Hindoo Tales Part 17

To the ministers and elders I said:--"The G.o.ddess has brought me here, not merely as a messenger of her will, but as a defender of your country from that wicked King of Asmaka, whose cruel and unscrupulous intrigues are well known; accept me, therefore, as your deliverer, and as the guardian of the young king appointed by Durga."

Upon this all broke out into loud acclamations, saying: "Great is the power of the glorious Durga! happy the country of which you are the protector!" and I was conducted in triumph to the palace, together with the queen, who could now openly show her joy at the recovery of her son.

So well had I managed, that no suspicion arose of the deception which had been practised, and all the people venerated the young king as being especially under the protection of the G.o.ddess, and me as the agent chosen by her for his restoration.

Thus my authority was well established. I caused, in due time, the young prince to be formally proclaimed king, and had him carefully educated; and I myself received the hand of the lovely Manjuvadini, as the reward of my services and in obedience to the commands of Durga.

After some time, however, I began to reflect: "Though my position now seems quite secure, yet, after all, I am a foreigner here, and when the first burst of admiration is over, people may perhaps begin to ask, 'Who is this stranger who has come among us in such a mysterious manner? and what is he that he should thus lord it over us?' And it occurred to me that if I could make friends with an old and much-respected minister, named Aryaketu, so as to trust him entirely, he might be of great a.s.sistance to me."

Before, however, making any overtures to him, I desired Nalijangha to try him secretly and ascertain his feelings towards me.

My agent, therefore, had many interviews with him, and tried to persuade him that it was not for the good of the country that a stranger and foreigner should occupy such an important position, which ought rather to be held by a native, and that it would be very desirable to get rid of me.

To all this Aryaketu answered: "Do not speak against so good a man, and one of such wonderful ability, endowed with such great courage, generosity, and kindness. So many good qualities are rarely found united in one person. I esteem the country very fortunate in having such a ruler, and am convinced, that through him the King of Asmaka will one day be driven out, and our prince established on his father's throne. Nothing shall induce me to plot against such a man."

After hearing this from Nalijangha, I tried the old minister in various ways, and seeing no reason to doubt his fidelity and attachment, I gave him my full confidence, and found him a most useful friend.

With his advice and a.s.sistance, I was able to appoint efficient officers in every department. I encouraged religion and punished heresy; I kept each of the four castes in their proper sphere, and without oppressing the people, I collected a large revenue, for there is nothing worse than weakness in a ruler, and without money he cannot be strong.

[Here the story breaks off abruptly.]

LITERAL TRANSLATIONS.

Page 244.

My Lord, I, having a common cause with my friends of wandering, saw among the Suhmans, in the outer park of a city called Damalipta, a great festal crowd. There, in a bower of Atimukta creepers, I saw a certain young man amusing himself with the sound of a lute. I asked him "Worthy sir, what is this festival called? on what account is this beginning, through what cause do you stand in solitude, accompanied (only) by your lute, as if out of spirits, not having done honour to the festival?"

He replied: "The King of Suhma, called Tungadhanwa, being without offspring, begged from the feet of Durga, called Vindhyavasini,[11]

dwelling in this abode, having her love for the abode in Vindhya forgotten, two children, and by her in a vision to him sleeping near (her temple) direction was given: 'There shall be produced of thee one son, and one daughter shall be born; but he shall be in subjection to her husband. But let her, beginning from the seventh year till her marriage, propitiate me every month while the moon is in Krittika (the constellation of the Pleiades), with the ball-dance, for the obtaining an excellent husband; and whom she likes, to him she is to be given and let this festival be called the Ball Festival.' So she said.

"Then in a very short time the beloved queen of the king, named Medini, bore a son, and a daughter was born at the same time. That damsel, called Kandukavati, will to-day propitiate the G.o.ddess having the moon as a diadem.

"But her friend, Chandrasena by name, her foster-sister, was beloved of me; and in these days she has been violently besieged by the king's son Bhimadhanwa. Therefore I, distressed, perplexed at heart by the pain of the arrow-darts of Kama, somewhat consoling myself with the soft tones of the lute, occupy a solitary place."

