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

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before saw thee? Thou art doubtless some vile deceiver from
Benares. Leave this house instantly, or thou wilt meet
with the treatment thou seemest so richly to deserve!" At
this time Moodgul's young son, who was about to be invested
with the sacred thread, entered the room. "My son," said
the unhappy father, "do you too shun me? Am I not your
father?" The child, as much or even more deceived, from
his extreme youth, than his elders, replied, "What a base
chattering knave thou art! Dost thou dare to address thy-
self thus to those who know thee not? Who art thou?
Get thee hence instantly, or I will cause thee to be punished
severely for thy impudence!" Poor Moodgul tried all he
could to convince them of his identity, by mentioning the
names of each and all of their relatives, friends, and acquain-
tances, and by recalling many little family incidents, but
all to no purpose. His mother, wife, and son, were certainly
surprised at the accuracy of his statements, but this was
not sufficient to dispel the error into which they had
fallen, and which had taken so deep a hold of their minds.
By this time Moodgul's father had returned, and with
him the counterfeit son. The real Moodgul, on seeing his
father, went forward, and with a low reverence besought
his blessing. The father was very much astonished at his
salutation, and said, "Thou addressest me by the title of
father!—I think thou art labouring under some grievous
mistake. Thou art not my son! I have but one son, and
here he is," pointing to the Zotinge. "I cannot but think
that thy mind is unsettled; if not, thou art endeavoring
to palm off some joke upon my family, but I would advise
thee to desist from such practices and to go thy way."
Moodgul, at the close of his father's speech, felt a sharp
pang shoot through his heart, and he bitterly repented
having left his paternal dwelling in opposition to his father's
express desire. It was, however, useless now to regret the
past, but he could not by any means think of an expedient
to extricate himself from his present dilemma. At last he
resolved upon going to King Gopichund, and representing

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his case to him, who, he doubted not, would enable him to
regain his position in his father's household. Before he
left the house, the Zotinge went to Moodgul's mother, and
said, " It is always the object of the impostors from Benares,
good mother, to obtain something from those on whom they
practise their deceptions ; give this fellow, therefore, some
undressed rice." The mother was in high spirits and good
humour in consequence of the approaching festivity, so she
went immediately, at the desire of her son, and brought a
small quantity of rice to the supposed cheat, who, however,
resented the insult by spurning it away ; he then quitted
the house and bent his steps towards the king's palace.
When he arrived there, he represented to his majesty the
actual state of affairs, with all necessary particulars, and
demanded that justice should be done him. The king was
greatly surprised at the representations made to him, and
having sent for Crustna Josey, asked him what he meant
by denying all knowledge of his son, after his return from
the pilgrimage, even although the expedition had been
undertaken contrary to his express commands, which did
not in the least alter the case. " My lord," said Crustna
Josey, "your majesty no doubt knows that I have but one
son, and that son is now at home. The person now before
your majesty I do not recollect having ever before seen, and
I am at a loss to know on what ground he claims relation-
ship with me. I beg your majesty will be pleased to send
for my son, if you disbelieve my assertions." The king
immediately ordered the son to be brought before him,
and when he arrived the king observed such an exact
resemblance between the two, in their make, features,
complexion, size, and everything else, that he and the whole
court were greatly embarrassed, and could not arrive at a
satisfactory or conclusive opinion on the matter.
In this strait the king bethought him of his clever parrot,
who, he said, might possibly be able to solve the mystery.
The parrot was accordingly brought into court and the case
having been laid before him, he replied, after some time

