Chapter III: Part 3

“In fine, when several days had elapsed, four suitors came from four different countries. Then the king said to them, ‘Do each of you set forth clearly before me the superior qualities and knowledge he possesses.’ One of them said, ‘I possess such knowledge that I manufacture a cloth and sell it for five rubies. When I realise the price, I give one of the rubies to Brahmans, of another I make an offering to the gods, a third I wear on my own person, a fourth I reserve for my wife, the fifth I sell, and constantly support myself with the money so obtained. No one else possesses this knowledge. And as to the good looks I possess,--they are open to view.’ The second said, ‘I am acquainted with the languages of both land and aquatic beasts and birds; have no equal in strength; and my beauty is before you.’ The third said, ‘So well do I comprehend the learned writings that no equal of mine exists; and my beauty is before your eyes.’ The fourth said, ‘I stand alone in my knowledge of the use of weapons; * there is no one like me; I can shoot an arrow which will strike an object which is heard, but not seen; and my beauty is famous in the world,--you, too, must surely see it.’”

* I suspect an error in the text here; viz., shãstra for
shastra; for the third suitor had already claimed the
possession of unrivalled excellence in the shãstras, while
the fourth boasts of his superior shill in archery, which
would certainly seem to accord better with shastra than
shãstra. Moreover, the judgment of King Vikram shows
satisfactorily, I think, that shastra is the word intended.

“On hearing the statements of the four of them, the king began to think to himself, ‘All four are on a par as to excellences; to which should I give the girl?’ Having reflected thus, he went to his daughter and set forth the virtues of the whole four of them, and said, ‘To which of them shall I give thee (in marriage)?’ On hearing this, she hung down her head through modesty, and kept silent, making no answer.”

After relating so much of the story, the sprite said, “Now, King Vikram! for which of them is this woman suited?” The king replied, “He who makes cloth and sells it is a _südra_ by caste; and he who knows the languages is a _bais_ by caste; he who has studied the learned writings is a _Brahman_; and he who hits with an arrow an object which is simply, heard, and not seen, is of _her_ caste: the woman is suitable for him.” On hearing these words, the sprite went again and hung himself on that tree; and the king, too, went thither, bound him, placed him on his shoulder, and carried him off.

TALE VIII.

Then the sprite said, “O king! there is a city named Mithalãvatï, the king of which is Gunãdhip. A young rãjpüt, named Chiramdeva, came from a distant land to enter his service. He used to go daily to pay his respects to the king, but did not obtain an interview. And in the course of a year he consumed all the money he had brought (with him) while tarrying here without employment, and there (in his native land), his home went to ruin.”

“It happened one day that the king mounted his horse for the chase, and Chiramdeva also joined his cavalcade. The king became accidentally separated from his followers in a forest, and the attendants lost themselves in another jungle; one, however, Chiramdeva, was following the king. At length, he called out, and said, ‘Your majesty! all the attendants have remained behind, while I am accompanying you, making my horse keep pace with yours.’ On hearing this, the king reined in his horse, and so he came up (to the king). The king looked at him, and asked, ‘How hast thou become so emaciated?’”

“Then he replied, ‘If I live with a master, such that he cherishes thousands of people, while he takes no thought of me, no blame (attaches) to him for this, but rather my own fate is to blame. As, for example, by daylight the whole world is clearly visible; yet it is not visible to the owl;--what blame can be imputed to the sun for this? It is astonishing to me that he who caused the means, of subsistence to reach me in my mother’s womb, should take no thought of me now, when I have been born, and am capable of enjoying worldly aliment. I know not whether he sleeps or is dead. And, in my opinion, it is better to swallow deadly poison and die, than to ask for goods and money from a great man who, while giving the same, makes a wry face, and turns up his nose (in contempt), and raises his brows. Now these six things render a man contemptible,--first, the friendship of a perfidious man; second, causeless laughter; third, altercation with a woman; fourth, the serving a bad master; fifth, riding a donkey; sixth, unpolished (or uncouth) speech. * And the following five things the Creator records in a man’s destiny at the time of his birth,--First, length of life; second, acts; third, wealth; fourth, know-ledge; fifth, reputation. O king! so long as a man’s virtues ** are conspicuous, all continue to be his servants; but when his virtues decrease, his very friends become his enemies.”

* Lit.--A dialect without Sanskrit.

** I should much prefer translating “so long as a man’s
fortunes are in the ascendant,” were it not that none of the
lexicons I have seen sanctions the sense of “fortunes” for
punya.

“This one thing, however, is certain; by serving a good master one derives benefit sooner or later; he does not remain unbenefited.’”

“On hearing this, the king pondered over all these words, but did not then make any reply. He said this to him, however, ‘I feel hungry; bring me something to eat from somewhere.’ Chiramdeva said, ‘Your majesty! bread ** is not to be obtained here.’ Having said this, he went into the jungle, killed a deer, took out a flint and steel from his pocket, kindled a fire, broiled some slices of meat, and served up a plentiful meal to the king, and partook of it himself as well. To be brief, when the king was quite satisfied, *** he said, ‘Now, Rãjpüt I conduct me to the city, for the road is not known to me.’ He conducted the king into the city, and brought him to his palace. Then the king appointed him to an office, and bestowed many robes and jewels upon him. After that, he continued in close attendance upon the king.”