And at that moment there came near a certain sound of anklets, and a certain lady came up. He indeed having seen her, with eyes opened wide, having risen up, having been embraced by her, sat down; and he said "This is the (lady) dear as my life, separation from whom, burning as it were, burns me up; and by that prince the robber of this, my life, I am brought to a state of coldness, as if by death; and I shall not be able, saying he is the king's son, to practise loyalty towards him; therefore, having caused myself to be favourably regarded by her, I will abandon a life which has no remedy."

But she, with her face full of tears, said "O beloved, do not, on my account, engage in violence. Thou, who having been born of a worthy merchant, Arthadasa, wast called Kosadasa by thy parents, art called by thy enemies Vesadasa (slave of a girl), from thy excessive attachment to me. Thou thyself being dead, I should imagine the popular saying would be (he was) Nrisansa-Vesa--the slave of a wicked one. But now take me to any place you will."

But he said to me: "Friend, in the regions seen by you, which was (the most) prosperous, abounding in corn, and having the greatest number of good men?"

To him, having laughed a little, I said "Wide is this (world bounded by) ocean and sky. There is no end of pleasant regions in one place or another. But, indeed, if I should not be able to produce some plan causing you to live comfortably here, then, indeed, I will show you the way."

Meanwhile, the sounds of jewel-anklets arose. Now she, in a hurry, said: "My lord's daughter Kandukavati is come to propitiate Durga with playing at ball; and she is of unforbidden sight in this Kanduka (ball) festival. May the eye of you going to see her be successful; I must be keeping near her." So saying, she went away, and we two followed her.

I first saw the red-lipped (lady) standing on the floor of a jewelled stage; and she, seen by me a stranger and at a distance, immediately settled in my heart. And I, having my mind occupied by astonishment, thought: "Is this Lakshmi? for the lotus is not placed in her hand; but in her (Lakshmi's) hand there is a lotus, and she (the G.o.ddess) has been all enjoyed by Vishnu, and by former kings; but in this (lady) there is unimpaired faultless youth."

While I was thus reflecting, she, faultless in every limb, touching the ground with the tips of her stretched-out fingers, having her dark curled locks shaken, having with agitation saluted the mighty G.o.ddess, took hold of the ball, resembling (in colour) the G.o.d without a body (_i.e._ Kama) having his eye reddened by no slight pa.s.sion; and having dropped it with graceful languor to the ground, having struck it, gently rising, with her bud-like hand having the delicate fingers stretched out, the thumb a little bent; having thrown, it up with the back of the hand, she caught it observed with active grace, in the air as it fell like a bunch of flowers joined with a circle of bees; and she discharged it in middling slow and quick musical time, throwing it very gently; and at that moment she displayed a quick movement with her feet; and when it stopped, she caused it to rise up with numerous blows; and, contrarywise, she caused it to rest; and she made it rise up like a bird, striking it regularly with her left and right hands when it was come straight to her side, and having caught it fallen when it had risen to a very great height, she practised a song-step; and having caused it to go up in various directions, she made it come back again. Thus sporting sweetly in various ways, accepting the words of praise loudly spoken at every moment by the people with their feelings interested come near to the stage, she stands turned towards me (who was) leaning on the shoulder of Kosadaasa, having just then confidence produced in me, with flushed cheek and wide expanded eye.

Then she being caused to have a glancing look like that of Kandarpa when first descended to earth, corresponding therewith having her gracefully-curved creeper[12] eyebrows sportively playing; with the network of the rays of light of her lips oscillated by the waves of the wind of her breath, like twigs moved in sport, as if beating off the bees eager to catch the perfume of heir lotus-face. In the circular whirlings of the ball (caused) by very rapid striking, entering, as it were, a flowery cage, through bashfulness at sight of me; in the Panchavindhu movement shaking off, as if through fear, the five arrows of Kama simultaneously falling (on her); in the Gomuttrika steps quivering like the brightness shown in the cloud imitating forked lightning; in the harmonious movements of her feet, having the time kept by the sound of the jewelled ornaments; with her lower lip suffused with the brightness of a furtive smile; with the ma.s.s of her locks put up again when fallen down; with her jewelled girdle-belt sounding by knocking together; with the brightness of her muslin dress, agitated as it rested on her gracefully prominent full hips; with the beautiful ball, struck by the quivering, bent, and extended arms; with the arms like a loop, turned downwards; with her graceful hair reaching to the end of the back, rolled round upwards; with the game continued (and) not neglected from her rapidity in putting up the fallen-down golden leaf of the ear-ring; with the ball whirled inwards and outwards by the feet and hands throwing it up repeatedly; with the necklace lost to sight through bending down and rising up; the pearls without separation in falling and rising; with the wind of the little branch (stuck) in (or behind) the ear engaged in drying up the paint of the cheek spoilt by the perspiration breaking forth; with one hand engaged in holding back on the surface of her bosom the falling muslin dress; sitting down and rising up, closing and opening her eyes, striking on the ground or in the air, with one ball or more than one, she showed various sorts of play worth looking at.

PAGE 36.

After that, a certain damsel, adorned with a quant.i.ty of ornaments, made of jewels, who had become the chief of the whole race of women in the world, attended by a numerous train of modest female friends, having the gait of a swan, having come up softly, having made an offering to the most excellent brahman, of one jewel of the form (colour) of flame, being asked by him: "Who art thou?"

Sorrowfully, with a low murmuring voice, very gently, in a submissive att.i.tude, said: "O excellent brahman, I am the daughter of a chief of Asuras, Kalindi by name. My father, the ruler of this world, great in dignity, in a battle in which the immortals were removed to a distance, was made a guest of the city of Yama by Vishnu, impatient of his own valour. Me, immersed in an ocean of grief at separation from him, a certain compa.s.sionate perfected devotee told: 'Damsel, a certain mortal, bearing a divine body, having become thy new husband, shall rule over the whole of Patala.'"

PAGE 309.

Having propitiated with clasped hands, put together in the form of the red lotus; the ma.s.s of rays coloured by the red sandalwood body of the thousand-eyed elephant of the eastern quarter having a thousand flames, the witness of things (which ought) to be done and not to be done, the unique sea-monster leaping over the row of cloud-waves of the celestial ocean, the graceful actor dancing on the stage of the golden rock, the one lion the tearer of the scented elephant of nocturnal darkness, the jewel arranged at the top of the pearl necklace the canopy of the stars; I went to my own dwelling. And three days being gone, when the lord of day had a splendour of colour common to it with the red chalk side of the peak of the western mountain, and was looking like the orb of one bosom of the G.o.ddess of Twilight, united with the body of Siva, under the name of atmosphere, for the disparagement of the daughter of the king of mountains; that king also having come, stood in humble att.i.tude, having his diadem eclipsed by the rays from the nails of the feet of this person placed on the ground; and he was thus addressed:--

PROPER NAMES, ETC., OCCURRING IN THE TALES.

_Alaka_, a mountain inhabited by Kuvera and the Yakshas.

_Ambalika_, the daughter of Sinhavarma, wife of Mantragupta.

_Amittravarma_, King or Governor of Mahishmati.

_Anantavarma_, King of Vidarba.

_Apaharavarma_, son of Praharavarma, and one of the nine companions of Rajahansa.

_Apsaras_, heavenly females, nearly corresponding with the houris of the Mahometans.

_Arthapala_, son of Kamapala, one of the nine companions of Rajahansa.

_Arthapati_, a merchant at Champa, who wished to marry Kulapalika.

_Aryaketu_, a minister and friend of Visruta.

_Asura_, a general term for various supernatural beings not regarded as G.o.ds, but in general hostile to them, nearly the same as the jins or genii of the "Arabian Nights."

_Avantisundari_, daughter of Manasara, wife of Rajavahana.

_Balabhadra_, a merchant, husband of Ratnavati.