month and to carry out such an enterprise in the light half
would have been an offence against the sacred laws of the
. I could easily
ave
t, I
er, I
he had not been very friendly to
e, a
‐
y
g as
t,
s
or,
t have ruined your inner
robbers, and would have brought down upon him the
vengeance of the wrathful Goddess Kālī.
I at once ordered my best horse to be saddled and
rode into town to the palace of the King
h
obtained an audience but, to my disappointmen
learned that he was just then residing at one of his distant
hunting lodges. I was therefore obliged to be content with
a visit to the Minister of State. As it happened this was the
very same man who had conducted the fateful embassy to
Kosambī, and in whose protection as you will rememb
did not travel back. Now, from that day on which I had
refused to follow him,
m
s I had noticed on several occasions when we had
chanced to meet; in addition to which, I knew he had
frequently criticised my mode of life. To have to bring this
matter before him was not exactly agreeable; its justifica
tion, however, was so apparent that here, it seemed, there
was no room left for personal likes or dislikes.
I related to him, therefore, as shortly and clearly as
possible, what had taken place in my courtyard, and
added the all but self‐evident petition that a division of
troops might be stationed for the night in my house and
garden, for the double purpose of defending my propert
from the certain attack of the robbers, and of capturin
many of these as possible.
The Minister heard me in silence and with an
inscrutable smile on his face. Then he said:
“My good Kāmanīta, I do not know whether you
have already indulged in an early and very heavy draugh
or are still suffering from the effects of one of your famou
nightly banquets which have become the talk of Ujjenī;
indeed, whether you may no
organs to such an extent by your no less proverbial than
126
remarkable spiced dishes, as to now be subject to night‐
mares, and not only by night but also in broad daylight!
For as such I am compelled to designate this interesting
le, p
nce
e in
d in the underground
d,
f
r
...”
onders
f Ujj
a
rther.
or th
ords to
ta
articularly as we know that it is a long time si
Angulimāla ceased to sojourn amongst the living.”
“But that was a false rumour, as we now see!” I
called out impatiently.
“I by no means see it,” he replied sharply. “There
can be no question in this instance of a false rumour — a
short time after the affair, Sātāgira himself related to m
Kosambī that Angulimāla had die
dungeons of the ministerial palace, under torture; and I
myself saw his head on one of the spikes over the eastern
gate.”
“I do not know whose head you saw there,” I crie
“but this I do know, that one hour ago I saw the head o
Angulimāla safe and sound on his shoulders, and that, fa
from meriting your mockery, I deserve that you, on the
contrary, should thank me for giving you the opportunity
“...of killing a dead man and making a fool of
myself?” the Minister interrupted me. “Much obliged!”
“Then I beg you at least to remember that this is
not a matter which concerns just any old place, but relates
to a mansion and grounds reckoned among the w
o
enī, and inspected by our gracious King himself with
great admiration. He will not thank you if Angulimāla
reduces all these splendours of his capital to ashes.”
“Oh! that troubles me very little,” said the Minister,
laughing. “Take my advice: go home, calm yourself with
short sleep, and don’t let the matter disturb you fu
F
e rest, the whole affair arises from this, that you
plunged yourself into a romantic adventure that year in
Kosambī and, in your headstrong folly, flung my w
the winds rather than return with me. Had you listened
127
then, Angulimāla would never have made you prisoner
and you would not now have been tormented by an
empty and baseless fear. Moreover, your two‐month‐long
fe in
ce of safety in the
ner
d
‐
com‐
ants only trustworthy rascals — that is,
eir
self
go
to each of them with
ess
s home. I didn’t let them
li
the company of that robber pack did not improve
your morals, as all of us here in Ujjenī have perceived.”
At this point he launched into a few additional
moral platitudes and then he dismissed me.
Even before I reached home I was considering
what was to be done, seeing that I was now thrown onto
my own resources. Arriving there, I had all the movable
treasures — costly carpets, inlaid tables and similar items
— carried into the courtyard and loaded onto wagons, in
order to have them conveyed to a pla
in
town. At the same time I had weapons distributed
amongst all my people; both wagons and weapons being
forthcoming in abundance, owing to the fact that a cara‐
van had been in course of preparation. But I didn’t let
things rest there. My first measure was to send several
trusted servants into the town in order, by the promise of a
handsome reward, to enlist for the night courageous an
capable fighting men.
For any other person this would have been a
hazardous procedure, for how easily might such fellows at
the critical moment make common cause with the assail
ants. But I relied upon certain female friends, who re
mended to my serv
fellows who were capable of anything, but to whom th
solemnly pledged word and fighting money, once accep‐
ted, were sacred. As I knew this riff‐raff and their curious
customs, I was well aware of what I was doing.
During these preparations, as I had no time my
to
to my wives, I sent a servant
instructions that they should hold themselves in readin
— Sītā with her two daughters, Savitrī with her little son —
to move into town to my father’
128
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