Page:Katha sarit sagara, vol2.djvu/352

 cake is to be put, or what all this means." When the Bráhmans said this to the king, he was unable to arrive at any certain decision. When the Vetála, on the shoulder of the king, had told this wonderful tale, he said to king Trivikramasena, " Now into whose hand should the cake have been put? Let your Highness tell me that; and remember the previous condition is still binding on you."

When king Trivikramasena, who was well versed in law, heard this from the Vetála, he broke silence, and answered him; " The sacrificial cake should have been placed in the hand of the thief, for king Chandraprabha was his son, raised up to him by his appointment, and he was not the son of either of the other two. For though the Brahman begot him, he cannot be considered his father, as he sold himself for money for that one night. However he might have been considered the son of king Súryaprabha, because he had the sacraments performed for him, and brought him up, if the king had not received his wealth for the purpose. For the gold, which was placed at the head of the child in the cradle, was the price paid to king Súryaprabha for bringing him up, and other services. Accordingly king Chandraprabha was the son, begotten by another man, of that thief, who received his mother with the pouring of water over the hands, who gave the order for his being begotten, and to whom all that wealth belonged; and he ought to have placed the sacrificial cake in the thief's band; this is my opinion." When the king said this, the Vetála left his shoulder, and went to his own place, and king Trivikramasena again went after him to bring him back.

It appears from tho analysis which Oesterley gives of the Sanskrit original by Śivadása, that the Hindi version resembles more nearly the version in the text. In the Sanskrit original there is no touching of the thief; Dhanavatí of her own accord enters into a conversation with him. Tho advice to expose the child at the king's door is given by the grandmother, after hearing the daughter's dream. The king does not fetch the boy himself, but has him brought.

Then king Trivikramasena went and took down that Vetála from the aśoka-tree, and putting him on his shoulder, started off with him again. And when he had set out in silence, the Vetála spake to him from his