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

5
anxious desire to have the mystery, in which it was (to him
at least) shrouded, cleared up. The hermit’s conversation
greatly roused the curiosity of the king, and he entreated him
to instruct him in it before he left the court. The hermit
being thus solicited, and considering that it would be far
better to impart his knowledge to a king than to any one
else, consented to instruct him; and so with a smiling coun-
tenance said, “I will initiate you into this mystery tomorrow
night, as there will be an auspicious hour then for the pur-
pose. Your majesty must come unattended to the temple
of Shiva, situated without the town walls, where I will be in
waiting to receive you.” The following morning the her-
mit repaired to the appointed place of meeting with the
king, it being considered a sacred and secure spot, free from
all intrusion. In the evening, when the sun had gradually
sunk below the horizon, and night had spread its sable veil
over the face of creation, the hermit might have been seen
in the dusk, his figure extended to its full height, and lis-
tening eagerly for every sound, expecting the arrival of the
king.
The king’s impatience would not admit of his waiting
until the time fixed for his starting. He left the palace a
little earlier, and wended his lonely way in the direction of
the temple. Arriving at the small gate of the town, he
found a sentinel named Koobjuck stationed there. He
directed him not to leave the spot until his return, as he
had some very important business to transact out of town.
The sentinel respectfully bowed an assent; but as the
sovereign walked past him, he could not but reason in this
wise, being an acute man: ‘The king would certainly not
venture to leave the city without the attendance of some
officer or slave; and even were it so, I should be rendering
a piece of valuable service by following him unknowingly,
observing the direction he takes, and keeping myself at a
respectful distance; for should any accident happen to him,
I shall be ready at hand to render him assistance.’ He
therefore resolved to follow the king. He watched him

6
trudging along, and his curiosity being at its height, he
made up to within a respectful distance of him, and kept
him in view till he came near to the temple. Koobjuck
here slightly hesitated, but at last, plucking up his courage,
he entered the ground on which the temple was situated,
close upon the heels of the king, and as the sovereign closed
the door after him, Koobjuck leaned forward, and gave an
attentive ear to the conversation that passed within between
the king and hermit. At the close of the conference, when
he found the king was about to retire, Koobjuck made all
possible haste to regain his post, which he did without
any one suspecting his temporary absence; and as the
king returned back to the town, Koobjuck saluted him
with his usual equanimity, as though nothing in the
world had happened to disturb it. The following day
his majesty, as was his usual practice, spent in regu-
lating the affairs of his kingdom, and when night drew
on he set forth again for the temple of Shiva, having pre-
viously issued an order that the vigilant Koobjuck should be
placed, as on the previous day, to watch the suburbs of the
town. The wily sentinel was punctual to his time, having
anticipated the hour of the king’s departure, and taken up
his place. Thence he saw the king depart the second time
to meet the hermit, and he also followed, and, as before,
might have been seen listening with as much eagerness as
on the former occasion, beside the temple door. Three
successive visits were paid by the king to the hermit in
this way, and at all three Koobjuck managed to be present
in the manner described, until, at the end of the third
visit, the hermit had made the king thoroughly acquainted
with the mysteries of transmigration, and every portion of
the instruction thus imparted to the sovereign had become
equally familiar to the sentinel, so that, without even the
shadow of a suspicion, he had been able clandestinely to
acquire the knowledge.
The day following that on which the last of the visits
was paid to him by the king, the hermit left the court,

7

having been loaded with magnificent presents, and set
forward on his journey. King Vickramadetea accom-
panied him with his retinue for about a mile, and at
parting expressed a deep sense of gratitude for the kind-
ness the hermit had shown him in initiating him into the
rare art of transmigration.
Meanwhile, the spies who had been placed in different
parts of the country to obtain information as to the virgin
of seven years old, who, it had been foretold, would give
birth to a son who would end the king's days, returned
without being able to render any satisfactory account of
their labours. Nothing was known or heard of this extra-
ordinary virgin ; and, as a matter of course, in the absence
of any knowledge of the mother it was impossible to
ascertain whether the child fated to cause the death of the
king was in existence or not. Thus was the king plunged
into a wild maze of conjecture, without a clue to assist him
in arriving at a satisfactory solution of the mystery.

