< Page:Katha sarit sagara, vol2.djvu
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

284

into me," and the fourth covers her face, fearing that some of the fish in a tank may belong to the male sex. He also quotes a striking parallel from the E'lite dos contes du Sicur d'Ouville. Four ladies dispute as to which of them is the most delicate. One has been lame for three months owing to a rose-leaf having fallen on her foot, another has had three ribs broken by a sheet in her bed having been crumpled, a third has hold her head on one side for six weeks owing to one half of her head having three or four more hairs on it than the other, a fourth has broken a blood-vessel by a slight movement, and the rupture cannot be healed without breaking the whole limb.

CHAPTER LXXXVI.

(Vetála 12 )

Then king Trivikramasena again went to the aśoka-tree, and recovered the Vetála, and placed him on his shoulder, and set out with him again silently, as before. Then the Vetála again said to him from his seat on his shoulder; " King, I love you much because you are so indomitable, so listen, I will tell you this delightful story to amuse you."

Story of king Yaśahketu, his Vidyádharí wife, and his faithful minister.:— In the land of Anga there was a young king named Yaśahketu, like a second and unburnt god of love come to earth to conceal his body.*[1] He conquered by his great valour all his enemies; and as Indra has Vrihaspati for a minister, he had Dírghadarśin. Now, in course of time, this king, infatuated with his youth and beauty, entrusted to that minister his realm, from which all enemies had been eradicated, and became devoted to pleasure only. He remained continually in the harem instead of the judgment-hall; he listened to delightful songs in the womens' apartments, instead of hearkening to the voice of his well-wishers; in his thoughtlessness, he was devoted to latticed windows and not to the affairs of his kingdom, though the latter also were full of holes.

But the great minister Dírghadarśin continued unweariedly upholding the burden of his kingdom's cares, day and night. And a general rumour spread to the following effect, "Dírghadarśin has plunged in dissipation the sovereign, who is satisfied with the mere name of king, and so he manages now to enjoy himself all his master's power." Then the minister Dírghadarśin said of himself to his wife Medhávatí, " My dear, as the king

  1. ↑
    • Or "to protect the realm of Anga;" a shameless pun ! The god of Love was consumed by the fire of Śiva's eye.
This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.