Indian Antiquary Vol 04

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 68

58
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
ful, and yet you have married her, although she looked so ugly for shame, prince!"
:
Tillottama regained her former good looks, and she and Siva Dâs went away and remained a little time together, and when she was starting for her own country she gave him a flute and told him she would come to him whenever he played it.
Siva Dâs took the flute and returned to the house of the sage, and told him how he had found the dream. The sage told him not to delay there any longer, but to go back to his own country; nevertheless he stopped there a little time, till one day he thought that he had never put the dream to the test, and he wished to see it, and also to see whether the flute was true or not. Having determined on this, he played on the flute, and Tillottama instantly appeared before him and said, "You madman, have you no consideration for time? this is the time for me to dance in Indra's court." However she stayed with him a little time and then went away.
[FEBRUARY, 1875.
Das selected a lucky day for his journey and prepared to start. He and the Rakshasas packed up a great many things in a small compass, and he said he supposed they must trave! by pálki, but the Rakshasa king said they never went in pallis, but travelled in the air. So say. ing, he gave his daughter a great many ornaments, and bade her and his son-in-law farewell, They all three travelled onwards in the sky till they reached the city of the king whom Śiva Dâs had served and whose daughter he had married. Siva bought a house in the bazâr, and then went alone to the king, and remained in the palace for two days, and was treated with great respect, and then he told the king that he had found the dream and wished to go to his own country. The king replied that he might take his daughter and go; and he adorned her with jewellery and sent her with Siva Dâs, and he and she and the two daughters of the Rakshasas all travelled along the sky together till they reached the place where Chandra, the son of Surânî, and the minister were trying to cut their way through the jungle.
Chandra asked if he had found the dream, and who the three women were, and Siva Dâs said he had found it, and the women were his wives. So Chandra concluded that th dream was in the power of one of them, and he and the minister plotted together to kill Siva Dâs by some stratagem, and take the three women to the king and tell him they had found the dream. Having determined on this, he one day invited Siva. Dâs to play at dice on the edge of a well. Now Siva Das was a very intelligent man, and he suspected some design, so he said to his wives, "If Chandra should throw me into the well, you must take all your clothes and ornaments and throw them in after me and then go with Chandra, and if he attempts to misuse you, you must say that you have made a vow, and until that vow be accomplished you will not touch a man."
Next day Siva Dâs thought that, now he had proved the flute to be true, he would like to see the dream, so one day at midnight he said to his sword, "Sword given by Siva, take me to the place in heaven where Tillottama is sleeping" so the sword took him to heaven, and he found Tillottama asleep, and the house was lighted up by her beauty as if by lightning, while the flower of fire kept coming out from her nose and retreating again.
Śiva Das was excessively delighted at the sight and seized the flower, and she woke up instantly, overcome with joy, and said, "Your death has come, for if you come face to face with any of the gods you will be reduced to ashes and will make me a widow: you must leave this place at once." So Siva Dâs descended to earth and went back to the sage, and after he had taken leave of him went back to the country of the Rakshasas.
His wife and her mother were very glad to see him, and set food before him. The king of the Rakshasas had a young unmarried niece, whom Siva Dàs married, and passed some time in great happiness, but at last thought he ought to return to his own country: so he went to the king and said he had found the dream and did not wish to make any further delay. The king said he had no objection to his going, so Siva
So they went to play at dice, and while they were playing one of them gave Śiva Dâs a push and threw him down the well. He had his sword and flute with him, so he merely said, "Sword given by Siva, protect me," and immediately he spoke, although he had fallen halfway down the well, he rose in the air; but in the meantime his three wives had come and thrown their ornaments and clothes down