“And the monarch of pure descent, beholding the beautiful maiden, was pierced with Kama’s (Cupid’s) shafts and lost his peace of mind.  Burnt with the strong flame of desire the king asked that charming maiden, still innocent, though in her full youth, saying, ’Who art thou and whose?  Why also dost thou stay here?  O thou of sweet smiles, why dost thou wander alone in these solitary woods?  Of every feature perfectly faultless, and decked with every ornament, thou seemest to be the coveted ornament of these ornaments themselves!  Thou seemest not to be of celestial or Asura or Yaksha or Rakshasa or Naga or Gandharva or human origin.  O excellent lady, the best of women that I have ever seen or heard of would not compare with thee in beauty!  O thou of handsome face, at sight of thee lovelier than the moon and graced with eyes like lotus-petals, the god of desire is grinding me.’

“King Samvarana thus addressed that damsel in the forest, who however, spoke not a word unto the monarch burning with desire.  Instead, like lightning in the clouds, that large-eyed maiden quickly disappeared in the very sight of the monarch.  The king then wandered through the whole forest, like one out of his senses, in search of that girl of eyes like lotus-petals.  Failing to find her, that best of monarchs indulged in copious lamentations and for a time stood motionless with grief.’”

SECTION CLXXIV

(Chaitraratha Parva continued)

“The Gandharva continued, ’When that maiden disappeared, that feller of hostile ranks deprived of his senses by Kama (concupiscence) himself fell down on the earth.  And as the monarch fell down, that maiden of sweet smiles and prominent and round hips appeared again before him, and smiling sweetly, said unto that perpetuator of Kuru’s race these honeyed words, ’Rise, rise, O chastiser of foes!  Blest be thou; it behoveth thee not, O tiger among kings, to lose thy reason, a celebrated man as thou art in the world.’  Addressed in these honeyed words, the king opened his eyes and saw before him that selfsame girl of swelling hips.  The monarch who was burning with the flame of desire then addressed that black-eyed damsel in accents, weak with emotion, and said, ’Blest be thou O excellent woman of black eyes!  As I am burning with desire and paying thee court, O, accept me!  My life is ebbing away.  O thou of large eyes, for thy sake it is, O thou of the splendour of the filaments of the lotus, that Kama is incessantly piercing me with his keen shafts without stopping for a moment!  O amiable and cheerful girl, I have been bitten by Kama who is even like a venomous viper.  O thou of swelling and large hips, have mercy on me!  O thou of handsome and faultless features, O thou of face like unto the lotus-petal or the moon, O thou of voice sweet as that of singing Kinnaras, my life now depends on thee!  Without thee, O timid one, I am unable to live!