The sprite said, “Ô King Bir Vikramãjït! there is a. city named Chandra-shekhar, and a merchant named Ratandatt was an inhabitant thereof. He had one only daughter, whose name was Unmãdinï. When she attained to womanhood, her father went to the king of the place, and said, ‘Your majesty! I have a daughter (lit. there is a girl in my house); if you desire to possess her, take her; otherwise I will give her to some one else.’”
“When the king heard this, he summoned two or three old servants, and said to them, ‘Go and inspect the appearance of the merchant’s daughter.’ They came to the merchant’s house at the monarch’s bidding, and all became fascinated at the sight of the girl’s beauty,—such beauty, as if a brilliant light was placed in a dark house; eyes like those of a gazelle; plaits of hair like female snakes; eyebrows like a bow; nose like a parrot’s; a set of teeth (lit. the set of thirty-two) like a string of pearls; lips like the kandüri throat like a pigeon’s; waist like the leopard’s; hands and feet like a tender lotus; a face like the moon, a complexion of the colour of the champã, a gait like that of a goose, and a voice like the cuckoo’s; at the sight of her beauty the female divinities of Indra’s paradise would feel abashed.”
“On beholding beauty of this kind, so abundantly rich in all graces, they decided among themselves, (saying), ‘If such a woman enter the king’s household, the king will become her slave, and will not give a thought to the affairs of government. Hence, it is better to tell the king that she is ill-favoured, (and) not worthy of him.’ Having determined thus, they came thence to the king, and gave the following account:—‘We have seen the girl; she is not worthy of you.’ On hearing this, the king said to the merchant, ‘I will not wed her.’ Thereupon what does the merchant do on returning home, but give his daughter in marriage to one Balbhadra, who was the commander in-chief of the king’s army. She took up her abode in his house.”
“It is said that, one day, the royal cavalcade passed by that way; and she too was standing, fully attired, on her house-top, at the moment; (and) her eyes and those of the monarch chanced to meet. The king began to say to himself, ‘Is this the daughter of a god, or a female divinity, or the daughter of a human being?’ The short of it is, he was fascinated at the sight of her beauty, and returned thence to his palace in a state of extreme agitation. The warder, on beholding his countenance, said, ‘Your majesty! what bodily pain are you suffering from?’ The monarch replied, ‘While coming along the road to-day I saw a beautiful woman on a house-top. I know not whether she is a houri, or a fairy, or a human being; but her beauty drove my mind distracted all at once; and hence (it is that) I am agitated.’”
“On hearing this, the door-keeper said, ‘Your majesty! she is the daughter of that same merchant (who offered his daughter to you). Balbbadra, your majesty’s commander-in-chief, has brought her home as his wife/ The king said, ‘Those whom I sent to see her appearance have deceived me,’ After saying this, the king ordered the mace-bearer to bring those persons before him without delay. On receiving this order from the king, the mace-bearer went and brought them. In short, when they came before the king, his majesty said, ‘The errand on which I sent you, and that which was the desire of my heart—these things you failed to accomplish; on the contrary, you fabricated a false story, and gave it to me as an answer. Now, to-day, I have seen her with my own eyes. She is so beautiful a woman, rich in all distinguishing qualities, that it would be difficult to meet with her equal in these times.’”
“On hearing this, they said, ‘What your majesty says is true; but graciously listen to the object we had in view in representing her to your majesty as ill-favoured. We decided among ourselves that, if so beautiful a woman enter the royal household, your majesty would become her slave on the instant of beholding her, and would neglect all the affairs of the State, and so the kingdom would go to ruin. It was in consequence of this apprehension that we invented such a story, and laid it before you.’”
“When he heard this, the king said to them, ‘You speak the truth;’ but he experienced the greatest uneasiness thinking of her. Now, the king’s distress of mind was known to everyone, when, at the moment, Balbhadra, too, arrived, and putting his hands together (in humble supplication), stood before the king, and said, ‘O lord of ‘the earth! I am your servant, she is your hand-maid, and you to suffer so much pain on her account! Be pleased, therefore, to give the order that she may be brought before you.’ On hearing these words, the king said very angrily, ‘It is a grievous wrong to approach another’s wife! What is this thou hast said to me? What! am I a lawless wretch, that I should commit an infamous deed! The wife of another is as a mother, and the wealth of another is on a par with mud. Hear me, brother! As a man regards his own heart, so should he regard the hearts of others.’ Balbhadra spoke again, saying, ‘She is my servant. When I give her to your majesty, how can she any longer be the wife of another?’ The king replied; ‘I will not commit an act whereby reproach would attach to me in the world.’ The commander-in-chief said again, ‘Your majesty! I will turn her out of the house, and place her somewhere else, and after making a prostitute of her, will bring her to you.’ Thereupon the monarch said, ‘If thou makest a harlot of a virtuous woman I will punish thee severely.’”