** Lit.--“Grain-food,” which might mean boiled rice, or
cakes of bread and boiled pulse.

*** Lit.--When the king’s belly was filled.

“In short, the king one day sent that Rãjpüt on some business to the seaside. When he reached the sea-shore, he beheld a temple (dedicated) to Devi. He entered it, and worshipped Devi. But, on the instant of his coming out thence, a beautiful damsel came up to him from behind, and began questioning him, saying, ‘O man! why hast thou come here?’ He replied, ‘I have come in quest of pleasure, and at the sight of thy beauty I am fascinated.’ She said, ‘If thou hast any design on me, first go and bathe in this pool; after that I will listen to whatever thou shalt say to me.’”

“On the instant of hearing this, he took off his clothes, entered the pool and dipped, and came out, and lo! he was standing in his own city! On beholding this marvel, he was filled with fear, and returning home in his helplessness, clothed himself, and went and related the whole story to the king. The king no sooner heard it than he said, ‘Show me this wonder also.’ This said, he ordered the horses, and both mounted and set off. After several days, they reached the sea-shore, and entered the same temple of Devi, and paid adoration. Farther, when the king came out, the very same damsel, accompanied by a female friend, came and stood beside the king, and on beholding the king’s handsome appearance, became fascinated, and said, ‘O king! I will execute any command you may give me.’ The king replied, saying, ‘If thou wilt obey my command, become the wife of my servant.’ She said, ‘I have become the slave of thy beauty, how then can I become his wife?’ The king replied, ‘It was but this instant thou saidst to me, ‘I will obey any command you may give me.’ Now, whatever the good promise they perform. Keep thy plighted word, (and) become the wife of my servant.’ On hearing this, she said, ‘Your word is law to me.’ Thereupon the king married his servant to her without the usual ceremonies, * and brought them both with him to his palace.”

* A gandharb marriage is one where the usual formalities are
dispensed with, and the parties become man and wife by
mutual consent.

Having related so much of the story, the sprite said, “Tell me, O king! Of master and servant, whose was the greater virtue?” The king said, “The servant’s.” The sprite said again, “Was not the merit of the king greater, who obtained so beautiful a woman, and bestowed her on his servant?” Thereupon king Bir Vikramãjït said, “What superior merit is there in their conferring favours, whose office it is to do so? But he who, while having his own, interests to attend to, promotes the interests of another--_he_ is the greater. For this reason, the servant’s merit was the greater.” On hearing these words, the sprite went and hung himself on that same tree; and the king went and again took him down from thence, placed him on his shoulder, and carried him away.

TALE IX.

The sprite said, “O king! there-is a city named Madanpur, where was a king named Birbar. Now, in that same country there was a merchant named Hiranyadatt, whose daughter’s name was Madansenã. One day, in the spring-time, she went, with her female friends, into her garden, to stroll about and enjoy the scene. It so happened that, previous to her coming out, Somdatt, the son of a merchant named Dharmdatt, had come, with a friend, to take a stroll in the forest. On his return thence, he came into that garden; (and) on beholding her, became enamoured, and began to say to his friend, ‘Brother! Should she ever be united to me, then my living will be to some purpose; and if not, then my living in the world is in vain.’”

“Addressing these words to his friend, (and) being distracted by the pangs of separation, he involuntarily approached her, and seizing her hand, began to say, ‘If thou wilt not love me, I will sacrifice my life on thy account.’ She replied, ‘Act not thus; that would be a sin.’ Then he said, ‘Thy amorous glances have pierced my heart, and the fire of separation from thee has consumed my body; my whole consciousness and understanding have been destroyed by this pain; and at this moment, through the overpowering influence of love, I have no regard for right or wrong; but if thou wilt give me thy word, new life will enter my soul.’ She said, ‘On the fifth day from this day my marriage will take place; but I will first have intercourse with thee, and afterwards abide at my husband’s.’ After giving him this promise, and taking her oath (to keep it) she departed to her home, and he to his.”

“To be brief, on the fifth day her marriage took place. Her husband brought her to his home after the marriage. After some days the wives of her husband’s younger and elder brothers compelled her to go to her husband at night. She entered the nuptial chamber, and sat quietly down in a corner. In the meantime, her husband seeing her, took her hand, and made her sit on the bed. In fine, as he was about to embrace her, she; shook him off with her hand, and related to him all that she had promised the merchant’s son. On hearing this her husband said, ‘If thou really desirest to go to him, go.’”

“Having received her husband’s permission, she started for the merchant’s place. A thief seeing her on the road, came up to her in delight, and said, ‘Whither goest thou alone, at this midnight hour, in this pitch-darkness, bedecked with such garments and jewels?’ She replied, ‘To the place where my dearly beloved dwells.’ On hearing this the thief said, ‘Who is thy protector here?’ She began to say, ‘Cupid, my protector, with his bow and arrows, is with me.’ Having said this, she then related her whole story to the thief, from beginning to end, and said, ‘Do not spoil my attire; I give thee my word that, when I return thence, I will deliver my jewels to thee.’”

“On hearing this, the thief said to himself, ‘She leaves me, in truth, with a promise to deliver up her jewels to me; then why should I spoil her attire?’ Thus reflecting, he let her go. (He) himself sat down there, while she went to the place where Somdatt was lying asleep. She having suddenly roused him as soon as she got there, he arose bewildered, and commenced saying, ‘Art thou the daughter of a god, or sage, or serpent? * Tell me truly, who art thou? and whence art thou come to me?’ She replied, ‘I am the daughter of a man--the daughter of the merchant Hiranyadatt; Madansenã is my name; and dost thou not remember that thou didst forcibly seize my hand in the grove, and didst insist on my giving thee my oath; and I swore, at thy bidding, that I would leave the man I was married to and come to thee? I have come accordingly; do unto me whatever thou pleasest.’”

* Nig is the name of the fabulous serpents (said to have a
human face), inhabiting Pãtala, or the infernal regions.

“On this he asked, ‘Hast thou told this story to thy husband, or not?’ She replied, saying, ‘I have mentioned the whole affair, and after becoming acquainted with everything, he has allowed me to come to thee.’ Somdatt said, ‘This matter is like jewels without apparel, or food without clarified butter, or singing out of tune--all these things are alike. Similarly, dirty garments mar beauty, bad food saps the strength, a wicked wife deprives of life, a bad son ruins the family. Whereas a demon takes life on his being enraged, a woman, either as a friend or a foe, is in both cases the occasion of sorrow. What a woman does not do is of little moment; for she does not give utterance to the thoughts of her mind; and what is at the tip of her tongue she does not reveal; and what she does, she does not tell of. A wonderful creature has God created in the world in woman.’”

“After uttering these words, the merchant’s son answered her, saying, ‘I will have nothing to do with another’s wife.’ On hearing this she took her way back home again. On the way she met the thief, (and) told him the whole story. The thief, on hearing it, applauded her highly, and let her go. She came nigh her husband and told him all the circumstances; but her husband evinced no affection for her, and said, ‘The beauty of the cuckoo consists in its note alone; a woman’s beauty consists in her fidelity to her husband; and the beauty of an ugly man is his knowledge; the beauty of a devotee is his patient suffering.’”

Having related so much of the story, the sprite said, “O king! whose is the highest merit of these three?” King Vikramãjït replied, “The thief’s merit is the greatest.” The sprite said, “How?” The king replied, “Seeing her heart set on another man, her husband gave her up; through dread of the king, Somdatt let her alone; whereas there was no reason for the thief’s leaving her unmolested. Hence the thief is the superior.” On hearing this, the sprite went again and suspended himself on that tree; and the king also went there, took him down from the tree, bound and placed him on his shoulder, and once more carried him away.

TALE X.

The sprite said, “O king! in the country of Gaur there is a city called Baradmãn, and the king of that place was named Gunshekhar. His minister was a follower of the Jain persuasion, Abhaichand by name. Through his persuasion, the king, too, entered the pale of the Jain religion. He prohibited the worship of Shiva, as also that of Vishnu, and offerings of cattle, grants of land, oblations * to deceased ancestors, gambling and intoxicating liquors--all these he interdicted: no one was allowed to practise them in the city, and no one could carry away bones to the Ganges. And the minister, too, with the king’s sanction for these matters, had it proclaimed in the city, that whoever performs these acts, the king will confiscate all his property, and inflict punishment on him, and expel him from the city.”

* These oblations consist of balls (pind) of meat, or rice
mixed up with milk, curds, flowers, &c., and offered to the
manes at the several Shraddhas (or funeral ceremonies and
worship of the manes) by the nearest surviving relations.

“Thereafter the minister said one day to the king, ‘Attend, O king! to an exposition of the sacred law Whosoever takes the life of any one, this same takes his life also in another state of existence. It is on account of this sin that living and dying are inseparable from man on his entering this world. He is born again and again, and again he dies. Hence, it behoves man, on his being born into the world, to treasure up virtuous deeds. Observe (how) Brahmã, Yishnü, Mahãdeva, in one form or another, become incarnate in the world under the influence of love, anger, covetousness, or infatuation! A cow, forsooth, is superior to them, for she is free from passion, hatred, pride, anger, covetousness, infatuation; moreover, she sustains the subjects. And the sons which are born to her also impart the utmost ease to the living things of the earth, and cherish them. It is for this reason that all the deities and holy sages hold the cow sacred. Therefore, to worship the gods, is not well: worship the cow in this world. And it is a duty to protect the life of every animal, from the elephant to the ant; including beasts, birds, &c., up to man; there is no duty equal to that in the world. Those who add to their flesh by eating the flesh of other creatures, ultimately suffer the torments of hell. Hence it is incumbent on man to preserve life. Those who regard not the sufferings of others, but go on destroying the life of other creatures, and eating them--their lives are shortened on the earth, and they are born cripples, or lame, or blind of one eye, or blind of both eyes, or dwarfs, or hunch-backed, or with some such bodily defect. According to the limbs of beasts and birds which they devour, they eventually lose similar members of their own. Further, the drinking of intoxicating liquors is a great sin. Hence the consumption of flesh and intoxicating drinks is not right.’”

“Thus unfolding to the king the wisdom stored up in his mind, the minister made him so sound a convert to the Jain faith, that whatever he advised the king did; and he paid no respect to any Brahman, ascetic, itinerant devotee, or religious mendicant; * and governed his kingdom according to this religion. One day, coming under the power of death, he died. Thereupon his son, Dharm-dhwaj by name, ascended the throne, and began to reign. One day, having had the minister, Abhaichand, seized, and seven plaits made of the hair on his head, and his face blackened, and (the minister) himself seated on a donkey, and a drum beaten and hands clapped (in derision) after him, he then banished him from the kingdom, and carried on his government free from all anxiety.”

* The sewra, sanyasi, and darwesh, are all religious
mendicants; the first is of the Jain religion, the second a
Brahman, and the third a Muhammadan.

“One day, in the spring-time, the king, accompanied by his queens, went to take a stroll in a garden. There was a large tank in that garden, and the lotus was in full bloom therein. On beholding the beauty of the tank, the king stripped off his clothes, and went down to bathe. Having plucked a flower, and come to the side, he was handing it to one of the queens, when it slipped from his hand and fell on the queen’s foot; and by the blow it inflicted the queen’s foot was broken. On this the king became alarmed, and forthwith coming out from the tank, began applying remedies; and in the meantime night came on, and the moon shone forth. No sooner did the moon’s beams fall, than blisters arose on the body of the second queen. Farther, just then the sound of a wooden pestle from some householder’s suddenly reached the third queen, and she was instantly attacked with so severe a headache, that she fainted away.”

After narrating so much, the sprite said, “O king! which of these three was the most delicate?” The king replied, “The one who got the pain in the head and fainted away, she was the most delicate.” On hearing these words, the sprite again went and suspended himself on that tree; and the king went there and took him down, and, making a bundle of him, placed him on his shoulder, and walked off with him.

TALE XI.

The sprite said, “Your majesty! there is a city named Punyapur, the king of which was named Ballabh, and his minister’s name was Satyaprakash, (and) the name of the minister’s wife was Lakshmi. One day the king said to his minister, ‘If one who is a king does not enjoy himself with beautiful women, his holding sovereignty is in vain.’ Having said this, and made over the burthen of government to the minister, he himself gladly entered upon a course of amorous pleasures. He abandoned all cares of the state, and commenced spending his days and nights in enjoyment.”

“It so happened that, one day, the minister was sitting dejected at home, when his wife asked him, ‘Husband! you seem to me to be very weak?’ He replied, saying, ‘Night and day the cares of government weigh heavily on me, and hence my body has become feeble; while the king is the whole day long occupied with his own pleasures and enjoyment.’ The minister’s wife said, ‘O husband! you have carried on the government for a long time, now take leave of the king, and undertake a pilgrimage for few days.’”

“He remained silent on hearing this speech of hers. Afterwards, when he stirred out (_lit_. when he rose thence), he went to the king at the time of his holding a court, and, obtaining his permission to go, set out on a pilgrimage. Journeying on, he reached Setband Rãmeshwar, * on the sea-coast. As soon as he arrived there, he visited the shrine of Mahãdeva, and came out (of the temple), when, his gaze happening to stray towards the sea, what does he behold, but a (marvellous) tree of gold come up out of it, the leaves of which were emeralds, the blossoms topazes, the fruits corals,--it presented a most beautiful sight! And seated on the tree was a very beautiful woman, holding a lute in her hands, and singing in most soft and sweet strains. After a few minutes the tree disappeared in the ocean.”

* etband (from the Sanskrit setu-bandha) signifies a dike or
bridge, and is applied to the ridge of rooks between the
Coromandel coast and Ceylon. This dike or bridge is said to
have been built by the allies of Rama (i.e., the monkey army
under the leadership of Hanuman), when he invaded Ceylon to
recover his wife Sltã, who had been carried off thither by
Bãvan. It is said that, as fast as the monkeys built up the
dike, Bãvan destroyed it; so, to prevent his doing this,
Bãma erected a temple to Shiva (the god adored by Bavan) at
the extremity of the dike. Thenceforth Setband Rãmeshwar
became a place of pilgrimage.

“After beholding this spectacle there, the minister turned back and came to his own city, and, proceeding to the king, made obeisance, and joining his hands, said, ‘Your Majesty! I have witnessed a marvellous sight!’ The monarch said, ‘Describe it.’ The minister said, ‘Your majesty! men of olden time have said that one should not speak of such things as are beyond the comprehension of any one, and which no one would credit. But this thing I saw plainly with my eyes, and hence I speak of it. Your majesty! at the place where the Lord Raghunãth has bridged the ocean, lo! a golden tree came up out of the sea, which was so splendidly loaded with emerald leaves, topaz flowers, and coral fruit, that a description of it is impossible! And upon it was a very beautiful woman, with a lute in her hands, singing the sweetest of strains. But after a few minutes that tree was lost to sight in the ocean.’”

“On hearing these words, the king entrusted the government to the minister, and set out alone for the sea-shore. After several days he arrived there, and entered the temple to pay adoration to Mahãdeva; and having bowed down and worshipped, he came out, when lo! the same tree, woman, and all, rose up (out of the sea). As soon as the king saw her, he leaped into the sea, and went and sat on the same tree. She, together with the king, descended to the nether regions. ** She looked at him (the king) and said, ‘Valiant man! Why hast thou come hither?’ The king replied, ‘I have come, attracted by thy beauty.’ She rejoined, ‘If thou wilt not have intercourse with me during the dark fortnight of the lunar month, I will marry thee.’ The king consented to this arrangement. Notwithstanding this, however, she took the king’s solemn promise, and then married him.”

* Raghunãth (i.e., the lord of the family of Raghu,) is a
title of Rama, who, as an incarnation of Vishnu, was born in
the family of Raghu.

** Pãtãla is one of the seven Hindu hells, and the region
under the earth which is the abode of the Nagas, or serpents
with human faces.

“To be brief, when the dark nights set in, she said, ‘Your majesty is not to remain near me today.’ On hearing this, the king left her, taking his sword with him; and going apart, kept secret watch. When it was midnight, a demon came, and, on the instant of arriving, folded her in his arms. No sooner did the king witness this, than he rushed forward with his sword, and said, ‘Foul fiend! lay not thy hand on my wife before my eyes! First fight with me. It was only ere I had set my eyes on you that fear possessed me; now I have no fear.’”

“This said, he drew his sword, and struck such a blow, that the head (of the demon) was severed from the body, and lay quivering on the ground. On beholding this, she said, ‘O gallant man! thou hast done me a great kindness!’ After saying this, she spoke again, saying, ‘It is not every mountain that contains rubies, nor every city that holds true men, nor does the sandal-tree grow in every forest, nor do pearls exist in the head of every elephant.’ Thereupon the king enquired, ‘Why did this demon come to thee on the fourteenth night of the waning moon?’”

“She said, ‘My father’s name is Vidyãdhar. I am said Vidyãdhar’s daughter. Sundari is my name. Now it was an established custom for my father not to partake of food without me. One day I was not at home at meal-time; thereupon father became angry and pronounced a curse on me, saying, ‘A demon will come and embrace thee every fourteenth night of the waning moon.’ On hearing this, I said, ‘Father! you have indeed given me your curse; but now have mercy on me!’ He replied, ‘When an intrepid man shall come and slay that demon, thou wilt escape from this curse.’ Now, therefore, I have escaped from that curse; and I will now go and pay my respects to my father.’”

“The king said, ‘If thou appreciatest the kindness I have done thee, come at once and visit my dominions; after that, go and visit thy father.’ She said, ‘Very well; I consent to what you say.’ Thereupon the king brought heir with him to his capital. Festive music and rejoicing began to take place. The news spread throughout the city that the king had arrived. Then songs of congratulation and merry-making commenced in every house; and after that, all the musicians and singers of the city came and offered their congratulations at the court. The king gave away many presents, and performed many pious acts.”

“Again, after some days that fair one said, ‘Now, your majesty! I will go to my father’s.’ The king said in sadness, ‘Very well: go.’ When she perceived the king to be sad, she said, ‘Your majesty! I will not go.’ The king said, ‘Why hast thou given up the idea of going to thy father?’ She replied, ‘I have now become one of the human race, and my father is a demi-god; * were I to go now, he would show me no respect: this is my reason for not going.’ On hearing this the king was highly delighted, and gave away lacs of rupees in presents and religious offerings. Hearing of these matters touching the king, the minister died broken-hearted.”

* The Gandharvas are demi-gods inhabiting Indra’s heaven,
and serving as celestial musicians.

Having told so much of the tale, the sprite said, “O king! why did the minister die?” Then king Bïr Vikramãjït said, “The minister perceived that the king had taken to sensual enjoyments, and banished all the cares of government from his mind; that the subjects had lost their master (or protector); and so, no one would heed what he (the minister) said. This is the anxiety of which he died.” Having heard this, the sprite went again and hung himself on that tree. The king went again, as on previous occasions, and placed him on his shoulder, and carried him away.

TALE XII.

The sprite said, “O king Bir Vikramãjit! There is a city named Chürãpur, where a king named Chürãman ruled, whose spiritual teacher’s name was Devaswãmi, and he had a son named Hariswãmï. He was as beautiful as Cupid, equalled Brihaspati * in his knowledge of scientific and religious treatises, and was as wealthy as Kuvera. He wedded and brought home a Brahman’s daughter, whose name was Lãvanyavatï.”

* Brihaspati is the regent of the planet Jupiter, and the
preceptor of the gods. Kuvera is the god of wealth.

“To be brief, one night in the hot season they were both sleeping soundly on the flat roof of a summer house. The woman’s veil accidentally slipped off her face, while a demi-god, seated on a car, was proceeding somewhere through the air. His gaze suddenly falling upon her, he lowered the car, and placing her, asleep, on the car, flew off with her. After some time the Brahman also awoke, and lo! his wife was not (beside him). On this he became alarmed, and coming down from thence, searched throughout the house. When he did not find her there either, he went about seeking her through all the streets and lanes of the city, but did not find her. Thereupon he began to say to himself, ‘Who has carried her off? and whither has she gone?”’

“In short, when his efforts were of no avail, he returned home helpless and regretful, and searched for her there a second time, but did not find her. When the house appeared desolate to him without her, he lost all self-control in his disquietude and misery, and began crying out, Oh, darling of my soul! oh, darling of my soul! Further, being exceedingly agitated by her separation from him, he gave up the position of a householder, renounced the world, girt a simple waist-cloth round his loins, rubbed the ashes of burnt cow-dung on his body, put on a necklace of beads, quitted the town, and set out on a pilgrimage. Proceeding on his pilgrimage from town to town, and village to village, he reached a certain town at midday.”

