Page:The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (Volume 1).pdf/410

396 Burnt with the strong flame of desire the king asked that charming maiden, still innocent, though in her full youth, saying, - thou of tapering things, who art thou and whose! Why also dost thou stay bere? O thou of sweet smiles, why dost thou wander alone in these solitary woods ? Of every feature perfectly faultless, and decked with every ornaments thou seemest to be the coveted ornament of these Ornaments themselves! Thou seemest not to be of celestial or Asura or Yaksha or Rakshasa or Naga or Gandharva or human origin. O excellent lady, the best of women that I have ever seen or heard of would not compare with thee in beauty ! O thou of handsome face, at sight of thee lovelier than the moon and graced with eyes like lotus-petals, the god of desire is grinding me.

" 'King Samvarana thus addessed that damsel in the forest, who however, spoke not a word unto the monarch burning with desire. Instead, like lightning in the clouds, that large-eyed maiden quickly disappeared in the very sight of the wishful monarch. The king then wandered through the whole forest, like one out of his senses, in search of that girl of eyes like lotus-petals. Failing to find her, that best of monarchs indulged in copious lamentations, and for a time stood motion. less with grief.'"

Thus ends the hundred and seventy-third section in the Chaitraratha Parva of the Adi Parva.

"The Gandharva continued.,'When that maiden disappeared, that feller of hostile ranks deprived of his senses by Kama (concupiscence). himself fell down, on the earth. And as the monarch fell down, that maiden of sweet smiles and prominent and round hips appeared again before him, and smiling sweetly, said unto that perpetua tor of Kure's race these honeyed words.-Rise, rise. O chastiser of foes ! Blest be thou : it behoveth thee not, O tiger among kings, to lose thy reason, celebrated as thou art in the world 1–Addressed in these. honeyed words, the king opened his eyes and saw before him that self same girl of swelling bips. The monarch who was burning with the flame of desire then addressed that black-eyed damsel in accents weak with emotion, and said, -Blest be thou O excellent woman of black eyes! As I am burning with desire and paying thee court, 0, accept me!