“After saying this, the king pined at the recollection of her, and, in the course of ten days, died. Then the commander-in-chief, Balbhadra, went and asked his spiritual teacher, ‘My master has died for the sake of Unmadini; what is it right for me to do now? Favour me with your commands in this matter.’ He said, ‘It is the duty of a servant to give up his life also after his master’s.’ This servant gladly went to the place where they had conveyed the king for cremation. During the time in which the king’s funeral pile was got ready, he, too, had quitted himself of his ablutions and devotions; and when they lighted the pile, he too drew near the pile, and raising his joined hands to the sun, began to say, ‘O Sun-deity! in thought, word and deed, I solicit the gratification of this desire, viz., that at every successive birth I may meet with this same master, and (for this) hymn your praises.’ Having uttered this, he bowed in adoration, and leaped into the fire.”
“When Unmãdini received this intelligence, she went to her spiritual teacher, and telling him all, asked, saying, ‘Your highness! what is the duty of a wife?’ He replied, ‘It is by doing her duty to him to whom her father and mother have given her that she is termed a woman of good family; and it is thus written in the book of law, viz.—The woman who in her husband’s lifetime practises austerities and fasting, shortens the life of her husband, and is finally cast into hell-But the best thing is this, that a woman by doing her duty to her husband, no matter how wanting he may be, secures her own salvation. Moreover, the woman who entertains the desire to sacrifice herself for her husband in the burning-ground, most undoubtedly derives as much benefit from as many steps as she takes towards this as would be derived from an equal number of horse-sacrifices. * Further, there is no virtue equal to that of a woman’s sacrificing herself for her husband on the funeral pile.’ On hearing this, she made her salutation, and returned home; and after bathing, and performing her devotions, and giving large gifts to Brahmans, went to the funeral pile, and going once round to the right in adoration, said, ‘O Lord! I am Thy servant in each succeeding birth.’ Having said this, she, too, went and seated herself in the fire, and was consumed.”
After relating so much of the story, the sprite said, “O king! whose virtue was greatest of these three?” King Bir Vikramãjït replied, “The king’s.” The sprite said, “How so?” The king replied, “He left alone the wife given to him by the commander-in-chief, while he sacrificed his life on her account, and yet preserved his virtue. It behoves a servant to lay down his life for his master; and it is right for a wife to sacrifice herself for her lord. Therefore the virtue of the king was greatest.” Having heard these words, the sprite went and hung on to that same tree. The king, too, followed him, and again bound him, and placed him on his shoulder, and carried him away.
The sprite said, “Your majesty! there was a king of Ujjain, named Mahãsain; and an inhabitant of that place was a Brahman, Devasharmã, whose son’s name was Gunãkar. He (the son) turned out a great gambler; so much so that he lost at play all the wealth the Brahman possessed. Thereupon all the members of the family turned Gunãkar out of house and home. And he could not help himself in any way; (so) having no other resource, he took his departure from the place, and in several days’ time came to a certain city. What does he see there but a devotee sitting over a fire, and inhaling smoke by way of penance. After saluting him, he, too, sat down there. The devotee asked him, ‘Wilt thou eat anything?’ He replied, ‘Your highness! of course I will eat, if you give me (something).’ The devotee filled a human skull with food and brought it to him. On seeing it he said, ‘I’ll not eat food out of this skull.’”
“When he did not partake of the food, the ascetic repeated such an incantation, that a fairy * appeared before him with joined hands, and said, ‘Your highness! I will execute any command you may give me.’ The ascetic said, ‘Give this Brahman whatever food he desires.’ On hearing this, she built a very fine house, and furnishing it with all comforts, took him away with her from that place, and seating him on a stool, placed various kinds of condiments and meats, by dishfuls, before him. He ate whatever he liked to his heart’s content. Again, after this, she placed the pãn-box before him, and after rubbing down saffron and sandal in rose-water, applied (the mixture) to his body. Farther, she clothed him in garments scented with sweet perfumes, threw a garland of flowers round his neck, and bringing him away thence, seated him on a bed. Now while this was taking place it became evening, and she, too, having first decked herself out, went and sat on the bed, and the Brahman passed the whole night in pleasure and enjoyment.”
“When morn arrived, the fairy went away to her own place, and he came to the devotee and said, ‘Master! she’s gone away; what shall I do now?’ The ascetic said, ‘She came through the power of magic art, and abides near him who possesses the art.’ He replied, ‘Impart this art to me, your highness! that I may practise it.’ Then the devotee gave him a charm, and said, ‘Practise this charm for forty days, at midnight, sitting in water, and with a steadfast mind.’ Thus used he to go to practise the charm, while many and various frightful objects appeared in view; but he felt no alarm at any of them. When the time expired, he came to the devotee and said, ‘Your highness! I come from practising (the charm) for the number of days you prescribed.’ He said, ‘Now practise it for that number of days, sitting in fire.’ He replied, ‘Master! I will go and pay a visit to my family, and then return and practise it.’”
“After saying this to the devotee, he took leave and went home; and when his relations saw him, they embraced him and commenced weeping; while his father said, ‘O Gunãkar; where have you been so many days, and why did you forget your home! O my son, it is said that, he who leaves a faithful wife and lives apart, and turns his back on a youthful woman, or he who does not care for one who loves him, is on a level with the lowest * of the low. It is said, farther, that no virtue equals the domestic virtues, and no woman in the world imparts happiness equal to that which the mistress of one’s house imparts; and those who slight their parents are impious men, and their future state will never, never be one of salvation; thus has Brahma declared.’”
“On this Gunãkar spoke, saying, ‘This body is composed of flesh and blood, which same is food for worms; and its nature is such that, if you neglect it for a day, a fetid smell proceeds from it. Fools are they who feel affection for such a body, and wise are they who set not their heart on it. Further, it is of the nature of this body that it is repeatedly born and destroyed. What dependence can one place on such a body! Cleanse it ever so much, it does not become clean; just as an earthen vessel, filled with filth, does not become clean by washing the outer surface; or however much one washes charcoal, it does not become white. Again, by what means can that body become clean, in which the fount of impurity is never-failing?’ Having said so much, he spoke again, saying, ‘Whose father (is one)? Whose mother? Whose wife? Whose brother? * The way of this world is such, that numbers come and numbers depart. Those who offer sacrifices and burnt-offerings consider Agni (fire) their god; while those who are deficient in understanding make an image and worship it as god; but the class of ascetics regard god as in their very bodies. I will not practise such domestic duties (as those you have mentioned), but will practise religious meditation.’” ** “Having said this, he bid adieu to his kindred, and came where the devotee was, and practised the charm, seated in fire. The fairy, however, did not come. Then he went to the devotee, and the devotee said to him, ‘Hast thou not acquired the art?’ Thereupon he said, ‘Just so, Master! I have not acquired it!’”
“Having related so much of the story, the sprite said, ‘Say, O king! why did he not acquire the art?’ The king replied, saying, ‘The practiser was of two minds, (i e., did not give his undivided attention to the task), and hence he failed to acquire it. And it is said that a spell is perfected by (the operator’s) being of one mind (or by his giving his entire mind to it), and does not succeed on his thoughts being divided. Further, it is also said that those who are wanting in liberality do not obtain celebrity; and those who lack truthfulness are without shame; those who are wanting in justice do not acquire wealth; and those who lack meditation do not find God.”
“When the sprite heard this he said, ‘How can the operator who sat in fire to work his spell be termed two-minded?’ The king replied, ‘When, at the time of practising the spell, he went to visit his family, the devotee said to himself in vexation, ‘Why did I teach the magic art to so vacillating an operator?’ and it was in consequence of this that he did not acquire the art. And it is said, that however much a man may exert himself, destiny attends him all the same; and whatever number of things he may achieve by force of his intellect, he, nevertheless, obtains that alone which fate has recorded.” On hearing this the sprite went again and hung on to that tree; and the king, too, followed him, and having bound him, and placed him on his shoulder, took him away.
The sprite said, “Your majesty! There was a city named Kubalpur, the name of the king of which was Sudakshi. Now, a merchant named Dhanãkshi used also to live in that city, and he had a daughter whose name was Dhanvati. He gave her in marriage in her childhood to a merchant named Gauridatt. After a considerable time she had a girl, whom she named Mohani. When she attained to some years, her father died, and the merchant’s kinsfolk seized all his property. She, in her helplessness, left the house in the darkness of the night, and taking her daughter with her, set out for the house of her parents.”
