1913.] ADVENTURES OF MULADEVA 635 



no use for the society of courtezans ; genteel men are forbidden to 

 associate with dissolute women. As the poet says :^° 



" A courtezan is a most degraded person ; she is worn out by 

 countless gallants, is given over to drink and gluttony. She is 

 soft of speech, but evil of mind: such a one is not regarded by 

 gentles. 



" Like the crest of a flame her nature is to devour ; like intoxicat- 

 ing drink she bewilders the senses ; like a razor she cuts the body ; 

 aye, like a thorn the courtezan is rued ! 



" Therefore I have no desire to go to her." 



The slave-woman, however, beguiled his soul with many en- 

 ticing expressions, insistently took him by the hand, and led him to 

 the house. As he went he slapped her crooked back, and by virtue of 

 his great art and magic skill, she was made straight. With 

 astounded mind she brought him to the house, where Devadatta 

 beheld him, a dwarf in shape, yet incomparably charming. In a 

 daze she bade him be seated, and offered him betel." Then Mahava 

 exhibited her restored figure, and told the whole story. Devadatta, 

 still more amazed, began to converse in sweet and cultivated lan- 

 guage : her heart was attracted to him. As says the poet : 



" The conversation of clever men, pleasant in its courtliness, 

 adroitly witty, delightful in its delicate sounds, that is sorcery — 

 what use is there in magic roots ! "^^ 



It happened that a certain lute-player arrived there and sounded 

 his lute. Devadatta was pleased, and exclaimed: "Bravo, Mister 

 lutist, bravo, your skill is exquisite!" But Midadeva said: "Ah, 

 the Ujjeni-folk are passing clever; they know the difference between 

 what is beautiful, and what is not beautiful." Devadatta asked: 

 "Sir, what is wrong here?" Muladeva replied: "The tube of the 

 lute is unclean ; the string full of flaws." She asked how he knew, 



3^ These two stanzas are quoted in Sanskrit ; Charpentier, /. c, p. 59, sug- 

 gests that they may be from a lost work by Muladeva himself. See another 

 description of the baseness of courtezans in Cukasaptati 23. 



^'' For the use of betel in erotic practices see Schmidt, " Beitriige zur 

 Indischen Erotik," Index, p. 945 ; for its character and chronology see Hornle, 

 " Uvasagadasao," Translation, p. 20, note ; Speyer, " Studies about the 

 Kathasaritsagara," p. 49. 



3s See Meyer's good note on this stanza, p. 195. 



