विक्रम चरित (उज्जैन सम्राट् विक्रमादित्य - पराक्रम, न्याय एवं ३२ पुतलियों की कथा सटीक)

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her. Her singing elicited the highest applause, and afforded the greatest enjoyment to Jupiter, Mars, and Venus. "The first song was followed by others not less accep- table, both from the sentiments they expressed, the feeling which they evinced, and the sweet voice in which they were sung. She produced a great sensation on the present occasion, and much emotion in the breasts of all there assembled, until at last she committed an error in omitting one verse of the last song, which was immediately detected by Indra. The angels also murmured at the omission. Indra was enraged at this, and expressed his anger as follows :—'Oh thou wretched and negligent woman, who vainly attemptest to please !—it were far better that thou wert a rock in the midst of the ocean than that thou shouldst again present thyself before me!' He had scarcely delivered himself of this awful judgment than Chitrangee fell into a swoon, and dropped heavily to the ground. After a time she came to herself, when the recollection of what she had heard from the lips of Indra rushed into her mind with all its horror. She knelt before him, and in a most lamentable tone cried, 'Oh, most mighty monarch! ruler of the heavens !—thy power extends to the utmost limits of these celestial realms, and before thee every crowned head bows in obedience! Be pleased to extend thy mercy and clemency to thine unfortunate servant! Pardon her fault, and relieve her from the dread- ful sufferings to which thou hast doomed her! Even the wife of Gowtum Rishee, who was doomed by her husband to remain within a rock for a period of sixty thousand years, had her sentence revoked, and was again received into favor. Deign, then, to extend to me thy mercy! Thou hast from my infancy retained me in thy especial service, and hast conferred on me the sovereignty of Chitrakoot : thou surely wilt not now condemn me to the torments I must suffer in the fathomless depths of the sea! Permit me, great sovereign, to continue in the enjoyment of thy bounty!' "Chitrangee's prayers and entreaties had no effect