8
CHAPTER II.
King Vickramadetea sets out upon a journey, attended by the
sentinel who had acquired the knowledge of 'transmigration—The
king, anxious to test the efficacy of the hermit's instructions,
causes his own soul to reanimate the body of a dead serpent—The
sentinel enters into the king's body, mounts his horse, and returns to
Oujein, the capital of Vickramadetea's dominions—He personates the
king, and assumes the reins of government, but departing from his
master's policy, he becomes as much hated as Vickram had formerly
been loved—The king discovers the duplicity of his servant, and fearing
to continue in the shape of a serpent, assumes that of a parrot,
and proceeds to the Fort of Sendoornuggry—He falls in with a troop
of Bahooropees—The strange metamorphoses which the king enables
them to effect, and their extraordinary consequences.
KING VICKRAMADETEA'S'mind was racked with anxiety
as to his dreaded fate, as expressed at the end of the last
chapter. In this state he sent for his minister 'and bosom
friend, and gave orders to make preparations for a journey ;
he also consulted with him on the affairs of the state, and
requested him to carry them on during his absence in the
most impartial manner possible, and with strict attention
to justice. He said that he was fully aware of the zeal the
minister displayed in the welfare and well-being of his
kingdom and people, and had therefore no hesitation in
confiding to him the responsible task.
The preparations for the journey being completed, the
tents pitched on the plain, and a propitious hour ascertain-
ed, the king set out with a small retinue towards the north.
Among those who followed in his train 'was Koobjuck the
sentinel, whom the king added to the number of his follow-
ers expressly for his tact and ingenuity. After travelling
a few days they arrived at a stage near the capital city of
Sendoornuggry, which was situated on the banks of a
beautiful lake, surrounded with a variety of large and
spreading trees, which formed a cool and refreshing shade.

This lake was full of the sweetest water, and as clear as
crystal; they bathed in it, therefore, and after the usual
ceremonies, partook of dinner. Shortly after the meal, the
king went towards a flower-garden situated near the lake,
for the avowed purpose of examining more closely its beau-
ties; on approaching it he discovered a dead serpent lying
amongst the bushes. The moment he saw it, he felt
inclined to try the extent of knowledge which had been
imparted to him by the hermit, fully believing that the
Gooru* could not have practised any imposition on him.
With this intention he returned to his tent, and prepared
to give the subject, then uppermost in his mind, a fair trial.
He ordered Koobjuck to wait for him while he slept a little,
and positively forbade his disturbing him whilst in the arms
of Morpheus, but to allow him to awake refreshed from his
sleep. He then laid himself down in an alcove prepared for
him, and was soon asleep. A certain charm had been pre-
viously applied, and it now began to take effect. As the
monarch's sleep became heavy, the serpent began gradu-
ally to move; when it had regained its full strength,
it rushed along furiously over the bank of the lake in
the garden into the adjoining woods, attracted by the
beauty of the landscape and scenery around the neigh-
bourhood. These creatures are said to be susceptible of
sylvan beauties; what amount of truth there is in this we
do not presume to say, but give it merely as a popular as-
sertion. The king's attendant, Koobjuck, perceiving the
wonderful miracle achieved by his lord and master, namely,
that of entering the body of a dead serpent, and conscious
of the powers he himself possessed, (for which, it will be re-
membered, he was indebted to his eaves-dropping propensi-
ties, if we may so call them,) determined also to test their
efficacy. He accordingly assumed the form of the king,
who was lying near him asleep, and issued forth before the
body of retainers. He ordered the tents to be struck, and

• A spiritual preceptor.

