Page:The Tamils Eighteen Hundred Years Ago.djvu/204

Rh as lively as ever. Disconcerted in all her attempts, and astonished to find that Manimêkalai was not in the least affected by want of food, the queen was now convinced that she was a virtuous and saintly character. She prayed for Manimêkalai’s pardon for having persecuted her under the belief that she was the cause of her son’s death. Manimêkalai who was ready to forgive her said, “When you were Queen Nilapati in your former birth, your son Râhula died, bitten by a venomous snake, and I who was then his wife gave up my life on his funeral pyre. Your son had in a fit of rage killed his cook in his previous birth, and the effect of this sin reacted on him now and he was murdered by the Vinchayan” She related further to the Queen all the events that occurred since she met prince Udayakumara at Uva-vana and explained to her how she was able to preserve her life, with the help of the spells taught to her by the Goddess of the ocean, notwithstanding the persecutions of the Queen. “I could have with the aid of my spells, gone out of the prison, but I did not do so; because, I wished to stay and console you, who are the mother of my departed lover. Those only know true happiness who never cease to love all sentiment beings.” Consoled with these words, the Queen rose and made a profound obeisance to Manimekalai, but the latter would not allow her to do so. “You are the mother of my husband in a former birth and now you are the great Queen of the Monarch of this land. It is not proper that you should bow to me,” she said and bowed low to her in return.

Chitrapati who had heard of the murder of Prince Udayakumara and of the imprisonment of her grand-daughter Manimekalai and her subsequent release, went to the palace and falling at the feet of the Queen represented to her all her misfortunes, and implored that Manimekalai be restored to her. But the Queen informed her that Manimekalai hated intensely the life of a courtezan, and would not therefore reside with her hereafter. Meantime Mâthavi accompanied by the Buddhist abbot also sought an audience of the Queen. When they saw the venerable monk, the Queen and her attendants rose and went forward to receive him. The Queen greeted him respectfully,