Page:The Katha Sarit Sagara.djvu/477

 battle become red, filled with streaming blood, but the heaven also became red, when evening set her foot-prints there. Then the corps - and demons began their evening dance, and both armies, stopping the battle, went to their camps. In the army of Śrutaśarman were slain that day three heroes, but thirty-three distinguished heroes were slain in the army of Súryaprabha.

Then Súryaprabha, grieved at the slaughter of his kinsmen and friends, spent that night apart from his wives. And eager for the fight, he passed that night in various military discussions with his ministers, without going to sleep. And his wives, grieved on account of the slaughter of their relations, met together in one place that night, having come for the sake of mutual condolence. But even on that melancholy occasion they indulged in miscellaneous conversation; there is no occasion on which women are not irrelevant in their talk. In the course of this conversation, one princess said— " It is wonderful ! How comes it that to-night our husband has gone to sleep without any of his wives?" Hearing that, another said— " Our husband is to-day grieved on account of the slaughter of his followers in battle, so how can he take any pleasure in the society of women?" Then another said, " If he were to obtain a new beauty, be would that instant forget his grief." Then another said— " Do not say so; although he is devoted to the fair sex, he would not behave in this way on such a sad occasion " While they were thus speaking, one said with wonder; " Tell me why our husband is so devoted to women, that, though he has carried off many wives, be is perpetually marrying new princesses and is never satisfied." One of the wives, a clever woman of the name of Manovatí, said when she heard this,— " Hear why kings have many loves. The good qualities of lovely women are different, varying with their native land, their beauty, their age, their gestures, and their accomplishments, no one woman possesses all good qualities. The women of Karnáta, of Láta, of Sauráshtra and Madhyadeśa, please by the peculiar behaviour of their various countries. Some fair ones captivate by their faces like an autumn moon, others by their breasts full and firm like golden ewers, and others by their limbs, charming from their beauty.' One has limbs yellow as gold, another is dark like a priyangu, another, being red and white, captivates the eyes as soon as seen. One is of budding beauty, another of full-developed youth, another is agreeable on account of her maturity, and distinguished by increasing coquetry. One looks lovely when smiling, another is charming even in anger, another charms with gait resembling that of an elephant, another with swan-like motion. One, when she prattles, irrigates the ears with nectar; another is naturally beautiful, when she looks at one with graceful contraction of the eyebrows. One charms by dancing, another pleases by singing, and another fair one attracts by being able to play on the lyre and