Page:The Katha Sarit Sagara.djvu/560

 exclaimed angrily— " Fie ! why have you taken to-day one karsha more of ghee than the small amount allowed to you, and eaten meat-curry, and drunk a pala of milk?" Then they dragged Arthavarman by his foot and beat him with clubs. And they extracted from his stomach the karsha of ghee, and the milk, flesh, and rice, which he had consumed above his allowance. When Yaśovarman had seen that, he woke up and looked about him, and lo ! Arthavarman had woke up, and was seized with colic. Then Arthavarman, crying out, and having his stomach rubbed by his servants, vomited up all the food he had eaten above the proper allowance. After the merchant's colic was allayed, Yaśovarman said to himself: "Away with this good fortune of wealth, which involves enjoyment of such an equivocal kind ! This would be altogether neutralized by such misery of ill health." In such internal reflections he passed that night.

And in the morning he took leave of Arthavarman, and went to the house of that merchant Bhogavarman. There he approached him in due form, and he received him with politeness, and invited him to dine with him on that day. Now he did not perceive any wealth in the possession of that merchant, but he saw that he had a nice house, and dresses, and ornaments. While Yaśovarman was waiting there, the merchant Bhogavarman proceeded to do his own special business. He took merchandise from one man, and immediately handed it over to another, and without any capital of his own, gained dínárs by the transaction. And he quickly sent those dinars by the hand of his servant to his wife, in order that she might procure all kinds of food and drink. And immediately one of that merchant's friend's, named Ichchhábharana, rushed in and said to him: " Our dinner is ready, rise up and come to us, and let us eat, for all our other friends have assembled and are waiting for you." He answered, " I shall not come to-day, for I have a guest here." Thereupon his friend went on to say to him, " Then let this guest come with you; is he not our friend also? Rise up quickly." Bhogavarman, being thus earnestly invited by that friend, went with him, accompanied by Yaśovarman, and ate excellent food. And, after drinking wine, he returned, and again enjoyed all kinds of viands and wines at his own house in the evening. And when night came on, he asked his servants— " Have we enough wine left for the latter part of the night or not?" When they replied, " No, master," the merchant went to bed, exclaiming, " How are we to drink water in the latter part of the night?"

Then Yaśovarman, sleeping at his side, saw in a dream two or three men enter, and some others behind them. And those who entered last, having sticks in their hands, exclaimed angrily to those who entered first—" You rascals ! ' Why did you not provide wine for Bhogavarman to drink in the latter half of the night? Where have you been all this time?" Then