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spent in contemplation, "My lord, it is not for me to decide
a case of so much importance. I pray you, take it into
your own hands, or place it in those of your learned coun-
cillors, who are so eminently conversant with the manner of
judging such matters." But the king said he was deter-
mined that the parrot should decide the case. The parrot
then asked Crustna Josey which was his son, and he pointed
to the Zotinge. The same question was put to the rest
of Crustna's family, and they each and all indicated the
same individual. The parrot next questioned the Zotinge
on different points, but he met them all in a satisfactory
manner, so that, except to the parrot, the case seemed to be
as far from being settled as ever. The parrot, however,
was at no loss to discover the cheat. He ordered a zauree*
to be brought, which being done, he said, "If you both
desire justice to be impartially administered, you will
consent to the test I now prescribe. The real son alone
will be able to enter into the zauree, and make his exit by
the spout. The one who fails to do so is undoubtedly the
cheat." The parrot addressed himself first to the real
Moodgul, who said, "Is it possible for any human being
to enter into so small a vessel?—it cannot be done by
mortal means." The false Moodgul on this came forward,
and said to the king, "O king, I am able to enter the
zauree and to come out through the spout." "Are you?"
said the parrot; "then hasten and do it." The Zotinge
at once performed the feat, to the great astonishment of all.
The parrot then called Crustna Josey, and asked him if
he could now identify his son. The brahmin, greatly
perplexed, said he could not be certain. The parrot enquired
of him if he had not a Borre tree on his premises, that was
occupied by a demon spirit. The brahmin replied that
there was such a tree, on which a Zotinge had dwelt, but
that he had not seen anything of him for the last three
months. The parrot then said to the king, "May it please

• A particular drinking-vessel, with a spout and a long neck.

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your majesty, did you ever see or hear of any mortal man
being able to do what this vile impostor has this day done—
enter a small pot and come out through its neck? Does
your majesty not see who is the real son of the brahmin?
I beg your majesty will immediately order the tree on the
brahmin’s premises to be cut down.” This was done, and
the Zotinge disappeared for ever.
The king was much pleased with the parrot’s judgment,
and praised him loudly for his wisdom and ingenuity. The
venerable brahmin and his wife received their son with tears
of joy, and the wife and son of Moodgul hung down their
heads with shame for having so grossly abused him. His
father then approached, and tenderly embraced him, saying,
“My dear son, we are fully aware of the indignity and
cruel treatment which we in our ignorance have inflicted
on you, but I trust you will forgive us, and return home to
your paternal roof.” Moodgul replied, in much anger, “I
will not go home with you. I renounce the whole of you!
—henceforth you shall be to me as my bitterest enemies!”
The brahmin entreated him with much earnestness and
contrition, but Moodgul was deplorably obstinate, and
would not hearken to the voice of his aged sire. The parrot,
finding the youth bent upon not being reconciled to his
friends and connections, interceded on their behalf, saying
that they had been altogether ignorant of the imposition
that was practised upon them by the Zotinge, and desiring
him to bear them no ill-will for what they had been unin-
tentionally guilty of, and therefore, in fact, not guilty of at
all. “Nothing,” continued the parrot, “is more noble,
more generous, or more pleasurable than to forgive even
real injuries done to us: how much more necessary, then,
does it become for every man of virtue and magnanimity
to forgive injuries which, though productive of the same
effect to the person on whom they have been inflicted, are
still divested of much of their evil qualities from the
circumstance of their being unintentional? It is your duty,
therefore, to forget and forgive every offence or injury you

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may have received from your erring and mistaken relatives.”
Being thus persuaded by the parrot, Moodgul consented to
return to his father’s house with his family.
It afforded the brahmin, Crustna Josey, no small amount
of pleasure to fold once more in his arms, in his own house,
his only son, whom he dearly loved. He even went the
length of soliciting his son’s pardon for what he had done
against him, and so did the rest of them. “O my son!”
said the father, “I cannot imagine what charm the Zotinge
could have put upon me and my family! I repent most
sincerely of my conduct towards you, and I trust you will,
when you consider the circumstances under which we were
placed, extend to us your forgiveness.” He continued in
this strain for a considerable time, and adduced instances
where such impositions had been successfully practised,
until at length his son’s heart was softened. “O most
revered father!” said Moodgul, “I am now fully sensible
of the nature of the occurrence, and I feel how wrong I have
been in my expressions of anger against you and the rest
of those near and dear to me. I can see now how matters
stood, and am not at all surprised that you should have
acted in the manner you did. I have no reason to complain
of you. Pardon me, I entreat you!” They were thus once
more united in the bonds of affection, and the brahmin,
embracing his son, shed tears of joy. The ceremony of
investing Moodgul’s son with the sacred thread was cele-
brated with great pomp and joy, and they continued to
live in peace and good fellowship during the remainder
of their lives.

