Page:The Katha Sarit Sagara.djvu/563

 And he spent that night, which was devoted to the amusement of a concert, in singing with his wives in such a ravishing way, that Sarasvatí from her seat in heaven gave him and his beloved ones high commendation.

Then, the next day, as Naraváhanadatta was sitting in the apartments of Alankáravatí, a servant of Marubhúti's, the brother of Sauvidalla the guard of the prince's harem, came and said to him in the presence of all his ministers " King, I have attended on Marubhúti for two years; he has given food and clothing to me and my wife: but he will not give me the fifty dínárs a year, which he promised me in addition. And when I asked him for it, he gave me a kick. So 1 am sitting in dharna against him at your Highness's door. If your Highness does not give judgment in this case, I shall enter the fire. What more can I say? For you are my sovereign." When he had said this, he stopped, and Marubhúti said— " I must give him the dínárs, but I have not got the money at present." When he said this, all the ministers laughed at him, and Naraváhanadatta said to the minister Marubhúti: " What are you thinking about, you fool? Your intentions are not over-creditable. Rise up, give him the hundred dínárs without delay." When Marubhúti heard this speech of his sovereign's, he was ashamed, and immediately brought that hundred dínárs and gave it to him. Then Gomukha said— " Marubhúti is not to be blamed, because the works of the Creator's hand have varying moods of mind. Have you not heard the story of king Chiradátri, and his servant named Prasanga?"

In old time there was a king named Chiradátri, sovereign or Chirapura. Though he was an excellent man, his followers were extremely wicked. And that king had a servant, named Prasanga, who had come from another country, and was accompanied by two friends. And five years passed, while he was performing his duties, but the king gave him nothing, not even when an occasion was presented by a feast or something of the kind. And owing to the wickedness of the courtiers, he never obtained an opportunity of representing his case to the king, though his friends were continually instigating him to do so.

Now one day the king's infant son died, and when he was grieved as it, all his servants came and crowded round him. And among them the servant, named Prasanga, out of pure sorrow, said to the king as follows,