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## Chapter Fourteen: The Land of Vatsa
There is a land called Vatsa, among other lands. It takes on the form of a calf when the milkmen milk the cows. ||1||
Kaushambi, the city, with its palaces reflected in the smooth, blue waters of the Yamuna, shone like the deep navel of Vatsa. ||2||
Adorned with ramparts, walls, and moats, and draped in the sky, the city appeared like a woman burdened by the weight of her hips and breasts. ||3||
Like a mature courtesan, she wore a garment adorned with jewels, and touched the clouds, filled with fresh water, like a lover touching the face of their beloved in the night. ||4||
Or, like a virtuous wife in the dark fortnight, she remained untouched by the rays of the moon, which are like the hands of a wicked man. And just as a virtuous wife shines brightly with her jeweled ornaments amidst the many faults of other women, so too did the city shine with the brilliance of its jeweled ornaments in the dark fortnight. ||5||
The king, the lord of this city, was named Sumukha. Like the sun, he was the source of great power. Just as the sun fills the sky with its rays, so too did the king fill the land with his taxes. ||6||