Harsha

“ Jímútaváhana.
There is yet flesh in my body, whose blood pours forth from every vein; and you, O magnanimous one, do not seem satiated. Why, then, O Garuda, do you stop eating?
Garuda (to himself) .
Wonder of wonders! How! Even in this state does he still speak thus stoutly! (Aloud.) This heroism of thine seems to call back the heart's blood that has been poured out by my beak. I wish, then, to hear who thou art.
Jímútaváhana.
It is not fit that you should hear, while tormented by hunger. Satiate yourself, then, with my flesh and blood.
Śankhachúda (coming up in haste) . ”

“ Garuda.
Never since my birth has so wonderful a thing been seen by me in my feasts on the lords of the Nágas! Not only is this hero unterrified, but he even appears almost delighted. There is no lassitude seen in him, though most of his blood is drunk up. His face, through its heroic endurance, even when he is suffering the pangs from the tearing of his flesh, seems serene as in ecstacy. Every limb, which is not actually destroyed, bristles with rapture. ”

“ Sir, how should I not weep, since just now my father, having discovered that he is old, and influenced by a sudden disgust for the world, saying to himself, "Art thou fit to support the duties of a household?" ”

“ Thou art to be pitied, since thou hast been saved at the expense of another, who gave up his life for thine. Woe! Woe! How thou hast been deceived! How thou hast been deceived! This being the state of things, I will not live to be made a laughing-stock, but will at once endeavour to follow him. (Walking about, and looking intently on the ground.) I proceed, full of desire to see Garuda, tracking carefully this line of blood, which, through its purple hue, is hard to be traced on this rock, which is variegated with minerals, and rendered obscure by the thick trees. ”

“ Śankhachúda.
O mother, away with your fear, this is not the enemy of the Nágas. See the difference between this holy one, whose appearance indicates a beauteous nature, and Garuda, with his fierce beak smeared with clots of blood, which have dropped whilst he was piercing the brains of the mighty Nágas.
Old Woman.
In truth, through fear of thy death, I regard this whole world as Garuda.
Jímútaváhana.
O mother, what need of saying it again and again? Will not I accomplish his deliverance?
Old Woman (clasping her hands on her head) .
My son, live long! ”

“ Through the merit that I gain to-day, by protecting a Nága at the sacrifice of myself, may I still obtain, in succeeding existences, a body to be sacrificed for others! [14]
Garuda (looking at the hero) .
Speedily will I catch up and eat this Nága, dressed in red garments, who looks as if besmeared with blood, which gushes from his heart that has burst through fear of me. I will first split open with my beak, which is fiercer than the fierceness of a thunderbolt, the breast of this one, who has fallen on the surface of the execution rock, to save the rest of Nágas. ”

“ Here in good truth comes the wind from Malaya, which removes the fatigue of the journey, like the clasping of the neck of the long-desired loved one on first meeting,—bearing cool showers of drops, caught up from the cascade as it falls broken from the crystal rocks, and strongly fragrant through its contact with the mountain slopes, covered with groves of dense and juicy sandal trees; it thrills every limb of your body. ”

“ Inasmuch as this Malaya hill, with its sandal exuding from the wounds made by the mighty elephants as they rub their cheeks in their passion against the trunks, and with the fastnesses of its caves resounding when lashed by the ocean waves, and with its rocks of pearl stained by the foot-dye of the women of the Siddhas as they pass—the sight of it gives to my mind some longing for the joys of earth. ”

“ Friend, who it is, I know not; but this I do know, if she be a goddess, the thousand eyes of Hari have all they can wish. If she be a woman of the Nágas, then, whilst her face is there, the lowest hell is not without its moon. If she be of the Vidyádharas, then our race surpasses all others. If she be born of a family of Siddhas, then in the three worlds are the Siddhas glorious. ”

“ Jímútaváhana.
What boon can there be beyond this? Śankhachúda is delivered from him who was the dread of all the snakes; Garuda has been brought to a better mind; all the lords of the Nágas, whom he had ever eaten, he has now restored to life; my parents are yet alive, through the recovery of my life; imperial dignity has been obtained; and thou, O goddess, hast been seen visibly present. ”