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CHAPTER XVII.
The brahmin Somedut and Vickramadetea's Prime Minister arrive at
Wishnuopoory as mendicants, and obtain the parrot from the king as
a gift—They return to Oojein, and deliver Vickramadetea to the
queen his wife—The usurper Koobjuck, wishing to initiate the queen
into the mysteries of transmigration, enters into the dead body of a
hare, on which Vickramadetea instantly resumes his own body,
causes the hare to be destroyed, and re-ascends the throne.
THE wise parrot and the good king Gopichund were one
day engaged in conversing together, and they talked of the
several sciences, the great benefits accruing from good
government, and the necessity for leading a life of morality
and virtue. After touching upon these several topics, the
parrot said, "My lord, I am extremely pleased to observe
that your majesty is not indifferent to your future welfare,
in the midst of the wealth and grandeur with which you
are surrounded. It behoves us all to have some thought
of futurity. Your majesty has entered upon a very interest-
ing inquiry, which, while it pleases me, has also given rise
to reminiscences which it were far better had never been
recalled. Your majesty spoke of a future state : sure
enough we must prepare for it. This world is but transi-
tory, and must sooner or later come to an end. With
many, it has already ended, and those who remain will soon
run out their allotted period of existence. Thousands there
are, in fact they constitute by far the majority, who are
content with the present,—who never look beyond this
world. Alas ! what can wealth or power, rank or position,
avail a man at the last extremity? Only consider, your
majesty, the object for which you have been created. Con-
sider again, in what will men who live solely for this world
place their trust at their last end? Not in the bubble of
worldly vanity—it will explode ; not in worldly pleasures—

256

they will vanish; not in high connections—they will not
serve them; not in wealth—for they cannot carry it with
them; not in rank or royal dignity—for death levels every
distinction. In short, it is not in the recollection of a life
spent in the giddy mazes of dissipation and the silly fashions
of a thoughtless and wicked world, that one should look for
peace and serenity of mind at the moment when life is
flickering in the mortal frame, but it is in the memory of a
sober, righteous, and just life. Listen to my counsel, I
pray you; it will afford your majesty food for contempla-
tion. I most earnestly exhort and conjure you, by the ties
of mutual friendship which unite us, to live virtuously; you
will thus ensure not only a peaceful and prosperous reign
in this life, but will lay up treasures for the next.”
The parrot’s impressive talk and arguments on matters
of religion made so strong an impression on the king’s
mind that he felt irresistibly impelled to entreat him to
point out the most approved method of devotional exercise,
in order that he might, by following his advice, secure
eternal happiness. “There is a certain rajasu yudna,”*
replied the parrot, “which, if your majesty perform it in a
particular manner, will tend to confirm you in your faith,
and will exhibit to you in a forcible manner your dependence
on the great and supreme Ruler of the universe, for He .
alone is your majesty’s main prop and support,—He main-
tains you in power and riches, He bestows life, health, and
liberty. The spring of your felicity and the fountain of all
your enjoyments is in Him. Offer your sacrifice in all
humility, so as to be acceptable to Him; and if He is once
satisfied with you, He will, I doubt not, shower upon you
his divine mercy, and enable you to acquire virtue and every
accomplishment.” His majesty on this sent for his astro-
loger and his chief priest, and communicated to them his
intention, whereupon the former fixed upon an auspicious

* A sacrifice which is performed only by great monarchs, attended
by their tributary princes.

