I will make it\nknown.\u2019 He replied, \u2018If I possess the thing, I will give it; speak\nout.\u2019 Having secured his promise thus, he said, \u2018Give your daughter in\nmarriage to my son.\u2019 On hearing this, he too agreed to the proposal; and\nhaving had a priest called in, and the day, the auspicious conjunction,\nand the moment determined, said, \u2018Bring your son; I, for my part, will\nstain my daughter\u2019s hands yellow.\u2019 * On hearing this, he arose, returned\nto his own house, got ready all the requisites for the marriage, and set\nout for the ceremony; and on reaching the place, and having the marriage\nceremony performed, he took his son and daughter-in-law with him and\nreturned home; and the bride and bridegroom commenced a happy life\ntogether.\u201d\n\n     * Lit. \u201cmake the girl\u2019s hands yellow.\u201d Among the Hindus, for\n     some days before marriage, the hands of a betrothed couple\n     are stained yellow with turmeric.\n\n\u201cAgain, after some time, an occasion of rejoicing arose at the girl\u2019s\nfather\u2019s, and so an invitation came to these (the bride and bridegroom)\nalso. The wife and husband got ready, and taking their friend with them,\nset out for that city. When they arrived near the place, the temple of\nDevi came in sight, and then, his vow came to his mind. Thereupon\nhe reflected and said to himself, \u2018I am a great liar, and a very\nirreligious wretch, for I have lied to Devi herself!\u2019 Having said this\nto himself, he spoke to his friend, saying, \u2018Do you tarry here while I\npay a visit to Devi.\u2019 And to his wife he said, \u2018Do thou also stay here.\u2019\nHaving said this and gone to the temple, he bathed in the pool,\nwent before Devi, joined his hands in supplication, addressed her\nreverentially, and raised a sword and struck himself on the neck His\nhead was severed from his body, and fell upon the ground.\u201d\n\n\u201cTo be brief, after some delay, his friend thought that as he had been\ngone a very long while and had not yet returned, he ought to go and see\n(what had happened); so he said to the wife, \u2018Stay here; I will soon\nhunt him up and bring him here.\u2019 Having said this, he went into the\ntemple of Devi, and lo! his (friend\u2019s) head was lying apart from his\nbody! On beholding this state of things there, he began to say to\nhimself, \u2018The world is a hard place! No one will suppose that he, with\nhis own hand, offered his head as a sacrifice to Devi; on the contrary,\nthey will say, that, as his wife was very beautiful, he (the friend), in\norder to possess her, killed him, and is practising this artful trick.\nTherefore it is preferable to die here; whereas to obtain an evil\nreputation in the world is not desirable.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cHaving said this, he bathed in the pool, came into the presence of\nDevi, joined his hands and made obeisance, and taking up the sword,\nstruck himself on the neck, so that his head was severed from his body.\nAnd she, weary of standing there alone, and watching for their return\ntill she quite despaired, went in quest of them into the temple of\nDevi. Arrived there, what does she behold but the two lying dead! Then,\nseeing them both dead, she thought to herself, \u2018People will not believe\nthat these two have voluntarily offered themselves as sacrifices to\nDevi. Everybody will say that the widow was a wanton wretch, (and)\nthat she killed them both and left them that she might indulge in her\ndepravity. It is better to die than to endure such infamy.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cAlter reflecting thus, she plunged into the pool (and bathed), and\ncoming into the presence of Devi, bowed her head in obeisance; (then)\ntaking up the sword, was about to strike herself on the neck, when\nDevi descended from the throne, and came and seized her hand, and said,\n\u2018Daughter! ask a boon; I am well-pleased with thee.\u2019 On this she said,\n\u2018Mother! if thou art pleased with me, restore these two to life.\u2019 Then\nDevi said, \u2018Unite their heads to their bodies.\u2019 In the tumult of her joy\nshe changed the heads in putting them on. And Devi brought the water\nof life and sprinkled it upon them. The two rose up alive, and began\ndisputing one with another; one saying, \u2018She is my wife;\u2019 the other,\n\u2018She is mine.\u2019\u201d\n\nHaving related so much of the story, the sprite said, \u201cNow king\nVikram\u00e3jit! of which of these two is she the wife?\u201d The king said,\n\u201cHearken! The guiding principle for this is laid down in the book of\nlaw, thus: \u2018The Ganges is the best of rivers, and Sumeru is the most\nexcellent of mountains, and Kalpavriksh * is the most excellent of\ntrees, (and) the head is supreme among all the members of the body.\nAccording to this judgment she becomes the wife of him who possesses the\nsuperior member.\u2019\u201d On hearing these words the sprite went and again\nsuspended himself on that tree; and the king having gone and bound him,\nplaced him on his shoulder and carried him off.\n\n     * Kalpavriksh is a fabulous tree, yielding all wishes, said\n     to exist in the paradise of India.\n\n\n\n\nTALE VII.\n\nThe sprite said, \u201cO king! there is a city named Champ\u00e3pur, the king\nof which is Champakeshwar. And the queen\u2019s name is Sulochan\u00e3, and the\ndaughter\u2019s Tribhuvan-sundari. She is an eminently-beautiful woman, whose\nface is like the moon, hair like black clouds, eyes like a gazelle\u2019s,\neyebrows (arched) like a bow, nose like a parrot\u2019s (beak), neck like a\npigeon\u2019s, teeth like the grains of a pomegranate; the redness of whose\nlips resembles that of the _kand\u00fcri_, * whose waist is like a leopard\u2019s,\nhands and feet like the tender lotus, complexion like the champa-flower;\nin short, the bloom of her youth was daily on the increase.\u201d\n\n     * The kand\u00fcri is a cucurbitaceous plant with red fruit, or\n     the gourd of the momordica monadelpha. Its Hindi name is\n     bimb.\n\n\u201cWhen she became marriageable, the king and queen began to feel anxious\nin their minds. And the news spread among the monarchs of the different\ncountries (round about) that so beautiful a girl had been born in the\npalace of king Champakeshwar that, at a mere glance at her beauty, gods,\nmen, and holy sages, remain fascinated. Thereupon the kings of the\ndifferent countries had each his likeness painted, and sent it by the\nhands of a Brahman to king Champakeshwar.\n\n\u201cThe king received and showed the portraits of all the monarchs to his\ndaughter, but none of them suited her fancy. Thereupon the king said,\n\u2018Do thou, then, make a public choice of a husband.\u2019 To this, too, she\ndid not agree, but said to her father, \u2018Father! give me to him who\npossesses the three qualities of beauty, strength, and superior\nknowledge.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cIn fine, when several days had elapsed, four suitors came from four\ndifferent countries. Then the king said to them, \u2018Do each of you\nset forth clearly before me the superior qualities and knowledge\nhe possesses.\u2019 One of them said, \u2018I possess such knowledge that I\nmanufacture a cloth and sell it for five rubies. When I realise the\nprice, I give one of the rubies to Brahmans, of another I make an\noffering to the gods, a third I wear on my own person, a fourth I\nreserve for my wife, the fifth I sell, and constantly support myself\nwith the money so obtained. No one else possesses this knowledge. And as\nto the good looks I possess,--they are open to view.\u2019 The second said,\n\u2018I am acquainted with the languages of both land and aquatic beasts\nand birds; have no equal in strength; and my beauty is before you.\u2019 The\nthird said, \u2018So well do I comprehend the learned writings that no equal\nof mine exists; and my beauty is before your eyes.\u2019 The fourth said,\n\u2018I stand alone in my knowledge of the use of weapons; * there is no\none like me; I can shoot an arrow which will strike an object which is\nheard, but not seen; and my beauty is famous in the world,--you, too,\nmust surely see it.\u2019\u201d\n\n     * I suspect an error in the text here; viz., sh\u00e3stra for\n     shastra; for the third suitor had already claimed the\n     possession of unrivalled excellence in the sh\u00e3stras, while\n     the fourth boasts of his superior shill in archery, which\n     would certainly seem to accord better with shastra than\n     sh\u00e3stra. Moreover, the judgment of King Vikram shows\n     satisfactorily, I think, that shastra is the word intended.\n\n\u201cOn hearing the statements of the four of them, the king began to think\nto himself, \u2018All four are on a par as to excellences; to which should I\ngive the girl?\u2019 Having reflected thus, he went to his daughter and set\nforth the virtues of the whole four of them, and said, \u2018To which of them\nshall I give thee (in marriage)?\u2019 On hearing this, she hung down her\nhead through modesty, and kept silent, making no answer.\u201d\n\nAfter relating so much of the story, the sprite said, \u201cNow, King Vikram!\nfor which of them is this woman suited?\u201d The king replied, \u201cHe who makes\ncloth and sells it is a _s\u00fcdra_ by caste; and he who knows the languages\nis a _bais_ by caste; he who has studied the learned writings is a\n_Brahman_; and he who hits with an arrow an object which is simply,\nheard, and not seen, is of _her_ caste: the woman is suitable for him.\u201d\n On hearing these words, the sprite went again and hung himself on that\ntree; and the king, too, went thither, bound him, placed him on his\nshoulder, and carried him off.\n\n\n\n\nTALE VIII.\n\nThen the sprite said, \u201cO king! there is a city named Mithal\u00e3vat\u00ef, the\nking of which is Gun\u00e3dhip. A young r\u00e3jp\u00fct, named Chiramdeva, came from\na distant land to enter his service. He used to go daily to pay his\nrespects to the king, but did not obtain an interview. And in the course\nof a year he consumed all the money he had brought (with him) while\ntarrying here without employment, and there (in his native land), his\nhome went to ruin.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt happened one day that the king mounted his horse for the chase,\nand Chiramdeva also joined his cavalcade. The king became accidentally\nseparated from his followers in a forest, and the attendants lost\nthemselves in another jungle; one, however, Chiramdeva, was following\nthe king. At length, he called out, and said, \u2018Your majesty! all the\nattendants have remained behind, while I am accompanying you, making\nmy horse keep pace with yours.\u2019 On hearing this, the king reined in\nhis horse, and so he came up (to the king). The king looked at him, and\nasked, \u2018How hast thou become so emaciated?\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cThen he replied, \u2018If I live with a master, such that he cherishes\nthousands of people, while he takes no thought of me, no blame\n(attaches) to him for this, but rather my own fate is to blame. As, for\nexample, by daylight the whole world is clearly visible; yet it is not\nvisible to the owl;--what blame can be imputed to the sun for this? It\nis astonishing to me that he who caused the means, of subsistence to\nreach me in my mother\u2019s womb, should take no thought of me now, when I\nhave been born, and am capable of enjoying worldly aliment. I know\nnot whether he sleeps or is dead. And, in my opinion, it is better to\nswallow deadly poison and die, than to ask for goods and money from a\ngreat man who, while giving the same, makes a wry face, and turns up his\nnose (in contempt), and raises his brows. Now these six things render\na man contemptible,--first, the friendship of a perfidious man; second,\ncauseless laughter; third, altercation with a woman; fourth, the serving\na bad master; fifth, riding a donkey; sixth, unpolished (or uncouth)\nspeech. * And the following five things the Creator records in a man\u2019s\ndestiny at the time of his birth,--First, length of life; second, acts;\nthird, wealth; fourth, know-ledge; fifth, reputation. O king! so long as\na man\u2019s virtues ** are conspicuous, all continue to be his servants; but\nwhen his virtues decrease, his very friends become his enemies.\u201d\n\n     * Lit.--A dialect without Sanskrit.\n\n     ** I should much prefer translating \u201cso long as a man\u2019s\n     fortunes are in the ascendant,\u201d were it not that none of the\n     lexicons I have seen sanctions the sense of \u201cfortunes\u201d for\n     punya.\n\n\u201cThis one thing, however, is certain; by serving a good master one\nderives benefit sooner or later; he does not remain unbenefited.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cOn hearing this, the king pondered over all these words, but did not\nthen make any reply. He said this to him, however, \u2018I feel hungry; bring\nme something to eat from somewhere.\u2019 Chiramdeva said, \u2018Your majesty!\nbread ** is not to be obtained here.\u2019 Having said this, he went into\nthe jungle, killed a deer, took out a flint and steel from his pocket,\nkindled a fire, broiled some slices of meat, and served up a plentiful\nmeal to the king, and partook of it himself as well. To be brief, when\nthe king was quite satisfied, *** he said, \u2018Now, R\u00e3jp\u00fct I conduct me to\nthe city, for the road is not known to me.\u2019 He conducted the king into\nthe city, and brought him to his palace. Then the king appointed him to\nan office, and bestowed many robes and jewels upon him. After that, he\ncontinued in close attendance upon the king.\u201d\n\n     ** Lit.--\u201cGrain-food,\u201d which might mean boiled rice, or\n     cakes of bread and boiled pulse.\n\n     *** Lit.--When the king\u2019s belly was filled.\n\n\u201cIn short, the king one day sent that R\u00e3jp\u00fct on some business to the\nseaside. When he reached the sea-shore, he beheld a temple (dedicated)\nto Devi. He entered it, and worshipped Devi. But, on the instant of his\ncoming out thence, a beautiful damsel came up to him from behind, and\nbegan questioning him, saying, \u2018O man! why hast thou come here?\u2019 He\nreplied, \u2018I have come in quest of pleasure, and at the sight of thy\nbeauty I am fascinated.\u2019 She said, \u2018If thou hast any design on me, first\ngo and bathe in this pool; after that I will listen to whatever thou\nshalt say to me.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cOn the instant of hearing this, he took off his clothes, entered the\npool and dipped, and came out, and lo! he was standing in his own city!\nOn beholding this marvel, he was filled with fear, and returning home in\nhis helplessness, clothed himself, and went and related the whole story\nto the king. The king no sooner heard it than he said, \u2018Show me this\nwonder also.\u2019 This said, he ordered the horses, and both mounted and\nset off. After several days, they reached the sea-shore, and entered\nthe same temple of Devi, and paid adoration. Farther, when the king came\nout, the very same damsel, accompanied by a female friend, came and\nstood beside the king, and on beholding the king\u2019s handsome appearance,\nbecame fascinated, and said, \u2018O king! I will execute any command you\nmay give me.\u2019 The king replied, saying, \u2018If thou wilt obey my command,\nbecome the wife of my servant.\u2019 She said, \u2018I have become the slave of\nthy beauty, how then can I become his wife?\u2019 The king replied, \u2018It was\nbut this instant thou saidst to me, \u2018I will obey any command you may\ngive me.\u2019 Now, whatever the good promise they perform. Keep thy plighted\nword, (and) become the wife of my servant.\u2019 On hearing this, she said,\n\u2018Your word is law to me.\u2019 Thereupon the king married his servant to her\nwithout the usual ceremonies, * and brought them both with him to his\npalace.\u201d\n\n     * A gandharb marriage is one where the usual formalities are\n     dispensed with, and the parties become man and wife by\n     mutual consent.\n\nHaving related so much of the story, the sprite said, \u201cTell me, O king!\nOf master and servant, whose was the greater virtue?\u201d The king said,\n\u201cThe servant\u2019s.\u201d The sprite said again, \u201cWas not the merit of the king\ngreater, who obtained so beautiful a woman, and bestowed her on his\nservant?\u201d Thereupon king Bir Vikram\u00e3j\u00eft said, \u201cWhat superior merit is\nthere in their conferring favours, whose office it is to do so? But he\nwho, while having his own, interests to attend to, promotes the\ninterests of another--_he_ is the greater. For this reason, the\nservant\u2019s merit was the greater.\u201d On hearing these words, the sprite\nwent and hung himself on that same tree; and the king went and again\ntook him down from thence, placed him on his shoulder, and carried him\naway.\n\n\n\n\nTALE IX.\n\nThe sprite said, \u201cO king! there-is a city named Madanpur, where was a\nking named Birbar. Now, in that same country there was a merchant\nnamed Hiranyadatt, whose daughter\u2019s name was Madansen\u00e3. One day, in\nthe spring-time, she went, with her female friends, into her garden, to\nstroll about and enjoy the scene. It so happened that, previous to her\ncoming out, Somdatt, the son of a merchant named Dharmdatt, had come,\nwith a friend, to take a stroll in the forest. On his return thence,\nhe came into that garden; (and) on beholding her, became enamoured, and\nbegan to say to his friend, \u2018Brother! Should she ever be united to me,\nthen my living will be to some purpose; and if not, then my living in\nthe world is in vain.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cAddressing these words to his friend, (and) being distracted by the\npangs of separation, he involuntarily approached her, and seizing her\nhand, began to say, \u2018If thou wilt not love me, I will sacrifice my life\non thy account.\u2019 She replied, \u2018Act not thus; that would be a sin.\u2019 Then\nhe said, \u2018Thy amorous glances have pierced my heart, and the fire of\nseparation from thee has consumed my body; my whole consciousness and\nunderstanding have been destroyed by this pain; and at this moment,\nthrough the overpowering influence of love, I have no regard for right\nor wrong; but if thou wilt give me thy word, new life will enter my\nsoul.\u2019 She said, \u2018On the fifth day from this day my marriage will take\nplace; but I will first have intercourse with thee, and afterwards abide\nat my husband\u2019s.\u2019 After giving him this promise, and taking her oath (to\nkeep it) she departed to her home, and he to his.\u201d\n\n\u201cTo be brief, on the fifth day her marriage took place. Her husband\nbrought her to his home after the marriage. After some days the wives\nof her husband\u2019s younger and elder brothers compelled her to go to her\nhusband at night. She entered the nuptial chamber, and sat quietly down\nin a corner. In the meantime, her husband seeing her, took her hand, and\nmade her sit on the bed. In fine, as he was about to embrace her,\nshe; shook him off with her hand, and related to him all that she had\npromised the merchant\u2019s son. On hearing this her husband said, \u2018If thou\nreally desirest to go to him, go.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cHaving received her husband\u2019s permission, she started for the\nmerchant\u2019s place. A thief seeing her on the road, came up to her in\ndelight, and said, \u2018Whither goest thou alone, at this midnight hour,\nin this pitch-darkness, bedecked with such garments and jewels?\u2019 She\nreplied, \u2018To the place where my dearly beloved dwells.\u2019 On hearing this\nthe thief said, \u2018Who is thy protector here?\u2019 She began to say, \u2018Cupid,\nmy protector, with his bow and arrows, is with me.\u2019 Having said this,\nshe then related her whole story to the thief, from beginning to end,\nand said, \u2018Do not spoil my attire; I give thee my word that, when I\nreturn thence, I will deliver my jewels to thee.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cOn hearing this, the thief said to himself, \u2018She leaves me, in truth,\nwith a promise to deliver up her jewels to me; then why should I spoil\nher attire?\u2019 Thus reflecting, he let her go. (He) himself sat down\nthere, while she went to the place where Somdatt was lying asleep.\nShe having suddenly roused him as soon as she got there, he arose\nbewildered, and commenced saying, \u2018Art thou the daughter of a god, or\nsage, or serpent? * Tell me truly, who art thou? and whence art thou\ncome to me?\u2019 She replied, \u2018I am the daughter of a man--the daughter\nof the merchant Hiranyadatt; Madansen\u00e3 is my name; and dost thou not\nremember that thou didst forcibly seize my hand in the grove, and didst\ninsist on my giving thee my oath; and I swore, at thy bidding, that I\nwould leave the man I was married to and come to thee? I have come\naccordingly; do unto me whatever thou pleasest.\u2019\u201d\n\n     * Nig is the name of the fabulous serpents (said to have a\n     human face), inhabiting P\u00e3tala, or the infernal regions.\n\n\u201cOn this he asked, \u2018Hast thou told this story to thy husband, or not?\u2019\nShe replied, saying, \u2018I have mentioned the whole affair, and after\nbecoming acquainted with everything, he has allowed me to come to thee.\u2019\nSomdatt said, \u2018This matter is like jewels without apparel, or food\nwithout clarified butter, or singing out of tune--all these things are\nalike. Similarly, dirty garments mar beauty, bad food saps the strength,\na wicked wife deprives of life, a bad son ruins the family. Whereas a\ndemon takes life on his being enraged, a woman, either as a friend or a\nfoe, is in both cases the occasion of sorrow. What a woman does not do\nis of little moment; for she does not give utterance to the thoughts of\nher mind; and what is at the tip of her tongue she does not reveal;\nand what she does, she does not tell of. A wonderful creature has God\ncreated in the world in woman.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cAfter uttering these words, the merchant\u2019s son answered her, saying, \u2018I\nwill have nothing to do with another\u2019s wife.\u2019 On hearing this she took\nher way back home again. On the way she met the thief, (and) told him\nthe whole story. The thief, on hearing it, applauded her highly, and let\nher go. She came nigh her husband and told him all the circumstances;\nbut her husband evinced no affection for her, and said, \u2018The beauty of\nthe cuckoo consists in its note alone; a woman\u2019s beauty consists in her\nfidelity to her husband; and the beauty of an ugly man is his knowledge;\nthe beauty of a devotee is his patient suffering.\u2019\u201d\n\nHaving related so much of the story, the sprite said, \u201cO king! whose is\nthe highest merit of these three?\u201d King Vikram\u00e3j\u00eft replied, \u201cThe thief\u2019s\nmerit is the greatest.\u201d The sprite said, \u201cHow?\u201d The king replied,\n\u201cSeeing her heart set on another man, her husband gave her up; through\ndread of the king, Somdatt let her alone; whereas there was no\nreason for the thief\u2019s leaving her unmolested. Hence the thief is the\nsuperior.\u201d On hearing this, the sprite went again and suspended himself\non that tree; and the king also went there, took him down from the tree,\nbound and placed him on his shoulder, and once more carried him away.\n\n\n\n\nTALE X.\n\nThe sprite said, \u201cO king! in the country of Gaur there is a city called\nBaradm\u00e3n, and the king of that place was named Gunshekhar. His minister\nwas a follower of the Jain persuasion, Abhaichand by name. Through his\npersuasion, the king, too, entered the pale of the Jain religion. He\nprohibited the worship of Shiva, as also that of Vishnu, and offerings\nof cattle, grants of land, oblations * to deceased ancestors, gambling\nand intoxicating liquors--all these he interdicted: no one was allowed\nto practise them in the city, and no one could carry away bones to\nthe Ganges. And the minister, too, with the king\u2019s sanction for these\nmatters, had it proclaimed in the city, that whoever performs these\nacts, the king will confiscate all his property, and inflict punishment\non him, and expel him from the city.\u201d\n\n     * These oblations consist of balls (pind) of meat, or rice\n     mixed up with milk, curds, flowers, &c., and offered to the\n     manes at the several Shraddhas (or funeral ceremonies and\n     worship of the manes) by the nearest surviving relations.\n\n\u201cThereafter the minister said one day to the king, \u2018Attend, O king! to\nan exposition of the sacred law Whosoever takes the life of any one,\nthis same takes his life also in another state of existence. It is on\naccount of this sin that living and dying are inseparable from man on\nhis entering this world. He is born again and again, and again he dies.\nHence, it behoves man, on his being born into the world, to treasure up\nvirtuous deeds. Observe (how) Brahm\u00e3, Yishn\u00fc, Mah\u00e3deva, in one form or\nanother, become incarnate in the world under the influence of love,\nanger, covetousness, or infatuation! A cow, forsooth, is superior to\nthem, for she is free from passion, hatred, pride, anger, covetousness,\ninfatuation; moreover, she sustains the subjects. And the sons which are\nborn to her also impart the utmost ease to the living things of the\nearth, and cherish them. It is for this reason that all the deities and\nholy sages hold the cow sacred. Therefore, to worship the gods, is not\nwell: worship the cow in this world. And it is a duty to protect the\nlife of every animal, from the elephant to the ant; including beasts,\nbirds, &c., up to man; there is no duty equal to that in the world.\nThose who add to their flesh by eating the flesh of other creatures,\nultimately suffer the torments of hell. Hence it is incumbent on man to\npreserve life. Those who regard not the sufferings of others, but go on\ndestroying the life of other creatures, and eating them--their lives are\nshortened on the earth, and they are born cripples, or lame, or blind of\none eye, or blind of both eyes, or dwarfs, or hunch-backed, or with some\nsuch bodily defect. According to the limbs of beasts and birds which\nthey devour, they eventually lose similar members of their own. Further,\nthe drinking of intoxicating liquors is a great sin. Hence the\nconsumption of flesh and intoxicating drinks is not right.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cThus unfolding to the king the wisdom stored up in his mind, the\nminister made him so sound a convert to the Jain faith, that whatever\nhe advised the king did; and he paid no respect to any Brahman, ascetic,\nitinerant devotee, or religious mendicant; * and governed his kingdom\naccording to this religion. One day, coming under the power of death, he\ndied. Thereupon his son, Dharm-dhwaj by name, ascended the throne, and\nbegan to reign. One day, having had the minister, Abhaichand, seized,\nand seven plaits made of the hair on his head, and his face blackened,\nand (the minister) himself seated on a donkey, and a drum beaten and\nhands clapped (in derision) after him, he then banished him from the\nkingdom, and carried on his government free from all anxiety.\u201d\n\n     * The sewra, sanyasi, and darwesh, are all religious\n     mendicants; the first is of the Jain religion, the second a\n     Brahman, and the third a Muhammadan.\n\n\u201cOne day, in the spring-time, the king, accompanied by his queens, went\nto take a stroll in a garden. There was a large tank in that garden, and\nthe lotus was in full bloom therein. On beholding the beauty of the\ntank, the king stripped off his clothes, and went down to bathe. Having\nplucked a flower, and come to the side, he was handing it to one of the\nqueens, when it slipped from his hand and fell on the queen\u2019s foot; and\nby the blow it inflicted the queen\u2019s foot was broken. On this the king\nbecame alarmed, and forthwith coming out from the tank, began applying\nremedies; and in the meantime night came on, and the moon shone forth.\nNo sooner did the moon\u2019s beams fall, than blisters arose on the body of\nthe second queen. Farther, just then the sound of a wooden pestle\nfrom some householder\u2019s suddenly reached the third queen, and she was\ninstantly attacked with so severe a headache, that she fainted away.\u201d\n\nAfter narrating so much, the sprite said, \u201cO king! which of these three\nwas the most delicate?\u201d The king replied, \u201cThe one who got the pain in\nthe head and fainted away, she was the most delicate.\u201d On hearing these\nwords, the sprite again went and suspended himself on that tree; and the\nking went there and took him down, and, making a bundle of him, placed\nhim on his shoulder, and walked off with him.\n\n\n\n\nTALE XI.\n\nThe sprite said, \u201cYour majesty! there is a city named Punyapur,\nthe king of which was named Ballabh, and his minister\u2019s name was\nSatyaprakash, (and) the name of the minister\u2019s wife was Lakshmi. One\nday the king said to his minister, \u2018If one who is a king does not enjoy\nhimself with beautiful women, his holding sovereignty is in vain.\u2019\nHaving said this, and made over the burthen of government to the\nminister, he himself gladly entered upon a course of amorous pleasures.\nHe abandoned all cares of the state, and commenced spending his days and\nnights in enjoyment.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt so happened that, one day, the minister was sitting dejected at\nhome, when his wife asked him, \u2018Husband! you seem to me to be very\nweak?\u2019 He replied, saying, \u2018Night and day the cares of government weigh\nheavily on me, and hence my body has become feeble; while the king is\nthe whole day long occupied with his own pleasures and enjoyment.\u2019 The\nminister\u2019s wife said, \u2018O husband! you have carried on the government for\na long time, now take leave of the king, and undertake a pilgrimage for\nfew days.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cHe remained silent on hearing this speech of hers. Afterwards, when\nhe stirred out (_lit_. when he rose thence), he went to the king at the\ntime of his holding a court, and, obtaining his permission to go, set\nout on a pilgrimage. Journeying on, he reached Setband R\u00e3meshwar, * on\nthe sea-coast. As soon as he arrived there, he visited the shrine of\nMah\u00e3deva, and came out (of the temple), when, his gaze happening to\nstray towards the sea, what does he behold, but a (marvellous) tree of\ngold come up out of it, the leaves of which were emeralds, the blossoms\ntopazes, the fruits corals,--it presented a most beautiful sight! And\nseated on the tree was a very beautiful woman, holding a lute in her\nhands, and singing in most soft and sweet strains. After a few minutes\nthe tree disappeared in the ocean.\u201d\n\n     * etband (from the Sanskrit setu-bandha) signifies a dike or\n     bridge, and is applied to the ridge of rooks between the\n     Coromandel coast and Ceylon. This dike or bridge is said to\n     have been built by the allies of Rama (i.e., the monkey army\n     under the leadership of Hanuman), when he invaded Ceylon to\n     recover his wife Slt\u00e3, who had been carried off thither by\n     B\u00e3van. It is said that, as fast as the monkeys built up the\n     dike, B\u00e3van destroyed it; so, to prevent his doing this,\n     B\u00e3ma erected a temple to Shiva (the god adored by Bavan) at\n     the extremity of the dike. Thenceforth Setband R\u00e3meshwar\n     became a place of pilgrimage.\n\n\u201cAfter beholding this spectacle there, the minister turned back and came\nto his own city, and, proceeding to the king, made obeisance, and\njoining his hands, said, \u2018Your Majesty! I have witnessed a marvellous\nsight!\u2019 The monarch said, \u2018Describe it.\u2019 The minister said, \u2018Your\nmajesty! men of olden time have said that one should not speak of such\nthings as are beyond the comprehension of any one, and which no one\nwould credit. But this thing I saw plainly with my eyes, and hence I\nspeak of it. Your majesty! at the place where the Lord Raghun\u00e3th has\nbridged the ocean, lo! a golden tree came up out of the sea, which was\nso splendidly loaded with emerald leaves, topaz flowers, and coral\nfruit, that a description of it is impossible! And upon it was a very\nbeautiful woman, with a lute in her hands, singing the sweetest of\nstrains. But after a few minutes that tree was lost to sight in the\nocean.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cOn hearing these words, the king entrusted the government to the\nminister, and set out alone for the sea-shore. After several days he\narrived there, and entered the temple to pay adoration to Mah\u00e3deva; and\nhaving bowed down and worshipped, he came out, when lo! the same tree,\nwoman, and all, rose up (out of the sea). As soon as the king saw her,\nhe leaped into the sea, and went and sat on the same tree. She, together\nwith the king, descended to the nether regions. ** She looked at him\n(the king) and said, \u2018Valiant man! Why hast thou come hither?\u2019 The king\nreplied, \u2018I have come, attracted by thy beauty.\u2019 She rejoined, \u2018If thou\nwilt not have intercourse with me during the dark fortnight of the lunar\nmonth, I will marry thee.\u2019 The king consented to this arrangement.\nNotwithstanding this, however, she took the king\u2019s solemn promise, and\nthen married him.\u201d\n\n     * Raghun\u00e3th (i.e., the lord of the family of Raghu,) is a\n     title of Rama, who, as an incarnation of Vishnu, was born in\n     the family of Raghu.\n\n     ** P\u00e3t\u00e3la is one of the seven Hindu hells, and the region\n     under the earth which is the abode of the Nagas, or serpents\n     with human faces.\n\n\u201cTo be brief, when the dark nights set in, she said, \u2018Your majesty is\nnot to remain near me today.\u2019 On hearing this, the king left her, taking\nhis sword with him; and going apart, kept secret watch. When it was\nmidnight, a demon came, and, on the instant of arriving, folded her in\nhis arms. No sooner did the king witness this, than he rushed forward\nwith his sword, and said, \u2018Foul fiend! lay not thy hand on my wife\nbefore my eyes! First fight with me. It was only ere I had set my eyes\non you that fear possessed me; now I have no fear.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cThis said, he drew his sword, and struck such a blow, that the head (of\nthe demon) was severed from the body, and lay quivering on the ground.\nOn beholding this, she said, \u2018O gallant man! thou hast done me a great\nkindness!\u2019 After saying this, she spoke again, saying, \u2018It is not every\nmountain that contains rubies, nor every city that holds true men, nor\ndoes the sandal-tree grow in every forest, nor do pearls exist in the\nhead of every elephant.\u2019 Thereupon the king enquired, \u2018Why did this\ndemon come to thee on the fourteenth night of the waning moon?\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cShe said, \u2018My father\u2019s name is Vidy\u00e3dhar. I am said Vidy\u00e3dhar\u2019s\ndaughter. Sundari is my name. Now it was an established custom for my\nfather not to partake of food without me. One day I was not at home at\nmeal-time; thereupon father became angry and pronounced a curse on me,\nsaying, \u2018A demon will come and embrace thee every fourteenth night of\nthe waning moon.\u2019 On hearing this, I said, \u2018Father! you have indeed\ngiven me your curse; but now have mercy on me!\u2019 He replied, \u2018When an\nintrepid man shall come and slay that demon, thou wilt escape from this\ncurse.\u2019 Now, therefore, I have escaped from that curse; and I will now\ngo and pay my respects to my father.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cThe king said, \u2018If thou appreciatest the kindness I have done thee,\ncome at once and visit my dominions; after that, go and visit thy\nfather.\u2019 She said, \u2018Very well; I consent to what you say.\u2019 Thereupon the\nking brought heir with him to his capital. Festive music and rejoicing\nbegan to take place. The news spread throughout the city that the king\nhad arrived. Then songs of congratulation and merry-making commenced in\nevery house; and after that, all the musicians and singers of the city\ncame and offered their congratulations at the court. The king gave away\nmany presents, and performed many pious acts.\u201d\n\n\u201cAgain, after some days that fair one said, \u2018Now, your majesty! I will\ngo to my father\u2019s.\u2019 The king said in sadness, \u2018Very well: go.\u2019 When she\nperceived the king to be sad, she said, \u2018Your majesty! I will not go.\u2019\nThe king said, \u2018Why hast thou given up the idea of going to thy father?\u2019\nShe replied, \u2018I have now become one of the human race, and my father is\na demi-god; * were I to go now, he would show me no respect: this is my\nreason for not going.\u2019 On hearing this the king was highly delighted,\nand gave away lacs of rupees in presents and religious offerings.\nHearing of these matters touching the king, the minister died\nbroken-hearted.\u201d\n\n     * The Gandharvas are demi-gods inhabiting Indra\u2019s heaven,\n     and serving as celestial musicians.\n\nHaving told so much of the tale, the sprite said, \u201cO king! why did the\nminister die?\u201d Then king B\u00efr Vikram\u00e3j\u00eft said, \u201cThe minister perceived\nthat the king had taken to sensual enjoyments, and banished all the\ncares of government from his mind; that the subjects had lost their\nmaster (or protector); and so, no one would heed what he (the minister)\nsaid. This is the anxiety of which he died.\u201d Having heard this, the\nsprite went again and hung himself on that tree. The king went again, as\non previous occasions, and placed him on his shoulder, and carried him\naway.\n\n\n\n\nTALE XII.\n\nThe sprite said, \u201cO king Bir Vikram\u00e3jit! There is a city named\nCh\u00fcr\u00e3pur, where a king named Ch\u00fcr\u00e3man ruled, whose spiritual teacher\u2019s\nname was Devasw\u00e3mi, and he had a son named Harisw\u00e3m\u00ef. He was as\nbeautiful as Cupid, equalled Brihaspati * in his knowledge of scientific\nand religious treatises, and was as wealthy as Kuvera. He wedded and\nbrought home a Brahman\u2019s daughter, whose name was L\u00e3vanyavat\u00ef.\u201d\n\n     * Brihaspati is the regent of the planet Jupiter, and the\n     preceptor of the gods. Kuvera is the god of wealth.\n\n\u201cTo be brief, one night in the hot season they were both sleeping\nsoundly on the flat roof of a summer house. The woman\u2019s veil\naccidentally slipped off her face, while a demi-god, seated on a car,\nwas proceeding somewhere through the air. His gaze suddenly falling upon\nher, he lowered the car, and placing her, asleep, on the car, flew off\nwith her. After some time the Brahman also awoke, and lo! his wife was\nnot (beside him). On this he became alarmed, and coming down from\nthence, searched throughout the house. When he did not find her there\neither, he went about seeking her through all the streets and lanes of\nthe city, but did not find her. Thereupon he began to say to himself,\n\u2018Who has carried her off? and whither has she gone?\u201d\u2019\n\n\u201cIn short, when his efforts were of no avail, he returned home helpless\nand regretful, and searched for her there a second time, but did not\nfind her. When the house appeared desolate to him without her, he lost\nall self-control in his disquietude and misery, and began crying\nout, Oh, darling of my soul! oh, darling of my soul! Further, being\nexceedingly agitated by her separation from him, he gave up the position\nof a householder, renounced the world, girt a simple waist-cloth round\nhis loins, rubbed the ashes of burnt cow-dung on his body, put on\na necklace of beads, quitted the town, and set out on a pilgrimage.\nProceeding on his pilgrimage from town to town, and village to village,\nhe reached a certain town at midday.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen extreme hunger left him no alternative, he made a cup-shaped\nvessel of the leaves of a dh\u00e3k-tree, and carrying it to the house of a\nBrahman, said to him, \u2018Give me some food in alms.\u2019 (The fact is, when a\nman comes under the influence of love, he has no thought of duty, caste,\nor food; and, regardless of everything, he eats food wherever he can\nobtain it.) When he begged alms of the Brahman, he (the Brahman) took\nthe cup-shaped vessel from him and entered the house, and brought it\n(back) to him filled with rice boiled in milk. He took the cup, and came\nto the margin of a tank. There was a large banyan-tree there. He placed\nthe cup at the root of that, and went to wash his face and hands in the\ntank.\u201d\n\n\u201cA black snake came out from the roots of the tree, and having dipped\nits mouth into the cup, went away; and so the whole contents of the\ncup had become poisoned, when, in the meantime, he also returned after\nwashing his hands and face. This matter, however, was unknown to him;\nwhile hunger, on the other hand, beset him sorely. (Thus) he ate the\nrice and milk as soon as he came, and the poison instantly entered his\nsystem. Thereupon he went to the Brahman and said, \u2018Thou hast given me\npoison, and I am now dying of it.\u2019 Having said so much, he reeled and\nfell, and died. Again, the Brahman, seeing him dead, turned his own\nwife out of the house, and said, \u2018Go thou hence, thou murderess of a\nBrahman!\u2019\u201d\n\nHaving told so much of the tale, the sprite said, \u201cO king! to which\nof these does the guilt of killing a Brahman attach?\u201d The king said,\n\u201cPoison exists in a snake\u2019s mouth as a matter of course; therefore no\nguilt attaches to it. Again, the Brahman gave him alms, considering him\nto be hungry; (therefore) guilt does not attach to him. Further, the\nBrahman\u2019s wife had given him alms at the bidding of her husband; she,\ntoo, is without sin. And he ate the milk and rice unwittingly, and\nhence he also is guiltless. In short, whoever imputes guilt to anyone of\nthese, is himself a sinner.\u201d On hearing this, the sprite went again and\nhung on to that tree; and the king also went there, and taking him down\nand binding him, placed him on his shoulder, and carried him away from\nthere.\n\n\n\n\nTALE XIII.\n\nThe sprite said, \u201cO king! there is a city named Chandra-hriday, and a\nking named Randhir ruled there. There was in the city a merchant named\nDharmdhwaj, whose daughter\u2019s name was Shobhani; and indeed she was\nvery beautiful. Her youthful prime was daily developing itself, and her\nbeauty was each moment increasing.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt so happened that robberies became a nightly occurrence in that\ncity. When the merchants experienced much vexation at the hands of the\nthieves, they all went to the king in a body and said, \u2018Your majesty!\nthieves have committed great outrage in the city; we can no longer dwell\nin the place.\u2019 The king replied, saying, \u2018Well; what has happened is\nbeyond remedy (_lit._, what has happened, has happened); but henceforth\nyou shall suffer no annoyance; I will take vigorous measures against\nthem.\u2019 After saying this, the king summoned a number of people and\ntold them off to keep guard, and directed them how to keep watch, and\ncommanded them to slay the thieves wherever they found them, without\nasking any questions.\u201d\n\n\u201cPeople began to keep watch over the city, by night, and yet robberies\ntook place. All the merchants proceeded in a body to the king, and said,\n\u2018Your majesty has sent watchmen, and yet the thieves have not decreased\nin number, and thefts occur daily.\u2019 The king replied, \u2018Do you take your\nleave now; from to-night I will go forth to watch over the city.\u2019 On\nhearing this, they left the king, and went each to his own home. Now,\nwhen it was night, the king took his sword and shield, and, on foot and\nalone, began his watch over the city. Having advanced some distance in\nthe course of his watch, and looked closely, he perceived a thief coming\ntowards him. On seeing him, the king called out, \u2018Who art thou?\u2019 He\nreplied, saying, \u2018I am a thief; who art thou?\u2019 The king said (in reply),\n\u2018I also am a thief.\u2019 He was pleased on hearing this, and said, \u2018Let us\ncommit a robbery together.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cSettling this matter between them, the king and the thief, conversing\nwith one another, entered one of the quarters of the city, and after\ncommitting thefts in several houses, carried off the articles, and came\nto a well without the city, and having gone down into it, ultimately\nreached the chief city of the nether regions. The thief stationed the\nking at the gate, and took the money and treasures to his own house.\nIn the meantime a woman-servant came out of his house, and, seeing the\nking, began to say, \u2018Your majesty! what a place you have come to with\nthat miscreant! Well will it be if, ere he return, you fly hence as fast\nas you possibly can; otherwise he will kill you as soon as he arrives,\u2019\nThe king replied, \u2018But I do not know the road! In which direction should\nI go?\u2019 Then the servant showed him the road, and the king came to his\npalace.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn fine, on the following day the king, with all his forces, went to\nthe chief city of the nether regions by the road down the well, and\nsurrounded the entire household of the thief; but the thief, escaping\nby some other road, went to the ruler of that city, who was a demon, and\nsaid, \u2018A king has led an attack against my house with the view to kill\nme; at this moment, either you must aid me, or I will give up dwelling\nin your city, and take my abode in some other place.\u2019 On hearing this,\nthe demon said, graciously, \u2018You have supplied me with food; I am well\npleased with you.\u2019 Having said this, the demon went where the king was\nwith his army, surrounding the house, and began devouring the men and\nhorses. And the king fled on beholding the form of the demon; and\nall such as were able to run away, escaped; and the rest the demon\ndevoured.\u201d\n\n\u201cTo be brief the king was running off alone, when the thief came and\ncried out, \u2018Art thou, a Rajp\u00fct, flying from the battle?\u2019 On the instant\nof hearing this, the king halted again, and the two confronted one\nanother, and began to fight. At length the king overcame him, and bound\nhis hands behind his back, and brought him into the city. After that,\nhaving had him bathed and washed, and clothed in fine apparel, and\nmounted on a camel, he sent him all round the city, accompanied by a\ncrier, and ordered the impaling stake to be erected for him. Whoever\namong the people of the city saw him said, \u2018This same thief has\nplundered the whole city, and the king will now impale him.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen the thief arrived near the house of the merchant Dharmdhwaj, the\nmerchant\u2019s daughter hearing the sound of the crier\u2019s drum, asked her\nhandmaid, \u2018What is this proclamation about?\u2019 She replied, \u2018The king has\nbrought captive the thief who used to commit robberies in the city.\nNow he will impale him.\u2019 On hearing this, she also came running (to the\nlattice) to see. No sooner did she behold the thief\u2019s comeliness and\nmanly form than she became fascinated; and, coming to her father,\nsaid, \u2018Do you go to the king this moment, and return with that thief\nreleased.\u2019 The merchant said, \u2018How can it be expected that, at my\nrequest, the king will release the thief who has robbed his whole city,\nand on whose account his whole army has been destroyed?\u2019 She again\nurged, \u2018If you have to give up even all you possess for the king to\nrelease him, do you bring him away free; and should he not come, I too\nwill sacrifice my life.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cOn hearing this, the merchant went to the king, and said, \u2018Your\nmajesty! receive five lacs of rupees from me, and set the thief at\nliberty.\u2019 The king said, \u2018This thief robbed the whole city, and my whole\narmy was swallowed up through him. I will not on any account let\nhim go.\u2019 When the king did not heed his request, he returned home in\ndespair, and said to his daughter, \u2018I said all that it was right to say,\nbut the king did not consent.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cIn the meantime, having had the thief taken round the city, they\nbrought him to a stand-still near the impaling stake. Now, the thief\nhaving heard of the predicament of the merchant\u2019s daughter, first\nlaughed aloud, and then wept bitterly. The people the while pulled him\ndown on the stake. And the merchant\u2019s daughter, receiving intimation\nof his death, came to the same place to devote herself to death for his\nsake. She had a funeral pile constructed, and sitting thereon, had\nthe thief taken off the stake, placed his head on her lap, apd quietly\nseated herself to be burnt. She was on the point of having the torch put\nto it (the pile), when (a temple sacred to Devi happening to be on the\nspot) Devi instantly came out of her temple and said, \u2018Daughter! I am\npleased with thy courage; request a boon.\u2019 She said, \u2018Mother! if thou\nart pleased with me, restore this thief to life.\u2019 Thereupon the goddess\nsaid, \u2018Even so shall it be.\u2019 Having said this, she brought nectar from\nthe under-world, and restored the thief to life.\u201d\n\nHaving told so much of the story, the sprite inquired, \u201cSay, O king!\nwhy the thief first laughed, and why he afterwards wept?\u201d The king said,\n\u201cI know the reason why he laughed, and I know also why he wept. Attend,\nO sprite! The thief thought within himself,--\u2018Now that she is giving up\nall that she possesses to the king for my sake, what return can I make?\u2019\nHe wept at the thought of this. Again, however, he reflected, \u2018She loved\nme when I was about to die: the ways of God are altogether inscrutable;\nHe bestows wealth on the unlucky, knowledge on one of low origin, a\nbeautiful wife on a fool, and He causes rain to fall in showers on the\nmountains.\u2019 Thinking of such things, he laughed.\u201d On hearing this, the\nsprite went again and hung on to that tree. The king returned there,\nand unloosing him, made a bundle of him, placed him on his shoulder, and\ntook him away.\n\n\n\n\nTALE XIV.\n\nThe sprite said, \u201cAttend, King Vikram! There is a city named\nKusmavati, of which one Subich\u00e3r was king, whose daughter\u2019s name was\nChandra-prabh\u00e3. When she became marriageable, she went out one spring\nday, along with her companions, to stroll about in the garden. Now,\nbefore arrangements had been made for the ladies to come out (i.e.,\nbefore the garden had been cleared of all strangers and others not\npermitted to set eyes on the women), a Brahman\u2019s son, named Manswi,\nof twenty years or so, very handsome, had come into the garden in the\ncourse of his wanderings, and meeting with cool shade under a tree, had\nfallen asleep there. The king\u2019s attendants came and made arrangements\nfor the ladies of the seraglio in the garden, but it so happened that\nnone of them saw the Brahman\u2019s son sleeping there; and so he continued\nsleeping under that tree, and the princess entered the garden with her\nattendants. Strolling about with her companions, where does she come but\nto the place where the Brahman\u2019s son was sleeping! She no sooner arrived\nthere than he also awoke at the sound of the people\u2019s footsteps. The\neyes of both met; and to such a degree did they come under Cupid\u2019s\npower, that on the one side the Brahman\u2019s son fell upon the ground in a\nswoon, on the other, she too was so beside herself, that her legs began\nto tremble. Her companions, however, quickly laid hold of her on the\nvery instant. At last, they laid her down in a litter, and brought\nher home. And the Brahman\u2019s son was lying in so complete a state of\ninsensibility here, that he had no consciousness whatever of his body or\nmind.\u201d\n\n\u201cDuring this interval two Brahmans, named Shashi and M\u00fcldeva, from the\ncountry of Kanvr\u00fc, where they had studied the (occult) sciences,\nhappened to pass by there. M\u00fcldeva, seeing the Brahman\u2019s son lying,\nsaid, \u2018Shashi! how is it that he is lying in such utter\nunconsciousness?\u2019 He replied, \u2018A damsel has shot forth the arrows of her\neyes from the bow of her eyebrows; hence he is lying insensible.\u2019\nM\u00fcldeva said, \u2018We ought to rouse him.\u2019 He replied, \u2018What need is there\nfor you to rouse him?\u2019 He did not heed Shashi\u2019s words, but sprinkled\nwater over him, and restored him to consciousness, and asked, \u2018What has\nbeen the matter with thee?\u2019 The Brahman said, \u2018One should relate his\ntroubles to him who can remove them; for what is to be gained by\nrelating your sorrows to him who, on hearing of them, is unable to\nremove them?\u2019 He said, \u2018Well, tell me your troubles; I will remove\nthem.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cOn hearing this, he said, \u2018It was but now that the princess came here\nwith her companions; and it was through seeing her that I have fallen\ninto this state. Should I obtain possession of her, I will preserve\nmy life; otherwise I will abandon life.\u2019 Then he replied, \u2018Come to my\nabode; I will exert myself to the utmost to obtain her; and, if I should\nnot succeed, I will bestow great wealth upon thee.\u2019 Thereupon Manswi\nsaid, \u2018God has created many a jewel in the world; but the jewel, woman,\nsurpasses all; and for her sake it is that man treasures up wealth. When\nI have lost the woman, what will I do with the wealth? Brute beasts\nare better off in the world than those who do not possess themselves\nof handsome wives. The fruit of merit is wealth, and the advantage of\nwealth is ease, and the consequence of ease is (the taking) a wife; now,\nwhat happiness can there be where there is no wife?\u2019 On hearing this,\nM\u00fcldeva said, \u2018I will give thee whatsoever thou may\u2019st ask for.\u2019 Then\nhe said, \u2018O Brahman obtain that same maiden\u2019s hand for me.\u2019 M\u00fcldeva\nthereupon said, \u2018So be it; come along with me; I will have that very\nmaiden bestowed on thee.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cIn short, ministering much comfort to him, he took him to his house;\nand when he reached there, he prepared two magic pills. One pill he gave\nto the (young) Brahman, saying, \u2018When thou puttest this into thy mouth,\nthou wilt be turned into a girl of twelve years; and when thou takest it\nout of thy mouth, thou wilt become the self-same man thou wert before.\u2019\nHe said further, \u2018Put this into thy mouth.\u2019 On his putting it into his\nmouth, he became a girl of twelve years. And he, (M\u00fcldeva) having put\nthe other pill into his own mouth, became transformed into an old man of\neighty years; and taking that young girl with him, he proceeded to the\nking.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe king, seeing the Brahman, saluted him, gave him a seat, and another\nto the young girl also. Then the Brahman gave him his blessing in verse,\nsaying, \u2018May he whose glory pervades the three worlds; and who, taking\nthe form of a dwarf, deceived * King Bali; and who, taking monkeys with\nhim, bridged the ocean; ** and who, supporting the mountain (Go\nvardhan) on his hand, *** protected the cowherds from the bolts of\nIndra,--may the same Vasudeva protect you!\u2019 On hearing this, the\nking inquired, \u2018Whence has your highness come?\u2019 The Brahman, M\u00e3ldeva,\nreplied, \u2018I have come from the other side of the Ganges, and my home is\nthere; and I had gone to bring away my son\u2019s wife, (and) in my absence,\na general flight from the village took place; and so I know not whither\nmy wife and son have fled to. And now, with this girl with me, how shall\nI seek them? It is, therefore, advisable that I leave this (girl) with\nyour majesty. Keep her with the greatest care until I return.\u2019\u201d\n\n     * Ball was a powerful king, who, by his austerities and\n     devotion, overcame Indra in battle, and obtained power over\n     heaven and earth. The gods became alarmed at this, and\n     sought the aid of Vishn\u00fc, who visited the earth in the form\n     of a dwarf, and went before Bali, who, according to custom,\n     offered him presents. These the dwarf, affecting utter\n     contempt for worldly wealth, declined, saying he merely\n     wanted as much territory as could be comprised in three of\n     his paces. Bali laughed, and granted his request; whereupon\n     the dwarf increased his stature to prodigious dimensions,\n     and, at one step, placed his foot on the heavens; at the\n     next, on the earth; and, no room remaining for the third\n     step, he placed his foot on Bali\u2019s head, and so pressed him\n     down to the region of N\u00e3ga-loka, beneath the earth, where he\n     was kept in confinement, and bound with bonds made of\n     twisted serpents.