Page:Katha sarit sagara, vol2.djvu/426

 hions; and ruled his realm in happiness, at ease because his valour was so well known. Mŗigánkadatta, for his part, having conquered his enemies, and attained his ends, remained in happiness with his wife Śaśánkavatí, whom he had gained after a long struggle, and with Bhímaparákrama and his other ministers.

And in course of time old age, slowly creeping on, approached the root of the ear of that king Amaradatta, appearing as if it had taken form in order to say to him, " You have enjoyed the good things of fortune; your age is fully ripe; surely it is now time to retire from the world." Then the king's mind became averse to enjoyment, and he said to his ministers, " Listen, I will now tell you the scheme which I have in my mind. My life has passed; that grey hue which is the harbinger of Death has just now twitched my locks; and when old age once arrives, a vicious clinging to enjoyment on the part of persons like myself, when all the zest is gone, is mere vanity. And though in some people a mad passion of avarice and lust goes on increasing with increasing age, that is without doubt the natural tendency of base souls, and the good do not acquire it. Now I have this son here Mŗigánkadatta, who has gained glory by conquering the sovereign of Avanti and his allied kings*, who abounds in good qualities, is beloved by the subjects, and has excellent friends. So I propose to make over to him my mighty kingdom, and to retire to a holy water for mortification of the flesh; conduct in conformity with the laws laid down for the various periods of life, that their enemies cannot blame, becomes men of great soul."

When the calm and resolute ministers heard this determined speech of the king's, they, and in due course the queen and the citizens all approved it, saying, " So let it be !" Then the king performed the joyful ceremony of the coronation † of his son Mŗigánkadatta at a moment fixed by the astrologers, on a day selected by the chief Brahmans assembled together. And on that day the palace of the king was full of people running hither and thither at the order of the warder, and all the officials in it had their hands full, and it reeled with the merriment of famous bards and of lovely women who were dancing there. And while the water of holy places was being poured in copious showers upon the head of Mŗigánkadatta and his wife, a second flood seemed to gush from the eyes of his joyful parents. And, when that new king, of lion-like might, mounted his lion-seat, it seemed as if his enemies, bowed down by fear of his wrath, crouched on the ground in a fashion other than lion-like.