Amba the rájá of Púná had a beautiful wife named Amlí and two young
sons, Sarwar and Nír. There came to his court one day a fakír. The rájá
promised to give him whatsoever he should desire. The fakír required
Ambá to give up to him all he possessed, or lose his virtue, and the
rájá gave him all, save his wife and two children, receiving in return
the blessings of the fakír. Then the rájá and the rání went away; he
carrying Sarwar in his bosom, and she with Nír in her lap. For a time
they lived on the fruits and roots of the forest. At length the raní
gave her husband her (jewelled) bodice to sell in the bázár, in order to
procure food. He offered it to Kundan the merchant, who made him sit
down, and asked him where he had left the raní, and why he did not bring
her with him. Ambá told him that he had left her with their two boys
under the banyan-tree. Then Kundan, leaving Ambá in the shop, went and
got a litter, and proceeding to the banyan-tree showed the rání the
bodice, and said, “Thy husband wishes thee to come to him.” Nothing
doubting, the rání entered the litter, and the merchant sent it off to
his own house. Leaving the boys in the forest, he returned to Ambá, and
said to him that he had not enough money to pay the price of the bodice,
so the rájá must take it back. Ambá took the bodice, and coming to the
boys, learned from Sarwar how their mother had been carried away in a
litter, and he was sorely grieved in his heart, but consoled the
children, saying that their mother had gone to her brother’s house, and
that he would take them to her at once. Placing the two boys on his
shoulders he walked along till he came to a river. He set down Nír, and
carried Sarwar safely across, but as he was going back for the other,
behold, an alligator seized him. It was the will of God: what remedy is
there against the writing of Fate? The two boys, separated by the river,
sat down and wept in their sorrow. In the early morning a washerman was
up and spreading his clothes. He heard the two boys weeping and came to
see. He had pity on them and brought them together. Then he took them to
his house, and washed their faces and gave them food. He put them into a
separate house and a Bráhman cooked for them and gave them water.[517]
He caused the brothers to be taught all kinds of learning, and at the
end of twelve years they both set out together to seek their living.
They went to the city of Ujjain, and told the rájá their history—how
they had left their home and kingdom. The rájá gave them arms and
suitable clothing, and appointed them guards over the female
apartments.[518] One day a fisherman caught an alligator in his net.
When he cut open its body, he found in it Rájá Ambá, alive.[519] So he
took him to the rájá of Ujjain, and told how he had found him in the
stomach of an alligator. Ambá related his whole history to the rájá; how
he gave up all his wealth and his kingdom to a fakír; how his wife had
been stolen from him; and how after safely carrying one of his young
sons over the river in returning for the other he had been swallowed by
an alligator. On hearing of all these misfortunes the rájá of Ujjain
pitied him and loved him in his heart: he adopted Ambá as his son; and
they lived together for twenty years, when the rájá died and Ambá
obtained the throne.
Meanwhile the beautiful Rání Amlí, the wife of Ambá had continued to
refuse the merchant Kundan’s reiterated profers of love. At length he
said to her, “Many days have passed over thee, live now in my house as
my wife.” And she replied, “Let me bathe in the Ganges, and then I will
dwell in thy house.” So he took elephants and horses and lákhs of coin,
and set the ráni in a litter and started on the journey. When he reached
the city of Ujjain, he made a halt and pitched his tents. Then he went
before Rájá Ambá and said, “Give me a guard, for the nights are dark.
Hitherto I have had much trouble and no ease at nights. I am going to
bathe in the Ganges, to give alms and much food to Bráhmans. I am come,
rájá, to salute thee, bringing many things from my house.”
The rájá sent Sarwar and Nír as guards. They watched the tents, and
while the rain was falling the two brothers began talking over their
sorrows, saying “What can our mother be doing? Whither hath our father
gone?” Their mother overheard them talking, and by the will of God she
recognised the princes; then she tore open the tent, and cried aloud,
“All my property is gone! Who brought this thief to my tent?” The rání
had both Sarwar and Nír seized, and brought before Rájá Ambá on the
charge of having stolen her property. The rájá held a court, and began
to ask questions, saying, “Tell me what hath passed during the night.
How much of thy property hath gone, my friend? I will do thee justice,
according to thy desire: my heart is grieved that thy goods are gone.”
Then said the rání, “Be careful of the young elephant! The lightning
flashes and the heavy rain is falling. Said Nír, ‘Hear, brother Sarwar,
who knows whither our mother hath gone?’ And I recognised my sons; so I
made all this disturbance, rájá [in order to get access to thee].”[520]
Hearing this, Rájá Ambá rose up and took her to his breast—Amlí and Ambá
met again through the mercy of God. The rájá gave orders to have Kundan
hanged, saying, “Do it at once; he is a scoundrel; undo him that he may
not live.” They quickly fetched the executioners and put on the noose;
and then was Kundan strangled. The rání dwelt in the palace and all her
troubles passed far away. She fulfilled all her obligations, and
obtained great happiness through her virtue.
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