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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[OCTOBER, 1882.
At last he remembered the demon Jasdrai's politely what was wanted. Then the Prince hair, and instantly taking it out he threw it into told him the whole story, at which demon the fire, and lo! there was his old friend, who Nának Chand shook his head, saying, -"You asked him what he wanted.
will never return from the Emerald Mountain "Show me the way to the Emerald Moun- alive, my son, so be guided by me and forget tain," said the Prince," that I may find my all that has passed." dearest Princess."
But the Prince said, “I have but one life, Then the demon shook his head, saying, and that is gone if I lose my dearest Princess. "You'll never reach the Emerald Mountain As I must die, let me die seeking her." alive, my son, so be guided by me, and forget So demon Nának Chand bid the Prince all that has passed."
travel through demon-land till he came to the The Prince answered, "I have but one life, demon Safed's" house, saying—“Take this and that is gone if I lose my dearest Princess. surma (antimony), and when in need, put it on As I must die, let me die seeking her."
your eyes. Then whatever you look at will be So the demon Jasdrül very unwillingly near or far as you desire it. More I cannot carried the Prince back with him to demon- do for you, but the demon Safed, who is my land, and giving him a magic wand, bade him elder brother, will tell you further." travel over the country till he came to the The Prince accordingly journeyed on through demon Nának Chand's house.
many dangers and difficulties till he came to "You will meet with many dangers on the the house of the demon Safed, to whom he way," said the kind-hearted demon, "but, as told his story, showing the surma and the no one can harm you so long as you bear the magic wand. At this the demon Safed shook his wand, do not part with it day or night. More head, saying, -"You will never return from the I cannot do for you, but Nânak Chand, who is Emerald Mountain alive, my son, so be guided my elder brother, will tell you further."
by me and forget what has passed." So Prince Bahrâm-i-Ghor set out to travel | Still the Prince answered as before, "I have through demon land, and met many dreadful but one life, and that is gone without my things, but came to no harm because of the dearest Princess. As I must die, let me die magic wand.
seeking her." When he arrived at the demon Nânak Chand's Then the demon nodded his head, sayinghouse the latter had just awaked from his sleep, "You are a brave youth, so take this yech'819 which according to the habit of demons had cap. Whenever you put it on, you will be lasted twelve whole years, and he was conse- invisible. Then journey to the North, and by quently desperately hungry. When he saw the and bye you will see the Emerald Mountain. young Prince his mouth watered, and he said to Then just put the surma on your eyes, for it is himself, “Here is a dainty morsel."
an enchanted hill, and the further you climb op But on seeing the wand which the Prince it the higher it grows." This surma makes carried he restrained his appetite, and asked what is near far and what is far near. Then
10 Like Jardrül this name Nanak Chand seems a hopeless puzzle, N Anak is the name of the founder of the Sikh Religion, and has several modern forms N Anka, Nanki, &c. This name Namk is Hindi, and futile attempts at its derivation in the Sikhis are to be found. It is a name derived, much after the manner of many other ordinary Hindů names, from a familiar and common object, and signifies the moon (or delight) of the mother's family. It has no meaning in this connection. Perhaps Minsk Chand. a common Hindů name, is meant : but then who wa Månak Chand the deinon ? Monier Williams, Sansk. Dirt., gives Minikya-Chandra as the name of a king of Tira-bhukti, i.e. of Tirhút, but the fame of him would never reach to Kashmir. As regards the name Chand or Chandra found here I may remark that several of the Danavas or Titans, who with the Daityas fought the gods, had this word compounded with their maines, but I do not know that any of them was named Månikya-Chandra or Minak Chnnd.-R.C.T.
1. Cf. former tales (vol. XI. p. 34) for instances of this twelve years' sleep and also for notes on this peculiar
term of twelve years as applied to demons, jogie, and saints.-R. C. T.
11 Safed white' comes oddly after such a thorough going Hindi name as Ninak Chand. If we take it to mean merely the "White Demon," it may be a modern rendering for Dhauli Sanak, dharala, White, which was, according to Monier Williams, one of the names of the Dik-karins or Elephants supporting the eight quarters of the world. The Dik-larins are constantly confoumled with the Dik-patis (or Dil-palas) or gods of the quarters in modern mythology. The demoniacal nature of the Dikkarine is shown in the synonym Din-niga for them. This demon Safed may therefore be the modern representative of the classical Dhavala, the Demon Elephant of the quarter.-R.C.T.
13 For an explanation of the Yech or Yach see ante, vol. XI, p. 260.-R. C. T.
1. This is evidently an idea derived from the common phenomenon of ridge rising beyond ridge, each in turn deceiving the climber into the belief that he has reached the top.-F. A. S.
