CHAPTER CIX.
Project Gutenberg EPUB edition
Valmiki and Mitra, Viharilala
Appearance of Chúdálá in the presence of her Lord.
Argument:—Recognisance of Chúdálá, relation of her adventures and reunion with her lord.
VASISHTHA related:—Sikhidhwaja was surprised to see princess, so suddenly appearing before him; he looked upon her with his eyes staring with mute astonishment, and then broke his silence, with uttering the following words in his faltering speech.
2. What art thou, O lotus eyed maid, and whence comest thou to this place? why comest thou here, and how long hast thou been herein? say for what purpose dost thou abide in this forest.
3. Thy gait and figure, thy features and thy form, thy sweet smiles, manners and courtesy, bespeak thee plainly, to be an ectype or counterpart of the image of my wedded wife.
4. Chúdálá replied:—So it is my lord, as thou thinkest me to be thy lawful consort; I am no doubt thy princess Chúdálá, who has met thee today in her natural and undisguised form, as thou also hast found her as the same.
5. I assumed to me the counterfeit forms of Kumbha and others, only to remonstrate with thee on thy mistaken course; and used every art and stratagem to recall thee only to the right path.
6. Ever since thy foolish renunciation of thy kingdom, for the purpose of the performance of thy ascetic austerities in the forest. I have had recourse to the employment of every art, in order to reclaim thee to the right path of religion.
7. I awakened to the light of truth in my form of Kumbha, and all the other forms which I took upon myself, were chiefly intended for thy instruction (and rousing thee from thy lethargy).
8. The forms of Kumbha and others, were no real but magical appearance before thee; and thou that knowest the knowable, can very well discern the whole affair in your meditation.
9. You will be convinced of all this, if you will but look into it by the light of your meditation and not otherwise. After Chúdálá said so far, the prince sat in his meditative mood and in the posture of his meditation—yogásana.
10. He saw the whole affair, rising and exhibiting itself plainly before his mental vision; ever since the renunciation of his royalty, until his meeting with Chúdálá at the end (from first to last).
11. All these he saw rising in his soul, in one moment of his meditation; and the successive events appeared before it, since the resignation of his kingdom to the present instant.
12. The prince felt glad in himself, at seeing all these in his meditation; and he greatly rejoiced with his full open eyes, when his meditation was over at the end of the scene.
13. He extended both his arms with the hairs standing at an end of his body through joy, and his countenance shining with the gladness of his heart; while the fondness of his heart had its vent, in the tears trickling in his eyes, and his limbs slackened by his want of self-control.
14. And then embraced her to his bosom, as a weasel does its mate for a long time; and this continued embrace of theirs, indicated the permanency of their passion for one another.
15. No body nor even the hundred hooded Vásuki serpent, can express with its hundred tongues, the height of the happiness which the happy pair felt on this occasion of their reunion; when their two bodies met together, like the two orbs of the sun and moon in their conjunction; or as their two disks were joined in one, by adhesion of some paste or clay.
16. The two constant lovers continued in their close contact, like two contiguous rocks sticking to one another; till at last they parted apart, with the profuse perspiration of their bodies.
17. They then gradually relaxed their arms from their mutual embraces, and their hearts which had ere long over flowed with delight, became now as light as two empty pots of water.
18. They loosened their arms, and stared at one another with their fixed and mute gaze of amazement; and they sat silent with their deep felt love, after the fervour of their delight was over.
19. Then did the prince lay his hand under the chin of his legal and royal consort, and bespoke to her in soft and sweet words distilling with honey.
20. Matrimonial love, is righteous and sweeter far than the celestial ambrosia itself; how then was it, O my moon faced love, that thou couldst continue so long without tasting its sweets?
21. Thou hast doubtless undergone much privation, and suffered great pains in the absence of thy husband, and so also was the toil exceedingly great, that thou hast taken on thyself, in order to redeem me from the dungeon of the world.
22. I know not with whom to compare thee, for the great wisdom that thou hast displayed in thine act of my redemption, for even the pious ladies Sachí and Arundhatí and the great goddesses Gourí, Gáyatrí and Sri (Ceres) and Sarasvatí, fall short of thy admirable qualities.
23. I see, my love, that even the personified powers of understanding and prosperity, the persons of the graces and clemency, and the virtues of forgiveness, sympathy and universal love, are unequal to thy unequalled virtues and beauty.
24. I know no adequate recompense, that will compensate thy labour and repay my gratitude to thee, that hast spared no patience nor persevering pains, in the cause of my instruction and redemption.
25. O say, what retribution will requite thy pains, and gladden thy mind; for thy redeeming me from the dark pit of ignorance, and reclaiming me from the boundless wilderness of errors.
26. It is the true virtue of faithful wives, to raise their fallen husbands much more than the sástras or learning, riches, the spiritual guide and his teaching, can serve to save a man from his degradation. (Such accomplished wife, is very hard to be in India found in these days of degeneration).
27. Faithful and affectionate wives, are by far more serviceable to their husbands, than a brother or relation or any friend or servant, or even a guru or one's riches ever can be.
28. The faithful wife is the best guide of man, and her person serves to be his best abode and attendant than anything else in this world. Therefore the wife deserves to be always regarded above all others, with utmost diligence and attention.
29. The happiness of both worlds depends entirely on the person of the disinterested and virtuous wife, who serves as a raft to her husband, for his going across the wide ocean of the perilous world.
30. How shall I, O virtuous lady! repay the recompense of what thou hast done for me, and whom I now regard as the wisest and best of all the virtuous ladies in the whole world.
31. Thy name must ever afterwards remain foremost of virtuous women in the world, in all future narratives of female virtues and respectable character among female sex.
32. Methinks the virtuous lady Arundhatí and others, whose names are immortalized for their virtues, in the record of sacred history, will feel jealous of thee as they came to learn thy chastity and other admirable qualities. So my dear, let me embrace thee again to my bosom.
33. Vasishtha related:—Saying so, Sikhidhwaja again held Chúdálá to his fast embrace, as the weasel does his mate in their mutual fondness.
34. Chúdálá said:—My lord, I was sorry to find you entirely devoted to your dry ceremonial duties, and it was for that reason, that I took so much pains to dissuade you from them, and lead you to the knowledge of the intelligent soul.
35. Now tell me, my lord, what shall we do in this place and what is the use of your extolling my virtues so far.
36. Sikhidhwaja replied:—O you most excellent among women, you are here at your liberty to do whatever you think best; as it is the prerogative of respectable ladies, to manage everything in their own way.
37. Chúdálá answered:—Now my lord! as you have come to know, that you are released from the network of this world, and are set free on the shore from all its broils: you must have perceived now that your past austerities were all in vain and gone for nothing.
38. You must have known that it is all in vain, when you say "I do this or that, and will get its reward, and will thus be settled in life etc."; say, do you smile to think of these and other vagaries of your simple understanding.