Of wives and promises…

Read the previous part here

This village was the abode of thieves, people who robbed even their own neighbors of life and property…there was not one virtuous person there.

They spotted the king from a distance, clad in his fine clothes and ornaments, and many Śavaras (thieves), armed with weapons, rushed towards him.

King Dharma saw them coming and told his daughter and wife, “These thieves will try to get hold of you first, so rush back into the forest. I will fight them!”

Illustration by the renowned Karatholuvu Chandrasekaran Shivashankaran

इति राज्ञोदिता रज्ञी वनमध्यं विवेश सा ।
लावण्यवत्या सुतया सार्धं चन्द्रवती भयात् ॥ १२,३१.१७ ॥

राजाप्य् अभिमुखायातान् खड्गचर्मधरो ऽत्र सः ।
अवधीत् तान् बहूञ् शूरः शबराञ् शरवर्तिणः ॥ १२,३१.१८ ॥

ततस् तेनाखिला पल्ली पत्याज्ञप्ता निपत्य तम् ।
प्रहारक्षतचर्माणम् अवधीन् नृपम् एककम् ॥ १२,३१.१९ ॥

गृहीताभरणे याते दस्युसैन्ये विलोक्य तम् ।
भर्तारं निहतं दूराद् वनगुल्मान्तरस्थिता ॥ १२,३१.२० ॥

राज्ञी चन्द्रवती सात्र दुहित्रा सह विह्वला ।
पलायमाना गहनं दूरम् अन्वग् अगाद् वनम् ॥ १२,३१.२१ ॥

तत्र मध्याह्नतापार्तास्व् इव मूलानि शाखिनाम् ।
छायास्व् अपि प्रविष्टासु शिशिराणि सहाध्वगैः ॥ १२,३१.२२ ॥

एकदेशे ऽब्जसरसस् तीरे ऽशोकतरोस् तले ।
शोकार्ता रुदती श्रान्ता ससुता समुपाविशत् ॥ १२,३१.२३ ॥

तावत् तद् वनम् अभ्यर्णनिवासी मृगयाकृते ।
महामनुष्यः को ऽप्य् आगाद् अश्वारूढः सपुत्रकः ॥ १२,३१.२४ ॥

When the king said this to them, Queen Candravatī and her daughter Lāvaṇyavatī ran into the forest.

And the brave king fought well, sword and shield in hand, and killed many Śavaras, who rained arrows on him relentlessly.

The chief then called out to the whole village, and they rushed and attacked the king all at once…and soon the king’s shield was shattered, and they all got together and killed him, and then took away all his ornaments.

Queen Candravatī, who was hiding in the bushes, saw her husband being slain mercilessly, and she swooned in grief. But she quickly recovered, knowing that she had to protect her daughter, and so she grabbed her hand and rushed deeper into the woods.

It was midday and the sun was at it’s peak. all the animals and birds took refuge in the shade, and the tired queen and her daughter soon reached a lotus-lake, and sat down under a tree, exhausted.

In the meanwhile, a chieftain, who lived nearby, came to that forest, riding a horse, along with his son. They were on a hunt…

स चण्डसिंहनामा तं पुत्रं सिंहपराक्रमम् ।
उवाच दृष्ट्वात्र तयोः पांसूत्थे पदपद्धती ॥ १२,३१.२५ ॥

एते सुरेखे सुभगे अनुसृत्याप्नुवो यदि ।
स्त्रीयौ ते तत् तयोर् एकां स्वीकुरुष्व यथारुचि ॥ १२,३१.२६ ॥

इत्य् उक्तवन्तं तं स्माह पुत्रः सिंहपराक्रमः ।
यस्याः सूक्ष्माव् इमौ पादौ सा भार्या प्रतिभाति मे ॥ १२,३१.२७ ॥

सा हि स्वल्पवया नूनं जाने समुचिता मम ।
बृहत्पादा तु योग्येयम् एतज्ज्येष्ठवयास् तव ॥ १२,३१.२८ ॥

इति सूनोर् वचः श्रुत्वा चण्डसिंहो जगाद तम् ।
कैषा कथा भवन्माता प्रत्यग्रं हि गता दिवम् ॥ १२,३१.२९ ॥

तादृशे सुकलत्रे च गते कान्यत्र वासना ।
तच् छ्रुत्वा सो ऽपि पुत्रस् तं चण्डसिंहम् अभाषत ॥ १२,३१.३० ॥

तात मैवम् अभार्यं हि शून्यं गृहपतेर् गृहम् ।
अन्यच् च मूलदेवोक्ता गाथा किं न श्रुता त्वया ॥ १२,३१.३१ ॥

यत्र घनस्तनजघना नास्ते मार्गावलोकिनी कान्ता ।
अजडः कस् तद् अनिगडं प्रविशति गृहसंज्ञकं दुर्गम् ॥ १२,३१.३२ ॥

तज् जीवितेन मे तात शापितो ऽसि न तां यदि ।
द्वितीयां मदभीष्टायां भार्यार्थे स्वीकरीष्यसि ॥ १२,३१.३३ ॥

His name was Caṇḍasiṃha, and when he saw the footprints of the two women imprinted in the dust, he turned to his son Siṃhaparākrama and said…

“Let us follow these these beautiful footprints and we will find the ladies to whom they belong. you can choose the one you like and marry her.”

His son replied…

“Sure father. I will like to have a wife, but I will choose the one with smaller feet, for I know that she will be young and well-suited to me.”

“The other one, with larger feet is surely older to her, and so will be well-suited to you.”

Caṇḍasiṃha looked astonished.

“What are you saying, my son? Your mother died just recently…when I just lost such a good wife, how can I desire another?”

Siṃhaparākrama said…

“Father, don’t speak this way. A man’s house is empty, without a wife. Have you not heard what Mūladeva said? When there is no woman waiting for you eagerly when you return home, you don’t have a house – it is in reality a prison, just that the chains are missing.”

“And so, promise me on my life, that you will take the other lady as your wife…”

Caṇḍasiṃha responded…

to be continued…