Hindoo Tales Part 15

Having got together this troop of followers, I went to the side of a tank or small lake not far from the city of Andhra, built myself a hut, and made known that I intended to stay there for a time.

The news of my arrival was soon spread abroad by my disciples, who were loud in their praises of my miraculous powers, and the wonderful cures which I had effected; and great numbers of people came from the city to see me, either from curiosity or from the hope of receiving some benefit.

In a very short time wonderful stories about me were brought to the Raja. "There is now a very holy devotee sleeping on the ground near the lake; he is possessed of the most marvellous knowledge. There is no question which he cannot answer, no difficulty which he cannot solve. His power of healing is beyond belief; a few grains of dust fallen from his feet, when sprinkled on the head of the sick, are more efficacious than any medicine; and water in which his feet have been washed has cured in a moment diseases, and driven out evil spirits which have resisted for a long time all the efforts of physicians and exorcists. Yet with all this he is exceedingly kind and condescending, and free from pride."

The king, hearing all this, thought: "This is just the person I am in need of; no doubt he will be able to cure the princess." He therefore determined to apply to me; but so great was his respect for my dignity and supernatural powers, that he did not venture to send for me, but came several times to see me, distributing each time money among my followers, before mentioning his request that I would drive out the evil spirit from the princess.

After hearing his statement, I looked very grave, and appeared for some time to be wrapped in profound meditation. At last I said: "Sir, you have done very right to apply to me; I will undertake that the lady shall be cured, but it would be useless for me to see her at present. The case is a very peculiar one, and the cure requires much thought and consideration; wait therefore for three days, then come again, and I will tell you what is to be done." On receiving this answer, the king went away very well satisfied.

That night, as soon as it was dark, telling my followers on no account to disturb me, I went, as if for private meditation, to one side of the tank, at some distance from the steps, and there dug a large hole in the bank sloping upwards, with the opening partly under water and concealed by loose stones above; taking care to throw the excavated earth into the tank.

On the third day, at dawn, I rearranged my dress as before, and having wors.h.i.+pped the all-seeing sun as he rose, returned to my followers.

I had not long been settled in my usual place when the king made his appearance, and bowing down to my feet, he awaited my pleasure.

Having kept him a short time in suspense, I thus addressed him: "Success does not come to the careless, but all advantages are attainable by the energetic; being devoted to your service, I have given my whole mind to the consideration of this difficult affair, and can now point out a certain way to success.

"The evil spirit by whom the princess is possessed cannot bear the sight of you in your present form, and therefore breaks out into fury when you appear. If your body can be changed, he will no longer be offended, and will immediately depart; there is no other way by which he can be driven out. I have therefore so prepared this lake that if you bathe in it in accordance with my directions, you will acquire a new and beautiful body acceptable to the lady, and she will no more be troubled with the evil spirit.

"You must therefore come here at midnight, and having stripped entirely, swim out into the middle of the tank, and there float on your back as long as possible. Presently a rus.h.i.+ng noise will be heard, and the water will be troubled, and dash against the bank. As soon as the commotion has subsided, come forth; you will find that your body has become younger, stronger, and improved in every respect; and when you return to the palace there will be no further difficulty or obstacle on the part of the princess, who will immediately undergo a change in her feelings, and will long for your society as much as she now abhors it. All this is quite certain; you need not have the smallest doubt; but if you think proper, before deciding, consult your ministers, and be guided by their advice. If they consent, first wors.h.i.+p the G.o.ds and propitiate them with offerings, make large donations to the brahmans and the poor, and come here to-night at the appointed time. That there may be no danger from alligators or concealed enemies, let the tank be thoroughly dragged with nets by a hundred fishermen, and place a line of soldiers all round it with torches in their hands a few steps from the water; with these precautions no possible harm can happen to you."

The enamoured king, very anxious for the expulsion of the supposed demon, and fully believing that I had the power to perform what I had promised, went away well pleased, and immediately consulted his ministers. They seeing how eager he was, and not antic.i.p.ating any possibility of danger, readily approved of the proceeding.

Having obtained their consent the king returned to me, and finding that I was about to depart, earnestly entreated me to stay, saying that half the pleasure of success would be taken away if I were not there to witness it; but I answered that there were urgent reasons for my immediate departure, and that I had already remained longer than I had intended to do, solely on his account. I a.s.sured him that I had so prepared everything that my presence was now quite unnecessary, that I was about to disappear from the world, and that he would see me no more. Finding me quite determined, he took leave of me with many expressions of respect, and went back to his palace to give orders for the performance of all that I had directed.

Accordingly, a large number of fishermen with nets were engaged, by whom the lake was thoroughly dragged, and large donations were made to the brahmans and the poor. Towards evening, soldiers with torches were placed, all round the tank, and at midnight the king, attended by a numerous retinue, and followed by a great crowd anxious to witness the expected miracle, came to the steps leading down to the water, and having undressed there in a tent which had been pitched for that purpose, plunged in and swam out to the middle.

Meanwhile I had said to my followers: "I have no further need of you; I am about to retire to a lonely place to practise meditation; you may now leave me; go, and my blessing be upon you." Well satisfied with the gifts they had received, they departed; and when they were gone I slipped un.o.bserved into the lake, and entered the hole which I had prepared. There I remained till I heard the noise of the crowd who came with the king, and perceived him floating on the surface. Diving cautiously under him, I pulled him down, strangled him, and dragged the body into the hole; then swimming to the steps, I boldly came forth, to the astonishment of the attendants, who, though they had expected a miracle, were scarcely prepared for such a great change. No one, however, doubted that I was really their sovereign, and having dressed and mounted an elephant, I entered the city, escorted by the soldiers and followed by a great crowd of people, who had come forth from curiosity, and were loud in their praises of the pious man who had wrought such a miracle.

That night I was unable to sleep. In the morning I summoned all the ministers and counsellors, and said: "Behold the power of piety and penance. That holy man has performed a great miracle, and bestowed on me this new body, which you see, by means of the tank which he has consecrated, and through the favour of the G.o.ds, whom he had long propitiated; after such a manifestation, who shall doubt their power?

Let the faces of all unbelievers be bowed down by shame; let a great and solemn festival be made with song and dance in honour of Brahma, Siva, Yama, and the other deities, the rulers of the world, and distribute much money among the poor."

This speech was received with great approbation, and all, congratulating me and praising the G.o.ds, performed the duties imposed upon them.

After this I went to the women's apartments, and there the first person whom I met was a very devoted servant of the princess, who had been especially attentive to me. She, not imagining what had occurred, would have let me pa.s.s without especial notice; but I called her, and said: "Have you never seen me before?"

Then indeed she opened her eyes wide with joy and astonishment, saying: "Can it be possible? is not this a delusion? Tell me what it all means."

I gave her a brief account of what had happened, and sent her to prepare my wife. How glad she was to see me you may well imagine.

So well did we manage, that the secret was kept, no suspicion even arose, and all the people were rejoiced at the favourable change, not only in the person, but in the temper and disposition of their sovereign.

In due time I was publicly married to the princess, and reinstated her father in his kingdom.

I have now come here with an army to a.s.sist the King of Anga, and have thus obtained the great happiness of seeing you again.

The prince, having heard this story, said "Your cleverness has indeed been great, and your personation of the Siddha wonderful. May you long continue to possess such wisdom and prudence, combined with wit and cheerfulness." Then, looking at Visruta, he said: "It is now your turn;" and he forthwith began:--

ADVENTURES OF VISRUTA.

My Lord, as I was wandering one day in the forest of Vindhya, I met with a very handsome boy, standing by the side of a well, crying bitterly. When I asked what was the matter, he said: "The old man who was with me, when trying to get water from this well, fell in, and I am unable to help him. What will become of me?"

Hearing this, I looked down the well, which was not very deep, and saw the old man standing at the bottom, the water not being sufficient to cover him. By means of a long and tough stem of a creeper, I pulled him up safely; then using it again as a rope, with a cup made from the hollow stem of a bamboo, I drew water for the poor child, who was half dead with thirst; and finding that he was suffering from hunger also, I knocked down some nuts from the top of a high tree with a well-aimed blow of a stone.

The old man was very grateful for my timely a.s.sistance; and when we were all comfortably seated in the shade, he gave me, at my request, a long account of the circ.u.mstances which had brought him there, saying:--

"There was formerly a King of Vidarba remarkable for wisdom and justice, learned in the Scriptures, a protector of his subjects (by whom he was much beloved), a terror to his enemies, wise in political science, upright and honest in all his actions, kind to his dependents, grateful for even small services, and gracious to all.

Having lived the full age of man, he died, leaving a prosperous kingdom to his son Anantavarma, a young man of great abilities, but caring more for the mechanical arts, music, and poetry, than for his duties as a ruler.

"One day, one of his father's old counsellors in private addressed him thus: 'Sire, your majesty, with the advantage of royal birth, has almost every good quality that can be desired; your intelligence is very great; your knowledge superior to that of others; but all this, without instruction in political science and attention to public affairs, is insufficient for a king; void of such knowledge, he is despised, not only by foreigners, but by his own subjects, who, disregarding all laws, human and divine, at last perish miserably, and drag down their sovereign in their fall. A king who has not political wisdom, however good his eyesight may be, is regarded by the wise as a blind man, unable to see things as they are. I entreat you, therefore, to give up the pursuits to which you are so devoted, and to study the art of government. Your power will then be strengthened, and you may long reign over a happy and prosperous people.'

"To this exhortation the young king appeared to listen attentively; and said: 'Such is the teaching of the wise; it ought to be followed.'

