457
Then he resolved to march forth to conquer his enemy, after obtaining
the jewels essential to an emperor of the Vidyádharas. So the emperor
mounted a chariot, with his wives and his ministers, and set out from that Govindakúța. And all his partizans, the kings of the Gandharvas and the chiefs of the Vidyádharas, accompanied by their armies,marched along with him, encircling him, as the planets do the moon. Then Naraváhanadatta reached the Himálayas, preceded by Dhanavatí, and found there a large lake. With its white lotuses like lofty umbrellas and its soaring swans like waving chowries, it seemed to have brought a present fit for a sovereign. With its lofty waves flung up towards him like beckoning hands at no great distance, it seemed to summon him again and again to take the bath which should ensure him supreme sovereignty. Then Váyupatha said to the king, "My emperor, you must go down and bathe in this lake;" so he went down to bathe in it. And a heavenly voice said, " None but an emperor can ever succeed in bathing in this lake, so now you may consider the imperial dignity secured to you."
When the emperor heard that, he was delighted, and he sported in the water of that lake with his wives, as Varuna does in the sea. He took pleasure in watching them with the moist garments clinging to their bodies, with the fastenings of their hair loosened, and their eyes reddened by the washing into them of antimony. The rows of birds, flying up with loud cries from that lake, appeared like the girdles of its presiding nymphs advancing to meet him. And the lotuses, eclipsed by the beauty of the lotus-like faces of his wives, plunged beneath the waves as if ashamed. And after bathing, Naraváhanadatta, with his attendants, spent that day on the bank of that lake.
There the successful prince, with his wives and ministers, spent his time in jocose conversation, and next morning he set forth thence in his chariot with his army. And as he was going along, he reached the city of Váyupatha, which lay in his way ; and he stayed there a day to please him. There he fell in love with a maiden, that he came across in a garden, the sister of Váyupatha, by name Váyuvegayaśas. She, while amusing herself in a garden on the bank of the Hemabáluka*[1] river, saw him arrive, and though in love with him, disappeared at once. Then Naraváhanadatta, supposing that she had turned her back on him for some reason other than the real one, returned with downcast face to his quarters. There the queens found out the adventure that had befallen the king by means of Marubhúti who was with him, (for Gomukha was too clever for them to try him,) and then they made all kinds of jokes at the king's expense, while Gomukha stood by ashamed at the indiscretion of Marubhúti.
- ↑ * The word means " having sands of gold."
