द्वितीय राजतरङ्गिणी (जोनराज - कल्हणोत्तर मध्यकालीन कश्मीर का प्रामाणिक इतिहास)

KINGS OF KASHMÍRA. 85
merit and he appeared before him, but the man was
boasting of his own qualifications. * * * The
judicious sovereign soon perceived that the man was as
void of qualifications as a drum is empty within. But
that sea of mercy, that lord of the life of the world,
did not withdraw his favour from the mlechchha beggar,
although void of merit, even as the father does not
withdraw his affection from his son. Like the darkness
of the night, and like nocturnal lightning, the many
vices of this wicked man frightened the people. At
this time, a great hermit who had conquered his pas-
sions seated himself on a high pillar inorder to obtain
emancipation by the practice of yoga. For nine days
he sat on the pillar with closed eyes and without food,
and by his blessing the queen gave birth to a son.
Thus he sat there at yoga, and on the ninth day, the
great festivity on account of the birth of the prince took
place. Sadaula became jealous at seeing the hermit
constantly favoured, and having lost his senses by intoxi-
cation from wine, he killed the hermit by arrows with the
help of mlechchhas. At the sight of the deed, the warm
and sorrowful tears of the people fell on the ground, and
their censure fell on the king. When the king heard of
the act, he drowned himself, as if for purifying his person,
in the sea of fear, shame, anger, and surprise, and in the
thought of what he should do. On that day, when his
first son was born, the king did not bathe, nor eat, nor
speak, nor do anything. On the next day the king
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