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SEPTEMBER, 1990.)
EXTRACTS FROM THE RAJATARAMGINI.
265
plague, in which the starving people looked like ghosts, and which therefor) appeared to be * (new) kind of hell. - (21) Feeling weak, greedy and hungry, everybody forgot affection for his wife, love for his children, and respect for his parents. (22) Kissed by the demon of selfpreservation by food, and ogled at by misfortune, the world forgot shame, pride and nobility, out of hunger. - (23) The father abandoned his emaciated, dying and imploring son, or the son his father, and filled his own belly. -- (24) Ghostlike men, of whose disgusting body nothing but sinews and bones remained, but who thought of nothing but preserving their life, were fighting for food. - (25) Of coarse speech, emaciated by hunger, of horrible appearance, and rolling the eyes in all directions, everybody strove to support his own life (at the sacrifice of that) of his fellow beings. - (26) In this great and terrible calamity, which was extremely difficult to be borne by living beings, none but that lord of the world (Tunjina I.) shewed sympathy (with others). - (27) Having withdrawn the doorkeepers, he removed by his mere sight, that resembled (that of a plant (which bears) jewels, the exhaustion of the distresses (which was produced by the calamity. - (28) He and his wife bought food with their own treasures and with the riches of the ministers, and relieved the people by day and by night. - (29) In forests, in cemeteries, on roads and in houses, no hungry man was overlooked by this prince. - (30) Having completely spent his wealth, he perceived that all the food on the earth was exhausted. Then, once upon a night, he sorrowfully spoke thus to the queen :-((31 to 44) The king complains that he is unable to cope with the famine and threatens to commit 'suicide. The queen comforts him as follows :) - (45) "Oh king! whence this perversion oi the mind, produced) by the evil deeds of (thy) subjects, in which, unlike thyself, thou voluntarily strivest for what is unworthy of the brave ? - (46) "Oh protector of the earth Why is greatness attributed to the great, if they have) no power to stop unsurmounted calamities? — (47) “How could Indra, or Brahman, or the miserable Yama, transgress the commands of kings, who are true to their duty ? - (48) “The duty of wives is to be devoted to their husbands; the duty of ministers, not to betray (their lords); the duty of kings, to be exclusively engaged in the protection of their subjects. - (49) “Cheer up, foremost of the performers of their duty! How could my words be untrue ? Protector of the people ! there exists no more danger from hunger to thy people." - (50) When she had emphatically pronounced these words, and had turned her thoughts to the deities. a flight of dead pigeons fell down on every house. - (51) Having perceived this miracle) in the morning, the prince gave up his intention to die, and the people sustained their life with the pigeons, which came (again) every day. - (52) Surely, these were no (real) pigeors. but some other substance, which this virtuous lady created, in order to support the life of men. - (53) For, beings like her, who are full of unfeignod sympathy with their fellow - creatures, could never stain their virtuous conduct by destroying the life (even of a pigeon). - (54) Gradually the sky became as bright as the deeds of the queen, and the famine ceased together with the sorrow of the king. - (55) This pure and virtuous lady founded a prosperous and wealthy agrahára of Brahmang, (called) Katimush4, and another) (called) Ramusha. - (56) When her husband died after (a reign of) thirty-six years, she got rid of the fever of separation (from him) in the flames of fire (which resembled) a cover of lotus-fibres). (57) The spot on which she, whose conduct was pure, followed her deceased husband, is even now
92 OFTEST P.
33 Et af P.
20 FUT P. 37 TTT PT. Ratnausha dhe, 'the jewel-plant, seems to be used in the sense of kalpalata, 'the crecper that yields everything desired.' 50 atal P. : : P.
45 P.
63 aire P. 4519 P. alat and P. According to a MS. note of Dr. Bühler, KattmusbA is the modern Kamoh on the Vollur lake, and Ramusha, Rámôh (Anglo-Indice Rama) on the road from 'Shipian' to Srinegar.
50
Z e ro P. The fibres of the stalk of the water-lily (bisa or mrindla) are need a cooling applications; seo vernes 57. 66 and 74 of Kalidasa's Abhijndna fakuntala (ed. Böhtlingk). Kalbana boldly compares with them the Names of the pyre on which the queen became a sati.
67 O ST P. regero PT.