“After proceeding but a short distance, she lost the road, and came upon a burning-ground, where a thief was stretched upon an impaling-stake. Her hand quite unexpectedly came in contact with his foot. He called out, ‘Who is it that put me to pain just now?’ On this she replied, ‘I have not willingly inflicted pain on you forgive my fault.’ He said, ‘No one gives either pain or pleasure to another; according as the Creator decrees one’s fate shall be, so he experiences; and those who affirm that they did such and such things, are very unwise; for men are fixed to the cord of fate, which draws them after it whithersoever it pleases. The ways of the Creator are utterly inscrutable; for men propose a thing to themselves, and He brings something quite different to pass.’”
“On hearing this, Dhanvati said, ‘O man! who art thou?’ He replied, ‘I am a thief; this is my third day on the impaling-stake, and life will not quit the body.’ She said, ‘For what reason?’ He replied, saying, ‘I am unmarried; if thou wilt give me thy daughter in marriage, I will give thee ten millions of gold-mohurs.’ It is notorious that greediness of gain is the root of all evil, pleasure the source of pain, and love the source of sorrow. Whoever keeps clear of these three lives happy. It is not every one, however, who can give them up. Eventually, Dhanvati, through greed, became willing to give him her daughter, and asked, ‘It is my desire that thou shouldst have a son; but how can this be?’ He replied, saying, ‘when she attains to womanhood, send for a handsome Brahman, and give him five hundred gold-mohurs, and place her with him; thus will she have a son.’”
“When she heard this, Dhanvati married the girl to him by giving her four turns round the stake. Then the thief said to her, ‘There is a banyan-tree near a large well of masonry to the east of this; the gold-mohurs lie buried beneath it; go thou and take them.’ He said this, and died. She went in the direction indicated, and on arriving there, took a few gold-mohurs from those buried» and came to her parents’ house. After relating her story to them, she brought them with her to her husband’s land. Then she built a large house and began living in it; and the girl increased in stature daily.”
“When she had become a woman, she was standing one day with a female companion on the house-top, and casting her eyes along the road, while just at that moment a young Brahman passed that way, and she, at the sight of him, was smitten with love, and said to her friend, ‘O my friend! bring this man to my mother.’ On hearing this, she went and brought the Brahman to her mother. She said, on seeing him, ‘O Brahman! my daughter is young; if thou wilt lie with her, I will give thee a hundred gold-mohurs for a son.’ On hearing this, he said, ‘I will do so.’”
“Whilst they were conversing thus, evening came on. They gave him food to his mind, and he supped. It is a well known saying that enjoyment is of eight kinds,—1. Perfume; 2. Woman; 3. Apparel; 4. Song; 5. Pan; 6. Food; 7. The couch; 8. Ornaments. All these existed there. To be brief, when the first watch of the night was at hand (or, was nigh passed), he repaired to the nuptial chamber, and spent the whole night in pleasure and enjoyment with her. When it became morning, he went home, and she arose and came to her companions. Then one of them enquired, ‘Say! What pleasures did you enjoy with your love in the night?’ She replied, ‘When I went and sat near him, a kind of tremour made itself felt in my heart; (but) when he smiled and took hold of my hand, I was quite overcome, and no consciousness of what took place remained to me. And it is said that if a husband be—1. possessed of renown; 2. brave; 3. clever; 4. a chief; 5. liberal; 6. endowed with good qualities; 7. a protector of his wife,—such a man a wife never forgets even in the world to come, much less in this world.”
“The gist of the story is, that on that very night she conceived. When the full time came, a boy was born. On the sixth night, the mother saw in a vision an ascetic, with matted hair on his head, a shining moon on his forehead, ashes of burnt cow-dung rubbed over him, wearing a white Brahminical thread, seated on a white lotus, wearing a necklace of white snakes, with a string of skulls thrown round his neck, and with a skull in one hand and a trident in the other, thus assuming a most terrifying appearance, come before her, and begin to say, ‘To-morrow, at midnight, place a bag of one thousand gold-mohurs in a large basket, and enclosing this boy therein, leave it at the gate of the palace.’”
“As soon as she saw this, her eyes opened. And on its becoming morning, she told all the circumstances to her mother. When her mother heard this, she, on the following day, put the boy in a basket in the very manner directed, and left him at the king’s gate. Now, here (at the palace) the king saw an apparition with ten arms, five heads, each head having three eyes in it, and a moon upon it, very large teeth, a trident in his hand—a most terrifying form, which came before him and said, ‘O king! a basket is placed at thy door; bring away the child that is in it; he it is who will maintain thy dominion.’”
“As soon as the king heard this, his eyes opened. He then related the whole affair to the queen. After that, rising up thence, and coming to the door, he perceived the basket placed there. On the instant of opening the basket and peering into it, he beheld a boy and a bag of one thousand gold-mohurs in it. He took up the child himself, and told the door-keepers to bring in the bag. He then went into the female apartments, and placed the child on the queen’s lap.”
“By this time the day broke. The king came out, and summoning the sages and astrologers, questioned them, saying, ‘Tell me, what marks of royalty are perceptible in this child?’ Thereupon one of the sages, who was acquainted with the science of interpreting the spots on the human body, spoke, saying, ‘Your majesty! three marks are distinctly perceived on this child; 1. a broad chest; 2. a high forehead; 3. a large face; in addition to these, your majesty! the whole thirty-two marks which are assigned to man exist in this one. Have no apprehensions on his account; he will rule over the kingdom.’ On hearing this, the king was pleased, and taking off a chaplet of pearls from his own neck, presented it to that Brahman; and after giving large gifts to all the Brahmans, he bade them name the child. Then the sages said, ‘Your majesty! be pleased to sit down with the queen fastened to you; let her majesty sit with the child in her lap; and summon all the musicians, singers, and others employed on festive occasions, and cause rejoicings to take place; then will we give him a name after the manner prescribed by the sacred writings.’”
“When the monarch heard this, he ordered his minister to do whatever they bid him. The minister had rejoicings for the birth of the child forthwith proclaimed throughout the city. On hearing this, all the professional rejoicers were in attendance, and congratulatory songs rung forth from every home; festive music began to strike up in the king’s palace, and rejoicing to take place. Then the king and the queen, with the child in her lap, came and sat within a square filled with coloured meal, perfumes, and sweetmeats, and the Brahmans began reading the scriptures. An astrologer from among the Brahmans, having first determined the auspicious planetary conjunction and time, named the child Hardatti After that, he grew daily. At length, at the age of nine years, he finished the study of the six learned volumes, and fourteen sciences, and became a profound scholar. In the meantime, according to what was willed by God, it happened that his father and mother died. He ascended the throne, and began to govern justly.”
“After, several years, the king one day thought to himself, ‘What have I done for my parents in return for being born in their family? The saying is that,—Those who are compassionate, deal compassionately with all; they it is who are wise, and to them it is that Paradise is allotted. And the gifts, worship, religious penances, pilgrimages, and listening to the scriptures of those who are not pure of heart, is all in vain. And those who perform the funeral ceremonies and worship of the Manes without faith, and in pride, derive no advantage thereby, and so, their fathers go with their desires unfulfilled.’ Reflecting and pondering on this matter, the king decided that he ought now to perform the funeral ceremonies of his fathers. Thereupon King Hardatt proceeded to Gayã, and on arriving there, invoked the names of his fathers, and began offering oblations * to them on the bank of the River Phalgü, when the hands of all three ** came up out of the river. He was troubled in mind on seeing this, wondering to which of the hands he should give (the oblations), and to which not.”
Having reached this stage of the story, the sprite said, “O King Vikram! to which of the three was it right to give the oblations?” Then the king said, “To the thief.” The sprite said again, “For what reason?” Thereupon he (the king) said, “The seed of the Brahman had been bought; and the king took a thousand gold mohurs and brought up the boy; and therefore neither of these two had any right to the oblation.” On hearing these words, the sprite went again and hung on to that tree, and the king carried him away bound from thence.
The sprite said, “O king! there is a city named Chitraküt, the king of which was Rupdatt. One day he mounted his horse and went forth alone to hunt; and, having lost his way, got into a great forest. What does he see on going there but a large tank, in which lotuses were flowering, and various kinds of birds were sporting. On all four sides of the tank cool and perfume-laden breezes were blowing under the shade of the dense foliage of the trees. He, for his part, was overcome with the heat, (so) he tied his horse to a tree, and spread the saddle-cloth, and sat down. A half-hour or so had passed when the daughter of a holy sage, very beautiful, and in the prime of youth, came to gather flowers. Seeing her plucking the flowers, the king became deeply enamoured. When she was returning to her abode, after gathering the flowers, the king said, ‘What conduct is this of yours, for you not to attend to me when I have come as a guest to your abode?’”
