The sprite said, “O king! there is a city named Chitraküt, the king of
which was Rupdatt. One day he mounted his horse and went forth alone to
hunt; and, having lost his way, got into a great forest. What does he
see on going there but a large tank, in which lotuses were flowering,
and various kinds of birds were sporting. On all four sides of the tank
cool and perfume-laden breezes were blowing under the shade of the dense
foliage of the trees. He, for his part, was overcome with the heat, (so)
he tied his horse to a tree, and spread the saddle-cloth, and sat down.
A half-hour or so had passed when the daughter of a holy sage, very
beautiful, and in the prime of youth, came to gather flowers. Seeing
her plucking the flowers, the king became deeply enamoured. When she
was returning to her abode, after gathering the flowers, the king said,
‘What conduct is this of yours, for you not to attend to me when I have
come as a guest to your abode?’”
“On hearing this she stood still again. Then the king said, ‘They say
that if one of low caste come as a guest to the house of one of the
highest caste, even he is entitled to respect; and whether he be a
thief, or an outcast, or an enemy, or a parricide,--if such a one even
comes to one’s house, it is right to show him honour; for a guest is
more to be honoured than anyone else.’ When the king spoke thus, she
stood still. Then, in truth, the two began to ogle one another. In the
meantime the holy sage also came up. The king saluted the devotee
on seeing him, and he (in return) blessed him, saying, ‘May you live
long.’”
“Having said so much, he asked the king, ‘Why have you come here?’ He
replied, ‘Your holiness I I have come a hunting.’ He said, ‘Why dost
thou commit a great sin? It is said that one man commits a sin and many
men reap the fruits thereof.’ The king said, ‘Your holiness! kindly
favour me with your judgment of right and wrong.’ Thereupon the sage
said, ‘Attend, your majesty! A great wrong is done in killing an animal
that lives in the forest, supporting itself on grass * and water; and
it is a very meritorious act in man to cherish beasts and birds. It
is said, moreover, that those who render unapprehensive the timid and
refuge-seeking, receive the reward of those who are most liberal givers.
It is also said, that no religious austerity equals forbearance, and no
happiness equals that of contentment, and no wealth equals friendship,
and there is no virtue like mercy. Moreover, those men who are
conscious of their duties, and show no pride on acquiring riches,
accomplishments, learning, renown, or supremacy; and those who are
content with their own wives, and are truth-speakers--such men obtain,
final salvation hereafter. And those who kill ascetics with matted hair,
and without clothes and arms, experience the torments of hell at the
last. And the king who does not punish the oppressors of his subjects,
he also experiences the torments of hell. And those who have carnal
intercourse with a king’s wife, or the wife or daughter of a friend, or
with a woman eight or nine months advanced in pregnancy--they are cast
into the (lowest and) greatest hell of all. Thus is it declared in the
book of law and religion.’”
* The text has tant by mistake, for trin.
“On hearing this, the monarch said, ‘The sins which I have heretofore
committed in ignorance are done, and are beyond recall; henceforth, God
willing, I will not commit such again.’ The holy sage was pleased at the
king’s speaking thus, and said ‘I will grant thee any boon thou may’st
ask for; I am highly pleased with thee.’ Then the king spoke, saying,
‘Your holiness! if you are pleased with me, give me your daughter.’
When the sage heard this, he married his daughter to the king, after the
manner of Gandharb marriages, and departed to his own place. Then the
king took the saint’s daughter and set out for his capital. On the road,
about mid-way, the sun set and the moon rose. Then the king, seeing a
shady tree, alighted beneath it, and tying the horse to its root, spread
his saddle-covering and lay down along with her. Thereupon, at the hour
of midnight, a Brahman-devouring demon came and awoke the king, saying,
‘O king! I will devour thy wife.’ The king said, ‘Act not so; whatever
thou askest for, I will grant.’ Then the demon said, ‘O king! if thou
wilt cut off the head of a Brahman’s son seven years’ old, and give it
to me with thine own hand, I will not eat her.’ The king replied, ‘Even
so will I do; but do thou come to me seven days hence in my capital, and
I will give it thee.’”
“Having bound the king by a promise thus, the demon departed to his
own place; and on the morn arriving, the king also left and came to his
palace. The minister hearing of it (i e., the king’s arrival) made great
rejoicings, and came and presented gifts; and the king, after telling
the minister of the adventure (with the demon), asked, ‘Say, what
expedient shall we adopt in the matter, for the demon will come on
the seventh day?’ The minister said, ‘Your majesty! feel no anxiety
whatever; God will make all right.’ After saying so much, the minister
had an image made of a maund and a quarter of gold, and jewels studded
therein, and having it placed on a cart, and (conveyed away, and) set up
at a point where four roads met, he said to the keepers thereof, ‘If
any persons come to look at this, say to them that any Brahman who will
allow the king to cut off the head of a seven-year-old son of his may
take possession of this.’ Having said this, he came away. Thereupon the
keepers used to say this to those who came to look at it (the image).”
“Two days passed away without any result. On the third day, however, a
weakly Brahman, who had three sons, hearing of this matter, came home
and began saying to his wife, ‘If thou wilt give a son of thine to the
king for a sacrifice, an image of a maund and a quarter of gold, and
studded with jewels, will come into the house.’ On hearing this, his
wife said, ‘I will not give the youngest son.’ The Brahman said, ‘The
eldest I will not part with.’ When the second son heard this, he said,
‘Father! give me up.’ He replied, ‘Very well.’ Then the Brahman spoke
again, saying, ‘Wealth it is which is the source of all happiness in
this world. Now, what happiness can reach him who lacks wealth? and if
one be poor, his coming into the world is useless.’”
“Having said this, he took the second son, and gave him up to the
guards, and brought away the image to his house; and the people, for
their part, took the boy to the minister. Further, when seven days
passed away, the demon, too, came. The king took sandal, unbroken rice,
flowers, perfumes, lamps, food for the deity, fruits and betel-leaf,
and paid adoration to him; and, summoning the boy, took his sword in his
hand, and stood ready to sacrifice him. Thereupon the boy first laughed,
and then wept. While he was doing this, the king struck him a blow with
the sword, so that his head was severed (from his body). True it is, as
the sages have said,--Woman is the source (_lit_. mine) of misery in
the world, the abode of imprudence * (or immorality), the destroyer
of courage (or daring), and the occasioner of infatuation, (and) the
bereaver of virtue. Who has pronounced such a source (_lit_, root)
of venom to be the highest good? Again, it is said,--Store up wealth
against adversity, and disburse wealth to guard your wife, and give up
wealth and wife to save your own life.”
* The only meanings assigned to binti in the vocabulary are,
“submission,” “respects,” “solicitation,” none of which seem
to apply here. Deriving the word from the Sanskrit vi-nïti,
I prefer giving it the signification I have done.
Having related so much of the story, the sprite said, “Your majesty! a
man weeps at the moment of dying; will you account for this,--Why did he
(the boy) laugh?” The monarch replied, “He laughed at the thought of
this,--viz., That in infancy a mother protects (her child), and on his
growing up the father cherishes him; (and) in both good and bad times a
king befriends his subjects,--Such is the way of the world; whereas, my
predicament is such that my father and mother have delivered me over to
the king through greed of wealth, and he stands, sword in hand, ready to
slay me, and the demon desires a sacrifice; no single one of them feels
(a spark of) pity.” On hearing this, the sprite went and hung on to that
same tree; and the king also speedily arrived there, and binding him,
placed him on his shoulder, and carried him off.