CHAPTER XLVIII. ON THE WONDROUS POWER OF ILLUSION.
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Valmiki and Mitra, Viharilala
Argument. Devotion of Gádhi after his return, and Vishnu’s exhibition of the extraordinary power of delusion to him
Vasishtha continued:—Gádhi was bewildered in his mind, at all that he heard and observed about the Chandála and his residence, and felt uneasy to learn more about them.
2. He went back to the place, and observed the abodes that lay scattered upon the plain; as when the lotus-born Brahmá looks over the ruins, made by the great deluge at the end of a kalpa age.
3. He said to himself, those bones lying scattered about the ruined huts in this forest, look like little imps (pisáchas), gathered round the trees standing on the burial ground.
4. These posts and pegs of elephant’s tusks, that are fastened to and upon the walls of the ruined houses; look like the craigs of mount Meru, drowned under the waters of the kalpa deluge.
5. Here the Chandála feasted on his meat food of monkey’s flesh, and dressed with the sprouts of young bamboos; and there he caroused on his country grog, in company with his drunken friends.
6. Here he slept in the embrace of his murky spouse, on his bed of the lion’s skin; being drunk with the better liquor mixed with the ichor, exuding from the frontal proboscis of the elephant.
7. There was a pack of hounds, tied to the trunk of the withered Bharaeda tree, and fed with the rotten flesh of the putrid carcasses.
8. Here I see three earthen vessels covered with the hides of buffaloes, resembling fragments of dark clouds; and which had once contained the precious pearls falling from the sculls of slain elephants. (The low and poor people, use earthen pots and boiling kettles for boxes and chests).
9. I see the site of the place which I had seen in my dream, and where the Chandála boys played on the dust, with as much glee and gaiety, as the cuckoos have in flitting on the tufts of mango leaves.
10. I see the place I had seen in my vision, where the boys sang responsive to the tune of their bamboo pipes; and drank the milk of bitches, and adorned themselves with flowers from the funeral grounds.
11. Here the families of the wedding parties, met together to celebrate their marriage festivity; and danced and sang as loudly, as the noise of the dashing waves of the sea.
12. There I find the bamboo cages, still suspended on high; which were laid before, for catching the flying birds of the air; in order to be killed for the food (of their slayers).
13. Vasishtha resumed:—Thus Gádhi remained for a long time on the spot, observing all what he remembered to have seen in his dream; and was lost in wonder, to think on the miraculous disclosure of these things in his dream. (Lit.:—heart-strings palpitated with surprise &c.).
14. He then departed from that place, and travelled through many countries beyond the boundaries of Butan, for a long time.
15. He passed over many rivers and rocks, and through many deserts and forests; until he reached to the snowy mountain, and the habitation of humankind beyond its borders.
16. He then arrived at the city of a great monarch, the towers of which rose as hills upon the earth; and there stopped after his long journey, as when Nárada rests in his heavenly dome, after the fatigue of travelling through the numerous worlds.
17. He beheld in that city all the places answering to the romantic thoughts in his mind, and those as he had seen and enjoyed in his dream, and then asked the citizens in a respectful manner.
18. Good Sirs, said he, do you remember any thing regarding the Chandála king that reigned here for sometime, which, if you do, be pleased to relate unto me in its proper order.
19. The citizens replied:—Yes, O Bráhman, there reigned here a Chandála king for full eight years, and he was elected to its government, by the auspicious elephant of the realm.
20. Being at last discovered to be of so vile a race, he committed his self-immolation on the funeral pyre; and it is now a dozen of years, since the direful event has taken place.
21. In this manner the inquisitive Gádhi continued in his inquiry of every man he met with, and was satisfied to learn the same information from the mouth of every body there.
22. He then beheld the king of that city coming with his body guards and vehicles, and whom he recognized to be no other than the god Vishnu and his attendants as he had seen in his devotion, and were now going out of the city.
23. He saw the sky shadowed by the cloud of dust raised by the feet of the passing procession; and remembered with grief the like state of his pomp under his past kingship.
24. He said to himself, here are the same Kiri damsels with their rosy skins, resembling the petals of lotuses; and those with their bodies blazing as liquid gold, and their cerulean eyes trembling like blue lotuses.
25. The waving of the chouri flappers, flashes with the light of bright moonbeams; and resembles the falling waters of a cascade, and clusters of kása flowers.
26. Beautiful maidens, waving the snow white fans in their beauteous hands, resembled the forest plants with pearly flower on their branches.
27. The rows of furious elephants, standing on both sides of the land, are like thick lines of kalpa trees, growing on ridges of the Sumeru mountains.
28. These chieftains resembling the gods Yama, Kuvera and Varuna—the lord of waters, are like the regents of the different quarters of the sky, accompanying Indra—the lord of heaven.
29. These long extending lines of goodly edifices, which are full of a great variety of things, and abounding in all sorts of comforts, resemble a grove of kalpa trees, conferring all the objects of desire.
30. In this royal city of the Kirs, and in the manners of its assembled people, I see exactly the same customs and usages, as those of the kingdom of my past life.
31. Truly this is but a vision in my dream, and appearing as a reality in my waking state; I cannot understand why this delusive magic show is spread out before me.
32. O yes, I am as fast bound by my ignorance, and captivated by my reminiscence, as a captive bird in a net, that has lost all power over itself.
33. O fie! that my silly mind is so deluded by its desires, that it is always wont to mistake the shadow for the substance, of people dwelling in their aerial castles.
34. This extraordinary magic, I ween is shown to me by Vishnu—the holder of the discus, of whom I recollect to have asked the favour of showing Máyá or delusion to me.
35. I will now betake myself to austere devotion in the cavern of a hill, in order to learn the origin and subsistence of delusion (i.e. how the deceitful delusion sprang from the truthful God, and where in it consists).
36. Having long thought in this manner, Gádhi went out of the city, and came to the cavern of mountain; where he rested after all his travels and travail of thought, like a lion tired with his roaming for forage.
37. He remained there for a whole year, living only on the water of the cataract collected in the hollow of his palm; and devoted himself to the worship of Vishnu, the holder of the Sáringi bow.
38. Then the lotus eyed god appeared to him in his watery form, which was as clear and graceful to sight, as the limpid lake of autumn with the blue lotuses full blown upon it.
39. With this form, the god approached to the hermit’s cell in the mountain, and stood over it in the likeness of a transparent watery cloud, resting on the humid atmosphere.