\n\n     ** etband (from the Sanskrit setu-bandha) signifies a dike\n     or bridge, and is applied to the ridge of rooks between the\n     Coromandel coast and Ceylon. This dike or bridge is said to\n     have been built by the allies of Rama (i.e., the monkey army\n     under the leadership of Hanuman), when he invaded Ceylon to\n     recover his wife Slt\u00e3, who had been carried off thither by\n     B\u00e3van. It is said that, as fast as the monkeys built up the\n     dike, B\u00e3van destroyed it; so, to prevent his doing this,\n     B\u00e3ma erected a temple to Shiva (the god adored by Bavan) at\n     the extremity of the dike. Thenceforth Setband R\u00e3meshwar\n     became a place of pilgrimage.\n\n     *** This allusion to the exploits of Krishna the curious\n     reader will find fully explained in the 26th chapter of the\n     \u201cPrem S\u00e3gar.\u201d\n\n\u201cOn hearing these words of the Brahman\u2019s, the king began thinking to\nhimself, \u2018How shall I take charge of a very beautiful young woman? And\nif I do not take her, this Brahman will curse me, (and) my dominion will\nbe overthrown.\u2019 Having thought this over in his mind, the king said,\n\u2018Your highness! the command you have given me shall be obeyed.\u2019 On this,\nthe king summoned his daughter, and said, \u2018Daughter! take this Brahman\u2019s\ndaughter-in-law and keep her with you, with all care and attention; and,\nwhether sleeping or waking, eating or drinking, or moving about, do not\nlet her be away from you for a moment.\u2019 On hearing this, the princess\ntook hold of the hand of the Brahman\u2019s daughter-in-law, and led her away\nto her own apartment. At night, the two slept in one bed, and began\nconversing with each other. In the course of conversation, the Brahman\u2019s\ndaughter-in-law said, \u2018Tell me, O princess! to what trouble is it owing\nthat you have become so worn and feeble?\u201d\u2019\n\n\u201cThe princess said, \u2018I went one day in the spring, accompanied by my\nfemale friends, to stroll about in the garden, and there beheld a very\nhandsome, Cupid-like Brahman, and our eyes met. He swooned away on one\nside, and I became unconscious on the other. Then my companions, seeing\nmy predicament, brought me home. And I am totally ignorant of both his\nname and his abode. His image fills my eyes, and I have not the least\ndesire for food and drink. It is through this trouble that my body\nhas been reduced to the state you see.\u2019 On hearing this, the Brahman\u2019s\ndaughter-in-law said, \u2018What wilt thou give me if I bring thy beloved and\nthee together?\u2019 The princess said, \u2018I will remain thy slave for ever.\u2019\nHearing this, he took the magic pill out of his mouth and became a man\nagain; and she was abashed at beholding him. After that, the Brahman\u2019s\nson married her after the fashion of Gandharb marriages; and used\nconstantly to convert himself thus into a man at night, and to remain\na woman by day. At length, after six months, the princess became\npregnant.\u201d\n\n\u201cThey say that, one day, the king went with his whole family to a\nmarriage festival at his minister\u2019s house. There the minister\u2019s son\nbeheld that Brahman\u2019s son disguised as a woman, and fell in love as soon\nas he saw her (or him), and began to say to a friend of his, \u2018If this\nwoman does not become mine, I will sacrifice my life.\u2019 In the interval,\nthe king having partaken of the feast, returned to the palace with his\nfamily. But the condition of the minister\u2019s son became most painful\nthrough the anguish of separation from his beloved, and he gave up food\nand water. Seeing this state (of his), his friend went and informed the\nminister. And the minister, on hearing the story, went and said to the\nking, \u2018Your majesty! love for that Brahman\u2019s daughter-in-law has brought\nmy son to a wretched state. He has given up eating and drinking. If you\nwould kindly give the Brahman\u2019s daughter-in-law to me, his life would be\nsaved.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cOn hearing this, the king said angrily, \u2018Thou fool! It is not the\nnature of kings to do such a wrong. Hearken! Is it right to give away\nto another that which is given in trust, without the permission of the\nperson making over the trust, that you mention this matter to me?\u2019 On\nhearing this, the minister returned home in despair. But perceiving the\nsuffering of his son, he also gave up meat and drink. When three days\npassed without the minister\u2019s eating and drinking, then, indeed, all the\nofficials combined, and said to the king, \u2018Your majesty! the minister\u2019s\nson is in a precarious state, and in the event of his dying, the\nminister, too, will not survive. And on the minister\u2019s dying, the\naffairs of the state will come to a stand-still. It is better that\nyou consent to that which we state.\u2019 Hearing this, the king gave them\npermission to speak. Then one of them said, \u2018Your majesty! it is long\nsince that old Brahman left this, and he has not returned; God knows\nwhether he is dead or alive. It is therefore right that you give that\nBrahman\u2019s daughter-in-law to the minister\u2019s son, and so uphold your\nkingdom; and should he return, you can give him villages and wealth.\nShould he not be satisfied with this, get his son married (to another\nmaiden) and let him depart.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cOn hearing this, the king sent for the Brahman\u2019s daughter-in-law, and\nsaid, \u2018Go thou to the house of my minister\u2019s son.\u2019 She said, \u2018The virtue\nof a woman is destroyed by her being gifted with excessive beauty, and\na Brahman\u2019s character is lost by his serving a king, and a cow is ruined\nby grazing in remote pastures, and wealth vanishes on meeting with\nabuse.\u2019 After saying so much, she added, \u2018If your majesty would give me\nto the minister\u2019s son, settle this matter with him, viz., that he will\ndo whatever I tell him; then will I go to his house.\u2019 The king said,\n\u2018Say! what should he do.\u2019 She replied, \u2018Your majesty! I am a Brahman\nwoman, and he is a Kshatri by caste; hence it is best that he first\nperform all the prescribed pilgrimages; after that I will cohabit with\nhim.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen he heard this speech, the king sent for the minister\u2019s son and\nsaid to him, \u2018Go thou, first, and visit all the places of pilgrimage;\nafter that I will give the Brahman\u2019s girl to thee,\u2019 On hearing these\nwords from the king, the minister\u2019s son said, \u2018Your majesty! let her go\nand take up her abode in my house, and then I will go on pilgrimage.\u2019\nAfter hearing this, the king said to the Brahman\u2019s girl, \u2018If thou\nwill first go and take up thy abode in his house, he will set out on\npilgrimage.\u2019 Having no alternative, the Brahman\u2019s girl went at the\nking\u2019s bidding and took up her abode in his house. Then the minister\u2019s\nson said to his wife, \u2018Do you both live together in one place, on terms\nof the greatest affection and friendliness, and on no account quarrel\nand fight with each other, and never go to a strange house.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cHaving given them these instructions, he, for his part, set out on\na pilgrimage; and here (at home), his wife, whose name was\nSaubhagya-sundari, lying at night on one bed along with the Brahman\u2019s\ndaughter-in-law, began conversing on various topics. After some time the\nwife of the minister\u2019s son spake as follows:--\u2018O friend! at this\nmoment I am consumed with the flame of love; but how can my desire be\nattained?\u2019\n\n\u201cThe other said, \u2018If I accomplish thy desire, what wilt thou give me?\u2019\nShe replied, \u2018I will be thy humble and obedient slave for ever.\u2019 On this\nhe took the magic pill out of his mouth and became transformed into a\nman. Thus he regularly transformed himself into a man by night, and into\na woman by day. After that, indeed, great love existed between the two\nof them.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn short, six months passed away in this manner, and the minister\u2019s son\nreturned. On the one hand, the people hearing of his arrival, began to\nrejoice; and on the other, the Brahman\u2019s daughter-in-law, having taken\nthe magic pill out of her mouth and transformed herself into a man, came\nout from the house by way of the wicket, and went off. Again, after some\ntime, he came to the same Brahman, M\u00fcldeva, who had given him the magic\npill, and told him his whole story from beginning to end. Then M\u00fcldeva,\nafter hearing all the circumstances, took the magic pill from him and\ngave it to his companion, Shashi, and each of them put the pill (he had)\ninto his mouth. One was transformed into an old man, and the other a\nyoung man of twenty. After this the two went to the king\u2019s.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cThe king saluted them on the instant of seeing them, and gave them\nseats. And they, too, gave (the king) their blessings. After inquiring\nafter their health and welfare, the king spake to M\u00fcldeva, saying,\n\u2018Where have you been detained for so many days?\u2019 The Brahman said, \u2018Your\nmajesty! I went to search for this son of mine, and having discovered\nhim, I have brought him to you. If you will now give up his wife, I will\ntake both daughter-in-law and son home.\u2019 Then the king related the whole\nstory to the Brahman. The Brahman became very angry on hearing it, and\nsaid to the king, \u2018What proceeding is this, for thee to give my son\u2019s\nwife to another? Well! thou hast acted as thou pleasedst; but now\nreceive my curse.\u2019 Thereupon the king said, \u2018O holy man! be not angry;\nI will do whatever you bid me.\u2019 The Brahman said, \u2018So be it; if, through\nfear of my curse, thou wilt do as I say, then give thy daughter in\nmarriage to my son.\u2019 On hearing this, the king summoned an astrologer,\nand after having the auspicious conjunction and moment determined, gave\nhis daughter in marriage to the Brahman\u2019s son. Then he took leave of the\nking and came to his own village, bringing the princess, together with\nher dowry, along with him.\u201d\n\n\u201cOn hearing this intelligence, the Brahman Manswi also came there, and\ncommenced quarrelling with him, saying, \u2018Give me my wife.\u2019 The Brahman\nnamed Shashi said, \u2018I have married her before ten witnesses and brought\nher home; she is my wife.\u2019 He replied, \u2018She is with child by me; how\ncan she become thy wife?\u2019 And they went on wrangling with each other.\nM\u00fcldeva reasoned much with both of them, but neither heeded what he\nsaid.\u201d\n\nAfter relating so much of the story, the sprite said, \u201cSay, king Bir\nVikramajit! whose wife was she?\u201d The king replied, \u201cShe became the wife\nof the Brahman Shashi.\u201d Then the sprite said, \u201cPregnant by the other\nBrahman, how could she become the wife of this one?\u201d The king said, \u201cNo\none was aware of her being with child by that Brahman; whereas this one\nmarried her in the presence of ten arbitrators; therefore she became his\nwife. And the child, too, will have the right to perform his funeral\nobsequies.\u201d On hearing this, the sprite went and hung on to the same\ntree. Again did the king go, and, after binding the sprite, and placing\nhim on his shoulder, carry him away.\n\n\n\n\nTALE XV.\n\nThe sprite said, \u201cO king! there is a mountain named Himachal, where\nthere is a city of the demi-gods (or celestial musicians); and king\nJ\u00efm\u00fctketu ruled there. Once upon a time he worshipped Kalp\u00e3briksh a\ngreat deal for the sake of a son. Thereupon Kalpabriksh was pleased, and\nsaid, \u2018I am pleased at perceiving thy services to me; ask any boon thou\ndesirest.\u2019 The monarch replied, saying, \u2018Grant me a son, so that my\nkingdom and my name may endure,\u2019 It (the tree) stud, \u2018Even so shall it\nbe.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cAfter some time the king had a son. He experienced extreme joy, and\nheld rejoicings with much noise and display. After making numerous\npresents and charitable gifts, he summoned the priests and fixed on a\nname for him. The priests named him J\u00efm\u00fct-b\u00e3han. When he became twelve\nyears of age he began to worship Shiva; and having completed the study\nof all the learned writings, became a very intelligent, meditative,\nresolute, intrepid, and learned man; there was no equal of his in those\ntimes. And as many people as dwelt under his sway, all were alive to\ntheir respective duties.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen he attained to manhood, he, too, worshipped Kalpabriksh\nassiduously; whereupon Kalpabriksh was pleased, and said to him, \u2018Ask\nwhatsoever thou desirest, I will give it to thee.\u2019 On this, J\u00efm\u00fct-b\u00e3han\nsaid, \u2018If you are pleased with me, take away all poverty from my\nsubjects, and let all those who dwell in my dominions become equal in\npoint of possessions and riches.\u2019 When Kalpabriksh granted the boon, all\nbecame so well off by the possession of wealth, that no one would obey\nthe order of any person, and no one would do work for any one.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen the subjects of that realm became such as has been described,\nthe brothers and kinsfolk of the king began to reason together, saying,\n\u2018Both father and son are completely under the influence of religion, and\nthe people do not obey their commands; it is therefore best to seize and\nimprison the pair of them, and take their kingdom from them.\u2019 In fine,\nthe king was not on his guard against them; and they having plotted\ntogether, went with an army and surrounded the king\u2019s palace.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen this news reached the king, he said to his son, \u2018What shall we do\nnow?\u2019 The prince said, \u2018Your majesty! you be pleased to abide here in\npeace; I will away and destroy them this instant.\u2019 The king said, \u2018O\nson! this body is frail, and riches, too, are unabiding; when a man is\nborn, death, too, attends him; hence we should now give up dominion, and\npractise religious duties. It is not right to commit a heinous sin for\nthe sake of such a body, and for the sake of a kingdom; for even king\nYudhishthir experienced remorse after his great war with the descendants\nof Bharat.\u2019 On hearing this, his son said, \u2018So be it! make over the\ngovernment to your kinsmen, and you yourself depart and practise\nreligious austerities.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cHaving resolved on this, and summoned his brothers and nephews, and\nhanded over the government to them, father and son both ascended the\nmountain Malay\u00e3chal, and on reaching the summit, built a hut and dwelt\nthere. A friendship arose between J\u00efm\u00fct-b\u00e3han and a holy sage\u2019s son.\nOne day the king\u2019s son and the son of the sage went out together for a\nstroll on the top of the mountain. A temple, sacred to Bhaw\u00e3n\u00ef, came in\nsight there. Within the temple, a princess, with a lute in her hands,\nwas singing in front of the goddess. The eyes of the princess and\nthose of J\u00efin\u00fct-b\u00e3han met, and both became smitten with love. But the\nprincess, restraining her feelings, and stricken with shame, turned her\nsteps homeward; and he, too, for his part, being put to shame by the\npresence of the sage\u2019s son, came to his own place. That night was passed\nby both the lovers (_lit._ rosecheeked ones) in extreme restlessness.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs soon as morn appeared, the princess set out from her quarter, for\nthe temple of Devi, and the prince, too (starting from this side), no\nsooner arrived than he perceived that the princess was there. Then he\nasked her female companion, \u2018Whose daughter is she?\u2019 The companion said,\n\u2018She is the daughter of king Malayketu; her name is Malay\u00e3vat\u00ef, and\nshe is a virgin as yet.\u2019 After saying this, the companion (spoke) again\n(and) asked the prince, \u2018Say, handsome man! whence have you come? and\nwhat is your name?\u2019 He replied, \u2018I am the son of the monarch of the\ndemi-gods, whose name is J\u00efm\u00fct-ketu; and my name is J\u00efm\u00fct-b\u00e3han. In\nconsequence of our Government being overthrown, we, father and son, have\ncome and taken up our abode here.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cAgain, the companion, after hearing these words, related all to the\nprincess. She was much pained at heart on hearing them, and returned\nhome; and at night she lay down with a load of care on her mind. But\nher companion perceiving this state of her\u2019s, disclosed the story to her\nmother. The queen, on hearing it, mentioned it to the king, and said,\n\u2018Your majesty! your daughter has become marriageable; why do you not\nseek a husband for her?\u2019 On hearing this, the king thought the matter\nover in his mind, and that very moment summoned his son Mitr\u00e3vasu, and\nsaid, \u2018Son! seek a husband for your sister and bring him here.\u2019 Then he\nspoke, saying, \u2018The king of the demi-gods, J\u00efm\u00fct-ketu by name, and whose\nson is named J\u00efm\u00fct-b\u00e3han, having abandoned his kingdom, has, I hear,\ncome here with his son.\u2019 On hearing this, king Malay-ketu said, \u2018I will\ngive the girl to Jira\u00fct-b\u00e3han.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cHaving said this, he bade his son go and bring Jim\u00fct-b\u00e3han from the\nking\u2019s. He, on receipt of the king\u2019s command, set out for that house,\nand, on arriving there, said to the father, \u2018Let your son accompany\nme, as my father has sent for him to bestow his daughter upon him.\u2019 On\nhearing, this, king J\u00efm\u00fct-ketu sent his son along with him, and he came\nhere (to King Malay-ketu\u2019s house). Then King Malay-ketu celebrated his\nmarriage Gandharb fashion. When his marriage had taken place, he brought\nthe bride and Mitr\u00e3vasu with him to his own house. Then the three of\nthem paid their respects to the king, and the king also gave them his\nblessing. Thus did that day pass.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cOn the morrow\u2019s mom, however, the two princes went out, as soon as they\nrose, to take a walk on that mountain of Malay\u00e3gir. * On reaching the\nplace, what does J\u00efm\u00fct-b\u00e3han perceive but a very lofty heap of something\nwhite. Thereupon he questioned his brother-in-law, saying, \u2018Brother! how\nis it that this white heap is seen here?\u2019 He replied, \u2018Millions of young\n_nags_ (or serpents with human faces) come here from the infernal\nregions; these _Garur_ ** comes and devours; this heap is composed of\ntheir bones.\u2019 On hearing this, J\u00efm\u00fct b\u00e3han said to his brother-in-law,\n\u2018Friend! you go home (alone) and take your food; for I always engage in\nworship at this hour, and the time for me to worship has now arrived.