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222
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[JUNE, 1891.
The harsh tone of His Majesty made his numerous ministers assemble round him and wait with impatience for the Brahman's reply!
After bowing, he said respectfully :- "Most gracious sovereign !, permit this mean dog from your wide kingdom to say that Ekadasi and Dvadasi are tithis, not to be perceived by mortal eyes, and that it is altogether impossible to prevent the one from going out or the other from coming in."
"Stop your mouth! you vile Brahman," roared out many voices, and for very fear he had to do so.
"Neither shall Ekadasi go out, nor shall Dvadasi come in," roared out His Majesty, and when the Brahman again said that it was impossible, he was at once ordered to jail. A hundred hards wure at once at his throat, and he was pushed out of the palace and thrown into prison.
Then His Majesty thus addressed his chief minister: "Did you hear what that vile wretch said ? That Ekadasi and Dvadasi are tithis, not to be perceived by mortal eyes. Do you think that there is anything in this world which would escape our sight P"
“No, my most gracious sovereign !" said the chief minister.
" Then to business," continued the king; "you must set & strict watch over the town and guard every nook and corner, and see that no person goes out of the town at the eleventh ghaţika to-day, and that no person enters the town at that time.”
i Agreed," said the minister, "I shall keep so strict a guard that even the breeze will find it difficult to move in or out."
"Again," said the king : “Ekadasi and Dvadasi may be jugglers, and they may assu me some curious shapes, and thus, defeating our vigilance, may go out or come in: Take care that no object, either animate or inanimate, brute or mortal, comes in or goes out at the eleventh ghatika. Let the time-announcers be strictly warned to give out every second of each ghaţiká to-day, that you and your soldiers may have your eyes wide open at that exact time."
"All this shall be duly attended to," nodded the chief minister. And many voices were heard extolling the king to the skies at his sagacity in giving such very strict injunctions. His Majesty, not to take up any more of the precious time of his chief minister, ordered him off to his duty, and went into his palace.
The chief minister was entirely lost in admiration for some minutes at the forethought with which the king had given him so many valuable instructions, congratulated himself on his good fortune in having been placed under the benign rule of such an intelligent monarch, and, not to lose any more time in mere praises, got up from his seat. Every soldier in Punganûr was proud of his service that day, and of shewing his zeal and energy in guarding the kingdom, and swore an oath that he might be called a bastard if he allowed the Ekadasi to escape. The minister too was very proud to see so many faithful followers, and, assenabling all the soldiers, arranged them in a circle round the city. Every inch was thus most carefully guarded, and the minister, as he rode round and round, saw many a soldier stretching out his hands and swearing that he would break the head of Ekadasi just as he would a ripe cocoanut, if he would only pass his way. Thus was the town most carefully guarded. The minister went his rounds, and the time-announcers bawled out every second with all their might all day long, and there was only one second more for the eleventh ghatiká to be finished !
* Attention ! Care !" roared out the minister. There was no stir anywhere. Even the elements drended on that occasion the power of the minister and his zealous soldiers !
"Eleventh ghaļika," roared the time-announcer. Just at that moment a rat ran out close by the minister.