“When extreme hunger left him no alternative, he made a cup-shaped vessel of the leaves of a dhãk-tree, and carrying it to the house of a Brahman, said to him, ‘Give me some food in alms.’ (The fact is, when a man comes under the influence of love, he has no thought of duty, caste, or food; and, regardless of everything, he eats food wherever he can obtain it.) When he begged alms of the Brahman, he (the Brahman) took the cup-shaped vessel from him and entered the house, and brought it (back) to him filled with rice boiled in milk. He took the cup, and came to the margin of a tank. There was a large banyan-tree there. He placed the cup at the root of that, and went to wash his face and hands in the tank.”

“A black snake came out from the roots of the tree, and having dipped its mouth into the cup, went away; and so the whole contents of the cup had become poisoned, when, in the meantime, he also returned after washing his hands and face. This matter, however, was unknown to him; while hunger, on the other hand, beset him sorely. (Thus) he ate the rice and milk as soon as he came, and the poison instantly entered his system. Thereupon he went to the Brahman and said, ‘Thou hast given me poison, and I am now dying of it.’ Having said so much, he reeled and fell, and died. Again, the Brahman, seeing him dead, turned his own wife out of the house, and said, ‘Go thou hence, thou murderess of a Brahman!’”

Having told so much of the tale, the sprite said, “O king! to which of these does the guilt of killing a Brahman attach?” The king said, “Poison exists in a snake’s mouth as a matter of course; therefore no guilt attaches to it. Again, the Brahman gave him alms, considering him to be hungry; (therefore) guilt does not attach to him. Further, the Brahman’s wife had given him alms at the bidding of her husband; she, too, is without sin. And he ate the milk and rice unwittingly, and hence he also is guiltless. In short, whoever imputes guilt to anyone of these, is himself a sinner.” On hearing this, the sprite went again and hung on to that tree; and the king also went there, and taking him down and binding him, placed him on his shoulder, and carried him away from there.

TALE XIII.

The sprite said, “O king! there is a city named Chandra-hriday, and a king named Randhir ruled there. There was in the city a merchant named Dharmdhwaj, whose daughter’s name was Shobhani; and indeed she was very beautiful. Her youthful prime was daily developing itself, and her beauty was each moment increasing.”

“It so happened that robberies became a nightly occurrence in that city. When the merchants experienced much vexation at the hands of the thieves, they all went to the king in a body and said, ‘Your majesty! thieves have committed great outrage in the city; we can no longer dwell in the place.’ The king replied, saying, ‘Well; what has happened is beyond remedy (_lit._, what has happened, has happened); but henceforth you shall suffer no annoyance; I will take vigorous measures against them.’ After saying this, the king summoned a number of people and told them off to keep guard, and directed them how to keep watch, and commanded them to slay the thieves wherever they found them, without asking any questions.”

“People began to keep watch over the city, by night, and yet robberies took place. All the merchants proceeded in a body to the king, and said, ‘Your majesty has sent watchmen, and yet the thieves have not decreased in number, and thefts occur daily.’ The king replied, ‘Do you take your leave now; from to-night I will go forth to watch over the city.’ On hearing this, they left the king, and went each to his own home. Now, when it was night, the king took his sword and shield, and, on foot and alone, began his watch over the city. Having advanced some distance in the course of his watch, and looked closely, he perceived a thief coming towards him. On seeing him, the king called out, ‘Who art thou?’ He replied, saying, ‘I am a thief; who art thou?’ The king said (in reply), ‘I also am a thief.’ He was pleased on hearing this, and said, ‘Let us commit a robbery together.’”

“Settling this matter between them, the king and the thief, conversing with one another, entered one of the quarters of the city, and after committing thefts in several houses, carried off the articles, and came to a well without the city, and having gone down into it, ultimately reached the chief city of the nether regions. The thief stationed the king at the gate, and took the money and treasures to his own house. In the meantime a woman-servant came out of his house, and, seeing the king, began to say, ‘Your majesty! what a place you have come to with that miscreant! Well will it be if, ere he return, you fly hence as fast as you possibly can; otherwise he will kill you as soon as he arrives,’ The king replied, ‘But I do not know the road! In which direction should I go?’ Then the servant showed him the road, and the king came to his palace.”

“In fine, on the following day the king, with all his forces, went to the chief city of the nether regions by the road down the well, and surrounded the entire household of the thief; but the thief, escaping by some other road, went to the ruler of that city, who was a demon, and said, ‘A king has led an attack against my house with the view to kill me; at this moment, either you must aid me, or I will give up dwelling in your city, and take my abode in some other place.’ On hearing this, the demon said, graciously, ‘You have supplied me with food; I am well pleased with you.’ Having said this, the demon went where the king was with his army, surrounding the house, and began devouring the men and horses. And the king fled on beholding the form of the demon; and all such as were able to run away, escaped; and the rest the demon devoured.”

“To be brief the king was running off alone, when the thief came and cried out, ‘Art thou, a Rajpüt, flying from the battle?’ On the instant of hearing this, the king halted again, and the two confronted one another, and began to fight. At length the king overcame him, and bound his hands behind his back, and brought him into the city. After that, having had him bathed and washed, and clothed in fine apparel, and mounted on a camel, he sent him all round the city, accompanied by a crier, and ordered the impaling stake to be erected for him. Whoever among the people of the city saw him said, ‘This same thief has plundered the whole city, and the king will now impale him.’”

