Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 4

Author(s): Hemchandracharya, Helen M Johnson
Publisher: Oriental Research Institute Vadodra

Page 212

HANUMAT'S BIRTH AND VARUNA'S SUBJECTION
177
Ketumati, struck to the heart by hearing that as if by a stone, fell to the ground in a faint and said, after she had regained consciousness: "Has he, determined on destruction, a friend (of yours), been left alone in the forest with this cruel intention, Prahasita? Yet she, entirely innocent, was banished by me, giving orders without reflection, wicked. The consequences of imputing guilt to her innocent are realized by me right here. For even in this world the consequences of extremely strong good and evil are felt."
Prahlada stopped her crying somehow or other and went with troops to search for his son as well as Añjanā. He sent men to all the Vidyadhara-kings who were his friends to search for Añjană and Pavana. Looking for his son and daughter-in-law with the Vidyadharas, he himself, whose haste was apparent, went to the forest Bhutavana in his wandering. In the meantime Pavana had prepared a funeral-pyre in the forest, and had lighted it when Prahlada saw him. Pavana stood near the pyre and said:
"O gods of the forest, I am the son of the Vidyadhara-king, Prahlada, and Ketumati. My wife Añjanā, a virtuous wife, though without fault was mistreated by me, evil-minded, from the time of the wedding. Leaving her, I went on an expedition on my master's business. Finding out by chance that she was without fault, I flew back again. After enjoying her freely and leaving her a token, I flew back to camp without my parents' knowledge. When my wife became pregnant from my fault, she was banished by my elders fearful of guilt (on her part). Where she is now is not known. Now she, innocent in the beginning, has suffered a cruel lot from the fault of ignorance on my part alone. Shame! shame on an ignorant husband. I have wandered over the whole earth searching for her thoroly; but I, unfortunate, have not found her, like a jewel in the ocean. So now I shall sacrifice this body of mine in this fire. The fire