The Katha Sarit Sagara or Ocean of the Streams of Story Part 9

BOOK V.

CHAPTER XXIV.

May Ganesa, painting the earth with mosaic by means of the particles of red lead flying from his trunk whirled round in his madness, [368]

and so, as it were, burning up obstacles with the flames of his might, protect you.

Thus the king of Vatsa and his queen remained engaged in bringing up their only son Naravahanadatta, and once on a time the minister Yaugandharayana, seeing the king anxious about taking care of him, said to him as he was alone,--"King, you must never feel any anxiety now about the prince Naravahanadatta, for he has been created by the adorable G.o.d Siva in your house as the future emperor over the kings of the Vidyadharas; and by their divine power the kings of the Vidyadharas have found this out, and meaning mischief have become troubled, unable in their hearts to endure it; and knowing this, the G.o.d with the moon-crest has appointed a prince of the Ganas, [369]

Stambhaka by name, to protect him. And he remains here invisible, protecting this son of yours, and Narada coming swiftly informed me of this." While the minister was uttering these words, there descended from the midst of the air a divine man wearing a diadem and a bracelet, and armed with a sword. He bowed, and then the king of Vatsa, after welcoming him, immediately asked him with curiosity: "Who are you, and what is your errand here?" He said, "I was once a mortal, but I have now become a king of the Vidyadharas, named Saktivega and I have many enemies. I have found out by my power that your son is destined to be our emperor, and I have come to see him, O king." When Saktivega, over-awed at the sight of his future emperor, had said this, the king of Vatsa was pleased and again asked him in his astonishment, "How can the rank of a Vidyadhara be attained, and of what nature is it, and how did you obtain it? Tell me this, my friend." When he heard this speech of the king's, that Vidyadhara Saktivega courteously bowing, answered him thus, "O king, resolute souls having propitiated Siva either in this or in a former birth, obtain by his favour the rank of Vidyadhara. And that rank, denoted by the insignia of supernatural knowledge, of sword, garland and so on, is of various kinds, but listen! I will tell you how I obtained it. Having said this, Saktivega told the following story, relating to himself, in the presence of the queen Vasavadatta.

Story of Saktivega king of the Vidyadharas.

There lived long ago in a city called Vardhamana, [370] the ornament of the earth, a king the terror of his foes, called Paropakarin. And this exalted monarch possessed a queen of the name of Kanakaprabha, [371] as the cloud holds the lightning, but she had not the fickleness of the lightning. And in course of time there was born to him by that queen a daughter, who seemed to have been formed by the Creator to dash Lakshmi's pride in her beauty. And that moon of the eyes of the world was gradually reared to womanhood by her father, who gave her the name of Kanakarekha suggested by her mother's name Kanakaprabha. Once on a time, when she had grown up, the king, her father, said to the queen Kanakaprabha, who came to him in secret: "A grown up daughter cannot be kept in one's house, accordingly Kanakarekha troubles my heart with anxiety about a suitable marriage for her. For a maiden of good family, who does not obtain a proper position, is like a song out of tune; when heard of by the ears even of one unconnected with her, she causes distress. But a daughter, who through folly is made over to one not suitable, is like learning imparted to one not fit to receive it, and cannot tend to glory or merit but only to regret. So I am very anxious as to what king I must give this daughter of mine to, and who will be a fit match for her." When Kanakaprabha heard this, she laughed and said,--"You say this, but your daughter does not wish to be married; for to-day when she was playing with a doll and making believe it was a child, I said to her in fun, 'My daughter, when shall I see you married?' When she heard that, she answered me reproachfully: 'Do not say so, you must not marry me to any one; and my separation from you is not appointed, I do well enough as a maiden, but if I am married, know that I shall be a corpse; there is a certain reason for this.' As she has said this to me I have come to you, O king, in a state of distress; for, as she has refused to be married, what use is there in deliberating about a bridegroom?" When the king heard this from the queen, he was bewildered, and going to the private apartments of the princess he said to his daughter: "When the maidens of the G.o.ds and Asuras practise austerities in order to obtain a husband, why, my daughter, do you refuse to take one?' When the princess Kanakarekha heard this speech of her father's, she fixed her eyes on the ground and said, Father, I do not desire to be married at present, so what object has my father in it, and why does he insist upon it?" That king Paropakarin, when his daughter addressed him in that way, being the discreetest of men, thus answered her: "How can sin be avoided unless a daughter is given in marriage? And independence is not fit for a maiden who ought to be in dependence on relations? For a daughter in truth is born for the sake of another and is kept for him. The house of her father is not a fit place for her except in childhood. For if a daughter reaches p.u.b.erty unmarried, her relations go to h.e.l.l, and she is an outcast, and her bridegroom is called the husband of an outcast." When her father said this to her, the princess Kanakarekha immediately uttered a speech that was in her mind, "Father, if this is so, then whatever Brahman or Kshatriya has succeeded in seeing the city called the Golden City, to him I must be given, and he shall be my husband, and if none such is found, you must not unjustly reproach me." When his daughter said that to him, that king reflected: "It is a good thing at any rate that she has agreed to be married on a certain condition, and no doubt she is some G.o.ddess born in my house for a special reason, for else how comes she to know so much though she is a child?" Such were the king's reflections at that time: so he said to his daughter, "I will do as you wish," and then he rose up and did his day's work. And on the next day, as he was sitting in the hall of audience, he said to his courtiers, "Has any one among you seen the city called the Golden City? Whoever has seen it, if he be a Brahman or a Kshatriya, I will give him my daughter Kanakarekha, and make him crown-prince." And they all, looking at one another's faces, said, "We have not even heard of it, much less have we seen it." Then the king summoned the warder and said to him, "Go and cause a proclamation to be circulated in the whole of this town with the beating of drums, and find out if any one has really seen that city." When the warder received this order, he said, "I will do so," and went out; and after he had gone out, he immediately gave orders to the police, and caused a drum to be beaten all round the city, thus arousing curiosity to hear the proclamation, which ran as follows: "Whatever Brahman or Kshatriya youth has seen the city called the Golden City, let him speak, and the king will give him his daughter and the rank of crown-prince." Such was the astounding announcement proclaimed all about the town after the drum had been beaten. And the citizens said, after hearing that proclamation: "What is this Golden City that is to-day proclaimed in our town, which has never been heard of or seen even by those among us who are old?" But not a single one among them said, "I have seen it."

And in the meanwhile a Brahman living in that town, Saktideva by name, the son of Baladeva, heard that proclamation; that youth, being addicted to vice, had been rapidly stripped of his wealth at the gaming-table, and he reflected, being excited by hearing of the giving in marriage of the king's daughter: "As I have lost all my wealth by gambling, I cannot now enter the house of my father, nor even the house of a hetaera, so, as I have no resource, it is better for me to a.s.sert falsely to those who are making the proclamation by beat of drum, that I have seen that city. Who will discover that I know nothing about it, for who has ever seen it? And in this way I may perhaps marry the princess." Thus reflecting Saktideva went to the police, and said falsely, "I have seen that city." They immediately said to him, "Bravo! then come with us to the king's warder." So he went with them to the warder. And in the same way he falsely a.s.serted to him that he had seen that city, and he welcomed him kindly, and took him to the king. And without wavering he maintained the very same story in the presence of the king: what indeed is difficult for a blackleg to do who is ruined by play? Then the king, in order to ascertain the truth, sent that Brahman to his daughter Kanakarekha, and when she heard of the matter from the mouth of the warder, and the Brahman came near, she asked him: "Have you seen that Golden City?" Then he answered her, "Yes, that city was seen by me when I was roaming through the earth in quest of knowledge." [372] She next asked him, "By what road did you go there, and what is it like?" That Brahman then went on to say: "From this place I went to a town called Harapura, and from that I next came to the city of Benares; and from Benares in a few days to the city of Paundravardhana, thence I went to that city called the Golden City, and I saw it, a place of enjoyment for those who act aright, like the city of Indra, the glory of which is made for the delight of G.o.ds. [373] And having acquired learning there, I returned here after some time; such is the path by which I went, and such is that city." After that fraudulent Brahman Saktideva had made up this story, the princess said with a laugh;--"Great Brahman, you have indeed seen that city, but tell me, tell me again by what path you went." When Saktideva heard that, he again displayed his effrontery, and then the princess had him put out by her servants. And immediately after putting him out, she went to her father, and her father asked her: "Did that Brahman speak the truth?"--And then the princess said to her father: "Though you are a king you act without due consideration; do you not know that rogues deceive honest people? For that Brahman simply wants to impose on me with a falsehood, but the liar has never seen the golden city. And all kinds of deceptions are practised on the earth by rogues; for listen to the story of Siva and Madhava, which I will tell you." Having said this, the princess told the following tale:

Story of Siva and Madhava.

There is an excellent city rightly named Ratnapura, [374] and in it there were two rogues named Siva and Madhava. Surrounding themselves with many other rogues, they contrived for a long time to rob, by making use of trickery, all the rich men in the town. And one day those two deliberated together and said--"We have managed by this time to plunder this town thoroughly; so let us now go and live in the city of Ujjayini; there we hear that there is a very rich man named Sankarasvamin, who is chaplain to the king. If we cheat him out of his money we may thereby enjoy the charms of the ladies of Malava. He is spoken of by Brahmans as a miser, because he withholds [375] half their usual fee with a frowning face, though he possesses treasure enough to fill seven vessels; and that Brahman has a pearl of a daughter spoken of as matchless, we will manage to get her too out of him along with the money." Having thus determined, and having arranged beforehand what part each was to play, the two rogues Siva and Madhava went out of that town. At last they reached Ujjayini, and Madhava, with his attendants, disguised as a Rajput, remained in a certain village outside the town. But Siva, who was expert in every kind of deception, having a.s.sumed perfectly the disguise of a religious ascetic, first entered that town alone. There he took up his quarters in a hut on the banks of the Sipra, in which he placed, so that they could be seen, clay, darbha gra.s.s, a vessel for begging, and a deer-skin. And in the morning he anointed his body with thick clay, as if testing beforehand his destined smearing with the mud of the h.e.l.l Avichi. And plunging in the water of the river, he remained a long time with his head downward, as if rehearsing beforehand his future descent to h.e.l.l, the result of his evil actions. And when he rose up from his bath, he remained a long time looking up towards the sun, as if shewing that he deserved to be impaled. Then he went into the presence of the G.o.d and making rings of Kusa gra.s.s, [376]

and muttering prayers, he remained sitting in the posture called Padmasana, [377] with a hypocritical cunning face, and from time to time he made an offering to Vishnu, having gathered white flowers, even as he took captive the simple hearts of the good by his villainy; and having made his offering he again pretended to betake himself to muttering his prayers, and prolonged his meditations as if fixing his attention on wicked ways. And the next day, clothed in the skin of a black antelope, he wandered about the city in quest of alms, like one of his own deceitful leers intended to beguile it, and observing a strict silence he took three handfuls of rice from Brahmans' houses, still equipped with stick and deer-skin, and divided the food into three parts like the three divisions of the day, and part he gave to the crows, and part to his guest, and with the third part he filled his maw; and he remained for a long time hypocritically telling his beads, as if he were counting his sins at the same time, and muttering prayers; and in the night he remained alone in his hut, thinking over the weak points of his fellow-men, even the smallest; and by thus performing every day a difficult pretended penance he gained complete ascendancy over the minds of the citizens in every quarter. And all the people became devoted to him, and a report spread among them in every direction that Siva was an exceedingly self-denying hermit.

And in the meanwhile his accomplice, the other rogue Madhava, having heard from his emissaries how he was getting on, entered that city; and taking up his abode there in a distant temple, he went to the bank of the Sipra to bathe, disguised as a Rajput, and after bathing, as he was returning with his retinue, he saw Siva praying in front of the G.o.d, and with great veneration he fell at his feet, and said before all the people, "There is no other such ascetic in the world, for he has been often seen by me going round from one holy place to another." But Siva, though he saw him, kept his neck immoveable out of cunning, and remained in the same position as before, and Madhava returned to his own lodging. And at night those two met together and ate and drank, and deliberated over the rest of their programme, what they must do next. And in the last watch of the night Siva went back leisurely to his hut. And in the morning Madhava said to one of his gang, "Take these two garments and give them as a present to the domestic chaplain of the king here, who is called Sankarasvamin, and say to him respectfully: 'There is a Rajput come from the Deccan of the name of Madhava, who has been oppressed by his relations, and he brings with him much inherited wealth; he is accompanied by some other Rajputs like himself, and he wishes to enter into the service of your king here, and he has sent me to visit you, O treasure-house of glory.'" The rogue, who was sent off by Madhava with this message, went to the house of that chaplain with the present in his hand, and after approaching him, and giving him the present at a favourable moment, he delivered to him in private Madhava's message, as he had been ordered; he, for his part, out of his greed for presents, believed it all, antic.i.p.ating other favours in the future, for a bribe is the sovereign specific for attracting the covetous. The rogue then came back, and on the next day Madhava, having obtained a favourable opportunity, went in person to visit that chaplain, accompanied by attendants, who hypocritically a.s.sumed the appearance of men desiring service, [378] pa.s.sing themselves off as Rajputs, distinguished by the maces they carried; he had himself announced by an attendant preceding him, and thus he approached the family priest, who received him with welcomes which expressed his delight at his arrival. Then Madhava remained engaged in conversation with him for some time, and at last being dismissed by him, returned to his own house. On the next day he sent another couple of garments as a present, and again approached that chaplain and said to him, "I indeed wish to enter into service to please my retainers, for that reason I have repaired to you, but I possess wealth." When the chaplain heard that, he hoped to get something out of him, and he promised Madhava to procure for him what he desired, and he immediately went and pet.i.tioned the king on this account, and, out of respect for the chaplain, the king consented to do what he asked. And on the next day the family priest took Madhava and his retinue, and presented them to the king with all due respect. The king too, when he saw that Madhava resembled a Rajput in appearance, received him graciously and appointed him a salary. Then Madhava remained there in attendance upon the king, and every night he met Siva to deliberate with him. And the chaplain entreated him to live with him in his house, out of avarice, as he was intent on presents.

