‘Friend,’ said Muldev, ‘how came this youth thus to fall senseless on the ground?’
‘Man,’ replied Shashi, ‘doubtless some damsel has shot forth the arrows of her glances from the bow of her eyebrows, and thence he has become insensible!’
‘We must lift him up then,’ said Muldev the benevolent.
‘What need is there to raise him?’ asked Shashi the misanthrope by way of reply.
Muldev, however, would not listen to these words. He ran to the pond hard by, soaked the end of his waistcloth in water, sprinkled it over the young Brahman, raised him from the ground, and placed him sitting against the wall. And perceiving, when he came to himself, that his sickness was rather of the soul than the body, the old men asked him how he came to be in that plight.
‘We should tell our griefs,’ answered Manaswi, ‘only to those who will relieve us! What is the use of communicating them to those who, when they have heard, cannot help us? What is to be gained by the empty pity or by the useless condolence of men in general?’
The Pandits, however, by friendly looks and words, presently persuaded him to break silence, when he said, ‘A certain princess entered this summer-house, and from the sight of her I have fallen into this state. If I can obtain her, I shall live; if not, I must die.’
‘Come with me, young man!’ said Muldev the benevolent; ‘I will use every endeavour to obtain her, and if I do not succeed I will make thee wealthy and independent of the world.’
Manaswi rejoined: ‘The Deity in his beneficence has created many jewels in this world, but the pearl, woman, is chiefest of all; and for her sake only does man desire wealth. What are riches to one who has abandoned his wife? What are they who do not possess beautiful wives? they are but beings inferior to the beasts! wealth is the fruit of virtue; ease, of wealth; a wife, of ease. And where no wife is, how can there be happiness?’ And the enamoured youth rambled on in this way, curious to us, Raja Vikram, but perhaps natural enough in a Brahman’s son suffering under that endemic malady—determination to marry.
‘Whatever thou mayest desire,’ said Muldev, ‘shall by the blessing of heaven be given to thee.’