Note 9 — Chapter CIII

In the meanwhile Mṛigánkadatta, with his companions, entered that garden and fastened his horse to a tree in front of the temple and sanctuary of Gaurí. Then Mṛigánkadatta’s minister Vimalabuddhi, seeing the princess near, said of his own accord to the prince, “Look prince, here is some lovely girl trying to hang herself; now, who can she be?” When the prince heard that, he looked at her and said, “Dear me! who can this girl be? Is she the goddess Rati? Or is she happiness incarnate in bodily form? Or is she the beauty of the moon, having taken shape,9 or the command of Cupid living and walking? Or is she a nymph of heaven? No, that cannot be. For what can make heavenly nymphs desire to hang themselves? So let us remain here for a time concealed by the trees, until we find out for certain, somehow or other, who she is.” When he had said this, he and his ministers remained there in concealment; and in the meanwhile the despondent Śaśánkavatí offered this prayer to the goddess, “O adorable Gaurí that deliverest the afflicted from their pain, grant that, though, owing to my sins in a former state of existence, prince Mṛigánkadatta has not become my husband in this birth, he may become such in a future life.” When the princess had said this, she bowed before the goddess, and fastened the noose round her neck with eyes moist with tears.