Then Madhava with his followers repaired to the house of the chaplain; this settlement was the cause of the chaplain's ruin, as that of the mouse in the trunk of the tree was the cause of its ruin. And he deposited a safe in the strong room of the chaplain, after filling it with ornaments made of false gems. And from time to time he opened the box and by cunningly half-shewing some of the jewels, he captivated the mind of the chaplain as that of a cow is captivated by gra.s.s. And when he had gained in this way the confidence of the chaplain, he made his body emaciated by taking little food, and falsely pretended that he was ill. And after a few days had pa.s.sed, that prince of rogues said with weak voice to that chaplain, who was at his bedside; "My condition is miserable in this body, so bring, good Brahman, some distinguished man of your caste, in order that I may bestow my wealth upon him for my happiness here and hereafter, for, life being unstable, what care can a wise man have for riches?" That chaplain, who was devoted to presents, when addressed in this way, said, "I will do so," and Madhava fell at his feet. Then whatever Brahman the chaplain brought, Madhava refused to receive, pretending that he wanted a more distinguished one. One of the rogues in attendance upon Madhava, when he saw this, said--"Probably an ordinary Brahman does not please him. So it will be better now to find out whether the strict ascetic on the banks of Sipra named Siva pleases him or not?" When Madhava heard that, he said plaintively to that chaplain: "Yes, be kind, and bring him, for there is no other Brahman like him."

The chaplain, thus entreated, went near Siva, and beheld him immoveable, pretending to be engaged in meditation. And then he walked round him, keeping him on his right hand, and sat down in front of him: and immediately the rascal slowly opened his eyes. Then the family priest, bending before him, said with bowed head,--"My Lord, if it will not make you angry, I will prefer a pet.i.tion to you. There is dwelling here a very rich Rajput from the Deccan, named Madhava, and he, being ill, is desirous of giving away his whole property: if you consent, he will give you that treasure which glitters with many ornaments made out of priceless gems." When Siva heard that, he slowly broke silence, and said,--"O Brahman, since I live on alms, and observe perpetual chast.i.ty, of what use are riches to me?" Then that chaplain went on to say to him, "Do not say that, great Brahman, do you not know the due order of the periods in the life of a Brahman? [379]

By marrying a wife, and performing in his house offerings to the Manes, sacrifices to the G.o.ds and hospitality to guests, he uses his property to obtain the three objects of life; [380] the stage of the householder is the most useful of all." Then Siva said, "How can I take a wife, for I will not marry a woman from any low family?" When the covetous chaplain heard that, he thought that he would be able to enjoy his wealth at will, and, catching at the opportunity, he said to him: "I have an unmarried daughter named Vinayasvamini, and she is very beautiful, I will bestow her in marriage on you. And I will keep for you all the wealth which you receive as a donation from Madhava, so enter on the duties of a householder." When Siva heard this, having got the very thing he wanted, he said, "Brahman, if your heart is set on this, [381] I will do what you say. But I am an ascetic who knows nothing about gold and jewels: I shall act as you advise; do as you think best." When the chaplain heard that speech of Siva's, he was delighted, and the fool said, "Agreed"--and conducted Siva to his house. And when he had introduced there that inauspicious guest named Siva, [382] he told Madhava what he had done and was applauded by him. And immediately he gave Siva his daughter, who had been carefully brought up, and in giving her he seemed to be giving away his own prosperity lost by his folly. And on the third day after his marriage, he took him to Madhava who was pretending to be ill, to receive his present. And Madhava rose up and fell at his feet and said what was quite true, "I adore thee whose asceticism is incomprehensible." [383] And in accordance with the prescribed form he bestowed on Siva that box of ornaments made of many sham jewels, which was brought from the chaplain's treasury. Siva for his part, after receiving it, gave it into the hand of the chaplain, saying, "I know nothing about this, but you do." And that priest immediately took it, saying, "I undertook to do this long ago, why should you trouble yourself about it?" Then Siva gave them his blessing, and went to his wife's private apartments, and the chaplain took the box and put it in his strong room. Madhava for his part gradually desisted from feigning sickness, affecting to feel better the next day, and said that his disease had been cured by virtue of his great gift. And he praised the chaplain when he came near, saying to him, "It was by your aiding me in an act of faith that I tided over this calamity." And he openly struck up a friends.h.i.+p with Siva, a.s.serting that it was due to the might of Siva's holiness that his life had been saved. Siva, for his part, after some days said to the chaplain: "How long am I to feast in your house in this style? Why do you not take from me those jewels for some fixed sum of money? If they are valuable, give me a fair price for them." When the priest heard that, thinking that the jewels were of incalculable value, he consented, and gave to Siva as purchase-money his whole living. And he made Siva sign a receipt for the sum with his own hand, and he himself too signed a receipt for the jewels, thinking that that treasure far exceeded his own wealth in value. And they separated, taking one another's receipts, and the chaplain lived in one place, while Siva kept house in another. And then Siva and Madhava dwelt together and remained there leading a very pleasant life consuming the chaplain's wealth. And as time went on, that chaplain, being in need of cash, went to the town to sell one of the ornaments in the bazar.

Then the merchants, who were connoisseurs in jewels, said after examining it, "Ha! the man who made these sham jewels was a clever fellow, whoever he was. For this ornament is composed of pieces of gla.s.s and quartz coloured with various colours and fastened together with bra.s.s, and there are no gems or gold in it." When the chaplain heard that, he went in his agitation and brought all the ornaments from his house, and showed them to the merchants. When they saw them, they said that all of them were composed of sham jewels in the same way; but the chaplain, when he heard that, was, so to speak, thunderstruck. And immediately the fool went off and said to Siva, "Take back your ornaments and give me back my own wealth." But Siva answered him, "How can I possibly have retained your wealth till now? Why it has all in course of time been consumed in my house." Then the chaplain and Siva fell into an altercation, and went, both of them, before the king, at whose side Madhava was standing. And the chaplain made this representation to the king: "Siva has consumed all my substance, taking advantage of my not knowing that a great treasure, which he deposited in my house, [384] was composed of skilfully coloured pieces of gla.s.s and quartz fastened together with bra.s.s." Then Siva said, "King, from my childhood I have been a hermit, and I was persuaded by that man's earnest pet.i.tion to accept a donation, and when I took it, though inexperienced in the ways of the world, I said to him, 'I am no connoisseur in jewels and things of that kind, and I rely upon you,'

and he consented saying, 'I will be your warrant in the matter.' And I accepted all the donation and deposited it in his hand. Then he bought the whole from me at his own price, and we hold from one another mutual receipts; and now it is in the king's power to grant me help in my sorest need." Siva having thus finished his speech, Madhava said, "Do not say this, you are honourable, but what fault have I committed in the matter? I never received anything either from you or from Siva; I had some wealth inherited from my father, which I had long deposited elsewhere; then I brought that wealth and presented it to a Brahman. If the gold is not real gold, and the jewels are not real jewels, then let us suppose that I have reaped fruit from giving away bra.s.s, quartz, and gla.s.s. But the fact that I was persuaded with sincere heart that I was giving something, is clear from this, that I recovered from a very dangerous illness." When Madhava said this to him without any alteration in the expression of his face, the king laughed and all his ministers, and they were highly delighted. And those present in court said, laughing in their sleeves, "Neither Madhava nor Siva has done anything unfair." Thereupon that chaplain departed with downcast countenance, having lost his wealth. For of what calamities is not the blinding of the mind with excessive greed the cause? And so those two rogues Siva and Madhava long remained there, happy in having obtained the favour of the delighted king.

"Thus do rogues spread the webs of their tongue with hundreds of intricate threads, like fishermen upon dry land, living by the net. So you may be certain, my father, that this Brahman is a case in point. By falsely a.s.serting that he has seen the City of Gold, he wishes to deceive you, and to obtain me for a wife. So do not be in a hurry to get me married; I shall remain unmarried at present, and we will see what will happen." When the king Paropakarin heard this from his daughter Kanakarekha, he thus answered her: "When a girl is grown up, it is not expedient that she should remain long unmarried, for wicked people envious of good qualities, falsely impute sin. And people are particularly fond of blackening the character of one distinguished; to ill.u.s.trate this, listen to the story of Harasvamin which I am about to tell you."

Story of Harasvamin. [385]

There is a city on the banks of the Ganges named Kusumapura, [386] and in it there was an ascetic who visited holy places, named Harasvamin. He was a Brahman living by begging; and constructing a hut on the banks of the Ganges, he became, on account of his surprisingly rigid asceticism, the object of the people's respect. [387] And one day a wicked man among the inhabitants, who could not tolerate his virtue, seeing him from a distance going out to beg, said, "Do you know what a hypocritical ascetic that is? It is he that has eaten up all the children in this town." When a second there who was like him, heard this, he said, "It is true, I also have heard people saying this." And a third confirming it said, "Such is the fact." The chain of villains'

conversation binds reproach on the good. And in this way the report spread from ear to ear, and gained general credence in the city. And all the citizens kept their children by force in their houses, saying, "Harasvamin carries off all the children and eats them." And then the Brahmans in that town, afraid that their offspring would be destroyed, a.s.sembled and deliberated about his banishment from the city. And as they did not dare to tell him face to face, for fear he might perhaps eat them up in his rage, they sent messengers to him. And those messengers went and said to him from a distance; "The Brahmans command you to depart from this city." Then in his astonishment he asked them "Why?" And they went on to say; "You eat every child as soon as you see it." When Harasvamin heard that, he went near those Brahmans, in order to rea.s.sure them, and the people fled before him for fear. And the Brahmans, as soon as they saw him, were terrified and went up to the top of their monastery. People who are deluded by reports are not, as a rule, capable of discrimination. Then Harasvamin standing below called all the Brahmans who were above, one by one, by name, and said to them, "What delusion is this, Brahmans? Why do you not ascertain with one another how many children I have eaten, and whose, and how many of each man's children." When they heard that, the Brahmans began to compare notes among themselves, and found that all of them had all their children left alive. And in course of time other citizens, appointed to investigate the matter, admitted that all their children were living. And merchants and Brahmans and all said, "Alas in our folly we have belied a holy man; the children of all of us are alive; so whose children can he have eaten?" Harasvamin, being thus completely exonerated, prepared to leave that city, for his mind was seized with disgust at the slanderous report got up against him by wicked men. For what pleasure can a wise man take in a wicked place, the inhabitants of which are wanting in discrimination? Then the Brahmans and merchants, prostrating themselves at his feet, entreated him to stay there, and he at last, though with reluctance, consented to do so.

"In this way evil men often impute crime falsely to good men, allowing their malicious garrulity full play on beholding their virtuous behaviour. Much more, if they obtain a slight glimpse of any opportunity for attacking them, do they pour copious showers of oil on the fire thus kindled. Therefore if you wish, my daughter, to draw the arrow from my heart, you must not, while this fresh youth of yours is developing, remain unmarried to please yourself, and so incur the ready reproach of evil men." Such was the advice which the princess Kanakarekha frequently received from her father the king, but she, being firmly resolved, again and again answered him: "Therefore quickly search for a Brahman or Kshatriya who has seen that City of Gold and give me to him, for this is the condition I have named." When the king heard that, reflecting that his daughter, who remembered her former birth, had completely made up her mind, and seeing no other way of obtaining for her the husband she desired, he issued another order to the effect that henceforth the proclamation by beat of drum was to take place every day in the city, in order to find out whether any of the newcomers had seen the Golden City. And once more it was proclaimed in every quarter of the city every day, after the drum had been beaten,--"If any Brahman or Kshatriya has seen the Golden City, let him speak; the king will give him his own daughter, together with the rank of Crown-prince." But no one was found who had obtained a sight of the Golden City.

CHAPTER XXV.

In the meanwhile the young Brahman Saktideva, in very low spirits, having been rejected with contempt by the princess he longed for, said to himself; "To-day by a.s.serting falsely that I had seen the Golden City, I certainly incurred contempt, but I did not obtain that princess. So I must roam through the earth to find it, until I have either seen that city or lost my life. For of what use is my life, unless I can return having seen that city, and obtain the princess as the prize of the achievement?" Having thus taken a vow, that Brahman set out from the city of Vardhamana, directing his course toward the southern quarter, and as he journeyed, he at last reached the great forest of the Vindhya range, and entered it, which was difficult and long as his own undertaking. And that forest, so to speak, fanned, with the soft leaves of its trees shaken by the wind, him, who was heated by the mult.i.tudinous rays of the sun; and through grief at being overrun with many robbers, it made its cry heard day and night in the shrill screams of animals which were being slain in it by lions and other noisome beasts. And it seemed, by the unchecked rays of heat flashed upward from its wild deserts, to endeavour to conquer the fierce brightness of the sun: in it, though there was no acc.u.mulation of water, calamity was to be easily purchased: [388] and its s.p.a.ce seemed ever to extend before the traveller as fast as he crossed it. In the course of many days he accomplished a long journey through this forest, and beheld in it a great lake of cold pure water in a lonely spot: which seemed to lord it over all lakes, with its lotuses like lofty umbrellas, and its swans like gleaming white chowries. In the water of that lake he performed the customary ablutions, and on its northern sh.o.r.e he beheld a hermitage with beautiful fruit-bearing trees: and he saw an old hermit named Suryatapas sitting at the foot of an Asvattha tree, surrounded by ascetics, adorned with a rosary, the beads of which by their number seemed to be the knots that marked the centuries of his life, [389]

and which rested against the extremity of his ear that was white with age. And he approached that hermit with a bow, and the hermit welcomed him with hospitable greetings. And the hermit, after entertaining him with fruits and other delicacies, asked him, "Whence have you come, and whither are you going? Tell me, good sir." And Saktideva inclining respectfully, said to that hermit,--"I have come, venerable sir, from the city of Vardhamana, and I have undertaken to go to the Golden City in accordance with a vow. But I do not know where that city lies; tell me venerable sir, if you know." The hermit answered, "My son, I have lived eight hundred years in this hermitage, and I have never even heard of that city." Saktideva when he heard this from the hermit, was cast down, and said again--"Then my wanderings through the earth will end by my dying here." Then that hermit, having gradually elicited the whole story said to him, "If you are firmly resolved, then do what I tell you. Three yojanas from here there is a country named Kampilya, and in it is a mountain named Uttara, and on it there is a hermitage. There dwells my n.o.ble elder brother named Dirghatapas; [390] go to him, he being old may perhaps know of that city." When Saktideva heard that, hope arose in his breast, and having spent the night there he quickly set out in the morning from that place. And wearied with the laborious journey through difficult forest country, he at last reached that region of Kampilya and ascended that mountain Uttara; and there he beheld that hermit Dirghatapas in a hermitage, and he was delighted and approached him with a bow: and the hermit received him hospitably: and Saktideva said to him, "I am on my way to the City of Gold spoken of by the king's daughter: but I do not know, venerable sir, where that city is. However I am bound to find it, so I have been sent to you by the sage Suryatapas in order that I may discover where it lies." When he had said this, the hermit answered him, "Though I am so old, my son, I have never heard of that city till to-day; I have made acquaintance with various travellers from foreign lands, and I have never heard any one speak of it; much less have I seen it. But I am sure it must be in some distant foreign island, and I can tell you an expedient to help you in this matter; there is in the midst of the ocean an island named Utsthala, and in it there is a rich king of the Nishadas [391] named Satyavrata. He goes to and fro among all the other islands, and he may have seen or heard of that city. Therefore first go to the city named Vitankapura situated on the border of the sea. And from that place go with some merchant in a s.h.i.+p to the island where that Nishada dwells, in order that you may attain your object." When Saktideva heard this from the hermit, he immediately followed his advice, and taking leave of him set out from the hermitage. And after accomplis.h.i.+ng many kos and crossing many lands, he reached the city of Vitankapura, the ornament of the sea-sh.o.r.e. There he sought out a merchant named Samudradatta, who traded with the island of Utsthala, and struck up a friends.h.i.+p with him. And he went on board his s.h.i.+p with him, and having food for the voyage fully supplied by his kindness, he set out on the ocean-path. Then, when they had but a short distance to travel, there arose a black cloud with rumbling thunder, resembling a roaring Rakshasa, with flickering lightning to represent his lolling tongue. And a furious hurricane began to blow like Destiny herself, whirling up light objects and hurling down heavy. [392] And from the sea, lashed by the wind, great waves rose aloft like the mountains equipped with wings, [393] indignant that their asylum had been attacked. And that vessel rose on high one moment, and the next moment plunged below, as if exhibiting how rich men are first elevated and then cast down. And the next moment that s.h.i.+p, shrilly laden with the cries of the merchants, burst and split asunder as if with the weight. And the s.h.i.+p being broken, that merchant its owner fell into the sea, but floating through it on a plank he at last reached another vessel. But as Saktideva fell, a large fish, opening its mouth and neck, swallowed him without injuring any of his limbs. And as that fish was roaming at will in the midst of the sea, it happened to pa.s.s near the island of Utsthala; and by chance some servants of that king of the fishermen Satyavrata, who were engaged in the pursuit of small fish, came there and caught it. And those fishermen, proud of their prize, immediately dragged it along to shew to their king, for it was of enormous size. He too, out of curiosity, seeing that it was of such extraordinary size, ordered his servants to cut it open; and when it was cut open, Saktideva came out alive from its belly, having endured a second wonderful imprisonment in the womb. [394]

Then the fisher-king Satyavrata, when he saw that young man come out and bestow his blessing on him, was astonished, and asked him, "Who are you, and how did this lot of dwelling in the belly of the fish befall you? What means this exceedingly strange fate that you have suffered." When Saktideva heard this, he answered that king of the fishermen: "I am a Brahman of the name of Saktideva from the city of Vardhamana; and I am bound to visit the City of Gold, and because I do not know where it is, I have for a long time wandered far over the earth; then I gathered from a speech of Dirghatapas' that it was probably in an island, so I set out to find Satyavrata the king of the fishermen, who lives in the island of Utsthala, in order to learn its whereabouts, but on the way I suffered s.h.i.+pwreck, and so having been whelmed in the sea and swallowed by a fish, I have been brought here now." When Saktideva had said this, Satyavrata said to him: "I am in truth Satyavrata, and this is the very island you were seeking; but though I have seen many islands, I have never seen the city you desire to find, but I have heard of it as situated in one of the distant islands." Having said this, and perceiving that Saktideva was cast down, Satyavrata out of kindness for his guest went on to say: "Brahman, do not be despondent; remain here this night, and to-morrow morning I will devise some expedient to enable you to attain your object." The Brahman was thus consoled by the king, and sent off to a monastery of Brahmans, where guests were readily entertained. There Saktideva was supplied with food by a Brahman named Vishnudatta, an inmate of the monastery, and entered into conversation with him. And in the course of that conversation, being questioned by him, he told him in a few words his country, his family, and his whole history. When Vishnudatta heard that, he immediately embraced him, and said in a voice indistinct from the syllables being choked with tears of joy: "Bravo! you are the son of my maternal uncle and a fellow-countryman of mine. But I long ago in my childhood left that country to come here. So stop here awhile, and soon the stream of merchants and pilots that come here from other islands will accomplish your wish." Having told him his descent in these words, Vishnudatta waited upon Saktideva with all becoming attentions. And Saktideva, forgetting the toil of the journey, obtained delight, for the meeting a relation in a foreign land is like a fountain of nectar in the desert. And he considered that the accomplishment of his object was near at hand, for good luck, befalling one by the way indicates success in an undertaking. So he reclined at night sleepless upon his bed, with his mind fixed upon the attainment of his desire, and Vishnudatta, who was by his side, in order to encourage and delight him at the same time, related to him the following tale:

Story of Asokadatta and Vijayadatta. [395]

Formerly there was a great Brahman named Govindasvamin, living on a great royal grant of land on the banks of the Yamuna. And in course of time there were born to that virtuous Brahman two sons like himself, Asokadatta and Vijayadatta. While they were living there, there arose a terrible famine in that land, and so Govindasvamin said to his wife; "This land is ruined by famine, and I cannot bear to behold the misery of my friends and relations. For who gives anything to anybody? So let us at any rate give away to our friends and relations what little food we possess and leave this country. And let us go with our family to Benares to live there." When he said this to his wife, she consented, and he gave away his food, and set out from that place with his wife, sons, and servants. For men of n.o.ble soul cannot bear to witness the miseries of their relatives. And on the road he beheld a skull-bearing Saiva ascetic, white with ashes, and with matted hair, like the G.o.d Siva himself with his half-moon. The Brahman approached that wise man with a bow, and out of love for his sons, asked him about their destiny, whether it should be good or bad, and that Yogi answered him: "The future destiny of your sons is auspicious, but you shall be separated, Brahman, from this younger one Vijayadatta, and finally by the might of the second Asokadatta you shall be reunited to him." Govindasvamin, when that wise man said this to him, took leave of him and departed overpowered with joy, grief, and wonder; and after reaching Benares he spent the day there in a temple of Durga outside the town, engaged in wors.h.i.+pping the G.o.ddess and such like occupations. And in the evening he encamped outside that temple under a tree, with his family, in the company of pilgrims who had come from other countries. And at night, while all were asleep, wearied with their long journey, stretched out on strewn leaves, and, such other beds as travellers have to put up with, his younger son Vijayadatta, who was awake, was suddenly seized with a cold ague-fit; that ague quickly made him tremble, and caused his hair to stand on end, as if it had been the fear of his approaching separation from his relations. And oppressed with the cold he woke up his father, and said to him: "A terrible ague afflicts me here now, father, so bring fuel and light me a fire to keep off the cold, in no other way can I obtain relief or get through the night." When Govindasvamin heard him say this, he was distressed at his suffering, and said to him; "Whence can I procure fire now my son?" Then his son said; "Why surely we may see a fire burning near us on this side, and it is very large, so why should I not go there and warm my body? So take me by the hand, for I have a s.h.i.+vering fit, and lead me there." Thus entreated by his son the Brahman went on to say: "This is a cemetery, [396] and the fire is that of a funeral pyre, so how can you go to a place terrible from the presence of goblins and other spirits, for you are only a child?" When the brave Vijayadatta heard that speech of his affectionate father's, he laughed and said in his confidence, "What can the wretched goblins and other evil ones do to me? Am I a weakling? So take me there without fear." When he said this so persistently, his father led him there, and the boy warming his body approached the pyre, which seemed to bear on itself the presiding deity of the Rakshasas in visible form, with the smoke of the flames for dishevelled hair, devouring the flesh of men. The boy at once encouraged his father [397] and asked him what the round thing was that he saw inside the pyre. And his father standing at his side, answered him, "This, my son, is the skull of a man which is burning in the pyre." Then the boy in his recklessness struck the skull with a piece of wood lighted at the top, and clove it. The brains spouted up from it and entered his mouth, like the initiation into the practices of the Rakshasas, bestowed upon him by the funeral flame. And by tasting them that boy became a Rakshasa, with hair standing on end, with sword that he had drawn from the flame, terrible with projecting tusks: so he seized the skull and drinking the brains from it, he licked it with tongue restlessly quivering like the flames of fire that clung to the bone. Then be flung aside the skull, and lifting his sword he attempted to slay his own father Govindasvamin. But at that moment a voice came out from the cemetery, "Kapalasphota, [398] thou G.o.d, thou oughtest not to slay thy father, come here." When the boy heard that, having obtained the t.i.tle of Kapalasphota and become a Rakshasa, he let his father alone, and disappeared; and his father departed exclaiming aloud, "Alas my son! Alas my virtuous son! Alas Vijayadatta!" And he returned to the temple of Durga; and in the morning he told his wife and his eldest son Asokadatta what had taken place. Then that unfortunate man together with them suffered an attack of the fire of grief, terrible like the falling of lightning from a cloud, so that the other people, who were sojourning in Benares, and had come to visit the shrine of the G.o.ddess, came up to him and sympathised heartily with his sorrow. In the meanwhile a great merchant, who had come to wors.h.i.+p the G.o.ddess, named Samudradatta, beheld Govindasvamin in that state. The good man approached him and comforted him, and immediately took him and his family home to his own house. And there he provided him with a bath and other luxuries, for this is the innate tendency of the great, to have mercy upon the wretched. Govindasvamin also and his wife recovered their self-command, having heard [399] the speech of the great Saiva ascetic, hoping to be re-united to their son. And thenceforth he lived in that city of Benares, in the house of that rich merchant, having been asked by him to do so. And there his other son Asokadatta grew up to be a young man, and after studying the sciences learnt boxing and wrestling. And gradually he attained such eminence in these arts, that he was not surpa.s.sed by any champion on the earth. And once on a time there was a great gathering of wrestlers at an idol procession, and a great and famous wrestler came from the Deccan. He conquered all the other wrestlers of the king of Benares, who was called Pratapamukuta, before his eyes. Then the king had Asokadatta quickly summoned from the house of that excellent merchant, and ordered him to contend with that wrestler. That wrestler began the combat by catching the arm of Asokadatta with his hand, but Asokadatta seized his arm, and hurled him to the ground. Then the field of combat, as it were, pleased, applauded the victor with the resounding noise produced by the fall of that champion wrestler. And the king being gratified, loaded Asokadatta with jewels, and having seen his might, he made him his own personal attendant. So he became a favourite of the king's, and in time attained great prosperity, for to one who possesses heroic qualities, a king who appreciates merit is a perfect treasure-house. Once on a time, that king went on the fourteenth day of the month away from his capital, to wors.h.i.+p the G.o.d Siva in a splendid temple in a distant town. After he had paid his devotions, he was returning by night near the cemetery when he heard this utterance issue from it: "O king, the chief magistrate out of private malice proclaimed that I deserved death, and it is now the third day since I was impaled, and even now my life will not leave my body, though I am innocent, so I am exceedingly thirsty; O king, order water to be given me." When the king heard it, out of pity he said to his personal attendant Asokadatta, "Send that man some water." Then Asokadatta said, "Who would go there at night? So I had better go myself." Accordingly he took the water, and set off. After the king had proceeded on his way to his capital, the hero entered that cemetery, the interior of which was difficult to penetrate, as it was filled with dense darkness within; in it there were awful evening oblations offered with the human flesh scattered about by the jackals; in places the cemetery was lighted up by the flaming beacons of the blazing funeral pyres, and in it the Vetalas made terrible music with the clapping of their hands, so that it seemed as if it were the palace of black night. Then he cried aloud, "Who asked the king for water?" And he heard from one quarter an answer, "I asked for it." Following the voice he went to a funeral pyre near, and beheld a man impaled on the top of a stake, and underneath it he saw a woman that he had never seen before, weeping, adorned with beautiful ornaments, lovely in every limb; like the night adorned with the rays of the moon, now that the moon itself had set, its splendour having waned in the dark fortnight, come to wors.h.i.+p the funeral pyre. He asked the woman: "Who are you, mother, and why are you standing weeping here?" She answered him, "I am the ill-fated wife of him who is here impaled, and I am waiting here with the firm intention of ascending the funeral pyre with him. And I am waiting some time for his life to leave his body, for though it is the third day of his impalement, his breath does not depart. And he often asks for that water which I have brought here, but I cannot reach his mouth, my friend, as the stake is high." When he heard that speech of hers, the mighty hero said to her: "But here is water in my hand sent to him by the king, so place your foot on my back and lift it to his mouth, for the mere touching of another man in sore need does not disgrace a woman." When she heard that, she consented, and taking the water she climbed up so as to plant her two feet on the back of Asokadatta, who bent down at the foot of the stake. Soon after, as drops of blood unexpectedly began to fall upon the earth and on his back, the hero lifted up his face and looked. Then he saw that woman cutting off slice after slice of that impaled man's flesh with a knife, and eating it. [400]

