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

247 valued at no less a sum than one hundred and twenty-five thousand rupees. The king said it was too much by far to ask for so small a bird, and that he could not comprehend the meaning of pricing it so enormously high, unless indeed it was possessed of some great and rare qualities. The parrot hereupon said to the king, “Do not doubt my wis- dom ;—buy me of the brahmin, and pay him what he asks. Then demand of me anything you would wish to know, and I will answer you.” The parrot’s language pleased Gopi- chund so much that he instantly ordered the money to be paid down, and took immediate possession of the intelligent bird. The brahmin, as soon as he had received his money, took leave of the parrot in the most affectionate manner, and departed for Oojein, to communicate his news to the minister. Having reached the city he went straight to his residence, and entered at once into a recital of Vickrama- detea’s adventures, concluding by informing him of his present form and location. The minister was exceedingly glad to hear that the search after his master had proved success- ful, and sincerely grieved to think of all he had suffered and was likely to suffer. He thanked Somedut for his exertions, and requested him not to divulge the circumstance of the king’s being found to any one, nor to allow a single person to suspect that he possessed so much money, lest some misfortune should befal him. He begged him above all things to be punctual in joining him at a time and place which they appointed. Somedut then took his leave, and went to his own home, where his family received him with great joy. King Gopichund kept the parrot in a magnificent cage, richly studded with diamonds and other precious stones, and took great pleasure in listening to the amusing tales which from time to time it recounted for the monarch’s amusement. Gopichund’s subjects were happy, contented, and religi- ously inclined ; they were peaceful among themselves, and

were in the constant practice of resorting to their temples and offering up their prayers to God; they were never known to lie, at least the great body of them, even for their own gain or aggrandisement. There was in this city a brahmin named Crustna Josey, who had an only son named Moodgul, a well-behaved and well-educated youth. One day this young man requested his father's permission to go on a pilgrimage to Kashee,* as he was very anxious to pay his vows at that holy place, and the caravan was also just about to set out. His father, however, objected to his going, as his grandson's moonje† was shortly to take place, and he wished him to be present on the occasion; so he told him not to think of going with the caravan then preparing to start, but to postpone it to some future time. The son, having previously made up his mind to proceed with the caravan, could ill brook this, as he thought, unnecessary opposition, so he went and joined the company who were to proceed to Kashee by that opportu- nity. There was a certain Borre‡ tree behind this brah- min's house, in which dwelt a Zotinge,|| who had the power of taking upon himself the shape or form of any other individual, just as it suited his interest or whim. Knowing, therefore, that Moodgul had joined the caravan against his father's expressed wish, the Zotinge determined to person- ate him during his absence. He accordingly assumed the form of Moodgul, and repaired to the brahmin's house, who was overjoyed at seeing his son, and asked him why he had returned. The Zotinge replied that he had found no good omen for starting; that he had absented himself simply to see how his father would bear it, and having heard that he was angry, he had returned. The Zotinge lived with the

• A celebrated city and place of pilgrimage in Benares. † The ceremony of investing the young brahmin with the sacri- ficial thread. ‡ The Jujuba tree, or Zyzyphus Jujuba. || The spirit of a deceased person, wandering as a goblin.