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moment for the commencement of the sacrifice, and the
latter suggested the necessary preparations, at the same time
undertaking the office of providing all things accordingly.
The king then summoned his minister, and despatched
him with a suitable retinue to invite foreign princes to be
present on the occasion of his great sacrifice. A horse,
splendidly arrayed, was led in the minister's train, to
signify, as is the usual practice, that the preparatory cere-
monies of the sacrifice had commenced. A temporary
arbour, of a magnificent description, was constructed for
the occasion, richly ornamented within and without with all
the grandeur which is ever at the command of wealth and
power. The roads leading to this arbour were sprinkled
with water to lay the dust, and orders were issued for
adorning the whole city, in honor of the great sacrifice at
the palace, and for observing a period of general rejoicing.
The royal camp, although very spacious, was soon filled
with the numerous troops belonging to the foreign princes,
who were entertained with every imaginable courtesy and
respect during the interval preceding the day of the sacrifice,
at which they were invited to be present. The brahmins,
sages, hermits, and devotees of all denominations, gathered
together in one large assemblage, and performed their sacred
duties with much reverence and profound meditation round
the sacrificial pit, which had been dug according to the
usual form, and in which a fire was kept constantly burning.
Gopichund, having put on his royal robes, embroidered
with gold and ornamented with precious stones and pearls,
attended in person, with the sacrificial bracelet round his
wrist, which almost vied in splendour and dazzling bright-
ness with the resplendent rays of the sun, which was then
shining in all its glory. The sacrifice was to be performed
by the monarch himself, and he had been instructed in all
the necessary duties by the chief priest, who attended him.
King Vickramadetea's minister, whose name was Bhutty,
and Somedut the brahmin, disguised as mendicants, arrived
at King Gopichund's capital at this time, as had been agreed
2H

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upon. Their carriage and demeanour were so much in
keeping with their garbs, and they presented such an apt
personification of devotion and a religious life, that the
most renowned of the priests and devotees received them
with every mark of respect and deference, placing them on
two seats immediately fronting the sacrificial pit.
The time having at length arrived for the great sacrifice,
Bhutty and Somedut burned incense, and offered up sweet
perfumes, with other ingredients of a like nature, as
prescribed by the Hindu rites. Gopichund having performed
the last oblation, Bhutty and Somedut advanced towards
him, and, after bestowing their joint blessings on him,
addressed him in these words :—“ O king !—we have travel-
led an immense distance to assist at this great sacrifice,
and we are sanguine that after what we have seen performed
you will not hesitate to grant the request we are about to
prefer to you. It is this conviction of your acquiescence to
our wishes which emboldens us to address you, and by
your compliance you will most assuredly secure to yourself
the merit of genuine piety, and a strict regard to the
dictates of your faith and religion.” The king said, “ O
revered mendicants !—I am ready and willing to meet your
wishes so far as it lies in my power; be pleased therefore
to let me know your desire.” “ Your majesty,” said they,
“ possesses a parrot of rare acquirements; we wish to obtain
possession of it, in preference to anything else that it is in
your royal power to bestow. We demand the bird in
charity, and will feel ourselves richly remunerated,--far
more so than if you had deigned to bestow half your king-
dom upon us.” The king appeared greatly disconcerted
at this request, for he valued the parrot almost as dearly as
he did his own life. It had nearly the same effect on him
as if a poisoned arrow had lodged in his heart, for he fainted
and fell heavily to the ground. His minister, who was
present, raised him up, and applied restoratives, which
brought him back to consciousness. He advised the king
not to allow himself to be thus afflicted, as it tended to

259

diminish his reputation for a strict adherence to his faith
and morals, and the liberality for which he was deservedly
famed. “Your majesty,” continued the minister, “is well
acquainted with the story of the Chakravutty who cut off
his own flesh for the sake of the Supreme Being, and gave
it to the royal hawk to be devoured. King Shreeyal sacri-
ficed his own son to the god Shiva, for which he is still
held in great veneration by the world at large. King Bully
was also much famed for disinterestedness and generosity.
These are instances, among many others which we find
recorded by ancient authors in our sacred volumes, which
ought to stimulate us to similar acts of self-denial. Com-
pared to these, what you are now called upon to do seems
but a trifle,—it is but the giving away of a bird—a rare
bird though it be—to which you are fondly attached. It is
the bird’s rarity which would render the gift deserving of
public note. Let me entreat that your majesty will be
pleased to consider this point well.”
Meanwhile, the hermits and others there assembled
continued their offerings and religious austerities, to propi-
tiate the Sovereign Ruler of the universe, and, by a humble
acknowledgment of their dependence on Him, to secure to
themselves and to him on whose behalf they were called
upon to join in the ceremony of the great sacrifice offered
that day, the reward of all good things, both in this world
and the next. The minister, pointing to these religious
men, said, “You see that you are even yet engaged in
supplicating the divine favor through your majesty’s priests
and the devout men of other cities. Can you then hesitate
to do what perhaps has been commanded by God to try
you?” The king, thus pressed, had no alternative but to
comply, so he brought out the parrot and delivered him
to Bhutty and Somedut, who then retired, with many ex-
pressions of gratitude and a due acknowledgment of the
monarch’s truly liberal and charitable disposition.
The king rewarded, with presents in lands and money,
each and all of the brahmins and devout men assembled

