Hindu Tales from the Sanskrit by S. M. Mitra and Nancy Bell
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S. M. Mitra and Nancy Bell >> Hindu Tales from the Sanskrit
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3. Do you think this was the best way to find out who had taken
the arrow?
4. How would you have set about learning the truth if you had been
the king?
CHAPTER III
Now the fact of the matter was that Ayasolekha, who had told the
wicked story about Guna-Vara, knew where the king kept the arrow,
had taken it to her private rooms, and had sent for her own sons
and those of the other wives, all of whom hated Sringa-Bhuja, to
tell them of a plot to get their brother into disgrace, "You know,"
she said to them, "how much better your father loves Sringa-Bhuja
than he does any of you; and that, when be dies, he will leave the
kingdom and all his money to him. Now I will help you to prevent this
by getting rid of Sringa-Bhuja.
"You must have a great shooting match, in which your brother will
be delighted to take part, for he is very proud of his skill with
the bow and arrow. On the day of the match, I will send for him and
give him the jewelled arrow belonging to your father to shoot with,
telling him the king had said I might lend it to him. Your father
will then think he stole it and order him to be killed."
The brothers were all delighted at what they thought a very clever
scheme, and did just what Ayasolekha advised. When the day came,
great crowds assembled to see the shooting at a large target set up
near the palace. The king himself and all his court were watching the
scene from the walls, and it was difficult for the guards to keep the
course clear. The brothers, beginning at the eldest, all pretended to
try and hit the target; but none of them really wished to succeed,
because they thought that, when Sringa-Bhuja's turn came, as their
father's youngest son, he would win the match with the jewelled
arrow. Then the king would order him to be brought before him, and
he would be condemned to death or imprisonment for life.
Now, as very often happens, something no one in the least expected
upset the carefully planned plot. Just as Sringa-Bhuja was about to
shoot at the target, a big crane flew on to the ground between him and
it, so that it was impossible for him to take proper aim. The brothers,
seeing the bird and anxious to shoot it for themselves, all began to
clamour that they should be allowed to shoot again. Nobody made any
objection, and Sringa-Bhuja stood aside, with the jewelled arrow in
the bow, waiting to see what they would do, but feeling sure that
he would be the one to kill the bird. Brother after brother tried,
but the great creature still remained untouched, when a travelling
mendicant stepped forward and cried aloud:
"That is no bird, but an evil magician who has taken that form
to deceive you all. If he is not killed before he takes his own
form again, he will bring misery and ruin upon this town and the
surrounding country."
You know perhaps that mendicants or beggars in India are often holy
men whose advice even kings are glad to listen to; so that, when
everyone heard what this beggar said, there was great excitement and
terror. For many were the stories told of the misfortunes Rakshas or
evil magicians had brought on other cities. The brothers all wanted
to try their luck once more, but the beggar checked them, saying:
"No, no. Where is your youngest brother Sringa-Bhuja? He alone
will be able to save your homes, your wives and your children,
from destruction,"
Then Sringa-Bhuja came forward; and as the sun flashed upon the jewels
in the stolen arrow, revealing to the watching king that it was his
own beloved son who had taken it, the young prince let it fly straight
for the bird. It wounded but did not kill the crane, which flew off
with the arrow sticking in its breast, the blood dripping from it in
its flight, which became gradually slower and slower. At the sight
of the bird going off with the precious jewelled arrow, the king was
filled with rage, and sent orders that Sringa-Bhuja should be fetched
to his presence immediately. But before the messengers reached him,
he had started in pursuit of the bird, guided by the blood-drops on
the ground.
5. Did the brothers show wisdom in the plot they laid against their
brother?
6. What do you think from this story, so far as you have read it,
were the chief qualities of Sringa-Bhuja?
CHAPTER IV
As Sringa-Bhuja sped along after the crane, the beggar made some
strange signs in the air with the staff he used to help him along;
and such clouds of dust arose that no one could see in which direction
the young prince had gone. The brothers and Ayasolekha were very much
dismayed at the way things had turned out, and greatly feared that
the king's anger would vent itself on them, now that Sringa-Bhuja
had disappeared. Vira-Bhuja did send for them, and asked them many
questions; but they all kept the secret of how Sringa-Bhuja had got the
arrow, and promised to do all they could to help to get it back. Again
the king thought he would go and see the mother of his dear youngest
son; but again something held him back, and poor Guna-Vara was left
alone, no one ever going near her except the gaoler who took her
her daily food. After trying everything possible to find out where
Sringa-Bhuja had gone, the king began to show special favour to
another of his sons; and as the months passed by, it seemed as if
the young prince and the jewelled arrow were both forgotten.
