1839.] 



Essay on Telugu Literature. 



377 



The king one day goes to the chase, the poet gives a lively descrip- 

 tion of hunting in all its details. Saranga Dhara happened to he at play 

 with other boys, a favourite pigeon escaped from his hand, and entered 

 the window of the tower, wherein Chitrangi was seated, talking with 

 her parrot. The whole description is minute aud lively: she caught 

 the pigeon, and desired that the boy might be sent up stairs to her. 

 The minister's son in vain warned Saranga Dhara, against entering the 

 seraglio ; warning him of the peril of conversing with women. The 

 prince rejected his advice, and entered the seraglio. Description of 

 the palace, and the ornaments of the chambers. Interview with the 

 princess. He fell at her feet but she at once gave way to her passions, 

 and was violently enamoured of him. He replies to her flatteries by 

 declining all her civilities a long dispute between them after which he 

 makes his escape and retires. . 



Chitrangi being now driven to desperation disfigured herself 

 in a soiled dress as is usual in mourning. Description of evening : 

 night fall and the rising of the moon. At dawn the king returns 

 she. accuses Saranga Dhara of .having outraged her. The king's 

 fury : he details the charge to his ministers : their horror : they 

 counsel him to ascertain the truth from the boy. The message sent 

 back by Saranga Dhara. The king commands that he shall be put to 

 death : and delivers the royal seal as a warrant to the executioners, 

 who were ordered to cut oft his hands and feet, and leave him to perish 

 in the forest. He is carried to the place of execution : the horror and 

 grief that fill the city, where Saranga Dhara was a great favourite. 



The king now retired from the court, and lay down on his couch in 

 deep grief. Description of evening. 



Saranga Dhara' s mother hearing the dreadful tidings repaired in 

 agony to Chitrangi, and fell weeping at her feet. 



The poet describes the king consulting whether he ought to slay his 

 son Saranga Dhara at the instigation of his young wife. 



The minister now advises the king to exercise patience : he tells the 

 well known story of the weasel killed on suspicion of killing an infant 

 which it had saved from a serpent ; and to exemplify the necessity of 

 caution he narrates the following fable. 



Translation. 



In old times there was a prince named Vaidarbha, who had no offspring, 

 and was fond of a scarlet parrot whom he reared : indeed he passed 

 most of his time in talking with it, regarding it as a son. He lavished 

 all his affections on it, and it was so well instructed that it would salute 

 by name any one whom it saw. After some time passed in this manner, 

 there arrived a flock of other parrots from *he western isles which filled 

 the park ; and at the king's permission his favourite parrot went to 



