Note 7 — Chapter XLIX

Then all the kings, and princes, and barons came to visit the king. And in the meanwhile Guṇaśarman left his house to go to court, and on the way he saw many unfavourable omens. There was a crow on his left hand, a dog ran from the left to the right, a snake appeared on his right, and his left arm and shoulder throbbed.7 He thought to himself, “These evil omens indicate calamity to me without doubt, so whatever happens to me, I hope no misfortune may befall the king my master.” With these thoughts he entered the hall of audience, and prayed loyally that nothing untoward might befall the palace. But when he bowed and took his seat, the king did not salute him as before, but looked askance at him with an eye glowing with anger. And when Guṇaśarman was alarmed as to what it might mean, the king rose up from the seat of justice, and sat at his side, and said to the astonished courtiers, “Hear what Guṇaśarman has done to me;8 then Guṇaśarman said—“I am a servant, you are my master, so how can our suit be equal, ascend your seat of judgment, and afterwards give what order you like.” When the resolute man said this, the king, by the advice of the other ministers, ascended the seat of judgment, and said again to his courtiers—“You know, that I made this Guṇaśarman equal to myself, preferring him to my hereditary ministers. Now hear what treason he attempted to commit against me, after making an agreement with the king of Gauḍa by sending messengers to and fro.” After saying this, the king related to them all the fictitious account of the matter which Aśokavatí had given him. And the king also told to his confidential ministers, after dismissing the crowd, the lying tale of an attempt to outrage her, which she had told against Guṇaśarman. Then Guṇaśarman said—“King, who told you such a falsehood, who painted this aerial picture?” When the king heard that, he said, “Villain, if it is not true, how did you know that the poison was in the dish of rice?” When Guṇaśarman said—“Everything is known by wisdom,” the other ministers, out of hatred to him, said, “That is impossible.” Then Guṇaśarman said, “King, you have no right to speak thus without enquiring into the truth of the matter, and a king devoid of discrimination is not approved of by those who understand policy.” When he repeated this over and over again, the king exclaimed that he was an insolent wretch, and aimed a sword-cut at him. But he avoided that blow by employing his trick of fence, and then the other followers of the king struck at him. And he eluded their swords by his artifices of fence, and baffled the exertions of them all. And he fettered them, binding them with one another’s hair, shewing wonderful skill in the employment of his trick of disarming. And he made his way out by force from that hall of assembly of the king, and he killed about a hundred warriors, who pursued him. Then he put on his eyes that ointment serving to render him invisible, which he had in the corner of his garment, and immediately left that country without being seen. And he made towards the Dekhan, and as he was going along, he thus reflected on the way: “Surely that foolish king was set on by that Aśokavatí. Alas! women whose love is slighted are worse than poison! Alas! kings who do not investigate the truth are not to be served by the good!” While engaged in such reflections, Guṇaśarman came at last to a village, there he saw a worthy Bráhman under a banyan-tree teaching his pupils. He went up to him and hailed him. And the Bráhman, after welcoming him, immediately asked him, “O Bráhman, what recension of the Vedas do you recite, tell me.” Then Guṇaśarman answered that Bráhman,—“Bráhman, I recite twelve recensions, two of the Sámaveda, two of the Ṛigveda, seven of the Yajurveda, and one of the Atharvaveda.” Then the Bráhman said—“You must be a god,” and he went on to say to Guṇaśarman, whose shape revealed his excellence; “Tell me, what country and what family did you adorn by being born in them? What is your name and how did you learn so much?” When Guṇaśarman heard this, he said to him: