Part 22: Bharata resumes normal life

“Who as a householder established the people, ignorant as cattle in the beginning, in customs and polity; the Blessed One, who after taking initiation, with omniscience soon manifest, established the people in dharma, wishing to raise them from the ocean of existence; and who attained mokṣa after accomplishing his own purpose and making the people accomplish theirs, why do you grieve for him?” The King consumed with grief, enlightened with difficulty by the family-ministers by speeches of this kind, gradually engaged in royal duties. Very slowly, slowly, freed from sorrow like the moon freed from Rāhu^[1] the King went out to pleasure-grounds. When he was depressed from remembering the Master, like an elephant recalling the Vindhya-plateaux, clever people always at hand came and amused him. At his retinue’s urgent request, the King went sometimes to the rows of gardens, grounds (suitable) for the shooting-up of pleasure. There the King amused himself with women on beautiful couches in creeper-pavilions, as if the Amazon-country had come. There he watched with interest the sport of gathering flowers on the part of the young men which was like flower-gathering of the Vidyādharas. Taking flower-ornaments, courtesans made a pūjā to him, as to Prasūnadhanvan (Love). Their bodies decorated with flowers, the women played before him like innumerable Śrīs of the season who had come to attend him. Being adorned, covered with flower-ornaments, he shone like the sole supreme god of the season-goddesses.

Sometimes, when he liked, the Lord of Bharata went with his wives to play in a pleasure-pool, like a king-goose. There the son of Ṛṣabha made water-sport with fair-eyed women like an elephant accompanied by elephant-cows in the Revā. The waves of water fell on him, embracing now his neck, now his arms, now his heart, as if they had been instructed by the young women. Wearing lotus-garlands, his pearl earrings dangling, Bharata looked like Varuṇa in person in the water. The women sprinkled the King with water in rivalry, as if he were being crowned the sovereign of sport and diversion. The King sported with them engaged in water-sport like Apsarases, just like water-goddesses. The women’s eyes became red from the water as if from (anger at) the sight of the lotuses rivaling themselves. The water, muddy from the women’s thick ointment dripping from their bodies, turned into yakṣa-kardama ointment.

Sometimes, like Śakra, the King occupied the court of the amusement-hall to have a concert performed. The best flute-players blew the sweet-sounding flute, which has the first place in concert-work, like the oṅkāra among charms. The lute-players played the eleven kinds of lutes^[2] with vyañjana-dhātus, puṣpa, etc., distinct and pleasing to the ear.^[3] likewise the stage-directors made tāla, the mother of dancing and gestures, beautiful with various changes, suitable for poetry.^[4] The mṛdaṅga- and paṇava-players^[5] played each his own instrument, never failing each other, like devoted friends. The singing-men sang many new melodies^[6] beautiful with the singing of notes, humiliating Hāhā and Hūhū. The dancers danced vigorously, skilled in the lāsya and tāṇḍava, causing surprise by varied gesticulations and postures. The King saw spectacles of this kind unhindered. Who would hinder powerful lords in anything whatever? Enjoying worldly pleasures in this way, the Lord of Bharata passed five lacs of pūrvas from the day of the Master’s mokṣa.