10
the whole equipage to return to Oujein ; and, mounting the
king’s horse, he quitted the place with them. In a few
days he arrived at the capital, and it becoming known, the
minister and all the courtiers assembled in the audience-
hall to wait upon their king, and to congratulate him upon
his safe return, which they did with every possible degree
of esteem, love, and regard. The counterfeit Vickram then
held a council with the members of the court, and told them
that when he left the city it was not his intention to return
so speedily, but that his follower Koobjuck having deserted,
he was loath to proceed any further. “ I thought,” said
he, “ of setting out again on my tour, but there are reasons
the urgency of which prevent my doing so at present.” He
then left the court and proceeded to the apartments of the
queen. The queen was a person of great merit, and of much
beauty. The accomplishments of her mind were also far
above the common calibre ; and, above all, she was possessed
of much solid virtue. She saw the king approaching her,
and prepared to receive him. After the usual interchange
of civilities, into which she threw much of that winning soft-
ness of manner peculiar to her sex alone, and not sus-
pecting the person before her to be other than her lawful
king and husband, she entered into that free and confidential
mode of talk pertaining to a wedded life, although surprised
at seeing Vickramadetea enter her apartments at an hour
of the day to him quite unusual. She said she was very
anxious to see the trial of what the hermit had instructed
him in, and pressed him much to set about it. She said,
“ Your majesty need not come into these rooms allotted to
me for the next six months at least, unless you satisfy me
in what I now solicit at your hands. I am desirous equally
with you to derive the pleasure to be found from the
knowledge of such a wonderful secret. I shall then only—
that is, after you satisfy me on this head—willingly obey
your majesty in all that it may be your pleasure to direct
me.” The base usurper thus replied to the queen : “ Oh,
my lovely angel ! the desire of my soul ! if it be your wish

11
to become mistress of the art I now possess, I solemnly de-
clare I shall not thwart your inclination in this respect, nor
in any other that you may ask me. I undertake to meet
them all; but I recommend you to think well, and not
insist on knowing that which, for reasons I cannot well
explain, had best remain locked up in my breast. I do not
wish to displease you, but I would fain not teach you the
art of transmigration. I give you time to recall your
thoughts, and ponder well upon what I have said; and if
you still persist in knowing it, I will satisfy you." In his
concluding remarks, the false king threw much warmth and
some displeasure into his manner, unlike the true sovereign.
In the latter, no trivial events, such as these, could have
ruffled his temper in the slightest degree. This circum-
stance did not pass unnoticed by the wise minister of those
realms, and he could not but ask himself, what could have
worked such a change in his sovereign? 'There is certain-
ly,' thought he, 'a wide difference between his former car-
riage and bearing and these he now displays;' and as he
had some slight belief in the power of transmigration, he
naturally enough concluded that he had only the body of
the king before him, with some other soul inhabiting it for
the present, a matter he was determined to ascertain. Mean-
while the new king commenced a reign, marked by the
grossest injustice, and the violation of all the rights and
privileges which previously tended so much to the well-being
and prosperity of each and all in the country, and to the
stability of the government itself. This occasioned much
bitterness and lamentation, where there formerly reigned
peace and happiness. Where it was once customary to
bestow commendations on the king, and to call down bless-
ings on him, every mouth was now filled with the direst
imprecations and curses. The minister, though much
averse to be made a tool in the hands of such a despot, was,
nevertheless, forced to submit to that which, under the cir-
cumstances, there could be no means for effectually putting
a stop to. All he could do, by his advice and suggestions,
3

12
were done most zealously ; but they went but a little way
with the king, who, to his other bad qualities, added that of
conceit. We will leave him for the present, and treat of
the serpent which had been brought into life, and which
we left in the woods.
The serpent, then, after coiling and sporting in the woods
for a time, returned, with the same speed that marked his
onward course, to the spot whence he first started, and
found there the body of Koobjuck alone in the place
where he had left him in life. At first sight, the serpent
(who it will no doubt be recollected was the rightful king
in disguise) was rooted to the spot, with rage and astonish-
ment contending within him. He could scarcely believe
his own eyes. After a long gaze at the body of Koobjuck,
he exclaimed, "How now! I am scarcely out of my na-
tural frame and within the woods, but thou committest such
a daring outrage upon my person!" While contemplating his
position, he became dejected and melancholy ; in a word, he
was quite beside himself. He again burst forth in terms of
mingled rage and disappointment, and casting his eyes on
the body lying before him, said, "What a dreadful and un-
paralleled instance of duplicity and mischief hast thou shown
towards me, in assuming my form and going away, and
leaving me the choice of yours, or retaining that of the ser-
pent! If I enter thy body, so cursed that if I look on it
I incur a great sin ; and if I converse with such as thee,
then my crime is equivalent to a murder; if I eat with
such it is even worse, for the murder will then be as that
of a brahmin; and equally unfortunate will it prove, should
I receive even a drink of water from such a person's hands.
The company of the wicked is ever pregnant with evils, and
places a man in danger. It is said in the law, that a man
should not approach to within five paces of a bullock, ten of
a horse, and a thousand of an elephant; but that one
should abandon the city altogether, when the residence in
it of a wicked man is fully ascertained. Oh! what mis-
fortune hast thou not brought on me!—thou hast injured

me both in soul and body by preventing a re-union of them.
Certainly—oh, unhappy destiny !—what has been fated
must come to pass, and I have therefore only to bear
it with patience. Oh, perfidious wretch ! Oh, most
ungrateful villain ! I will never appear in thy detestable
form, so full of deceit, ingratitude, and wickedness !"
In this state of grief, bordering on despair, a sudden
thought crossed his mind, which gave him some relief. He
knew that he had very kind and faithful friends in Soodew
and Veytal.* On this he endeavoured to restrain his
sorrow, and become more calm and collected. Believing
he would be preserved from all danger, he started for the
city of Sendoornuggry. While journeying along, he was
led into considering the great danger he ran by continuing
in the form of a serpent, a reptile held in deserved detestation
by mankind, in consequence of the bitter enmity between
them, and the venomous nature of the former. It chanced,
however, that he found, shortly after his musings, under a
Vurt† tree, a dead parrot, and knowing it to be a bird held
in high repute for its beauty, colour, and other estimable
qualities, he lost no time in taking its form, by which he
not only lessened his danger, but acquired speed in his
movements,—a thing by no means to be despised, situated
as he was. Having transformed himself into the parrot,
he ascended high into the air, and after having satisfied
himself in all that delighted him in his new form,—perching
on a tree here, picking a fruit there, and so on,—he arrived
just without the walls of Sendoornuggry in much less time
than he could have done without the wings of a parrot, and
its light and active frame. The parrot (that is, the king)
alighted on a tree, under the inviting shelter of which a
troop of Bahooroopees,‡ who were in very distressed cir-
cumstances, had shortly before taken up their residence.

* The king of demons.
† The Indian fig-tree.
‡ A wandering tribe, who go about as dancers, actors, maskers, &c.

14
They were bitterly complaining of their hard lot, and were
loud in their bewailings ; they were heard to raise their
voice and exclaim, “ Almighty Creator of all things ! consider
the vast and boundless difference between the rich and the
poor : while we are every day, every hour, and every mo-
ment of our lives, exposed to the most harassing fatigues,
painful privations, and the direst of calamities, which may
be summed in the brief monosyllable ‘ want,’—want of the
necessaries of life, of food and clothing for ourselves and
families—want of comfort—want of everything, in short,
that can make life desirable, or even tolerable,—the rich
are permitted to roll in wealth, with a superfluity of all
that is denied to us, and of the ‘things which are essential
to life. What have these done to secure for themselves so
enviable a lot, and what have we been found wanting in to
deserve so much misery ? We have parted with ‘ the little
we possessed, consisting of the ornaments used in our profes-
sion, and which were our all, in order to procure the bare
means of subsistence for to-day ; tomorrow we may meet
with death staring us in the face !”
Having disburdened themselves of their griefs in this
wise, they laid themselves down. The parrot, who had
heard every word they uttered from his lofty perch, was
much affected at the affliction of the poor and wretched
Bahooroopees, as expressed in their words. He deigned to
address them as follows :—“ Strangers,” said he, “ whence
come ye, and whither are you bound ? Pray inform me,
what are your respective callings or professions, the tribes
to which each belong, your countries and your religions, and
your reasons for thus bewailing ?” These sympathising
words, delivered also in a tone of voice peculiar for its
sweetness, caused the Bahooroopees to start up and listen
attentively whence the voice proceeded, but they could not
discover it ; at last, after much trouble and some little
delay, they saw the parrot perched up aloft on one of the
furthermost branches of the tree under which they were all
assembled. The chief of the company was delighted that

