The story o/Kdfthild (Contd.)

1. On hearing these words based on (and approved by) Dharma of his wife, the ogress, the Brahmana and girl descended from the back of the ogress who had assumed the form of ashe-elephant.

2. When the Brahmana got down, that ogress became once again a beautiful young woman with her face resembling the moon and with plump and protruding breasts.

3. On reaching the splendid city of her own father, that virgin spoke to the city governor who had come there in the course of his duty of guarding the exterior limits of the city.

4-7. О city Governor, go to my father the king Sudyumna and tell him that I Ratnavali alias Ratnasala who had been abducted from his city, from my bed, have come back. О Brahmana, (you remember) that I had been abducted though I had been considered the jewel of the king Sudyumna. His daughter has come back alive and safe and sound. (You tejl him as though I say) “O dear father, be consoled. Do not feel sorry on my account, О leading king, I have never been ravaged. I am like the pure water of the Ganga. I have brought about your fame (I have not marred your fame). I am the index of the good nature of my mother.

8. On hearing the words of the virgin, the city-governor who was well known as Abahu reached the presence of Sudyumna in a hurry.

9-10. He made obeisance and on being asked spoke to the king respectfully. “O king, О bestower of honour, your daughter well known as Ratnavali, who had been lost has come back. She is accompanied by a Brahmana in the company of a woman. She was seen by me standing outside the city limits but could not be recognized.

Ratna-fdldm in the Text. It should have been rather Ratna-ialAyih who was abducted from Ratna-Mld. She was sleeping in RatnattU. The Accusative is used for Ablative in the text, [vide v. 17 below]

11. Urged by her, О Lord, I have come to# report the matter to you. She says “I am unravaged. May my father know that I have come back.

12-13a. О father no doubt need be entertained in respect to my good action.” On hearing these wonderful words of the city Governor, the king instantaneously set ofTalongwith his wife, ministers and the Brahmana priest.

13b-14a After going out of the city the king saw his daughter comfortably seated on the banks of the Ganga. She was as refulgent as the sun. She was accompanied by a Brahmana alongwith a woman.

14b-15. She was bedecked in her natural dress though she was fond of ornaments. She had the lustre of unfading flowers. She was refulgent like molten gold. After seeing her from a distance, the king hurriedly went near her and embraced her.

16. Over-joyed she too embraced her father and bowed down to him. Then she met her mother with great delight within her heart.

17-18. Addressing her father, the king, the large-eyed girl spoke these words. “Surrounded by my female friends I was sleeping in the Hall of Jewels. О dear father, without washing my feet I lay with my head directed towards the north on the couch anxiously pondering over a possible alliance with a husband. I was abducted during the middle of the night.

19. Taking me with him, the demon went to his city beyond the ocean on a mountain full of different kinds of jewels.

20. There he was thinking deeply within himself about the means of a marriage with me. This lady of beautiful eyebrows and slender waist who stands here, is his wife.

21-22. She is an ogress who has assumed a human form. She had been the wife of that demon. О King, using the Shakti of god Indra intelligently she caused the death of her own husband of ruthless actions, at the hands of the Brahmana. It was through the intercession of fate that even before me the Brahmaria had reached the mountain.

23-24a. This ogress found that her husband was a defiler of virtue. Moreover, she became enamoured of the hand some features of the Brahmana. Urged by her own KLarman, she entered into an agreement with the Brahmana, for wedded Jife (with him) and brought about the death of the Raksasa.

24b-26. Thus, after having made the Brahmana her husband, she assumed the form of a she-elephant. The wealth got in exchange of all the articles of the house was kept on her back alongwith the Brahmana and myself. О king, she has now come here to your mansion. О king, it was by this RaksasI that I had been saved from that demon. Hence, honour and worship her alongwith the Brahmana.

27. With her permission give me in marriage to this Brahmana. I shared the same seat with him. Hence he has become my husband.