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brahmin and his family for a long time, without being in the least suspected, as he conducted himself exactly as Moodgul used to do, at the same time sharing Moodgul's wife's bed. The time appointed for the ceremony of investing the young brahmin with the sacred thread was now fast approach- ing, so the necessary preparations were made, a beautiful temporary arbour was erected, and the false Moodgul accompanied Crustna Josey into the country to invite their friends and relatives to attend the ceremony. The real Moodgul, having within three months' time performed his pilgrimage, returned with the caravan to the city, and repaired at once to his father's house. He was delighted to see the preparations going on, and that he was still in time to take part in the ceremony and join in the festivities. He proceeded directly to his mother's apartment, and, pros- trating himself before her, begged her forgiveness and blessing. Seeing that her son had not been long away from her, in which case alone such a practice was followed, she could not understand it: he had only gone a short distance with his father, as she thought, to invite their friends; she therefore asked him to explain what he meant by asking her forgiveness and blessing in this unusual manner. He told her where he had been, but this only perplexed her the more. She said that she had but one son, and he had been with them all along, and had only gone that morning with his father into the country. Moodgul did not know what to make of this, but thought that perhaps his wife would know him better. She happened to come in at this very time, and he said to her, "Well, my dear wife, you at least will know me: am I not your hus- band?" She had, as she thought, only that morning parted from her husband, and it was not surprising, there- fore, that she should have replied angrily, taking him for an impostor, "What villain art thou?—whence dost thou come? Art thou not ashamed of thy baseness in trying thus to impose on me by calling me thy wife,—I who never GG

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before saw thee? Thou art doubtless some vile deceiver from Benares. Leave this house instantly, or thou wilt meet with the treatment thou seemest so richly to deserve!" At this time Moodgul's young son, who was about to be invested with the sacred thread, entered the room. "My son," said the unhappy father, "do you too shun me? Am I not your father?" The child, as much or even more deceived, from his extreme youth, than his elders, replied, "What a base chattering knave thou art! Dost thou dare to address thy- self thus to those who know thee not? Who art thou? Get thee hence instantly, or I will cause thee to be punished severely for thy impudence!" Poor Moodgul tried all he could to convince them of his identity, by mentioning the names of each and all of their relatives, friends, and acquain- tances, and by recalling many little family incidents, but all to no purpose. His mother, wife, and son, were certainly surprised at the accuracy of his statements, but this was not sufficient to dispel the error into which they had fallen, and which had taken so deep a hold of their minds. By this time Moodgul's father had returned, and with him the counterfeit son. The real Moodgul, on seeing his father, went forward, and with a low reverence besought his blessing. The father was very much astonished at his salutation, and said, "Thou addressest me by the title of father!—I think thou art labouring under some grievous mistake. Thou art not my son! I have but one son, and here he is," pointing to the Zotinge. "I cannot but think that thy mind is unsettled; if not, thou art endeavoring to palm off some joke upon my family, but I would advise thee to desist from such practices and to go thy way." Moodgul, at the close of his father's speech, felt a sharp pang shoot through his heart, and he bitterly repented having left his paternal dwelling in opposition to his father's express desire. It was, however, useless now to regret the past, but he could not by any means think of an expedient to extricate himself from his present dilemma. At last he resolved upon going to King Gopichund, and representing

251 his case to him, who, he doubted not, would enable him to regain his position in his father's household. Before he left the house, the Zotinge went to Moodgul's mother, and said, " It is always the object of the impostors from Benares, good mother, to obtain something from those on whom they practise their deceptions ; give this fellow, therefore, some undressed rice." The mother was in high spirits and good humour in consequence of the approaching festivity, so she went immediately, at the desire of her son, and brought a small quantity of rice to the supposed cheat, who, however, resented the insult by spurning it away ; he then quitted the house and bent his steps towards the king's palace. When he arrived there, he represented to his majesty the actual state of affairs, with all necessary particulars, and demanded that justice should be done him. The king was greatly surprised at the representations made to him, and having sent for Crustna Josey, asked him what he meant by denying all knowledge of his son, after his return from the pilgrimage, even although the expedition had been undertaken contrary to his express commands, which did not in the least alter the case. " My lord," said Crustna Josey, "your majesty no doubt knows that I have but one son, and that son is now at home. The person now before your majesty I do not recollect having ever before seen, and I am at a loss to know on what ground he claims relation- ship with me. I beg your majesty will be pleased to send for my son, if you disbelieve my assertions." The king immediately ordered the son to be brought before him, and when he arrived the king observed such an exact resemblance between the two, in their make, features, complexion, size, and everything else, that he and the whole court were greatly embarrassed, and could not arrive at a satisfactory or conclusive opinion on the matter. In this strait the king bethought him of his clever parrot, who, he said, might possibly be able to solve the mystery. The parrot was accordingly brought into court and the case having been laid before him, he replied, after some time

252 spent in contemplation, "My lord, it is not for me to decide a case of so much importance. I pray you, take it into your own hands, or place it in those of your learned coun- cillors, who are so eminently conversant with the manner of judging such matters." But the king said he was deter- mined that the parrot should decide the case. The parrot then asked Crustna Josey which was his son, and he pointed to the Zotinge. The same question was put to the rest of Crustna's family, and they each and all indicated the same individual. The parrot next questioned the Zotinge on different points, but he met them all in a satisfactory manner, so that, except to the parrot, the case seemed to be as far from being settled as ever. The parrot, however, was at no loss to discover the cheat. He ordered a zauree* to be brought, which being done, he said, "If you both desire justice to be impartially administered, you will consent to the test I now prescribe. The real son alone will be able to enter into the zauree, and make his exit by the spout. The one who fails to do so is undoubtedly the cheat." The parrot addressed himself first to the real Moodgul, who said, "Is it possible for any human being to enter into so small a vessel?—it cannot be done by mortal means." The false Moodgul on this came forward, and said to the king, "O king, I am able to enter the zauree and to come out through the spout." "Are you?" said the parrot; "then hasten and do it." The Zotinge at once performed the feat, to the great astonishment of all. The parrot then called Crustna Josey, and asked him if he could now identify his son. The brahmin, greatly perplexed, said he could not be certain. The parrot enquired of him if he had not a Borre tree on his premises, that was occupied by a demon spirit. The brahmin replied that there was such a tree, on which a Zotinge had dwelt, but that he had not seen anything of him for the last three months. The parrot then said to the king, "May it please

• A particular drinking-vessel, with a spout and a long neck.

253 your majesty, did you ever see or hear of any mortal man being able to do what this vile impostor has this day done— enter a small pot and come out through its neck? Does your majesty not see who is the real son of the brahmin? I beg your majesty will immediately order the tree on the brahmin’s premises to be cut down.” This was done, and the Zotinge disappeared for ever. The king was much pleased with the parrot’s judgment, and praised him loudly for his wisdom and ingenuity. The venerable brahmin and his wife received their son with tears of joy, and the wife and son of Moodgul hung down their heads with shame for having so grossly abused him. His father then approached, and tenderly embraced him, saying, “My dear son, we are fully aware of the indignity and cruel treatment which we in our ignorance have inflicted on you, but I trust you will forgive us, and return home to your paternal roof.” Moodgul replied, in much anger, “I will not go home with you. I renounce the whole of you! —henceforth you shall be to me as my bitterest enemies!” The brahmin entreated him with much earnestness and contrition, but Moodgul was deplorably obstinate, and would not hearken to the voice of his aged sire. The parrot, finding the youth bent upon not being reconciled to his friends and connections, interceded on their behalf, saying that they had been altogether ignorant of the imposition that was practised upon them by the Zotinge, and desiring him to bear them no ill-will for what they had been unin- tentionally guilty of, and therefore, in fact, not guilty of at all. “Nothing,” continued the parrot, “is more noble, more generous, or more pleasurable than to forgive even real injuries done to us: how much more necessary, then, does it become for every man of virtue and magnanimity to forgive injuries which, though productive of the same effect to the person on whom they have been inflicted, are still divested of much of their evil qualities from the circumstance of their being unintentional? It is your duty, therefore, to forget and forgive every offence or injury you

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may have received from your erring and mistaken relatives.” Being thus persuaded by the parrot, Moodgul consented to return to his father’s house with his family. It afforded the brahmin, Crustna Josey, no small amount of pleasure to fold once more in his arms, in his own house, his only son, whom he dearly loved. He even went the length of soliciting his son’s pardon for what he had done against him, and so did the rest of them. “O my son!” said the father, “I cannot imagine what charm the Zotinge could have put upon me and my family! I repent most sincerely of my conduct towards you, and I trust you will, when you consider the circumstances under which we were placed, extend to us your forgiveness.” He continued in this strain for a considerable time, and adduced instances where such impositions had been successfully practised, until at length his son’s heart was softened. “O most revered father!” said Moodgul, “I am now fully sensible of the nature of the occurrence, and I feel how wrong I have been in my expressions of anger against you and the rest of those near and dear to me. I can see now how matters stood, and am not at all surprised that you should have acted in the manner you did. I have no reason to complain of you. Pardon me, I entreat you!” They were thus once more united in the bonds of affection, and the brahmin, embracing his son, shed tears of joy. The ceremony of investing Moodgul’s son with the sacred thread was cele- brated with great pomp and joy, and they continued to live in peace and good fellowship during the remainder of their lives.

255 CHAPTER XVII. The brahmin Somedut and Vickramadetea's Prime Minister arrive at Wishnuopoory as mendicants, and obtain the parrot from the king as a gift—They return to Oojein, and deliver Vickramadetea to the queen his wife—The usurper Koobjuck, wishing to initiate the queen into the mysteries of transmigration, enters into the dead body of a hare, on which Vickramadetea instantly resumes his own body, causes the hare to be destroyed, and re-ascends the throne. THE wise parrot and the good king Gopichund were one day engaged in conversing together, and they talked of the several sciences, the great benefits accruing from good government, and the necessity for leading a life of morality and virtue. After touching upon these several topics, the parrot said, "My lord, I am extremely pleased to observe that your majesty is not indifferent to your future welfare, in the midst of the wealth and grandeur with which you are surrounded. It behoves us all to have some thought of futurity. Your majesty has entered upon a very interest- ing inquiry, which, while it pleases me, has also given rise to reminiscences which it were far better had never been recalled. Your majesty spoke of a future state : sure enough we must prepare for it. This world is but transi- tory, and must sooner or later come to an end. With many, it has already ended, and those who remain will soon run out their allotted period of existence. Thousands there are, in fact they constitute by far the majority, who are content with the present,—who never look beyond this world. Alas ! what can wealth or power, rank or position, avail a man at the last extremity? Only consider, your majesty, the object for which you have been created. Con- sider again, in what will men who live solely for this world place their trust at their last end? Not in the bubble of worldly vanity—it will explode ; not in worldly pleasures—

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they will vanish; not in high connections—they will not serve them; not in wealth—for they cannot carry it with them; not in rank or royal dignity—for death levels every distinction. In short, it is not in the recollection of a life spent in the giddy mazes of dissipation and the silly fashions of a thoughtless and wicked world, that one should look for peace and serenity of mind at the moment when life is flickering in the mortal frame, but it is in the memory of a sober, righteous, and just life. Listen to my counsel, I pray you; it will afford your majesty food for contempla- tion. I most earnestly exhort and conjure you, by the ties of mutual friendship which unite us, to live virtuously; you will thus ensure not only a peaceful and prosperous reign in this life, but will lay up treasures for the next.” The parrot’s impressive talk and arguments on matters of religion made so strong an impression on the king’s mind that he felt irresistibly impelled to entreat him to point out the most approved method of devotional exercise, in order that he might, by following his advice, secure eternal happiness. “There is a certain rajasu yudna,”* replied the parrot, “which, if your majesty perform it in a particular manner, will tend to confirm you in your faith, and will exhibit to you in a forcible manner your dependence on the great and supreme Ruler of the universe, for He . alone is your majesty’s main prop and support,—He main- tains you in power and riches, He bestows life, health, and liberty. The spring of your felicity and the fountain of all your enjoyments is in Him. Offer your sacrifice in all humility, so as to be acceptable to Him; and if He is once satisfied with you, He will, I doubt not, shower upon you his divine mercy, and enable you to acquire virtue and every accomplishment.” His majesty on this sent for his astro- loger and his chief priest, and communicated to them his intention, whereupon the former fixed upon an auspicious

* A sacrifice which is performed only by great monarchs, attended by their tributary princes.

257 moment for the commencement of the sacrifice, and the latter suggested the necessary preparations, at the same time undertaking the office of providing all things accordingly. The king then summoned his minister, and despatched him with a suitable retinue to invite foreign princes to be present on the occasion of his great sacrifice. A horse, splendidly arrayed, was led in the minister's train, to signify, as is the usual practice, that the preparatory cere- monies of the sacrifice had commenced. A temporary arbour, of a magnificent description, was constructed for the occasion, richly ornamented within and without with all the grandeur which is ever at the command of wealth and power. The roads leading to this arbour were sprinkled with water to lay the dust, and orders were issued for adorning the whole city, in honor of the great sacrifice at the palace, and for observing a period of general rejoicing. The royal camp, although very spacious, was soon filled with the numerous troops belonging to the foreign princes, who were entertained with every imaginable courtesy and respect during the interval preceding the day of the sacrifice, at which they were invited to be present. The brahmins, sages, hermits, and devotees of all denominations, gathered together in one large assemblage, and performed their sacred duties with much reverence and profound meditation round the sacrificial pit, which had been dug according to the usual form, and in which a fire was kept constantly burning. Gopichund, having put on his royal robes, embroidered with gold and ornamented with precious stones and pearls, attended in person, with the sacrificial bracelet round his wrist, which almost vied in splendour and dazzling bright- ness with the resplendent rays of the sun, which was then shining in all its glory. The sacrifice was to be performed by the monarch himself, and he had been instructed in all the necessary duties by the chief priest, who attended him. King Vickramadetea's minister, whose name was Bhutty, and Somedut the brahmin, disguised as mendicants, arrived at King Gopichund's capital at this time, as had been agreed 2H

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upon. Their carriage and demeanour were so much in keeping with their garbs, and they presented such an apt personification of devotion and a religious life, that the most renowned of the priests and devotees received them with every mark of respect and deference, placing them on two seats immediately fronting the sacrificial pit. The time having at length arrived for the great sacrifice, Bhutty and Somedut burned incense, and offered up sweet perfumes, with other ingredients of a like nature, as prescribed by the Hindu rites. Gopichund having performed the last oblation, Bhutty and Somedut advanced towards him, and, after bestowing their joint blessings on him, addressed him in these words :—“ O king !—we have travel- led an immense distance to assist at this great sacrifice, and we are sanguine that after what we have seen performed you will not hesitate to grant the request we are about to prefer to you. It is this conviction of your acquiescence to our wishes which emboldens us to address you, and by your compliance you will most assuredly secure to yourself the merit of genuine piety, and a strict regard to the dictates of your faith and religion.” The king said, “ O revered mendicants !—I am ready and willing to meet your wishes so far as it lies in my power; be pleased therefore to let me know your desire.” “ Your majesty,” said they, “ possesses a parrot of rare acquirements; we wish to obtain possession of it, in preference to anything else that it is in your royal power to bestow. We demand the bird in charity, and will feel ourselves richly remunerated,--far more so than if you had deigned to bestow half your king- dom upon us.” The king appeared greatly disconcerted at this request, for he valued the parrot almost as dearly as he did his own life. It had nearly the same effect on him as if a poisoned arrow had lodged in his heart, for he fainted and fell heavily to the ground. His minister, who was present, raised him up, and applied restoratives, which brought him back to consciousness. He advised the king not to allow himself to be thus afflicted, as it tended to

