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

106 command of his sovereign, took the princess under-his care, and at once began to impart to her the first lessons. “ A few days after this occurrence, the widow of Kashei- shwer, having discovered that her brother had sent his daughter to school, requested that he would place her son Soomunt also under the care of the Pundit, being of an age when he should commence his studies. The king, her brother, acceded to the request, and recommended the youth to the Pundit, at the same time giving strict injunctions to the pedagogue to take as much care of his nephew as he bestowed upon the princess, and on no account to make the slightest difference between them, as he cared equally. for both. The Pundit did as he was directed, and took them both under his tuition. From that day the Princess Malattee and Prince Soomunt became fondly attached to each other, and their love increased and gained strength with their years. “ One day, the princess, being in a cheerful humour. and exuberant spirits, was engaged in discussing a variety of subjects with the prince, and began playfully to tease him while arguing with him. Prince Soomunt penetrated her thoughts, and knowing the motives which prompted her, felt much grieved, so he begged her to desist from such proofs of her regard. He desired her, also, to converse with him no longer in that strain. ‘ Princess,’ said he, ‘ why do you thus tempt me? Is there any hope of your becoming my wife?’ ‘ Ah, yes!’ said she, ‘ there can be no doubt that I am destined to become your partner for life, and if you do not object to it, I here promise to be constant to you.’ ‘ My good princess,’ replied the youth, ‘ think well, I entreat you, ere you pledge yourself to anything. How can I place any reliance on what you may now feel disposed to say? You are but a child yet, and do not know what you promise. Consult your parents first, and take their advice : ascertain whether they are favourable to our union. You should be guided by them in all things, for it is your duty so to be. They are older and wiser than yourself, and

107 therefore better able to enter into such momentous subjects. They have, I doubt not, already formed a plan for your disposal,—perhaps intending to wed you to some other prince; and though my heart may break in such case, I must submit to my fate. It would ill become me, a depen- dant on your father’s bounty, to raise my voice against it.’ ‘You may rely on what I now say,’ rejoined the princess; ‘I swear to you that with none other but yourself will I ever marry. I have bestowed my maiden affections on you: all others can be nothing more to me than what they are now.’ The prince, observing the determined tone in which the princess spoke, could not doubt her sincerity, and therefore said, ‘My dear Malattee, I resign myself entirely to you, and swear in my turn never to forsake you. No other woman shall be allowed even for a moment to contend for the place you must ever after this hold in my heart.’ Thus their first declaration of love ended in their swearing mutual constancy, nor did it once pass beyond their own bosoms. Their affection for each other daily increased, be- ing strengthened indissolubly by their constant intercourse. “The princess was now fast approaching the age at which it was thought desirable, by the nobility and princes of those days, that she should enter the hymeneal state. The king, her father, therefore ordered his minister to make overtures to a prince whom he thought fitted, both in person and acquirements, to receive his daughter in mar- riage. The minister told the king that ere he set about this mission it would be nothing but right that they should consult with a Josey* as to a good and auspicious hour at which to determine the matter, which was accordingly done. Having been directed by the Josey as to the precise time of departure and so forth, the minister commenced his journey, with a select band of retainers, and proceeded to the city of Brumhapoory, towards the north. After a short and prosperous journey he arrived at that city, and presented himself with his credentials before the reigning sovereign.

• An astrologer.

