________________
THE LEGEND OF KUNJARAKARNA.
MARCH, 1903.]
to meet him, and were all amazed to see him, because the stains had disappeared from his body. The mind of Kusumagandhavati expanded with joy on beholding the safe return of Parnavijaya in his natural form. Then said Parnavijaya to his beloved :-"Ah, dear mother Kusumagandhavati! keep watch over the house of your elder brother; I will go and sleep a little. Ten nights long will you have to keep watch. Be not too much moved with pity for me, dear mother, but watch faithfully all the Vidyadharas and Vidyadharis shall keep you company." Kusumagandhavati duly kept watch.
123
All at once! Suddenly! Gone! Parnavijaya was fast asleep. His soul came out, fine as an atom. Immediately it was carried away by its former Dushkriti, its previous evil conduct. This showed it the way to the cauldron of hell. How did it appear? Like a shadow which followed the soul everywhere it went. So, also, its good behaviour; the fruits of both must be enjoyed. The bad behaviour follows, holding fast, and is taken with it to Yama's kingdom; the good behaviour follows, clinging closely, and is taken with it to heaven. When the soul of Parnavijaya came to Prêtabhavana (the abode of the dead), the servants of Yama caught sight of it. They called up their companions; these ran their hardest and fell upon it mercilessly. The executioners laid hold on the soul of Parnavijaya; they smote the soul of Parnavijaya with iron clubs, and placed it upon iron pikes. Then was it tortured, enveloped in cane, and let down into the cauldron; next was it pricked by darts and cooked in the cauldron until it was scorched. His tongue hung out of his mouth; the eyeballs swelled out; his body was soft; he was not dead and yet not living. He groaned and moaned, lying at the last gasp, tortured all over. Afterwards he was reproached with the words :"Hey you sinner, Parnavijaya! Why do you groan and moan? For it is surely your own fault that you did evil formerly. You used to punish innocent men, and ravish prohibited women, and be irreverent towards the elders. There was nothing that you held sacred; you were not submissive towards the clergy. This behaviour of yours was improper. Therefore came you to abide in hell. As you have acted, so are you treated, and now you receive the reward of your conduct." Thus spake the servants of Yama while they admonished the soul of Purnavijaya.
After having been in the cauldron some time, about ten nights, he did not neglect his Samadhi and the lesson of the transitory nature of things, nor did he forget to bathe in the consecrated water of the pure spirit, the wholesome and clean, according to the advice of the Lord at his departure. This he followed earnestly. Then the proof of the Lord's favour happened to him. He sank into silence and began to think deeply. Immediately! Suddenly! All at once! Quickly! Gone! broken. in pieces, destroyed, smashed was the cauldron; the fire was extinguished and no longer flamed up. There the body appeared in eternal youth.
The servants of Yama were amazed when they saw that, and were struck dumb with annoyance. Then they fell upon him again, fixing their glances upon the incarnation of Purnavijaya. They beat him furiously with their iron clubs, and attacked him with knives; some thrust at him with iron spears. That had not the least effect: all their weapons could not hurt the soul at all. Then they ran their hardest and told the news to Yamadhipati: "O Lord and Master! There was the soul of Parnavijays. We had let it down into the cauldron, Master! There was no change to be seen, Master! All weapons were tried and still no change was visible, and now his body has returned to its natural state; it is whole and unhurt. His power is great, Master! Therefore all weapons were without effect. The weapons are broken and destroyed and changed into ashes. Also the cauldron is destroyed and changed into a Kalpataru, a young and mightily grown Varingin, under which is a pure, clear pond, surrounded by all kind of flowers: red Andonge, Kayu-Mas, Purings. How is that to be explained, Master'?"
Then Bhatara-Yamadhipati was silent; he spake not; his mind was in doubt. "How is it that the cauldron has lost its power? Though the soul be extraordinarily powerful, still it is perished and destroyed."
