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SEPTEMBER, 1891.]
FOLKLORE IN SOUTHERN INDIA; No. 37.
as he had strictly forbidden her. So with a cheerful face she begged pardon, and in a moment became thoroughly reconciled to him. Ever after that memorable night she continued his most faithful and affectionate wife.
317
Just as he had foretold, Satyavak had a boy in his sixtieth year. The child was very beautiful, and the parents named him Atirûpa, and in his fifth year his father commenced the onerous task of educating him. After giving him a general training for some years, he educated him in his own art of astrology, and of this Atirupa soon became a master; so much so that before he had completed his sixteenth year he was much ahead of his own father. So famous became Atirûpa that people took a greater delight in consulting the son than the father about horoscopes and such things. Satyavâk never grudged the honour that was thus being shewn to his son. He was growing very old, and liked to be relieved of trouble in the decline of life. Thus, as the son grew more and more famous, the father allowed himself to be eclipsed in reputation.
The same mode of life was continued by the family. At the tenth ghatiká old Satyavak went out to beg, and returned with just enough rice to feed three.
One day the father went out as usual, and his old wife busied herself in getting things ready for the morning meal. Their son was, meanwhile, sitting outside the house reading a chapter of the Brihajjataka, when suddenly there stood before him the king Setupati.
"Is your father at home ?" asked the sovereign.
"No, my lord! He has just gone out. But I see from Your Majesty's face that some enemy has invaded your country, and you are come to consult my old father as to whether it would be advisable for Your Majesty to march against the invader. In other words, whether the attempt would be successful. I say 'no.' Saturn must now be in the eighth mansion of your horoscope, and so all your attempts must prove unsuccessful. You had better calmly retire into a forest with your family and children, and at the close of the third year from this date you may get back your kingdom without any direct attempt. There is no time to waste. The enemy, half a ghatiká ago, entered the town by the East Gate. So run off."
Thus said the boy, and, before the king could open his lips, there came a hasty messenger panting for breath, and said: "The enemy has entered by the East Gate. We are all undone. There was a most sudden and unexpected attack!"
The king ran in haste to look after his family, and, just as he was hastening away, Satyavåk returned, and his son related to him everything.
On hearing the story even the contented and philosophic disposition of Satyavak gave way. He placed his bowl on the verandah, and wept profusely. Never, in the whole course of his life before had he let fall a tear from his eyes. But now they fell in profusion.
"Why do you weep, my most holy father ?" cried out the son.
This brought his mother running out of the house, and when she saw her lord in tears, even without knowing the cause, she began to weep out of sympathy. The son's eyes, too, began to moisten, and, thus, in a moment, all three began to weep without exactly knowing why. This continued for a time, till the mother, sobbing, said :
"Why is the face of the donor of prosperity to the whole world wet with tears to-day? Will my lord explain ?"
Said he :-"I bore with my misery calmly till to-day without disclosing it to you and making you a sharer in it; but to-day's misfortunes have been too much for me! I could no longer bear it, and so I wept. Did I not tell you a long time agò that our son would be of no
1 A work on astrology.
