Then Vásavadattá on the next day said to the king of Vatsa in private, while he was surrounded by his ministers;—“My husband, ever since I have been pregnant with this child, the difficult duty of taking care of it afflicts my heart; and last night, after thinking over it long, I fell asleep with difficulty, and I am persuaded I saw a certain man come in my dream, glorious with a shape distinguished by matted auburn locks and a trident-bearing hand; and he approaching me, said as if moved by compassion,—‘My daughter, you need not feel at all anxious about the child with which you are pregnant, I will protect it, for I gave it to you. And hear something more, which I will tell you to make you confide in me; a certain woman waits to make a petition to you to-morrow, she will come dragging her husband with her as a prisoner, reviling him, accompanied by five sons, begirt with many relations: and she is a wicked woman who desires by the help of her relations to get that husband of hers put to death, and all that she will say will be false. And you, my daughter, must beforehand inform the king of Vatsa about this matter, in order that that good man may be freed from that wicked wife.’ This command that august one gave and vanished, and I immediately woke up, and lo! the morning had come.” When the queen had said that, all spoke of the favour of Śiva, and were astonished, their minds eagerly expecting the fulfilment of the dream; when lo! at that very moment the chief warder entered, and suddenly said to the king of Vatsa, who was compassionate to the afflicted, “O king, a certain woman has come to make a representation, accompanied by her relations, bringing with her five sons, reviling her helpless husband.” When the king heard that, being astonished at the way it tallied with the queen’s dream, he commanded the warder to bring her into his presence. And the queen Vásavadattá felt the greatest delight, having become certain that she would obtain a good son, on account of the truth of the dream. Then that woman entered by the command of the warder, accompanied by her husband, looked at with curiosity by all, who had their faces turned towards the door. Then, having entered, she assumed an expression of misery, and making a bow according to rule, she addressed the king in council accompanied by the queen: “This man, though he is my husband, does not give to me, helpless woman that I am, food, raiment, and other necessaries, and yet I am free from blame with respect to him.”

Story of Sinhaparákrama.

Notes in this chapter

Note 1 · Here there is a pun: ákula may also mean “by descent.”Note 2 · Kulíná may mean falling on the earth, referring to the shade of the tree. Márgasthá means “in the right path” when applied to the wife.Note 3 · I. e. Madam Contentious. Her husband’s name means “of lion-like might.”Note 4 · I read (after Böhtlingk and Roth) Ityakápara. See Chapter 34. śl. 115.Note 5 · Tejas = also means might, courage. For the idea see note on page 305.Note 6 · Sneha which means love, also means oil. This is a fruitful source of puns in Sanskrit.Note 7 · The Hindu Cupid.Note 8 · Infinitely longer than a mortal kalpa. A mortal kalpa lasts 432 million years.Note 9 · He is often called Ananga, the bodiless, as his body was consumed by the fire of Śiva’s eye.Note 10 · Or virtuous and generous.Note 11 · It is still the custom to give presents of vessels filled with rice and coins. Empty vessels are inauspicious, and even now if a Bengali on Note 12 · A: Peace, war, march, halt, stratagem and recourse to the protection of a mightier king.Note 13 · When she had said this, her husband pleaded—“King, this woman speaks falsely, supported by her relations, for she wishes me to be put to dea Note 14 · There was a king in Benares named Vikramachaṇḍa, and he had a favourite follower named Sinhaparákrama; who was wonderfully successful in all Note 15 · When the king of Vatsa had heard this wonderful story from Vasantaka, he was exceedingly delighted and so was the queen Vásavadattá. And the Note 16 · “King, this son that is born to thee is an incarnation of Káma,7 and know that his name is Naraváhanadatta; and he will soon become emperor Note 17 · May Gaṇeśa, painting the earth with mosaic by means of the particles of red lead flying from his trunk whirled round in his madness,1 and so Note 18 · Thus the king of Vatsa and his queen remained engaged in bringing up their only son Naraváhanadatta, and once on a time the minister Yaugand