Book Title: Indian Antiquary Vol 26
Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

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Page 230
________________ 224 THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY. [AUGUST, 1897. a host of pundits, ministers, and others, a archer, overcome with joy, sent his son home, Kshatriya came and bowed and said that he was and went to the king's palace. The king, who an expert in archery, and that he came there to witnessed incognito everything that had transserve the king as he was not able to get a living pired, quietly reached his palace, went upstairs, elsewhere. The king engaged his services at one und pretended to be usleep. The archer went to hundred rupees per month. From that day the king and said that a woman who had had a forwards he kept a vigilant watch over the king's quarrel with her husband was weeping bitterly, and palace. On a certain midnight, while the king that he had pacified her and sent her home. The was sleeping comfortably upstairs, he heard the king feeling grateful to the archer, raised him cries of a woman, called his attendant and asked to the rank of Commander-in-Chief of his forces. him what it was. The archer said that he, too, Moral Honest servants will not fail to risk had heard the same cries for ten days past, but their own lives when calamities befall their could not say why it was, but that he would make masters. enquiries, should the king command him to do so. XXXVIII. The king consented, and followed him incognito to see whither he went. He went outside the Three fish lived in the bed of a river. One of town, and there saw a woman with dishevelled hair, these perceived that the water would dry up in the . seated near the temple of Durga, crying at the ensuing summer, informed its other companions top of her voice. He asked her who she was and of the same, and said, further, how they would why she was crying. She replied that she was the run the risk of being carried off by the fishermen tutelary goddess of Kunthibhoja's kingdom, at the time, and that they should therefore seek a and that as the king was to breathe his last in habitation elsewhere. It wanted, therefore, that two or three days more, she was crying-for, who all of them should go into the current and settle would protect her then P The archer then asked in the sea or in the bed of another river. The her if there were any means by which the king's other two laughed at the words of their companion. life could be saved. Whereupon she said that it The clever fish, therefore, went and settled in the areber's son were offered as a sacrifice to another quarter unaccompanied. Not long after, Durg&, the king would live for a very long time. summer set in, and the waters of the river dried The archer thereupon consented to the proposal, up. A fisherman threw his net into the bed, went bome, and informed his son of what had caught the two fish and put them on the bank. transpired. The son asked him to perform the One of them was possessed of some sense and sacrifice instantly and save the life of the king, appeared to be dead, remaining motionless, for, by the king good many people lived. The while the other began to jump. The latter therearcher then took his son to the temple, drew his fore was dashed to the ground and smashed to sword from the scabbard, and was about to slay pieces. The former, perceiving the fisherman him, when DurgA appeared before them. and going away with his net, crawled unperceived and said that she was so pleased with his bravery that jumped into the waters and lived comfortably. he must desist, and said moreover that she Moral :- Whoever perceives coming events and would confer on him any boon he might ask. tries to avert danger shall surely be happy; and The aroher then requested Durg& to spare the person who tries to extricate himself from the life of king Kunthibhôja, and to bless him difficulties, even after they happen, may also with long life and prosperity. Durgi gave consider himself lucky, but the man who remains him the boon sought for and disappeared. The idle will surely come to grief. NOTES AND QUERIES. BEDSTEADS AS SPIRIT HAUNTS. HINDU TITLES OF MUSALMANS. Spirits are said to upset the bedstead (char. The Musalman Gakkhar family of Khanpur pae) of men sleeping in them, and to throw the in the Hazara district (held by Cunningham to be mortals on the ground. Many simple people have the ancient Taxila) still retain the Hinda title related stories to me of this, as a well ascertained of RAJA, - e. g., Raja Jahandad Khan, a leading fact. Brides and bridegrooms must not sleep on member of the family formerly an Extra Assistant chdrpdes for several days before and after mar. Commissioner in that district. The reason is, riage. The pumber of days fixed varies with their I believe, given in Wace's Handra Settlement tribe. This is doubtless done to avoid the evil Report. that might be worked through witchcraft. T.C. PLowden, in P. N. and Q. 1883. GURDYAL SINGH, in P. N. and Q. 1883. 1 [See Wace, pp. 26 and 67. -ED.]

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