Chapter CXVII.
In
the meanwhile, that king of the Gandharvas, Padmaśekhara, re-entered his city,
celebrating a splendid triumph; and hearing from his wife that his daughter
Padmávatí had performed asceticism in the temple of Gaurí, to procure for him
victory, he summoned her. And when his daughter came, emaciated with asceticism
and separation from her lover, and fell at his feet, he gave her his blessing,
and said to her, “Dear girl, for my sake you have endured great hardship in the
form of penance, so obtain quickly for a husband the noble Muktáphalaketu, the
son of the king of the Vidyádharas, the slayer of Vidyuddhvaja, the victorious
protector of the world, who has been appointed to marry you by Śiva himself.”
When
her father said this to her, she remained with face fixed on the ground, and
then her mother Kuvalayávali said to him, “How, my husband, was so terrible an
Asura, that filled the three worlds with consternation, slain by that prince in
fight?” When the king heard that, he described to her the valour of that
prince, and the battle between the gods and Asuras. Then Padmávatí’s companion,
whose name was Manoháriká, described the easy manner in which he slew the two
Rákshasís. Then the king and queen, finding out that he and their daughter had
met and fallen in love, were pleased, and said, “What could those Rákshasís do
against one, who swallowed the whole army of the Asuras, as Agastya swallowed
the sea?” Then the fire of Padmávatí’s love blazed up more violently, being
fanned by this description of her lover’s surpassing courage, as by a breeze.
Then
the princess left her parents’ presence, and immediately ascended in eager
longing a jewelled terrace in the women’s apartments, which had pillars of
precious stone standing in it, and lattices of pearl fastened to them, and had
placed on its pavement, of costly mosaic, luxurious couches and splendid
thrones, and was rendered still more delightful by means of the various
enjoyments which there presented themselves as soon as thought of. Even when
there, she was exceedingly tortured with the fire of separation. And she saw
from the top of this terrace a magnificent heavenly garden, planted with trees
and creepers of gold, and full of hundreds of tanks adorned with costly stone.
And when she saw it, she said to herself, “Wonderful! This splendid city of
ours is more beautiful even than the world of the moon in which I was born. And
yet I have not explored this city which is the very crest-jewel of the
Himálayas, in which there is such a splendid suburban garden excelling Nandana.
So I will go into this lovely shrubbery, cool with the shade of trees, and
alleviate a little the scorching of the fires of separation.”
After
the young maiden had gone through these reflections, she dexterously managed to
descend slowly from the terrace alone, and prepared to go to that city garden.
And as she could not go on foot, she was carried there by some birds that were
brought to her by her power, and served as her conveyance. When she reached the
garden, she sat in an arbour formed of plantains growing together, on a carpet
of flowers, with heavenly singing and music sounding in her ears. And even
there she did not obtain relief, and her passion did not abate; on the
contrary, the fire of her love increased still more, as she was separated from
her beloved.
Then
in her longing she was eager to behold that loved one, though only in a
picture, so by her magic power she summoned for herself a tablet for painting
and colour-pencils. And she said to herself, “Considering even the Disposer is
unable to create a second like my beloved, how can I, reed in hand, produce a
worthy likeness of him? Nevertheless, I will paint him as well as I can for my
own consolation.” After going through these reflections she proceeded to paint
him on a tablet, and while she was thus engaged, her confidante Manoháriká, who
had been troubled at not seeing her, came to that place to look for her. She
stood behind the princess, and saw her languishing alone in the bower of
creepers, with her painting-tablet in her hand. She said to herself, “I will
just see now what the princess is doing here alone.” So the princess’s
confidante remained there concealed.
