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Life and Stories of Pārçvanātha
cian, cited, explained that the pestilence was due to the sport of a Rākşasi (ogress) (845). At the request of the bawd he at once restored Anañgasundarī to life. The king still doubted the power of the sorcerer, until the latter boasted that he could bring Vāsuki from Pātāla; 40 Indra from heaven; or Lañkā (Ceylon) from the ocean. He then was given the materials for a great magic rite, by means of which he compelled the supposed Rākşasi to fall down within his magic circle, where she lay still, the people shrinking away from her, as mice from a cat (855).
King Candraçekhara expressed admiration for the skill of the magician, who then pointed out that it was now the king's turn to perform his part by punishing the Rākşasī. The king ordered the minister to call the executioner 41 (meaning Kāladanda). Instead, the minister called Kalahansa, and, when he put down his cage, Candraçekhara asked what was in it. The minister answered:' an omniscient parrot-king,' and bade the parrot sing the king's praise, which he did (862). The magician reminded the king of the punishment due to the Rākşası; just then Kāladaņda (the executioner) arrived, followed by Hariçcandra. The parrot joyfully acclaimed Harigcandra as king, but he angrily denied the allegation, and told the parrot not to talk nonsense. Then the minister told the executioner to uncover the Rākşasī's face; he bade Hariccandra do so. When the latter looked at her, he saw that she was his wife, queen Sutārā. Convinced as he was that she could not be a Rākşasī,42 he again
• The king of the serpents from his subterranean home. " Here called çvapaca, 'dog-cook'; see the note on p. 59.
"Raksasis often assume the form of beautiful women; consequently beautiful women are accused, justly or unjustly, of being Rāk sasis; see Kathås. 32. 157; Kathakoça, pp. 106, 116, 153; Dacakumăracarita, ii, p. 38; Stokes, Indian Fairy Tales, pp. 5 ff. Cf. Tawney's note in his Translation of Kathåsaritsågara, vol. ii, p. 631.
