Vasudevahimdi Madhyama Khanda Part 1

Author(s): Dharmdas Gani, H C Bhayani, R M Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 33

Vasudevahimhdi: Majjhima-khamda
When V. was resting under a tree after bathing in the lake, he saw a huge elephant on the bank. It opened its mouth and a beautiful girl stepped out. The elephant stretched himself on the ground. The girl collected lotuses and offered worship to some deity on the bank. Then she lightly slapped the elephant, who got up and opened his mounth. The girl entered it and the elephant started to return. V. followed it. The elephant reached a white hill, and reducing himself in size entered a cave under the hill. On closer observation V. found that the hill was in fact a huge heap of human bones and corpses and it was infested with snakes,ichneumons ete. At the entrance of the cave there was a majestic mandala strewn with human flesh and blood. This left no doubt in V.'s mind about the girl being a demoness (rakkhast).
24
When V. returned to the lake, he met Bhagirathidatta and others, who had arrived there in search of him. V. narrated what happened to him. He told them to stay there for a day or two as he had something on hand. Along with his friends, V. slept at night in a bower on the bank. Shortly he heard sounds as if coming from a distance, of musical instruments with which a song also was being sung. The song said:.
dear one, making us sleepless how can you sleep? Wake up.'
(pp. 188-190).
V. lost sleep. He thought it was the voice of some girls singing. The sounds ceased immediately. V. saw all his companions fast asleep. So he thought what he had heard was only in a dream. As he tried to resume sleeping, he clearly saw a beautiful girl surrounded by her companions sporting in the lake water. V. got up and rushed to up and rushed to see them from near. But before he could catch them, they disappeared. V. returned to the bower. Again the sounds of conversation, clinking ornaments and song reached V.'s ears. V. decided all this was due to some girl longing for him. He got up again and went in the direction of the sounds. Shortly he saw the girl on a swing, surrounded by her companions. As V. proceeded to address her, the girl, her friends, the swing the swing and all suddenly disappeared, There appeared a bower of creepers with a luminescent medicinal plant in the midst. To take that plant V, holding with his hand a Campaka-creeper for support, mounted the bower, when all of a sudden the bower began to whirl and words from air were heard saying The handtaking ceremony in the wedding has been accomplished. V. found himself standing on the ground and holding the hand of the very girl he had been trying all the while to meet. A couch was ready close by. V. spent the night with the girl. In the morning the girl's companions appeared. The girl gave her own introduction as follows: