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270
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(SEPTEMBER, 1884.
water the Brahman sat down for the hôma. The prince, fearing the serpent, wished to sit inside the house, but at a distance from the place of the ceremony. Just at the appointed hour a large black serpent broke through the sky, fell on the head of the prince, whom he was not able to bite, and gave up its life in the fire. "This is no neatherd, but the very prince himself," said the Brahmani. Sundara rose up, and running circumambulated them thrice, spoke to them thus: "You alone are my parents and protectors. This night has been a most adventurous one with me. There was every possibility of my escaping every other calamity, and so I did. But no other power except yours could have averted this snake-bite. So my rescue is due to you alone. I have no time to lose now. Before daylight I must fly unobserved to the palace, and you shall before long see my reward for this." So saying, Sundara ran to his palace, and entered.
Ranavirasing was almost dead. The rumour that the prince was out reached him. He was astonished at the way in which Sundara had got out. He searched the whole palace. To his astonishment all the rooms had previously been opened and plundered. “Has the prince been stolen away by some vile tricks from the palace," thought Raņavirasing, and without knowing what to do he was buried in the ocean of sorrow, from which he gave up all hopes of recovering. What was his joy, then, when he Naw the prince enter the palace just at dawn. "Mai Bdb Chakravarti, where have you been the whole night, throwing away the advice of your poor slave? How many enemies you have in this world, you have yet to know," said Ranavirasing. “I know them all now, only listen to what I say, and do as I bid. I have won the crown without a blow. Thank the day that gave me you as my protector, for it was only yesterday that I had ample reason to verify your statements. My adventures would make your hair stand on end. Thank God, I have escaped from all of them unhurt. If you have a few men ready now, we have won the kingdom." So saying, the prince explained to him every point of his adventure. "If we catch hold of the minister now, we have done all." "I could never for one moment think that you in a single night could have seen and done
so much. Now that heaven has shown you the way, I shall obey you," said Raņavirasing, and Sundara accordingly issued the orders. He described the house with the pyal on which he had lingered for a while the previous night, and asked a servant to bring the owner of that house to the Rajasthanik office. Ranavirasing brought in 'the Pradhani, who was extremely delighted at the good intention of the prince. He was offered the Mantri's place. Two were sent to the shepherds. Twenty were sent to the pleasure-park to have the minister and his sweet paramour brought to the court in chains. The female servants were also ordered to be brought. The robber and his cruel wife were not forgotten. The prince minutely described the cave, and asked his servants to catch and imprison the robber by surprising him suddenly, without giving him time to have recourse to his vile tricks-lock-breaking leaf, kajjala, &c. The palace palanquin was sent for the robber's daughter, whom the prince had firmly made up his mind to marry. The palace elephants were decked and sent to fetch with all pomp Subhâsastri and his wife to the court. Thus, without a single stroke, Sundara won the kingdom. Raņa virasing was thunderstruck by the excellent and bold way in which the prince in one night went through the series of calamities, and successfully overcame them all. The Pradhậnt's delight knew no bounds. He himself broke open the court and every one connected with the previous night's adventure was ushered in. The prince bathed, offered op his prayers, and attended the council. When SubhÁśkstri came in with his wife the prince put them on the sixit hasana, and himself standing before them, explained to all his previous night's adventures, rewarded the poor Brahman and the shepherds, punished by banishment the maidservant wbo, knowing that the prince's head was coveted, revealed his concealment, and ordered his wife, the minister, the robber, and the robber's wife to be beheaded. He rewarded without limit his protector, SubhAsastri, and married the robber's daughter, being won over by her sincerity. The Pradhâni, as we have said already, he made his minister, and with his old guardian, the faithfal Ranavirasing, the prince reigned for several years in the kingdom of Vañjaimanagar.
