Chapter CVII - The advent of false indra in the cottage of the happy pair

Argument: The travels of the pair, and their meeting the false Indra, and their call to Heaven.

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Now as the orient sun, gilded the world with his golden rays; the queen consort of Sikhidvaja, changed her form of Madanika to that of the Brahman boy Kumbha.

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She stood confest as such before her friend, sitting in the cavern of Mandara, where they lived in conjugal union together, as a pair of sylvan deities by night.

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They roved about in the daytime, amidst the sylvan forests and amongst the trees and plants loaded with fruits, and flowers of various hues.

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They passed the day as the two loving friends together, and spent the night as a wedded couple; and never separated from the company of one another either by day or night.

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They rambled about the caverns and arbours of the mountain, and sported under the bowers of tamala and mandara trees.

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They roved about the skirts of Dardura, Kailasa, Mahendra, Malaya, Gandhamadana, Vindhadri and Lokaloka.

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On every third day or night, when Chudala found the prince to be fast asleep; she used to take upon herself her former form of the princess, and repair to her royal palace, whence she returned to her husband in the forest, soon after her discharge of the state affairs as before.

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Thus the loving pair lived as two friends by day, and as husband and wife at night; both decked in flowers, and sleeping on their flowery bed.

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They remained for a month in a gemming grotto of the Mahendra, and under the shade of the delightful sarala trees; where they were greatly endeared by the sylvan deities and the Kinnara foresters.

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They lived a fortnight in the arbour of Suktimat mountain, beset by mandara trees and Kalpa plants; and feasted upon the fruits which they could reach with their hands.

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They passed two months on the southern ridge of the winged mountain of Mainaka, and its bowers overhung by the fruits and flowers of the celestial parijata trees.

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They dwelt a month in the valley of Jammu, at the foot of Himalayan range and beside the Jambu river; they regaled on the fruits of Jam, which gave its name to the whole country (Jambudwipa).

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They travelled through the northern Kuru country for ten days, and for seven and twenty days, they sojourned in the districts lying north of Kosala. (Oudh).

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In this manner they passed over many countries and hilly districts, living together as two friends by day, and as a conjugal pair at night.

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Thus many months rolled away in their travels through many places, till there arose a thought in the mind of Chudala, to make a trial of her associate, and said:—

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I will make a trial of the heart of my partner, and see whether it is liable to have any attraction toward beauty and pleasurable objects.

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Thinking so, Chudala showed by her magic skill the god Indra, sporting in the company of celestial nymphs in that forest.

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Sikhidvaja seeing the god with his companion there, advanced before him and worshipped him, as he deserved, and said:—

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"O lord of gods!" will you deign to reveal unto me, the cause of your advent to this forest from your seat in the high and far distant heaven.

Indra replied:—

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It is the attraction of the virtues, that has brought us down to these woods, as the flying kites of the air are drawn on earth, by the string fastened in their breasts.

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Now rise from here, and proceed with us to heaven; where the celestial nymphs are in eager expectation of seeing thee, since they have heard of your wondrous virtues.

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Wear these sandals and hold the sword, and anoint thy body with the ointment of these pills, and ascend to the upper sky and thence to heaven, in the manner of siddhas and perfect yogis.

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On reaching to the region of the gods, you will enjoy all sorts of delights, which awaits on the living liberated souls in this world and the next, and to which I come to invite you at present.

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No holy man like yourself, doth ever neglect the proffered occasion to their prosperity, nor should you scorn to take your heavenward course with ourselves at his moment.

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Let there be no impediment to your ascent to and enjoyment of heaven, where you will enjoy your full bliss, and which will be blessed by your presence as the three worlds by that of Hari.

Sikhidvaja said:—

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I know O lord of gods, the delights that there abound in heaven; but I have my heaven every where, and there is no particular place which I deem as heaven.

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I am content every where, and am pleased with every place; and my soul being desirous of nothing from its fulness in itself, I am fully satisfied every where.

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O God! if it be forever to remain in one place and in the same state, what you call heaven; then pardon me for I decline to go it (because I am at liberty here to go wherever I like).

Indra answered said:—

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I know, O holy saint! that those that have known the knowable, and are perfect in their understandings, are indifferent to their sensual gratification; it is however not the part of the wise to reject an enjoyment, which offers itself unto him by the gracious allotment of his destiny.

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After the God had said so, the prince remained silent and returned no answer; when the God told him saying, "If you are resolved not to leave this place, then I must leave you here, and take my way to heaven".

Sikhidvaja said:—

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I must not go there now ("though I may do so on some future occasion"). Upon this the God made farewell to Kumbha (who had invoked him down by his spell, and disappeared from the spot).

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All the other Gods that were in the train of Indra, vanished also from view upon the disappearance of their chief; as the huge surges of the sea, subside in the deep together with their foaming froths, and the shoals of whales and fishes that played and lashed about the main, after a lull of the gales that had raised them.