Then, after a time, Rasâlu went to Hodinagari. And when he reached
the house of the beautiful far-famed Queen Sundrân, he saw an old Jôgi
sitting at the gate, by the side of his sacred fire.
'Wherefore do you sit there, father?' asked Raja Rasâlu.
'My son,' returned the Jôgi, 'for two-and-twenty years have I waited
thus to see the beautiful Sundrân, yet have I never seen her!'
'Make me your pupil,' quoth Rasâlu, 'and I will wait too.'
'You work miracles already, my son,' said the Jôgi; 'so where is the
use of your becoming one of us?'
Nevertheless, Raja Rasâlu would not be denied, so the Jôgi bored his
ears and put in the sacred earrings. Then the new disciple put aside
his shining armour, and sat by the fire in a Jôgi's loin-cloth,
waiting to see Queen Sundrân.
Then, at night, the old Jôgi went and begged alms from four houses,
and half of what he got he gave to Rasâlu and half he ate himself.
Now Raja Rasâlu, being a very holy man, and a hero besides, did not
care for food, and was well content with his half share, but the Jôgi
felt starved.
The next day the same thing happened, and still Rasâlu sat by the fire
waiting to see the beautiful Queen Sundrân.
Then the Jôgi lost patience, and said, 'O my disciple, I made you a
pupil in order that you might beg, and feed me, and behold, it is I
who have to starve to feed you!'
'You gave no orders!' quoth Rasâlu, laughing. 'How can a disciple beg
without his master's leave?'
'I order you now!' returned the Jôgi. 'Go and beg enough for you and
for me.'
So Raja Rasâlu rose up, and stood at the gate of Queen Sundrân's
palace, in his Jôgi's dress, and sang,
'_Alakh!_ at thy threshold I stand,
Drawn from far by the name of thy charms;
Fair Sundrân, with generous hand,
Give the earring-decked Jôgi an alms!'
Now when Queen Sundrân, from within, heard Rasâlu's voice, its
sweetness pierced her heart, so that she immediately sent out alms by
the hand of her maid-servant. But when the maiden came to the gate,
and saw the exceeding beauty of Rasâlu, standing outside, fair in face
and form, she fainted away, dropping the alms upon the ground.
Then once more Rasâlu sang, and again his voice fell sweetly on Queen
Sundrân's ears, so that she sent out more alms by the hand of another
maiden. But she also fainted away at the sight of Rasâlu's marvellous
beauty.
Then Queen Sundrân rose, and came forth herself, fair and stately.
She chid the maidens, gathered up the broken alms, and setting the
food aside, filled the plate with jewels and put it herself into
Rasâlu's hands, saying proudly--
'Since when have the earrings been thine?
Since when wert thou made a _faqîr_?
What arrow from Love's bow has struck thee?
What seekest thou here?
Do you beg of all women you see,
Or only, fair Jôgi, of me?'
And Rasâlu, in his Jôgi's habit, bent his head towards her, saying
softly--
'A day since the earrings were mine,
A day since I turned a _faqîr_;
But yesterday Love's arrow struck me;
I seek nothing here!
I beg nought of others I see,
But only, fair Sundrân, of thee!'
Now, when Rasâlu returned to his master with the plate full of jewels,
the old Jôgi was sorely astonished, and bade him take them back, and
ask for food instead. So Rasâlu returned to the gate, and sang--
'_Alakh!_ at thy threshold I stand,
Drawn from far by the fame of thy charms;
Fair Sundrân, with generous hand,
Give the earring-decked beggar an alms!'
Then Queen Sundrân rose up, proud and beautiful, and coming to the
gate, said softly--
'No beggar thou! The quiver of thy mouth
Is set with pearly shafts; its bow is red
As rubies rare. Though ashes hide thy youth,
Thine eyes, thy colour, herald it instead!
Deceive me not--pretend no false desire--
But ask the secret alms thou dost require.'