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diminish his reputation for a strict adherence to his faith and morals, and the liberality for which he was deservedly famed. “Your majesty,” continued the minister, “is well acquainted with the story of the Chakravutty who cut off his own flesh for the sake of the Supreme Being, and gave it to the royal hawk to be devoured. King Shreeyal sacri- ficed his own son to the god Shiva, for which he is still held in great veneration by the world at large. King Bully was also much famed for disinterestedness and generosity. These are instances, among many others which we find recorded by ancient authors in our sacred volumes, which ought to stimulate us to similar acts of self-denial. Com- pared to these, what you are now called upon to do seems but a trifle,—it is but the giving away of a bird—a rare bird though it be—to which you are fondly attached. It is the bird’s rarity which would render the gift deserving of public note. Let me entreat that your majesty will be pleased to consider this point well.” Meanwhile, the hermits and others there assembled continued their offerings and religious austerities, to propi- tiate the Sovereign Ruler of the universe, and, by a humble acknowledgment of their dependence on Him, to secure to themselves and to him on whose behalf they were called upon to join in the ceremony of the great sacrifice offered that day, the reward of all good things, both in this world and the next. The minister, pointing to these religious men, said, “You see that you are even yet engaged in supplicating the divine favor through your majesty’s priests and the devout men of other cities. Can you then hesitate to do what perhaps has been commanded by God to try you?” The king, thus pressed, had no alternative but to comply, so he brought out the parrot and delivered him to Bhutty and Somedut, who then retired, with many ex- pressions of gratitude and a due acknowledgment of the monarch’s truly liberal and charitable disposition. The king rewarded, with presents in lands and money, each and all of the brahmins and devout men assembled

260 there ; and on the princes and nobles he bestowed ornaments, apparel, elephants, horses, and other costly articles; in a word, he treated them with profuse liberality, and feasted them with great magnificence. Before they parted, the religious men bestowed their blessings on the king, and the princes and nobles made professions of never-dying friendship and gratitude. Thus ended the great sacrificial day. Bhutty and Somedut no sooner became possessed of the parrot than they commenced their homeward journey, and did not slacken their pace until they reached Oojein, some few days after. In the evening, after dark, Bhutty took the parrot in his hand and went into the apartment of the queen (Vickramadetea's wife) without the knowledge of the wicked Koobjuck the usurper, and informed her in a few words of his object in visiting her at such an unusual hour. On hearing the welcome intelligence of the near presence of her lord and master, she was transported with joy. She requested him to acquaint her with the particulars of his visit to the court of Gopichund, the renowned monarch. It was indeed affecting to witness the eager inquiry which marked every feature of the queen, and the intense interest with which she listened to the minister; and how much the more when she found that her lord, in the guise of the parrot, still retained the use of his speech!—for he entered into a relation of all that had happened to him since he first set out from his palace. Great was the affection she displayed towards the parrot,—her humble demeanour towards him was exactly that of a loving wife to her husband. At the end of the relation she addressed herself thus to the bird:—"My lord and husband!—will you be pleased to instruct me how I can help you to regain your own body? The space of six months which I have demanded at the hands of the wicked Koobjuck, before I admit him into my apartment, will expire to-morrow, and he has promised to show me then the miracle of transmigration. He has not, since the day on which he vainly strove by every means at his command to make me subservient to his pleasure, held

261 any conference with me. He has, I know, been counting the days as they passed, and awaiting with much anxiety the expiration of the time I fixed upon." "Very well," said the parrot, "do not be alarmed, but take courage; I will endeavour to extricate you from your perilous position. I have discovered myself only to you, and you must be very careful not to divulge the secret of my being here in my present form to any one, for the least intimation on the sub- ject to Koobjuck will involve me in some other misfortune, and perhaps even cause my death." "Your majesty must know," replied the queen, "that the moment I suspected Koobjuck I prohibited him from entering my apartments. Besides, I have expressly told him that unless he practises before me the mysterious art of transmigration at the expira- tion of six months, I will never even look him in the face." The parrot then desired Bhutty to retire to his own home, telling him that on the morrow they would set about devis- ing means to effect their purpose. He said he trusted, by the aid of Providence, to return speedily to his natural form and condition, and to enter once again upon the duties of his office. Bhutty made his obeisance, and departed accordingly. The queen held the parrot in her hand with much respect and veneration; she tenderly embraced him, with tears flowing fast down her cheeks, and said, "I have been deceived indeed, but I have at last found him whom my soul holds most dear on earth. My past sufferings and heart-burnings are now more than recompensed: heaven has favored me on this occasion in a most liberal manner, for which I now offer up the outpourings of a soul full of grateful emotions and sentiments far too profound for utter- ance." She then placed the parrot in his cage, and the whole of that night was spent in conjecturing the events that the morrow would bring forth. The next morning, by sunrise, the wicked Koobjuck sent for Bhutty the minister, in whom he had great confidence, and informed him that the period of six months assigned by

