I 
146 
G. A. Grierson —The Song of Manila Chandra. 
[No. 3, 
The beginning of the end. 
When the king left his home, his two queens retired from the outer 
world and shut themselves up in a well-guarded palace. The hundred 
concubines appear to have become the willing property of a foundling 
called Ivhetu, whom Mayana had cherished and brought up together with 
her son. This man had subsequently entered Gopi Chandra’s service, in 
the days of his power. 
Aduna and Paduna set themselves to playing dice, for they knew that 
as long as lucky numbers were thrown, the king their husband was well. 
The dice continued to fall prosperously until the king fell into the 
Karatoya, and then they fell in disarray. A parrot and his mate beheld the 
tears of their mistresses, and consoling them, offered to go in search of 
Gopi Chandra. 
After some days* the birds found their master, and gave the message 
of his queens. The king, thereupon wrote a letter on the leaf of a wild 
plant which grew by, and sent it by them to his mother, who on receiving 
intelligence of her son summoned the Hadi, who in his turn went to 
the king. 
The Hadi then proceeds to distribute poetical justice allround. All 
the woes which Hira had inflicted upon Gopi Chandra, she is made to suffer 
herself. He then cut her in two, her upper half becoming a bat, and her 
lower half a minnow. 
The Harlot’s maid-servant was cursed to become as her mistress had 
been, and in her old age to marry a peon, who would beat her every day of 
her life. Finally we have the fruit of all the king’s penance in his being 
imbued with a knowledge of the magic art by his eating a filthy mess of the 
Hadi’s concoction, and he returns home, still however wearing his pilgrim’s 
weeds. His maid-servant was the first to see him, but she did not recog¬ 
nize him. His own wives wavered in their recognition when he denied 
his identity. The only being that did not hesitate, was his faithful ele¬ 
phant who made obeisance to him while he was yet afar off. 
After the usual festivities Gopi Chandra again ascended the throne, 
and made his subjects happy by fixing the land revenue again at the old 
rate of thirty Jcdoris. 
Concluding remarks. 
Such is the epic of Kangpur, containing here and them a tiny pearl of 
interest, hidden amidst the rubbish, which is mainly presented to our view. 
I have ventured to write so much about it, and to submit it to the Society 
for three reasons. 
* There is considerable confusion here amid dates. 