And
then Padmávatí, with her lotus-like eyes gushing with tears, began to address
in the following words her beloved in the painting. “When thou didst slay the
formidable Asuras and deliver Indra, how comes it that thou dost not deliver me
from my woe, though near me, by speaking to me at any rate? To one whose merits
in a former life are small, even a wishing-tree is ungenerous, even Buddha is
wanting in compassion, and even gold becomes a stone. Thou knowest not the
fever of love, and canst not comprehend my pain; what could the poor archer
Love, whose arrows are but flowers, do against one whom the Daityas found
invincible? But what am I saying? Truly Fate is adverse to me, for Fate stops
my eyes with tears, and will not allow me to behold thee for long together,
even in a picture.” When the princess had said this, she began to weep with
teardrops that were so large that it appeared as if her necklace were broken,
and great pearls were falling from it.
At
that moment her friend Manoháriká advanced towards her, and the princess
concealed the picture and said to her, “My friend, I have not seen you for ever
so long; where have you been?” When Manoháriká heard this, she laughed and
said, “I have been wandering about, my friend, for a long time to look for you;
so, why do you hide the picture? I saw a moment ago a wonderful picture.”
When
Padmávatí’s friend said this to her, she seized her hand, and said to her with
a face cast down from shame, and a voice choked with tears, “My friend, you
knew it all long ago; why should I try to conceal it? The fact is, that prince,
though on that occasion, in the sacred enclosure of Gaurí, he delivered me from
the terrible fire of the Rákshasí’s wrath, plunged me nevertheless in the fire
of love, with its intolerable flame of separation. So I do not know, where to
go, whom to speak to, what to do, or what expedient I must have recourse to,
since my heart is fixed on one hard to obtain.”
When
the princess said this, her friend answered her, “My dear, this attachment of
your mind is quite becoming and suitable; your union would certainly be to the
enhancement of one another’s beauty, as the union of the digit of the new moon
with the hair of Śiva matted into the form of a diadem. And do not be
despondent about this matter: of a truth he will not be able to live without
you; did you not see that he was affected in the same way as yourself? Even
women, who see you, are so much in love with your beauty that they desire to
become men; so what man would not be a suitor for your hand? Much more will he
be, who is equal to you in beauty. Do you suppose that Śiva, who declared that
you should be man and wife, can say what is false? However, what afflicted one
feels quite patient about an object much desired, even though it is soon to be
attained? So cheer up! He will soon become your husband. It is not hard for you
to win any husband, but all men must feel that you are a prize hard to win.”
When
the princess’s attendant said this to her, she answered her, “My friend, though
I know all this, what am I to do? My heart cannot endure to remain for a moment
without that lord of my life, to whom it is devoted, and Cupid will not bear to
be trifled with any further. For when I think of him, my mind is immediately
refreshed, but my limbs burn, and my breath seems to leave my body with glowing
heat.”
Even
as the princess was saying this, she, being soft as a flower, fell fainting
with distraction into the arms of that friend of hers. Then her weeping friend
gradually brought her round by sprinkling her with water and fanning her with
plantain-leaves. Her friend employed with her the usual remedies of a necklace
and bracelet of lotus-fibres, a moist anointing with sandal-wood unguent, and a
bed of lotus-leaves; but these contracted heat by coming in contact with her
body, and seemed by their heating and withering to feel the same pain as she
felt.
Then
Padmávatí, in her agitation, said to that friend, “Why do you weary yourself in
vain? My suffering cannot be alleviated in this way. It would be a happy thing,
if you would take the only step likely to alleviate it.” When she said this in
her pain, her friend answered her, “What would not I do for your sake? Tell me,
my friend, what that step is.”
When
the princess heard this, she said with difficulty, as if ashamed, “Go, my dear
friend, and bring my beloved here quickly; for in no other way can my suffering
be allayed, and my father will not be angry; on the contrary, as soon as he
comes here, he will give me to him.” When her friend heard that, she said to
her in a tone of decision, “If it be so, recover your self-command. This is but
a little matter. Here am I, my friend, setting out for Chandrapura the famous
and splendid city of Chandraketu the king of the Vidyádharas, the father of
your beloved, to bring your beloved to you. Be comforted! What is the use of
grief?”