28. “He alone shall be the husband of a woman, with whom she shares the same seat. No one else, so we hear in the Puranas and Agamas.

29. I had occupied her back with delight alongwith this Brahmana. Hence, in my opinion he must be my husband, according to Dharma.

30. Hence, dear father, console this lady and give me to the Brahmana in accordance with the injunctions in the Agamas and other scriptural texts. I do not wish to choose any other husband.”

31. On hearing these words of his daughter, Sudyumna the king, consoled the ogress in the form of the lady of slender waist. He stood bowing down with humility.

32. “This, my daughter, afraid of losing her merits (Dharma), has sought refuge in you alone. For that reason О chaste woman, your previous husband was killed by you.

33. Hence, О gentle lady, she has become one subservient to you. This, my daughter wishes to have as her husband the same gentleman who had been made by you your husband.

34. О Ogress, you have been requested by me by means of obeisances and gifts. О lady of beautiful eyes, give your consent to my daughter by extending your help to her.

35. At your instance, may my daughter be even the hand-maid of the Brahmana. Eschew the feelings of rivalry common among co-wives and protect my daughter.

36. There is no doubt about this that you are the mistress of myself, my daughter, my wife, my army, my people, my city and even the whole of my kingdom.

37-38. She will always abide by your instructions.” On hearing these words of Sudyumna, the ogress approved his statement with a pure conscience mentally (deciding to be) her co-wife. She spoke thus to the king who was ready to give her in marriage.

39. “O excellent king, since you bowed to me with pure feelings, may this lady be the second wife of the Brahmana.

40. In the bright half of the month of Phalguna, I must be worshipped in the temple by you alongwith all the citizens.

41. Beginning with Astaml, the eighth day and ending with Caturdasi, the festivities must be conducted by means of songs and instrumental music alongwith actors and dancers.

42-43a. Oblations of intoxicating beverages, meat, blood, etc. must be given in the course of worship. If you continue to do in this manner I shall always be the cause of your welfare. О leading king, keep your own words.”

43b-44. On hearing these words of the ogress, Sudyumna, the king, accepted everything that had been proposed by that delighted lady. When it had been agreed to by the king, the ogress became satisfied.

45. She lovingly spoke to the Brahmana ctO excellent Brahmanr, make this splendid princess also your wife in the manner laid down in the Grhya texts.

46-47. I shall eschew jealousy and malice and be a sister to this large-eyed girl.” At the instance of the ogress, the Brahmana, married the daughter of the king who had been endowed with much wealth. Seated on the ogress who assumed the form of a she-elephant, he went to the city of Mahodaya (Kanauj) instantaneously.

48. Then I heard thus — “O gentle lady, уоцг husband has returned with plenty of wealth and jewels with two wives also in the bargain.”

49. Thereupon, I was rebuked and cursed by the kinsmen, parents and friends with harsh and wounding words.

50. “O lady greedy of money, how will you go to your husband who is endowed with fortune now, but who had been abandoned by you before since he was indigent and wretched?

51. О blessed lady, in case of woman the riches inherited from parents are fickle and unsteady. It is stated that the riches earned by her husband are permanent.

52. He had once been rebuked by you with harsh words. How can you dare to speak to him now? Your entry into his house is also difficult.

53. Granting that you are able to go there, О woman of evil actions, sharing the bed with your husband can never be conducive to your happiness.

54. If out of fear for the public censure your husband accepts you (once again), he will never have intercourse with you, because he is devoid of affection in the heart.

55. There is nothing else in the world so miserable as the coming together of a man and wife who are mentally far apart. It is exceedingly agitating and crippling.”

56. I heard these and many other similar words uttered by the kinsmen. On hearing these I became extremely grief- stricken. With tears filling the eyes, I kept my face bent down.

57-58. I thought within myself thus: — “Formerly, I had been deluded by greediness. Hence neither the bangle of the hand nor the girdle round the waist nor the anklets round the legs were given up so that my husband could be satisfied. The husband is regarded in the world as the master of both wealth and life.

