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mouth of Rishidattá with blood, and placed flesh on her pillow. King Hemaratha sent spies, who ascertained that fact, and in the morning they reported it to the king. Then King Hemaratha was angry, and said to the prince: Fie! how is it that, though you know this female to be a bloodthirsty Rákshasí, you still protect her ? Depart, depart, husband of a Rákshasí! leave my territories; you have to-day stained a stainless race.' Then the prince folded his hands as a suppliant, and said to the king: 'Royal sir, this is all untrue. Be merciful to me; do not be angry with me.' Then the king said: 'Go yourself and look.' So the prince went in sorrow to his own house. There he saw his darling weeping, with her cheek pillowed on her left hand. The prince said: 'Queen, why do you rain down water with showers of tears? What are we to do? Yesterday a witch denounced you to the king as a Rákshasí, and early this morning the king sent spies, and discovered you to be so. Now I really do not know what will happen to you.' At this moment the king arrived, and, dragging the weeping girl by the hair, delivered her to the executioners, and gave them the following order: Take this wicked Rákshasí all round the city, and then remove her to the cemetery, and slay her quickly.' Thereupon Prince Kanakaratha began to gash his own body, but King Hemaratha prevented him by tying his limbs with his own hands. Then the executioners took Rishidattá, and entwined indigo with the seven locks of her hair. They encircled her neck with a garland of Nimba-leaves; they held over her a shoe by way of umbrella, on a lofty pole; they placed a piece of an old broom, by way of tuft, on her head; the whole of her body was stained with powder; she was hooted by the low people who had assembled, and so they led her, with dissonant cymbals, horns, and drums preceding her, in this condition through the city, in accordance with the king's order.* Then, while the citizens lamented, the execu
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* In this difficult passage I have been assisted by Átmárám Muni and Dr. Hoernle.
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