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The king was pleased to think that so powerful a monarch as he whose minister was now at his court should seek his alliance; and being convinced at a glance, as it were, of the advantages to be derived from it, he proceeded, as a preliminary of what was to follow, to receive the minister with every demonstration of joy and respect. He said that he had an only son, who was considered to be a youth of no mean parts; it would be perhaps wrong in him to eulo- gise his own child, but he would introduce him to the minister, who would thus be able to judge for himself. For his own part, he would be only too happy to meet the wishes of the king who sought thus to strengthen their friendship. If his son should be pleased with the description given of the princess, and the minister satisfied with the prince, nothing would remain but to fix a day on which to consum- mate the union. The prince was soon after introduced to the minister, who was struck at the very first with his beauty and bearing: In conversation the young man dis- played such wisdom and power of thought, that, so far as he was able to form an opinion in so short a time, the minister considered him to be a fit and acceptable partner for the princess on whose behalf he had been sent. He therefore expressed his satisfaction to the prince’s father, and promised him, on the part of his king, that the prince should be accepted as the future husband of the Princess Malattee; requesting at the same time that all the necessary preparations should be made for the marriage ceremony. Shortly after this he took leave of the monarch, and returned to his own city, where, with much joy, he communicated to his sovereign the successful termination of his mission, and the good fortune he had met with in securing a prince in every respect worthy of the honor,—the son of the king of Brumhapoory. He added that the king, accompanied by the prince and his whole court, would in a short time come to celebrate the marriage of the young couple. The king was delighted to hear what the minister had to say in favor of his future son-in-law, and of the success he had met

109 with, and gave immediate directions for everything necessary and suitable to be prepared for the occasion. "The news of the approaching nuptials of the Princess Malattee with a foreign prince, spread like wildfire, and the unfortunate Prince Soomunt heard it among the rest. He instantly sought an interview with his cousin, and having obtained it, said to her, 'My dear Malattee, can you explain the meaning of so much bustle, confusion, and preparation, as I observe throughout the palace?' The princess replied, that she knew not what it meant, and asked in her turn if the prince could enlighten her on the subject. Soomunt looked searchingly at her for a moment, and then said, 'Princess, I need hardly say that it will now be impossible for you to fulfil your engagement with me, and it would perhaps be wrong in me to expect you to do so. The pre- parations that you now see going forward are the prelude to your marriage with a foreign prince, son of the king of Brumhapoory, whom your father has accepted as your future husband.' The prince's looks did not accord with his apparent composure, and the princess perceiving it, replied, 'My dearest prince—my love!—do not allow yourself to be thus disturbed. If my father has pledged his royal word to unite me to the prince you have but just mentioned, recollect that I have long, long before that, bestowed my affections on you, and sealed the compact with a solemn oath to become yours and none other's. I am solely yours, and I call heaven to witness that I will never go back from my word, and thus be guilty of perjury and ingratitude. Depend on me. Compose yourself and be patient. Let the bridegroom come!' So saying, the lovers separated. "Every preparation being completed, the king sent for the sovereign of Brumhapoory, and invited a large number of friends on both sides to be present at the feast. He erected a commodious and very richly-furnished building for the reception of visitors, and for the celebration of the marriage ceremony. The king of Brumhapoory soon after arrived, and with him a numerous host of friends, relatives,

110 and retainers, as well as a number of elephants and horses, and a large army, all richly and gracefully adorned, befitting the grand and joyous occasion. The princess' father hearing of it, went forth with a retinue to honor the king of Brum- hapoory, and to lead him into the city, after the usual simunt poojea.* Having performed all the ceremonies usual on such occasions, they entered the city together, amidst the joyful shouts of the people, and spent the day in great festivity. On the following day they worshipped the customary divinity, according to the established prac- tice, and it was agreed that the marriage should take place the same night at twelve o'clock. The king, Malattee's father, conducted his guests, both nobles and princes, in procession, to bring the bridegroom to his house ; the queen also accompanied them, with the ladies of the court and the wives of the nobles and citizens, to honour the bridegroom's mother. “It was now nearly eight o'clock, and the bride was seated in the palace, near the Gowrihar.† The inmates of the palace were all engaged in their respective employments, and the attendants of the princess, overcome by sleep, had extended themselves one after the other on the floor. The princess, at intervals, anxiously looked around, to see if Prince Soomunt were visible, but he was not to be found. He had intended accompanying her father to escort the bridegroom, but with much grief and suffering and many inward pangs. He went a short distance, but he felt so oppressed that he could go no further; he therefore returned to the palace without the knowledge of any one, nor did the king or anybody else notice the grief that was weighing him down : they were too much elated with the joy they felt at the approaching nuptials to perceive it. As soon as . the prince reached the palace, he proceeded at once towards

• The honours and courtesies paid at the village boundary, or in the temple, to the bridegroom. † The name under which Shiva and Parvutty are worshipped at marriage ceremonies.