262 the queen would expire on that day, and that he was pre- pared to impart to her the knowledge which she was so anxious to become possessed of. He told him to go and enquire of the queen if she was prepared to receive him. The minister, in obedience to the order he had received, went to the queen and made her acquainted with Koobjuck's request. She replied that she was as anxious as ever to be initiated into the mystery, and that after the king should have satisfied her in that respect she would place herself entirely at his disposal. The minister returned and com- municated this to Koobjuck, who heard it with much plea- sure, and ordered his attendants to procure for him the dead body of some animal, no matter of what kind, or of any species of bird. They accordingly went out in search of one. The wicked Koobjuck, in the mean while, went into the queen's apartment, accompanied by the minister, and after the usual interchange of civilities they sat down. Koobjuck was priding himself on the wit and discernment he displayed in a flow of flattering encomiums he was bestowing on the queen, when the attendants whom he had sent out returned with a dead hare. Having taken the hare and placed it beside him, he addressed the queen and said, "My chaste wife! the idol of my heart!—I beg you will be pleased to cast your eyes upon me, and I will show you in a few minutes the most wonderful miracle ever witnessed." The parrot was a silent listener to all that was being said, and an observer likewise of all that was going forward,—he was concealed under the folds of the queen's garment. Koob- juck, having secured the attention of the queen, commenced to work the charm, and in a short time he left the human body, which was that of Vickramadetea, and entered the body of the hare, which began to show signs of life, and at last skipped about with all the sprightliness of life and health. The parrot, observing this, instantly cast off his body and entered that of Vickramadetea, and thus regained his own form, which had been so long forcibly kept from him by the wicked and ungrateful Koobjuck.

263 No sooner did Vickramadetea assume his natural body, than he ordered the attendants to catch the hare. This command, so terrible to the hare, resounded throughout the palace, and was echoed from mouth to mouth,—in fact they had all been in some degree prepared for it. The hare instantly skipped off, and hid himself in the kitchen, but his pursuers followed him there, with shouts and cries, and so belaboured him with the sticks with which they had provided themselves as speedily to put an end to his existence. They then brought the body to Vickramadetea, who ordered it to be thrown to the dogs and birds of prey. This was nothing more than the inhuman Koobjuck richly deserved. Such are the inscrutable but invariable decrees of Provi- dence! Though the wicked and the profane may for a time seem to triumph in their evil courses,-the punishment from on high sooner or later overtakes them in the midst of their career. There is a great moral to be learned from this, and to those of a contemplative turn of mind it will afford sufficient food for consideration during their leisure hours. King Vickramadetea was much pleased at the successful manner in which he had executed his plans, and thanked God for his mercy towards him. He embraced the queen in the first transport of his joy, and he was also profuse in his thanks to the minister for all he had done. He also sent for Somedut the brahmin, and extolled him in very high and flattering terms for the trouble he had been at in wandering through wilds and forest glens in search of him, regardless of his own comfort. The next day Vickra- madetea appeared in public, and ascended his throne amid the acclamations and joyful greetings of his courtiers and the whole assembled populace. The inhabitants of Oojein had been getting gradually reconciled to the hardness of the lot they experienced under the iron sway of Koobjuck; consequently any change for the better in their condition was as far removed from their minds as any event could well be. Since the time Koob-

