Page:The Katha Sarit Sagara.djvu/456

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stalk of durbá grass, like a female incarnation of the god of Love; and Súryaprabha spent that day with that black maiden, whose face was like a, full moon.

And the next day, king Bali, followed by the Asuras, in the same way led that Súryaprabha to his own under- world, the third. There he gave him his own daughter named Sundarí, with complexion lovely as a young shoot, and resembling a cluster of mádhaví flowers. Súryaprabha then spent that day with that pearl of women in heavenly enjoyment and splendour. The next day, Maya also in the same way re-conducted the prince, who was in the fourth under-world, to his own palace, which possessed curiously adorned jewelled terraces, was constructed by his own magic power, and on account of its refulgent splendour seemed to be new every moment. There he gave him his own daughter, named Sumáyá, whose beauty was the wonder of the world, who seemed to be his own power incarnate, and he did not think that she ought to be withheld from him on account of his being a mere mortal. The fortunate Súryaprabha remained there with her. Then the prince divided his body by his magic science, and lived at the same time with all those Asura ladies, but with his real body he lived principally with his best beloved Mahalliká, the daughter of the Asura Prahláda.

And one night, when he was happy in her presence, he asked the noble Mahalliká in the course of conversation— " My dear, those two female friends, who came with you, where are they? I never see them. Who are they, and where have they gone?" Then Mahalliká said— " You have done well to remind me. My female friends are not two only, but twelve in number, and my father's brother carried them off from Indra's heaven. The first is named Amritaprabhá, the second Keśiní, these are the auspiciously marked daughters of the hermit Parvata. And the third is Kálindí, and the fourth Bhadraká, and the fifth is the noble Kamalá with beautiful eyes. These three are the daughters of the great hermit Devala. The sixth is named Saudámini and the seventh Ujjvalá, these are both of them daughters of the Gandharva Háhá. The eighth is by name Pívará, the daughter of the Gandharva Huhu. And the ninth is by name Anjaniká, the daughter of the mighty Kála. And the tenth is Keśarávali, sprung from the Gana Pingala. And the eleventh is Máliní by name, the daughter of Kambala, and the twelfth is Mandáramálá. the daughter of a Vasu. They are all heavenly nymphs, born from Apsarases, and, when I was married, they were taken to the first under-world, and I must bestow them on you, in order that I may be always with them. And this I promised them, for I love them. I spoke too to my father, but he refused to give them, out of regard for his brother." When Súryaprabha heard this, he said to her with a downcast expression— " My beloved, you are very magnanimous,