When
the princess had been thus comforted by Manoháriká, she said, “Then rise up, my
friend, may your journey be prosperous! Go at once! And you must say
courteously from me to that heroic lord of my life, who delivered the three
worlds, ‘When you delivered me so triumphantly in that temple of Gaurí from the
danger of the Rákshasís, how is that you do not deliver me now, when I am being
slain by the god Cupid, the destroyer of women? Tell me, my lord, what kind of
virtue is this in persons like yourself able to deliver the worlds—to neglect
in calamity one whom you formerly saved, though she is devoted to you.’ This is
what you must say, auspicious one, or something to this effect as your own
wisdom may direct.” When Padmávatí had said this, she sent that friend on her
errand. And she mounted a bird which her magic knowledge brought to her, to
carry her, and set out for that city of the Vidyádharas.
And
then Padmávatí, having to a certain extent recovered her spirits by hope, took
the painting-tablet, and entered the palace of her father. There she went into
her own apartment surrounded by her servants, and bathed and worshipped Śiva with
intense devotion, and thus prayed to him, “Holy one, without thy favouring
consent no wish, great or small, is fulfilled for any one in these three
worlds. So if thou wilt not give me for a husband that noble son of the emperor
of the Vidyádharas, on whom I have set my heart, I will abandon my body in
front of thy image.”
When
she addressed this prayer to Śiva, her attendants were filled with grief and
astonishment, and said to her, “Why do you speak thus, princess, regardless of
your body’s weal? Is there anything in these three worlds difficult for you to
obtain? Even Buddha would forget his self-restraint, if loved by you. So he
must be a man of exceptional merit, whom you thus love.” When the princess
heard this, carried away by the thought of his virtues, she said, “How can I
help loving him, who is the only refuge of Indra and the rest of the gods, who
alone destroyed the army of the Asuras, as the sun destroys the darkness, and
who saved my life?” Saying such things, she remained there full of longing,
engaged in conversation about her beloved with her confidential attendants.
In
the meanwhile her friend Manoháriká, travelling at full speed, reached
Chandrapura, that city of the king of the Vidyádharas; which Viśvakarman made
wonderful, and of unparalleled magnificence, as if dissatisfied with the city
of the gods, though of that also he was the architect. There she searched for
Muktáphalaketu, but could not find him, and then, riding on her bird, she went
to the garden belonging to that city. She derived much pleasure from looking at
that garden, the magic splendour of which was inconceivable; the trees of which
were of glittering jewels, and had this peculiarity that one tree produced a
great many flowers of different kinds; which was rendered charming by the
blending of the notes of various birds with the sound of heavenly songs; and
which was full of many slabs of precious stone.
And
then, various gardeners, in the form of birds, saw her, and came up to her,
speaking with articulate voice, and addressing her kindly, and they invited her
to sit down on a slab of emerald at the foot of a párijáta-tree, and when she
was seated, served her with appropriate luxuries. And she received that
attention gratefully, and said to herself, “Wonderful are the magic splendours
of the princes of the Vidyádharas, since they possess such a garden in which
enjoyments present themselves unlooked for, in which the servants are birds,
and the nymphs of heaven keep up a perpetual concert.” When she had said this
to herself, she questioned those attendants, and at last, searching about, she
found a thicket of párijáta and other trees of the kind, and in it she saw
Muktáphalaketu appearing to be ill, lying on a bed of flowers sprinkled with
sandal-wood juice. And she recognized him, as she had become acquainted with
him in the hermitage of Gaurí, and she said to herself, “Let me see what his
illness is, that he is lying here concealed.”