“On hearing this she stood still again. Then the king said, ‘They say that if one of low caste come as a guest to the house of one of the highest caste, even he is entitled to respect; and whether he be a thief, or an outcast, or an enemy, or a parricide,—if such a one even comes to one’s house, it is right to show him honour; for a guest is more to be honoured than anyone else.’ When the king spoke thus, she stood still. Then, in truth, the two began to ogle one another. In the meantime the holy sage also came up. The king saluted the devotee on seeing him, and he (in return) blessed him, saying, ‘May you live long.’”
“Having said so much, he asked the king, ‘Why have you come here?’ He replied, ‘Your holiness I I have come a hunting.’ He said, ‘Why dost thou commit a great sin? It is said that one man commits a sin and many men reap the fruits thereof.’ The king said, ‘Your holiness! kindly favour me with your judgment of right and wrong.’ Thereupon the sage said, ‘Attend, your majesty! A great wrong is done in killing an animal that lives in the forest, supporting itself on grass * and water; and it is a very meritorious act in man to cherish beasts and birds. It is said, moreover, that those who render unapprehensive the timid and refuge-seeking, receive the reward of those who are most liberal givers. It is also said, that no religious austerity equals forbearance, and no happiness equals that of contentment, and no wealth equals friendship, and there is no virtue like mercy. Moreover, those men who are conscious of their duties, and show no pride on acquiring riches, accomplishments, learning, renown, or supremacy; and those who are content with their own wives, and are truth-speakers—such men obtain, final salvation hereafter. And those who kill ascetics with matted hair, and without clothes and arms, experience the torments of hell at the last. And the king who does not punish the oppressors of his subjects, he also experiences the torments of hell. And those who have carnal intercourse with a king’s wife, or the wife or daughter of a friend, or with a woman eight or nine months advanced in pregnancy—they are cast into the (lowest and) greatest hell of all. Thus is it declared in the book of law and religion.’”
“On hearing this, the monarch said, ‘The sins which I have heretofore committed in ignorance are done, and are beyond recall; henceforth, God willing, I will not commit such again.’ The holy sage was pleased at the king’s speaking thus, and said ‘I will grant thee any boon thou may’st ask for; I am highly pleased with thee.’ Then the king spoke, saying, ‘Your holiness! if you are pleased with me, give me your daughter.’ When the sage heard this, he married his daughter to the king, after the manner of Gandharb marriages, and departed to his own place. Then the king took the saint’s daughter and set out for his capital. On the road, about mid-way, the sun set and the moon rose. Then the king, seeing a shady tree, alighted beneath it, and tying the horse to its root, spread his saddle-covering and lay down along with her. Thereupon, at the hour of midnight, a Brahman-devouring demon came and awoke the king, saying, ‘O king! I will devour thy wife.’ The king said, ‘Act not so; whatever thou askest for, I will grant.’ Then the demon said, ‘O king! if thou wilt cut off the head of a Brahman’s son seven years’ old, and give it to me with thine own hand, I will not eat her.’ The king replied, ‘Even so will I do; but do thou come to me seven days hence in my capital, and I will give it thee.’”
“Having bound the king by a promise thus, the demon departed to his own place; and on the morn arriving, the king also left and came to his palace. The minister hearing of it (i e., the king’s arrival) made great rejoicings, and came and presented gifts; and the king, after telling the minister of the adventure (with the demon), asked, ‘Say, what expedient shall we adopt in the matter, for the demon will come on the seventh day?’ The minister said, ‘Your majesty! feel no anxiety whatever; God will make all right.’ After saying so much, the minister had an image made of a maund and a quarter of gold, and jewels studded therein, and having it placed on a cart, and (conveyed away, and) set up at a point where four roads met, he said to the keepers thereof, ‘If any persons come to look at this, say to them that any Brahman who will allow the king to cut off the head of a seven-year-old son of his may take possession of this.’ Having said this, he came away. Thereupon the keepers used to say this to those who came to look at it (the image).”
“Two days passed away without any result. On the third day, however, a weakly Brahman, who had three sons, hearing of this matter, came home and began saying to his wife, ‘If thou wilt give a son of thine to the king for a sacrifice, an image of a maund and a quarter of gold, and studded with jewels, will come into the house.’ On hearing this, his wife said, ‘I will not give the youngest son.’ The Brahman said, ‘The eldest I will not part with.’ When the second son heard this, he said, ‘Father! give me up.’ He replied, ‘Very well.’ Then the Brahman spoke again, saying, ‘Wealth it is which is the source of all happiness in this world. Now, what happiness can reach him who lacks wealth? and if one be poor, his coming into the world is useless.’”
