DESCRIPTION OF A RÁKSHASÍ (OR FEMALE FIEND).[4]
Argument. Story of Karkatí the female fiend, and her austerities for
extirpation of Human Kind.
Vasishtha said:—Hear me relate to you, Ráma! an old anecdote bearing
upon this subject, and relating to a difficult proposition adduced by
the Rákshashí for solution.
2. There lived on the north of Himálaya a heinous Rákshashí, by name of
Karkatí—a crooked crab; who was as dark as ink and stalwart as a rock,
with limbs as strong as could split the sturdy oak.
3. She was also known by the title of Visúchí or cholic pain, by which
she was ever afflicted, and which had reduced her frame like that of the
Vindhyá hill, which was cowered down (by the curse of Agastya).
4. Her eye-balls were as blazing as fires; and her stature reaching half
way to the sky, was girt by a blue garment, like the shade of night
wrapping the atmosphere.
5. A white mantle formed the covering of her head, like the fragment of
a cloud; and the long erect hairs of her head, stood like a sable cloud
on her crest.
6. Her eyes flashed as lightnings, and her sharp hooked nails glistened
as sapphires; her legs were as long as _tamála_ trees, and her loud
laughter was as a burst of frost.
7. A string of dried bones decorated her body, like a wreath of flowers;
and the relics of dead bodies, adorned every part of her body.
8. She frolicked in the company of Vetálas, with human skulls hanging
down her ears as ear-rings; and stretched out her arms aloft, as if she
was going to pluck the sun from his sphere.
9. Her huge body being in want of its necessary aliment, caused her
culinary fire to blaze like the submarine flame, which the waters of the
deep are unable to quench. (The latent heat in water).
10. Nothing could ever satiate the insatiable hunger, of this big
bellied monster; nor satisfy her lickerish tongue, which was always
stretched out like a flame of fire.
11. She thought in herself saying:—Oh! if I could but once go to the
Jambudwípa—the land of Asia, I would devour all its men in one swoop,
and feast on them continually, like the submarine fire upon the waters.
12. As the clouds cool the burning sands by their rain, so will I allay
the burning fire of my hunger there. It is settled as the best plan to
support my life, at this critical moment.
13. All men are well guarded by means of their _mantras_, medicines,
austerities, devotions and charities, from all evils of the world;
whence it is impossible for any body to destroy the indestructible
devotee. (My all destructive devotion will destroy all; but render me
indestructible).
14. I will perform the most rigorous austerities, with an unflinching
heart and mind; because it is by intensity of painstaking, that we may
gain what is otherwise hard to be had. (_Industria vincit omnia._—Labour
conquers all).
15. Having thought so, she repaired to an inaccessible mountain, for the
purpose of destroying all animal beings. (The Rákshasa cannibals are
devourers of all flesh; and are of the omnivorous kind).
16. She climbed to the top of the mountain, by scrambling over it with
her hands and feet; and stood on it with her body resembling a cloud,
and her eye-balls flashing as lightnings. (_i.e._ Her body and eyesight,
were similar to the cloud and lightning on the mountain top).
17. Having got to the summit, she made her ablution and then sat at her
devotion; with her steadfast eyeballs resembling the two orbs of the sun
and moon, and fixed on one object.
18. She passed there many a day and month, and saw the course of many a
season and year. She exposed her huge body to the rigor of heat and
cold, like the hill itself (on which she sat).
19. She with her huge black body, remained unmoved as a thick sable
cloud, on the mountain top; and her jet black hairs stood up as if to
touch the sky.
20. Seeing her body beaten by the blasts, and covered with nothing but
her ragged skin; and her hairs standing up to their end, to be tossed to
and fro by the raging winds; while the twinklings of her eyelids, shed a
whitish glare on her sable frame, the god Brahmá made his appearance
before her.