40, The Paladins of the Kesar-saga : A Collection of 



Sagas from Lower Ladakh. Tale No. IV* 



X ■ 



By A. H. Fkancke. 



THE TALE OF GONGMA BUTHSA'S BOY AND 



rGYALSA dKARPO. 



Absikact of Contents. 



Old Kesar went to a hermitage and left the government to' 

 his son rGyalsa dKarpo. The latter had a difference with his wife 

 Shel Idang Ihamo, To find out who was wrong, Kesar sent two 

 storks to watch the couple. The latter heard Shel Idatig Iha'tno 

 abuse the family of Kesar by calling them ' descendants of a smith \^ 

 When they brought this news to Kesar, Shel Idang Ihamo was 

 turned out of the castle and Agu Khrai mgo hhrai thung^ who wished 

 to mend his bad repute by a good deed, was sent to the hermit 

 rTse dgu to ask him from whence to get another wife for rGyalsa 

 dKar^o. The hermit answered that a suitable princess could be 

 obtained from Ljang^ which country is situated on the frontier 

 between sun and moon, and advised the Agu to circumambulate 

 round mDa djpon gongma's stiipaj until a lizard would appear and 

 nod with the head. This he might take as an assurance that his 

 sin in killing the Agu was forgiven. When the hermit's answer was 

 brought to gLing^ rGyalsa dKarpo and the Agus started for Ljang. 



mDa dpcni gongvia*s son, called Gongma huthsa, wished to 

 accompany the heroes and went first of all to find his horse called 

 rKyang lOira melong. He found it in a valley and recognized it 

 by a flame which proceeded from its forehead. It refused to come, 

 until he threw stones at it with a miraculous sling. He threw^ 

 three stones at a time. The first broke the horn of the wild yak 

 Gurultigu to pieces, the second killed the mother mare and the^ 

 third made a hole in the foal's ear. 



After a feast had been given, the boy, riding on rKyang Khru 

 melong^ followed rGyalsa dKarpo and the Agus, he himself riding 

 in the sky. The first who saw him come was Agn Mtggi rah Iha,. 

 but Agu dPalle would not believe until the boy arrived. The boy 

 had at once a difference with Agu dPalle, but the two combatants 

 were separated by rGyalsa dKarpo. Soon king Lho hrab arrived on 

 his way to Ljang^ as he also wished to gain the princess of that 

 country. He had two heroes with him ; one's name was Mi dbang 

 ral chen and the other's Mz dbang ral chung. The latter was sent 

 first to fight against the men of gLing, He was opposed by 



1 Compare "A Lower Ladakhi Version of the Kesar Saga," Tale No. I. 

 The present tale proves beyond doubt that forefather bKrashis and smith- 

 hKrashis are identical. 



