O great king! the royal maiden constantly performed penance, bestowed gifts, fasted and offered adoration to Shree Parbutee Jee for a husband; saying, “When will my father celebrate my marriage, and how shall I obtain a husband?” Having thus said, she went to sleep, thinking of a husband, and beheld in a dream a being of a childish appearance, black colour, a moon-like countenance, lotus eyes, very beautiful and Cupid-like, with an enchanting face, dressed in yellow silk, wearing a peacock crown on his head, standing awry, decked out with ornaments and jewels, wearing ear-rings in the shape of an alligator, a garland reaching to his feet, and also one of the “goonja” seed, and very wanton looking and playful. On seeing him, she blushed and held down her head. He then addressed her in the language of love, and approached her in an affectionate manner, and laying hold of her hand and embracing her, made her forget all her anxious and perplexing thoughts. Having both got rid of this reserve and hesitation, they sat upon the bed, and engaging in amorous dalliance and glances, and kissing and embracing each other, they reciprocated pleasure, and in a delighted excitement of mind, addressed each other in the accents of love. After some time, when Ookha, in the midst of her affection, desired to embrace her husband in her arms, she awoke from sleep, and disappointed and sad, remained fixed in the position she had assumed with her arms extended for the embrace. She was very sorrowful on waking and greatly grieved; “Where has he gone, the lord of my soul?” She continued to search for him in every direction. She thought to herself, “How shall I meet him again, and how shall I see him? If I had continued sleeping, my beloved would never have gone away? Why should I have been on the point of embracing him, when my sleep was disturbed, when I awoke, the night seemed very tedious, why did he inflict misery on me by departing? Without my beloved my soul is very wretched, whilst not beholding him, my eyes long for his presence. My ears desire anxiously to hear him speak. Where has my beloved gone, the bestower of pleasure? If I again behold my darling in a dream, I will resign my life to him.”
O great king! having thus spoken, Ookha was very sad, and thinking upon her husband, sat down upon her bed with her face buried in her hands; when night was succeeded by morning, and about four hours and a half of the day had passed, her female friends and attendants began to say to each other, “What has happened to Ookha, that she has not yet risen from sleep, although the day is so far advanced?” Having heard this remark, Chitrekha, the daughter of Banasoor’s minister, Rookbhano, went to the picture gallery, and beheld Ookha, lying dejected and motionless on her curtained bed, shedding tears and heaving long drawn sighs. On seeing her in this state, Chitrekha said to her with great emotion, “Explain, my dear, to me, why you are so sad to-day, and have fallen into such a sea of affliction? You are weeping and sighing; why is your mind so disturbed? I will drive away all your griefs, and will do for you whatever you wish. You have no friend so attached as me, nor one who has a greater affection for you. I will wander over all the three worlds to accomplish what you desire. Bruhmù has granted me a boon, and subjected all to my authority. Devee will assist me; and, by means of her power I will do whatever you may tell me. Look upon me as possessed of such power of enchantment, as to be able to deceive and bring here Bruhmù, Roodrù and Indrù. No one knows the secrets of my nature, I therefore, myself explain my own attributes. No one, whosoever he be, whether good or bad, can speak with the same knowledge of them as I can; mention all your distresses to me; what has happened during the night? Do not deceive me, O beloved! and I will bring about all you hope for.”
On hearing these words, O great king! Ookha was very much ashamed, and with her head drooping, approached Chitrekha, and said to her, in a sweet tone of voice, “O beloved! knowing you to be my friend, I will mention all that occurred during the night, keep the affair a secret; and if you can apply a remedy, do so. During the night, in a dream, a being of the colour of the clouds, a figure brilliant as the moon, with lotus-like eyes, dressed in yellow silk, and with a scarf of the same colour, came and sat near me, and displaying great affection for me, captivated my mind; so that I lost all reserve and bashfulness, and conversed with him; at length when the conversation had continued for some time, and in the eagerness of passion, I extended my arms to lay hold of him, I was awakened from sleep, and his fascinating form remained imprinted on my mind; I have never heard of nor seen any one like him. How shall I attempt to give you a description, his beauty exceeds the power of language. He has stolen away my affections. When I used to go to the mountain Kuelas to acquire knowledge, under the tuition of Shree Muhadeo Jee, Shree Parbutee told me, that I should see my husband in a dream, and that I ought to cause search to be made for him. I saw that bridegroom last night in a dream; where shall I find him again, and to whom shall I reveal the pangs of separation I endure? Whither shall I go, how shall I search for him, not knowing either his name or place of abode?”
O great king! when Ookha having thus spoken, and heaved long drawn sighs, drooped and pined in thought, Chitrekha said to her, “Be not at all anxious, my dear; I will search out your husband wherever he may be, and bring him to you. I have access to the three worlds; wherever he may be I will try and find him out for you. Tell me his name, and allow me permission to start.” Ookha replied, “Friend! there is a proverb, he is dead, because he cannot breathe. If I knew his name and residence why should I be sad; could I not apply some remedy to my distress?” Chitrekha replied, “Never mind, dear, about not knowing his name and residence, I will write down and point out to you all the male inhabitants of the three worlds; amongst whom, show me him, who has stolen your heart, and it will be my business to bring him to you.” Ookha laughed and assented.
