Page:Works by the late Horace Hayman Wilson Vol 3.djvu/212

 190 HINDU FICTION. and all the subordinate spirits of earth and air at- tended the daily recitation. At the close, Kanabhuti was liberated from the effects of his curse, and re- turned to his station, an attendant on the god of wealth. Gunadhya was now the only one who had a duty to fulfil before he was restored to his heavenly ho- nours: this was the communication of the Great Tales to Satavahana, to secure their perpetuation upon earth; accordingly he repaired to the vicinity of Pratishthana, and sent the books by two of his disciples to the king. Satavahana treated the present with contempt, and desired the scholars to carry it back to their master ; for a work, he observed, in the language of fiends could not be worth human perusal, and characters traced with blood were only suitable to their infernal origin. The disrespect shewn to such holy volumes affected Gunadhya profoundly. Retiring to a neigh- bouring mountain, he read to his pupils, and the beasts of the field, and birds of the air, who flocked round him to listen, all the stories, except the history of Na- ravahanadatta, throwing each of the series as he com- pleted it, into a fire kindled for the purpose. The extraordinary character of Gunadhya's auditory at last came to the king's ears, and he was induced to visit the spot, and verify the report in person. Upon find- ing that it was true, Satavahana humbled himself be- continents, and seven Matris, were filled with fear, as being of the like enumeration."