Page:Katha sarit sagara, vol2.djvu/230

 In the meanwhile king Śrísena himself, having heard what had taken place, reverently approached the ascetic, accompanied by Śrídarśana, And the king bowed before him, and praised him, and said, " Owing to your coming, this merchant has received a benefit, by having his son restored to health, so do me a benefit also by ensuring the welfare of this son of mine Śrídarśana." When the king craved this boon of the ascetic, he smiled and said, " King, why should I do anything to please this thief, who stole at night the heart and the ornaments of the princess Anangamanjarí in Hansadvipa, and returned here with them? Nevertheless I must obey your orders." With these words the ascetic seized Śrídarśana by the fore-arm, and disappeared with him. He took him to Hansadvipa, and introduced him into the palace of king Anangodaya, with his daughter's ornaments on him. When Śrídarśana arrived, the king welcomed him gladly, but first he threw himself at the feet of the ascetic and blessed him. And on an auspicious day he gave Śrídarśana his daughter Anangamanjarí, as if she were the earth garlanded with countless jewels. And then by the power of that ascetic he sent his son-in-law, with his wife, to Málava. And when Śrídarśana arrived there, the king welcomed him gladly, and he lived there in happiness with his two wives. In course of time king Śrísena went to the next world, and that hero took his kingdom and conquered the whole earth. And when he had attained universal dominion, he had two sons by his two wives Padmishțhá and Anangamanjarí. And to one of them the king gave the name of Padmasena, and to the other of Anangasena, and he reared them up to manhood.

And in course of time king Śrídarsana, as he was sitting inside the palace with his two queens, heard a Bráhman lamenting outside. So he had the Bráhman brought inside, and asked him why he lamented. Then the Bráhman shewed great perturbation and said to him; " The fire that had points of burning flame (Díptaśikha) has been now destroyed by a dark cloud of calamity, discharging a loud laugh (Ațțahása), together with its line of brightness and line of smoke(Jyotirlekhá and Dhúmalekhá).* The moment the Bráhman had said this, he disappeared. And while the king was saying in his astonishment, " What did he say, and where has he gone," the two queens, weeping copiously, suddenly fell dead. When the king saw that sudden calamity, terrible as the stroke of a thunderbolt, he exclaimed in his grief, " Alas ! Alas ! what means this?" and fell on the ground wailing. And when he fell, his attendants picked him up, and carried him to another place, and Mukharaka took the bodies of the queens, and performed the ceremony of burning them. At last the king came to his senses, and after mourning long for the queens, he completed out of affection their funeral ceremonies. And after he had spent a day