Read the previous part here…
The old woman nodded. “Of course I do – he stays in that mansion”, she said, pointing to the house opposite her hut, “and I am an attendant of his daughter. Today however, I have not gone there yet. My wicked good-for-nothing son stole my bag, that also had my sari, and has gone with his wayward friends to gamble it away…”
एवम् उक्तवतीं प्रीतः स्वोत्तरीयादिदानतः ।
संतोष्य सो ऽत्र वृद्धां तां मन्त्रिपुत्रो ऽब्रवीत् पुनः ॥ १२,८.९६ ॥
माता त्वं तद् वदामस् ते गुप्तं यत् तत् कुरुष्व नः ।
दन्तघाटसुताम् एतां गत्वा पद्मावतीं वद ॥ १२,८.९७ ॥
सो ऽत्रागतो राजपुत्रो दृष्टो यः सरसि त्वया ।
तेन चेह तद् आख्यातुं प्रेषिता प्रणयाद् अहम् ॥ १२,८.९८ ॥
तच् छ्रुत्वा सा तथेत्य् उक्त्वा वृद्धा दानवशीकृता ।
गत्वा पद्मावतीपार्श्वम् आजगाम क्षणान्तरे ॥ १२,८.९९ ॥
पृष्टा जगाद तौ राजसुतमन्त्रिसुतौ च सा ।
युष्मदागमनं गत्वा गुप्तं तस्या मयोदितम् ॥ १२,८.१०० ॥
तया श्रुत्वा च निर्भर्त्स्य पाणिभ्याम् अहम् आहता ।
द्वाभ्यां कर्पूरलिप्ताभ्याम् उभयोर् गण्डयोर् मुखे ॥ १२,८.१०१ ॥
ततः परिभवोद्विग्ना रुदत्य् अहम् इहागता ।
एतास् तद् अङ्गुलीमुद्राः पुत्रौ मे पश्यतं मुखे ॥ १२,८.१०२ ॥
एवं तयोक्ते नैराश्यविषण्णं तं नृपात्मजम् ।
जगाद स महाप्राज्ञो मन्त्रिपुत्रो जनान्तिकम् ॥ १२,८.१०३ ॥
मा गा विषादं रक्षन्त्या मन्त्रं निर्भर्त्स्य यत् तया ।
कर्पूरशुभ्रा वक्त्रे ऽस्याः स्वाङ्गुल्यो दश पातिताः ॥ १२,८.१०४ ॥
तद् एतद् उक्तं पक्षे ऽस्मिञ् शुक्ले चन्द्रवतीर् इमाः ।
रात्रीर् दश प्रतीक्षध्वं संगमानुचिता इति ॥ १२,८.१०५ ॥
When Buddhiśarīra heard this, he removed his expensive Uttareeya (garment that covers the upper body) and gave it to the old woman, along with a few gold coins as a gift. He then said ” You are like a mother to us, and so please keep secret what I am about to tell you.”
“Go to Padmāvatī, and tell her this – that prince who you saw at the lake has now come here, drawn by his love for you, and he would like to meet with you.”
The old woman happily agreed, and set out to the mansion to complete her given task. Buddhiśarīra and the prince were just about to be seated when they spotted the old woman coming out of the huge gates of the mansion.
“You are back fast!”, exclaimed Buddhiśarīra.
“I went and told her that you both had come here”, said the old lady. “But when she heard what I had to say, she scolded me and struck me on both cheeks with her two hands that were smeared with camphor”, she continued, wiping a tear. “I am distressed at such an insult…see, see these marks of her fingers on my face!”
The prince’s spirits fell when he heard this. Seeing him dejected, Buddhiśarīra took him aside and said “My friend, don’t be disheartened. She has only tried to keep secret what she really wanted to tell you – those ten marks of camphor on the lady’s cheeks mean that these ten nights of the waning phase of the moon are not auspicious for the meeting, and so you will have to wait.”
इत्य् आश्वास्य स तं राजसुतं मन्त्रिसुतस् ततः ।
विक्रीय गुप्तं हस्तस्थं काञ्चनं किंचिद् आपणे ॥ १२,८.१०६ ॥
वृद्धया साधयामास महार्हं भोजनं तया ।
ततस् तौ बुभुजाते द्वौ तत् तया सह वृद्धया ॥ १२,८.१०७ ॥
एवं नीत्वा दशाहानि जिज्ञासार्थं पुनः स ताम् ।
पद्मावत्यन्तिकं वृद्धां मन्त्रिपुत्रो विसृष्टवान् ॥ १२,८.१०८ ॥
सापि मृष्टान्नपानादिलुब्धा तद् अनुरोधतः ।
गत्वा वासगृहं तस्या भूयो ऽभ्येत्य जगाद तौ ॥ १२,८.१०९ ॥
इतो गत्वाद्य तूष्णीम् अप्य् अहं तत्र स्थिता तया ।
युष्मत्कथापराधं तम् उद्गिरन्त्या स्वयं पुनः ॥ १२,८.११० ॥
सा लक्तकाभिस् तिसृभिः कराङ्गुलिभिर् आहता ।
उरस्य् अस्मिन्न् अथैषाहम् इहायाता तद् अन्तिकात् ॥ १२,८.१११ ॥
तच् छ्रुत्वा राजपुत्रं तं स्वैरं मन्त्रिसुतो ऽब्रवीत् ।
मा कार्षीर् अन्यथा शङ्काम् अस्या हि हृदये तया ॥ १२,८.११२ ॥
सा लक्तकाङ्गुलीमुद्रात्रयं विन्यस्य युक्तितः ।
रजस्वला निशास् तिस्रः स्थिताहम् इति सूचितम् ॥ १२,८.११३ ॥
After he had comforted the prince with these words, Buddhiśarīra went out and got some provisions and gave them to the old woman, who prepared a delicious meal for them. They spent the next ten days, eating well, and taking care of the old woman.
On the eleventh day, Buddhiśarīra again sent the old woman to Padmāvatī.
This time, the old lady took some time to return, but when she did, she looked crestfallen. “What happened”, enquired Buddhiśarīra.
“This time, I went in front of her, but remained silent”, she replied. “But Padmāvatī taunted me for coming to her again and again, and then, dipped three fingers in kumkum (red dye) paste that she was applying to her feet, and stuck me on the chest with those three fingers. I have once again been insulted…”
This time, Buddhiśarīra didn’t wait for VajraMukuta to question him, instead, he took the prince aside and said “Don’t despair once again, my friend. By marking the old lady with three fingers dipped in red dye, she has conveyed that she has her period for the next three days, and hence cannot meet with you.”
On the fourth day, Buddhiśarīra again sent the old woman to Padmāvatī. This time…
to be continued…