\u2019\u201d\n\n     * This mountain has already been called Malayachal; the\n     change of name is merely apparent, however, for achal and\n     giri both signify Mil or mountain; Malaya is the actual\n     name. It is a mountain south of the Narbada, and is made\n     famous in Sanskrit poetry for the cool southerly breeze\n     which always prevails there.\n\n     ** Garur is a gigantic bird with a human face, said to be\n     the vehicle of Vishnu. He is the elder brother of Indra,\n     being the produce of the second egg laid by Banit\u00e3. This\n     will account for Garur\u2019s possessing the power to bring\n     nectar from the nether regions.\n\n\u201cOn hearing this, he did go; and J\u00efm\u00fct-b\u00e3han having advanced further,\nthe sound of weeping began to reach him. When, continuing his advance in\nthe direction of the sound of the voice, he reached the spot, what does\nhe behold but an old woman weeping with the burden of her trouble. He\nwent up to her and asked, \u2018Why weepest thou, mother?\u2019 Thereupon she\nsaid, \u2018To-day comes the turn of the serpent Sankhch\u00fcr, who is my son;\nGarur will come and eat him up; it is on account of this trouble that I\nweep.\u2019 He said, \u2018O mother! weep not; I will give up my life in lieu of\nthy son\u2019s.\u2019 The old woman said, \u2018Pray do not so! _thou_ art my (son)\nSankhch\u00fcr.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cShe was saying this, when, at that moment, Sankhch\u00fcr arrived; and\nhearing (her words), said, \u2018Your majesty! worthless wretches like myself\nare born and die in vast numbers; but a just and compassionate being\nlike you is not born every day (_lit_. every hour); do not, therefore,\nsacrifice your life for mine; for, thousands of human beings will be\nbenefited by your remaining alive; whereas it makes no difference\nwhether I live or die.\u2019 Then J\u00efm\u00fct-b\u00e3han said, \u2018It is not the way of\ntrue men to say (that they will do a thing) and (then) not to do it. Go\nthou whence thou camest.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen he heard this, Shankhchur, for his part, went to pay adoration\nto Devi, and Garur descended from the sky. In the meantime, the prince\nperceived that each leg of his was as long as four bamboos, and his beak\nwas as long as a palm-tree, his belly like a mountain, his eyes like\ngates, and his feathers like clouds. All at once he rushed with open\nbeak upon the prince. The first time the prince saved himself; but the\nsecond time he flew off with him in his beak, and began wheeling upwards\nin the air. While this was going on, a bracelet, on the jewel of which\nthe prince\u2019s name was engraved, became unfastened, and fell, all covered\nwith blood, before the princess. She fell down in a swoon at the sight\nof it.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen, after a few minutes, she recovered her senses, she sent word of\nall that had happened to her father and mother. They came (to her) on\nhearing of this calamity, and on seeing the ornament covered with blood,\nburst into tears. Now, the three of them set out in quest (of him), and,\non the road, Shankhch\u00fcr too joined them, and advancing beyond them,\nwent to the place where he had seen the prince, and began calling out\nrepeatedly, saying, \u2018O Garur! let him go! let him go! He is not thy\nfood. _My_ name is Shankch\u00fcr. I am thy food.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cOn hearing this, Garur descended in alarm, and thought to himself, \u2018I\nhave eaten either a Brahman or a Kshatri; what is this I have done!\u2019\nAfter this, he said to the prince, \u2018O man! tell me truly; why art thou\ngiving up thy life?\u2019 The prince replied, \u2018O Garur! trees cast their\nshade over others; and while they themselves stand in the sun, blossom\nand bear fruit for the benefit of others. Such is the character of good\nmen and trees. What is the advantage of this body if it do not come\nof use to others? The saying is well known that, The more they rub\nsandal-wood, the more it gives out its perfume; and the more they go on\npeeling the sugar-cane, and cutting it up into pieces, the more does its\nflavour increase; and the more they pass gold through the fire, the more\nsurpassingly beautiful does it become. Those who are noble do not give\nup their natural qualities even on losing their lives. What matters it\nwhether men praise them or blame them? What matters it whether riches\nabide with them or not? What does it signify whether they die this\nmoment, or after a length of time? The men who walk in the path of\nrectitude place not their feet in any other path, happen what may. What\nmatters it whether they are fat or lean? In fact, his living is bootless\nwhose body proves of no benefit (to anyone); while those who live for\nthe good of others--their living is advantageous. To live for the mere\nsake of living, is the way in which dogs and crows, even, cherish life.\nThose who lay down their lives for the sake of a Brahman, a cow, a\nfriend, or a wife, nay, more, for the sake of a stranger, assuredly\ndwell in paradise for ever.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cGarur said, \u2018Everyone in the world cherishes his own life; and scarce,\nindeed, are those in the world who lay down their own lives to save\nthe lives of others.\u2019 After saying this, Garur added, \u2018Ask a boon; I am\npleased with thy courage.\u2019 On hearing this, J\u00efm\u00fct-b\u00e3han said, \u2018O god!\nif you are pleased with me, then henceforth eat no more serpents, and\nrestore to life those you have eaten.\u2019 On hearing this, Garur brought\nthe water of life from the infernal regions, and sprinkled it over the\nbones of the serpents, so that they rose up alive again. And he said to\nhim (the prince), \u2018O Jim\u00fct-b\u00e3han, by my favour thy lost kingdom will be\nrestored to thee.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cAfter granting this boon, Garur departed to his own abode, and\nSankhch\u00fcr also went home; and J\u00efm\u00fct-b\u00e3han too left the place, and met\nhis father-in-law and mother-in-law and wife on the road Then he came in\ntheir company to his father. When they heard of these circumstances, his\nuncle and cousins, and indeed all his kinsfolk, came to visit him, and\nafter falling at his feet (to implore forgiveness), took him away, and\nplaced him on the throne.\u201d\n\nAfter relating so much of the story, the sprite asked, \u201cO king!\nwhose virtue was greatest among these?\u201d King B\u00efr Vikram\u00e3j\u00eft replied,\n\u201cSankhch\u00fcr\u2019s.\u201d\n\n\u201cHow so?\u201d asked the sprite. The king said, \u201cSankhch\u00fcr, who had gone away\n(and so, got safe off,) returned to give up his life, and saved him (the\nprince) from being eaten by Garur.\u201d The sprite said, \u201cWhy was not the\nvirtue of him greatest, who laid down his life for another?\u201d The king\nreplied, \u201cJ\u00efm\u00fct-b\u00e3han was a _Kshatri_ by caste. He was accustomed to\nholding his life in his hand, and hence he found it no hard matter to\nsacrifice his life.\u201d On hearing this, the sprite went again and hung on\nto that tree; and the king, having gone there and bound him, placed him\non his shoulder, and carried him off.\n\n\n\n\nTALE XVI.\n\nThe sprite said, \u201c\u00d4 King Bir Vikram\u00e3j\u00eft! there is a. city named\nChandra-shekhar, and a merchant named Ratandatt was an inhabitant\nthereof. He had one only daughter, whose name was Unm\u00e3din\u00ef. When she\nattained to womanhood, her father went to the king of the place, and\nsaid, \u2018Your majesty! I have a daughter (_lit_. there is a girl in my\nhouse); if you desire to possess her, take her; otherwise I will give\nher to some one else.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen the king heard this, he summoned two or three old servants,\nand said to them, \u2018Go and inspect the appearance of the merchant\u2019s\ndaughter.\u2019 They came to the merchant\u2019s house at the monarch\u2019s bidding,\nand all became fascinated at the sight of the girl\u2019s beauty,--such\nbeauty, as if a brilliant light was placed in a dark house; eyes like\nthose of a gazelle; plaits of hair like female snakes; eyebrows like a\nbow; nose like a parrot\u2019s; a set of teeth (_lit_. the set of thirty-two)\nlike a string of pearls; lips like the _kand\u00fcri_ throat like a pigeon\u2019s;\nwaist like the leopard\u2019s; hands and feet like a tender lotus; a face\nlike the moon, a complexion of the colour of the _champ\u00e3_, a gait like\nthat of a goose, and a voice like the cuckoo\u2019s; at the sight of her\nbeauty the female divinities of Indra\u2019s paradise would feel abashed.\u201d\n\n\u201cOn beholding beauty of this kind, so abundantly rich in all graces,\nthey decided among themselves, (saying), \u2018If such a woman enter the\nking\u2019s household, the king will become her slave, and will not give a\nthought to the affairs of government. Hence, it is better to tell\nthe king that she is ill-favoured, (and) not worthy of him.\u2019 Having\ndetermined thus, they came thence to the king, and gave the following\naccount:--\u2018We have seen the girl; she is not worthy of you.\u2019 On hearing\nthis, the king said to the merchant, \u2018I will not wed her.\u2019 Thereupon\nwhat does the merchant do on returning home, but give his daughter in\nmarriage to one Balbhadra, who was the commander in-chief of the king\u2019s\narmy. She took up her abode in his house.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is said that, one day, the royal cavalcade passed by that way; and\nshe too was standing, fully attired, on her house-top, at the moment;\n(and) her eyes and those of the monarch chanced to meet. The king began\nto say to himself, \u2018Is this the daughter of a god, or a female divinity,\nor the daughter of a human being?\u2019 The short of it is, he was fascinated\nat the sight of her beauty, and returned thence to his palace in a state\nof extreme agitation. The warder, on beholding his countenance, said,\n\u2018Your majesty! what bodily pain are you suffering from?\u2019 The monarch\nreplied, \u2018While coming along the road to-day I saw a beautiful woman on\na house-top. I know not whether she is a houri, or a fairy, or a human\nbeing; but her beauty drove my mind distracted all at once; and hence\n(it is that) I am agitated.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cOn hearing this, the door-keeper said, \u2018Your majesty! she is the\ndaughter of that same merchant (who offered his daughter to you).\nBalbbadra, your majesty\u2019s commander-in-chief, has brought her home as\nhis wife/ The king said, \u2018Those whom I sent to see her appearance have\ndeceived me,\u2019 After saying this, the king ordered the mace-bearer to\nbring those persons before him without delay. On receiving this order\nfrom the king, the mace-bearer went and brought them. In short, when\nthey came before the king, his majesty said, \u2018The errand on which I sent\nyou, and that which was the desire of my heart--these things you failed\nto accomplish; on the contrary, you fabricated a false story, and gave\nit to me as an answer. Now, to-day, I have seen her with my own eyes.\nShe is so beautiful a woman, rich in all distinguishing qualities, that\nit would be difficult to meet with her equal in these times.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cOn hearing this, they said, \u2018What your majesty says is true; but\ngraciously listen to the object we had in view in representing her to\nyour majesty as ill-favoured. We decided among ourselves that, if so\nbeautiful a woman enter the royal household, your majesty would become\nher slave on the instant of beholding her, and would neglect all the\naffairs of the State, and so the kingdom would go to ruin. It was in\nconsequence of this apprehension that we invented such a story, and laid\nit before you.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen he heard this, the king _said_ to them, \u2018You speak the truth;\u2019 but\nhe experienced the greatest uneasiness thinking of her. Now, the king\u2019s\ndistress of mind was known to everyone, when, at the moment, Balbhadra,\ntoo, arrived, and putting his hands together (in humble supplication),\nstood before the king, and said, \u2018O lord of \u2018the earth! I am your\nservant, she is your hand-maid, and you to suffer so much pain on\nher account! Be pleased, therefore, to give the order that she may be\nbrought before you.\u2019 On hearing these words, the king said very angrily,\n\u2018It is a grievous wrong to approach another\u2019s wife! What is this thou\nhast said to me? What! am I a lawless wretch, that I should commit an\ninfamous deed! The wife of another is as a mother, and the wealth of\nanother is on a par with mud. Hear me, brother! As a man regards his own\nheart, so should he regard the hearts of others.\u2019 Balbhadra spoke again,\nsaying, \u2018She is my servant. When I give her to your majesty, how can she\nany longer be the wife of another?\u2019 The king replied; \u2018I will not\ncommit an act whereby reproach would attach to me in the world.\u2019 The\ncommander-in-chief said again, \u2018Your majesty! I will turn her out of the\nhouse, and place her somewhere else, and after making a prostitute of\nher, will bring her to you.\u2019 Thereupon the monarch said, \u2018If thou makest\na harlot of a virtuous woman I will punish thee severely.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cAfter saying this, the king pined at the recollection of her, and, in\nthe course of ten days, died. Then the commander-in-chief, Balbhadra,\nwent and asked his spiritual teacher, \u2018My master has died for the sake\nof Unmadini; what is it right for me to do now? Favour me with your\ncommands in this matter.\u2019 He said, \u2018It is the duty of a servant to give\nup his life also after his master\u2019s.\u2019 This servant gladly went to the\nplace where they had conveyed the king for cremation. During the time\nin which the king\u2019s funeral pile was got ready, he, too, had quitted\nhimself of his ablutions and devotions; and when they lighted the pile,\nhe too drew near the pile, and raising his joined hands to the sun,\nbegan to say, \u2018O Sun-deity! in thought, word and deed, I solicit the\ngratification of this desire, viz., that at every successive birth I may\nmeet with this same master, and (for this) hymn your praises.\u2019 Having\nuttered this, he bowed in adoration, and leaped into the fire.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen Unm\u00e3dini received this intelligence, she went to her spiritual\nteacher, and telling him all, asked, saying, \u2018Your highness! what is the\nduty of a wife?\u2019 He replied, \u2018It is by doing her duty to him to whom\nher father and mother have given her that she is termed a woman of good\nfamily; and it is thus written in the book of law, viz.--The woman who\nin her husband\u2019s lifetime practises austerities and fasting, shortens\nthe life of her husband, and is finally cast into hell-But the best\nthing is this, that a woman by doing her duty to her husband, no matter\nhow wanting he may be, secures her own salvation. Moreover, the woman\nwho entertains the desire to sacrifice herself for her husband in the\nburning-ground, most undoubtedly derives as much benefit from as many\nsteps as she takes towards this as would be derived from an equal number\nof horse-sacrifices. * Further, there is no virtue equal to that of a\nwoman\u2019s sacrificing herself for her husband on the funeral pile.\u2019 On\nhearing this, she made her salutation, and returned home; and after\nbathing, and performing her devotions, and giving large gifts to\nBrahmans, went to the funeral pile, and going once round to the right\nin adoration, said, \u2018O Lord! I am Thy servant in each succeeding birth.\u2019\nHaving said this, she, too, went and seated herself in the fire, and was\nconsumed.\u201d\n\n     * The ashwamedha, or horse-sacrifice, is one performed by\n     powerful kings alone, as it involves a vast expense. It is\n     regarded as of the highest efficacy, and as far excelling\n     all ordinary sacrifices.\n\nAfter relating so much of the story, the sprite said, \u201cO king! whose\nvirtue was greatest of these three?\u201d King Bir Vikram\u00e3j\u00eft replied, \u201cThe\nking\u2019s.\u201d The sprite said, \u201cHow so?\u201d The king replied, \u201cHe left alone\nthe wife given to him by the commander-in-chief, while he sacrificed his\nlife on her account, and yet preserved his virtue. It behoves a servant\nto lay down his life for his master; and it is right for a wife to\nsacrifice herself for her lord. Therefore the virtue of the king was\ngreatest.\u201d Having heard these words, the sprite went and hung on to that\nsame tree. The king, too, followed him, and again bound him, and placed\nhim on his shoulder, and carried him away.\n\n\n\n\nTALE XVII.\n\nThe sprite said, \u201cYour majesty! there was a king of Ujjain, named\nMah\u00e3sain; and an inhabitant of that place was a Brahman, Devasharm\u00e3,\nwhose son\u2019s name was Gun\u00e3kar. He (the son) turned out a great gambler;\nso much so that he lost at play all the wealth the Brahman possessed.\nThereupon all the members of the family turned Gun\u00e3kar out of house and\nhome. And he could not help himself in any way; (so) having no other\nresource, he took his departure from the place, and in several days\u2019\ntime came to a certain city. What does he see there but a devotee\nsitting over a fire, and inhaling smoke by way of penance. After\nsaluting him, he, too, sat down there. The devotee asked him, \u2018Wilt thou\neat anything?\u2019 He replied, \u2018Your highness! of course I will eat, if you\ngive me (something).\u2019 The devotee filled a human skull with food and\nbrought it to him. On seeing it he said, \u2018I\u2019ll not eat food out of this\nskull.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen he did not partake of the food, the ascetic repeated such an\nincantation, that a fairy * appeared before him with joined hands, and\nsaid, \u2018Your highness! I will execute any command you may give me.\u2019 The\nascetic said, \u2018Give this Brahman whatever food he desires.\u2019 On hearing\nthis, she built a very fine house, and furnishing it with all comforts,\ntook him away with her from that place, and seating him on a stool,\nplaced various kinds of condiments and meats, by dishfuls, before him.\nHe ate whatever he liked to his heart\u2019s content. Again, after this, she\nplaced the p\u00e3n-box before him, and after rubbing down saffron and sandal\nin rose-water, applied (the mixture) to his body. Farther, she clothed\nhim in garments scented with sweet perfumes, threw a garland of flowers\nround his neck, and bringing him away thence, seated him on a bed. Now\nwhile this was taking place it became evening, and she, too, having\nfirst decked herself out, went and sat on the bed, and the Brahman\npassed the whole night in pleasure and enjoyment.\u201d\n\n     * Yakshani is a female Yaksh\u00e3, or kind of demi-god,\n     attendant on Kuvera, the god of wealth.