“ Let the jewel of the golden wheel come first, then the elephant with the four white tusks, and the dark coloured horse, and next Malayavatí. [10] O emperor, behold these are the the jewels which I give thee. Yet further,—behold these nobles of the Vidyádharas, bearing in their hands chowries of the yak's tail, white as the autumnal moon, making, as they walk, and bow, and bend their bodies low in devotion, very rainbows with the rays of their gems,—and among them the villain Matanga and his fellows. ”

“ Jímútaváhana.
Cease for ever from destroying life; repent of thy former deeds; labour to gather together an unbroken chain of good actions, by inspiring confidence in all living beings; so that this sin, which has its origin in the destruction of living beings, may not ripen to bear fruit, but may be all absorbed in thy merits, as a morsel of salt thrown into the depths of yonder ocean.
Garuda. ”

“ Śankhachúda.
How different from the world in general is the mind of this magnanimous one! For this good man, moved by pity, gives up for the sake of another as though it were but a straw, that life, for the sake of which, in olden times, Viśvámitra [7] ate dog's flesh, like a dog-cooker; and Nádíjangha [8] was slain by Gautama, even though he had done a kindness to him; and this Garuda, son of Kaśyapa, daily eats Nágas. (Addressing the hero.) O magnanimous one, unfeigned compassion for me has been fully shown by thee in the determination to give up thyself ”

“ The day is now ended,—for yonder sun, the sole object worthy of adulation, whose favour is solely for the good of others, is looked on by the Siddhas, with their voices loud in continual praise, as he goes to rest, having vivified the universe with his rays, whose sole business is to fill the eight quarters with light, and to keep off from the lotus buds the binding seal of sleep. ”

“ O princess, what can it be?
Malayavatí.
Girl, I know it well. To-day in a dream, as I was playing this very lute, I was thus addressed by the revered Gaurí,—"Child Malayavatí, I am well pleased with your perfect knowledge of the lute, and with your excessive devotion towards me, which is hard for a young girl; therefore before long a sovereign of the Vidyádharas shall be your husband."
Girl (with delight) .
If it is so, why do you call it a dream? Has not the goddess given you the very desire of your heart? ”

“ Śankhachúda.
I will now follow Garuda. (Looking in front.) Yonder, afar off, I see the enemy of the Nágas, on a pinnacle of Malaya, making new gulleys in the mountain-side, as he rubs his gory beak. The woods around are all uprooted and burnt by the streaks of flaming fire from his eyes, and the ground is hollowed round him by his dreadful adamantine claws. ”

“ How is this? It has fallen at my very feet. (All look at it.) Alas! it is a crest-jewel, with moist flesh adhering to it! Whose can it be!
Queen (in a tone of distress) .
O king! it is the crest-jewel of my poor boy.
Malayavatí.
O mother! say not so.
Doorkeeper.
O king! do not distress yourself through ignorance of facts. In this place many crest-jewels of the chiefs of the Nágas, who are devoured by Garuda, fall torn off by his beak and claws. ”

“ Even this sandal-creeper bower with its moonstone seat delights me not, abandoned as it is by the moon-faced one, like the face of night without its moonlight.
Girl (having peeped) .
Lady, I give you joy. Is not this the very person on whom your heart is set?
Malayavatí (with joy and agitation, after looking) .
O girl, now that I have seen him, through my extreme agitation I cannot remain here so near him. Suppose he should see us! Come, we will go elsewhere. (After going one step, longingly.) How my feet tremble! ”

“ O my child, who knew so well how to perform the duty of honouring thy father's feet, even in another world the practice of good behaviour is not forgotten by thee, since thou hast dropped thy crest-jewel at my feet. ”

“ Am I not firm beyond measure? What! have I not passed through the nights, though radiant with the moon? Do I not drink in the scent of the blue lotus? and endure the jasmine-scented evening winds? Hear I not the humming of the bees upon the lotus pond? That you should thus openly taunt me, saying, "He is wanting in firmness in difficulties." (After considering.) Or rather, it was not so wrongly said, my friend Átreya, for am I not really wanting in firmness, since I cannot bear even flowery arrows, shot by a bodiless archer, woman-hearted that I am! How then can I say to you, "I am firm?" ”

