There was a king of Banãras, named Pratãpmukut; and Bajra-mukut was the
name of his son, whose queen’s name was Mahãdevï. One day the prince,
accompanied by his minister’s son, went to the chase, and advanced far
into a jungle, in the midst of which he beheld a beautiful tank; on the
margin of which wild geese, brãhmanï ducks, male and female, cranes and
water-fowl were, one and all, disporting on all four sides _ghats_ of
solid masonry were constructed: within the tank, the lotus was in full
bloom: on the sides were planted trees of different kinds, under the
dense shade of which the breezes came cool and refreshing, while birds
were warbling on the boughs; and in the forest bloomed flowers of varied
hues, on which whole swarms of bees were buzzing;--(such was the scene)
when they arrived by the margin of that tank, and washed their hands and
faces, and reascended.
“On that spot was a temple sacred to Mahãdeva, Fastening their horses,
and entering the temple, they paid adoration to Mahãdeva, and came out.
While they were engaged in adoration, the daughter of a certain king,
accompanied by a host of attendants, came to another margin of the tank
to bathe; and, having finished her ablutions, meditations and prayers,
she, with her own maidens, began to walk about in the shade of the
trees. On this side the minister’s son was seated, and the king’s son
was walking about, when, suddenly, his eyes, and the eyes of the king’s
daughter, met. As soon as he beheld her beauty, the king’s son was
fascinated, and began saying to himself, ‘You wretch, Cupid! why do you
molest me?’ And when the princess beheld the prince, she took in
her hand the lotus-flower which she had fixed on her head after her
devotions, placed it to her ear, bit it with her teeth, put it under
her foot, then took it up and pressed it to her bosom, and, taking her
maidens with her, mounted (her chariot) and departed home.”
“And the prince, sinking into the depths of despair, and overwhelmed
with grief on account of her absence, came to the minister’s son, and
with a feeling of shame laid before him the actual, state of affairs,
saying, ‘O friend! I have seen a most beautiful damsel; (but) I know
neither her name nor her abode: should I not possess her, I will give
up my life: this I am firmly resolved upon in my mind.’ Hearing these
circumstances, the minister’s son caused him to mount, and brought
him home, it is true; but the king’s son was so restless from grief
at separation, that he entirely abandoned writing, reading, eating,
drinking, sleeping, the business of government--everything. He used to
be constantly sketching her portrait and gazing at it and weeping; not
speaking himself, nor listening to what others said.”
“When the minister’s son saw this state of his, the result of separation
from his flame, he said to him, ‘Whosoever treads the path of love
doth not survive; or if he survive, he suffers great sorrow. * On this
account the wise avoid treading this path.’ The king’s son, on hearing
his words, replied, ‘I, in sooth, have entered upon this path, be there
joy in it or be there pain.’ When he heard so determined a speech from
him, he (the minister’s son) said, ‘Great king! at the time of leaving
did she say anything to you, or you to her?’ Upon this he made answer,
saying, ‘I said nothing, nor did I hear anything from her.’ Then the
minister’s son said, ‘It will be very difficult to find her.’ He said,
‘If she be secured, my life will be preserved; otherwise, it is lost.’”
* Lit.--Whosoever has placed his step in the path of love
has not survived after it; or if he has survived, then he
has experienced great affliction.
“He enquired again, ‘Did she make no signs even?’ The prince said,
‘These are the gestures she made,--suddenly seeing me, she took the
lotus-flower from her head, put it to her ear, bit it with her teeth,
placed it under her foot, and pressed it to her bosom.’ On hearing this,
the minister’s son said, ‘I have comprehended her signs, and discovered
her name, habitation, and all about her.’ He (the prince) replied,
‘Explain to me whatever you have discovered.’ He began to say, ‘Attend,
O king! Her having taken the lotus-flower from her head and put it
to her ear, is equivalent to her having informed you that she is an
inhabitant of the Karnãtak (Carnatic); and in biting it with her
teeth, she intimated that she is the daughter of king Dãnta-vãt; and by
pressing it under her foot, she declared that her name is Padmãvati;
and in again taking it up and pressing it to her bosom, she informed you
that you dwell in her heart.’ When the prince heard these words, he
said to him, ‘It is advisable that you take me to the city in which she
dwells.’ No sooner had he said this than both dressed themselves, girt
on their arms, and taking some jewels with them, mounted their horses
and took the road to that quarter.”