“Having said this, he took the second son, and gave him up to the guards, and brought away the image to his house; and the people, for their part, took the boy to the minister. Further, when seven days passed away, the demon, too, came. The king took sandal, unbroken rice, flowers, perfumes, lamps, food for the deity, fruits and betel-leaf, and paid adoration to him; and, summoning the boy, took his sword in his hand, and stood ready to sacrifice him. Thereupon the boy first laughed, and then wept. While he was doing this, the king struck him a blow with the sword, so that his head was severed (from his body). True it is, as the sages have said,—Woman is the source (lit. mine) of misery in the world, the abode of imprudence * (or immorality), the destroyer of courage (or daring), and the occasioner of infatuation, (and) the bereaver of virtue. Who has pronounced such a source (lit, root) of venom to be the highest good? Again, it is said,—Store up wealth against adversity, and disburse wealth to guard your wife, and give up wealth and wife to save your own life.”
Having related so much of the story, the sprite said, “Your majesty! a man weeps at the moment of dying; will you account for this,—Why did he (the boy) laugh?” The monarch replied, “He laughed at the thought of this,—viz., That in infancy a mother protects (her child), and on his growing up the father cherishes him; (and) in both good and bad times a king befriends his subjects,—Such is the way of the world; whereas, my predicament is such that my father and mother have delivered me over to the king through greed of wealth, and he stands, sword in hand, ready to slay me, and the demon desires a sacrifice; no single one of them feels (a spark of) pity.” On hearing this, the sprite went and hung on to that same tree; and the king also speedily arrived there, and binding him, placed him on his shoulder, and carried him off.
The sprite said, “O king! there is a city named Bishalpur, the king of which was named Bipuleshwar. In his city lived a merchant whose name was Arthdatt, and his daughter’s name was Anaug-manjari. He had married her to a merchant of Kanwalpur, named Munni. Some days after, the merchant crossed the ocean on a mercantile venture; and when she attained to womanhood here (at home), she was standing one day in the pavilion, and observing what was going on in the road, when at that moment a Brahman’s son named Kamalãkar was coming along. The eyes of the pair met, and they became enamoured of each other at first sight. Again, after a quarter of an hour or so, recovering self-possession, the Brahman’s son, in the restlessness consequent on separation from his beloved, proceeded to the house of his friend; and here she, too, was in extreme distress through the pain of separation from him, when, in the meantime, a female companion came and took her up; she had, however, no self-consciousness remaining. Then she (the companion) sprinkled rose-water (over her) and made her smell perfumes, and while so doing, her senses returned, and she said, ‘O Cupid! Mahãdeva burnt thee to ashes, * and yet thou wilt not desist from thy knavish tricks, but comest and inflictest pain on innocent, feeble women.’”
“She was uttering these words, when evening came on, and the moon appeared. Then she said, while gazing at the moonlight, ‘O moon! I used to be told that the water of life is in you, and that you shed it in your beams; to-day, however, even you have begun to pour down venom.’ She then said to her companion, ‘Take me up, and lead me away from this place, for I am being burnt to death by the moonlight.’ Thereupon she raised her and took her to the pavilion, and said, ‘Dost thou feel no shame at uttering such words?’ Then she said, ‘O friend! I am fully aware of all; but Cupid has wounded me, and rendered me void of shame; and I make great efforts to be patient, but the more I continue to be consumed with the fire of separation, the more venom-like does home appear to me.’ The companion said, ‘Keep thy mind at ease; I will relieve thee of all thy suffering.’”
“Having said thus much, the companion went home, and she (the love-lorn) determined in her mind that she would quit this body for his sake, and, being born again, enjoy life well with him. With this longing in her mind, she threw a noose on her neck, and was about drawing it tight, when the companion arrived, and instantly taking the rope off her neck, said, ‘Everything can be attained by living, not by dying.’ She replied, ‘Better is it to die than suffer such pain.’ The companion said, ‘Repose awhile, and I will go and bring him.’”
