1878.] 
203 
G. A. Grierson —The Song of MciniJc Chandra. 
the Wednesday he ceased to eat or drink. 37. On the Thursday the king 
gave up the ghost*: and on the following Tuesday, Chitra Govinda, the 
accountant of Yama, opened out his account papers. 38. He found in the 
account papers, that Manik Chandra had six months to live ; and turning 
his head, he began to speak to Saman Raja Yama. 
Yama spake. 
39. “ A king within his kingdom hath become unjust. Bring hither 
that king within the house of Yama.” 40. He began to call for Abal 
Yama. He sent a letter (for the king) by Goda Yama. 
Yama spake. 
41. “ I tell thee Goda Yama, and take thou heed unto my words. 
Bring Manik Chandra Raja here, with his hands and neck tied.” 42. He 
took his leathern rope and his iron hammer, and tied them in a knot; and 
then Goda Yama started on his journey. 43. Many miles he went, many 
roads he met. He went a great distance and reached the house of Manik 
Chandra. 44. During the six months’ illness within the palace, the fair 
Mayana did not enquire about the true state of affairs. 
The King- spake. 
45. “0 Nenga my servant, 1 tell thee, carry my message: go to 
Mayana and tell her about this. 46. Say, ‘ For six months the king 
hath been ill within his palace. The King of Kings wisheth to see thee.’ ” 
47. Nenga heard these words and did not tarry. He went off to the pa¬ 
lace of Mayana. 48. Inside the door the Lady Mayana was playing dice, 
and through the lattice of the door Nenga made obeisance to her. 
Mayana spake. 
49. “ Why, why, 0 Nenga hast thou come ?” 
Nenga spake. 
50. “ Hear, 0 lady, hear the news; for six months the king hath 
been ill within his palace. The King of Kings wisheth to see thee.” 51. The 
lady Mayana became absorbed in contemplation, and, in her contemplation, 
her eyes fell upon Yama. 52. She took a bangdla hetel-nut and sweet 
onitha bhari pan leaf, and divided the nut into two pieces with a knife. 
53. In t\ie pan leaves she put a little lime, and folded together the het Jchili 
and the upar Mili.f 54. She put sixteen scores of charms on the top of 
* Or perhaps “lost his power of sensation.” 
t The little conical shaped parcels of prepared pan, which we see in the bazars, 
enclosing a piece of hetel-nut and some lime, are called khilis. The outside wrapping 
is made up of two leaves, of which the lower one is called the het Jchili, and the upper 
one, the apar khili, 