“Having reached the Kamãtak after several days, and having arrived below
the palaces of the king in their stroll through the city, what do
they see there but an old woman sitting at her door and plying her
cotton-wheel. The two, dismounting from their horses, approached her,
and began to say, ‘Mother! we are travelling merchants, our goods are
following us; we have come on ahead to seek a lodging; if you will give
us a place, we will abide.’ On looking at their faces and hearing their
words, the old woman took compassion on them and said, ‘This house
is yours; remain here as long as you please,’ In short, they took
possession of the house on hearing, this; and after some delay the old
woman came and kindly sat with them, and began chatting with them. On
this, the minister’s son enquired of her, ‘What family and relations
have you got? and how do you subsist?’ The old woman said, ‘My son is
very comfortably provided for in the king’s service, and your humble
servant is the wet-nurse of Padmãvatï, the king’s daughter; in
consequence of old age having overtaken me I remain at home, but the
king provides for my maintenance. Once a day, however, I go regularly to
see that girl; it is on my return from thence, in my home, alone, that I
give vent to my woe.’”
“Hearing these words, the prince rejoiced at heart, and said to the old
woman, ‘When you are starting to-morrow, please carry a message from
me too.’ She replied, ‘Son! what need to defer it till tomorrow? I will
this moment convey any message of yours that you communicate to me.’
Then he said, ‘Do you go and tell her this,--The prince whom you saw on
the margin of the tank on the fifth day of the light half of the month
Jeth has arrived here.’”
“On hearing these words the old woman took her stick and went to the
palace. When she got there she found the princess sitting alone. When
she appeared before her, she (the princess) saluted her.
“The old woman gave her, her blessing, and said, ‘Daughter! I tended you
in your infancy, and suckled you. God has now caused you to grow up:
what my heart now desires is, that I should see you happy in your
prime, then should I, too, receive comfort.’ Addressing her in such
affectionate words as these, she proceeded to say, ‘The prince whose
heart you took captive on the fifth day of the light half of Jeh, by
the side of the tank, has alighted at my house, (and) has sent you this
message, for you to perform the promise you made him, now that he has
arrived. And I tell you, for my part, that that prince is worthy of
you, and is as excellent in disposition and mental qualities as you are
beautiful.’”
“On hearing these words she became angry, and applying sandal to her
hands, and slapping the face of the old woman, began to say, ‘Wretch!
get out of my house!’ She rose annoyed, and went, in that very
condition, straight to the prince, and related all that had happened to
her. The prince was astounded at these words. Then the minister’s son
spoke, saying, ‘Great king! feel no anxiety; this matter has not come
within your comprehension.’ Hereupon he said, ‘True; do you then explain
it, that my mind may obtain rest.’ He said, ‘In smearing sandal on the
ten fingers, and striking the (woman on the) face, she intimated, that
when the ten nights of moonlight shall come to an end, she will meet you
in the dark.’”
“To be brief, after ten days the old woman again went and announced him;
then she tinged three of her fingers with saffron, and struck them on
her cheek, saying, ‘Get out of my house!’ After all, the old woman moved
from thence in despair, and came and related to the prince all that had
occurred. He was engulfed in an ocean of sorrow as soon as he heard
it. Seeing this state of his, the minister’s son said again, ‘Be not
alarmed, the purport of this matter is something else.’ He replied,
‘My heart is disquieted; tell me quickly.’ Then he said, ‘She is in the
state which women are in every month, and hence has stipulated for three
days more; on the fourth day she will send for you.’ In short, when the
three days elapsed, the old woman made enquiries after her health on
the part of the prince. Then she brought the old woman angrily to
the western wicket, and turned her out. Again the old woman came and
informed the prince of this event: he became cast-down at hearing it.
On this the minister’s son said, ‘The explanation of the affair is,
that she has invited you to-night by way of that wicket.’ He was pleased
beyond measure at hearing this. To be brief, when the hour arrived,
they took out brown suits of clothes, arranged them, fastened on their
turbands, dressed themselves, placed their weapons in order about
them, and were ready; by this time midnight had passed. At that time
an universal stillness prevailed, when they, too, pursued their way in
unbroken silence.”
“When they arrived near the wicket, the minister’s son remained standing
without, and he (the prince) entered the wicket. What does he perceive,
but the princess, too, standing there expecting him! Thus their eyes
met. Then the princess laughed, and, closing the wicket, took the prince
with her into the festive chamber. Arrived there, the prince beheld
censers filled with perfume alight in different parts of the room, and
maidens dressed in garments of various colours standing respectfully,
with hands joined, each according to her station; on one side a couch
of flowers spread; atr-holders, pan-boxes, rose-water bottles, trays
and four-partitioned boxes arranged in order; on another side, compound
essences, prepared sandal-wood, mixed perfumes, musk, and saffron filled
in metal cups; here, coloured boxes of exquisite confections laid out;
there, sweetmeats of various kinds placed in order; all the doors and
walls adorned with pictures and paintings, and holding such faces, that
the beholder would be enchanted, at the very sight of each single one.
