Note 11 — Chapter CXVII

This and other speeches from her friend, and the magic efficacy of the crest-jewel made Padmávatí recover her self-command, and she remained there in the hermitage of Gaurí. And she performed asceticism, worshipping there Śiva and Párvatí, three times a day, and also the picture of her beloved, which she had brought from her own city, looking upon it as the image of a divinity. Her parents, hearing what had taken place, came to her in tears, and tried to prevent her, saying, “Do not uselessly fatigue yourself with penance, to bring about a desired end, which will anyhow take place.” But she said to them, “How could I live here with any comfort, now that the husband recently appointed for me by the god has fallen into misery owing to a curse? For to ladies of good family a husband is a god. And no doubt, this calamity may soon be brought to an end by austerities, and Śiva may be propitiated, and then I may be reunited with my beloved, for there is nothing11 that austerities cannot accomplish.” When Padmávatí had said this with firm resolution, her mother Kuvalayávalí said to her father the king, “King, let her perform this severe asceticism! Why trouble her further on false grounds? This is appointed for her by destiny: there is a reason for it; listen. Long ago, in the city of Śiva, the daughter of the king of the Siddhas, named Devaprabhá, was performing a very severe penance, in order to obtain the husband she desired. Now my daughter Padmávatí had gone there with me to visit the shrine of the god, and she went up to the Siddha maiden and laughed at her, saying, ‘Are you not ashamed to practise austerities in order to obtain a husband?’ Then the Siddha maiden cursed her in her rage, saying, ‘Fool! your laughter proceeds from childishness: you also shall perform painful austerities to your heart’s content to obtain a husband.’ Accordingly she must of necessity endure the misery which the curse of the Siddha maiden has entailed; who can alter that? So let her do what she is doing?” When the queen had said this to the king of the Gandharvas, he took leave at last, though reluctantly, of his daughter, who bowed at his feet, and went to his own city. And Padmávatí remained in that hermitage of Párvatí, intent on religious observances and prayers, and every day she went through the air and worshipped that Siddhíśvara, that was worshipped by Brahmá and the other gods, of which Śiva had told her in a dream.