264 juck usurped the throne, it was “as a roaring lion and a raging bear” that this wicked ruler lorded it over the poor people. Nothing but complaints of injustice and the most iniquitous proceedings were to be heard on all sides; and the distress of the people was heavy, increased as it was in a great measure by the recollection of what they had been accustomed to under the mild and just rule of the generous Vickramadetea. But there was now to be an end of all this: the tyrant had gone to his account, and the rightful owner of the throne was once more amongst them! One of the first acts of Vickramadetea, after he had assumed the reins of government, was to reinstate all those who had been unjustly ousted from their places, and to restore the properties of all who had been deprived of them. Vickramadetea was aware how his subjects had suffered during his absence, and he hastened to do them the most ample justice. He rewarded his tried friends and trusty vassals in the most profuse manner, and his friend Somedut came in for a handsome pension—handsomer far than his most sanguine expectation could have pictured—after which he retired, with the most profound feeling of gratitude, love, and regard for the generous donor.

265 CHAPTER XVIII. The inhabitants of Oojein once more enjoy the blessings of good govern- ment under King Vickramadetea—The king's mind continuing dis- turbed by reflections on the prediction that he should be killed by the son of a virgin aged seven years, he sends emissaries into various countries to make enquiries if any such were known—Soometra, the youthful daughter of a brahmin, becomes pregnant by the king of the serpents, and bears a son whom they name Shalivahan—He early displays great martial talents, as well as extraordinary wisdom as a councellor—In repelling an attack by Vickramadetea, Shalivahan, provided with an army by his father, puts the enemy to rout and slays the king—From this date the Shalivahan era begins to be computed. THE city of Oojein was now entirely relieved from the yoke of oppression under which it but a short time before had groaned, and the inhabitants were gradually regaining their wonted cheerfulness and serenity. Some who had fled from the place under the tyrant's repeated oppressions and injustice on their persons and property, retraced their steps, and were again located within their peaceful dwellings, with their properties restored to them. Under Vickrama- detea's blissful reign there was not the slightest inclination in the people toward a profligate life or the indulgence of any other wicked or improper desires. Their love for their monarch, who was proverbially just and virtuous, regulated their actions: they imitated his example, and were conse- quently devout and sincere in their religious duties, taking great delight in tending and succouring their poor and distressed fellow-citizens. Such was the condition of the country shortly after Vickramadetea resumed the throne. During his reign there was but one drawback to his complete earthly happiness: it had been predicted, as has been before mentioned, that he would die by the hand of the son of a virgin. To pre- vent such a catastrophe, he sent his emissaries into many II

266 different countries, as well as to the remotest corners of his own dominions, to gain precise information, if possible, as to the birth of such a person. On the south of the river Godavery was situated the city of Prathestan, where reigned a king named Somekaunt, who to a handsome exterior added every virtue which can adorn the human mind. He devoted as much of his time as he could spare from the duties of his state to acts of charity towards his poorer subjects. He was liberal and kind, and studied all the varied wants of his people with the object of relieving them; by which means he not only helped to improve the condition of his people, and with it to increase the prosperity of his country, but he also planted in the hearts of his subjects a lasting sentiment of love and gratitude towards himself, which was manifested by their constant invocations and prayers that blessings might be showered upon his head. There was a poor brahmin, named Soolochun, in this city, who had an only daughter, a most lovely child, called Soometra. She had been deprived of her mother, by the cruel hand of death, at the age of four years. The brah- min felt this stroke of affliction to his heart's inmost core; and having no other near relative who could undertake the management of his unhappy child, and give her the nourish- ment needed at her years, he was thrown into a most uncontrollable fit of grief, from which he rose at times only to fall into a more distressing one, by recalling to his mind with renewed force the forlorn condition of his infant daughter. He carried her in his arms whilst following the usual avocations of his calling, and it was most pitiable to behold the care-worn and haggard looks of the father, and to hear the piercing cries of the infant for its usual sustenance. Thus the father went on from day to day, feeding his child as best he could, until it began to speak. When she could express herself in an intelligible manner, he was agreeably surprised to hear with what good sense her observations were characterised.