Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 6

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

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CHAPTER FOUR
lived a house-holder, Gośaňkhin, chief of the Abhiras, whose wife, Bandhavati, very dear to him, was barren. Near this village was a village named Kheṭaka which had been destroyed by robbers who came, and prisoners were taken also. At that time a woman named Veśikā had given birth to a son. Her husband, Surupa, had been killed and she was driven off by the robbers. Suffering from child-birth, carrying the child, she was not able to keep up with the swift thieves, like a cow with wild bulls. And the thieves said to her, If you wish to live, abandon the child who is like an embodied disease of yourself." Terrified, she left the child under a tree and went with the robbers. For nothing is as dear as life to every one.
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At dawn Gośankhin came there with the cows, saw the baby, and picked it up, saying, He is well-formed. ' He gave the baby to his own wife as a son. Even another's child becomes infinitely dear to the childless. He killed a goat and smeared the baby with blood and, clever, took clothing of his wife that was suitable for child-birth. "My wife was secretly pregnant. Now she has borne a son, he announced to the people and held a great celebration.
The child's mother, Veśikā, had been placed for sale at the crossroads in the city Campa by the thieves and was bought by a courtesan with the idea, "She is suitable." The courtesan taught her the courtesan-business and she became a well-known courtesan, by whom Apsarases were excelled in beauty.
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Gradually Gośankhin's son became a young man and went with a friend to Campã to sell a load of ghi. He saw the townsmen there amusing themselves surrounded by clever young women. After he had seen them, he went to the courtesans' quarter, wishing to dally. He saw his mother, Veśikā, among the courtesans and he wished to enjoy her and no one else. For ignorant people are like cattle. At that time he had a retainer given to her alone and at night set out for her house, bathed and anointed. As he went on the road, his foot slipped in dirt, but, confused by love, he did not know that he had slipped in something. To enlighten him at once, his
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