“ Heroine sitting down ashamed, keeps her face bent down.
Girl.
Well, I will explain. This man who is established in your affections was promised to you by the goddess in a dream, and a moment after he was seen by you, resembling Cupid without his flowery arrows. This man, then, is the cause of your anguish, so that even this bower of young sandal-trees, though cool in its very nature, does not relieve the pain of your fever. ”

“ How now! He is courting some other woman! I will just stop, and find out who she is.
Parasite (joyfully) .
He who, through excessive pride, bows not to Śiva, Vishnu, or Brahma, that same Śekharaka falls at thy feet, O Navamáliká.
Vidúshaka.
Oh drunken wretch, there is no Navamáliká here.
Girl (looking, with a smile) .
Śekharaka, overcome with wine, is soothing his reverence Átreya in mistake for me. I will put on a pretence of anger, and have a game with them.
Slave (having seen the Servant Girl,
shaking Śekharaka with his hand) .
Sir, let her go. It is not Navamáliká. ”

“ Girl, how should my fingers be weary, when playing before the goddess?
Girl.
O princess, in my opinion there is little use in playing before this cruel one, who, up to this time, shows no favour to you; though you have been so long a time conciliating her with due observances, which come hard on a young girl.
Vidúshaka.
It is only a girl after all. Why should we not look?
Jímútaváhana.
What harm would there be in so doing! Women may be looked at without sin. ”

“ But Garuda has taken that Vidyádhara, after tearing open his breast with his beak and claws, and is flown up towards heaven. (Sobbing.) Alas! Thou excessively magnanimous and affectionate one! Alas! My only true friend, though indeed thou hadst no cause to be so! Alas! Thou that sufferest for another's sake, whither art thou gone? Give me an answer. Alas! Base Śankhachúda, thou art utterly undone, since thou hast not obtained the merit of saving the Nágas, even for one day, nor even the praiseworthiness arising from obedience to thy lord's commands. ”

“ They wondered to see how genius, in spite of the many debasing superstitions which they thought had killed all genius, had there the happy and heaven-taught art to beautify nature; and that the Hindus have a Shakespeare in their Kalidasa—such a Shakespeare as was possible to humanity so existing, for as the people are so must be their poet,—his inspiration coming from communion between his heart and theirs, and though we call it heavenly,—and though in one sense it be even so,—yet of verity born of earth."—Christopher North. ”

“ O lady! is not the sandal-creeper bower in this direction? Come this way, then. (The heroine does so with a meaningless smile.) [1] Here we are at the sandal-creeper bower, therefore let your ladyship enter and sit down on the moonstone seat to recover yourself.
[Both sit down.
Malayavatí (with a sigh, to herself) .
Lord of the flower-tipped arrows, [2] against that man who surpasses you in beauty of form you do nothing at all; but against me, though blameless, you are not ashamed to strike, saying to yourself, "She is a weak woman." ”

“ Mitrávasu.
This, then, was agreed to by the king of birds. So, these conditions being thus settled by the king of the Nágas, these are the heaps, white as the snow peaks, from the bones of the snakes, which the king of birds devours, and which have been increasing, do increase, and will increase as days go by.
Jímútaváhana.
Wonderful! Fools commit sin even for the sake of a worthless body, which soon perishes, is ungrateful, and is a store-house of all uncleanness. Well, this destruction of the Nágas will assuredly bring some judgment. (To himself.) ”

“ What enjoyment is there to a king such as that of one shampooing his father's feet? What satisfaction in enjoying the whole world, such as in eating a father's leavings? Sovereignty is in fact only a trouble to one who has deserted his father. ”

“ Never will Śankhachúda sully the family honour of Śankhapála, which is white as a shell. If we are indeed objects worthy of thy pity, then let some expedient be devised, so that this woman may not quit life, overcome by my calamity. ”