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 THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.

306

[Oct. 4, 1872.

husband deposited with me.’ Hearing this she exclaimed in a loud voice, “Hear ye deities of the house, be witnesses, ye goblins: he has my property.’ Speaking thus she defaced him also with lamp-soot. Then she said “The night has

the son of the minister said to her—' Love me.'

She, who had finished bathing, seeing that night had come, became afraid and spoke to him, “Be it so, on the third day at night-fall I will meet you secretly.” Speaking thus to him, she After leaving him she addressed the

passed, go.’ Quickly the Vāniā went forth,

domestic priest to this effect, ‘On the third day hence, in the second watch of the night, I shall be at your disposal.' Turning away from him

covering his face from fear of the people who are about early. Bereſt of his garments, he was hooted on the road by the people. Wise Upa košā who had thus protected her virtue, after his departure, started early for the audience-hall of King Nanda. The king was informed, that the daughter of Upavarsha, the faithful wife of

went.

she said to the foujdar ‘On the third day her.ce, in the third watch of the night I am ready to

do your will. After she had made this assigna tion, he let her go and she went home, filling as it were, by her frightened glances, the sky with

Wararuchi had come, and he honoured her there.

thee, what harm is there (in my doing it). She told that story to her domestics. When the third day had come, the excellent minister,

She said “O king, the Wāniā Hiranyagupta conceals great wealth which my husband deposited with him. It is now for you, Lord, to give orders.' After that, when that liar had been summoned and come, Upakošā said “Lord, at home I have witnesses; order my household-gods to be brought, who are kept in a box, they will declare the truth.” The basket-box was brought at the king's command and placed by the bearers

trembling and having lost all control over him

in the midst of the assembly.

self, entered in the night her house, where the

ful wife spoke again ‘Ho ye deities, who are

lamps had been extinguished. Upakosä called him by his name and said “On you I have placed my affection.’ At her order he entered

worthy

lotuses.

Being in want of her husband's money she tried to remedy its concealment (by the banker). But Hiranyagupta asked her for an assignation in her house.

She said to him “On the third

day hence, at the end of the night, I will obey

a dark room in the interior of the house. There the servant-maids smeared for a long time the

limbs of the lover with a soft unguent consisting of oil and lamp-soot. But, when in the second watch of the night the domestic priest came in haste, Upakošā showed to the (first lover) an open wooden box, said “Enter, enter quickly here comes the master of the house,’ and made

him enter it. Closing it with an iron bolt, she said to the domestic priest ‘You must not touch me without having bathed.’ He also was treated in the same manner (as the first lover). When he had been anointed with oil and soot, the

third also came. Forsooth, who escapes being deceived and made a fool of by the rogue Cupid After the priest, overwhelmed with fear, had

been disposed of in the same box (as the first lover), the third also, in his turn, was made to resemble a goblin. At the end of the night the excellent Vāniā Hiranyagupta arrived, and the foujdar was concealed likewise in the wooden box. Then Upakośā, facing the box, spoke to the Wāniā, who was sitting at his ease on an excellent seat, ‘Give me the deposit.” Hiranya

Then the faith

of constant worship, tell the truth

for my sake. If you remain silent in this matter of evidence, I shall quickly burn the basket.’ Hearing this, they said, full of fear, ‘Forsooth, thy property is in the hands of Hiranyagupta, we three are witnesses to that.” All present in the assembly, who heard this miraculous answer, were astonished ; they opened the basket and saw the naked men smeared with soot. When the king had been informed of the circumstances of the case, he punished them by a fine and honoured Upakośā

as his spiritual sister. About this time I (Vara ruchi), by the grace of Sambhu, remembered the grammar, learned with joy the news about my house and went to visit my teacher. The story of Upakóša.”

This sample of Kshemendra's style will fully bear out the strictures passed on him. His brevity sometimes makes him unintelligible andhis style is far from being easy and flow ing.

I

But I must return to the chief point in ques tion, viz. what light Kshemendra's work throws on the origin of the Vrihatkathâ. In this re spect the concluding verses of his poem are of the greatest importance. After enumerating, in the Anukramanikā, the contents of his work, he gives

have the money, fair-browed one, which your

the following information regarding his prede

gupta replied ‘Love me, sweet smiling one.