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34
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[FEBRUARY, 1897.
being cognisant of this, abandoned her and married another woman according to law. After u while she died and went to hell, where she remained till the end of the Kalpa. She afterwards passed through various existences and eventually became a goblin, and in terrifying form wandered about in the uninhabited forests of the Sahyadri mountains for many years in great distress and without food
Once upon a tiny a holy Brahmaņ, by name Vireba, a religious man and one of the leaders of the followers of Siva, who was wandering on the face of the earth, intending to make pilgrimages to all holy places, came to the Varada, and after hatbine in that holy stream and worshipping Madhukesvara he (Virêśn) was returning to his home bolding bilva leaves in his hand. Seeing the holy Brahman passing through the Sahyadri forest the goblin, hungry and thirsty, came to devour him. On seeing her, he, being distressed and frightened, ran away fast, but she followed him quickly and seized him violently. In his extremity the Brahman threw the bilva leaves upon her, and at the mere touch of them she left him and went far from him. She fell at his feet crying: - Save me! save me!' Seeing her, the wondering Brahman asked her what was the matter. That worshipper of Siva, whose heart was full of fear, said to her, who was unfit to be seen and of terrible voice and horrible shape : - Virêsa said: - O most cruel, terrible and fearsome gobliu, tell me who you are and why you have such an ugly shape.'
Hearing the voice of Viréśa and remembering her former sins the goblin replied: - Previous to this, I was the wife of a Brahman in my fifteenth birth. O Brahmaṇ, my husband's name was Martanda and my name was Chandika. Sometimes I used to wish evil to my husband and did not act according to his wishes: weeping and casting myself down on the ground I daily cursed my husband, and I used to weep when ever I approached him. I subdued people by various philtres and charms; and I was addicted to adultery and also to improper conduct. I stole money belonging to my husband and gave it to other people. I used to eat before my husband ate and I ate from the cooking utensils: my husband used to eat after me and I used to stand before him in dirty garments. I used to sit on the broom, on the mortar and on the threshold.13 I used to look at my husband severely and speak to him harshly. I was addicted to drinking and used to talk to Sudras. If any beautiful person came within my view I subdued him forcibly with chorms and philtres and sported with him to my heart's content.
Once upon a time, when under the infidence of liquor, I burned down my husband's house, and my hasband knowing me to be of such bad habits abandoned me. He married another woman according to the law, and after a while I died and went to Syamaņi[?].14 Yama on seeing me despised me deeply, and saying 2 servants, throw her down, beat her and bind her,' he of the terrible shape plunged me into torment. He made me live in hell up to the of the Kalpa and caused me great distress. After that he caused me to enter the wombs of the lowest kinds of animals. I will tell you of those lives, and when I think of them I tremble:- in the fourteenth life I was a tigress; in the thirteenth birth I was a lioness: in the twelfth life I was a (female) alligator ; in the eleventh life I was a iungoose; in the tenth life I was a lizard : in the ninth life I was a python; in the eighth life I was a vile bitch ; 0 Brabman, in the seventh life I was a sow; in the sixth life I was a hen; in the fifth I was & serpent; in the fourth I was a porcupine ; and in the third I was a crow: in the second birth I was a Mahar born blind and affected by leprosy, and the cavities of my nose and ears were full of ulcers and worms: my relations and even my parents deserted me - unhappy, writhing, weeping, distressed with hunger and thirst and full of sores. A certain Brâhmaņ saw me in this condition, burnt by the sun, naked and anable to walk. Uttering the words "Siva!
12 Lit., entered into the womb of a goblin.
18 It is considered to be an ominous thing to use any of these things as a seat: the mortar is used for separating the rice from the huske.
14 The city of Yama - the lower regions.