O great king! when Chitrekha had obtained Ookha’s consent, she sent for writing materials, and sat down upon the ground; and, having propitiated Guneshù and Devee, and meditated upon her spiritual preceptor, began to write. She first wrote and showed her a description of the three worlds with their eight divisions, and fourteen sub-divisions, the seven islands, the nine divisions of the earth, the sky, the seven seas, and Vishnù’s celestial paradise. Afterwards Chitrekha showed her a description of the gods, demons, celestial musicians, choristers, demi-gods, saints, sages, the supporters of the world, the supporters of the ten quarters and the Rajas of all countries. But Ookha did not find her beloved amongst them. After this, Chitrekha drew separate likenesses of the descendants of Judoo; and when she showed them to Ookha, Ookha said on beholding Unroodrù’s picture, “I have found him, who stole my heart, this is he, who came to me in the night. Arrange some plan now, friend, and search him out, and bring him here.” On hearing this, Chitrekha replied, “How shall he escape me?” Chitrekha proceeded to say, “O friend! you do not know him, but I can tell you who he is, he is of the family of Judoo, and a grandson of Shree Krishnù Chund, and the son of Purdiyomun; his name is Unroodrù. He lives at Dwarka, a city built in the sea near the shore. By order of Huri, the quoit, Soodursun, keeps constant watch over that city in order that no devil, demon nor wicked person may annoy the descendants of Judoo, and if any such come to the city, he cannot obtain entrance without the permission of Rajas Oogursen and Soorsen.”
O great king! Ookha was very sad at these words, and said, “O friend! if it be a place so difficult of access, how will you go there and bring my husband thence?” Chitrekha replied, “My dear! set your mind at rest on that point; by the glorious grace of Huri, I will bring your soul’s lord to you.” Having thus spoken, Chitrekha put on garments, imprinted all over with the name of Ramù, and made marks and perpendicular lines on her forehead with sandal wood, such as cowherdesses wear, and stamped impressions of different kinds on her breasts, the upper part of her arms and throat, and wearing a large garland of toolsee on her neck, and carrying rosaries of the large diamonds of the toolsee in her hand, throwing over herself a chequered blanket, she folded under her arm a cloth to sit upon and assuming the appearance of a chief worshipper of Vishnù, she made an obeisance and started for Dwarka, taking leave of Ookha, and saying to her, “I will proceed through the air, and pursue my journey in the sky, I will bring thy husband, otherwise my name is not Chitrekha.”
Having recited thus much of the history, Shree Shookdeo Jee said, O great king! Chitrekha, having brought into play her delusive power, and mounting on a horse of air, started on a dark night in company with a black cloud; and having arrived almost instantaneously at the city of Dwarka, shone forth like lightning and entered the dwelling of Shree Krishnù Chund, in such a manner that no one knew of her coming. Prosecuting her search, she came to where Unroodrù sleeping alone on a bed, was diverting himself in a dream with Ookha. On beholding this, she quickly took up the sleeper’s bed, and went off with it. She carried off the sleeper and his bed on Ookha’s account, and brought Unroodrù to the place, where Ookha was sitting thoughtful.
O great king! on seeing Unroodrù and his bed, Ookha was at first in a great flutter, and went and fell at the feet of Chitrekha, she afterwards began to speak in terms of the highest praise of her courage and prowess, for having gone to a place of such difficult access, and having brought him away, bed and all; and thereby having done what she agreed to do, “For my sake thou hast undergone all this trouble; I am not able to make a fitting return, but must remain a debtor to your goodness.” Chitrekha replied, “In the world it is a very pleasant thing to contribute to the happiness of others; and it is a good act to assist them; this body is of no use with reference to our own selfish advantages, but it is very useful, if it can be made to promote the benefit of others. By such conduct our own objects and the objects of others are accomplished.”
O great king! having thus spoken, Chitrekha took leave, and went home, saying, “Friend! by the glorious favour of Bhugwan I have brought thy husband to thee, awake him now and satisfy thy desires.” On the departure of Chitrekha the delighted Ookha was ashamed and afraid of the first interview, and began to say to herself, “What shall I say to awaken my husband, and how shall I embrace him in my arms?” At length she began to play sweet notes on her lute, on hearing the sound of which Unroodrù awoke; and, looking round on all sides, began to say to himself, “What place is this and whose house; how did I come here, and who has brought me here with my bed, while asleep?”
O great king! Unroodrù was in a state of great astonishment, uttering many expressions of surprise; whilst Ookha, thoughtful and abashed, fearful of the first interview, standing in a corner, and gazing on the countenance of her beloved, feasted her partridge-like eyes. In the mean while, Unroodrù, on seeing her, was confused, and said, “Tell me, fair one, thy history, who art thou, whence hast thou come to me; or hast thou brought me here thyself? Look not upon truth and falsehood as the same; at present I see every thing as in a dream.”