Indian Antiquary Vol 24

SR No.: 032516
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 390
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 16 MB

Page 311

OCTOBER, 1895.)
MISCELLANEA.
301
" It is my goddess, my mother-in-law, my dear husband, that gave us all this wealth," repeated Vatsalî even before her husband finished his speech.
"Yes, true it is, true it is. From to-day worship her all the more for it," repeated the husband.
That noon her cunning friend visited Vatsala, who, in her own plain way, related the great boon that her mother-in-law that day conferred upon her family by the gift of unexpected wealth. The neighbour heard it with great pleasure, for her avarice had already devised for her a plan of her making herself rich in the same way. Outwardly she promised to worship her own mother-in-law in that way, and made a copy of Vatsala's image, but her secret intention was to go to the tree in which Vatsalà had hidden herself the previous night, and try to see whether fortane would favour her also. For this purpose she carefully noted the exact position of the tree.
As soon as night approached, without the knowledge of the husband, she ran to the forest to the very tree and concenled herself in it with, of course, the wooden mother-in-law, to surprise the robbers. Even as she expected, the robbers came that night also, and became engaged in dividing their booty. She threw down first the wooden stamp, and the robbers were a little afraid at first; but their money, hard won in their own way of thieving, was not to be thus easily given up every night. So they made a careful search, and caught bold of the woman.
"You wretched hag: you are caught at last," roared they. "You frightened us last night, and we were fools and ran away. But now instead of killing you we will make a lesson of you to others who would thus dare to beard us in our own den."
All the shrieks and cries of the woman, and her pleadings that the woman of the previous night was a different one were of no avail. Her hair was cut. Her nose was cut. And thos mutilated she was driven out of the forest and reached home with her body disfigured for her pains.
Her husband, who had missed her the previous night, received her with great anger, and on hearing the cause of her disfigurement spoke to her in very severe terms. He plainly told her that it was her avarice that brought her that just punishment. But what was to be done next? He applied soothing medicines to her broken nose and advised her never to relate her story to any one, and thus ends the story.
MISCELLANEA. SOME REMARKS ON THE KALYANI | desirous of learning the Vinaya Pisaka. The INSCRIPTIONS
Kalyant Inscriptions add "The king was pleased (Continued from Vol. XXIII. p. 259.)
with the thera, and presented him with an alms.
bowl filled with many kinds of gems." As attest(18) Malayadipa.
ed by the following passage cited in Yule's KobMalayadipa may be identified with the son-Jobson, p. 416, the wealth of the country Malay Archipelago. Its native appellation is during the period in question appears to be an Malayu. The capital of the region may be fixed as undoubted fact :Malacca, which has now been deserted for Penang 1 c. 1150. The Isle of Malai is very great and Singapore. The Malayu betel nut is still
1 .... The people devote themselves to very profitfamous in Burma, and it must have been intro
able trade; and there are found here elephante, duced when there was frequent intercourse
rhinoceroses, and various aromatics and spices, between the Burmese and Malay ports.
such as clove, cinnamon, lard ... and nutmeg. Rabalathôra went to Malayadipa in 543, Sak. In the mountains are mines of gold, of excellent karij, or 1181 A. D. He was well received by quality ... the people have also windmills.'the king, who was evidently a Buddhist, as he was Edrisi, by Jaubert, i. 945."