Meanwhile Sringa-Bhuja travelled on and on in the track of the drops
of blood, till he came to the outskirts of a fine forest, through
which many beaten paths led to a very great city. He sat down to
rest at the foot of a wide-spreading tree, and was gazing up at the
towers and pinnacles of the town, rising far upwards towards the sky,
when he had a feeling that he was no longer alone. He was right:
for, coming slowly along one of the paths, was a lovely young girl,
singing softly to herself in a beautiful voice. Her eyes were like
those of a young doe, and her features were perfect in their form
and expression, reminding Sringa-Bhuja of his mother, whom he was
beginning to fear he would never see again.
When the young girl was quite close to him, he startled her by saying,
"Can you tell me what is the name of this city?"
"Of course, I can," she replied, "for I live in it. It is called
Dhuma-Pura, and it belongs to my father: he is a great magician
named Agni-Sikha, who loves not strangers. Now tell me who you are
and whence you come?"
Then Sringa-Bhuja told the maiden all about himself, and why he was
wandering so far from home. The girl, whose name was Rupa-Sikha,
listened very attentively; and when he came to the shooting of the
crane, and how he had followed the bleeding bird in the hope of
getting back his father's jewelled arrow, she began to tremble.
"Alas, alas!" she said. "The bird you shot was my father, who can
take any form he chooses. He returned home but yesterday, and I drew
the arrow from his wound and dressed the hurt myself. He gave me the
jewelled arrow to keep, and I will never part with it. As for you,
the sooner you depart the better; for my father never forgives, and
he is so powerful that you would have no chance of escape if he knew
you were here."
Hearing this, Sringa-Bhuja became very sad, not because he was
afraid of Agni-Sikha, but because he knew that he already loved the
fair maiden who stood beside him, and was resolved to make her his
wife. She too felt drawn towards him and did not like to think of
his going away. Besides this, she had much to fear from her father,
who was as cruel as he was mighty, and had caused the death already
of many lovers who had wished to marry her. She had never cared for
any of them, and had been content to live without a husband, spending
her life in wandering about near her home and winning the love of all
who lived near her, even that of the wild creatures of the forest,
who would none of them dream of hurting her. Often and often she stood
between the wrath of her father and those he wished to injure; for,
wicked as he was, he loved her and wanted her to be happy,
7. Do you think that a really wicked man is able to love any one truly?
8. What would have been the best thing for Sringa-Bhuja to do, when
he found out who the bird he had shot really was?
CHAPTER V
Rupa-Sikha did not take long to decide what was best for her to
do. She said to the prince, "I will give you back your golden arrow,
and you must make all possible haste out of our country before my
father discovers you are here."
"No! no! no! a thousand times no!" cried the prince. "Now I have once
seen you, I can never, never leave you. Can you not learn to love
me and be my wife?" Then he fell prostrate at her feet, and looked
up into her face so lovingly that she could not resist him. She
bent down towards him, and the next moment they were clasped in
each other's arms, quite forgetting all the dangers that threatened
them. Rupa-Sikha was the first to remember her father, and drawing
herself away from her lover, she said to him:
"Listen to me, and I will tell you what we must do. My father is a
magician, it is true, but I am his daughter, and I inherit some of
his powers. If only you will promise to do exactly as I tell you,
I think I may be able to save you, and perhaps even become your
wife. I am the youngest of a large family and my father's favourite. I
will go and tell him that a great and mighty prince, hearing of his
wonderful gifts, has come to our land to ask for an interview with
him. Then I will tell him that I have seen you, fallen in love with
you, and want to marry you. He will be flattered to think his fame
has spread so far, and will want to see you, even if he refuses to
let me be your wife. I will lead you to his presence and leave you
with him alone. If you really love me, you will find the way to win
his consent; but you must keep out of his sight till I have prepared
the way for you. Come with me now, and I will show you a hiding-place."
Rupa-Sikha then led the prince far away into the depths of the forest,
and showed him a large tree, the wide-spreading branches of which
touched the ground, completely hiding the trunk, in which there
was an opening large enough for a man to pass through. Steps cut
in the inside of the trunk led down to a wide space underground;
and there the magician's daughter told her lover to wait for her
return. "Before I go," she said, "I will tell you my own password,
which will save you from death if you should be discovered. It is
LOTUS FLOWER; and everyone to whom you say it, will know that you
are under my protection."
