Read the previous part here…
Unable to reach an consensus, the two birds had an agreement. If the parrot won, he would have the maina as his wife, and if the maina won, she would have him as her slave. They both approached the prince and requested him to be the arbitrator in this dispute.
Prince Sūryakānta addressed the maina first. “Tell me Somikā, why do you say that males are ungrateful?”
The maina replied…
अस्ति कामन्दिका नाम या महानगरी भुवि ।
अर्थदत्ताभिधानो ऽस्ति वणिक् तस्यां महाधनः ॥ १२,१०.१६ ॥
धनदत्ताभिधानश् च पुत्रस् तस्योदपद्यत ।
पितर्य् उपरते सो ऽपि बभूवोच्छृङ्खलो युवा ॥ १२,१०.१७ ॥
द्यूतादिसङ्गे दूर्ताश् च मिलित्वा तम् अपातयन् ।
कामं व्यसनवृक्षस्य मूलं दुर्जनसंगतिः ॥ १२,१०.१८ ॥
अचिराद् व्यसनक्षीणधनो दौर्गत्यलज्जया ।
सो ऽथ त्यक्त्वा स्वदेशं तं भ्रान्तुं देशान्तराण्य् अगात् ॥ १२,१०.१९ ॥
गच्छंश् च चन्दनपुरं नाम स्थानम् अवाप्य सः ।
विवेश भोजनार्थी सन्न् एकस्य वणिजो गृहम् ॥ १२,१०.२० ॥
स वणिक् सुकुमारं तं दृष्ट्वा पृष्ट्वान्वयादिकम् ।
ज्ञात्वा कुलीनं सत्कृत्य स्वीचक्रे दैवयोगतः ॥ १२,१०.२१ ॥
ददौ च सधनां तस्मै नाम्ना रत्नावलीं सुताम् ।
ततः स धनदत्तो ऽत्र तस्थौ श्वशुरवेश्मनि ॥ १२,१०.२२ ॥
There is a famous city known by the name of Kāmandakī. In that city, lived a rich merchant named Arthadatta (the one who gives prosperity). He had a son by the name of Dhanadatta (the one who gives wealth).
The father died when the son was young, and it did not take much time for Dhanadatta to fall into bad company and get into gambling and other bad habits. It is true that व्यसनवृक्षस्य मूलं दुर्जनसंगतिः – the root cause of all vice is bad company. Needless to say, he squandered away all his wealth in a few years, and ashamed of his self-acquired poverty, Dhanadatta left the city and wandered all over the kingdom.
In a few months, he reached another city named Candanapura. A merchant saw this handsome youth wandering in the market, and upon making conversation, learnt of his father, who was a well-respected name in the merchant community.
The merchant took Dhanadatta home and employed him in his shop, teaching him and guiding him on the ways of business. Dhanadatta learnt quickly, and in some time, became a favorite of his new guide. He also married the merchant’s daughter, Ratnāvalī ( a string of gems), and stayed in the house of his benefactor, leading a comfortable new life.
दिनेष्व् एव च यातेषु सुखविस्मृतदुर्गतिः ।
स्वदेशं गन्तुकामो ऽभूत् प्राप्तार्थो व्यसनोन्मुखः ॥ १२,१०.२३ ॥
ततो ऽनुमान्य कथम् अप्य् अवशं श्वशुरं शठः ।
तं दुहित्रेकसंतानं गृहीत्वा ताम् अलंकृताम् ॥ १२,१०.२४ ॥
भार्यां रत्नावलीं युक्ताम् एकया वृद्धया स्त्रिया ।
स आत्मना तृतीयः सन्देशात् प्रस्थितवांस् ततः ॥ १२,१०.२५ ॥
क्रमात् प्राप्याटवीं दूराम् उक्त्वा तस्करजां भियम् ।
गृहीत्वाभरणं तस्या भार्यायाः स्वीचकार सः ॥ १२,१०.२६ ॥
दृश्यतां द्यूतवेश्यादिकष्टव्यसनसङ्गिनाम् ।
हृदयं हा कृतघ्नानां पुंसां निस्त्रिंशकर्कशम् ॥ १२,१०.२७ ॥
As the days passed, he forgot how blessed he was to have a new life, and he began to miss his wayward days of drinking and gambling.
He spoke to the merchant and told him that he would take care of his daughter, and to let him take her back to his city. The merchant reluctantly consented given that Ratnāvalī was his only daughter, and arranged for an old lady to take care of the couple in their new home. Dhanadatta then made Ratnāvalī wear all her gold ornaments and pack all their money in bags, and set out with the old lady accompanying them.
By the evening, as the sun was close to setting, they reached a dense forest. Dhanadatta told his wife to give him all the ornaments and the money, since there would be a lot of thieves in their onward path.
Oh, what a hard heart these ungrateful males filled with vice have…hard and sharp as a sword!
सो ऽथ पापो ऽर्थहेतोस् तां भार्यां गुणवतीम् अपि ।
हन्तुं श्वभ्रे निचिक्षेप तया वृद्धस्त्रिया युताम् ॥ १२,१०.२८ ॥
क्षिप्त्वैव च गते तस्मिन् साथ वृद्धा व्यपद्यत ।
तद् भार्या तु लतागुल्मविग्नया न व्यपादि सा ॥ १२,१०.२९ ॥
उत्तस्थौ च ततः श्वभ्रात् क्रोशन्ती करुणं शणैः ।
आलम्ब्य तृणगुल्मादि सशेषत्वात् किलायुषः ॥ १२,१०.३० ॥
आययौ विक्षताङ्गी च पृष्ट्वा मार्गं पदे पदे ।
यथागतेनैव पथा कृच्छ्रात् तत् सदनं पितुः ॥ १२,१०.३१ ॥
तत्राकस्मात् तथाभूता प्राप्ता पृष्टा ससंभ्रमम् ।
मात्रा पित्रा च रुदती साध्वी सैवम् अभाषत ॥ १२,१०.३२ ॥
That wicked man, determined to kill his virtuous wife just for the sake of wealth, pushed her and the old lady into a deep ravine, and walked away with his loot. The old lady was killed, but fortunately Ratnāvalī got stuck in a dense mass of creepers, and survived.
She somehow climbed up onto the ledge, her arms and legs bruised badly, and started to walk back home. Crying all the way, asking passersby for directions, she finally reached her fathers house.
“My dear! What happened to you?” exclaimed her horrified father as she walked through the door.
Ratnāvalī replied…
to be continued…