Note 16 — Chapter CXXIII

And at night Rúpavatí seeing that her husband, as he lay on the bed, was plunged in thought, and kept his head turned away, pretended to be asleep. And in the dead of night Keśaṭa, thinking that she was asleep, went out to that Rákshasa to keep his promise. And that faithful wife Rúpavatí also gently rose up unobserved, and followed her husband, full of curiosity. And when Keśaṭa arrived where the Rákshasa was, the latter said to him, “Bravo! you have kept your promise faithfully, Keśaṭa; you are a man of noble character. You sanctify your city of Páṭaliputra and your father Deśaṭa by your virtue, so approach, that I may devour you.” When Rúpavatí heard that, she came up quickly and said, “Eat me, for, if my husband is eaten, what will become of me?” The Rákshasa said, “You can live on alms.” She replied, “Who, noble sir, will give alms to me who am a woman?” The Rákshasa said, “If any one refuses to give you alms, when asked to do so, his head shall split in a hundred pieces.”16 Then she said, “This being so, give me my husband by way of alms.” And, as the Rákshasa would not give him, his head at once split asunder, and he died. Then Rúpavatí returned to her bridal-chamber, with her husband, who was exceedingly astonished at her virtue, and at that moment the night came to an end.