Read the previous part here…
And so the tired King Candrāvaloka dismounted from his horse, fed it some grass and water, so that it was refreshed, and then lay down next to his wife, on the banks of the river, in the shade of the tree.
The moon arose a few minutes after, lifting the veil of darkness, kissing the glowing face of the East. The whole sky shone forth without any shyness, and there was moonlight all around.
The rays of the moon shone through the interlaces of the creepers nearby, and lit up the foot of the tree like bejeweled lamps…
सो ऽपि राजा सिषेवे ताम् आश्लिष्येन्दीवरप्रभाम् ।
नवसंगमसोत्कण्ठसरसं सुरतोत्सवम् ॥ १२,२७.६० ॥
विस्रंसयामास शनैर् नीवीं तस्यास् त्रपाम् इव ।
अखण्डयच् च दशनैर् मुग्धभावम् इवाधरम् ॥ १२,२७.६१ ॥
रचयामास कुचयोर् यौवनद्विपकुम्भयोः ।
करजक्षतसद्रत्ननवनक्षत्रमालिकाम् ॥ १२,२७.६२ ॥
मुखं कपोलौ नयने मुहुः परिचुचुम्ब च ।
लावण्यामृतनिःष्यन्दम् आपिबन्न् इव सर्वतः ॥ १२,२७.६३ ॥
इत्थन् निधुवनक्रीडासुखेन स तया सह ।
निनाय कान्तया तत्र राजा क्षणम् इव क्षपाम् ॥ १२,२७.६४ ॥
प्रातश् च मुक्तशयनः सांध्यस्यानन्तरं विधेः ।
स्वसैन्यावाप्तये यातुम् उन्मुखो ऽभूद् वधूसखः ॥ १२,२७.६५ ॥
तावच् च नक्तं लुप्ताब्जखण्डशोभं निशापतिम् ।
भियेवास्ताद्रिकुहरप्रलीनं ध्वस्ततेजसम् ॥ १२,२७.६६ ॥
हन्तुकाम इव क्रोधाद् आताम्रतररोचिषि ।
प्रसारितकरोत्क्षिप्तमण्डलाग्रे विवस्वति ॥ १२,२७.६७ ॥
अकस्माद् आजगामात्र विद्युत्पिङ्गशिरोरुहः ।
कज्जलश्यामलः कालमेघाभो ब्रह्मराक्षसः ॥ १२,२७.६८ ॥
अन्त्रमालाकृतोत्तंसः केशयज्ञोपवीतभृत् ।
खादन् नरशिरोमांसं कपालेन पिबन्न् असृक् ॥ १२,२७.६९ ॥
सो ऽट्टहासं विमुच्योग्रं मुखेनाग्निं वमन् क्रुधा ।
दंष्ट्राकरालो राजानं भर्त्सयन् निजगाद तम् ॥ १२,२७.७० ॥
Candrāvaloka embraced Indīvaraprabhā, and gently held her, till she was comfortable with the experience of having him so intimately close to her, and then they made love the whole night, until they went to sleep in each other’s arms.
The next morning, the king woke up, offered his morming prayers, and set out with his wife to rejoin his entourage.
The moon, that had in the night, robbed the cheeks of the lotuses of their splendor, lost it’s brightness and gently sunk, as if in fear, behind the hollows of the western mountains.
The sun, on the other hand, fiery red in anger, as if wishing to slay the moon for his behavior the night before, lifted his rays resembling a curved sword in his outstretched fingers.
At that very moment, there came a Rākshasa, as black as soot, with hair as blue as lightning, looking like a black thunder-cloud. He wore a garland of entrails, a sacred thread made of human hair, and he drank blood from a bowl made of human skull.
The Rākshasa let out a loud and horrible laugh, and then, vomited fire in rage, approached the king and said…
पाप ज्वालामुखं नाम विद्धि मां ब्रह्मराक्षसम् ।
निवासश् चैष मे ऽश्वत्थो देवैर् अपि न लङ्घ्यते ॥ १२,२७.७१ ॥
सो ऽयं त्वया समाक्रम्य परिभुक्तः स्त्रिया सह ।
रात्रिचर्यागतस्याद्य तद् भुङ्क्ष्वाविनयात् फलम् ॥ १२,२७.७२ ॥
एषो ऽहं ते दुराचार कामोपहतचेतसः ।
उत्पाट्य हृदयं भोक्ष्ये पास्याम्य् एव च शोणितम् ॥ १२,२७.७३ ॥
तच् छ्रुत्वैव तथा घोरं तम् अवध्यम् अवेक्ष्य च ।
त्रस्ताङ्गनः सविनयं भयात् प्रत्यब्रवीन् नृपः ॥ १२,२७.७४ ॥
अजानतापराद्धं यन् मया ते तत् क्षमस्व मे ।
तवाहम् आश्रमे ह्य् अस्मिन्न् अतिथिः शरणाश्रितः ॥ १२,२७.७५ ॥
दास्यामि चेप्सितं तुभ्यम् आनीय पुरुषं पशुम् ।
येन ते भविता तृप्तिस् तत् प्रसीद क्रुधं त्यज ॥ १२,२७.७६ ॥
इति राज्ञो वचः श्रुत्वा शान्तः स ब्रह्मराक्ससः ।
अस्तु को दोष इत्य् अन्तो विचिन्त्यैवम् अभाषत ॥ १२,२७.७७ ॥
“You villain! Know that I am Jvālāmukha, a BrahmaRākshasa, and that aśvattha tree is my abode. Not even the gods dare to trespass there, but you not only occupied it, but also spent the night with your wife, and thus polluted my house!”
“You have acted wrongly, and so you will receive the result of your actions. I will tear out your heart, one that was overcome by passion, and drink your blood!”
The king heard this threat, and saw that his wife was terrified. He also knew that the BrahmaRākshasa was invincible, and could not be defeated. And so he joined his hands, and bowed to Jvālāmukha and said…
“Please forgive me, I have committed a sin but unknowingly. Please think of me as someone who has come to you asking for your protection.”
“I will give you whatsoever you desire, be it man or animal, so that you can be appeased and your anger may subside…”
Jvālāmukha thought to himself “Yes, this will do”, and so looked back at the king and said…
to be continued…