~ 14 ~
T
HE FAMILY MAN
O
k and forth in
NE MORNING I WAS walking bac
th
ounds with my head gardener, considering
e gr
I
‐
ters
son. Now, it is said, and with much
uth,
o
where improvements could be best introduced,
when my father rode into the courtyard on his old donkey.
*
*
*
I hastened forward and, after helping him to
dismount, was about to go into the garden with him as
believed he had come to enjoy the beauty of our flowers.
But he preferred to enter the nearest reception room and
when I ordered my man to bring some refreshments he
declined:— He wished to speak to me without being
disturbed.
Overcome by a feeling of uneasiness and scenting
danger ahead, I sat down on a low seat beside him.
“My son,” he began, in a tone of deepest earnest
ness, “your wife has, so far, only borne you two daugh
and my brahmins tell me that there is no prospect that she
will present you with a
tr
that the man dies miserably for whom there is n
son to offer the sacrifices proper to the dead.
“I don’t blame you, son,” he added hastily, perhaps
observing that I had become somewhat agitated; and,
although I was not aware how in this matter I could have
deserved blame, I thanked him with suitable humility for
109
his clemency and kissed his hand.
“No, I must blame myself, because in choosing
your wife, I allowed myself to be dazzled in too great a
degree by worldly considerations, having reference to
family and possessions, and did not observe the character‐
and far from rich; nor can one praise
er fo
home
elf: “Well — if it has
be.
ror.
nt
rs
the
a
ore
d
istic marks sufficiently. The girl whom I now have in mind
for you comes, it is true, from a family which is by no
means distinguished,
h
r her possession of what the superficial observer
might call beauty. But, by way of recompense, she has a
navel which sits deep and is turned to the right; both
hands and feet bear lotus, urn and wheel marks; her hair is
quite smooth, except for on her neck where she has two
whorls curling to the right. And of a maiden who pos‐
sesses such marks, the wise say that she will bear five
heroic sons.”
I declared myself perfectly satisfied with the pros‐
pect, thanked my father for the kindness with which he
looked out for me and said I was ready to lead the maiden
at once. For I thought to mys
to
..”
“At once?!” cried out my father, in accents of hor
“My son, moderate your impatience! We are at prese
in the southern course of the sun. When this deity ente
his northern course and we have reached the half of
month in which the moon waxes, then we will choose
favourable day for the joining of hands — but not bef
— not before, my son! Otherwise what good would all the
bride’s qualities do for us?”
I begged my father to have no anxiety:— I would
have patience for the time mentioned and would in all
things be guided by his wisdom. On which note he
praised my dutifulness, gave me his blessing and allowe
me to order refreshments.
*
*
*
110
At last the day approached — in truth I did not
onies
of
r‐in‐law it is hardly possible
pu
e
ng with the action to which it belonged;
r my father would assuredly never have forgiven
me for it. And yet, in my anxiety, I had almost forgotten
the chief thing, for instead of taking my bride Savitrī’s
thumb, I reached out to seize her four fingers, as though I
wished her to bear me daughters — but luckily she had
presence of mind enough to push her thumb into my hand
instead.
I was literally bathed in perspiration by the time I
was finally able to yoke in the bulls for our departure.
Meanwhile my bride inserted into each of the collar‐holes
the branch of a fruit‐bearing tree, and I spoke the required
couplet with a feeling that the worst was now past. The
dangers, however, did not by any means lie behind us yet.
It is true that we reached the house without encoun‐
tering any of the numerous little mishaps which, on such
occasions, seem to lie in wait for their unfortunate
victims. And at the door Savitrī was lifted from the wagon
by three brahmin women of blameless life who had all
given birth to boys, and whose husbands yet lived. So far,
all had gone well. But now, brother, imagine the shock I
received when, on entering the house, my wife’s foot all
but touched the threshold. To this day, I cannot conceive
whence I drew the resolution to lift her high up in my
arms, and thereby hinder such contact from possibly
ardently long for it but it was the one on which all the
propitious signs were found to be united. The cerem
this time were much more tedious. I needed a full four‐
teen days of instruction beforehand in order to master all
the necessary sentences.
The agony of fear I endured during the joining
hands in the house of my fathe
to
t into words. I trembled without intermission — filled
with a horrible dread lest I should not recite some vers
correctly, or in keepi
fo
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