“Having said this, she went to the place where Kamalãkar was, and taking a secret look at him, perceived that he also was much disturbed by the separation from his beloved, while his friend was rubbing down sandal in rose water and applying it to his body, and fanning him with tender leaves of the plantain-tree; despite which, he was crying out all aflame (with passion) and saying to his friend, ‘Bring me poison, I will sacrifice my life and be released from this suffering. Observing this state of his, she said to herself, ‘However courageous, learned, sagacious, discreet, and patient a man may be, Cupid reduces him to a state of distraction all the same.’ These thoughts having passed through her mind, the companion said to him, ‘O Kamalãkar! Anangmanjari has sent word to thee to come and bestow life on her.’ He replied, ‘She, indeed, has given life to me.’”
“After saying this, he rose up, and the companion went to her (the love-sick maiden), taking him along with her. When he got there, lo! she was lying dead! Thereupon he also uttered a cry of anguish, and therewith his spirit fled. And when it became morning, her household took both of them to the burning-ground, and arranging the pile, placed them thereon and set fire to it, when, in the meantime, her husband also arrived at the burning-ground, on his return from abroad. Then, hearing the sound of the people’s weeping, he went there, and what does he behold but his wife burning with a strange man! He, also, being distracted with love, burnt himself ta death in the same fire. The people of the city, hearing this intelligence, began saying one to another, ‘Neither has eye seen, nor ear heard of so wonderful an event!’”
After relating so much of the story, the sprite said, “O king! whose love, of these three, was greatest?” The king said, “Her husband was the deepest lover.”
“Why?” said the sprite. The king replied, “He, who, on seeing his wife dead for another’s sake, put aside anger, and cheerfully laid down his life through love for her—he is the deepest lover.” Hearing these words, the sprite went again and hung on to that tree. The king, too, went there, bound him, placed him on his shoulder, and carried him off.
The sprite said, “Your majesty! there is a city named Jaysthal, the king of which was named Varddhamãn. In his city was a Brahman named Vishnuswami, who had four sons; one a gambler, the second a lover of women, the third a fornicator, the fourth an atheist. The Brahman was one day admonishing his sons, saying, ‘Wealth abides not in the house of him who gambles.’ The gambler became greatly annoyed at hearing this. And he (the father) spoke again, saying, ‘It is said in the Rãjnit (or book of policy), Cut off the nose and ears of a gambler, and expel him from the land, so that others may not gamble; and although the gambler may have a wife and family in his house, do not consider them as in the house, for there’s no knowing when he may lose them (at play). Again, those who are attracted by the wiles of courtesans purchase suffering for their own souls, while they part with their all under the influence of harlots, and take to stealing in the end. It is said, further, that wise men keep far away from such women as ensnare their hearts in a moment; whereas the unwise give up their hearts, and so lose all their honesty, good disposition, reputation, conduct, judgment, piety, and moral character. Moreover, the exhortation of their spiritual preceptors is unpalatable to them. It is also said that—When one has lost his own sense of shame, why should he fear to dishonour any one else? And there is a proverb to the effect that—When will the cat that devours its own young allow a rat to escape!’ He went on to say, ‘Those who do not acquire knowledge in their childhood, and who on attaining to manhood become engrossed in amorous pleasures, and continue to pride themselves on their youth,—those persons, in their old age, are consumed with regretful longings (for that which they have neglected in their youth).’”
“On hearing these words, all four of them came mutually to the decision that it was better for an ignorant man to die than live; and hence, it was best for them to visit some other land and study science. Determining on this, they went to another city, and after some time, having studied and become learned, they set out for their home. What do they see on the road but a Kanjar, * who, after skinning and cutting up a dead tiger, and making a bundle of its bones, was about to take them away. Thereupon they said to one another, ‘Come, let each of us put his knowledge to the proof.’ Having determined on this, one of them called him (the Kanjar) and gave him something, and taking the bundle, sent him away; and, quitting the road, they opened the bundle. One of them arranged all the bones in their proper places, repeated an incantation and sprinkled something over them, so that they became united. In the same way the second brought the flesh together on the bones. The third, in the same manner, fixed the skin on the flesh. The fourth, in the same way, raised it to life. Thereupon it devoured the whole four of them as soon as it arose.”
After reaching this point of the story, the sprite said, “Your majesty! who was the greatest fool of those four?” King Vikram replied, “He who restored it to life was the greatest fool. And it is said, that knowledge without wisdom is of no use whatever; on the contrary, wisdom is superior to learning; and those who lack wisdom die just as he who raised the tiger to life died.” When the sprite heard these words, he went and suspended himself on that same tree. Again did the king bind him, place him on his shoulder, and carry him away as before.