260
there ; and on the princes and nobles he bestowed ornaments,
apparel, elephants, horses, and other costly articles; in a word,
he treated them with profuse liberality, and feasted them
with great magnificence. Before they parted, the religious
men bestowed their blessings on the king, and the princes
and nobles made professions of never-dying friendship and
gratitude. Thus ended the great sacrificial day.
Bhutty and Somedut no sooner became possessed of the
parrot than they commenced their homeward journey, and
did not slacken their pace until they reached Oojein, some
few days after. In the evening, after dark, Bhutty took the
parrot in his hand and went into the apartment of the
queen (Vickramadetea's wife) without the knowledge of the
wicked Koobjuck the usurper, and informed her in a few
words of his object in visiting her at such an unusual hour.
On hearing the welcome intelligence of the near presence
of her lord and master, she was transported with joy. She
requested him to acquaint her with the particulars of his
visit to the court of Gopichund, the renowned monarch. It
was indeed affecting to witness the eager inquiry which
marked every feature of the queen, and the intense interest
with which she listened to the minister; and how much the
more when she found that her lord, in the guise of the
parrot, still retained the use of his speech!—for he entered
into a relation of all that had happened to him since he
first set out from his palace. Great was the affection she
displayed towards the parrot,—her humble demeanour
towards him was exactly that of a loving wife to her husband.
At the end of the relation she addressed herself thus to the
bird:—"My lord and husband!—will you be pleased to
instruct me how I can help you to regain your own body?
The space of six months which I have demanded at the
hands of the wicked Koobjuck, before I admit him into my
apartment, will expire to-morrow, and he has promised to
show me then the miracle of transmigration. He has not,
since the day on which he vainly strove by every means at
his command to make me subservient to his pleasure, held

261
any conference with me. He has, I know, been counting
the days as they passed, and awaiting with much anxiety the
expiration of the time I fixed upon." "Very well," said
the parrot, "do not be alarmed, but take courage; I will
endeavour to extricate you from your perilous position. I
have discovered myself only to you, and you must be very
careful not to divulge the secret of my being here in my
present form to any one, for the least intimation on the sub-
ject to Koobjuck will involve me in some other misfortune,
and perhaps even cause my death." "Your majesty must
know," replied the queen, "that the moment I suspected
Koobjuck I prohibited him from entering my apartments.
Besides, I have expressly told him that unless he practises
before me the mysterious art of transmigration at the expira-
tion of six months, I will never even look him in the face."
The parrot then desired Bhutty to retire to his own home,
telling him that on the morrow they would set about devis-
ing means to effect their purpose. He said he trusted, by
the aid of Providence, to return speedily to his natural
form and condition, and to enter once again upon the
duties of his office. Bhutty made his obeisance, and
departed accordingly.
The queen held the parrot in her hand with much respect
and veneration; she tenderly embraced him, with tears
flowing fast down her cheeks, and said, "I have been
deceived indeed, but I have at last found him whom my
soul holds most dear on earth. My past sufferings and
heart-burnings are now more than recompensed: heaven
has favored me on this occasion in a most liberal manner,
for which I now offer up the outpourings of a soul full of
grateful emotions and sentiments far too profound for utter-
ance." She then placed the parrot in his cage, and the
whole of that night was spent in conjecturing the events
that the morrow would bring forth.
The next morning, by sunrise, the wicked Koobjuck sent
for Bhutty the minister, in whom he had great confidence,
and informed him that the period of six months assigned by