Then, perceiving that she was some horrible demon, [401] he dragged her down in a rage, and took hold of her by her foot with its tinkling anklets in order to dash her to pieces on the earth. She, for her part, dragged away from him that foot, and by her deluding power quickly flew up into the heaven, and became invisible. And the jewelled anklet, which had fallen from her foot, while she was dragging it away, remained in one of Asokadatta's hands. Then he, reflecting that she had disappeared after shewing herself mild at first, and evil-working in the middle, and at the end horror-striking by a.s.suming a terrible form, like a.s.sociation with wicked men,--and seeing that heavenly anklet in his hand, was astonished, grieved and delighted at the same time; and then he left that cemetery, taking the anklet with him, and went to his own house, and in the morning, after bathing, to the palace of the king.

And when the king said--"Did you give the water to the man who was impaled," he said he had done so, and gave him that anklet; and when the king of his own accord asked him where it came from, he told that king his wonderful and terrible night-adventure. And then the king, perceiving that his courage was superior to that of all men, though he was before pleased with his other excellent qualities, was now more exceedingly delighted; and he took that anklet in his joy and gave it with his own hand to the queen, and described to her the way in which he had obtained it. And she, hearing the story and beholding that heavenly jewelled anklet, rejoiced in her heart and was continually engaged in extolling Asokadatta. Then the king said to her: "Queen, in birth, in learning, in truthfulness and beauty Asokadatta is great among the great; and I think it would be a good thing if he were to become the husband of our lovely daughter Mada.n.a.lekha; in a bridegroom these qualities are to be looked for, not fortune that vanishes in a moment, so I will give my daughter to this excellent hero." When she heard that speech of her husband's, that queen approving the proposal said, "It is quite fitting, for the youth will be an appropriate match for her, and her heart has been captivated by him, for she saw him in a spring-garden, and for some days her mind has been in a state of vacancy and she neither hears nor sees; I heard of it from her confidante, and, after spending an anxious night, towards morning I fell asleep, and I remember I was thus addressed by some heavenly woman in a dream, 'My child, thou must not give this thy daughter Mada.n.a.lekha to any one but Asokadatta, for she is his wife acquired by him in a former birth.' And when I heard it, I woke up, and in the morning I went myself on the strength of the dream and consoled my daughter. And now, my husband has of his own accord proposed the marriage to me. Let her therefore be united to him, as a spring-creeper to its stalk." When the king's beloved wife said this to him, he was pleased, and he made festal rejoicings, and summoning Asokadatta gave that daughter to him. And the union of those two, the daughter of the king, and the son of the great Brahman, was such that each enhanced the other's glory, like the union of prosperity and modesty. And once upon a time the queen said to the king, with reference to the anklet brought by Asokadatta: "My husband, this anklet by itself does not look well, so let another be made like it." When the king heard that, he gave an order to the goldsmiths and other craftsmen of the kind, to make a second anklet like that. But they, after examining it said;--"It is impossible, O king, to make another like it, for the work is heavenly, not human. There are not many jewels of this kind upon the earth, so let another be sought for where this was obtained." When the king and the queen heard this, they were despondent, and Asokadatta who was there, on seeing that, immediately said, "I myself will bring you a fellow to that anklet." And having made this promise he could not give up the project on which he was resolved, although the king, terrified at his temerity, endeavoured to dissuade him out of affection. And taking the anklet he went again on the fourteenth night of the black fortnight to the cemetery where he had first obtained it; and after he had entered that cemetery which was full of Rakshasas as it was of trees, besmirched with the copious smoke of the funeral pyres, and with men hanging from their trunks [402] which were weighed down and surrounded with nooses, he did not at first see that woman that he had seen before, but he thought of an admirable device for obtaining that bracelet, which was nothing else than the selling of human flesh. [403]