\n\n\u201cWhen morn arrived, the fairy went away to her own place, and he came\nto the devotee and said, \u2018Master! she\u2019s gone away; what shall I do now?\u2019\nThe ascetic said, \u2018She came through the power of magic art, and abides\nnear him who possesses the art.\u2019 He replied, \u2018Impart this art to me,\nyour highness! that I may practise it.\u2019 Then the devotee gave him a\ncharm, and said, \u2018Practise this charm for forty days, at midnight,\nsitting in water, and with a steadfast mind.\u2019 Thus used he to go to\npractise the charm, while many and various frightful objects appeared\nin view; but he felt no alarm at any of them. When the time expired,\nhe came to the devotee and said, \u2018Your highness! I come from practising\n(the charm) for the number of days you prescribed.\u2019 He said, \u2018Now\npractise it for that number of days, sitting in fire.\u2019 He replied,\n\u2018Master! I will go and pay a visit to my family, and then return and\npractise it.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cAfter saying this to the devotee, he took leave and went home; and when\nhis relations saw him, they embraced him and commenced weeping; while\nhis father said, \u2018O Gun\u00e3kar; where have you been so many days, and why\ndid you forget your home! O my son, it is said that, he who leaves a\nfaithful wife and lives apart, and turns his back on a youthful woman,\nor he who does not care for one who loves him, is on a level with the\nlowest * of the low. It is said, farther, that no virtue equals the\ndomestic virtues, and no woman in the world imparts happiness equal to\nthat which the mistress of one\u2019s house imparts; and those who slight\ntheir parents are impious men, and their future state will never, never\nbe one of salvation; thus has Brahma declared.\u2019\u201d\n\n     * Lit,--Is equal to a chandil, or man of the lowest of the\n     mixed tribes.\n\n\u201cOn this _Gun\u00e3kar_ spoke, saying, \u2018This body is composed of flesh and\nblood, which same is food for worms; and its nature is such that, if you\nneglect it for a day, a fetid smell proceeds from it. Fools are they who\nfeel affection for such a body, and wise are they who set not their\nheart on it. Further, it is of the nature of this body that it is\nrepeatedly born and destroyed. What dependence can one place on such a\nbody! Cleanse it ever so much, it does not become clean; just as an\nearthen vessel, filled with filth, does not become clean by washing the\nouter surface; or however much one washes charcoal, it does not become\nwhite. Again, by what means can that body become clean, in which the\nfount of impurity is never-failing?\u2019 Having said so much, he spoke\nagain, saying, \u2018Whose father (is one)? Whose mother? Whose wife? Whose\nbrother? * The way of this world is such, that numbers come and numbers\ndepart. Those who offer sacrifices and burnt-offerings consider Agni\n(fire) their god; while those who are deficient in understanding make an\nimage and worship it as god; but the class of ascetics regard god as in\ntheir very bodies. I will not practise such domestic duties (as those\nyou have mentioned), but will practise religious meditation.\u2019\u201d **\n\u201cHaving said this, he bid adieu to his kindred, and came where the\ndevotee was, and practised the charm, seated in fire. The fairy,\nhowever, did not come. Then he went to the devotee, and the devotee said\nto him, \u2018Hast thou not acquired the art?\u2019 Thereupon he said, \u2018Just so,\nMaster! I have not acquired it!\u2019\u201d\n\n     * This may also be rendered, \u201cWho has a father,\u201d &c.\n\n     ** Yog\u00e3bhy\u00e3s may mean, either \u201cthe particular practice of\n     devotion by which union with God is supposed to be\n     obtained,\u201d or \u201cthe practice of the magic art.\u201d\n\n\u201cHaving related so much of the story, the sprite said, \u2018Say, O king! why\ndid he not acquire the art?\u2019 The king replied, saying, \u2018The practiser\nwas of two minds, (i e., did not give his undivided attention to the\ntask), and hence he failed to acquire it. And it is said that a spell\nis perfected by (the operator\u2019s) being of one mind (or by his giving his\nentire mind to it), and does not succeed on his thoughts being divided.\nFurther, it is also said that those who are wanting in liberality do\nnot obtain celebrity; and those who lack truthfulness are without shame;\nthose who are wanting in justice do not acquire wealth; and those who\nlack meditation do not find God.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen the sprite heard this he said, \u2018How can the operator who sat in\nfire to work his spell be termed two-minded?\u2019 The king replied, \u2018When,\nat the time of practising the spell, he went to visit his family, the\ndevotee said to himself in vexation, \u2018Why did I teach the magic art to\nso vacillating an operator?\u2019 and it was in consequence of this that he\ndid not acquire the art. And it is said, that however much a man may\nexert himself, destiny attends him all the same; and whatever number\nof things he may achieve by force of his intellect, he, nevertheless,\nobtains that alone which fate has recorded.\u201d On hearing this the sprite\nwent again and hung on to that tree; and the king, too, followed him,\nand having bound him, and placed him on his shoulder, took him away.\n\n\n\n\nTALE XVIII.\n\nThe sprite said, \u201cYour majesty! There was a city named Kubalpur, the\nname of the king of which was Sudakshi. Now, a merchant named Dhan\u00e3kshi\nused also to live in that city, and he had a daughter whose name was\nDhanvati. He gave her in marriage in her childhood to a merchant named\nGauridatt. After a considerable time she had a girl, whom she named\nMohani. When she attained to some years, her father died, and the\nmerchant\u2019s kinsfolk seized all his property. She, in her helplessness,\nleft the house in the darkness of the night, and taking her daughter\nwith her, set out for the house of her parents.\u201d\n\n\u201cAfter proceeding but a short distance, she lost the road, and came upon\na burning-ground, where a thief was stretched upon an impaling-stake.\nHer hand quite unexpectedly came in contact with his foot. He called\nout, \u2018Who is it that put me to pain just now?\u2019 On this she replied, \u2018I\nhave not willingly inflicted pain on you forgive my fault.\u2019 He said, \u2018No\none gives either pain or pleasure to another; according as the Creator\ndecrees one\u2019s fate shall be, so he experiences; and those who affirm\nthat they did such and such things, are very unwise; for men are fixed\nto the cord of fate, which draws them after it whithersoever it pleases.\nThe ways of the Creator are utterly inscrutable; for men propose a thing\nto themselves, and He brings something quite different to pass.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cOn hearing this, Dhanvati said, \u2018O man! who art thou?\u2019 He replied, \u2018I\nam a thief; this is my third day on the impaling-stake, and life will\nnot quit the body.\u2019 She said, \u2018For what reason?\u2019 He replied, saying, \u2018I\nam unmarried; if thou wilt give me thy daughter in marriage, I will give\nthee ten millions of gold-mohurs.\u2019 It is notorious that greediness of\ngain is the root of all evil, pleasure the source of pain, and love the\nsource of sorrow. Whoever keeps clear of these three lives happy. It\nis not every one, however, who can give them up. Eventually, Dhanvati,\nthrough greed, became willing to give him her daughter, and asked, \u2018It\nis my desire that thou shouldst have a son; but how can this be?\u2019 He\nreplied, saying, \u2018when she attains to womanhood, send for a handsome\nBrahman, and give him five hundred gold-mohurs, and place her with him;\nthus will she have a son.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen she heard this, Dhanvati married the girl to him by giving her\nfour turns round the stake. Then the thief said to her, \u2018There is\na banyan-tree near a large well of masonry to the east of this; the\ngold-mohurs lie buried beneath it; go thou and take them.\u2019 He said this,\nand died. She went in the direction indicated, and on arriving there,\ntook a few gold-mohurs from those buried\u00bb and came to her parents\u2019\nhouse. After relating her story to them, she brought them with her to\nher husband\u2019s land. Then she built a large house and began living in it;\nand the girl increased in stature daily.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen she had become a woman, she was standing one day with a female\ncompanion on the house-top, and casting her eyes along the road, while\njust at that moment a young Brahman passed that way, and she, at the\nsight of him, was smitten with love, and said to her friend, \u2018O my\nfriend! bring this man to my mother.\u2019 On hearing this, she went and\nbrought the Brahman to her mother. She said, on seeing him, \u2018O Brahman!\nmy daughter is young; if thou wilt lie with her, I will give thee a\nhundred gold-mohurs for a son.\u2019 On hearing this, he said, \u2018I will do\nso.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cWhilst they were conversing thus, evening came on. They gave him food\nto his mind, and he supped. It is a well known saying that enjoyment is\nof eight kinds,--1. Perfume; 2. Woman; 3. Apparel; 4. Song; 5. _Pan_; 6.\nFood; 7. The couch; 8. Ornaments. All these existed there. To be brief,\nwhen the first watch of the night was at hand (or, was nigh passed),\nhe repaired to the nuptial chamber, and spent the whole night in\npleasure and enjoyment with her. When it became morning, he went home,\nand she arose and came to her companions. Then one of them enquired,\n\u2018Say! What pleasures did you enjoy with your love in the night?\u2019 She\nreplied, \u2018When I went and sat near him, a kind of tremour made itself\nfelt in my heart; (but) when he smiled and took hold of my hand, I was\nquite overcome, and no consciousness of what took place remained to me.\nAnd it is said that if a husband be--1. possessed of renown; 2. brave;\n3. clever; 4. a chief; 5. liberal; 6. endowed with good qualities; 7.\na protector of his wife,--such a man a wife never forgets even in the\nworld to come, much less in this world.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe gist of the story is, that on that very night she conceived. When\nthe full time came, a boy was born. On the sixth night, the mother saw\nin a vision an ascetic, with matted hair on his head, a shining moon on\nhis forehead, ashes of burnt cow-dung rubbed over him, wearing a white\nBrahminical thread, seated on a white lotus, wearing a necklace of white\nsnakes, with a string of skulls thrown round his neck, and with a skull\nin one hand and a trident in the other, thus assuming a most terrifying\nappearance, come before her, and begin to say, \u2018To-morrow, at midnight,\nplace a bag of one thousand gold-mohurs in a large basket, and enclosing\nthis boy therein, leave it at the gate of the palace.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cAs soon as she saw this, her eyes opened. And on its becoming morning,\nshe told all the circumstances to her mother. When her mother heard\nthis, she, on the following day, put the boy in a basket in the very\nmanner directed, and left him at the king\u2019s gate. Now, here (at the\npalace) the king saw an apparition with ten arms, five heads, each head\nhaving three eyes in it, and a moon upon it, very large teeth, a trident\nin his hand--a most terrifying form, which came before him and said, \u2018O\nking! a basket is placed at thy door; bring away the child that is in\nit; he it is who will maintain thy dominion.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cAs soon as the king heard this, his eyes opened. He then related the\nwhole affair to the queen. After that, rising up thence, and coming\nto the door, he perceived the basket placed there. On the instant of\nopening the basket and peering into it, he beheld a boy and a bag of one\nthousand gold-mohurs in it. He took up the child himself, and told\nthe door-keepers to bring in the bag. He then went into the female\napartments, and placed the child on the queen\u2019s lap.\u201d\n\n\u201cBy this time the day broke. The king came out, and summoning the sages\nand astrologers, questioned them, saying, \u2018Tell me, what marks of\nroyalty are perceptible in this child?\u2019 Thereupon one of the sages, who\nwas acquainted with the science of interpreting the spots on the human\nbody, spoke, saying, \u2018Your majesty! three marks are distinctly perceived\non this child; 1. a broad chest; 2. a high forehead; 3. a large face; in\naddition to these, your majesty! the whole thirty-two marks which are\nassigned to man exist in this one. Have no apprehensions on his account;\nhe will rule over the kingdom.\u2019 On hearing this, the king was pleased,\nand taking off a chaplet of pearls from his own neck, presented it to\nthat Brahman; and after giving large gifts to all the Brahmans, he bade\nthem name the child. Then the sages said, \u2018Your majesty! be pleased to\nsit down with the queen fastened to you; let her majesty sit with the\nchild in her lap; and summon all the musicians, singers, and others\nemployed on festive occasions, and cause rejoicings to take place; then\nwill we give him a name after the manner prescribed by the sacred\nwritings.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen the monarch heard this, he ordered his minister to do whatever\nthey bid him. The minister had rejoicings for the birth of the child\nforthwith proclaimed throughout the city. On hearing this, all the\nprofessional rejoicers were in attendance, and congratulatory songs rung\nforth from every home; festive music began to strike up in the king\u2019s\npalace, and rejoicing to take place. Then the king and the queen, with\nthe child in her lap, came and sat within a square filled with coloured\nmeal, perfumes, and sweetmeats, and the Brahmans began reading the\nscriptures. An astrologer from among the Brahmans, having first\ndetermined the auspicious planetary conjunction and time, named the\nchild Hardatti After that, he grew daily. At length, at the age of nine\nyears, he finished the study of the six learned volumes, and fourteen\nsciences, and became a profound scholar. In the meantime, according to\nwhat was willed by God, it happened that his father and mother died. He\nascended the throne, and began to govern justly.\u201d\n\n\u201cAfter, several years, the king one day thought to himself, \u2018What have I\ndone for my parents in return for being born in their family? The saying\nis that,--Those who are compassionate, deal compassionately with all;\nthey it is who are wise, and to them it is that Paradise is allotted.\nAnd the gifts, worship, religious penances, pilgrimages, and listening\nto the scriptures of those who are not pure of heart, is all in vain.\nAnd those who perform the funeral ceremonies and worship of the Manes\nwithout faith, and in pride, derive no advantage thereby, and so, their\nfathers go with their desires unfulfilled.\u2019 Reflecting and pondering on\nthis matter, the king decided that he ought now to perform the funeral\nceremonies of his fathers. Thereupon King Hardatt proceeded to Gay\u00e3, and\non arriving there, invoked the names of his fathers, and began offering\noblations * to them on the bank of the River Phalg\u00fc, when the hands of\nall three ** came up out of the river. He was troubled in mind on seeing\nthis, wondering to which of the hands he should give (the oblations),\nand to which not.\u201d\n\n     * These oblations consist of balls (pind) or lumps of meat,\n     or rice mixed up with milk, curds, flowers, &c.\n\n     ** That is the thief\u2019s, the Brahman\u2019s who begat him, and the\n     king\u2019s who adopted him. The Hindus believe that when a son\n     performs the ceremony in question, the father is permitted\n     to come from the other world and receive the oblation.\n\nHaving reached this stage of the story, the sprite said, \u201cO King Vikram!\nto which of the three was it right to give the oblations?\u201d Then the\nking said, \u201cTo the thief.\u201d The sprite said again, \u201cFor what reason?\u201d\n Thereupon he (the king) said, \u201cThe seed of the Brahman had been bought;\nand the king took a thousand gold mohurs and brought up the boy; and\ntherefore neither of these two had any right to the oblation.\u201d On\nhearing these words, the sprite went again and hung on to that tree, and\nthe king carried him away bound from thence.\n\n\n\n\nTALE XIX.\n\nThe sprite said, \u201cO king! there is a city named Chitrak\u00fct, the king of\nwhich was Rupdatt. One day he mounted his horse and went forth alone to\nhunt; and, having lost his way, got into a great forest. What does he\nsee on going there but a large tank, in which lotuses were flowering,\nand various kinds of birds were sporting. On all four sides of the tank\ncool and perfume-laden breezes were blowing under the shade of the dense\nfoliage of the trees. He, for his part, was overcome with the heat, (so)\nhe tied his horse to a tree, and spread the saddle-cloth, and sat down.\nA half-hour or so had passed when the daughter of a holy sage, very\nbeautiful, and in the prime of youth, came to gather flowers. Seeing\nher plucking the flowers, the king became deeply enamoured. When she\nwas returning to her abode, after gathering the flowers, the king said,\n\u2018What conduct is this of yours, for you not to attend to me when I have\ncome as a guest to your abode?\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cOn hearing this she stood still again. Then the king said, \u2018They say\nthat if one of low caste come as a guest to the house of one of the\nhighest caste, even he is entitled to respect; and whether he be a\nthief, or an outcast, or an enemy, or a parricide,--if such a one even\ncomes to one\u2019s house, it is right to show him honour; for a guest is\nmore to be honoured than anyone else.\u2019 When the king spoke thus, she\nstood still. Then, in truth, the two began to ogle one another. In the\nmeantime the holy sage also came up. The king saluted the devotee\non seeing him, and he (in return) blessed him, saying, \u2018May you live\nlong.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cHaving said so much, he asked the king, \u2018Why have you come here?\u2019 He\nreplied, \u2018Your holiness I I have come a hunting.\u2019 He said, \u2018Why dost\nthou commit a great sin? It is said that one man commits a sin and many\nmen reap the fruits thereof.\u2019 The king said, \u2018Your holiness! kindly\nfavour me with your judgment of right and wrong.\u2019 Thereupon the sage\nsaid, \u2018Attend, your majesty! A great wrong is done in killing an animal\nthat lives in the forest, supporting itself on grass * and water; and\nit is a very meritorious act in man to cherish beasts and birds. It\nis said, moreover, that those who render unapprehensive the timid and\nrefuge-seeking, receive the reward of those who are most liberal givers.\nIt is also said, that no religious austerity equals forbearance, and no\nhappiness equals that of contentment, and no wealth equals friendship,\nand there is no virtue like mercy. Moreover, those men who are\nconscious of their duties, and show no pride on acquiring riches,\naccomplishments, learning, renown, or supremacy; and those who are\ncontent with their own wives, and are truth-speakers--such men obtain,\nfinal salvation hereafter. And those who kill ascetics with matted hair,\nand without clothes and arms, experience the torments of hell at the\nlast. And the king who does not punish the oppressors of his subjects,\nhe also experiences the torments of hell. And those who have carnal\nintercourse with a king\u2019s wife, or the wife or daughter of a friend, or\nwith a woman eight or nine months advanced in pregnancy--they are cast\ninto the (lowest and) greatest hell of all. Thus is it declared in the\nbook of law and religion.\u2019\u201d\n\n     * The text has tant by mistake, for trin.\n\n\u201cOn hearing this, the monarch said, \u2018The sins which I have heretofore\ncommitted in ignorance are done, and are beyond recall; henceforth, God\nwilling, I will not commit such again.\u2019 The holy sage was pleased at the\nking\u2019s speaking thus, and said \u2018I will grant thee any boon thou may\u2019st\nask for; I am highly pleased with thee.\u2019 Then the king spoke, saying,\n\u2018Your holiness! if you are pleased with me, give me your daughter.\u2019\nWhen the sage heard this, he married his daughter to the king, after the\nmanner of Gandharb marriages, and departed to his own place. Then the\nking took the saint\u2019s daughter and set out for his capital. On the road,\nabout mid-way, the sun set and the moon rose. Then the king, seeing a\nshady tree, alighted beneath it, and tying the horse to its root, spread\nhis saddle-covering and lay down along with her. Thereupon, at the hour\nof midnight, a Brahman-devouring demon came and awoke the king, saying,\n\u2018O king! I will devour thy wife.\u2019 The king said, \u2018Act not so; whatever\nthou askest for, I will grant.\u2019 Then the demon said, \u2018O king! if thou\nwilt cut off the head of a Brahman\u2019s son seven years\u2019 old, and give it\nto me with thine own hand, I will not eat her.\u2019 The king replied, \u2018Even\nso will I do; but do thou come to me seven days hence in my capital, and\nI will give it thee.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cHaving bound the king by a promise thus, the demon departed to his\nown place; and on the morn arriving, the king also left and came to his\npalace. The minister hearing of it (i e., the king\u2019s arrival) made great\nrejoicings, and came and presented gifts; and the king, after telling\nthe minister of the adventure (with the demon), asked, \u2018Say, what\nexpedient shall we adopt in the matter, for the demon will come on\nthe seventh day?\u2019 The minister said, \u2018Your majesty! feel no anxiety\nwhatever; God will make all right.\u2019 After saying so much, the minister\nhad an image made of a maund and a quarter of gold, and jewels studded\ntherein, and having it placed on a cart, and (conveyed away, and) set up\nat a point where four roads met, he said to the keepers thereof, \u2018If\nany persons come to look at this, say to them that any Brahman who will\nallow the king to cut off the head of a seven-year-old son of his may\ntake possession of this.\u2019 Having said this, he came away. Thereupon the\nkeepers used to say this to those who came to look at it (the image).\u201d\n\n\u201cTwo days passed away without any result. On the third day, however, a\nweakly Brahman, who had three sons, hearing of this matter, came home\nand began saying to his wife, \u2018If thou wilt give a son of thine to the\nking for a sacrifice, an image of a maund and a quarter of gold, and\nstudded with jewels, will come into the house.\u2019 On hearing this, his\nwife said, \u2018I will not give the youngest son.\u2019 The Brahman said, \u2018The\neldest I will not part with.\u2019 When the second son heard this, he said,\n\u2018Father! give me up.\u2019 He replied, \u2018Very well.\u2019 Then the Brahman spoke\nagain, saying, \u2018Wealth it is which is the source of all happiness in\nthis world. Now, what happiness can reach him who lacks wealth? and if\none be poor, his coming into the world is useless.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cHaving said this, he took the second son, and gave him up to the\nguards, and brought away the image to his house; and the people, for\ntheir part, took the boy to the minister. Further, when seven days\npassed away, the demon, too, came. The king took sandal, unbroken rice,\nflowers, perfumes, lamps, food for the deity, fruits and betel-leaf,\nand paid adoration to him; and, summoning the boy, took his sword in his\nhand, and stood ready to sacrifice him. Thereupon the boy first laughed,\nand then wept. While he was doing this, the king struck him a blow with\nthe sword, so that his head was severed (from his body). True it is, as\nthe sages have said,--Woman is the source (_lit_. mine) of misery in\nthe world, the abode of imprudence * (or immorality), the destroyer\nof courage (or daring), and the occasioner of infatuation, (and) the\nbereaver of virtue. Who has pronounced such a source (_lit_, root)\nof venom to be the highest good? Again, it is said,--Store up wealth\nagainst adversity, and disburse wealth to guard your wife, and give up\nwealth and wife to save your own life.\u201d\n\n     * The only meanings assigned to binti in the vocabulary are,\n     \u201csubmission,\u201d \u201crespects,\u201d \u201csolicitation,\u201d none of which seem\n     to apply here. Deriving the word from the Sanskrit vi-n\u00efti,\n     I prefer giving it the signification I have done.\n\nHaving related so much of the story, the sprite said, \u201cYour majesty! a\nman weeps at the moment of dying; will you account for this,--Why did he\n(the boy) laugh?\u201d The monarch replied, \u201cHe laughed at the thought of\nthis,--viz., That in infancy a mother protects (her child), and on his\ngrowing up the father cherishes him; (and) in both good and bad times a\nking befriends his subjects,--Such is the way of the world; whereas, my\npredicament is such that my father and mother have delivered me over to\nthe king through greed of wealth, and he stands, sword in hand, ready to\nslay me, and the demon desires a sacrifice; no single one of them feels\n(a spark of) pity.\u201d On hearing this, the sprite went and hung on to that\nsame tree; and the king also speedily arrived there, and binding him,\nplaced him on his shoulder, and carried him off.\n\n\n\n\nTALE XX.\n\nThe sprite said, \u201cO king! there is a city named Bishalpur, the king of\nwhich was named Bipuleshwar. In his city lived a merchant whose name was\nArthdatt, and his daughter\u2019s name was Anaug-manjari. He had married her\nto a merchant of Kanwalpur, named Munni. Some days after, the merchant\ncrossed the ocean on a mercantile venture; and when she attained to\nwomanhood here (at home), she was standing one day in the pavilion, and\nobserving what was going on in the road, when at that moment a Brahman\u2019s\nson named Kamal\u00e3kar was coming along. The eyes of the pair met, and they\nbecame enamoured of each other at first sight. Again, after a quarter\nof an hour or so, recovering self-possession, the Brahman\u2019s son, in the\nrestlessness consequent on separation from his beloved, proceeded to the\nhouse of his friend; and here she, too, was in extreme distress through\nthe pain of separation from him, when, in the meantime, a female\ncompanion came and took her up; she had, however, no self-consciousness\nremaining. Then she (the companion) sprinkled rose-water (over her) and\nmade her smell perfumes, and while so doing, her senses returned, and\nshe said, \u2018O Cupid! Mah\u00e3deva burnt thee to ashes, * and yet thou wilt\nnot desist from thy knavish tricks, but comest and inflictest pain on\ninnocent, feeble women.\u2019\u201d\n\n     * Mah\u00e3deva, or hiva, was once engaged in religious\n     meditation, when Kamdeva, or Cupid, excited amorous desires\n     within his breast; whereupon the angry god reduced him to\n     ashes by a fiery glance. The curious reader will find a\n     detailed account of the circumstance in the fifty-sixth\n     Chapter of the Prem Sagar.\n\n\u201cShe was uttering these words, when evening came on, and the moon\nappeared. Then she said, while gazing at the moonlight, \u2018O moon! I used\nto be told that the water of life is in you, and that you shed it in\nyour beams; to-day, however, even you have begun to pour down venom.\u2019\nShe then said to her companion, \u2018Take me up, and lead me away from this\nplace, for I am being burnt to death by the moonlight.\u2019 Thereupon she\nraised her and took her to the pavilion, and said, \u2018Dost thou feel no\nshame at uttering such words?\u2019 Then she said, \u2018O friend! I am fully\naware of all; but Cupid has wounded me, and rendered me void of shame;\nand I make great efforts to be patient, but the more I continue to be\nconsumed with the fire of separation, the more venom-like does home\nappear to me.\u2019 The companion said, \u2018Keep thy mind at ease; I will\nrelieve thee of all thy suffering.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cHaving said thus much, the companion went home, and she (the love-lorn)\ndetermined in her mind that she would quit this body for his sake, and,\nbeing born again, enjoy life well with him. With this longing in her\nmind, she threw a noose on her neck, and was about drawing it tight,\nwhen the companion arrived, and instantly taking the rope off her neck,\nsaid, \u2018Everything can be attained by living, not by dying.\u2019 She replied,\n\u2018Better is it to die than suffer such pain.\u2019 The companion said, \u2018Repose\nawhile, and I will go and bring him.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cHaving said this, she went to the place where Kamal\u00e3kar was, and taking\na secret look at him, perceived that he also was much disturbed by the\nseparation from his beloved, while his friend was rubbing down sandal\nin rose water and applying it to his body, and fanning him with tender\nleaves of the plantain-tree; despite which, he was crying out all aflame\n(with passion) and saying to his friend, \u2018Bring me poison, I will\nsacrifice my life and be released from this suffering. Observing\nthis state of his, she said to herself, \u2018However courageous, learned,\nsagacious, discreet, and patient a man may be, Cupid reduces him to a\nstate of distraction all the same.\u2019 These thoughts having passed through\nher mind, the companion said to him, \u2018O Kamal\u00e3kar! Anangmanjari has sent\nword to thee to come and bestow life on her.\u2019 He replied, \u2018She, indeed,\nhas given life to me.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cAfter saying this, he rose up, and the companion went to her (the\nlove-sick maiden), taking him along with her. When he got there, lo!\nshe was lying dead! Thereupon he also uttered a cry of anguish, and\ntherewith his spirit fled. And when it became morning, her household\ntook both of them to the burning-ground, and arranging the pile, placed\nthem thereon and set fire to it, when, in the meantime, her husband also\narrived at the burning-ground, on his return from abroad. Then, hearing\nthe sound of the people\u2019s weeping, he went there, and what does\nhe behold but his wife burning with a strange man! He, also, being\ndistracted with love, burnt himself ta death in the same fire. The\npeople of the city, hearing this intelligence, began saying one to\nanother, \u2018Neither has eye seen, nor ear heard of so wonderful an\nevent!\u2019\u201d\n\nAfter relating so much of the story, the sprite said, \u201cO king! whose\nlove, of these three, was greatest?\u201d The king said, \u201cHer husband was the\ndeepest lover.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhy?\u201d said the sprite. The king replied, \u201cHe, who, on seeing his wife\ndead for another\u2019s sake, put aside anger, and cheerfully laid down\nhis life through love for her--he is the deepest lover.\u201d Hearing these\nwords, the sprite went again and hung on to that tree. The king, too,\nwent there, bound him, placed him on his shoulder, and carried him off.\n\n\n\n\nTALE XXI.\n\nThe sprite said, \u201cYour majesty! there is a city named Jaysthal, the\nking of which was named Varddham\u00e3n. In his city was a Brahman named\nVishnuswami, who had four sons; one a gambler, the second a lover of\nwomen, the third a fornicator, the fourth an atheist. The Brahman was\none day admonishing his sons, saying, \u2018Wealth abides not in the house\nof him who gambles.\u2019 The gambler became greatly annoyed at hearing this.\nAnd he (the father) spoke again, saying, \u2018It is said in the R\u00e3jnit (or\nbook of policy), Cut off the nose and ears of a gambler, and expel him\nfrom the land, so that others may not gamble; and although the gambler\nmay have a wife and family in his house, do not consider them as in the\nhouse, for there\u2019s no knowing when he may lose them (at play). Again,\nthose who are attracted by the wiles of courtesans purchase suffering\nfor their own souls, while they part with their all under the influence\nof harlots, and take to stealing in the end. It is said, further, that\nwise men keep far away from such women as ensnare their hearts in a\nmoment; whereas the unwise give up their hearts, and so lose all their\nhonesty, good disposition, reputation, conduct, judgment, piety, and\nmoral character. Moreover, the exhortation of their spiritual preceptors\nis unpalatable to them. It is also said that--When one has lost his own\nsense of shame, why should he fear to dishonour any one else? And there\nis a proverb to the effect that--When will the cat that devours its\nown young allow a rat to escape!\u2019 He went on to say, \u2018Those who do not\nacquire knowledge in their childhood, and who on attaining to manhood\nbecome engrossed in amorous pleasures, and continue to pride themselves\non their youth,--those persons, in their old age, are consumed with\nregretful longings (for that which they have neglected in their\nyouth).\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cOn hearing these words, all four of them came mutually to the decision\nthat it was better for an ignorant man to die than live; and hence,\nit was best for them to visit some other land and study science.\nDetermining on this, they went to another city, and after some time,\nhaving studied and become learned, they set out for their home. What do\nthey see on the road but a Kanjar, * who, after skinning and cutting up\na dead tiger, and making a bundle of its bones, was about to take them\naway. Thereupon they said to one another, \u2018Come, let each of us put his\nknowledge to the proof.\u2019 Having determined on this, one of them called\nhim (the Kanjar) and gave him something, and taking the bundle, sent him\naway; and, quitting the road, they opened the bundle. One of them\narranged all the bones in their proper places, repeated an incantation\nand sprinkled something over them, so that they became united. In the\nsame way the second brought the flesh together on the bones. The third,\nin the same manner, fixed the skin on the flesh. The fourth, in the same\nway, raised it to life. Thereupon it devoured the whole four of them as\nsoon as it arose.\u201d\n\nAfter reaching this point of the story, the sprite said, \u201cYour majesty!\nwho was the greatest fool of those four?\u201d King Vikram replied, \u201cHe who\nrestored it to life was the greatest fool. And it is said, that\nknowledge without wisdom is of no use whatever; on the contrary, wisdom\nis superior to learning; and those who lack wisdom die just as he who\nraised the tiger to life died.\u201d When the sprite heard these words, he\nwent and suspended himself on that same tree. Again did the king bind\nhim, place him on his shoulder, and carry him away as before.\n\n     * Kanjar is the name of a low caste of people generally\n     employed in mean offices, such as carrying away carcasses,\n     &c. The snake-charmers are of his caste.\n\n\n\n\nTALE XXII.\n\nThe sprite said, \u201cYour majesty! there is a city named Biswapur, the\nking of which was named Bidagdha. A Brahman, named N\u00e3r\u00e3yan, dwelt in his\ncity. He one day began thinking to himself, \u2018My body has become old, and\nI am acquainted with the science which enables one to enter another\u2019s\nbody; it is therefore better that I quit this old body, and enter the\nbody of some young man and enjoy life.\u2019 When he had determined on this\nin his mind, he set about entering a youthful body; but first he wept,\nand then he laughed, and after that he entered it and came home. All his\nkinsfolk, however, were aware of what he had done, and thereupon he said\nto them, \u2018I have now become an ascetic.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cHaving said this, he began to recite (as follows): \u2018He who dries up the\nfountain of hope with the fire of austere devotion, and placing his soul\ntherein, (thus) deadens his senses--he may be termed a wise devotee. But\nthe way of the people of this world is (such), that the body may waste\naway, the head shake, the teeth drop out, and they walk about with a\nstick in their old age, yet, even then, desire is not quenched. And thus\nit is that time passes away--day comes, night arrives, a month is over,\na year is completed; one is a child, then an old man, while nothing is\nknown as to who one himself is (_lit_. I am), and who others are, and\nwhy one grieves for another. One comes, another goes, and ultimately all\nlife must depart--not one of these will remain. Many and various bodies\nare there, and many and various minds, and many and various affections,\nand various kinds of delusions has Brahma created; but the wise escape\nthese, and quenching hope and desire, shaving their heads, taking a\nstaff and water-pot in their hands, subduing the passions of love\nand anger, become ascetics, and wander barefooted from one place of\npilgrimage to another; these same find eternal salvation. This world,\nmoreover, is as a dream; to whom can you impart pleasure in it, to\nwhom pain? It is even like the new leaf shooting from the centre of\nthe plaintain tree, wherein is no pith whatever. And those who pride\nthemselves on riches, youth, or knowledge, are unwise. Again, they who\nturn devotees, and, taking a water-pot in hand, beg alms from door\nto door, and nourishing their bodies with milk, clarified butter, and\nsugar, become lustful, and have sexual intercourse with women, they\nnullify their religious meditations.\u2019 After repeating so much, he\nproceeded, saying, \u2018I will now go on a pilgrimage.\u2019 On hearing these\nwords, his relations were much pleased.\u201d\n\nHaving told so much of the story, the sprite said, \u201cYour majesty! why\ndid he weep, and why did he laugh?\u201d Then the king said, \u201cCalling to mind\nhis mother\u2019s love in his infancy, and the happiness of his youth, and\nfrom a feeling of affection in having remained so many days in that\nbody, he wept; and having succeeded in his art, and entered a new body,\nhe laughed with pleasure.