"After dismissing the old counsellor, the king went into the women's apartments, and began to talk to them of the exhortation which he had just received. His observations were attentively listened to by one of his constant attendants, who determined, if possible, to turn the king's thoughts in another direction, and prevent him from being influenced by the good advice which had been given. This man had many accomplishments; he was skilled in dancing, music, and singing; quick at repartee; a good story-teller; full of fun and jokes; but devoid of honour and honesty; false, slanderous, a receiver of bribes, a bad man in every way; yet, from his wit and humour, very acceptable to the king, whom he now thus addressed: 'Wherever there is a person of exalted position, there are always clever rogues ready to prey upon him, and, while degrading him, to accomplish their own base purposes.

Some, under the guise of religion, will tell him: "The happiness of this world is shortlived and fleeting; eternal happiness can only be obtained by prayer and penance;" and so they persuade him to shave his head, wear a dress of skins, gird himself with a rope of sacred gra.s.s, and, renouncing all pleasures and luxuries, to betake himself to fasting and penance, and give away his riches to the poor, meaning, of course, themselves; some of these religious impostors will even persuade their dupes to renounce children, wife--nay, even life itself.

"'But suppose a man to have too much sense to be deluded in this way, they will try a different plan; to one they will say: "We can make gold; only furnish us with the means, and your riches shall be increased a thousandfold;" to another: "We can show you how to destroy all your enemies without a weapon;" to another: "Follow our advice, and, though you are n.o.body now, you shall soon become a great man."

"'If their victim is a sovereign, they will say to him: "Four branches of study are said to be proper for kings--the vedas, the puranas, metaphysics, and political science;--but the first three are of very little advantage; they may safely be neglected, and he should give up his mind to the last only. Are there not the six thousand verses composed for the use of kings, and containing the whole science? Learn these by heart, and you will be prepared for all emergencies." So then he must set to work to learn all these crabbed rules. He must; according to them, distrust every one, even wife or son. He must rise early, take a very scanty meal, and immediately proceed to business.

"'First he must go over accounts, and balance income and expenditure; and while his rascally ministers pretend to have everything very exact, they have forty thousand ways of cheating him, and take good care of themselves.

"'Then he must sit in public, and be tired to death with receiving frivolous complaints and pet.i.tions, and will not even have the satisfaction of doing justice; for, whether a cause be just or not, his ministers will take care that the decision shall be according to their own interests.

"'Then he is allowed a short time for bathing, dressing, and dining; if, indeed, the poor wretch can venture to dine, with the constant fear of poison in his mind.

"'After this he must remain a long time in council with his ministers, perplexed with their conflicting arguments, and unable to understand even the half of them; while they, pretending to act impartially, get everything settled as they had previously agreed and by twisting and distorting the reports of spies and emissaries, manage to serve themselves and their friends, and to get credit for putting down disturbances which they themselves had excited.

"'He is now allowed to take a little amus.e.m.e.nt, but the time for this is restricted to an hour and a half.

"'Then he must review his army; hear the reports of the commander of his forces; give orders for peace or war; and act upon the accounts brought by spies and emissaries.

"'However weary he maybe with all this, he must sit down and read diligently, like some poor student, for several hours. Then at last he may retire to rest; but before he has had half enough sleep, he will be awaked in the early morning; and the priests will come to him, and say: "There is an unfavourable conjunction of the planets; evil omens have appeared; there is danger impending; the G.o.ds must be propitiated; let a great sacrifice be made to-day. The brahmans are continually engaged in supplicating the G.o.ds on your behalf; your prosperity is dependent on their prayers; they are miserably poor, and have many children to support; let large donations be made." Thus the greedy wretches, under the pretence of religion, are continually robbing the king and enriching themselves.

"'This is the sort of life which you will have to lead, if you give yourself up to the guidance of those greybeards; and, after all, though you may have studied and studied, pored over their musty volumes, and listened to their tedious lectures, you are not sure of doing right.

"'And who are these fellows who set themselves up for wise men? Do they always do right? Are they not often themselves cheated by the unlearned? Common sense is far better than all this learning; instinct and feeling will guide us in the right way; even an infant without teaching finds out how to draw nourishment from the mother's breast.

Cast aside, then, the rules and restrictions with which these old fools would bind you. Follow your natural inclinations, and enjoy life while you can. You possess youth, beauty, and strength. You have a large army, ten thousand elephants, and three hundred thousand horses; your treasury is full of gold and jewels, and would not be emptied in a thousand years. What more would you have? Life is short, and those who are always thinking of adding to their possessions, go on toiling to the last, and never really enjoy them.

"'But why should I waste your time with needless arguments? I see you are already convinced. Commit, then, the cares of government to your ministers; spend your time with your ladies, and congenial friends like me; enjoy drinking, music, and dancing, and trouble yourself no more with affairs of state.'

"Having thus spoken, he prostrated himself in very humble att.i.tude at the feet of his master, who remained for a time silent, as if undecided.