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APRIL, 1889.]
EXTRACTS FROM THE RAJATARAMGINI.
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(203) In a garden at that (town) there was a lake filled with clear and sweet water, the dwellingplace of a Naga, Subravas by name. [(204 to 253) The Brâhman Visakha marries Chandralekha, the younger daughter of the Naga Susravas, and lives with her at Narapura. King Nara falls in love with Chandralekha]. (254) Having cast off the fetter of shame, he frightened that woman by trying to seduce her through messengers, who pleaded (his) desire. (255) When (he found that) she was not to be persuaded by any means, the libidinous (king) asked even her husband, the Brahman, for her. Of what are those ashamed, who are blinded by passion? (256) After the king had been repeatedly rebuked also by that (Brahman), he despatched soldiers, to carry her away by force. (257) Attacked by these from the front of the house, the Brahman escaped with his wife by another way, and fled to the palace of the Naga for protection. (258) When the two had arrived and reported that event, the lord of snakes, who was blind with rage, rose from the lake. - (259) Having produced dense darkness by roaring and lowering clouds, he burnt the king with his town by a shower of terrible thunder-bolts. (260) Carrying away the oily fat and blood, which dropped from the burnt human bodies, the Vitasta became, as it were, marked with the eyes of a peacock's tail.(261) Thousands of frightened people, who entered for refuge the presence of (the god) Chakradhara (Vishnu), were burnt in an instant. - (262) Just as formerly the -fat of the thighs of (the demons) Madhu and Kaitabha, thus many bodies of burnt people then covered Chakrin (Vishnu). (263) At that time the sister of Susravas, a Nagi called Ramani, came from a cave in the hills, to help (her brother), carrying heaps of rocks.(264) When more than a yojana of the way remained, and she perceived from afar that her brother had been successful, she petted a shower of rocks on the villages. (265) Then the ground of the villages became stony for five yojanas. This (ground), called "the forest of Ramani," is even now covered with huge rocks. (266) Having produced a terrible destruction of people, the snake (Suśravas), filled with remorse and depressed by the censure of the world, left that place next morning and went away. (267) A lake, white as the milkocean, which he created on a distant mountain, is even now seen by the people at the procession to Amarêsvara. (268) At the same place, another lake, (viz. that) of the Brahman, who had become a Naga by the favour of his father-in-law, is known by the name of "the lake of the son-in-law." (269) Fiendish (kings), who fearlessly produce destruction, under the pretext of protecting their subjects, suddenly fare thus. (270) Even now people remember this story, when they behold, near Chakradhara that town which was burnt and that lake which became a (dry) hole. (271) How great a vice must passion be considered in shortsighted kings! Through it there happened to him that which has never happened to another. (272) We hear that even the three worlds were lost in every case through the anger of even a single virtuous wife, deity, or Brahman. (273) Having enjoyed the earth for forty-one years less by three months, that king perished through his bad conduct.(274) That town of Kimnara, the circle of whose walls and watch-towers had been visible (only) for a very short time, became similar to the town of the Gandharvas (i.e. it faded away like a mirage).
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101
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201 सजानि: PC.
281 Chakradhara was the name of a temple of Vishnu near Bljbihara (Vijaytávara). Its site has been identified with the mound of Chakhdhar by Dr. Bühler, K. R. p. 18. See also Journal of the German Oriental Society, Vol. XL. p. 7.
23: PT. Madhu and Kaitabha are the names of two demons, who were killed by Vishnu.
264 PT.
270 P. The town referred to is Narapura (241) or Kimnarapura (274), which king Nara or Kimnara had built on the bank of the Vitasta (202) and which was burnt by the Naga Sugravas (259). The dried-up lake. is that, in which the latter was originally living (203). The present verse shows, that Narapura was situated near the temple of Chakradhara (see note on verse 261). It appears to have been destroyed by one of the earthquakes which are frequent in Kaémir.
273 मतः P. भूल्कापि PT.
273 मासैश्वानां, भुक्ता and दुर्नयेन P.
276 अत्यल्प P..
