Page:Katha sarit sagara, vol2.djvu/585

 though a brave warrior, he was not hard -handed,* though not uxorious, he was beloved by his wives. He was the father of all the fatherless, the friend of all the friendless, and the protector of all the unprotected among his subjects. Surely his glory furnished the Disposer with the material out of which he built up the White Island, the Sea of Milk, Mount Kailása, and the Himálayas. †

And one day, as the king Vikramáditya was in the hall of assembly, the warder Bhadráyudha came in and said to him, " Your Majesty despatched Vikramaśakti with an army to conquer the southern region and other territories, and then sent to him a messenger named Anangadeva; that messenger has now returned, and is at the gate with another, and his delighted face announces good tidings, my lord." The king said, " Let him enter," and then the warder respectfully introduced Anangadeva, with his companion. The messenger entered and bowed, and shouted " Victory" ‡ and sat down in front of the king; and then the king said to him, " Is it well with king Vikramaśakti, the general of my forces, and with Vyághrabala and the other kings? And does good fortune attend on the other chief Rajputs in his army, and on the elephants, horses, chariots and footmen?"

When Anangadeva had been thus questioned by the king, he answered, " It is well with Vikramaśakti and the whole of the army. And Your Majesty has conquered the Dekkan and the western border, and Madhyadeśa and Saurásțhra and all the eastern region of the Ganges; and the northern region and Káśmíra have been made tributary, and various forts and islands have been conquered, and the hosts of the Mlechchhas have been slain, and the rest have been reduced to submission, and various kings have entered the camp of Vikramaśakti, and he himself is coming here with those kings, and is now, my lord, two or three marches off,"

When the messenger had thus told his tale, king Vikramáditya was pleased and loaded § him with garments, ornaments, and villages. Then the king went on to say to that noble messenger, " Anangadeva, when you went there, what regions did you see, and what object of interest did you meet with anywhere? Tell me, my good fellow !" When Anangadeva had been thus questioned by the king, he began to recount his adventures, as follows: