Page:Katha sarit sagara, vol2.djvu/185

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human?" When the bard heard that, he looked and said, " You are fortunate, my sovereign, in finding Hansávalí; for it is she herself that is standing there." When Hansávalí heard that, she looked at them, and recognising that bard, she cried out with renewed grief; " Alas! my father, I am ruined ! alas my husband, Kamalákara ! alas Manorathasiddhi ! alas. Destiny, source of untoward events !" Thus lamenting, she fell on the ground in a faint, and when Kamalákara heard and saw her, he too fell on the earth overpowered with grief. Then they were both brought round by Manorathasiddhi; and when they had recognised one another for certain, they were much delighted, and, having crossed the ocean of separation, they experienced indescribable joy, and they told one another in due course all their adventures. Then Kamalákara returned with Hansávalí and that bard to the city of Kośalá. There he received in marriage her hand that had the power of removing disease, after summoning her father the famous Meghamálin. Then Kamalákara shone exceedingly bright, being united with Hansávalí, both whose wings were pure.*[1] And having attained his object in life, he lived happily with her whose endurance had borne fruit, ruling the earth, inseparable from Manorathasiddhi.

" So you see those who do not lose heart, even in calamity, obtain all they desire, and on the same principle you should abstain from suicide, for, if you live, you will be reunited to that lord." With these words the old traveller closed his tale, and after dissuading me from death, departed whither he would.

After Bhímaparákrama had told all this to Mrigánkadatta at night in the house of Chandaketu, he went on to say:

Continuation of the adventures of Bhímaparákrama.:— So, having received useful admonition, I left that forest and went to the city of Ujjayiní, for which I knew you were making, to find you. When I did not find you there, I entered the house of a certain woman to lodge, as I was worn out, and gave her money for food. She gave me a bed, and being tired I slept for some time, but then I woke up, and out of curiosity I remained quiet, and watched her, and while I was watching, the woman took a handful of barley, and sowed it all about inside the house, her lip trembling all the time with muttering spells. Those grains of barley immediately sprang up, and produced ears, and ripened, and she cut them down, and parched them, and ground them, and made them into barley-meal. And she sprinkled the barley-meal with water, and put it in a brass pot, and, after arranging her house as it was before, she went out quickly to bathe.

  1. * Here there is a pun, as Kamalákara means a bed of lotuses, the word paksha meaning wing and also " side." She was of good lineage by her father's and mother's side. Manorathasiddhi means " the attainment of desire."