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śarabhas, tigers, crocodiles, earned through wars with many kings were moving around the regal parasol. At every step he was being showered upon the blessing of victory by the Brāhmaṇas and was being supplicated by the citizen-folk. The old women spraying fried grains foreshadowed the fulfilment of his cherished ends. He was being scanned affectionately by the city-women.' And gradually he crossed the border-regions of the capital that had their glory enhanced by their close acquaintance with the Autumn season (Saratsamaya), the villagers looked at the forces. They were exasperated on seeing the horse-riders and presumed that the army battalions were coming on. They were made to run by the constant cries of the people and had given up their activities. They had assembled on the walls of the temples, collected on the rows of the lakes and on the heaps of debris. Some wearing white turbans, carrying ratton-wands, bearing lovely children on shoulders full of curiosity could feel amused over the sight of elephants, monkeys and camels, courtesans riding the female-tuskers, taking them to be the queens, the bards carrying umbrellas taking them to be the great princes, a merchant having his neck carrying a rosary of golden beads taking him to be carrying regal favour. Some could derive pleasure out of the prancing of the inexorable elephant cubs, steeds and oxen and the fast racing of the elephants got into rut. Some could even bear the torture of suffering hunger and thirst on account of their zest for seeing the kings wellknown in quarters, the princes, the royal consorts, the chief courtesans, the lordly elephants. Some having obtained the close proximity of the daughter of the village head-man could even connive at the chaff that was being carried by the soldiers (Sadhanikas) from the threshing floors or barns as if they had obtained a huge treasure-trove. Some could suffer the chagrin afforded to them by the wand bearers taking away corn furtively, the taking away of corn being desired by them, out of lurement for money, busy as they used to be in protecting the grass that was being carried away i.e. the wand bearing soldiers who desired to take away corn surreptitiously harassed the villagers who could bear that loss out of lurement for money.
Some derided the usual command of the king (that people deserved not be harassed) when it failed to abide by its tenets with fields of vegetables being pillaged by the unbridled men of the royal entourage. Some consoled the farmers pinched with sorrow at the pilferage of the sugarcanes from the fields. Some even greeted the king, being masters of the rice-fields. The villagers tried to conceal all they could - cow-dung cakes were carried to the
1. TM Vol. III pp. 253-255. 2. 64444fugefaasit414 TM Vol. II p. 255. 3. TM Vol. II pp. 258-261.
