Page:Katha sarit sagara, vol2.djvu/468

 with my alms a red lotus. I took it, and went on to another house, and there the mistress said to me, when she saw me, " Alas ! a witch has secured possession of you. See ! she has given you a man's hand,* which she has passed off on you for a red lotus." When I heard that, I looked myself, and lo ! it was no lotus, but a human hand. I flung it away, and fell at her feet, and said, " Mother, devise some expedient for me, that I may live." When she heard this she said, " Go ! in a village of the name of Karabha, three yojanas distant from this place, there is a Bráhman of the name of Devarakshita. He has in his house a splendid brown cow, an

incarnation of Surabhi; she will protect you during this night, if you repair to her for refuge."

When she said this, I ran full of fear, and reached, at the close of the day, the house of that Bráhman in the village of Karabha. When I had entered, I beheld that brown cow, and 1 worshipped her and said, " Being terrified, goddess, I have come to you for protection." And just then, night having set in, that witch came there through the air with other witches, threatening me, longing for my flesh and blood. When the brown cow saw that, she placed me between her hoofs, and defended me, fighting against those witches all the livelong night. In the morning they went away, and the cow said to me with an articulate voice, " My son, I shall not be able to protect you the next night. So go on further; at a distance of five yojanas from this place there is a mighty Páśupata ascetic named Bhútiśiva, dwelling in a temple of Śiva in a forest. He possesses supernatural knowledge, and he will protect you for this one night, if you take refuge with him."

When I heard that, I bowed before her, and set out from that place; and I soon reached that Bhútiśiva, and took refuge with him. And at night those very same witches came there also in the very same way. Then that Bhútiśiva made me enter the inner apartment of his house, † and taking up a position at the door, trident in hand, kept off the witches. Next morning, Bhútiśiva, having conquered them, gave me food, and said to me, " Bráhman, I shall not be able to protect you any longer; but in a village named Sandhyávása, at a distance of ten yojanas from this place, there is a Bráhman named Vasumati: go to him: and if you manage to get through this third night, you will escape altogether."

When he said this to me, I bowed before him, and set out from that place. But on account of the length of the journey that I had to make, the sun set before I had reached my destination. And when night had set