262
the queen would expire on that day, and that he was pre-
pared to impart to her the knowledge which she was so
anxious to become possessed of. He told him to go and
enquire of the queen if she was prepared to receive him.
The minister, in obedience to the order he had received,
went to the queen and made her acquainted with Koobjuck's
request. She replied that she was as anxious as ever to be
initiated into the mystery, and that after the king should
have satisfied her in that respect she would place herself
entirely at his disposal. The minister returned and com-
municated this to Koobjuck, who heard it with much plea-
sure, and ordered his attendants to procure for him the
dead body of some animal, no matter of what kind, or of any
species of bird. They accordingly went out in search of one.
The wicked Koobjuck, in the mean while, went into the
queen's apartment, accompanied by the minister, and after
the usual interchange of civilities they sat down. Koobjuck
was priding himself on the wit and discernment he displayed
in a flow of flattering encomiums he was bestowing on the
queen, when the attendants whom he had sent out returned
with a dead hare. Having taken the hare and placed it
beside him, he addressed the queen and said, "My chaste
wife! the idol of my heart!—I beg you will be pleased to
cast your eyes upon me, and I will show you in a few
minutes the most wonderful miracle ever witnessed." The
parrot was a silent listener to all that was being said, and
an observer likewise of all that was going forward,—he was
concealed under the folds of the queen's garment. Koob-
juck, having secured the attention of the queen, commenced
to work the charm, and in a short time he left the human
body, which was that of Vickramadetea, and entered the
body of the hare, which began to show signs of life, and at
last skipped about with all the sprightliness of life and
health. The parrot, observing this, instantly cast off his
body and entered that of Vickramadetea, and thus
regained his own form, which had been so long forcibly
kept from him by the wicked and ungrateful Koobjuck.

263
No sooner did Vickramadetea assume his natural body,
than he ordered the attendants to catch the hare. This
command, so terrible to the hare, resounded throughout
the palace, and was echoed from mouth to mouth,—in fact
they had all been in some degree prepared for it. The hare
instantly skipped off, and hid himself in the kitchen, but
his pursuers followed him there, with shouts and cries, and
so belaboured him with the sticks with which they had
provided themselves as speedily to put an end to his existence.
They then brought the body to Vickramadetea, who ordered
it to be thrown to the dogs and birds of prey. This was
nothing more than the inhuman Koobjuck richly deserved.
Such are the inscrutable but invariable decrees of Provi-
dence! Though the wicked and the profane may for a
time seem to triumph in their evil courses,-the punishment
from on high sooner or later overtakes them in the midst
of their career. There is a great moral to be learned from
this, and to those of a contemplative turn of mind it
will afford sufficient food for consideration during their
leisure hours.
King Vickramadetea was much pleased at the successful
manner in which he had executed his plans, and thanked
God for his mercy towards him. He embraced the queen
in the first transport of his joy, and he was also profuse in
his thanks to the minister for all he had done. He also
sent for Somedut the brahmin, and extolled him in very
high and flattering terms for the trouble he had been at in
wandering through wilds and forest glens in search of
him, regardless of his own comfort. The next day Vickra-
madetea appeared in public, and ascended his throne amid
the acclamations and joyful greetings of his courtiers and
the whole assembled populace.
The inhabitants of Oojein had been getting gradually
reconciled to the hardness of the lot they experienced under
the iron sway of Koobjuck; consequently any change for
the better in their condition was as far removed from their
minds as any event could well be. Since the time Koob-

264
juck usurped the throne, it was “as a roaring lion and a
raging bear” that this wicked ruler lorded it over the poor
people. Nothing but complaints of injustice and the most
iniquitous proceedings were to be heard on all sides; and
the distress of the people was heavy, increased as it was in
a great measure by the recollection of what they had been
accustomed to under the mild and just rule of the generous
Vickramadetea. But there was now to be an end of all
this: the tyrant had gone to his account, and the rightful
owner of the throne was once more amongst them!
One of the first acts of Vickramadetea, after he had
assumed the reins of government, was to reinstate all those
who had been unjustly ousted from their places, and to
restore the properties of all who had been deprived of them.
Vickramadetea was aware how his subjects had suffered
during his absence, and he hastened to do them the most
ample justice. He rewarded his tried friends and trusty
vassals in the most profuse manner, and his friend Somedut
came in for a handsome pension—handsomer far than his
most sanguine expectation could have pictured—after which
he retired, with the most profound feeling of gratitude, love,
and regard for the generous donor.

