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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[JULY, 1887.
will make you happy. But you must never and now cultivated that science secretly, so afterwards visit any place where I may be. that he soon became a master of it, and all over It may be that I shall possess several prin- the country he became famous' as a mastercesses, but if you come there with the view magician. He also became a favourite with of curing them I shall take your life at a blow. the king of Maisûr, and married a beautiful Beware!"
Brahmani girl by whom he became the father Thus spake the Brahmarakshasa and the of three children. Thus passed full ten years. Brâhman agreed to all the conditions and | Meanwhile the Brahmarakshasa, after going removed it to another pípal tree seven ghafikas to several places, went to the country of distant from its then abode. If found its new Tiruvanandapuram (Trivandrum) and possessed home comfortable, and let the Brahman pursue the Princess of Travancore. Many masters his way north to Banaras, which he reached in of magic were called in, but to no effect. At six months.
length rumours abont the master-magician of For five years he lived in the Hanumanta Maisûr reached the ears of the king of TiruGhatta at Banaras, performing ablutions to vanandapuram. He at once wrote to the wash himself pure of all his sins. Then Mahârâja of Maisûr, who showed the letter thinking of the Brahmarakshasa's promise, he to the Brâhman. The invitation was a death returned towards the south and after travelling stroke to our hero; for if he refused to go he for five months reached Maisûr, where he would lose his good name and the favour of his sojourned in an old woman's house and en- king, and if he went he would lose his life! quired the news of the day.
He preferred the latter alternative, and at Said she :-"My son, the princess of this once wrote out a will, leaving his estate to his country, who is the only daughter of the king, children and confiding them to careful hands. has been possessed by a furious devil for the He then started from Maisûr for Tiruvanandalast five months and all the exorcists of parm, which he reached after journeying for Jambůdvipa have tried their skill on her, but a month. The king had so arranged for his to no purpose. He who cares her will become comfort that he performed the journey with the master of a vast fortune."
apparent ease: but his heart beating painfully! So said the old woman to the secret joy of He reached Tiruvanandapuram and tried to the Brâhman at the faithful observance of its postpone his exorcisms for this reason or that promise by the Brahmarakshasa. He bathed for a short time, but the king was determined and hastily took his meal, and then presented to prove him. So he was asked to leave no himself at the darbdr that very day. The king stone unturned in order to effect the perfect promised him several villages and whole cure of the princess. He had now no hope in elephant-loads of mohars should he effect a this world, and thinking that his days were cure.
numbered he undertook the cure. As usual he On these conditions he commenced his pre- made a pretence for a few days with his incantatended exorcisms, and on the third day asked tations, but he thought : "After all, what is the all the persons assembled to vacate the room use of my thus prolonging my miseries, as it is in which the possessed princess was seated. settled that I must die? The sooner there is. Then he explained to his friend the Brahma- an end to them the better!" So with a deterrákshasa, who was now possessing her, that he mined will to fall before the blow of the Brahwas the Bråhman who had assisted him in marakshasa he entered the chamber in which the wood five years previously. The demon the princess was seated, but just as he entered was greatly pleased to meet its old friend again, & thonght came into his mind and he said and wishing him prosperity and warning him boldly :-“Will you now abandon her, you never to come again to any other place where Brahmarakshasa, or shall I at once bring in the it might go for shelter, took its leave. The piper of the ruined temple near the wood, who princess came back to her former self, and is waiting outside P" the Brahman, loaded with wealth and lands, No sooner had the name of the awkward piper settled down in Maisûr.
fallen on the ears of the Brahmarakshasa, than He had thus earned a name as an exorcist, he threw down the long pole, which he had in