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the apartment in which he thought he was likely to find the princess, intending to take his last fond leave of her. The princess saw him, and having beckoned him to approach nearer, herself advancing towards him, said, ‘There is in my father’s stable a horse very swift of foot,—he can go over twelve yojuns in an hour. Do not lose time : go and bring him here, saddled and bridled.’ The prince immedi- ately went in search of the horse, the princess in the mean while occupying herself in selecting some clothes and valu- ables ; having secured which, and the horse also being just then brought by the prince, they both mounted him, and, leaving the palace, went out of the city by an unfrequented road. They went on, without once stopping, until they arrived at a grove in which there were a number of mango trees in full bearing. Just then it occurred to the princess that she had forgotten to bring with her a valuable garland, composed of nine sorts of jewels, which had been prepared for the occasion of her wedding, but had left it at the Gowrihar, where she was seated when the prince met her on his return from the marriage procession. She appeared very anxious to obtain this garland ; the prince therefore proposed that she should wait at the grove while he went back to the palace to recover it, promising to return in a short time. The night being far advanced and extremely dark, and the distance to be traversed very great, the princess was unwilling to allow the prince to hazard the risk of the attempt ; he, however, assured her he would take every precaution, and not stay long away from her. To prevent any mistake on his return, and that she might be sure none other than himself approached her in the darkness of the night, he said he would utter a peculiar sound as a signal, which was agreed upon between the lovers. He then left her in the grove, under cover of the foliage of the trees, and directed his steps towards the palace. He was not long in gaining admittance there, unnoticed by any of the numerous attendants who now thronged the court-yard and every avenue leading to the

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royal mansion. He recovered the treasure, in short, and began to retrace his steps to where he had left the princess anxiously praying for the success of his mission and for his speedy arrival. "The locality in which the luckless Malattee had found a temporary shelter was infested by a notorious gang of thieves, one of whom, unfortunately, happened to be near enough to overhear the parting dialogue of the lovers. Allowing a sufficient time to elapse, the thief approached the princess, and gave the signal agreed upon. As soon as the princess heard it, and without in the least suspecting it could be any one but the prince, she hastened delightedly forward to meet him. Though her anxiety of mind and apprehension had been very acute during the short interval which had elapsed, she felt amply repaid for it now. Coming up, therefore, to him whom she imagined to be the prince, she held out her hand and welcomed him. The impostor did not allow her to enter into any lengthy talk, but immediately brought forward the horse that had been left standing beside her, and urged her speedily to resume her seat. The poor victim, fearing that perhaps the prince had been discovered, and was pursued by her father’s men, lost not a moment in complying, and thus, seated beside the thief, she was carried along with great swiftness, under the experienced guidance of one to whom every inch of ground was familiar. The darkness was so intense that they could not see each other’s faces, neither could the princess speak, so great was the rapidity with which they travelled; the wily thief, also, preserved a strict silence, which the princess attributed to the same cause. The morning was now fast breaking, and the warblings of the feathered songsters of the woods began to be heard. Malattee, finding that the horse had been made to slacken his pace, was congratulating herself and the prince upon their escape. She was now quite easy in her mind, thinking that their pursuers, if any there were, must now have been left so far behind as to be unable to overtake or even trace them. In this state of

mind she addressed her companion in the Sanscrit, the language usually employed by princes and nobles in those days, but the thief, not being familiar with it, could not respond to the sentiments she expressed, many of which called for reply. She, as may naturally be concluded, was surprised at this unusual silence on the part of the prince, who formerly had barely allowed a word to escape her without participating fully in her feelings and responding to them, or, if wrong, gently correcting them. At this time, too, there was sufficient light for distinguishing each other, and, oh!—with what horror and dismay did she not behold, as she turned an inquiring glance on the man beside her, the countenance which was presented to her wondering eyes! He had neither nose nor ears,—his right hand had been cut off at the wrist,—he was black and dirty, coarsely clad, and presented altogether a most unseemly and revolting appearance! She screamed at the sight of this wretched and frightful-looking being, and soon lost all her presence of mind. He tried to soothe her, and the princess, becoming gradually aware of the position she was in, and suspecting into what hands she had fallen, was wise and considerate enough not to carry her antipathy too far, lest he should be provoked to ill-treat her. She became at last calm; her sorrow, however, weighed heavily upon her, and she was in all respects an object of pity; yet she very prudently refrained from audibly expressing the agony of her feelings. “ It was now broad day, the sun began to shed forth his lustre from the heavens, and they were approaching a city which stood before them. The thief, addressing Malattee, said, ‘ Fair princess, I wish you to understand that I am a resident in yonder city. I am about to convey you to my house, and it is my earnest request that you will for the future consider yourself mistress of all I possess. By attending to my concerns and presiding over my domestic affairs, you will secure for yourself a happy retreat, and also enjoy every sort of pleasure.’ Malattee disguised her P

114 feelings, and said, ‘Your kindness overpowers me! What you have proposed is quite agreeable to me, and accords with my wishes. I will do as you please. But hearken to what I have to say : it is now broad daylight; if I were to accompany you into the city, it is more than probable that we should attract attention. Some of the king’s attend- ants or domestics might meet us, and, seeing me in your company, would immediately suspect you of having become possessed of me by some foul means. Acting upon such a conclusion they will most assuredly separate us, do you some grievous harm, or detain you in custody. What will then become of me? Your kindness and humane disposi- tion have greatly pleaded for you, and I feel now that I could not have fallen into better hands. Would you then be so cruel as to work your own ruin and mine, by exposing yourself to the consequences of being seen with me in the public thoroughfare? Let me entreat you to consent to pass the day with me in some secluded place, and we can enter the city at night.’ She displayed such evident signs of sincerity in all she said, that the thief was quite vain enough to think he had touched her heart. He therefore thought the advice good, and accordingly resolved upon acting on it. They went into one of the gardens, which were numerous in the outskirts of the town, there to await the approach of night. The princess first alighted from the horse, and the thief followed. She then opened the saddle-bags, took out some gold coins, and, giving them to her companion, said, ‘Go you to the market-place and procure some provisions for us, and, above all, do not forget to purchase a vessel that will contain food for two.’ The thief was so smitten with the charms of the princess, and so thoroughly convinced of his feelings being reciprocated, that no suspicion found an entrance for a moment into his mind, so completely had the princess hoodwinked him. He set off for the market, as he had been bidden, and purchased all that he had been directed, as well as various other articles which he thought would be acceptable to the princess.

115 · In the mean while, no sooner had the thief turned his back, than the princess, divesting herself of her garments, dressed herself in those of Prince Soomunt, and by this means she wrought so complete a transformation in her appearance that her nearest friends would scarcely have recognised her. She lost no time in mounting her horse, and then set off on her flight, taking the forward road, being afraid to retrace her path, lest she should be pursued and overtaken by the thief. “ Shortly after the princess had made her escape, the thief returned, loaded with the purchases he had been making, but, to his utter confusion and disappointment, he found that both the horse and the princess had disappeared. Now, only, did the deluded wretch became sensible of the ruse put on him by the princess to lull his suspicions, the result of which he but too painfully felt. So enamoured had he become of the princess, that he was like one beside himself when the truth for the first time flashed across his mind;—he swore, stamped his feet, and displayed all the symptoms of an ungovernable and inordinate passion. Overcome by his violence, he sank to the ground in an agony of despair, and deplored his misfortune, as he termed it, in the following strain :—‘ Ah ! what an execrable fool am I ! Almost at the very moment when, without any pains on my part, this treasure of inestimable worth was thrown in my way, I have, by my own folly and blindness, lost it for ever ! I am the most miserable of beings ! Unlucky I am and have been, and unlucky I shall remain through life ! As well might a string of pearls be given to an ape, a brilliant jewel to one born blind, or a soft and impressive speech be addressed to a deaf man ! I have proved myself little or no better than these. The cup that was offered to me contained all that man could desire, and yet have I, like an idiot,—a fool, a blind infatuated fool !—dashed it from my lips, and turned from the proffered boon !’ In a state bordering on despair, and fully determined not to con- tinue living in the world as he had so far done, he dyed his

116 clothes brown, converted his dress into that of a devotee, and went roaming about different countries, in the exercise of penance and religious duties. “The princess in the mean time had gone far on her travels. One hot day, as she was leisurely proceeding along, she overheard an altercation between two young men. They were pupils of an ascetic, who, before he died, a short time previous, had bequeathed three different articles to them, which were to be equally divided. They could not, however, come to an amicable settlement as regarded the partition of the bequest. They were yet disputing when the princess, still in disguise, happened to ride past them. They resolved to appeal to her, which was accordingly done. Nearly in the same breath they unfolded to her the cause of their dispute. The princess desired to know what were the three things which had been left to them by their tutor; upon which they produced a wallet, a bowl or plate, and a pair of wooden shoes. The princess then asked them to inform her of the use of these articles. In their simplicity they told her that the plate, if duly reverenced and entreated, would yield forthwith an abundance of shoodpukwan,* that the wallet would produce any amount of gold, and that the shoes would transport their owner to any part of the world on his merely expressing the wish. Malattee, on hearing this explanation, said that she could not pronounce any judgment unless they agreed to abide by it, and to do as she would bid them. Being desirous to put an end to their contention, they at once consented to this, whereupon she pointed to a tree at a distance, and said, ‘He who returns first to me after running to that tree and touching it, shall become the possessor of two of these articles, and the other shall take the remaining one for his share.’ They agreed to this, and, placing the three articles in the hands of their umpire, started away at their utmost speed towards the tree. When they had placed a good distance between them and the princess, the latter, availing herself of the

• Pure confectionery.

117 . favorable opportunity that now presented itself, whipped her horse and sped away at a rapid rate in an opposite direction, with the valuable articles in her possession. She did not draw rein until she had gallopped over some fifteen yojuns of road. The two pupils, having touched the tree indicated, ran back one after the other to receive from the hands of the umpire what had fallen to their respective shares ; but how great was their astonishment and dismay at finding that both the rider and the horse had disappeared whilst they had been engaged in contending for the prize, and with them also the three valuable articles, which were their all. They examined every nook in which they thought the umpire might have concealed himself, but all to no purpose, and at length they gave up the search in despair. It was now that they become conscious of the absurdity of their dispute, whereby, not only had neither reaped the slightest benefit, but a stranger had become enriched: ‘ It is a just punishment,’ said they, ‘ and will teach us to be more discreet and less confiding for the future.’ Neverthe- less, they grieved much for their loss. It has been truly observed that internal commotions profit only those who hover around the contending parties ; the latter are never benefitted. Thus two brothers, disputing each other's claim on the property left by a parent, go to law, and are thereby drained of every coin they possess, until at length, lacking the means of carrying on the litigation, they are left impoverished, powerless, and full of remorse for their want of foresight and their mismanagement. “ The Princess Malattee, during her flight, might have been observed to scan the horizon from time to time, to see if she were pursued ; and, as no sign betokened such to be the case, she stopped her horse, and entered a temple of Shiva, which was near. Having paid her devotions to the idol, she reposed there for the remainder of the day. While there, she thought frequently of Prince Soomunt, and felt great anxiety as to his fate. She spent most of the night in endeavouring to devise some mode by which to obtain

118 intelligence of him, but nothing likely to succeed occurred to her ; it was with a heavy heart, therefore, that she set out on her journey on the morrow. About noon she reached a large city, the king of which, as she heard, had lately died and left no successor,—neither son, brother, cousin, or any other relative. The minister, after the last sad rites had been paid to the deceased monarch, summoned a council to elect a person to fill the throne. The several councillors and nobles made many propositions and suggestions, but at length the minister spoke as follows :—' I have heard it declared by a most learned hermit, that it is affirmed in the divine law that a selection in such cases as this should be thus made : a female elephant, richly adorned, with a chaplet or string of flowers on her trunk, should be let loose in the city, and on whoever she may place this, chaplet of flowers, that same person should be proclaimed king.' This was highly approved of, seconded, and carried by acclama- tion. A female elephant was immediately procured, and, having been completely decorated for the occasion, and the chaplet placed on her trunk, she was allowed to roam at large about the city. At the same time a number of musicians were engaged, who by their performances gave effect to the proceeding; the troops also marched out in warlike array, and paraded on each side of the elephant, which continued to roam about until sunset, without deigning to bestow the chaplet on any of those assembled on the plain, who, one and all, from the prince to the peasant, were clad in their holiday apparel. That day passed, as we have said, without the selection being made; and all the people retired for the night. The next day the ceremony was repeated, but with the same result, and the like on the third day; but on the fourth, the elephant was seen to proceed towards the outskirts of the town, where she encountered the Princess Malattee making towards the city gate, and, going up to her, unhesitatingly put the chaplet around her neck, and then, lifting her gently from off her horse, placed her on her own back. The elephant now

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steadily marched up to the palace, and halted before the minister, councillors, and nobles, who had assembled there in anticipation of paying their homage to their new monarch. There Malattee alighted, and was received with every demonstration of respect and obedience; the air being rent with shouts of ‘Long life and prosperity to the new king!’ The minister and the other members of the court then wished to know by what name she was to be distinguished, and she told them the name of her lover—Soomunt. They then imparted to her the circumstances attending the demise of the late king, and ended by investing her with the royal prerogatives. Shortly after, the courtiers paid their usual homage, and retired to their respective houses. “The new king (who is for the present to be known as Soomunt) was now seated on the throne, having been acknowledged monarch by the whole population. For many days successively the city was in a state of rejoicing, and a profusion of alms were bestowed on the poor; Malattee passing the time in a delirium of joy. The minister then called a council, which afforded the new monarch the greatest pleasure and satisfaction, for Malattee was anxious to obtain intelligence of her absent lover,—as to what part of the world he was in, and in what circumstances situated. She therefore took advantage of the opportunity thus presented, and directed the minister to make it known throughout her dominions that she would hold an anashutre,* to entertain strangers of every description; and that, after they had partaken of the food prepared for them, each and all of them were to present themselves in person before her, to receive the virah.† Arrangements were accordingly made to carry out the anashutre, and persons appointed to invite all devotees and hermits to it. Malattee also fixed upon a time at which to distribute the virah in person.

• A charitable act,—the distribution of food to travellers and wayfarers. † A betel-leaf, rolled up with betel-nut, khat, lime, and spices, ready to be put into the mouth.

120 " Leaving them all thus engaged in their respective tasks, we will now return to the real Prince Soomunt, whom we left on his way back from the palace to the grove, after regaining possession of the jewelled garland.