15
such enquiries were made regarding them, and at the same
time was astonished that a parrot should display so much
sense and sympathy. There was something very extraordi-
nary about that, he thought. In the belief that a parrot,
which could show such wonderful wisdom, might also devise
some means for the amelioration of their condition, he
besought it to take pity on their miserable state, and
asked it to come down from the tree, assuring it that no
harm should be done it. Seeing the kind and grateful
manner in which the invitation was tendered, the parrot
flew down from the tree, and joined the wanderers below.
These people, one after the other, drew near it by turns,
and prostrated themselves before it. The chief, at the end
of this obeisance, said, “ Oh sage parrot ! do us the favor
to listen attentively to our unfortunate tale. We are of the
tribe of Bahooroopee ; we arrived at this city about a
month ago, with the view of following our calling, which is
that of strolling players, and by such means to earn an
honest livelihood ; but I regret exceedingly to state that the
king will not permit our doing so, nor will he condescend to
witness our performance, which has proved a sore disap-
pointment to us, and we are now at a great loss what plan
to adopt to obtain a subsistence. We have been compelled
by sheer necessity to part with all we possessed when we
first set foot in this city, even with the ornaments which
formed a part of our appendage, for the purpose of obtain-
ing food, so that we have nothing left now, and are therefore
quite destitute.” The parrot, after a patient hearing of
this sad case, asked the chief if any of them were masters of
any particular art, by exhibiting which the king might be
induced to sympathise with them. He replied that if the
king would only tolerate their presence, and allow them a
fair opportunity of winning his patronage, he would under-
take to secure it ere long. The parrot then desired to be
informed of the arts with which the Bahooroopees were
familiar, and they did so. But, much to their surprise,
none of them seemed to please the parrot, still less did they

16
meet with his approval. He promised to instruct the Ba-
hooroopees in such arts as would be of use to them in their
mode of life, and said that by their means they would be
enabled to secure a good living. The chief of the Bahoo-
roopees became quite overjoyed at this, and returned thanks
to Heaven and to their winged benefactor for the promised
acquisition, with much sincerity and truth. It was now
late, the sun had performed his course, and the earth was
being gradually enshrouded in the dusky folds of night. It
was supper-time, and they partook of their evening meal in
company with the parrot, after which the chief of the Ba-
hooroopees entreated the parrot to reveal to them all he had
promised; but the parrot said that the night was far ad-
vanced, and that, besides, the place they then were in was
not suitable for the purpose, he therefore asked them to
accompany him to a fitter locality. The chief, accordingly,
prepared to set out with the parrot, selecting two nimble
and intelligent youths from his gang to be their companions.
Having arrived at a certain spot, favorable for imparting
the art, the parrot taught them the method of transmigra-
tion. He also taught them other things, to be effected by
the use of charms; and when they had sufficiently mastered
the whole, they renewed their thanks to the parrot for the
trouble he had been at, and for the invaluable boon he had
bestowed on them and their class. They then returned to
the place where they had left the remainder of their gang.
Early next day, after going through the ceremonies peculiar
to them, they sat down to their breakfast with joyous hearts,
and sent one of their number to the court to see if the king
appeared in public that morning. The messenger returned
with the news that the king was holding his court, sur-
rounded by his nobles and courtiers. The chief of the
Bahooropees instantly changed himself, by means of the
charm given to him by the parrot the previous day, into a
brave and monstrous warrior, with a complete suit of armour,
sword in hand, with a shield, and bow slung across him,
and a quiver full of arrows. One of the youths became,

17
by a like process, a young lady of incomparable beauty,
splendidly attired, with costly jewels vieing in brilliancy
with the sun and her own charms. Another assumed the
form of a horse of exact symmetry and rare perfections,
richly caparisoned, with a saddle-cloth and bits of pure
gold, fit for the use of the highest personage in the land.
The chief mounted the horse, and, with the lady in his arms,
rode through the air as if by magic, until they arrived
opposite to the king's court, where they descended. The
king, and all assembled with him, looked on in astonishment
at the wonderful feat performed, and the beauty and richness
of the persons. The warrior dismounted, and stepping for-
ward to the king, addressed him as follows:—"Oh king!
I am come on a most particular mission." "Speak!" said
the king. The warrior continued,—"There is in heaven a
grand war between the divine Angels and the Daityas*; the
army of the Angels is already encamped in the field, and have
sent for me to assist them in the struggle; my beautiful
wife (pointing to her) had determined to accompany me to
the battle-field, although I seriously entreated her not to
do it, but her obstinacy has been so great, that I was com-
pelled to bring her with me. I am, however, resolved, upon
better thoughts, not to expose her to the dangers of war,
so I bring her to your court for safety during my absence,
knowing that you will be kind and treat her well, and set
before her examples of religion, and of strict and correct be-
haviour. Please, then, have the same consideration for her
as you would for a mother or sister, and act by her accord-
ingly. I must tell you that my name is Vejydhwaj,† and
I am a resident of the city of Auyodhea. I am now about
to ascend to heaven, and I beg you will be pleased to take
charge of my wife till I return, I hope with victory in my
train; but should fate have reserved for me death on the
field, then I conjure you to immolate her, in accordance with
the usual practice on such occasions." "Ah! Vejydhwaj,"

• Demons or Asœrus.
  † Flag of victory.
  D

said the king, "may God deliver you from the hands of
the enemy! May He, in his infinite mercy, keep a constant
watch over you!" "I beg to acquaint your majesty that
my valour is so great, that the Daityas are not equal to
contend with me. I am sure of winning the battle, and
putting them to flight." Now the king thought that this
reply of Vejydhwaj merited reproof, as he deemed it highly
impróper in any one, however great, to speak thus confi-
dently before him. But being quite taken up with the
feigned warrior, he said, "Vejydhwaj, I will take as much
care of your wife as I would of my own child; depend on me,
and go with confidence on your mission. May success
attend you!" Vejydhwaj thanked the king for his kind
welcome and still kinder promise, and set off on his journey,
whipping his horse as he ascended with great rapidity to
the heavens, amidst the wondering gaze of the king and the
crowd there assembled. He was soon lost to sight. The
king and all about him concluded that he had reached
heaven, and they were confirmed in their belief when some
little time after they heard the sounds of drums and martial
instruments high above their heads. The noise and con-
fusion which followed these sounds also told them that the
combatants were engaged in furious warfare, and, as if in
confirmation of this, they saw blood-stained arrows fall
to the earth. They raised their eyes towards the firma-
ment, and, while gazing intently upwards, saw the left hand
of a man fall, severed from the body, then the right
one, and soon after the body itself, dreadfully wounded and
mangled. At first they were in doubt as to the identity
of the body, and thought it to be that of some obscure
soldier, but they were soon able to satisfy themselves on
that point, for the head came whizzing through the air,
and fell beside the body. The face bore a parting smile,
and it was that of the warrior who, a short time before,
appeared before them full of life and hope, and who had
discoursed with them in all confidence, when leaving his
wife under the protection of the king.

19
CHAPTER III.
The same subject continued—Tale of the Alligator and the Traveller
—The chief of the Bahooroopees disposes of the parrot to a wealthy
merchant—A dancing-girl endeavours to extort money from the
merchant by a false accusation, which is frustrated by the ingenuity
of the parrot—The dancing-girl prevails upon the merchant to make
her a present of the parrot—In revenge, she orders her slave to put
him to death; but Veytal, the king of the demons, saves his life, and
enables him to escape—The parrot flies to the temple of the Goddess
Kallika.
THE painful intelligence of the death of Vejydhwaj having
reached his wife, whilst she was engaged in the queen's
apartment, she instantly came to where the mutilated
corpse of her husband was laid, and bewailed her misfor-
tune in no measured terms, in the following frantic excla-
mations:—"Oh! husband of my heart! my best beloved!
—you were ever considered as a brave and unconquer-
able warrior; your equal was not known; you were always
victorious in all your encounters; by your courage and
determination you have on more than forty-two different
occasions ascended to heaven, to take part in the most
dreadful of strifes, and yet were never vanquished. Oh!
my heart's best treasure!—you have been my only support,
and now that you are no more, where can I look for the
means of subsistence? I am swallowed up in an ocean of
grief, which is all the deeper in that I was not with you to
tend you in your last dying moments. It was in vain that you
placed me in charge of a king." The people, greatly
affected by the excessive grief manifested by the warrior's
wife, mingled their tears and sympathies with hers, which
presented a spectacle truly melancholy.
While she was thus lamenting the cruel fate which de-
prived her of her husband, the king approached her, and,
with much tenderness in his manner, said,—"I pray you,

