Page:Katha sarit sagara, vol2.djvu/178

 And encamping there he sent an ambassador to Meghamálin the father of Hansávalí, to ask for her in marriage. When that king learnt from the ambassador that he had come, not as an enemy, but for the sake of his daughter, he paid a friendly visit to him in person. The prince welcomed him; and Meghamálin, after he had complimented the prince, said to him, " Why did you take the trouble of coming in person about a business which might have been negotiated by an ambassador? For I desire this marriage; hear the reason. Seeing that this Hansávalí was even in her child- hood devoted to the worship of Vishnu, and that she had a frame delicate as a śirísha, I became anxious about her, and kept saying to myself, ' Who will be a fitting husband for this girl." And, as I could not think of a suitable husband for her, I was deprived of sleep by my anxiety about the matter, and contracted a violent fever. And in order to allay it, I worshipped and petitioned Vishnu, and one night, when I was only able to sleep a little on account of pain, Vishnu said to me in a dream, ' Let that Hansávalí, on account of whom you have contracted this fever, touch you with her hand, my son, then your fever will be allayed. For her hand is so holy from worshipping me, that whenever she touches any one with it, his fever, even though incurable, will certainly pass away. And you need have no more anxiety about her marriage, since prince Kamalákara is destined to be her husband. But she will endure some misery for a short time.' When I had been thus instructed by Vishnu in a dream, I woke up at the end of the night. Then my fever was removed by the touch of Hansávalí's hand. And so the union of you two is appointed by the god. Accordingly 1 bestow on you Hansávalí " When he had said this, he had an auspicious moment fixed for the marriage and returned to his capital. There he told all that he had done, and when Hansávalí had heard it, she said in secret to her confidante, named Kanakamanjarí, " Go and see with your own eyes whether that prince, to whom 1 am to be given, is the same as he, who, when painted here by the artist, captivated my heart. For it is just possible that my father may wish, out of fear, to bestow me as a gift on some prince of the same name, that has come here with an army." With these words she sent off Kanakamanjarí, acting in accordance with her own will only. And the confidante, having assumed the complete disguise of an ascetic, with rosary of Aksha beads, deer-skin, and matted hair, went to the camp of that prince, and entered introduced by his attendants, and beheld him looking like the god that presides over the weapon with which the god of love conquers the world. And her heart was fascinated by his beauty, and she remained a moment looking as if she were in profound meditation. And full of longing she sail to herself, " If I am not united with this charming prince, 1 shall have been born in vain. So I will take the necessary steps to ensure that, whatever comes of it." Then she went up to