When Rupa-Sikha reached the palace she found her father in a very bad
humour, because she had not been to ask how the wound in his breast
was getting on. She did her best to make up for her neglect; and when
she had dressed the wound very carefully, she prepared a dainty meal
for her father with her own hands, waiting upon him herself whilst
he ate it. All this pleased him, and he was in quite an amiable mood
when she said to him:
"Now I must tell you that I too have had an adventure. As I was
gathering herbs in the forest, I met a man I had never seen before,
a tall handsome young fellow looking like a prince, who told me he
was seeking the palace of a great and wonderful magician, of whose
marvellous deeds he had heard. Who could that magician have been but
you, my father?" She added, "I told him I was your daughter, and he
entreated me to ask you to grant him an interview."
Agni-Sikha listened to all this without answering a word. He was
pleased at this fresh proof that his fame had spread far and wide;
but he guessed at once that Rupa-Sikha had not told him the whole
truth. He waited for her to go on, and as she said no more, he suddenly
turned angrily upon her and in a loud voice asked her:
"And what did my daughter answer?"
Then Rupa-Sikha knew that her secret had been discovered. And rising
to her full height, she answered proudly, "I told him I would seek
you and ask you to receive him. And now I will tell you, my father,
that I have seen the only man I will ever marry; and if you forbid
me to do so, I will take my own life, for I cannot live without him."
"Send for the man immediately," cried the magician, "and you shall
hear my answer when he appears before me."
"I cannot send," replied Rupa-Sikha, "for none knows where I have
left him; nor will I fetch him till you promise that no evil shall
befall him."
At first Agni-Sikha laughed aloud and declared that he would do no such
thing. But his daughter was as obstinate as he was; and finding that
he could not get his own way unless he yielded to her, he said crossly:
"He shall keep his fine head on his shoulders, and leave the palace
alive; but that is all I will say."
"But that is not enough," said Rupa-Sikha. "Say after me, Not a hair
of his head shall be harmed, and I will treat him as an honoured guest,
or your eyes will never rest on him."
At last the magician promised, thinking to himself that he would find
some way of disposing of Sringa-Bhuja, if he did not fancy him for
a son-in-law. The words she wanted to hear were hardly out of her
father's mouth before Rupa-Sikha sped away, as if on the wings of
the wind, full of hope that all would be well. She found her lover
anxiously awaiting her, and quickly explained how matters stood. "You
had better say nothing about me to my father at first," she said;
"but only talk about him and all you have heard of him. If only you
could get him to like you and want to keep you with him, it would
help us very much. Then you could pretend that you must go back to
your own land; and rather than allow you to do so, he will be anxious
for us to be married and to live here with him."
9. Do you think the advice Rupa-Sikha gave to Sringa-Bhuja was good?
10. Can you suggest anything else she might have done?
CHAPTER VI
Sringa-Bhuja loved Rupa-Sikha so much that he was ready to obey her
in whatever she asked. So he at once went with her to the palace. On
every side he saw signs of the strength and power of the magician. Each
gate was guarded by tall soldiers in shining armour, who saluted
Rupa-Sikha but scowled fiercely at him. He knew full well that, if
he had tried to pass alone, they would have prevented him from doing
so. At last the two came to the great hall, where the magician was
walking backwards and forwards, working himself into a rage at being
kept waiting. Directly he looked at the prince, he knew him for the
man who had shot the jewelled arrow at him when he had taken the form
of a crane, and he determined that he would be revenged. He was too
cunning to let Sringa-Bhuja guess that he knew him, and pretended to
be very glad to see him. He even went so far as to say that he had
long wished to find a prince worthy to wed his youngest and favourite
daughter. "You," he added, "seem to me the very man, young, handsome
and--to judge from the richness of your dress and jewels--able to
give my beloved one all she needs."
The prince could hardly believe his ears, and Rupa-Sikha also was
very much surprised. She guessed however that her father had some evil
purpose in what he said, and looked earnestly at Sringa-Bhuja in the
hope of making him understand. But the prince was so overjoyed at the
thought that she was to be his wife that he noticed nothing. So when
Agni-Sikha added, "I only make one condition: you must promise that
you will never disobey my commands, but do whatever I tell you without
a moment's hesitation," Sringa-Bhuja, without waiting to think, said
at once, "Only give me your daughter and I will serve you in any way
you wish."
"That's settled then!" cried the magician, and he clapped his hands
together. In a moment a number of attendants appeared, and their master
ordered them to lead the prince to the best apartments in the palace,
to prepare a bath for him, and do everything he asked them.