265
CHAPTER XVIII.
The inhabitants of Oojein once more enjoy the blessings of good govern-
ment under King Vickramadetea—The king's mind continuing dis-
turbed by reflections on the prediction that he should be killed by the
son of a virgin aged seven years, he sends emissaries into various
countries to make enquiries if any such were known—Soometra, the
youthful daughter of a brahmin, becomes pregnant by the king of the
serpents, and bears a son whom they name Shalivahan—He early
displays great martial talents, as well as extraordinary wisdom as a
councellor—In repelling an attack by Vickramadetea, Shalivahan,
provided with an army by his father, puts the enemy to rout and
slays the king—From this date the Shalivahan era begins to be
computed.
THE city of Oojein was now entirely relieved from the
yoke of oppression under which it but a short time before
had groaned, and the inhabitants were gradually regaining
their wonted cheerfulness and serenity. Some who had
fled from the place under the tyrant's repeated oppressions
and injustice on their persons and property, retraced their
steps, and were again located within their peaceful dwellings,
with their properties restored to them. Under Vickrama-
detea's blissful reign there was not the slightest inclination
in the people toward a profligate life or the indulgence of
any other wicked or improper desires. Their love for their
monarch, who was proverbially just and virtuous, regulated
their actions: they imitated his example, and were conse-
quently devout and sincere in their religious duties, taking
great delight in tending and succouring their poor and
distressed fellow-citizens.
Such was the condition of the country shortly after
Vickramadetea resumed the throne. During his reign there
was but one drawback to his complete earthly happiness:
it had been predicted, as has been before mentioned, that
he would die by the hand of the son of a virgin. To pre-
vent such a catastrophe, he sent his emissaries into many
II

266
different countries, as well as to the remotest corners of
his own dominions, to gain precise information, if possible,
as to the birth of such a person.
On the south of the river Godavery was situated the city
of Prathestan, where reigned a king named Somekaunt,
who to a handsome exterior added every virtue which can
adorn the human mind. He devoted as much of his time
as he could spare from the duties of his state to acts of
charity towards his poorer subjects. He was liberal and
kind, and studied all the varied wants of his people with
the object of relieving them; by which means he not only
helped to improve the condition of his people, and with it
to increase the prosperity of his country, but he also planted
in the hearts of his subjects a lasting sentiment of love and
gratitude towards himself, which was manifested by their
constant invocations and prayers that blessings might be
showered upon his head.
There was a poor brahmin, named Soolochun, in this
city, who had an only daughter, a most lovely child, called
Soometra. She had been deprived of her mother, by the
cruel hand of death, at the age of four years. The brah-
min felt this stroke of affliction to his heart's inmost core;
and having no other near relative who could undertake the
management of his unhappy child, and give her the nourish-
ment needed at her years, he was thrown into a most
uncontrollable fit of grief, from which he rose at times only
to fall into a more distressing one, by recalling to his mind
with renewed force the forlorn condition of his infant
daughter. He carried her in his arms whilst following
the usual avocations of his calling, and it was most pitiable
to behold the care-worn and haggard looks of the father,
and to hear the piercing cries of the infant for its usual
sustenance. Thus the father went on from day to day,
feeding his child as best he could, until it began to speak.
When she could express herself in an intelligible manner,
he was agreeably surprised to hear with what good sense
her observations were characterised.

267
The river Godda not being far from his house, the
brahmin made it a daily practice to perform his ablutions
in its stream, and to worship the titular image of Shashe,*
one of which he kept in his house. One day Soolochun
went as usual, accompanied by his daughter, to bathe.
The father left the child on the bank, and had no sooner
descended into the river than a most wonderful occurrence
took place. Soometra had scarcely seated herself, when a
young and handsome brahmin appeared before her. He
gazed on her silently at first, and then drew near and
addressed her in a respectful tone. "O charming and
celestial beauty!" said he, "permit me to fold your slender
and lovely form in my arms!" These were strange and
unintelligible words to her, and she seemed at a loss what
to reply, so she looked anxiously in the direction of her
father, and shrieked for help, as she thought the young
brahmin before her would ill-treat her. Her cries did not
reach her father, who had gone far into the water, so the
youth, perceiving her loneliness, approached nearer to her,
and placed his hand on her head, when she immediately
felt creeping over her the sensations of ripening love and
affection. He then desired her not to be afraid of him,
although he did not belong to this world, but to the lower
one. "Listen to me," continued he; "as you are igno-
rant of the reason why I assumed this form, I will tell you.
You will bear a son who will become a mighty and renowned
monarch: by his prowess and gallantry he will subdue a
mighty nation; his fame and merit will be spread far and
wide, and will endure as long as the sun and moon exist.
If at any time you should happen to fall into difficulties,
recal this my shape and appearance in your mind, and
mention aloud my name, when I will instantly appear to
you, and relieve you from any dangers with which you may

