Page:The Katha Sarit Sagara.djvu/363

 Thus encouraging them, he devoutly worshipped that goddess Durgá: " Hail to thee, goddess ! I worship thy feet that are stained with a red dye, as if it were the clotted gore of the trampled Asura clinging to them. Thou, as the all-ruling power of Śiva, dost govern the three worlds, and inspired by thee they live and move. Thou didst deliver the worlds, O slayer of the Asura Mahisha. Deliver me that crave thy protection, O thou cherisher of thy votaries." In these and similar words he and his companions duly worshipped the goddess, and then they all fell asleep, being weary. And the goddess Durgá in a dream commanded Niśchayadatta and his companions " Rise up, my children, depart, for your 'fetters are loosed." Then they woke up at night, and saw that their fetters had fallen off of themselves, and after relating to one another their dream, they departed thence delighted. And after they had gone a long journey, the night came to an end, and then those merchant's sons, who had gone through such terrors, said to Niśchayadatta; " Enough of this quarter of the world infested with barbarians ! We will go to the Deccan, friend, but do you do as you desire." When they said this to him, he dismissed them to go where they would, and set out alone vigorously on his journey, making towards that very northern quarter, drawn by the noose of love for Anurágapará, flinging aside fear. As he went along, he fell in, in course of time, with four Páśupata ascetics, and reached and crossed the river Vitastá. And after crossing it, he took food, and as the sun was kissing the western mountain, he entered with them a forest that lay in their path. And there some woodmen, that met them, said to them: " Whither are you going, now that the day is over. There is no village in. front of you: but there is an empty temple of Śiva in this wood. Whoever remains there during the night inside or outside, falls a prey to a Yakshiní, who bewilders him, making horns grow on his forehead, and then treats him as a victim, and devours him." Those four Páśupata ascetics, who were travelling together, though they heard this, said to Niśchayadatta, " Come along ! what can that miserable Yakshiní do to us? For we have remained many nights in various cemeteries." When they said this, he went with them, and finding an empty temple of Śiva, he entered it with 'them to pass the night there. In the court of that temple the bold Niśchayadatta and the Páśupata ascetics quickly made a great circle with ashes, and entering into it, they lighted a fire with fuel, and all remained there, muttering a charm to protect themselves.

Then at night there came there dancing the Yakshiní Śringotpádiní,* playing from afar on her lute of bones, and when she came near, she fixed her eye on one of the four Páśupata ascetics, and recited a charm, as she