Page:Katha sarit sagara, vol2.djvu/444

 rather increased it. As for Kalingasená, when she was suddenly deprived of that daughter, she was confounded like a Vidyádharí, who has lost her magic power.

Then an aged female guardian of the women's apartments said in the presence of Naraváhanadatta, so that all there heard, " Long ago, that young Vidyádhara, named Mánasavega, having beheld Madanamanchuká, when she was a maiden, on the top of the palace, suddenly descended from heaven, and approaching Kalingasená, told her his name, and asked her to give him her daughter. When Kalingasená refused, he went as he came; but why should he not have now come secretly and carried her off by his magic power? It is of course true that heavenly beings do not carry off the wives of others; on the other hand, who, that is blinded by passion, troubles himself about the right or wrong of an action?" When Naraváhanadatta heard this, his heart was overwhelmed with anger, impatience, and the sorrow of bereavement, and became like a lotus in the waves.

Then Rumanvat said, " This palace is guarded all round, and it is impossible to enter or go out from it, except through the air. Moreover, by the favour of Śiva no misfortune can befall her; so we may be certain that she has hidden herself somewhere, because her affection has been wounded. Listen to a story which will make this clear."

Story of Sávitrí and Angiras.:—Once on a time a hermit, named Angiras, asked Ashțávakra for the hand of his daughter Sávitrí. But Ashțávakra would not give him his daughter Sávitrí, though he was an excellent match, because she was already betrothed to some one else. Then Angiras married Aśrutá his brother's daughter, and lived a long time with her as his wife in great happiness; but she was well aware that he had previously been in love with Sávitrí.

One day that hermit Angiras remained muttering for a long time in an inaudible voice. Then his wife Aśrutá asked him again and again lovingly, "Tell me, my husband, why do you remain so long fixed in thought?" He said, " My dear, I am meditating on the Sávitrí;" and she, thinking that he meant Sávitrí, the hermit's daughter, was vexed in soul. She said to herself, " He is miserable," so she went off to the forest determined to abandon the body; and after she had prayed that good fortune might attend her husband, she fastened a rope round her neck. And at that moment Gáyatrí appeared with rosary ofaksha-beads and ascetic's pitcher, and said to her, " Daughter, do not act rashly ! Your husband was not thinking of any woman; he was meditating on me, the holy Sávitrí;" and with these words she freed her neck from the noose; and the goddess, merciful to her votaries, having thus consoled her, disappeared. Then her husband Angiras, searching for her, found her in the wood,