Then Mádhava with his followers repaired to the house of the chaplain; this settlement was the cause of the chaplain’s ruin, as that of the mouse in the trunk of the tree was the cause of its ruin. And he deposited a safe in the strong room of the chaplain, after filling it with ornaments made of false gems. And from time to time he opened the box and by cunningly half-shewing some of the jewels, he captivated the mind of the chaplain as that of a cow is captivated by grass. And when he had gained in this way the confidence of the chaplain, he made his body emaciated by taking little food, and falsely pretended that he was ill. And after a few days had passed, that prince of rogues said with weak voice to that chaplain, who was at his bedside; “My condition is miserable in this body, so bring, good Bráhman, some distinguished man of your caste, in order that I may bestow my wealth upon him for my happiness here and hereafter, for, life being unstable, what care can a wise man have for riches?” That chaplain, who was devoted to presents, when addressed in this way, said, “I will do so,” and Mádhava fell at his feet. Then whatever Bráhman the chaplain brought, Mádhava refused to receive, pretending that he wanted a more distinguished one. One of the rogues in attendance upon Mádhava, when he saw this, said—“Probably an ordinary Bráhman does not please him. So it will be better now to find out whether the strict ascetic on the banks of Siprá named Śiva pleases him or not?” When Mádhava heard that, he said plaintively to that chaplain: “Yes, be kind, and bring him, for there is no other Bráhman like him.”

“Thus do rogues spread the webs of their tongue with hundreds of intricate threads, like fishermen upon dry land, living by the net. So you may be certain, my father, that this Bráhman is a case in point. By falsely asserting that he has seen the City of Gold, he wishes to deceive you, and to obtain me for a wife. So do not be in a hurry to get me married; I shall remain unmarried at present, and we will see what will happen.” When the king Paropakárin heard this from his daughter Kanakarekhá, he thus answered her: “When a girl is grown up, it is not expedient that she should remain long unmarried, for wicked people envious of good qualities, falsely impute sin. And people are particularly fond of blackening the character of one distinguished; to illustrate this, listen to the story of Harasvámin which I am about to tell you.”

“In this way evil men often impute crime falsely to good men, allowing their malicious garrulity full play on beholding their virtuous behaviour. Much more, if they obtain a slight glimpse of any opportunity for attacking them, do they pour copious showers of oil on the fire thus kindled. Therefore if you wish, my daughter, to draw the arrow from my heart, you must not, while this fresh youth of yours is developing, remain unmarried to please yourself, and so incur the ready reproach of evil men.” Such was the advice which the princess Kanakarekhá frequently received from her father the king, but she, being firmly resolved, again and again answered him: “Therefore quickly search for a Bráhman or Kshatriya who has seen that City of Gold and give me to him, for this is the condition I have named.” When the king heard that, reflecting that his daughter, who remembered her former birth, had completely made up her mind, and seeing no other way of obtaining for her the husband she desired, he issued another order to the effect that henceforth the proclamation by beat of drum was to take place every day in the city, in order to find out whether any of the newcomers had seen the Golden City. And once more it was proclaimed in every quarter of the city every day, after the drum had been beaten,—“If any Bráhman or Kshatriya has seen the Golden City, let him speak; the king will give him his own daughter, together with the rank of Crown-prince.” But no one was found who had obtained a sight of the Golden City.

Notes in this chapter

Note 1 · The elephant-headed god has his trunk painted with red lead like a tame elephant, and is also liable to become mast.Note 2 · Followers and attendants upon Śiva.Note 3 · The modern Burdwan.Note 4 · I. e. Gold-gleam.Note 5 · For an account of the wanderjahre of young Bráhman students, see Dr. Bühler’s introduction to the Vikramánkadevacharita.Note 6 · More literally—Those whose eyes do not wink. The epithet also means “worthy of being regarded with unwinking eyes.” No doubt this ambiguity Note 7 · I. e. the city of jewels.Note 8 · Áskandin is translated “granting” by Monier Williams and the Petersburg lexicographers.Note 9 · These are worn on the fingers when offerings are made.Note 10 · A particular posture in religious meditation, sitting with the thighs crossed, with one hand resting on the left thigh, the other held up wi Note 11 · Kárpaṭika may mean a pilgrim, but it seems to be used in the K. S. S. to mean a kind of dependant on a king or great man, usually a foreigne Note 12 · First he should be a Brahmachárin or unmarried religious student, next a Gṛihastha or householder, than a Vánaprastha or anchoret, lastly a Note 13 · i. e. virtue, wealth, pleasure; dharma, artha, káma.Note 14 · Graha, also means planet, i. e. inauspicious planet. Śiva tells the truth here.Note 15 · i. e. the auspicious or friendly one.Note 16 · There is probably a double meaning in the word “incomprehensible.”Note 17 · Perhaps we ought to read dattvá for tatra.Note 18 · A report similar to that spread against Harasvámin was in circulation during the French Revolution. Taine in his history of the Revolution, Note 19 · The city of flowers, i. g. Páṭaliputra.Note 20 · Perhaps we ought to read yayau for dadau. This I find is the reading of an excellent MS. in the Sanskrit college, for the loan of which I am Note 21 · There lived long ago in a city called Vardhamána,3 the ornament of the earth, a king the terror of his foes, called Paropakárin. And this ex Note 22 · And in the meanwhile a Bráhman living in that town, Śaktideva by name, the son of Baladeva, heard that proclamation; that youth, being addic Note 23 · There is an excellent city rightly named Ratnapura,7 and in it there were two rogues named Śiva and Mádhava. Surrounding themselves with man Note 24 · And in the meanwhile his accomplice, the other rogue Mádhava, having heard from his emissaries how he was getting on, entered that city; and Note 25 · The chaplain, thus entreated, went near Śiva, and beheld him immoveable, pretending to be engaged in meditation. And then he walked round hi Note 26 · Then the merchants, who were connoisseurs in jewels, said after examining it, “Ha! the man who made these sham jewels was a clever fellow, w Note 27 · There is a city on the banks of the Ganges named Kusumapura,19 and in it there was an ascetic who visited holy places, named Harasvámin. He Note 28 · In the meanwhile the young Bráhman Śaktideva, in very low spirits, having been rejected with contempt by the princess he longed for, said to Note 29 · Formerly there was a great Bráhman named Govindasvámin, living on a great royal grant of land on the banks of the Yamuná. And in course of t Note 30 · Then, perceiving that she was some horrible demon,14 he dragged her down in a rage, and took hold of her by her foot with its tinkling ankle Note 31 · And when the king said—“Did you give the water to the man who was impaled,” he said he had done so, and gave him that anklet; and when the k Note 32 · Then he left that city with the anklet and the lotus, after promising to return, and his mother-in-law by the power of her magic knowledge c Note 33 · So he went there and began to gather the lotuses, and while he was thus engaged, the terrible Rákshasas, who guarded it, endeavoured to prev