विक्रम चरित (उज्जैन सम्राट् विक्रमादित्य - पराक्रम, न्याय एवं ३२ पुतलियों की कथा सटीक)

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her. Her singing elicited the highest applause, and afforded
the greatest enjoyment to Jupiter, Mars, and Venus.
"The first song was followed by others not less accep-
table, both from the sentiments they expressed, the feeling
which they evinced, and the sweet voice in which they were
sung. She produced a great sensation on the present
occasion, and much emotion in the breasts of all there
assembled, until at last she committed an error in omitting
one verse of the last song, which was immediately detected
by Indra. The angels also murmured at the omission.
Indra was enraged at this, and expressed his anger as
follows :—'Oh thou wretched and negligent woman, who
vainly attemptest to please !—it were far better that thou
wert a rock in the midst of the ocean than that thou
shouldst again present thyself before me!' He had
scarcely delivered himself of this awful judgment than
Chitrangee fell into a swoon, and dropped heavily to the
ground. After a time she came to herself, when the
recollection of what she had heard from the lips of Indra
rushed into her mind with all its horror. She knelt before
him, and in a most lamentable tone cried, 'Oh, most
mighty monarch! ruler of the heavens !—thy power extends
to the utmost limits of these celestial realms, and before
thee every crowned head bows in obedience! Be pleased
to extend thy mercy and clemency to thine unfortunate
servant! Pardon her fault, and relieve her from the dread-
ful sufferings to which thou hast doomed her! Even the
wife of Gowtum Rishee, who was doomed by her husband
to remain within a rock for a period of sixty thousand years,
had her sentence revoked, and was again received into favor.
Deign, then, to extend to me thy mercy! Thou hast from
my infancy retained me in thy especial service, and hast
conferred on me the sovereignty of Chitrakoot : thou surely
wilt not now condemn me to the torments I must suffer in
the fathomless depths of the sea! Permit me, great
sovereign, to continue in the enjoyment of thy bounty!'
"Chitrangee's prayers and entreaties had no effect