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When they heard from the mouth of the king of Vatsa this varied tale*[1] full of marvellous incident, all his ministers sitting by his side and his two wives experienced excessive delight.
CHAPTER XIX.
Then Yaugandharáyana said to the king of Vatsa; " King, it is known that you possess the favour of destiny, as well as courage; and I also have taken some trouble about the right course of policy to be pursued in this matter: therefore carry out as soon as possible your plan of conquering the regions." "When his chief minister had said this to him, the king of Vatsa answered,— " Admitting that this is true, nevertheless the accomplishment of auspicious undertakings is always attended with difficulties, accordingly I will with this object propitiate Śiva by 'austerities, for without his favour, how can I obtain what I desire?" When they heard that, his ministers approved of his performing austerities, as the chiefs of the monkeys did in the case of Rama, when he was intent upon building a bridge over the ocean. And after the king had fasted for three nights, engaged in austerities with the queens and the ministers, Śiva said to him in a dream— " I am satisfied with thee, therefore rise up, thou shalt obtain an unimpeded triumph, and shalt soon have a son who shall be king of all the Vidyadharas." Then the king woke up, with all his fatigue removed by the favour of Śiva, like the new moon increased by the rays of the sun. And in the morning he delighted his ministers by telling them that dream, and the two queens, tender as flowers, who were worn out by the fasting they had endured to fulfil the vow. And they were refreshed by the description of his dream, well worthy of being drunk in with the ears, and its effect was like that of medicine, †[2] for it restored their strength. The king obtained by his austerities a power equal to that of his ancestors, and his wives obtained the saintly renown of matrons devoted to their husband. But on the morrow when the feast at the end of the fast was celebrated, and the citizens were beside themselves with joy, Yaugandharáyana thus addressed the king
- ↑ * Thorpe in his Yule-tide Stories remarks that the story of Vidúshaka somewhat resembles in its ground-plot the tale of the Beautiful Palace East of the Sun and North of the Earth. With the latter he also compares the story of Śaktivega in tho 5th book of the Kathá Sarit Ságara. (See the table of contents of Thorpe's Yule-tide Stories, p. xi.) Cp. also Sicilianische Märchen, Vol. II, p. I, and for the cutting off of the giant's arm, p. 50.
- ↑ † Perhaps we should read svádcaushadha = sweet medicine.