59. That wealth has been taken away by me. What will be my future? How can I go to his abode? How shall I speak to him again?

60-62a. How can he who had been wickedly abandoned by me believe me now.” Even as I was «thinking thus in my perturbed mind, the palanquin surrounded by kinsmen arrived there. It was tender and elegant. It shone with an umbrella, resembling the moon in lustre. Deer skins were spread within it. Stout men bore it on their shoulders.

62b-63. Those men came in and requested me again and again: “O splendid lady, you have been invited by your husband. Hasten there with glee and joy. Your husband has returned endowed with plenty of wealth and jewels as well as two other wives.

64. О fair-faced lady, we had been sent by your husband immediately after his arrival, to fetch you who have been staying in the house of your parents.”

65. О gentle lady, on noting that act of my husband I became ashamed. I did not say anything in reply to them. I remained silent.

66. Thereafter I was urged and enlightened again and again by the kinsmen. “You have been called by your husband with due honour. Hence go back to him.

67. О daughter, if the wife does not rejoin her husband when invited (to do so) she is born as a female crow for fifteen births.”

68. They said thus and assuaged my grief. They took me hurriedly and made me sit in the palanquin with affection, they repeatedly said, shGo\

69. Thereafter those men placed the palanquin on their shoulders and started immediately with speed. They reached the city ofMahodaya where my husband was staying.

70. That his house had been surrounded by gold (i.e. full of articles, pots etc. of gold) was seen by me. It was fully equipped with furniture, foodstuffs, riches and raiments.

71. Then, О beautiful woman, that ogress and the gentle lady, the princess bowed to me with love and devotion.

72. I was befittingly greeted and honoured with love Ъу those two ladies. Respected, and so delighted with the words of my husband, I took my bath and тэа1.

73. Thereafter, soon after sunset my husband called me and immediately clasped me within his arms. He made me sit on the couch and kept me within his embrace for a long time.

74. Then he called the ogress and the princess and said: Service to this lady’s feet should be rendered by both of you with due devotion.

75. She had been my wife previously. Hence she is certainly the eldest and senior-most to both of you.” Then at the instance of our husband, my feet were touched by those two ladies.

76. О lady of beautiful eyes, they eschewed (completely) the jealousy and malice originating from the feeling that I am a cowife. Then, my husband called the servants and spoke those words.

77-78, “O servants, whatever wealth had been acquired by me at the outset from the possessions of the Raksasa, whatever had been received by me when I wedded the daughter of the king, bring these things respectfully. Do not delay. This lady is the mistress of everything of those riches.”

79-81. О splendid lady, at his words the wealth was immediately brought by the servants. My husband offered the entire wealth to me with love and mind untarnished by deception. He honoured me with ornaments and garments, even as the two ladies, the ogress and the princess were looking on.

82. О splendid lady, he kissed my lips and embraced me as I was seated on the couch. On seeing this wonderful dedication of his self and wealth unto me by my husband, (and on hearing) his words that thrilled me and (feeling excited) because his hands pressed my breasts, I fell down dead like a cow struck down by a sword. My vital breaths left me.

83. Then I attained the torture in the hell assigned to me by Yama. О splendid lady, after covering that period I experienced anguish and misery and was born as a Ka?shhlla.

84-85. I shall have to be born in the animal kingdom thousands of times. О splendid-faced lady, the woman who does not dedicate her wealth and life to her husband will undoubtedly attain this state. By understanding this, one should save the wealth and life of one’s husband.

86. Husband is both father and mother, wealth and life, preceptor and salvation.

87. With a great deal of merits the woman goes to the region of Vishnu alongwith her husband if her body is cremated alongwith him. But a woman greedy of wealth and of her body (?) attains Yama’s torture and the affliction of being born in base wombs in lower species.

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