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52
BHĀNUCANDRA CARITRA
outside, at once summoned them to his presence, and greeted them with much respect and pleasure. He said, “Welcome to you both; you should always be with me". (220)
Once the Emperor (Jahāngir) affectionately said to the Upādhyāya :-"Siddhi. candra is endowed with good manners and physical beauty rarely found in others. Please see that he comes to me every day at least for a short time." Accordingly Siddhicandra' used to visit the royal Court where the Emperor listened to his sermons which impressed him very highly. The Emperor declared to him that he would do anything that he desired him to do. On account of these constant visits and the high esteem in which he was held by the Emperor, Siddhicandra's fame spread everywhere. The Emperor's attachment for him never slackened. Indeed, so much was his mind full of thoughts about Siddhicandra, that he forgot even the royal elephants of which, otherwise, he was extremely fond. The Monk also harboured much affection for His Majesty. (227)
On one occasion, during their stay at Agrā, Siddhicandra was delivering an interesting lecture on the lives of the holiest saints. It was night time, and the moon had flooded the whole region with her cool and fascinating rays. (Next seven verses,228 to 234 are devoted to the description of the rising moon). While the lecture was going on, the Emperor, with something on his mind, put a question to Siddhicandra :“How many years have elapsed since the birth of Your Holiness—you whose attachment to Parabrahma (the highest spirit) is supreme?" The answer was, “Twenty five". (236)
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Once upon a time, the Emperor 85 looking at the physical handsomeness and perfection of Siddhicandra, was struck with the thought that his position was similar
he Fort of warb robe of hono13 A. D.,
I also gave him Domms and the Fort of Ronthambúr which is one of the noted castles in Hindustan and honouring him with superb robe of honour and an elephant and horse I dismissed him' (P. 201 & 202). He died iu H. 1022 (1613 A. D., 1669-70 S. Y.) See
Maisirul-områ I pp. 335 to 338. 85 Before we proceed with the incident as to what led Jahangir to ask Siddhicandra to marry
a beautiful wife, it would be relevant to relate here that he supplied such a wife to his English friend Hawkins :
"William Hawkins an English merchant presented himself to Jahangir on April 16th 1609 A. D. at Agra. The King was pleased to see him; He liked new acquaintances, especially good fellows who could hold their liquor, and Hawkins entertained him vastly with stories of his travels. Jahangir gave his friend (Hawkins) #wife out of the Royal Harem to cook his food. This lady was a daughter of Mubarik Shāh, an Armenian Christian who had risen to distinction in Akbar's service. Jahangir in an outburst of friendship, went so far as to offer him, if he would stay at the Court, a pension of £3,200 a year, & troop of horse, and any concessions for the (English) Factory that he liked to ask! He cheerfully acquieced. His triumph, however, was destined to be short-lived. He left Agră in November 1611 A, D." Rawlinson's paper on William Hawkins, Bhandarkar Com. Volume p. 285,
