“On her thigh is the svastika. Her breast is spiral. Over her spread
wreaths of Timira blossoms.”
When in this way the king had become aware that Suśroṇī had sinned, he
was of opinion that she was not necessary to him, and that he would
give her to the blind man. In his anger he uttered this śloka—
“Suśroṇī is given to you, arrayed in all splendour. Let her mount on an
ass, and get ye gone swiftly, exiled from this city.”
Then he ordered Suśroṇī and the blind man to be driven out of the city,
riding upon the same ass.
After wandering hither and thither they came at sunset to a hill town,
and there they took up their quarters in an empty temple. That same
evening there came five hundred robbers in order to plunder the town.
But its inhabitants perceived this, and overcame the robbers. The
robber chief, on whom they failed to lay hands, escaped into that same
temple. The townsmen surrounded it, but the chief closed the door. When
the townsmen asked who was dwelling there, Āśuga replied that some
travellers were there. The townspeople threatened to make an end of him
if he did not give up the robber. The robber chief said to Suśroṇī,
“Why should you have to do with a blind man? We will turn him out and
then live together.” She agreed to this. The robber chief flung the
blind man down from the wall, and the townspeople struck off his head.
Next day Suśroṇī and the robber chief reached the river Karada, and
found no boat in which to cross it. [131] The robber chief bade her lay
aside her finery, saying that she must swim across the river, and he
would bring her things after her. She handed over to him all her
clothes and ornaments, and went naked into the water. When she reached
the middle of the stream, there arose in her mind the fear that he
might run off with her things, and she uttered this śloka—
“The Karada is full of water. The fair one gave thee all her things.
Fear has arisen within me. Deceive me not, O evil-doer!”