Indian Antiquary Vol 18

Author(s): John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 53

FEBRUARY, 1889.)
SOUTH INDIAN LITERARY LEGENDS.
41
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The place he chose for the night's repose was a stable; and there he put the bundle of sugar-cane under his head for a pillow, and soon began to snore away the night, for the day's work had been too much for him. In the middle of the night a groom happened to come into the stable. The pillow had slipped from beneath the Pandit's head and attracted the groom's attention. He opened it and found it to contain sugar-canes. He at once determined to take possession of the canes, and rolled up in the bundle, in their place, some half-burnt sticks of fuel. He then put the bundle back into its original place and went away.
Our hero arose early the next morning, never dreaming that any trick had been played upon him, for the bundle appeared to his eyes to be exactly the same as when he had rolled it into his kerchief the previous evening. He rose up and hastily took the bundle under his arm, not liking to open it, lest some of the troublesome palace peons should snatch away part of the present he was carrying for the monarch. Proceeding thus hastily, he took his seat in the midst of the learned Pandits assembled before the king, and in his turn pronounced several benedictory verses in a general way. And lastly wishing to bless the king with the sugar-canes in his hand, he opened his bundle. But what was his dismay and confusion, when, instead of the capes, only some half-burnt fuel-sticks met his eyes! The whole conclave of Pandits was amazed to see one among their number with such a present in his hand. However, our hero, who had a ready wit, sang the following benedictory verse :
दग्धं खांडवमर्जुनेन हि वृथा देवद्रुमैर्मण्डितम् दग्धा वायुसतेन हेमनगरी लंकापुरी स्वर्णभूः । दग्धः सर्चसखो हरण मदनः किं तैरयुक्तं कृतम्
शरियं अनदुःखकारकमिदं केनापि दग्धं न हि ॥ “ The (great) forest of the Khándava, full of divine trees, was burnt down by Arjana ; the city of Lanka, otherwise called Hêmanagari (the golden city) whose surface was all of gold, was burnt by Váyu's son (Hanımân); the friend of all, the god Madana (Cupid), was reduced to ashes by Hara. Why should this happen? What bad aurts did they do P But this poverty of mine, which puts me always to sorrow, has never been burnt by any one."
So sang the poor Brahman, hinting thereby that he meant by the presentation of those sticks that the king should burn his poverty with them. And the monarch too, famous throughout the world for liberality, amply rewarded the Pandit, being extremely pleased with the verse.
LEGEND II. In a certain learned village there lived a poor Brahman who had no learning by which he could earn his living, or which could enable him to go with the others to the king, when he held assemblies of Pandits, and return home with presents from him. Now, to go to the king and get from him some present, was his great aim in life; and, finding all the means of doing it unaided hopeless, he resolved at last to go for help to the great poet Kalidasa. He went to him accordingly and represented his case. The great poet promised to oblige Bhojanadasarathi-for that was our hero's name and told him to get by heart the following benediction : Tera GT Fa, “May there be to you the attainment of the three-fold happiness."
With the greatest difficulty, and after spending a month over it, Bhôjanadaśarathi at last got it by heart. Kalidasa then wished to take him to the king and previously told his majesty that a fellow-student of his was coming the next day to the assembly. Bhoja (for that was the king's name) was highly pleased to hear it, and awaited the happy occasion.
In due course Bhojanadaśarathi came into the assembly and was introduced to the king. He carried a cocoanut in his hand; and, presenting it to the sovereign, essayed to pronounce the benedictory sentence. Bat, as the troubles of his poverty always stood before his mind's eye, he remembered pida, 'misery,' much better than sukha, happiness,' and so tumbled into the mistake of substitating the former for the latter and said retencanter CET, "May there be the attainment of the three-fold misery to you."