Hindoo Tales | Page 4

former
power."
Vâmadeva, well acquainted with all past, present, and future events,
thus answered him: "O friend, there is no need of penance in your case;
only wait patiently; a son will certainly be born to you who will crush
all your enemies and restore your fortunes." Then a voice was heard in
the air, saying, "This is true."
The king, fully believing the prophecy of the muni, thus miraculously
confirmed, returned to the forest, resolved to await patiently the
fulfilment of the promise; and shortly afterwards the queen brought
forth a son possessing all good marks,[2] to whom his father gave the
name of Râjavâhana.

About the same time also sons were born to his four ministers. They
were named severally Pramati, Mitragupta, Mantragupta, and Visruta,
and were brought up together with the young prince.
Some time after the birth of these children, a certain muni brought a
very beautiful boy to the king, and said: "Having gone lately into the
forest to collect kusa-grass[3] and fuel, I met a woman, evidently in
great distress. When I questioned her, she wiped away her tears, and
told me, with a voice broken by sobs, that she was a servant of
Prahâravarma, King of Mithila--that he, with his family, had gone to
Pushpapuri, to be present at the Simanta festival of the queen, and had
stayed there some time after the departure of the other guests; that at
that time the King of Mâlwa, furnished with a magic weapon, had
invaded the country; that in the battle which ensued, Prahâravarma had
assisted his friend with the few soldiers who accompanied him, and had
been taken prisoner, but had been liberated by the conqueror; that on
his return he had been attacked in the forest by Bheels, and had
repulsed them with difficulty. 'I and my daughter,' she continued, 'who
had charge of the king's twin children, were separated from the rest in
the confusion, and lost our way in the forest. There we suddenly came
upon a tiger. In my fright, I stumbled and fell, and dropped the child,
which I was carrying, on the carcase of a cow with which the tiger had
been engaged. At that moment an arrow struck and killed the tiger. I
fainted away, and when I recovered, I found myself quite alone; my
daughter had disappeared, and the child, as I suppose, was carried off
by the Bheels, who shot the beast. After a time I was found by a
compassionate cowherd, who took care of me till my wounds were
healed; and I am now wandering about in the hope of finding the boy,
and of hearing some tidings of my daughter and the other child.' After
giving me this account, she went on her way again, and I, distressed
that the son of your majesty's friend should be in such hands,
determined to set out in search of him.
"After some days I came to a small temple of Durgâ, where a party of
Bheels were about to make the child an offering to the goddess, in the
hope of obtaining success through her favour; and they were then
deliberating in what manner they should kill him, whether by hanging

him on the branch of a tree and cutting him to pieces with swords, or by
partly burying him in the ground and shooting at him with arrows, or
by worrying him with young dogs.
"Then I went up to them very humbly, and said: 'O Kirâtas, I am an old
brahman; having lost my way in the forest, I laid down my child whom
I was carrying, while I went away for a moment to try to find an
opening out of the dense thicket; when I came back he was gone. I have
been searching for him ever since; have you seen him?' 'Is this your
child?' said they. 'O yes!' I exclaimed. 'Take him, then,' they replied;
'we respect a brahman.' Thus I got possession of the boy, and, blessing
them for their kindness, took him away as quickly as possible, and have
now brought him here, thinking he will be best under your majesty's
protection."
The king, though grieved at the calamity of his friend, rejoiced that the
child was saved from such a death; and giving him the name of
Upahâravarma, had him brought up as his own son.
Not long after this, Râjahansa went to bathe at a holy place, and in
returning, as he passed by a group of Chandâlas, he observed a woman
carrying a very beautiful boy. Being struck by the appearance of the
child, he said "Where did you get this beautiful boy, who is like a
king's son? Surely he is not your own child! pray tell me."
She answered: "When the Bheels attacked