In short, everything that could contribute to pleasure and enjoyment was
got together. The whole scene was one of an extraordinary character, of
which no adequate description can be given.”
“Such was the apartment to which the princess Padmãvatï took the prince
and gave him a seat, and having his feet washed, and applying sandal
to his body, and placing a garland of flowers round his neck, and
sprinkling rose-water over him, began fanning him with her own hands.
Upon this the prince said, ‘At the mere sight of you I have become
refreshed; why do you take so much trouble? These delicate hands are not
fit to handle a fan; give me the fan; you be seated.’ Padmãvatï replied,
‘Great king! you have been at great trouble to come here for my sake,
it behoves me to wait upon you.’ Then a maiden took the fan from the
princess’s hand, and said, ‘This is my business; I will attend on
you, and do you both enjoy yourselves.’ They began eating betel-leaf
together, and engaging in familiar conversation, when, by this time, it
became morning. The princess concealed him; (and) when night came on,
they again engaged in amorous pleasures. Thus several days passed away.
Whenever the prince showed a wish to depart the princess would not
permit him. A month passed thus; then the prince became much disturbed,
and very anxious.”
“Once it happened that he was sitting alone by night and thinking thus
to himself, ‘Country, throne, family,--everything had already been
separated from me; but such a friend as mine, by whose means I found all
this happiness, even him have I not met for a whole month! What will he
be saying in his heart? and how do I know what may be happening to
him?’ He was sitting occupied with these anxious thoughts when, in the
meanwhile, the princess too arrived, and seeing his predicament, began
to inquire, ‘Great king! what grief possesses you that you are sitting
so dispirited here? Tell me.’ Then he said, ‘I have a very dear friend,
the son of the minister; for a whole month I have received no accounts
of him: he is such a clever, learned friend, that through _his_ talents
(it was that) I obtained thee, and _he_ (it was who) explained all thy
secrets.’ The princess said, ‘Great king! your soul is really there;
what happiness can you enjoy here? Hence, this is best,--I will prepare
confections and sweetmeats, and all kinds of meats, and have them sent;
do you, too, go there and feast and comfort him well, and return with
your mind at ease.’”
“On hearing this the prince rose up and came forth; and the princess had
different kinds of sweetmeats, with poison mixed, cooked and sent. The
prince had but just gone and sat beside the minister’s son when the
sweetmeats arrived. The minister’s son enquired, ‘Great king! how did
these sweetmeats come here?’ The prince replied, ‘I was sitting there
anxious concerning you, when the princess came, and looking at me,
asked, ‘Why do you sit cast-down? Explain the reason of it.’ On this I
gave her a full account of your skill in reading secrets. * On hearing
this account, she gave me permission to come to you, and had these sent
for you; if you will partake of them, my heart, too, will be rejoiced.’
Then the minister’s son said, ‘You have brought poison for me; it is
well, indeed, that _you_ did not eat of it. Sire! listen to a word from
me,--a woman has no love for her lover’s friend: you did not act wisely
in mentioning my name there.’ On hearing this the prince said, ‘You talk
of such a thing as no one would ever do: if man have no fear of man, it
is to be presumed he fears God at least.’”
* In thus translating, I take bhed-chaturãï as a compound:
other translators render it, “the secrets of your
cleverness,” which seems to me to be grammatically
inadmissible, and to lose the sense.
“With these words he took a round sweetmeat from among them and threw it
to a dog. As soon as the dog ate it he died convulsed. Seeing this
turn of affairs, the prince became incensed, and began to say, ‘It is
unbecoming to associate with so false a woman; up to this hour her love
has found place in my heart; now, however, it is all over.’ * On hearing
this the minister’s son said, ‘Your majesty! what has happened, has
happened (i.e., let bygones be bygones); you should now act in such a
manner that you may be able to get her away to your home.’ The prince
said, ‘Brother! this, too, can be accomplished by you alone.’ The
minister’s son said, ‘To-day do this one thing,--go again to Padmãvati,
and do just what I tell you,--first go and display much regard and
affection for her; (and) when she falls asleep, take off her jewels, and
strike her on the left thigh with this trident, and instantly come away
from thence.’”