20
fair lady, do not give yourself up thus to grief. This is a
misfortune, I am aware, of no ordinary kind, and which you
must keenly feel, but recollect that it was beyond all
human control: it is appointed for all men to die once.
Although I cannot but acknowledge that to be altogether
insensible to the loss, the irreparable loss, you have this
day sustained would be impossible, nay inexcusable in you,
yet permit me to observe there is a wide difference between
such callousness and moderation in grief, to which I would
fain bring you. To be sensible of God’s afflicting hand
under such a dispensation, and to receive it as the punish-
ment which we have deserved, is the bounden duty of all,
but it would be a species of rebellion against the inscrutable
decrees of Heaven to be inconsolable. That you may not,
therefore, add sin to your affliction, allow me to withdraw
you from this scene. I have a daughter, who, at my
desire, will be ever ready to render you all the assistance in
her power, and who will treat you in all respects as a sister.
I assure you I will afford you every protection, and place
you entirely on an equal footing with her, so long as you
may think fit to reside in my court.” The widow replied,
—“I am extremely thankful to your majesty for your kind
and generous offer, and for the sympathy expressed in your
speech, but I request that you will be pleased to order im-
mediately the necessary preparations for burning me, as I
look not to survive this catastrophe, nor do I wish it. I am
resolved to sacrifice myself on the pile that will be raised to
perform my husband’s last rites, and I entreat you will
not, either by argument or other means, attempt to dis-
suade me from my fixed and unalterable design.” The
king endeavoured to impress upon her the gross absurdity
of such conduct, and to show how much it was at variance
with the mild precepts of religion and the character of the
Divine Being. “Let me advise you,” said he, “to reflect
for one moment on the revolting nature of the act you are
about to commit; it is repugnant to every feeling of huma-
nity and good sense. Return home, and give it your due

21
and unbiassed consideration : let the virtue of your hus-
band live and be cherished in your bosom !" Notwith-
standing all these powerful arguments, she remained firm
to her purpose, and the king at last reluctantly consented
that she should be furnished with all that was necessary for
the end she contemplated, and with everything requisite for
the sad solemnity. He directed that the corpse of the de-
ceased warrior should be laid on the pile prepared to receive
it ; and every other preparation being made, one of the
king's own palanquins was brought out to convey the de-
voted victim to the place where the tragic act was to be
consummated. The widow having entered the palanquin,
accompanied by the king and his whole court and re-
tainers, proceeded to the place. Here she alighted and
bathed ; then, having adorned her person as if she was
going to be wedded, instead of being immolated on the
funeral pile of her husband, she embraced the corpse
before it was consigned to the flames, with all apparent de-
monstrations of affection, and thus addressed the surround-
ing multitude :—" God made me what I am, and gave me
a husband whom I dearly loved, and on whom I bestowed
my undivided affection. Oh husband ! though the trial
will be great, I will accompany thee, that even in the next
world thou mayest still be mine, and that through eternity
we may again be united in the bonds of conjugal felicity !"
With these words she placed the remains on the burning
pile, and looking around said,—" Pardon me, oh king,
and all ye people, this my voluntary act !" She then,
without the slightest show of fear, or any of those signs
which mark the inward workings of terror or hesitation,
but, on the contrary, with a placid look and her counte-
nance radiant with smiles, made one bold leap into the
burning heap, and was soon enveloped in flames. No
groan or sigh met the ear—all was still as death, save the .
crackling noise of the fire-wood as it burned.
After witnessing this revolting spectacle, the king and
his nobles returned to town, wrapped in deep and impene-
Q

22
trable thought and moody silence. Even the mass of the
people seemed to have been infected with the melancholy
the event here related had cast over the spectators ; and all
was one continued chorus of pity and commiseration for the
unfortunate widow who had thus devoted herself to a fate
so painful.
Not long after the crowd had dispersed from the scene
where the widow had immolated herself despite the en-
treaties of her friends, she contrived, by the influence of
her art or by some occult means, to extricate herself from
her apparently awful position, and to bring to life her de-
ceased husband. She then informed him of all that had
transpired during his absence. The warrior, now become
whole, and complete in his limbs, instantly set out for the
court, where he arrived, to the amazement and wonder of
all, whilst they were yet engaged in the discussion of the
event from witnessing which they had but just returned.
Without much ado, and dispensing with all the courtly
forms prevailing in those days, the warrior approached the
sovereign, and, after the usual interchange of civilities, ad-
dressed him to the following effect :—" Oh king! I am
extremely happy in being able to inform you that in the
battle fought recently in heaven, and in which I assisted the
divine Angels with all my judgment and valour, the suc-
cess has been all on our side. I have vanquishred the
Asœrus. The war was fierce and bloody. The bravest
troops of the enemy were either slain or wounded, and the
remainder panic-struck with the valour I displayed, and
the repeated onslaughts I made on them. Look!" added
the warrior, "these are the rewards of my labour (point-
ing to his rich attire, and the jewels with which his brow
was encircled). I now entreat your majesty will grant me
permission to remove my wife from under your protection ;
the city of Auyodhea, where I live, being at a great dis-
tance, I must return home immediately." At these words,
the sudden resuscitation of a man whom they had considered
dead, and his being unable to produce his wife, the king felt
"