“When the thief arrived near the house of the merchant Dharmdhwaj, the merchant’s daughter hearing the sound of the crier’s drum, asked her handmaid, ‘What is this proclamation about?’ She replied, ‘The king has brought captive the thief who used to commit robberies in the city. Now he will impale him.’ On hearing this, she also came running (to the lattice) to see. No sooner did she behold the thief’s comeliness and manly form than she became fascinated; and, coming to her father, said, ‘Do you go to the king this moment, and return with that thief released.’ The merchant said, ‘How can it be expected that, at my request, the king will release the thief who has robbed his whole city, and on whose account his whole army has been destroyed?’ She again urged, ‘If you have to give up even all you possess for the king to release him, do you bring him away free; and should he not come, I too will sacrifice my life.’”

“On hearing this, the merchant went to the king, and said, ‘Your majesty! receive five lacs of rupees from me, and set the thief at liberty.’ The king said, ‘This thief robbed the whole city, and my whole army was swallowed up through him. I will not on any account let him go.’ When the king did not heed his request, he returned home in despair, and said to his daughter, ‘I said all that it was right to say, but the king did not consent.’”

“In the meantime, having had the thief taken round the city, they brought him to a stand-still near the impaling stake. Now, the thief having heard of the predicament of the merchant’s daughter, first laughed aloud, and then wept bitterly. The people the while pulled him down on the stake. And the merchant’s daughter, receiving intimation of his death, came to the same place to devote herself to death for his sake. She had a funeral pile constructed, and sitting thereon, had the thief taken off the stake, placed his head on her lap, apd quietly seated herself to be burnt. She was on the point of having the torch put to it (the pile), when (a temple sacred to Devi happening to be on the spot) Devi instantly came out of her temple and said, ‘Daughter! I am pleased with thy courage; request a boon.’ She said, ‘Mother! if thou art pleased with me, restore this thief to life.’ Thereupon the goddess said, ‘Even so shall it be.’ Having said this, she brought nectar from the under-world, and restored the thief to life.”

Having told so much of the story, the sprite inquired, “Say, O king! why the thief first laughed, and why he afterwards wept?” The king said, “I know the reason why he laughed, and I know also why he wept. Attend, O sprite! The thief thought within himself,--‘Now that she is giving up all that she possesses to the king for my sake, what return can I make?’ He wept at the thought of this. Again, however, he reflected, ‘She loved me when I was about to die: the ways of God are altogether inscrutable; He bestows wealth on the unlucky, knowledge on one of low origin, a beautiful wife on a fool, and He causes rain to fall in showers on the mountains.’ Thinking of such things, he laughed.” On hearing this, the sprite went again and hung on to that tree. The king returned there, and unloosing him, made a bundle of him, placed him on his shoulder, and took him away.

TALE XIV.

The sprite said, “Attend, King Vikram! There is a city named Kusmavati, of which one Subichãr was king, whose daughter’s name was Chandra-prabhã. When she became marriageable, she went out one spring day, along with her companions, to stroll about in the garden. Now, before arrangements had been made for the ladies to come out (i.e., before the garden had been cleared of all strangers and others not permitted to set eyes on the women), a Brahman’s son, named Manswi, of twenty years or so, very handsome, had come into the garden in the course of his wanderings, and meeting with cool shade under a tree, had fallen asleep there. The king’s attendants came and made arrangements for the ladies of the seraglio in the garden, but it so happened that none of them saw the Brahman’s son sleeping there; and so he continued sleeping under that tree, and the princess entered the garden with her attendants. Strolling about with her companions, where does she come but to the place where the Brahman’s son was sleeping! She no sooner arrived there than he also awoke at the sound of the people’s footsteps. The eyes of both met; and to such a degree did they come under Cupid’s power, that on the one side the Brahman’s son fell upon the ground in a swoon, on the other, she too was so beside herself, that her legs began to tremble. Her companions, however, quickly laid hold of her on the very instant. At last, they laid her down in a litter, and brought her home. And the Brahman’s son was lying in so complete a state of insensibility here, that he had no consciousness whatever of his body or mind.”

“During this interval two Brahmans, named Shashi and Müldeva, from the country of Kanvrü, where they had studied the (occult) sciences, happened to pass by there. Müldeva, seeing the Brahman’s son lying, said, ‘Shashi! how is it that he is lying in such utter unconsciousness?’ He replied, ‘A damsel has shot forth the arrows of her eyes from the bow of her eyebrows; hence he is lying insensible.’ Müldeva said, ‘We ought to rouse him.’ He replied, ‘What need is there for you to rouse him?’ He did not heed Shashi’s words, but sprinkled water over him, and restored him to consciousness, and asked, ‘What has been the matter with thee?’ The Brahman said, ‘One should relate his troubles to him who can remove them; for what is to be gained by relating your sorrows to him who, on hearing of them, is unable to remove them?’ He said, ‘Well, tell me your troubles; I will remove them.’”

“On hearing this, he said, ‘It was but now that the princess came here with her companions; and it was through seeing her that I have fallen into this state. Should I obtain possession of her, I will preserve my life; otherwise I will abandon life.’ Then he replied, ‘Come to my abode; I will exert myself to the utmost to obtain her; and, if I should not succeed, I will bestow great wealth upon thee.’ Thereupon Manswi said, ‘God has created many a jewel in the world; but the jewel, woman, surpasses all; and for her sake it is that man treasures up wealth. When I have lost the woman, what will I do with the wealth? Brute beasts are better off in the world than those who do not possess themselves of handsome wives. The fruit of merit is wealth, and the advantage of wealth is ease, and the consequence of ease is (the taking) a wife; now, what happiness can there be where there is no wife?’ On hearing this, Müldeva said, ‘I will give thee whatsoever thou may’st ask for.’ Then he said, ‘O Brahman obtain that same maiden’s hand for me.’ Müldeva thereupon said, ‘So be it; come along with me; I will have that very maiden bestowed on thee.’”

“In short, ministering much comfort to him, he took him to his house; and when he reached there, he prepared two magic pills. One pill he gave to the (young) Brahman, saying, ‘When thou puttest this into thy mouth, thou wilt be turned into a girl of twelve years; and when thou takest it out of thy mouth, thou wilt become the self-same man thou wert before.’ He said further, ‘Put this into thy mouth.’ On his putting it into his mouth, he became a girl of twelve years. And he, (Müldeva) having put the other pill into his own mouth, became transformed into an old man of eighty years; and taking that young girl with him, he proceeded to the king.”

“The king, seeing the Brahman, saluted him, gave him a seat, and another to the young girl also. Then the Brahman gave him his blessing in verse, saying, ‘May he whose glory pervades the three worlds; and who, taking the form of a dwarf, deceived * King Bali; and who, taking monkeys with him, bridged the ocean; ** and who, supporting the mountain (Go vardhan) on his hand, *** protected the cowherds from the bolts of Indra,--may the same Vasudeva protect you!’ On hearing this, the king inquired, ‘Whence has your highness come?’ The Brahman, Mãldeva, replied, ‘I have come from the other side of the Ganges, and my home is there; and I had gone to bring away my son’s wife, (and) in my absence, a general flight from the village took place; and so I know not whither my wife and son have fled to. And now, with this girl with me, how shall I seek them? It is, therefore, advisable that I leave this (girl) with your majesty. Keep her with the greatest care until I return.’”

* Ball was a powerful king, who, by his austerities and
devotion, overcame Indra in battle, and obtained power over
heaven and earth. The gods became alarmed at this, and
sought the aid of Vishnü, who visited the earth in the form
of a dwarf, and went before Bali, who, according to custom,
offered him presents. These the dwarf, affecting utter
contempt for worldly wealth, declined, saying he merely
wanted as much territory as could be comprised in three of
his paces. Bali laughed, and granted his request; whereupon
the dwarf increased his stature to prodigious dimensions,
and, at one step, placed his foot on the heavens; at the
next, on the earth; and, no room remaining for the third
step, he placed his foot on Bali’s head, and so pressed him
down to the region of Nãga-loka, beneath the earth, where he
was kept in confinement, and bound with bonds made of
twisted serpents.

** etband (from the Sanskrit setu-bandha) signifies a dike
or bridge, and is applied to the ridge of rooks between the
Coromandel coast and Ceylon. This dike or bridge is said to
have been built by the allies of Rama (i.e., the monkey army
under the leadership of Hanuman), when he invaded Ceylon to
recover his wife Sltã, who had been carried off thither by
Bãvan. It is said that, as fast as the monkeys built up the
dike, Bãvan destroyed it; so, to prevent his doing this,
Bãma erected a temple to Shiva (the god adored by Bavan) at
the extremity of the dike. Thenceforth Setband Rãmeshwar
became a place of pilgrimage.

*** This allusion to the exploits of Krishna the curious
reader will find fully explained in the 26th chapter of the
“Prem Sãgar.”

“On hearing these words of the Brahman’s, the king began thinking to himself, ‘How shall I take charge of a very beautiful young woman? And if I do not take her, this Brahman will curse me, (and) my dominion will be overthrown.’ Having thought this over in his mind, the king said, ‘Your highness! the command you have given me shall be obeyed.’ On this, the king summoned his daughter, and said, ‘Daughter! take this Brahman’s daughter-in-law and keep her with you, with all care and attention; and, whether sleeping or waking, eating or drinking, or moving about, do not let her be away from you for a moment.’ On hearing this, the princess took hold of the hand of the Brahman’s daughter-in-law, and led her away to her own apartment. At night, the two slept in one bed, and began conversing with each other. In the course of conversation, the Brahman’s daughter-in-law said, ‘Tell me, O princess! to what trouble is it owing that you have become so worn and feeble?”’

“The princess said, ‘I went one day in the spring, accompanied by my female friends, to stroll about in the garden, and there beheld a very handsome, Cupid-like Brahman, and our eyes met. He swooned away on one side, and I became unconscious on the other. Then my companions, seeing my predicament, brought me home. And I am totally ignorant of both his name and his abode. His image fills my eyes, and I have not the least desire for food and drink. It is through this trouble that my body has been reduced to the state you see.’ On hearing this, the Brahman’s daughter-in-law said, ‘What wilt thou give me if I bring thy beloved and thee together?’ The princess said, ‘I will remain thy slave for ever.’ Hearing this, he took the magic pill out of his mouth and became a man again; and she was abashed at beholding him. After that, the Brahman’s son married her after the fashion of Gandharb marriages; and used constantly to convert himself thus into a man at night, and to remain a woman by day. At length, after six months, the princess became pregnant.”