CHAPTER CVI.
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Valmiki and Mitra, Viharilala
Marriage of Chúdálá with Sikhidhwaja.
Argument.—The Gandharva form of marriage, its Courtship and ceremonial rites.
VASISHTHA resumed:—After the lapse of some days in this manner, Chúdálá thus bespoke to her husband, in her guise of the pretended Bráhman boy (or Kumbha).
2. Hear me, O lotus eyed prince, she said, what I tell you in good earnest; that since I am obliged to become a woman every night, and continue to be so for ever more.
3. I wish to fulfill the part of my womanhood, by joining myself to a husband by legal marriage for all that time.
4. I want to taste the pleasure of conjugal union, with a dear friend, who is of his own accord so very friendly to me, and without any endeavour on my part: so I hope you will interpose no difficulty in my way.
5. So I choose you sir, as my husband, of all others in the three worlds: therefore be pleased to accept me for your wife every night.
6. The delightsome pleasure of conjugal union, has come down to us ever since the commencement of creation; and therefore our obedience to the ordinance of nature, can entail no guilt on our part.
7. I desire this that we may do as we like, without desiring or disliking anything; and be far from expecting the consequence of what we like or dislike.
8. Sikhidhwaja answered:—I see friend, neither any good nor evil, of accepting your proposal; so you are at liberty to do as you like.
9. Being possessed of the indifference of my mind, at every thing in the world; I see everything in the same and in an equal light: so I let you have your option as you may like.
10. Kumbha replied:—If so, then I say that this day is very favourable for celebrating the marriage ceremony; it is the full moon of Srávana, and all lucky asterism according to my best calculation.
11. On this day of the full moon, our marriage may take place both in the day as well as night-time in the Gándharva form (by mutual choice and consent).
12. It will be celebrated either on the summit of the Mahendra mountain, or on the delightful table-land there abouts; or in the grotto of some mineral mine, and in the light of the shining gems and mineral ores in the mountain; (serving as lamps and candle lights in the festivity).
13. The rows of stately trees all around, will shed their flowers at the nuptial ceremony; and the twining creepers on them, will represent the dance of nanch girls by their tremulous shaking. (Dance and music being necessary accompaniments of marriage festivities).
14. Let the bright luminary of the night, accompanied by his consort train of shining stars, witness our marriage from the high sky with their wide open and glaring eyes.
15. Rise, O prince, for your marriage; and let us both hie to cull the forest flowers, and prepare the sandal paste and collect the scattered gems, in order to deck our nuptial seats therewith.
16. Saying so, they both rose together, and culled the flowers and collected the gems.
17. Then in a short time, they repaired to the gemming steppe, and heaped it with flowers of various kinds.
18. They had their marriage vests and necklaces ready on the spot, and the God of love helped with the supply of every thing required on the occasion.
19. Having thus prepared the paraphernalia of their nuptials, and stored them in a golden grotto of the mountain, they both repaired to the sacred stream of the heavenly Ganges Mandákiní, for making their holy ablutions therein.
20. Here Kumbha served as the priest, to lave the holy water profusely on the lofty head and elevated shoulders of the prince; as the elephantine clouds of Indra, pour the rain water in plenteous showers, on the towering tops and height of hills.
21. So also did the prince act the part of the ministering prince, and washed the body of his beloved princess now in the form of Kumbha. Thus did the two friends anoint and absterge by turns, the persons of their quondam and future consorts.
22. Bathed and purified, they adored the gods, the munis and the manes of their ancestors, for the sake of their honour, and without any desire of getting any good or gain from them: for they well knew that they could benefit nothing their service, as the deities, the deified spirits and the divine sages.
23. They took their frugal and repast, as their nature and the course of the world required; and seasoned with the nectarine juice of their good and refined intelligence.
24. They wore the whitish barks of Kalpa trees, as their clean marriage raiments, and ate its fruits as their wedding cakes; then they repaired to the altar for their nuptial ceremony.
25. At this time the sun descended below his setting mountain, as if to consummate their conjugal union in secret.
26. As it now became dark and dusk they discharged their evening service and offered their prayers; and groups of stars now appeared on the plain of the firmament, to witness their union in marriage.
27. Then came the sable night the only friend of the happy pair, spreading the veil of darkness over the face of nature, and smiling with the blushing of snow white lotuses and lilies of the valley.
28. Kumbha collected the rich stones, and placed those gemming on the table land of the mountain, while Brahmá lighted his two lamps of the sun and moon together in the heavens.
29. Being then changed to the female form, Kumbha anointed the prince with the fragrant sandal paste, agallochum, camphor powder and pulverised musk.
30. She adorned his person with strings, bracelets and wristlets of flowers, and dressed in a robe of the thin bark of Kalpa tree.
31. His body was also decorated with the filaments of Kalpa plant, and clusters of párijáta flowers and with many other flowers and gems from his head to foot.
32. She appeared also at this time in her bridal garb and maiden like figure, with her big and swollen breasts, and with all her youthful grace and blandishments.
33. She thought that as she was now attired and appeared as a nuptial bride, she must now offer herself to a husband worthy to her.
34. Here am I as a lovely bride, said she to herself, and there is my husband in my presence; I must ask him to accept my hand, nor is this time to be slipped from hand.
35. So saying, she approached her husband sitting apart from her in the wood; and appeared as Rati—the goddess of love, was advancing towards her loving Káma.
36. She went to him and said:—"I am Madaniká by name and thy loving wife I therefore bow down at your feet, with the regard due to a husband."
37. So saying, the beauteous lady, bent down her head with female bashfulness; and made her obeisance to her lord, with the pendant locks on her head.
38. And then she said to him:—"O thou my lord! do thou adorn me with ornaments also, and then light the nuptial fire, to attest thy acceptance of my hand."