INDIA. PART III. Significant ex thá of the pri dren, refers to an extraordinary and revolting dog- HISTORY OF ma, which is especially connected with the worship of Krishna, that a woman acquires religious merit by intercourse with her religious preceptor; and story of Sarmish even in the present day this abominable idea has vileges claimed not been wholly eradicated from India, and notably mans. finds expression amongst a sect in the Bombay Presidency which is known by the name of the Mahárajas. by certain Bráh CHAPTER IV. HISTORY OF Romantic cha racter of the story. Dekhan. Allusions to temples. Education of young ladies in reading and writing. CHANDRAHASA AND BIKYA. THE story of Chandrahasa and Bikya appears more like a romance than a historical tradition, and seems to belong to a much later era than any of the foregoing legends. In the first place, it will be Scene laid in the noticed that the scene is laid in the Dekhan, or south of India. The narrative contains allusions to temples which do not appear to have existed in the Vedic age; and indeed it may be remarked that no ruins of temples have hitherto been found in India of a date antecedent to the age of Buddhism. Again, the story turns upon a letter which was written by a Minister to his son, and which a young lady could not only read, but was able to alter with her own hand; circumstances which plainly indicate a modern origin; for in the earlier legends messages are always carried by word of mouth, and none of the ancient heroines appear to have been able to read Belief in the in- or write. The story is based upon a belief in asthe fortune and trology, and involves the idea that the influence of the physiogno- the stars is perceptible not only in the fortunes of an individual, but in his physiognomy; a belief which was once as widely spread in Europe as it still is in India, and to this day the terms mercurial, fluence of the stars both my. INDIA. PART III jovial, and saturnine are employed to express those HISTORY OF characteristics of temperament which were supposed to result from the influences of the planets Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn. The story, which needs no preliminary explana- The story. tion, may now be related as follows: 1. Chandrahasa, the fortunate boy. drahasa. Far away in the farthest extremity of the Dekhan, in the Birth of Chancountry where camphor is collected, there lived a Raja who was doomed to suffer the severest adversity. To this Raja a son was born when the full moon was in the most favourable of all the lunar mansions, and who was thus destined to enjoy the highest prosperity. Very soon after the birth of this son, a powerful enemy invaded the country, and the Raja was slain with most of his army, and his Rání perished on the funeral pile. The nurse then fled away with the Preserved alive infant to a city named Kutuwal, but told to no one the secret of the child's parentage. She put herself out to service, and supported herself and the child by the proceeds of her toil; but after three years she died, and the little boy was thus thrown destitute upon the world. by his nurse. The child now wandered about without a soul to care Destitution of the child. for him. Sometimes the people of the city gave him a little provision out of charity, and at night he sheltered himself in a pagoda. When he was five or six years old he began to associate and play with other children of his own age; and sometimes the boys would take him to their own homes, and their mothers, hearing that he was without a parent or a friend, would take pity upon him, and give him victuals and clothes, and wash him and take a liking to him. One The Rishis preday he happened to go to the house of the Minister of the greatness to the Raja of Kutuwal, and a number of Rishis and astrologers were present who were well skilled in the science of physiognomy; and when they saw the boy they said to one another:-"Who is he? for on his face are all the signs of royalty." No one, however, knew him, and when they dict his future Minister of the Raja of Kutu wal. INDIA. PART III. HISTORY OF asked the Minister about him, he replied that he had many boys loitering about his house, and that he knew nothing of him. Then the men of science said to the Minister:-"The signs of greatness and royalty are so manifest upon this boy, that one day he will surely be the ruler of this country, and all your people and all your property will hereafter belong to him." Jealousy of the death of Chandrahasa. The assassins When the Minister heard these words he saluted the Rishis and philosophers, each one according to his rank, and dismissed them. He then began to reflect upon their words, and to consider that they were not persons likely to Resolves on the say anything which was not well founded. Therefore, to be beforehand with the boy, and prevent his doing any mischief, he determined to put him to death; and he hired some Chandálas to take him into the jungle and make away with him. The assassins led the lad away by night, and when they drew their swords to kill him he prayed to God for succour; and God changed their hearts, and they took compassion on him, and resolved not to kill him. But as the Minister had desired them to bring to him some token or proof from the boy's body that they had fulfilled his instructions, they looked over his body and found that he had six toes; and they cut off the sixth toe, and carried it to the Minister, who was thereupon much pleased, and gave to each man a milch buffalo. relent and leave the child alive in the jungle. Chandrahasa brought up by a About this time a certain dependent of the Minister, Zemindar. whose duty it was to go about the country and receive the rents and correct injustice, was passing through the jungle, when he heard the cry of the boy. He hastened to the spot, and seeing the lad lying wounded, and being very much struck with his countenance, and having no child of his own, he carried him home to his wife and adopted him as his son. He also called in the astrologers of that neighbourhood, who declared that the boy had a most powerful nativity, and would of a surety become a mighty Raja. They also said that when the boy laughed his face resembled the moon, and that he ought, therefore, to be called Chandrahasa, or "Moon laughing." So the boy was named Chandrahasa. 2. Conquests of Chandrahasa. HISTORY OF Prosperity of the Chandrahasa. From that day forward everything prospered in the house of Chandrahasa's adopted father. The milch kine Zemindar. and buffaloes gave twice as much milk as heretofore, and the crops produced tenfold. Meantime, Chandrahasa was carefully educated in arms and sciences; and when he was grown up, he was desirous of making war. Now there were Conquests of many refractory vassals whom the Raja of Kutuwal had frequently directed the Minister to subdue, but who had ever routed his troops and compelled them to retire. Chandrahasa went out and fought against these rebels, and slew them all; and he carried their wives and children into captivity, and brought away abundance of spoil. Chandrahasa the Raja and his At the achievements of Chandrahasa, his adopted father Achievements of was filled with delight, and carried off a large present to the made known to Minister, and told him how his son had conquered the Minister. rebellious vassals and brought away abundance of spoil. Whereat the Minister was exceedingly pleased, and carried a portion of the spoil to the Raja, saying:-"I sent one of my own dependents to attack the Chieftains of the rebellious provinces; and he has now destroyed all the malcontents, and brought away all their treasures." The Raja immediately asked:-" Which of your dependents was it who has done this service? You, at the head of my whole army, have often gone against these very rebels and never could subdue them: What servant is it of yours who has had so much better success?" The Minister replied:—“I have been much ashamed of my own repeated failures, but the Almighty has now delivered me from my disgrace." Then the Raja was satisfied; and bestowed much encouragement and favour upon the Minister, and even conferred upon him the districts which had been conquered. And the Minister returned to his house in great joy, and in his turn showed much kindness to his dependent, and conferred upon him a portion of the conquered lands. Chandrahasa then dug many wells in his father's city, and built many resting-places for travellers, so that great Wealth of the Zemindar exlousy of the Min cites the jea ister. |