In Folk-Tales of Kashmir (Knowles), 2nd ed., p. 215, a Princess covered her face with lotus petals, and held up an ivory box to be seen by a Prince who was looking at her. By these signals he learnt her name and that of her city. He went to the city, visited her each day in a magic swing, and at length they eloped and were married.
In Sagas from the Far East, p. 110, a wood-carver’s son fashioned a hollow flying Garuḍa (possibly in the form of a Brahminy Kite), inside which a friend whose wife had been abducted flew to the Khan’s palace where she was detained, and brought her away.
In the same work, p. 316, a Princess made signals to a King’s young Minister as follows: She raised the first finger of her right hand, then passed the other hand round it, clasped and unclasped her hands, and finally laid one finger of each hand beside that of the other hand, and pointed with them towards the palace.
In the Mahā Bhārata and Rāmāyana javelins or arrows are sometimes represented as returning to the sender, who in such cases was a being possessing supernatural power. Thus, according to one story of Daksha’s sacrifice, when the energy of a dart thrown by Rudra at Vishṇu was neutralised, it returned to Rudra. In the fight between Karṇa and Arjuna some arrows which the former discharged returned to him (Karṇa Parva, lxxxix.).
In performing an Act of Truth such as is mentioned in this story, the person first states a fact and then utters a wish, which in reality is a conjuration, the efficacy of which depends on the truth of the foregoing statement.
Thus, in the Jātaka No. 35 (vol. i, p. 90) the Bōdhisatta in the form of a helpless quail nestling[5] extinguished a raging bush fire that was about to destroy it and other birds, by an Act of Truth, which took this form:—
“With wings that fly not, feet that walk not,
Forsaken by my parents here I lie!
Wherefore I conjure thee, dread Lord of Fire,
Primæval Jātaveda, turn! go back!”