Page:Katha sarit sagara, vol2.djvu/376

 ground, and shew yon how to perform the prostration, and that moment you must cut off his head with the sword. Then you will obtain that prize which he desires, the sovereignty of the Vidyádharas; enjoy this earth by sacrificing him ! But otherwise that mendicant will offer you up as a victim; it was to prevent this that I threw obstacles in your way for such a long time here. So depart; may you prosper !" When the Vetála had said this, be went out of that human corpse, that was on the king's shoulder. Then the king was led by the speech of the Vetála, who was pleased with him, to look upon the ascetic Kshántiśila as his enemy, but he went to him in high spirits, where he sat under that banyan-tree, and took with him that human corpse.

Then king Trivikramasena came up to that mendicant Kshántiśila, carrying that corpse on his shoulder. And he saw that ascetic, alone at the foot of a tree, in the cemetery that was terrible with a night of the black fortnight, eagerly awaiting his arrival. He was in a circle made with the yellow powder of bones, the ground within which was smeared with blood, and which had pitchers full of blood placed in the direction of the cardinal points.* It was richly illuminated with candles of human fat. † and near it was a fire fed with oblations, it was full of all the necessary preparations for a sacrifice, and in it the ascetic was engaged in worshipping his favourite deity.

So the king came up to him, and the mendicant, seeing that he had brought the corpse, rose up delighted, and said, praising him; " Great king, you have conferred on me a favour difficult to accomplish. To think that one like you should undertake this enterprise in such a place and at such a time ! Indeed they say with truth that you are the best of all noble kings, being a man of unbending courage, ‡ since you forward the interests of another with such utter disregard of self. And wise men say that the