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TRANSLATION
58
(The king was naturally surprised and asked what all this was about. LAVANYASUNDARI gave an account of the whole affair. The king gave her leave to go. She went back to GHUDA with the elephants and they lived happily ever after).
THUS ENDS THE SIXTH TALE OF LAVANYASUNDARI IN THE ŚRNGARAMANJARIKATHA COMPOSED BY MAHARAJĀDHIRAJA-PARAMESVARA-SRIBHOJADEVA.
(THE SEVENTH TALE OF CHEATING THE BAWD) "Moreover, one should always protect oneself from dhūrtas:
There was a brāhmaṇa who in old age begot two sons. When they grew up they aspired to visit another country. When they started on the journey the terrible summer set in, with the hot sun destroying the wealth of beauty of the earth produced by the spring.
When (in summer) the wild cocks hidden in the hollows of old trees fearing the heat, were slowly crowing; when the decayed barks of the trees were dropping down as their joints had loosened by the excessive heat; when small insects in the joints of the barks were tortured by the intolerable heat; when two or three leaves were seen .......... ; when trees went dry; when the roads were nailscalding as if chaff-fire had been spread on it as the dust had become hot due to the broiling sun; (49) when the shrill screeching of the ciriţikas deafened the directions as if despising the forest region filled with the blaze of the hot sun; when the tops of trees were enveloped in flames enkindled by the breath of aged pythons, which (trees) were noisy with the tearing of the tough barks as the small worms tried to enter them, and whose tops were shaken by the wind raised by the wings of the birds taking flights out of fear; when the forest-conflagration was blazing everywhere; when the sandy banks became wavy because the waters were ebbing every day as if the mature, hot-rayed thirsty sun drunk all the reservoirs after the fatigue caused by traversing the very long days; when the sapharikā fish were agitated on seeing the cranes moving near the puddles; when the young tortoise, exhausted by heat rested under thick moss; when the reeds were slightly turning dark; when the streams flowing from the thickets of the mountains thinned down, as if pained on seeing the beauty of the trees on its sides being destroyed by the rays of the sun; when the small' acquatic animals were tortured by herds of huge buffaloes exhaling breath now and then through the slightly blowing nostrils, continuously scratching their bellies afflicted with gadflies by the tips of the swaying horns and
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