Page:Katha sarit sagara, vol2.djvu/472

 previously eaten, came out of my mouth, looking like two glittering rubies. And no sooner bad they come cut, than the kuțțaní snapped them up, and swallowed them. So I lost my power of producing gold, of which the kuțțaní thus deprived me.

I thought to myself, " Śiva still retains bis crescent and Vishnu his kaustubha jewel; but I know what would be the result, if those two deities were to fall into the clutches of a kuțțaní* But such is this world, full of marvels, full of frauds; who can fathom it, or the sea, at any time?" With such sad reflections in my bosom I went despondent to a temple of Durgá, to propitiate the goddess with asceticism, in order to recover you. And after I had fasted for three nights, the goddess gave me this command in a dream, " Thy master has obtained all he desires: go, and behold him;" upon hearing this I woke up; and this very morning some goddess carried me to your feet; this, prince, is the story of my adventures.

When Marubhúti had said this, Naraváhanadatta and his courtiers laughed at him for having been tricked by a kuțțaní.

Hariśikha's account of his adventures.:—Then Hariśikha said;— On that occasion when I was seized by my enemy, some divinity saved me and deposited me in Ujjayiní. There I was so unhappy that I conceived the design of abandoning the body; so at nightfall I went into the cemetery and proceeded to construct a pyre with the logs there. I lighted it and begun to worship the Are, and while I was thus engaged, a prince of the demons, named Tálajangha, came up to me, and said to me, " Why do you enter the tire? Your master is alive, and you shall be united with him, now that he has obtained the supernatural powers he desired." With these words, the demon, though naturally cruel, lovingly dissuaded me from death; even some stones melt when fate is propitious. Then I went and remained for a long time performing asceticism in front of the god; and some divinity has to-day brought me to your side, my liege. Thus Hariśikha told his tale, and the others in their turn told theirs, and then, at the suggestion of Amitagati, king Naraváhanadatta incited the venerable Dhanavatí, adored by the Vidyádharas, to bestow all the sciences on those ministers of his also. Then all his ministers also became Vidyádharas; and Dhanavatí said, " Now conquer your enemies;" so on a fortunate day the hero gave orders that the imperial troops should march out towards the city of Gaurímunda, called Govindakúța.