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CHAPTER SEVEN
give you?" He said: “Give me yourself only, fair-eyed maiden. I am Pradyumna for whom you were asked, fair lady.” Saying, “Oh! what is well-arranged by fate, that surely is caused by the Creator,” she consented to his speech. Making a fire by the power of his magic art and making it a witness, Krşņa's son married her with the marriage-ribbon put on and wearing fine white garments. Kārşņi sported with her at will in many ways.
In the last part of the night he said: “I am going to Sāmba. If you are questioned by your parents (or) attendants, do not talk. I have arranged for your protection from physical injury, blameless lady.” With these words, Kārşņi left and Vaidarbhi went to sleep from staying awake too long and from fatigue from pleasure. She did not awake at dawn. Her nurse came there and, when she had seen the signs of a marriage, the marriage-ribbon, et cetera, aroused her and questioned her anxiously. Vaidarbhi told nothing and the nurse, trembling with fear, told Rukmin and the queen, in order to wipe out her own guilt.
They went and questioned her and she told nothing; but they saw clear signs of marital relations. Rukmin thought to himself: “ Though she was not given, she has dallied with some one of low family from her own wish. Better if this basest of girls had been given to the candālas.” From anger at this thought, he had the cāndālas summoned by his doorkeeper. Saying angrily,“ Take the girl. Go where I shall not see you," he gave Vaidarbhi to them.
They said to Vaidarbhi: “ Princess, will you sell leeches, skin-ropes, et cetera in our house?” She, knowing the highest good, said: “Whatever fate does, I will submit to that. For the command of fate is hard to transgress.” Then the two heroes took her and went elsewhere.
But King Rukmin cried out in the council from remorse: “Oh, daughter, where are you, Vaidarbhi? Indeed, that union was not suitable. I threw you, like a cow, at the caņņālas' door, daughter. Truly, the caņņāla Anger made me give my
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