• The king of the serpents, a large snake with a thousand heads,
  who is at once the couch and canopy of Vishnoo, as well as the up-
  holder of the world, on which rests one of his heads.

268

be encompassed. But come, hasten to grant my request.
Do you fully comprehend the nature of my speech?"
Soometra, touched with his appearance and friendly disposi-
tion, smiled at the conclusion of his address, and did not
hesitate to allow him a chaste embrace, after which the
youth disappeared. The father, after bathing and perform-
ing his ablutions, returned to where he had left his daughter,
and was surprised at not finding her there, but perceived
her at a distance coming towards him. She appeared to
him, though retaining the same line of features, to have
suddenly advanced to womanhood; but on coming nearer,
he found that she was in her former condition of infancy.
The father asked her why she had left her place, and to
his horror and indignation she told him all that had occur-
red, without concealing a single circumstance. He became
very much dejected when he thought of the disgrace that
would probably fall on him; though he doubted whether
any injury had been inflicted upon his child, as she was
still an infant. Then again he recalled the circumstance
which he beheld as his daughter advanced to him from the
distance: she then appeared to have all at once grown into
a woman, and on nearing him had as suddenly resumed her
natural shape of a child. He was greatly puzzled at all
this. "God alone knows," said he, "what this illusion
means: my eyes could not have deceived me, and yet how
can I account for the strange phenomenon?" As he was
unable to solve the mystery he led his daughter home.
Four months after the occurrence above narrated, the
brahmin's daughter, suddenly and against all precedent in
the order of nature, shot up into a young woman, and at
the same time showed every sign of being with child.
When the neighbours came to know of her situation, it
created a deal of scandal, which was productive of great
pain to her father, for much stress was laid on her supposed
infamy and gross violation of virtue.
The unpleasant intelligence soon reached the ears of
king Somekaunt,---that a brahmin's daughter had become

269
pregnant without the knowledge of a husband. This so
exasperated the king that he summoned her father to his
court, and in a threatening manner bade him declare the
truth regarding his daughter's vile conduct, as he must be
fully aware of the strictness of the laws enacted against
such offenders. The brahmin was thrown into much agita-
tion, and finding it would be of no avail to conceal the truth,
represented to the king what he had learned from his
daughter, and that he himself had witnessed the transforma-
tion in her shape on returning from the river. He begged
his majesty to extend his royal clemency to him, as he was
innocent, and knew nothing more of the affair than what he
had already mentioned. King Somekaunt and his officers
would not believe a word of what the brahmin said, but told
him that they suspected him of being privy to the whole
affair, and sentenced him to be banished from the city
without loss of time. The poor brahmin, his heart torn
with grief and anguish on account of the disgrace brought
on him by his daughter's misconduct, which was now
aggravated by insult and unmerited punishment, returned
to his dwelling, and having packed up his goods and house-
hold materials, departed with his daughter from the city.
He took up his residence outside the fort walls, with some
potters, and spent his time in his usual occupation.
At the completion of nine months, Soometra was safely
delivered of a handsome male child, to the great joy of
herself and likewise of her father. On the twelfth day they
gave him the name of Shalivahan. As the child grew up,
he had no one of his own class to associate with, so was
compelled to choose his companions from among the potters
in the neighbourhood. His sole amusement during his
leisure hours was to form images and puppets of the clay
procured from his companions, and to place them in a row
like an army, with a sword in the hand of each and shields on
their backs. The officers were represented on the backs of
horses, and they carried an additional weapon of defence in
the shape of a long spear. Besides the foot soldiers and