11. What great mistake did the prince make when he gave this promise?
12. What answer should he have made?
CHAPTER VII
As Sringa-Bhuja followed the servants, Rupa-Sikha managed to whisper
to him, "Beware! await a message from me!" When he had bathed and was
arraying himself in fresh garments provided by his host, waited on,
hand and foot, by servants who treated him with the greatest respect,
a messenger arrived, bearing a sealed letter which he reverently
handed to the prince. Sringa-Bhuja guessed at once from whom it came;
and anxious to read it alone, he hastily finished his toilette and
dismissed the attendants.
"My beloved," said the letter--which was, of course, from
Rupa-Sikha--"My father is plotting against you; and very foolish were
you to promise you would obey him in all things. I have ten sisters
all exactly like me, all wearing dresses and necklaces which are exact
copies of each other, so that few can tell me from the others, Soon
you will be sent for to the great Hall and we shall all be together
there. My father will bid you choose your bride from amongst us; and if
you make a mistake all will be over for us. But I will wear my necklace
on my head instead of round my neck, and thus will you know your own
true love. And remember, my dearest, to obey no future command without
hearing from me, for I alone am able to outwit my terrible father,"
Everything happened exactly as Rupa-Sikha described. The prince
was sent for by Agni-Sikha, who, as soon as he appeared, gave him a
garland of flowers and told him to place it round the neck of the
maiden who was his promised bride. Without a moment's hesitation
Sringa-Bhuja picked out the right sister; and the magician, though
inwardly enraged, pretended to be so delighted at this proof of a
lover's clear-sightedness that he cried:
"You are the son-in-law for me! The wedding shall take place
to-morrow!"
13. Can you understand how it was that the magician did not notice
the trick Rupa-Sikha had played upon him?
14. What fault blinds people to the truth more than any other?
CHAPTER VIII
When Sringa-Bhuja heard what Agni-Sikha said, he was full of joy;
but Rupa-Sikha knew well that her father did not mean a word of
it. She waited quietly beside her lover, till the magician bade all
the sisters but herself leave the hall. Then the magician, with a
very wicked look on his face, said:
"Before the ceremony there is just one little thing you must do for me,
dear son-in-law that is to be. Go outside the town, and near the most
westerly tower you will find a team of oxen and a plough awaiting
you. Close to them is a pile of three hundred bushels of sesame
seed. This you must sow this very day, or instead of a bridegroom
you will be a dead man to-morrow."
Great was the dismay of Sringa-Bhuja when he heard this. But Rupa-Sikha
whispered to him, "Fear not, for I will help you." Sadly the prince
left the palace alone, to seek the field outside the city; the guards,
who knew he was the accepted lover of their favourite mistress,
letting him pass unhindered. There, sure enough, near the western
tower were the oxen, the plough and a great pile of seed. Never before
had poor Sringa-Bhuja had to work for himself, but his great love for
Rupa-Sikha made him determine to do his best. So he was about to begin
to guide the oxen across the field, when, behold, all was suddenly
changed. Instead of an unploughed tract of land, covered with weeds,
was a field with rows and rows of regular furrows. The piles of seed
were gone, and flocks of birds were gathering in the hope of securing
some of it as it lay in the furrows.
As Sringa-Bhuja was staring in amazement at this beautiful scene,
he saw Rupa-Sikha, looking more lovely than ever, coming towards
him. "Not in vain," she said to him, "am I my father's daughter. I
too know how to compel even nature to do my will; but the danger is
not over yet. Go quickly back to the palace, and tell Agni-Sikha that
his wishes are fulfilled."
15. Can the laws of nature ever really be broken?
16. What is the only way in which man can conquer nature?
CHAPTER IX
The magician was very angry indeed when he heard that the field was
ploughed and the seed sown. He knew at once that some magic had
been at work, and suspected that Rupa-Sikha was the cause of his
disappointment. Without a moment's hesitation he said to the prince:
"No sooner were you gone than I decided not to have that seed sown. Go
back at once, and pile it up where it was before."
This time Sringa-Bhuja felt no fear or hesitation, for he was sure
of the power and will to help him of his promised bride. So back he
went to the field, and there he found the whole vast space covered
with millions and millions of ants, busily collecting the seed and
piling it up against the wall of the town. Again Rupa-Sikha came
to cheer him, and again she warned him that their trials were not
yet over. She feared, she said, that her father might prove stronger
than herself; for he had many allies at neighbouring courts ready to
help him in his evil purposes. "Whatever else he orders you to do,
you must see me before you leave the palace. I will send my faithful
messenger to appoint a meeting in some secret place."
