“But now from seeing you I have remembered my former Bráhman nature, and that Rákshasa nature of mine, that clouded my mind with delusion, has left me.” When Vijayadatta said this, Aśokadatta embraced him, and so to speak, washed with copious tears of joy his body defiled by the Rákshasa nature. And while he was thus engaged, there descended from heaven by divine command the spiritual guide of the Vidyádharas, named Kauśika. And he approaching these two brothers, said, “You and your family are all Vidyádharas, who have been reduced to this state by a curse, and now the curse of all of you has terminated. So receive these sciences, which belong to you, and which you must share with your relations. And return to your own proper dwelling taking with you your relations.” Having said this, the spiritual guide, after bestowing the sciences on them, ascended to heaven.

“Thus divine persons become incarnate for some reason, and are born in this world of men, and possessing their native virtue and courage, attain successes which it is hard to win. So I am persuaded that you, O sea of courage, are some portion of a divinity, and will attain success as you desire; daring in achievements hard to accomplish even by the great, generally indicates a surpassingly excellent nature. Moreover the princess Kanakarekhá, whom you love, must surely be a heavenly being, otherwise being a mere child how could she desire a husband that has seen the Golden City?” Having heard in secret this long and interesting story from Vishṇudatta, Śaktideva desiring in his heart to behold the Golden City, and supporting himself with resolute patience, managed to get through the night.

Notes in this chapter

Note 1 · Probably a poor pun.Note 2 · Cf. Uttara Ráma Charita (Vidyáságara’s edition) Act III, p. 82, the speech of the river-goddess Tamasá. Lenormant in his Chaldæan Magic and Note 3 · In the story of the Beautiful Palace East of the Sun and North of the Earth, (Thorpe, Yule-tide Stories, p. 158) an old woman sends the yout Note 4 · Wild aboriginal tribes not belonging to the Aryan race.Note 5 · Destiny often elevates the worthless, and hurls down men of worth.Note 6 · The usual story is that Indra cut off the wings of all except Maináka the son of Himavat by Mená. He took refuge in the sea. Here it is repr Note 7 · For Śaktideva’s imprisonment in the belly of the fish cp. Chapter 74 of this work, Indian Fairy Tales by Miss Stokes, No. XIV, and Lucian’s Note 8 · Cf. Grimm’s Märchen, No. 60, Sicilianische Märchen, Nos. 39 and 40, with Dr. Köhler’s notes.Note 9 · If such a word can be applied to a place where bodies are burnt.Note 10 · Samáśvasya, the reading of a MS. in the Sanskrit College, would perhaps give a better sense.Note 11 · I. e. skull-cleaver.Note 12 · Perhaps we ought to read smritvá for śrutvá, “Remembering, calling to mind.”Note 13 · So in Signora von Gonzenbach’s Sicilian Stories, p. 66, a lovely woman opens with a knife the veins of the sleeping prince and drinks his bl Note 14 · One is tempted to read vikṛitám for vikṛitim, but vikṛiti is translated by the Petersburg lexicographers as Gespensterscheinung. Vikṛitám wo Note 15 · Skandha when applied to the Rákshasas means shoulder.Note 16 · Literally great flesh. “Great” seems to give the idea of unlawfulness, as in the Greek μέγα ἔργον.Note 17 · Cp. the golden rose in Gaal, Märchen der Magyaren, p. 44.Note 18 · Reading tasyán for tasmán.Note 19 · Somadeva no doubt means that the hairs on the king’s body stood on end with joy.Note 20 · According to the canons of Hindu rhetoric glory is always white.Note 21 · Night is compared to a female goblin, (Rákshasí). Those creatures have fiery mouths.Note 22 · Cp. Sicilianische Märchen collected by Laura von Gonzenbach, Vol. I, p. 160.Note 23 · Magical sciences, in virtue of which they were Vidyádharas or science-holders.Note 24 · A son or pupil of Viśvámitra.Note 25 · And they, having become Vidyádharas, awoke from their long dream, and went through the air to that peak of the Himálayas, taking with them t Note 26 · The next morning, while Śaktideva was dwelling in the monastery in the island of Utsthala, Satyavrata, the king of the fishermen, came to hi Note 27 · Then he, concealed by the dense leaves, overheard the conversation of those birds perched on the branches, which was carried on in human lan Note 28 · Having said this, Chandraprabhá supplied Śaktideva with various kinds of luxuries suited to Vidyádharas, and while he remained there, he was Note 29 · She then told him first what she desired him to do; “In this island you will soon marry another wife, and she, my husband, will soon became