So he pulled down a corpse from the noose by which it was suspended on the tree, and he wandered about in the cemetery, crying aloud--"Human flesh for sale, buy, buy!" And immediately a woman called to him from a distance, saying, "Courageous man, bring the human flesh and come along with me." When he heard that, he advanced following that woman, and beheld at no great distance under a tree a lady of heavenly appearance, surrounded with women, sitting on a throne, glittering with jewelled ornaments, whom he would never have expected to find in such a place, any more than to find a lotus in a desert. And having been led up by that woman, he approached the lady seated as has been described, and said, "Here I am, I sell human flesh, buy, buy!" And then the lady of heavenly appearance said to him, "Courageous hero, for what price will you sell the flesh?" Then the hero, with the corpse hanging over his shoulder and back, said to her, shewing her at the same time that single jewelled anklet which was in his hand, "I will give this flesh to whoever will give me a second anklet like this one; if you have got a second like it, take the flesh." When she heard that, she said to him, "I have a second like it, for this very single anklet was taken by you from me. I am that very woman who was seen by you near the impaled man, but you do not recognise me now, because I have a.s.sumed another shape. So what is the use of flesh? If you do what I tell you, I will give you my second anklet, which matches the one in your hand." When she said this to the hero, he consented and said, "I will immediately do whatever you say." Then she told him her whole desire from the beginning: "There is, good sir, a city named Trighanta on a peak of the Himalayas. In it there lived a heroic prince of the Rakshasas named Lambajihva. I am his wife, Vidyuchchhikha by name, and I can change my form at will. And as fate would have it, that husband of mine, after the birth of my daughter, was slain in battle fighting in front of the king Kapalasphota; then that king being pleased gave me his own city, and I have lived with my daughter in great comfort on its proceeds up to the present time. And that daughter of mine has by this time grown up to fresh womanhood, and I have great anxiety in my mind as to how to obtain for her a brave husband. Then being here on the fourteenth night of the lunar fortnight, and seeing you coming along this way with the king, I thought--'This good-looking youth is a hero and a fit match for my daughter. So why should I not devise some stratagem for obtaining him?' Thus I determined, and imitating the voice of an impaled person, I asked for water, and brought you into the middle of that cemetery by a trick. And there I exhibited my delusive power in a.s.suming a false shape and other characteristics, and saying what was false I imposed upon you there, though only for a moment. And I artfully left one of my anklets there to attract you again, like a binding chain to draw you, and then I came away. And to-day I have obtained you by that very expedient, so come to my house; marry my daughter and receive the other anklet." When the Rakshasi said this to him, the hero consented, and by means of her magic power he went with her through the air to her city. And he saw that city built of gold on a peak of the Himalayas, like the orb of the sun fixed in one spot, being weary with the toil of wandering through the heavens. There he married that daughter of the prince of the Rakshasas, by name Vidyutprabha, like the success of his own daring incarnate in bodily form. And Asokadatta dwelt with that loved one some time in that city, enjoying great comfort by means of his mother-in-law's wealth. Then he said to his mother-in-law, "Give me that anklet, for I must now go to the city of Benares, for I myself long ago promised the king that I would bring a second anklet, that would vie with the first one so distinguished for its unparalleled beauty." The mother-in-law, having been thus entreated by her son-in-law, gave him that second anklet of hers, and in addition a golden lotus. [404]

Then he left that city with the anklet and the lotus, after promising to return, and his mother-in-law by the power of her magic knowledge carried him once more through the air to the cemetery. And then she stopped under the tree and said to him, "I always come here on the fourteenth night of the black fortnight, and whenever you come here on that [405] night, you will find me here under the banyan-tree." When Asokadatta heard this, he agreed to come there on that night, and took leave of that Rakshasi, and went first to his father's house. And just as he was gladdening by his unexpected arrival his parents, who were grieved by such an absence of his, which doubled their grief for their separation from their younger son, the king his father-in-law, who had heard of his arrival, came in. The king indulged in a long outburst of joy, embracing him who bent before him, with limbs the hairs of which stood on end like thorns, as if terrified at touching one so daring. [406] Then Asokadatta entered with him the palace of the king, like joy incarnate in bodily form, and he gave to the king those two anklets matched together, which so to speak praised his valour with their tinkling, and he bestowed on that king the beautiful golden lotus, as it were the lotus, with which the presiding Fortune of the Rakshasas' treasure plays, torn, from her hand; then being questioned out of curiosity by the king and queen he told the story of his exploits, which poured nectar into their ears. The king then exclaimed--"Is glittering glory, which astonishes the mind by the description of wonderful exploits, ever obtained without a man's bringing himself to display boldness?" Thus the king spake on that occasion, and he and the queen, who had obtained the pair of anklets, considered their object in life attained, now that they had such a son-in-law. And then that palace, resounding with festal instruments, appeared as if it were chanting the virtues of Asokadatta. And on the next day the king dedicated the golden lotus in a temple made by himself, placing it upon a beautiful silver vessel; and the two together, the vessel and the lotus, gleamed white and red like the glory of the king and the might [407] of Asokadatta. And beholding them thus, the king, a devout wors.h.i.+pper of Siva, with eyes expanded with joy, spoke inspired with the rapture of adoration, "Ah! this lofty vessel appears, with this lotus upon it, like Siva white with ashes, with his auburn matted locks. If I had a second golden lotus like it, I would place it in this second silver vessel." When Asokadatta heard this speech of the king's, he said, "I, king, will bring you a second golden lotus;" when the king heard that, he answered him, "I have no need of another lotus, a truce to your temerity!" Then as days went on, Asokadatta being desirous of bringing a golden lotus, the fourteenth day of the black fortnight returned; and that evening the sun, the golden lotus of the sky-lake, went to the mountain of setting, as if out of fear, knowing his desire for a golden lotus; and when the shades of night, brown as smoke, began immediately to spread everywhere like Rakshasas, proud of having swallowed the red clouds of evening as if they were raw flesh, and the mouth of night, like that of an awful female goblin, began to yawn, s.h.i.+ning and terrible as tamala, full of flickering flames, [408] Asokadatta of his own accord left the palace where the princess was asleep, and again went to that cemetery. There he beheld at the foot of that banyan-tree his mother-in-law the Rakshasi, who had again come, and who received him with a courteous welcome, and with her the youth went again to her home, the peak of the Himalayas, where his wife was anxiously awaiting him. And after he had remained some time with his wife, he said to his mother-in-law, "Give me a second golden lotus from somewhere or other." When she heard that, she said to him, "Whence can I procure another golden lotus? But there is a lake here belonging to our king Kapalasphota, where golden lotuses of this kind grow on all sides. From that lake he gave that one lotus to my husband as a token of affection." When she said this, he answered her, "Then take me to that lake, in order that I may myself take a gold