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

KINGS OF KASHMÍRA. 395

the chintāmaṇi jewel. A certain housewife, who had
become gaunt, flung aside her affection for her husband,
drove away her son to a distance, and used to eat in
secret. Though the son remained hungry, the daughter
begged for food, and the husband was dying, the
woman ate alone. Once an elephant died at the gate
of the king’s palace, and many hungry people hurried
there in haste, to be beforehand, and cut out pieces
of meat from the carcase and took them away. A
manufacturer of iron utensils killed a barber’s boy for
food, cooked the human flesh and sold it. The people
were anxious to save their lives, and they went out to
other countries, leaving behind their houses, their wives
and sons. A storm came on at this time which up-
rooted trees, and the people who experienced it talked
about it, and were afraid that the destruction which
would happen at the end of the world had then come.
The storm raised dust that covered the sun, and mid-
day appeared like midnight. While the storm was yet
blowing, a fire arose from the Sadāshiva forest, and it
suddenly blew into a flame, as if it had come to meet
its friend the storm. The fire followed the direction of
the wind, crossed the Vitastā, and burnt the whole town
together with Samudramaṭha. The burning town was
reflected on the Vitastā, and it looked as if it had plun-
ged itself into the water in order to quench its flame.
Though the stars in the sky were hidden by the smoke,
the numerous sparks of fire looked like stars, and ap-