\u201d On hearing these words, the sprite went and\nhung on to the same tree; (and) again did the king bind him as before,\nplace him on his shoulder, and carry him away.\n\n\n\n\nTALE XXIII.\n\nThis sprite said, \u201cYour majesty! there was a city named Dharmpur, where\na king named Dharmaj ruled. In his city was a Brahman named Govind,\nversed in the whole four Vedas and all the six learned treatises, and\na careful observer of all his religious duties; and Haridatt, Somdatt,\nYagyadatt and Brahmadatt were his four sons. They were very learned,\nvery clever, and at all times obedient to their father. After some time\nhis eldest son died, and he, too, was at the point of death through\ngrief for him.\u201d\n\n\u201cAt that time, Vishnusharma, the king\u2019s family priest, came and began\nreasoning with him, saying, \u2018When this (being) man enters the mother\u2019s\nwomb, he first suffers pain there; secondly, falling under the influence\nof love in youth, he endures the anguish of separation from his beloved;\nthirdly, becoming old, he is involved in suffering through his body\nbeing feeble. In brief, many are the sorrows attendant on (man\u2019s) being\nborn in the world, and few (are) the joys; for the world is the source\nof sorrow. If a man were to climb to the top of a tree, or go and sit\non the summit of a mountain, or remain hiding in water, or sneak into an\niron cage and remain therein, or go and conceal himself in the infernal\nregions--even then death would not let him escape. Moreover, whatever\none may be--whether learned or a fool, rich or poor, wise or unwise,\nstrong or weak--still, this all devouring death lets no one escape. The\nfull duration of a man\u2019s life is a hundred years; of this, half passes\naway in night, and half of the half in childhood and old age; the\nremainder is spent in contention, the (distress arising from)\nseparation from those we love, and affliction. Further, the soul that\nis, is as restless as a watery wave; how, then, can it yield man\nany peace? And now, in this Iron Age, to meet with truthful men is\na difficult matter; while countries are daily laid! waste, kings are\navaricious, the earth yields little fruit, thieves and evil doers\ncommit violence on the earth; and but little of religion, devotion, and\ntruth remain in the world; kings are tyrannical, Brahmans covetous, men\nhave fallen under the influence of women, wives have become wanton, sons\nhave begun reviling their fathers, and friends (have begun to display)\nenmity. Observe, further, that death did not even spare the great\nChimanyu, whose maternal uncle was Kanhaiya, and father Arjun. And when\nYama * carries off a man, wealth remains behind in his house, and\nfather, mother, wife, son, brothers and kindred--no one proves of any\navail; his good and evil deeds, his vices and his virtues alone\naccompany him; while those same kinsfolk take him to the burning-ground\nand burn him. And see (how) the night comes to an end on one side, while\nday dawns on the other; here the moon sets, there the sun rises. In the\nsame way youth departs, old age comes on; thus, also, time goes on\npassing away, and yet, even while perceiving this, man does not learn\nwisdom. Observe, again, in the First, or Golden Age, Mandh\u00e3ta, a great\nking, who filled (_lit_. covered) the whole earth with the fame of his\nvirtue; and in the Second, or Silver Age, the glorious monarch\nR\u00e3mchandra, who, bridging the sea, destroyed such a fortress as Lanka,\nand slew R\u00e3van; and in the Third Age, Yudhisthir reigned in such a\nmanner that people sing of his renown to this day--yet death did not\nspare even these. Moreover, the birds which fly in the air, and the\nanimals which dwell in the sea, when the hour arrives, even these fall\ninto trouble. No one has escaped sorrow on coming into this world. To\ngrieve on this account is folly. It is best, therefore, to practise\nreligious duties.\u2019\u201d\n\n     * Yama is the judge of the deceased, and ruler of the\n     infernal regions: also, the god of death.\n\n\u201cWhen Vishnusharm\u00e3 had reasoned with him in this manner, it came into\nthe Brahman\u2019s mind that he would thenceforth perform meritorious and\npious acts. Having thought this over in his mind, he said to his sons,\n\u2018I am about to sit down to a sacrifice; you go and bring me a turtle\nfrom the sea.\u2019 On receiving their father\u2019s command, they went to a\nfisherman, and said, \u2018Take a rupee, and catch a turtle for us.\u2019 He took\nit, and caught one, and gave it to them. Then the eldest of the brothers\nsaid to the second, \u2018Do thou take it up.\u2019 He said to the youngest,\n\u2018Brother! do thou take it up.\u2019 He replied, saying, \u2018I will not touch\nit; a bad smell will cling to my hands, and I am very nice * in (my)\neating.\u2019 The second said, \u2018I am very particular in my intercourse with\nwomen.\u2019 The eldest said, \u2018I am particular in (the matter of) sleeping on\na bed.\u2019\u201d\n\n     * I hazard this meaning for chatur in the teeth of the\n     vocabulary and the dictionaries, as, the meanings contained\n     therein do not seem to me to apply. The student, however,\n     may, if he pleases, substitute \u201csharp\u201d or \u201cclever\u201d for\n     \u201cnice.\u201d\n\n\u201cThus did the three of them begin wrangling; and leaving the turtle\nwhere it was, they proceeded, quarrelling the while, to the king\u2019s gate,\nand said to the gatekeeper, \u2018Three Brahmans have come seeking justice;\ngo thou and tell this to the king.\u2019 On hearing this, the doorkeeper went\nand informed the king. The king summoned them, and asked, \u2018Why are you\nquarrelling one with another?\u2019 Then the youngest of them said, \u2018Your\nmajesty! I am very particular as to food.\u2019 The second said, \u2018Lord of the\nearth! I am very particular as to women.\u2019 The eldest said, \u2018Incarnation\nof justice! I am particular in the matter of beds.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen the monarch heard this, he said, \u2018Each of you submit to a trial.\u2019\nThey said, \u2018Very well.\u2019 The king sent for his cook, and said, \u2018Prepare\nvarious kinds of condiments and meats, and give this Brahman a\nthoroughly good repast.\u2019 On hearing this, the cook went and prepared\nfood, and taking with him the one who was nice in the matter of food,\nseated him in front of the dishes. He was on the point of taking up a\nmouthful and putting it into his mouth, when an offensive smell came\nfrom it. He let it go, washed his hands, and came to the king. The king\nasked, \u2018Didst thou enjoy thy repast?\u2019 Then he said, \u2018Your majesty! I\nperceived a disagreeable smell in the food, (and) did not eat.\u2019 The king\nsaid again, \u2018State the cause of the offensive smell.\u2019 He replied, \u2018Your\nmajesty! it was rice which had been grown on a burning-ground; the smell\nof corpses proceeded from it, and hence I did not eat it.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cOn hearing this, the king summoned his steward, and asked, \u2018Sirrah!\nfrom what village does this rice come?\u2019 He replied, \u2018From Shibpur,\nyour majesty!\u2019 The king said, \u2018Summon the landholder of that village.\u2019\nThereupon the steward had the landholder brought before the monarch. The\nking asked him, \u2018On what land was this rice grown?\u2019 He replied, \u2018On a\nburning-ground, your majesty!\u2019 When the king heard this, he said to that\nBrahman, \u2018Thou art indeed a connoisseur in the matter of food.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cAfter this, he had the one who was nice in the matter of women sent\nfor, and having a bed laid out in an apartment, and all the requisites\nfor enjoyment placed therein, had a beautiful woman brought and placed\nnear him, and the two while lying down began conversing with each other.\nThe king was secretly looking on through a lattice. Now, the Brahman was\nabout to give her a kiss, when smelling her breath, he turned away his\nface, and went to sleep. The king having witnessed this conduct, entered\nhis palace and sought repose. Rising early in the morning, he came into\nthe court, and summoned that Brahman, and asked, \u2018O Brahman! didst\nthou pass the night pleasantly?\u2019 He replied, \u2018Your majesty! I found no\npleasure.\u2019 \u2018Why?\u2019 asked the king again. The Brahman replied, \u2018The smell\nof a goat proceeded from her mouth, and my mind was much distressed in\nconsequence.\u2019 When the king heard this, he summoned the procuress, and\ninquired, \u2018Whence didst thou bring this (woman)? and who is she?\u2019 She\nsaid, \u2018She is my sister\u2019s daughter; her mother died when she was three\nmonths old, and I brought her up on goat\u2019s milk.\u2019 On hearing this, the\nmonarch said, \u2018Thou art indeed a connoisseur in respect of women.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cAfter that he had a very fine bed prepared, and caused the Brahman who\nwas a nice judge of beds to sleep thereon. On its becoming morning, the\nking sent for him, and asked, \u2018Didst thou sleep comfortably through\nthe night?\u2019 He replied, \u2018Your majesty \u2018I had no sleep the whole night\nlong.\u2019 \u2018Why?\u2019 asked the king. He replied, \u2018Your majesty! in the seventh\nfold of the bedding there was a hair, which was pricking my back, and I\nhad no sleep in consequence.\u2019 On hearing this, the king looked into the\nseventh fold of the bedding, and lo! a hair was found. Thereupon he said\nto him, \u2018Thou art indeed a nice judge of beds.\u2019\u201d\n\nAfter relating so much of the story, the sprite asked, \u201cWho was the\ngreatest connoisseur of those three?\u201d King Bir Yikramajit replied, \u201cHe\nwho was the connoisseur in the matter of beds.\u201d When the sprite heard\nthis, he went again and hung on to that tree; (and) the king also went\nthere on the instant, and bound him, placed him on his shoulder, and\ncarried him away.\n\n\n\n\nTALE XXIV.\n\nThe sprite said, \u201cYour majesty! in the country of Kaling there was a\nBrahman named Yagya Sharm\u00e3, whose wife\u2019s name was Somadatt\u00e3. She was\nvery beautiful. The Brahman began offering sacrifices, whereupon his\nwife had a beautiful boy. When he attained the age of five years, his\nfather began teaching him the _Sh\u00e3stras_. At the age of twelve years he\nhad finished the study of all the Sh\u00e3stras, and become a great scholar;\nand he began to be in constant attendance upon, and to help his father.\u201d\n\n\u201cAfter the lapse of some time the boy died, and in their sorrow for him\nhis parents uttered loud cries of lamentation and wailing. On receiving\nthis news all his kinsfolk hastened thither, and fastening the boy\nupon a bier, took him away to the burning-ground; and when there, began\nrepeatedly gazing at him, and saying to one another, \u2018See! even in\ndeath he appears beautiful!\u2019 They were uttering words like these, and\narranging the pyre, while an ascetic was also seated there engaged in\nreligious austerity. He hearing these words began to think to himself,\n\u2018My body has become very old; if I enter this boy\u2019s body, I can practise\nreligious meditation with ease and comfort.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cHaving thought thus, he entered the body of the child, turned round,\nand pronouncing the names of R\u00e3m (Balar\u00e3m) and Krishn, sat up as one\nsits up from sleep. When the people witnessed this, they all returned\nto their homes in astonishment; while his father lost all desire for the\nworld on witnessing this marvel; first he laughed, then he wept.\u201d\n\nAfter relating so much of the story, the sprite said, \u201cSay, your\nmajesty! why he laughed, and why he wept.\u201d Thereupon the king said,\n\u201cSeeing the ascetic enter his body, and so learning the art (of changing\none\u2019s own body for another) he laughed; and through regret at having to\nquit his own body he wept, thinking, \u2018Thus shall I too some day have to\nabandon my own body.\u2019\u201d Hearing this, the sprite went again and suspended\nhimself on that tree; and the king, too, arriving close at his heels,\nbound him, put him on his shoulder, and carried him away.\n\n\n\n\nTALE XXV.\n\nThen the sprite said, \u201cYour majesty! there is a city in the south named\nDharmpur, a king of which was named, Mah\u00e3bal. Once upon a time another\nking of that same region led an army against and invested his capital.\nHe continued fighting for several days. When his army went over (in\npart) to the enemy, and a portion was cut to pieces, then, having no\nhelp for it, he took his wife and daughter with him, and went forth by\nnight into the jungle. After he had penetrated several miles (_lit_.\nkos) into the jungle, the day broke, and a village came in view. Then,\nleaving the queen and princess seated beneath a tree, he went himself\ntowards the village to get something to eat, and in the meantime (a body\nof) Bhils came and surrounded him, and told him to throw down his arms.\u201d\n\n\u201cOn hearing this, the king commenced discharging arrows, and they did\nthe same from their side. Thus did the fight last for three hours, and\nseveral, of the Bhils were slain. In the meantime an arrow struck the\nking\u2019s forehead with such force that he reeled and fell, and one of them\ncame up and out off the king\u2019s head. When the queen and princess saw the\nking dead, they took their way back to the jungle weeping and beating\ntheir breasts. After having proceeded a _kos_ or two thus, they got\ntired and sat down, and began to be troubled with many an anxious\nthought.\u201d\n\n\u201cDuring this time a king, named Chandrasen, together with his son, while\npursuing the game, came into that jungle, and the king noticing the\nfoot-prints of the two (women), said to his son, \u2018Whence have the\nfoot-prints of human feet come in this vast forest?\u2019 The prince replied,\n\u2018Your majesty! these are women\u2019s foot-prints; a man\u2019s foot is not so\nsmall.\u2019 The king observed, \u2018True, man has not got such delicate feet.\u2019\nThe prince said again, \u2018They have just this moment passed.\u2019 The monarch\nsaid, \u2018Come, let us seek them in the jungle; if we find them, I will\ngive her whose foot this large one is to thee; and I will take the\nother.\u2019 Having entered into this mutual compact, they went forward,\nand perceived the two seated. They were delighted on seeing them, and\nseating them on their horses in the manner agreed upon, they brought\nthem home. The prince took possession of the queen, and the king of the\nprincess.\u201d\n\nHaving related so much of the story, the sprite said, \u201cYour majesty!\nwhat relationship will there be between the children of these two?\u201d On\nhearing this, the king held his tongue through ignorance.\n\nThen the sprite said in great glee, \u201cYour majesty! I have been highly\npleased at witnessing your patience and courage; I tell you one thing,\nhowever; do you attend thereto,--viz.: one, the hairs of whose body are\nlike thorns, and whose body (itself) is like wood, and whose name is\nSh\u00e3ntsh\u00efl, has come into your city, and he it is who has deputed you to\nfetch me, (while) he himself is seated in the burning-ground working his\nspells, and desires to kill you. I therefore forewarn you, that when he\nhas finished his devotions, he will say to you, \u2018Your majesty! prostrate\nyourself so that eight parts of your body may touch the ground.\u2019 You\nshould then say, \u2018I am the king of kings, and all potentates bow low in\nsalutation before me; up to this hour I have not bowed in adoration\nto any one, and I know not how to do so; you are a spiritual teacher,\nkindly show me how to do so, and then will I do it.\u2019. When he bows down,\ngive him such a blow with your sword that his head may become severed\n(from his body); then will you reign uninterruptedly; whereas, if you\nwill not do this, he will slay you, and reign permanently.\u201d\n\nHaving warned the king in these words, the sprite came out of that\ncorpse, and went his way; and while somewhat of night still remained,\nthe king brought the corpse and placed it before the ascetic. The\nascetic became glad on seeing it, and lauded the king greatly. After\nthat, he repeated incantations and raised the corpse to life, and\noffered up a \u2018burnt-offering in sacrifice: and sitting with his face\nsouthwards, offered to his god all the materials he had pre? pared; and\nafter offering up betel leaf, flowers, incense, lamps, and consecrated\nfood, he said to the king, \u201cMake obeisance; very glorious will thy\ndignity become, and the eight supernatural faculties * will always abide\nin thy house.\u201d\n\n     * These powers are--1. Mahima, or the faculty of making\n     one\u2019s self as bulky as one pleases. 2. Laghims, or the\n     faculty of making one\u2019s self as light as one pleases. 3.\n     Anima, or the power of making one\u2019s self infinitely small.\n     4. Prakamya, or the power of gratifying one\u2019s desires. 5.\n     Vashita, or power of subjecting all things to one\u2019s will. 6.\n     Ishita or supreme sway. 7. Pr\u00e3pti, or the power of obtaining\n     everything. 8. K\u00e3m\u00e3vas\u00e3\u00ffitwam, or the power of subduing and\n     quenching natural desire.\n\nOn hearing this, the king called to mind the words of the sprite, and\njoining his hands, said with the utmost humility, \u201cYour reverence! I\nknow not how to bow in adoration; you, however, are a spiritual teacher;\nif you will kindly teach me, I will do it.\u201d As the ascetic, on hearing\nthis, lowered his head to prostrate himself, that instant the king\nstruck him such a blow with his sword that his head was severed; and\nthe sprite came and showered down flowers. It is declared that there is\nnothing unlawful in slaying him who would himself slay another.\n\nAt that time Indra and the rest of the gods, having witnessed the king\u2019s\ncourage, mounted their cars and began to raise shouts of victory and\nexultation. And king Indra said in pleasure to king B\u00efr Vikram\u00e3j\u00eft, \u201cAsk\na boon.\u201d Then the king joined his hands and said, \u201cYour majesty! Let\nthis story concerning me become famous in the world.\u201d Indra replied, \u201cSo\nlong as the moon, sun, earth and sky endure, this story shall be famous;\nand thou shalt be ruler over the whole earth.\u201d\n\nAfter saying this, king Indra went to his place, and the king took those\ntwo corpses and threw them both into the oil-cauldron. Thereupon the two\nheroes came and presented themselves, and began to say, \u201cWhat command\nis there for us?\u201d The king replied, \u201cWhen I remember you, then do you\ncome.\u201d Taking from them their promise to do this, the king returned\nhome, and began to attend to his government. It is said that,--Whether\none be learned or a fool, a child or a man, he alone who is wise will\nwin success.","title":"The Bait\u00e2l Pachchisi; Or, The Twenty-Five Tales of a Sprite: Translated From the Hindi Text of Dr. Duncan Forbes","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":42314}