121 CHAPTER VIII. Veytal concludes his tale, and disappears. “ PRINCE SOOMUNT hastily returned, with the garland, to the grove where he had left the princess, and began to search for the horse he had hid under the tree. The night was so dark that nothing could be distinguished, and he found neither the horse nor the princess. Thinking, however, that he might possibly have mistaken the tree, he continued looking for them a long time, but it was all to no purpose, —they were nowhere to be found. He became uneasy as the conviction gradually gained upon him that some mis- fortune had befallen the princess. The question as to whether Malattee could be capable of practising a foul deception upon him, for a moment intruded itself in his mind, but it was at once discarded, as being unworthy of him- self and cruelly unjust to her. Had then some thief or other ill-disposed person forcibly taken her away ?—or had she in terror returned to her father’s palace ? He was thus lost in conjecture, without being able to arrive at anything like a satisfactory solution of the mystery in which the princess’ disappearance was shrouded, and so he remained until the night was far advanced. He then thought, and wisely too, that if the princess had not returned to the palace, her father would, as soon as her absence became known, lose no time in scouring the country far and near in search of her, and it would therefore be rash in him needlessly to expose himself to discovery. He therefore disguised himself, and set out towards the north, after carefully securing the garland round his waist. He travelled under the guise of a Manbhavy,* with his clothes dyed a reddish hue, as usually worn by such men. During his

• A member of a certain heretical order. Q 1

122 wanderings the Princess Malattee was never out of his thoughts. His food consisted of the fruits he found on the road-side. In his course he explored a great many cities and villages, in the hope of discovering his lost love; and at every religious place he met with he performed the cere- monies enjoined by Hindu law, and at such times a large share of his supplications were in Malattee's behalf, his grief for her loss continuing unabated. Having reached the Sihandree mountain, he visited the shrine of Shree Duttatria,* and paid his devotions to him. During his stay in this sacred place, he felt much depressed in mind while pondering on the ill fate which had separated him in so sudden and unexpected a manner from his much-loved Malattee. One day, while as usual deploring his misfor- tune, he heard a voice issue from the heavens, saying, ‘ Prince! grieve no more, but take courage! Thy beloved Malattee shall soon be restored to thee!’ The prince gazed in silent awe in the direction whence the voice had proceeded, and, being convinced that his ears had not deceived him, he felt his sinking hopes fast revive. A great change was soon perceptible in him, and he was gradually restored to ease and tranquillity. He remained at that place nine days, and then left it in pursuit of his journey. "The Princess Malattee's father brought the bridegroom to his palace, to the great delight of all there assembled, and the princes and nobles, officers and distinguished citizens, took their respective seats in the audience-hall. Musicians engaged for the occasion performed on various instruments, and every sign of perfect and joyous festivity was to be seen about the palace. The time for uniting the youthful pair was now fast approaching, and the priest desired the king to bring forth the princess. The king went into the palace to seek her, but although he made the strictest search she was nowhere to be found! He enquired of the queen if she knew where the princess was, and she advised him to look for her in the chamber of the

• A particular incarnation of Shiva.

123 · Gowrihar, where she might possibly have fallen asleep. She was not there! It was soon known throughout the palace that the princess had disappeared, and each person ran in a different direction to search for her. Every apart- ment in the palace, every neighbouring house, every quar- ter of the city, and even the wells and ponds, into which they thought she might possibly, in the darkness of the night, have fallen, were all by turns examined with lighted torches; but nothing, not even the slightest trace, could be found. The king now remembered that Prince Soomunt had not appeared among the assembled nobles at the palace, 'and he therefore enquired of his sister Shoodhamutty where her son was. She replied that she had not seen him since that morning. They then began to search for him, but this proved equally unsuccessful. At this stage the queen informed the king that for some time past Prince Soomunt and the Princess Malattee had been so intimate that they were scarcely or ever seen apart, and if Soomunt happened to be out, Malattee became uneasy and impatient for his return; that she would not even eat unless he shared her meal; and that they had been in the daily habit of sitting in discourse together for a long time, although everybody was ignorant of the nature of their conversation. "The king regretted exceedingly this unexpected mis- fortune, and suspected that the elopement, of which he was now fully convinced, could not have taken place without the cognisance of his sister Shoodhamutty. The latter declared solemnly, however, that she knew nothing of the flight, and said that if she was in any way concerned in it she hoped the Almighty would punish her. She felt so greatly hurt at the unjust suspicions of her brother that she wept aloud. 'Alas!' sighed she, 'here have I passed my early days of widowhood, with my only son, in the bosom of my brother's family, earnestly hoping to meet with that happiness which, it would now appear, is denied to me, perhaps on account of my sins. I see I an doomed to suffer much grief and trouble in this world : I am even now

124 left in a forlorn condition. Oh, God! thou hast indeed made me as destitute as the man to whom a wayfarer applied for a little milk, and who, with his usual liberality, was about to bestow it upon him, but when he approached his cow for the purpose of obtaining the milk, her calf fell down and immediately expired! Soomunt and Malattee have gone away of their own free will and accord, and have left me to sorrow, and in discord with my brother!’ Thus she gave vent to her feelings, wounded by the suspicions entertained of her. “ Finding no probability of recovering the lost Malattee, the king resolved on marrying his younger daughter, Mallanee, to the deserted bridegroom. He therefore ordered her to bathe and adorn her person for the occasion; and the union was at once celebrated, with all the usual pomp and festivity, which lasted four successive days. “ Shortly after the marriage of the king’s younger daugh- ter with Malattee’s bridegroom had taken place, as above related, the newly-married couple, laden with magnificent presents from the king, consisting of lands, slaves, elephants, horses, gold, and jewels, set forward with the king of Brum- bapoory, father of the prince, on their return, accompanied a great way beyond the city gates by the bride’s father and a host of nobles and citizens. At parting they exchanged mutual expressions of good-will. The king (Malattee’s father), on returning to his palace, was pained to observe the grief in which he had plunged his sister by his unjust suspicions; so he went to her, and endeavoured by every means in his power to soothe and comfort her. He told her not to be sorry on account of the ingratitude of her son and the princess, for that they would doubtless be heard of at some future time. ‘As long as you are living with me,’ said he, ‘you shall be treated with every respect and courtesy, and shall be in want of nothing that I can provide for you.’ “ Prince Soomunt travelled, in the guise he had assumed, through several cities, and visited many religious places.

125 One day he arrived at a city called Vodajagonath,* which is a very curious place. He resided there for a year, during which time he met with the same wicked thief who had deprived him of his affectionate Malattee. It happened that as the thief and the prince were seated a little apart from each other in a garden, near some mango trees, a ripe fruit fell just at the feet of the thief, who, without cleaning himself or rising from his seat, raised the mango to his mouth with his hands, and ate it. Prince Soomunt was much surprised at this, as their religion did not admit of such a practice. He therefore addressed the thief. 'Well, friend,' said he, 'you appear as a religious mendicant, and yet have eaten the mango without cleaning yourself. How unmeaning is your garb, then! You are a disgrace to the whole race of mendicants!' The thief replied, 'Friend, some time ago I had the unexpected good fortune of obtain- ing from an usurper an inestimable jewel, in the shape of the most handsome and amiable young lady my eyes ever beheld. I conducted her to my own city, but, before I could introduce her to my dwelling, she played me a sorry trick. I was fool enough to believe all she said, and thus, by my own folly, I destroyed all my hopes of future hap- piness.' In short, he related the whole occurrence to Soomunt, and in conclusion observed, 'I ate the mango in the manner you observed, lest I should be deprived of it as I was of my former prize.' The prince heard him out, with every symptom of disgust and abhorrence, and the thief, after he had done speaking, observing the manner in which his explanation was received, thought it unsafe to remain any longer in that place; he therefore arose and departed on his journey. The prince remained for awhile meditating on the ill luck that had befallen him, for, from what the thief had just told him he was inclined to believe, and did believe, that Malattee was the jewel he had spoken of. He was now satisfied that Malattee had not returned

• The name of the celebrated idol worshipped in Orissa, on the Coromandel coast.