In
the meanwhile Muktáphalaketu began to say to his friend Saṃyataka,
who was attempting to restore him with ice, and sandal-wood, and fanning,
“Surely this god of love has placed hot coals in the ice for me, and in the
sandal-wood juice a flame of chaff, and in the air of the fan a fire as of a
burning forest, since he produces a scorching glow on every side of me, who am
tortured with separation. So why, my friend, do you weary yourself in vain? In
this garden, which surpasses Nandana, even the delightful songs and dances and
other sports of heavenly nymphs afflict my soul. And without Padmávatí, the
lotus-faced, the daughter of Padmaśekhara, this fever produced by the arrows of
love cannot be alleviated. But I do not dare to say this, and I do not find a
refuge in any one; indeed I know only of one expedient for obtaining her. I
will go to the temple of Gaurí, where I saw my beloved, and where she tore out
my heart with the arrows of her sidelong glances, and carried it away. There
Śiva, who is united with the daughter of the king of mountains, will, when
propitiated with penance, shew me how to become united with my beloved.”
When
the prince had said this, he was preparing to rise up, and then Manoháriká,
being much pleased, shewed herself; and Saṃyataka,
delighted, said to that prince, “My friend, you are in luck; your desire is
accomplished. Look! here is that beloved’s female attendant come to you. I
beheld her at the side of the princess in the hermitage of the goddess Ambiká.”
Then the prince, beholding the friend of his beloved, was in a strange state, a
state full of the bursting forth of joy, astonishment, and longing. And when
she came near him, a rain of nectar to his eyes, he made her sit by his side,
and asked her about the health of his beloved.
Then
she gave him this answer, “No doubt my friend will be well enough, when you
become her husband; but at present she is afflicted. For ever since she saw
you, and you robbed her of her heart, she has been despondent, and neither
hears nor sees. The maiden has left off her necklace, and wears a chain of
lotus-fibres; and has abandoned her couch, and rolls on a bed of lotus-leaves.
Best of conquerors, I tell you, her limbs, now white with the sandal-wood juice
which is drying up with their heat, seem laughingly to say, ‘That very maiden,
who formerly was too bashful to endure the mention of a lover, is now reduced
to this sad condition by being separated from her dear one.’ And she sends you
this message.” Having said so much, Manoháriká recited the two verses which
Padmávatí had put into her mouth.
When
Muktáphalaketu heard all that, his pain departed, and he joyfully welcomed
Manoháriká, and said to her, “This my mind has been irrigated by your speech,
as by nectar, and is refreshed; and I have recovered my spirits, and got rid of
my languor: my good deeds in a former life have to-day borne fruit, in that
that daughter of the Gandharva king is so well-disposed towards me. But, though
I might possibly be able to endure the agony of separation, how could that
lady, whose body is as delicate as a śirísha-flower, endure it? So I will go to
that very hermitage of Gaurí; and do you bring your friend there, in order that
we may meet at once. And go quickly, auspicious one, and comfort your friend,
and give her this crest-jewel, which puts a stop to all grief, which the
Self-existent gave me, when pleased with me. And this necklace, which Indra
gave me, is a present for yourself.” When the prince had said this, he gave her
the crest-jewel from his head, and he took the necklace from his neck, and put
it on hers.
Then
Manoháriká was delighted, and she bowed before him, and set out, mounted on her
bird, to find her friend Padmávatí. And Muktáphalaketu, his languor having been
removed by delight, quickly entered his own city with Saṃyataka.
And
Manoháriká, when she came into the presence of Padmávatí, told her of the
love-pain of her beloved, as she had witnessed it, and repeated to her his
speech, sweet and tender with affection, as she had heard it; and told her of
the arrangement to meet her in the hermitage of Gaurí, which he had made, and
then gave her the crest-jewel which he had sent, and shewed her the chain which
he had given herself as a present. Then Padmávatí embraced and honoured that
friend of hers who had been so successful; and forgot that pain of the fire of
love which had tortured her before, and she fastened that crest-jewel on her
head, as if it were joy, and began to prepare to go to the wood of Gaurí.
In
the meanwhile it happened that a hermit, of the name of Tapodhana, came to that
grove of Gaurí, with his pupil, named Dṛiḍhavrata.
