Page:Katha sarit sagara, vol2.djvu/543

 that direction. When the great hero beheld Padmávatí gleaming bright ill the grasp of that pair of Rákshasís, looking like a flash of lightning in the midst of a bank of black clouds, he ran forward and delivered her, hurling the Rákshasís senseless to earth by a blow from the flat of his hand. And he looked on that torrent river of the elixir of beauty, adorned with a waist charming with three wave-like wrinkles, who seemed to have been composed by the Creator of the essence of all beauty, when he was full of the wonderful skill he had acquired by forming the nymphs of heaven. And the moment he looked on her, his senses were benumbed by love's opiate, though he was strong of will; and he remained for a moment motionless, as if painted in a picture. And Padmávatí too, now that the alarm caused by the Rákshasís was at an end, at once recovered her spirits, and looked on the prince, who possessed a form that was a feast to the eyes of the world, and who was one fitted to madden womankind, and seemed to have been created by Fate by a blending together in one body of the moon and the god of Love. Then, her face being cast down with shame, she said of her own accord to her friend, " May good luck befall him ! I will depart hence, from the presence of a strange man."

Even while she was saying this, Muktáphalaketu said to her friend, " What did this young lady say?" And she answered, " This lovely maiden bestowed a blessing on you, the saver of her life, and said to me, " Come, let us depart from the presence of a strange man." When Muktáphalaketu heard this, he said to her with eager excitement, " Who is she? Whose daughter is she ? To what man of great merit is a former life is she to be given in marriage?* " When he addressed this question to the princess's companion, she answered him, " Fair sir, this my friend is the maiden named Padmávatí, the daughter of Padmásekhara the king of the Gandharvas, and Śiva has ordained that her husband is to be Muktáphalaketu, the son of Chandraketu, the darling of the world, the ally of Indra, the destined slayer of Vidyuddhvaja. Because she desires the victory for that future husband of hers and for her father in the battle now at hand, she has come to this temple of Gaurí to perform asceticism."

When the followers of Chandraketu's son heard this, they delighted the princess by exclaiming, " Bravo ! here is that future husband of yours." Then the princess and her lover had their hearts filled with joy at discovering one another, and they both thought, ".It is well that we came here to-day," and they continued casting loving sidelong timid glances at one another; and while they were thus engaged, the sound of drums was heard,