22 - The story of Kuvalayáshva (continued): Madálasá’s death.

Pátala-ketu’s brother Tála-ketu, in the guise of a Muni dwelling on bunk of the Yamuna, induces Kuvalayáshva to guard his hermitage, the pretext that he had certain ceremonies to perform in the ex-Disappearing within the water he goes to the palace and reports Kuvalayúśhva had died in battle with the Daityas--Madálasá dies mgh grief, and the king and queen utter their lamentations, and form the prince’s obsequies-Tála-ketu then returns to the hermitage releases the prince. 

The sons spoke.

1               “Many days afterwards the king again addressed his son, ‘Mounting this horse go quickly to rescue the bráhmans,

2 and patrol the earth, morning by morning, day by day, for tho bráhmans’ freedom from molestation must always be

3 sought after. There are evil-behaved Dánayas in hundreds; born in wickedness; do thou so act that the Munis may experience

4 no obstacle from them.’ Then the king’s son did he was directed by his father. After traversing the whole earth, the king’s son did obeisance to his father’s feet in the forenoon, as each day came round; and then during the rest of the day he enjoyed himself with her, the slender waisted one.

6       “One day, however, while moving about, he saw Pátála ketu’s younger brother Tála-ketu, who had fixed his hermitage

7 on the bank of the Yamuná. The wily Dánava had assumed Muni’s shape. Bearing the previous enmity in mind, he

8 accosted the king’s son-’O royal prince! I accost thee, do thou then accomplish my request if thou art willing: nor must thou refuse my petition, thou that art true to thy promise

9 I will offer a sacrifice to Dharma, and the oblations also must be made. The funeral piles must be put up there, since

10 they have not yet ascended into the air. Hence give me O hero! this thy own ornament that is about thy neck

11 for gold, and guard thou my hermitage, until I praise within the water the god Varuna, the lord of marine animals with the mantras prescribed by the Vedas for Varuna’

 12 worship, which cause creatures to thrive, and in hast return.’ To him as he spoke thus the prince did obeisance and then gave his neck-ornament, and replied to him, ‘G sir! with a mind at ease; I will stay in this very spot near thy hermitage according to thy command, Sir! until the

14 coming again. No man shall cause thee molestation here while I stay. And do thou in perfect confidence, without hurry, O bráhman, accomplish thy purpose.’ 

15     “Being thus addressed by him, he then plunged into this water in the river, while the prince guarded the other’s magie

16 raised hermitage. And Tála-ketu went from that river to that the prince’s town, and spoke thus in the presence of Madálase and other persons. 

17 ‘The hero spoke. The hero, Kuvalayáshva, while guarding the ascetics close to my hermitage, fighting with a certain wicked Daitya 

18 and striking down the bráhmans’ foes in the conflict with all his might, was pierced in the breast with a spear by the

19 wicked Daitya who resorted to magic. While dying he gave me this neck-ornament; and shúdra ascetics gave him

20 to the fire in the wood. And the frightened horse which uttered distressed neighings, with tearful eyes, was led off

21 by that cruel Dánava. This beheld I, malicious, epil-doer. Whatever should forth with be done in this matter, let it be

22 done without delay. And take this neck-ornament as a consolation to your hearts, for we ascetics may not have anything to do with gold.’ 

The sons spoke.

23     “Having so spoken, he left it on the ground and departed as he had come. And those people afflicted with grief, fell

24 down, ill with fainting. Immediately recovering consciousness all those royal handmaids, and the queens and the king

25 lamented sorely distressed. But Madálasá seeing that his neck-ornament, and hearing that her husband was slain, quickly yielded up her dear life. 

26     “Thereon a great cry arose in the houses of the citizens,

27 even as there was in the king’s own house. And the king beholding Madálasá bereft of her husband and dead, made answer to all the people, having recovered his composure

28 after dne reflection. ‘Ye should not weep, nor I, I perceive, when one considers the fleetingness of even all relations.

29 Why do I bewail my son? Why do I bewail my daughter-in law? I think after due reflection, that neither should be

30 bewailed, since events happen as they are fated. Why should my son, who in obedience to me has met death when engaged in guarding the dvijas according to my command,

31 be bewailed by the intelligent? Assuredly if my son has quitted his body on account of those dvijas, will not that body,

32 to which he resorts, cause him to rise higher? And how is it possible that this high-born lady, thus faithful to her husband, should be bewailed? For women have no deity besides a husband. 33 For she would have to be thus bewailed by us, and her relatives, and other compassionate persons, if she were 

34 separated from her husband. But this noble lady, who or hearing of the death of her husband has immediately followed her husband, should not for this reason be bewailed by

 35 the wise. Those women should be bewailed, who are seprated from their husbands; those should not be bewailed who have died with them: but this grateful wife has not expe

 36 rienced separation from her husband. Verily what woman in both the worlds would think her husband human, who gives her all happinesses both in this world and the next

 37 Neither should he be bewailed, nor yet this lady, nor I, nor his mother. Wo were all rescued by him who resigns his life

 38 for the sake of the bráhmans. For my high-souled son, by relinquishing his body which was half consumed, has freed himself from his debt to the brúhmans, to mo, to religion.

 39 Though losing his life in war, he did not surrender hie mother’s honour, the spotless fame of my family, or his own heroism.’

 40 “Then Kuvalayášhva’s mother, having heard of her son’s 

death, looked upon her husband and, immediately after her husband, spoko similarly. 

“The mother spoke.

41 “Not such gratification did my mother or my sister get, O king! as I have felt in hearing that my son has been slain

42 while protecting the Muni. Thoso who die, sighing, in great distress, afflicted with illness, while their relatives lament,- their mother has brought forth children in vain.

43 Those who, whilo fearlessly fighting in battle to guard cattle and dvijas, perish crushed with arrows, they indeed are

44 really men in the world. He who turns not his back on suppliants, friends, and enemies, in him his father has a real

45 son, and in him his mother has given birth to a hero. A woman’s pain of conception reaches, I think, its success at the time when her son either vanquishes his foes or is slain in battle.’ 

The sons spoke.

46 “Then the king bestowed the funeral obsequios on his son

 and daughter: and having gone forth bathed and offered the water to his son. 

47     “And Tála-ketu also, having issued from the Yamuna’s water, spoke this honied speech respectfully to the king’s

48 son. “Depart, O prince; thou hast caused me to be successful. While thou hast remained stationary here, the long

49 wished-for business, and the sacrificial acts to Varuņa the high-souled lord of the ocean, all that I have completed, as I had desired.’ 

50     “The king’s son did him reverence and departed to his father’s city, mounting on that steed which sped along like Garuda and the wind.”