And while there, the hermit said to his pupil Dṛiḍhavrata,
“I will engage in contemplation for a time in this heavenly garden. You must
remain at the gate, and not let any one in, and after I have finished my
contemplation, I will worship Párvatí.” When the hermit had said this, he
placed that pupil at the gate of the garden, and began to engage in
contemplation under a párijáta-tree. After he rose up from his contemplation,
he went into the temple to worship Ambiká, but he did not tell his pupil, who
was at the gate of the garden.
And
in the meanwhile Muktáphalaketu came there adorned, with Saṃyataka,
mounted on a heavenly camel. And as he was about to enter that garden, that
pupil of the hermit forbade him, saying, “Do not do so! My spiritual superior
is engaged in contemplation within.” But the prince, longing to see his
beloved, said to himself, “The area of this garden is extensive, and it is
possible that she may have arrived and may be somewhere within it, whereas the
hermit is only in one corner of it.” So he got out of sight of that hermit’s
pupil, and with his friend entered the garden by flying through the air.
And
while he was looking about, the hermit’s pupil came in to see if his spiritual
superior had completed his meditation. He could not see his superior there, but
he did see the noble Muktáphalaketu with his friend, who had entered the garden
by a way by which it was not meant to be entered. Then that pupil of the hermit
cursed the prince in his anger, saying to him, “As you have interrupted the
meditation of my spiritual guide, and driven him away, go with your friend to
the world of men on account of this disrespect.” After he had pronounced this
curse, he went in search of his superior. But Muktáphalaketu was thrown into
great despondency by this curse having fallen on him like a thunderbolt, when
his desire was on the point of being fulfilled. And in the meanwhile,
Padmávatí, eager to meet her beloved, came mounted on a bird, with Manoháriká
and her other attendants. And when the prince saw that lady, who had come to
meet him of her own accord, but was now separated from him by a curse, he was
reduced to a painful frame of mind in which sorrow and joy were blended. And at
that very moment Padmávatí’s right eye throbbed, boding evil fortune, and her
heart fluttered. Then the princess, seeing that her lover was despondent,
thought that he might be annoyed because she had not come before he did, and
approached him with an affectionate manner. Then the prince said to her, “My
beloved, our desire, though on the point of fulfilment, has been again baffled
by Fate.” She said excitedly, “Alas! how baffled?” And then the prince told her
how the curse was pronounced on him.
Then
they all went, in their despondency, to entreat the hermit, who was the
spiritual guide of him who inflicted the curse, and was now in the temple of
the goddess, to fix an end to the curse. When the great hermit, who possessed
supernatural insight, saw them approach in humble guise, he said with a kind
manner to Muktáphalaketu, “You have been cursed by this fool who acted rashly
before he had reflected; however you have not done me any harm, since I rose up
of myself. And this curse can only be an instrument, not the real reason of
your change; in truth you have in your mortal condition to do the gods a
service. You shall come in the course of destiny to behold this Padmávatí, and
sick with love, you shall abandon your mortal body, and be quickly released
from your curse. And you shall recover this lady of your life, wearing the same
body that she wears now; for being a deliverer of the universe, you do not
deserve to lie long under a curse. And the cause of all this that has befallen you
is the slight stain of unrighteousness which attaches to you, on account of
your having slain with that weapon of Brahmá, which you employed, old men and
children.”
When
Padmávatí heard this, she said, with tears in her eyes, to that sage, “Holy
Sir, let me now have the same lot as my future husband! I shall not be able to
live for a moment without him.” When Padmávatí made this request, the hermit
said to her, “This cannot be: do you remain here for the present engaged in
asceticism, in order that he may be quickly delivered from his curse, and may
marry you. And then, as the consort of that Muktáphalaketu, you shall rule the
Vidyádharas and Asuras for ten kalpas. And while you are performing asceticism,
this crest-jewel, which be gave you, shall protect you; for it is of great
efficacy, having sprung from the water-pot of the Disposer.”
When
the hermit, possessing divine insight, had said this to Padmávatí,
Muktáphalaketu, bending low, addressed this prayer to him, “Holy Sir, may my
faith in Śiva be unwavering during my life as a man, and may my mind never be
inclined to any lady but Padmávatí.” The hermit replied, “So let it be!” and
then Padmávatí, sorely grieved, pronounced on that pupil, whose fault had
entailed these misfortunes, the following curse, “Since you cursed in your
folly my destined husband, you shall be a vehicle for him to ride on in his
human condition, possessing the property of going with a wish and changing your
shape at will.” When the pupil had been thus cursed, he was despondent, and
then the hermit Tapodhana disappeared with him.
Then
Muktáphalaketu said to Padmávatí, “I will now go to my city, and see what will
happen to me there.” When Padmávatí heard this, being terrified at separation,
she at once fell on the earth with all her ornaments, as a creeper, broken by
the wind, falls with all its flowers. And Muktáphalaketu comforted, as well as
he could, his crying love, and departed with his friend, frequently turning
round his eyes to look at her. And after he was gone, Padmávatí was much
grieved, and weeping, said to her friend Manoháriká, who tried to comfort her,
“My friend, I am certain that I saw the goddess Párvatí to-day in a dream, and
she was about to throw a garland of lotuses round my neck, when she said,
‘Never mind! I will give it you on some future occasion,’ and desisted from her
intention. So I understand that she wished in this way to let me know that my
union with my beloved would be hindered.” When she was mourning in this way
over what had occurred, her friend said to her, “This dream was no doubt sent
to you when you say, by the goddess, in order to comfort you. And the hermit
said the very same to you, and the gods have clearly thus ordained: so, be of
good cheer, you will soon be reunited with your beloved.”
This
and other speeches from her friend, and the magic efficacy of the crest-jewel
made Padmávatí recover her self-command, and she remained there in the
hermitage of Gaurí. And she performed asceticism, worshipping there Śiva and
Párvatí, three times a day, and also the picture of her beloved, which she had
brought from her own city, looking upon it as the image of a divinity. Her
parents, hearing what had taken place, came to her in tears, and tried to
prevent her, saying, “Do not uselessly fatigue yourself with penance, to bring
about a desired end, which will anyhow take place.” But she said to them, “How
could I live here with any comfort, now that the husband recently appointed for
me by the god has fallen into misery owing to a curse? For to ladies of good
family a husband is a god. And no doubt, this calamity may soon be brought to
an end by austerities, and Śiva may be propitiated, and then I may be reunited
with my beloved, for there is nothing that austerities cannot accomplish.” When
Padmávatí had said this with firm resolution, her mother Kuvalayávalí said to
her father the king, “King, let her perform this severe asceticism! Why trouble
her further on false grounds? This is appointed for her by destiny: there is a
reason for it; listen. Long ago, in the city of Śiva, the daughter of the king
of the Siddhas, named Devaprabhá, was performing a very severe penance, in
order to obtain the husband she desired. Now my daughter Padmávatí had gone
there with me to visit the shrine of the god, and she went up to the Siddha
maiden and laughed at her, saying, ‘Are you not ashamed to practise austerities
in order to obtain a husband?’ Then the Siddha maiden cursed her in her rage,
saying, ‘Fool! your laughter proceeds from childishness: you also shall perform
painful austerities to your heart’s content to obtain a husband.’ Accordingly
she must of necessity endure the misery which the curse of the Siddha maiden
has entailed; who can alter that? So let her do what she is doing?” When the
queen had said this to the king of the Gandharvas, he took leave at last,
though reluctantly, of his daughter, who bowed at his feet, and went to his own
city. And Padmávatí remained in that hermitage of Párvatí, intent on religious
observances and prayers, and every day she went through the air and worshipped
that Siddhíśvara, that was worshipped by Brahmá and the other gods, of which
Śiva had told her in a dream.
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