* This translation may seem rather free, but it is not wide
of the sense, which is, “I know well that I have no lore for
her now.” This peculiarly idiomatic use of the word mdlum
occurs in the Bagh-o-bahãr, Arãyishi Mahfil, and many other
Urdu works, and has ever proved a stumbling-block to
translators.
“Having received these instructions, the prince went to Padmãvati at
night, and after much affectionate conversation, they both lay down
together to sleep; but he was secretly watching his opportunity..To be
brief, when the princess fell asleep, he took off all her ornaments,
struck her on the left thigh with the trident, and came to his own
house. He recounted all the occurrences to the minister’s son, and laid
the jewels before him. He then took up the jewels, took the prince with
him, and, assuming the guise of a devotee, went and sat in a place for
burning bodies. He himself took the part of a spiritual teacher, and
making him (the prince) his disciple, said to him, ‘You go into the
market and sell these jewels; if anyone should seize you while doing
this, bring him to me.’”
“Receiving his instructions, the prince took the jewels with him to the
city, and showed them to a goldsmith in close proximity to the king’s
palace-gate. As soon as he saw them he recognised them, and said, ‘These
are the princess’s jewels; tell me truly, where did you get them?’ He
was saying this to him when ten or twenty more men gathered round. To
be brief, the kotwãl, hearing the news, sent men and had the prince,
together with the jewels and the goldsmith, seized and brought before
him, and inspecting the jewels, asked him to state truly where he had
got them. When he said, ‘My spiritual preceptor has given them to me
to sell, but I know not whence he got them,’--then the kotwãl had the
preceptor also apprehended and brought before him, and taking them both,
together with the jewels, into the presence of the king, related all the
circumstances.”
“On hearing the narrative the king addressed the devotee, saying,
‘Master! whence did you obtain these jewels?’ The devotee said, ‘Your
majesty! on the fourteenth night of the dark lunar fortnight I visited a
burning-ground to perfect some spells for a witch: when the witch came,
I took off her jewels and apparel, and made the impression of a trident
on her left thigh; in this way these ornaments came into my possession.’
On hearing this statement of the devotee’s, the king went into his
private apartments, and the devotee to his seat * (in the
burning-ground). The king said to the queen, ‘Just see if there is a
mark on Padmãvati’s left thigh or not, and (if so) what sort of a mark
there is.’ The queen having gone and looked, found the mark of a
trident. She returned and said to the king, ‘Your majesty! there are
three parallel marks; indeed, it appears as if some one had struck her
with a trident.’”
* The ãsan is, generally, the skin of a deer, or leopard, or
tiger, which religious mendicants carry with them to sit
upon. The hide of a black antelope is commonly preferred.
Some of the gods are fabled to use the lotus-flower for the
purpose.
“On hearing this account, the king came out and sent for the kotwãl, and
told him to go and bring the devotee. The kotwãl set off to bring
the devotee on the instant of receiving the order; and the king began
reflecting thus,--‘The affairs of one’s household, and the intentions of
one’s heart, and any loss which has befallen one--these it is not right
to disclose to anyone;’ when, in the interval, the kotwãl brought the
devotee into the presence. Then the king took the devotee aside and
questioned him, saying, ‘Spiritual guide! what punishment is laid down
in the scriptures for a woman?’ On this the devotee said, ‘Your majesty!
if a Brahman, a cow, a wife, a child, or any one dependent on us,
be guilty of a disgraceful act, it is prescribed that such should be
banished from the country.’”
“On hearing this the king had Padmãvati conveyed away in a litter and
left in a jungle. Thereupon both the prince and the minister’s son
started from their lodging on horseback, went to that jungle, took the
Princess Padmãvati with them, and set out for their own country.
After some days each reached his father’s house. The greatest joy took
possession of all, high and low; and these (i.e., the prince and the
princess,) entered upon a life of mutual happiness.”
After relating so much of the tale the sprite asked King Vikramãjït, “To
which of those four does guilt attach? If you do not decide this point,
you will be cast into hell.” King Vikram said, “The guilt attaches to
the king.” The sprite replied, “How does the sin fall on the king?”
Vikram answered him thus, “The minister’s son simply did his duty to
his master; and the kotwãl obeyed the king’s command; and the princess
attained her object; hence, the guilt falls on the king for having
inconsiderately expelled her from the country.”
On hearing these words from the king’s mouth, the sprite went and
suspended himself on that same tree.