Kathakoca or Treasury of Stories

Author(s): C H Tawney
Publisher: Oriental Books Reprint Corporation New Delhi

Page 67

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to set his guards in readiness, and then he saw the very same man seated on the royal throne, and he exactly resembled the king himself.* The king left the city and went into the open country. In the meanwhile a minister named Kuruchandra was sent with a sword to kill the man. When the minister saw him he was astonished. He said : 'Who are you?' The man answered: 'I am King Amarachandra.' The minister questioned him about all the secrets of the government. He told them all. Then the two were made to undergo an ordeal. They both passed it successfully. The god, by virtue of his divine influence, made the king forget his power of entering another body. The king was banished by the minister, and went to a foreign land. He went up a mountain to commit suicide. He began to recite his wishes for the next birth. At that moment a hermit in a statuesque posture in a cave, foreseeing his future birth, said with & loud voice: 'King, do not act rashly.' When the king heard this he was astonished, and went and worshipped the hermit. The hermit said: King, why are you resolved on renunciation ?' The king said: 'Holy sir, what is the cause of my being driven from my throne ?' The hermit said : ‘King, in a former age, in the city of Meghapura there was a king named Megharatha. He had & minister named Priyankara, and a disbursing officer named Çubhankara. Priyankara was exceedingly correct in his conduct and discreet. One day he took a vow that he would restrict himself to a certain space at night. His vow was that he would not go to the door of his house at night. In the meanwhile the king sent to summon the minister. The minister declined to go. The king flew into a passion, and said that if he would not come he must give up the seal. He gave up the seal sooner than break his vow. The king said to Çubhankara : * You must take it.” He answered: “No, indeed. In your majesty's service one cannot, even by the sacrifice of one's body, manage to
* A remarkably similar incident will be found in Longfellow's 'King Robert of Sicily.'