884 



Essay on Telugu Literature. 



[Oct. 



' In the next place the Prince Mamacara contemplated disposing of 

 ' his daughter in marriage.' &c. &c. &c. 



In the next extract is described the death of Maia for love of All a- 

 ma (or Atys — Satumus). Her companion Vitnala (a personification of 

 Purity), dies with her. < 



CHAPTER VIII. 



6 But when Allama thus vanished, Maya was filled with the deepest 



* affliction ; she cast her eyes on her playmate Virmila and exclaimed, 



* w ith downcast looks—" Now with what grace can I venture to appear 

 *' in the presence of [Parvati] the Queen of Heaven : how can I ap- 

 '* proaeh the courts of Hara (Jupiter) and his awfi.il spouse ? Surely 

 " I alone out of so many attendant ministers ventured on this arduous 

 " task ! Alas sad Destiny !" 



* Thus exclaimed she, grieving in her very soul : but (he king of men 



* now entered the grove in quest of his beloved daughter ; after some 

 ' search he found in a remote spot, with her handmaidens, his child, all 



* woe be gone and sunken with grief. The prince and his spouse affec- 

 4 tionafely raised and embraced their daughter, exclaiming, " What 



* dreadful grief, my darling has Siva poured on thee ! There is even now 

 " a mountain chief, son of a king, who has sent" to demand thee in 

 " marriage, but thou hast to-day thrown thyself away, and become the 

 " victim of a minstrel ! how canst thou have fallen into this sad state ? 

 66 How many counsels has thy mother given thee in vain at midnight ! I 

 " am leader of all the hill chieftains, and thou dost not even think on me 

 " my sweet babe ! Did ever any body ramble in this way like a rover 

 *' from house to house, and break the established laws of custom ? or 

 w do they ever thus depart from the commands of their parents ? It is 

 " too late ! what is the good of building a bank after all the lake has run 

 ** dry ? come, arise, mount into thy litter, and return home." 



' But Vimala viewed the king, and in bold accents thus replied r 

 *' She promised the Queen of Heaven that she would in a moment seize, 

 u and bring him to her. Such were her words, uttered in the presence 

 " of Siva, before she descended on earth ; and she has failed of accom- 

 " plishing what she swore to do. She and I will immediately depart to 

 " Olympus. Have done then with these vain lamentations. Return 

 ts to the City, Fare ye well ! r 



* She said and Vimala and Maia instantly took their way to the 

 ** Olympic regions.* But the queen and her lord were overwhelmed 

 8 with grief, they groaned and cried saying " Alas my daughter, my 

 4 daughter!" rolling on the earth they were defiled with dust, wallow- 



* A phrase understood, to denote sudden death : probably suicide. 



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