23
great consternation, nor were his minister and courtiers less
astounded. He beckoned his minister, who approached him
with unsteady steps, and with fear depicted in every linea-
ment of his countenance. "What an unexpected danger is
this!" exclaimed the king, as soon as he could give vent to the
feelings of his heart; "whence comes this man? How did
he become re-animated, and what expedient can we adopt?"
The minister exhorted his master, as well as he could, to
have patience for a while, and promised to devise some
means of satisfying the warrior. He said he would speak
to the man in private. With this he went towards him,
and sought an interview. The minister entered fully into
the particulars and circumstances of the events which, he
said, they were even then deploring, and called the whole
population to prove the accuracy of his statements. The
warrior, however, instead of exhibiting symptoms of grief
at the untimely fate of his wife, became furious and uncon-
trollable. He threatened at once to appeal- to arms.
"What!" said he, "am I right in hearing you? Was
it ever before known that a woman immolated herself with
her husband yet living? Oh no! I cannot believe what
you say. I once took you to be a just, prudent, and vir-
tuous man, but you appear no longer so. My wife has been
basely dealt with, if not forcibly kept from me; and I will
wage war to the death till I know more about it, and there
remains nothing else for me to do. You know what I am
capable of, and I warn you to beware of trifling with such
an one as you know me to be!" The king heard the
threats made by the warrior, and became pale with fear;
and being no longer able to control himself, came up to the
warrior and besought him to have pity on him. "Mode-
rate your anger, sir," said he; "what my minister says
is the truth. But if you are not satisfied with it, and as it
is entirely out of my power to produce your wife, who is
now reduced to ashes, you may, if you like, accept of my
queen, in exchange for her. I will do anything else that
I can for you, if you will only mention it. I desire to

24
preserve your friendship, so that you may, if I can achieve
it, depart hence in peace." The warrior listened to the
king with much attention, and then fell into a violent fit of
laughter, which surprised all present. As soon as he had
regained his gravity he said, "I pray your majesty to consi-
der whether it would be sensible in me to accept of the
queen in lieu of my wife. The queen is to me a mother—
neither more nor less. I believe your majesty knows, or at
least ought to know, that we are taught by divine law to
consider our queen, our tutors' wives, our wives' mothers,
and the mother who gave us birth, as standing one and all
in the same relation to us—that of mother. How, then,
can I take the queen to supply the place of my
wife?" At this remonstrance the king became pale with
shame, and suffered much inwardly for having committed so
grave and serious an error. The warrior, observing the
sudden effect produced by him, burst into another fit of
laughter, and tried to infuse courage into the monarch.
He said, "My worthy and renowned sovereign, I beg your
majesty will not be surprised if I disclose to you now the
deceit I practised on your majesty, and the causes which
led me into it. But before I proceed to relate them, your
majesty must grant me your full pardon." , "I will on no
account refuse you my pardon," roplied the king, "whether
justly or not." "Your majesty must know, then," said
the individual who had so long palmed himself off as a
brave warrior of high rank and renown, and who had made
the king and his whole court tremble before him, "Your
majesty must know, then, that I am a Bahooroopee, and
reached this city about a month ago. I used all the wit
I was possessed of, to no purpose, in endeavouring to se-
cure your majesty's patronage to the performance of the
peculiar plays that are involved in the calling I pursue.
Being thus deprived of every means by which to turn an
honest pice, and all the avenues being shut against me,
I was induced to have recourse to the deception I have
practised on your majesty." The king could not possibly