Having related the above tale in the presence of the king of Vatsa, Yaugandharáyaṇa again said to that king; “If Brahmadatta therefore were to plot against you, O great king, who, after conquering him, treated him kindly, he ought to be slain.” When the chief minister had said this to him, the king of Vatsa approved of it, and rising up went to perform the duties of the day, and the day following he set out from Lávánaka to go to his own city Kauśámbí, having accomplished his objects in effecting the conquest of the regions; in course of time the lord of earth accompanied by his retinue reached his own city, which seemed to be dancing with delight, imitating with banners uplifted the taper arms[21] of the dancing girl. So he entered the city, producing, at every step, in the lotus-garden composed of the eyes of the women of the city, the effect of the rising of a breeze. And the king entered his palace, sung by minstrels, praised by bards, and worshipped by kings. Then the monarch of Vatsa laid his commands on the kings of every land, who bowed before him, and triumphantly ascended that throne, the heirloom of his race, which he had found long ago in the deposit of treasure. And the heaven was filled with the combined high and deep echoes of the sound of the drums, which accompanied the auspicious ceremonies on that occasion, like simultaneous shouts of applause uttered by the guardians of the world, each in his several quarter, being delighted with the prime minister of the king of Vatsa. Then the monarch, who was free from avarice, distributed to the Bráhmans all kinds of wealth acquired by the conquest of the world, and after great festivities, satisfied the desires of the company of kings and of his own ministers. Then in that city filled with the noise of drums resembling the thunder of the clouds, while the king was raining benefits on the fields[22] according to each man’s desert, the people, expecting great fruit in the form of corn, kept high festival in every house. Having thus conquered the world, that victorious king devolved on Rumaṇvat and Yaugandharáyaṇa the burden of his realm, and lived at ease there with Vásavadattá and Padmávatí. So he, being praised by excellent bards, seated between those two queens as if they were the goddesses of Fame and Fortune, enjoyed the rising of the moon white as his own glory, and continually drank wine as he had swallowed the might of his foes.
[1] For the worship of trees and tree-spirits, see Grimm’s Teutonic Mythology, p. 75 and ff., and Tylor’s Primitive Culture, Vol. II, p. 196 and ff.
[2] I here read durdaśáḥ for the durdarśáḥ of Dr. Brockhaus’ text. It must be a misprint. A MS. in the Sanskrit College reads durdaśáḥ.
[3] The Guhyakas are demi-gods, attendants upon Kuvera and guardians of his wealth.
[4] Literally—having the cardinal points as her only garment.
[5] For the circle cp. Henry VI. Part II, Act I, Sc. IV, line 25 and Henry V. Act V, Sc. 2, line 420. “If you would conjure, you must make a circle.” See also Ralston’s Russian Folk-Tales, p. 272. Veckenstedt’s Wendische Sagen, pp. 292, 302, 303. See also Wirt Sikes, British Goblins, pp. 200, and 201; Henderson’s Northern Folk-lore, p. 19, Bartsch’s Sagen, Märchen, und Gebräuche aus Meklenburg, Vol. I, pp. 128, 213. Professor Jebb, in his notes on Theophrastus’ Superstitious man, observes “The object of all those ceremonies, in which the offerings were carried round the person or place to be purified, was to trace a charmed circle within which the powers of evil should not come.” Cp. also Grössler’s Sagen aus der Grafschaft Mansfeld, p. 217, Brand’s Popular Antiquities, Vol. III, p. 56; Grohmann’s Sagen aus Böhmen, p. 226.
[6] i. e. by the fire of Śiva’s eye.
[7] Perhaps we ought to read sadehasya. I find this rending in a MS. lent to me by the librarian of the Sanskrit College with the kind permission of the Principal.
[8] i. e. Śiva.