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त्रयोदशो वतेालः
The thirteenth story
The Brāhman Harisvāmin, who first lost his wife, and then his life
अथ गत्वा पुनः प्राप्य शिंशपातस् ततो नृपः ।
स त्रिविक्रमसेनस् तं स्कन्धे वेतालम् आददे ॥ १२,२०.१ ॥
आयान्तं च स वेतालो भूयस् तं नृपम् अब्रवीत् ।
राजञ् शृणु कथाम् एकां संक्षिप्तां वर्णयामि ते ॥ १२,२०.२ ॥
King Vikram went back to the tree, and bringing down the Vetāla, placed him across his shoulders and started to walk back.
The Vetāla said to the king “O king, we have some distance to cover. So let me tell you a story once again!”
अस्ति वाराणसी नाम पुरी हरनिवासभूः ।
देवस्वामीति तत्रासीन् मान्यो नरपतेर् द्विजः ॥ १२,२०.३ ॥
महाधनस्य तस्यैको हरिस्वामीत्य् अभूत् सुतः ।
तस्य भार्या च लावण्यवतीत्य् अत्युत्तमाभवत् ॥ १२,२०.४ ॥
तिलोत्तमादिनाकस्त्रीनिर्माणे प्राप्तकौशलः ।
अनर्घरूपलावण्यां मन्ये यां निर्ममे विधिः ॥ १२,२०.५ ॥
तया स कान्तया साकं हरिस्वामी कदाचन ।
रतिश्रान्तो ययौ निद्रां हर्म्ये चन्द्रांशुशीतले ॥ १२,२०.६ ॥
तत् कालं तेन मार्गेण कामचारी विहायसा ।
आगान् मदनवेगाख्यो विद्याधरकुमारकः ॥ १२,२०.७ ॥
स तत्र लावण्यवतीं पत्युः पार्श्वे ददर्श ताम् ।
सुप्तां रतिक्लमस्रस्तवस्त्रव्यक्ताङ्गसौष्ठवाम् ॥ १२,२०.८ ॥
तद्रूपहृतचित्तः सन् मदनान्धः स तत् क्षणम् ।
सुप्ताम् एव निपत्यैतां गृहीत्वा नभसा ययौ ॥ १२,२०.९ ॥
क्षणात् प्रबुद्धो ऽथ युवा हरिस्वामी स तत्पतिः ।
प्राणेश्वरीम् अपश्यंस् ताम् उदतिष्ठत् ससंभ्रमः ॥ १२,२०.१० ॥
अहो किम् एतत् क्व गता कुपिता सा नु किं मयि ।
छन्ना जिज्ञासितुं किं मे चित्तं परिहसत्य् उत ॥ १२,२०.११ ॥
There is an ancient city in Bhāratvarshā, and it is called Vārāṇasī. A Brāhman named Devasvāmin lived in that city. He was well respected by all, including the king.
Devasvāmin had a son named Harisvāmin, and Harisvāmin had a beautiful wife named Lāvaṇyavatī.
She was so beautiful that people understood that she had been made by the devas after making Tilottamā and the other apsarās of swargā, so that they had enough practice before they came up with such perfection.
One night, Harisvāmin and Lāvaṇyavatī were on the roof of their house, sleeping in the open so that they could feel the cool breeze and enjoy the moonlit night.
Around midnight, a Vidyādhara prince named Madanavega passed by, on his way to nowhere. He spotted Lāvaṇyavatī on the terrace, fast asleep, her hair swept aside by the breeze, and her robe, that had slipped aside, exposing her body.
Madanavega could not stop himself, he was so captivated, and so he swooped down, picked her up in her arms and flew off with her.
Suddenly, Harisvāmin woke up, only to find his beautiful wife missing. Worried, he thought to himself…
“Where did my wife go, that too this time of the night? Is she angry with me? Or is she hiding from me, teasing me to find her, and laughing to herself the entire time?”
इत्य् अनेकविकल्पौघव्याकुलस् ताम् इतस् ततः ।
हर्म्यप्रासादवलभीष्व् अन्विष्यन् सो ऽभ्रमन् निशि ॥ १२,२०.१२ ॥
अगृहोद्यानतश् चिन्वन् यन् न प्राप कुतो ऽपि ताम् ।
तत् स शोकाग्निसंतप्तो विललापाश्रुगद्गदम् ॥ १२,२०.१३ ॥
हा चन्द्रबिम्बवदने हा ज्योत्स्नागौरि हा प्रिये ।
रात्र्या तुल्यगुणद्वेषात् किं नु सोढासि नानया ॥ १२,२०.१४ ॥
त्वया कान्त्या जितो बिभ्यद् इव चन्दनशीतलैः ।
करैर् असुखयद् यो मां सो ऽयम् इन्दुस् त्वया विना ॥ १२,२०.१५ ॥
लब्धान्तर इवेदानीं तैर् एव तुदति प्रिये ।
प्रज्वलद्भिर् इवाङ्गारैर् विषदिग्धैर् इवाशुगैः ॥ १२,२०.१६ ॥
इत्य् आदि क्रन्दतस् तस्य सा हरिस्वामिनस् तदा ।
कृच्छ्राद् व्यतीयाय निशा न पुनर् विरहव्यथा ॥ १२,२०.१७ ॥
And so, wondering where she was, he started to search her all over the house, the garden, and even the neighboring street.
He then went to the nearly lake and tried to look around for her, but could not find her there as well. Buring the fires of grief, he broke down and lamented…
“My beloved wife! Where have you gone! Did this night, after seeing your beauty as fair as moonlight, get jealous and take you away from me?”
“Or did the moon, that was vanquished by your exquisite beauty, comfort me with it’s cool as sandalwood rays earlier, only to take it’s revenge on me now, since I am missing you so much?”
“Is that why it’s rays now feel as burning coal, or arrows that have been dipped in poison?”
The night passed by with Harisvāmin crying for his wife, his grief increasing with each passing moment…
The next morning…
to be continued…