Agni-Sikha was not much surprised when the prince told him that his
last order had been obeyed, and thought to himself, "I must get this
tiresome fellow out of my domain, where that too clever child of mine
will not be able to help him." "Well," he said, "I suppose the wedding
must take place to-morrow after all, for I am a man of my word. We
must now set about inviting the guests. You shall have the pleasure
of doing this yourself: then my friends will know beforehand what a
handsome young son-in-law I shall have. The first person to summon
to the wedding is my brother Dhuma Sikha, who has taken up his abode
in a deserted temple a few miles from here. You must ride at once to
that temple, rein up your steed opposite it, and cry, 'Dhuma Sikha,
your brother Agni-Sikha has sent me hither to invite you to witness
my marriage with his daughter Rupa-Sikha to-morrow. Come without
delay!' Your message given, ride back to me; and I will tell you what
farther tasks you must perform before the happy morrow dawns."
When Sringa-Bhuja left the palace, he knew not where to seek a horse
to bear him on this new errand. But as he was nearing the gateway by
which he had gone forth to sow the field with seed, a handsome boy
approached him and said, "If my lord will follow me, I will tell him
what to do." Somehow the voice sounded familiar; and when the guards
were left far enough behind to be out of hearing, the boy looked up
at Sringa-Bhuja with a smile that revealed Rupa-Sikha herself. "Come
with me," she said; and taking his hand, she led him to a tree beneath
which stood a noble horse, richly caparisoned, which pawed the ground
and whinnied to its mistress, as she drew near.
"You must ride this horse," said Rupa-Sikha, "who will obey you if
you but whisper in his ear; and you must take earth, water, wood and
fire with you, which I will give you. You must go straight to the
temple, and when you have called out your message, turn without a
moment's delay, and ride for your life as swiftly as your steed will
go, looking behind you all the time. No guidance will be necessary;
for Marut--that is my horse's name--knows well what he has to do."
Then Rupa-Sikha gave Sringa-Bhuja a bowl of earth, a jar of water,
a bundle of thorns and a brazier full of burning charcoal, hanging
them by strong thongs upon the front of his saddle so that he could
reach them easily. "My father," she told him, "has given my uncle
instructions to kill you, and he will follow you upon his swift
Arab steed. When you hear him behind you, fling earth in his path;
if that does not stop him, pour out some of the water; and if he
still perseveres, scatter the burning charcoal before him."
17. Can you discover any hidden meaning in the use of earth, water,
thorns and fire, to stop the course of the wicked magician?
18. Do you think the prince loved Rupa-Sikha better than he loved
himself?
CHAPTER X
Away went the prince after he had received these instructions; and
very soon he found himself opposite the temple, with the images of
three of the gods worshipped in India to prove that it had been a
sanctuary before the magician took up his abode in it. Directly
Sringa-Bhuja shouted out his message to Dhuma-Sikha, the wicked
dweller in the temple came rushing forth from the gateway, mounted
on a huge horse, which seemed to be belching forth flames from its
nostrils as it bounded along. For one terrible moment Sringa-Bhuja
feared that he was lost; but Marut, putting forth all his strength,
kept a little in advance of the enemy, giving the prince time to
scatter earth behind him. Immediately a great mountain rose up,
barring the road, and Sringa-Bhuja felt that he was saved. He was
mistaken: for, as he looked back, he saw Dhuma-Sikha coming over
the top of the mountain. The next moment the magician was close
upon him. So he emptied his bowl of water: and, behold, a huge river
with great waves hid pursuer and pursued from each other. Even this
did not stop the mighty Arab horse, which swam rapidly across, the
rider loudly shouting out orders to the prince to stop. When the
prince heard the hoofs striking on the dry ground behind him again,
he threw out the thorns, and a dense wood sprouted up as if by magic,
which for a few moments gave fresh hope of safety to Sringa-Bhuja;
for it seemed as if even the powerful magician would be unable to get
through it. He did succeed however; but his clothes were nearly torn
off his back, and his horse was bleeding from many wounds made by
the cruel thorns. Sringa-Bhuja too was getting weary, and remembered
that he had only one more chance of checking his relentless enemy. He
could almost feel the breath of the panting steed as it drew near;
and with a loud cry to his beloved Rupa-Sikha, he threw the burning
charcoal on the road. In an instant the grass by the wayside, the
trees overshadowing it, and the magic wood which had sprung from the
thorns, were alight, burning so fiercely that no living thing could
approach them safely. The wicked magician was beaten at last, and
was soon himself fleeing away, as fast as he could, with the flames
following after him as if they were eager to consume him.
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