Hindoo Tales; Or, the Adventures of Ten PrincesDandin, active 7th century
General
Hindoo Tales; Or, the Adventures of Ten Princes
Dandin, active 7th century
Sanskrit literature -- Translations into English; Tales -- India
When the ex-king and queen were informed of what had happened, they
were greatly distressed on their daughter's account, and exerted
themselves to save the life of their son-in-law; but the regent, in
whom all authority was vested, resisted their entreaties; and only on
condition of their resigning some of the few privileges which still
remained to them did he consent to defer the execution till he had
communicated with Darpasâra, and learned his pleasure on the subject.
He confiscated the property of Pushpodbhava, and threw him and his
family into prison; and being about to march against the King of Anga,
and unwilling to leave the prince behind, lest he should be liberated
by the old king, he caused a wooden cage to be made, in which his
prisoner was shut up and carried with the army.
Treated thus like some wild beast, roughly shaken and neglected,
Râjavâhana would have suffered greatly had he not been protected by
the magic jewel given to him in Pâtâla, and which he had contrived to
conceal in his hair.
Chandavarma had some time before this asked in marriage Ambâlika, the
daughter of Sinhavarma, King of Anga, and, indignant at a refusal, was
now marching against him, to take vengeance for the insult, and get
possession of the princess. Advancing therefore with a large army, he
prepared to besiege Champa, the capital city.
Sinhavarma, being of a very impatient and impetuous disposition, would
not wait for the arrival of the allies who had been summoned to his
assistance, and were then on the march; but throwing open the gates,
went forth to meet the enemy.
A terrible battle ensued, in which both kings performed prodigies of
valour. At last Sinhavarma was taken prisoner, and his army so
completely defeated, that the conqueror entered and took possession of
the city without opposition.
Chandavarma, having now the princess in his power, determined to make
her his wife at once: he therefore treated her father with more
consideration than he would otherwise have done, though he put him in
confinement, and caused it to be proclaimed throughout the city that
the wedding would be celebrated with much splendour the next morning.
Just then a messenger arrived from Kailâsa, bringing a letter from
Darpasâra, in which he had written, "O fool! should there be any pity
for the violator of the harem? If the old king, my father, now in his
dotage, was foolish enough to favour the criminal for the sake of his
worthless daughter, you had no need of his permission, and ought not
to have been influenced by him. Let that vile seducer be immediately
put to death by torture, and his paramour be shut up in prison till I
come."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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