Page:The Katha Sarit Sagara.djvu/561

 they beat them with strokes of their sticks. The men who were beaten with sticks, said, " Pardon this single fault on our part." And then they and the others went out of the room.

Then Yaśovarman, having seen that sight, woke up and reflected, " The good fortune of enjoyment of Bhogavarman, in which blessings arrive unthought of, is preferable to the good fortune of wealth of Arthavarman, which, though attended with opulence, is devoid of enjoyment.

In these reflections he spent the rest of the night. And early the next morning Yaśovarman took leave of that excellent merchant, and again repaired to the feet of Durgá, the goddess that dwells in the Vindhya range. And he chose out of those two good fortunes mentioned by the goddess, when she appeared to him on a former occasion,* while he was engaged in austerities, the good fortune of enjoyment, and the goddess granted it to him. Then Yaśovarman returned home and lived in happiness, thanks to the good fortune of enjoyment, which, owing to the favour of the goddess, continually presented itself to him unthought of. " So a smaller fortune, accompanied with enjoyment, is to be preferred to a great fortune, which, though great, is devoid of enjoyment and therefore useless. So why are you annoyed at the good fortune of king Chamarabála, which is combined with meanness, and do not consider your own fortune, which is rich in the power of giving and in enjoyment?

So an attack on him by you is not advisable, and there is no auspicious moment for commencing the expedition, and I do not foresee victory to you." Though those five kings were thus warned by the astrologer, they marched in their impatience against king Chamarabála.

And when king Chamarabála heard that they had reached the border, he bathed in the morning, and worshipped Siva duly by his auspicious names referring to sixty-eight excellent parts of the body, † — his names that destroy sin and grant all desires. And then he heard a voice coming from heaven, " King, fight without fear, thou shalt conquer thy enemies in battle." Then king Chamarabála was delighted, and girded on his armour, and accompanied by his army, marched out to fight with those foes. In the army of his enemies there were thirty thousand elephants, and three hundred thousand horses, and ten million foot-soldiers. And in his own army there were twenty hundred thousand foot-soldiers, and ten thousand elephants, and a hundred thousand horses. Then a great battle took place between those two armies, and king Chamarabála, preceded by his warder Vira, ‡ who was rightly so named, entered that field of battle, as the holy Vishnu, in the form of the great boar, entered the great ocean. And