1878.] G. A. Grierson —The Song of Mdnik Chandra. 231 
weep. She then would seize him by the neck and thrust him out. 591. 
What with to-day and what with to-morrow twelve years passed. 592. He 
took bhangi ropes and a bhangi stick and two water-jars, and went to draw 
water at the river Karatoya. 593. On the bank of the river, the king 
became giddy and fell into the river. “ Alas ! I heard not the words of 
Aduna and Paduna, and have lost my life through attending to the voice of 
an old mother.” 
594. Even as the pious king mentioned the names of the damsels, 
the dice fell from their hands in disarray. And lamentably they began to 
weep. 595. “ Twelve years have passed and my husband doth not let 
his voice be heard, and now the thirteenth year has come. 596. To-day 
why have the dice fallen in disorder ? Of a surety my husband is dead 
and gone.” 
The burden of her song. 
597. “ My love, how may I go forth P To-morrow at dawn and in a 
lonely place will I tell thee the tale of my woes. He playeth his pipe in 
Vrindavana : and my heart saith unto me, let me go and see Krishna.” 
598. The two sisters went out to the theatrum of the temple in tears. 
And a jay and a parrot from their cage heard them weeping. 
The Jay spake. 
599. “ 0 parrot, my elder brother, let us see why our mother 
weepeth.” 600. They united their strength and burst the bars of their 
cage, and through the broken walls they flew away. 601. After resting^ 
for a moment on the straw of the thatch, they each alighted on the arm of 
the damsels. “ Why, why, mother, art thou crying in the theatrum?” 
602. Ths damsel said, “ Listen to me, ye two dear birds. Your father 
should have returned according to his agreement after twelve years. It is 
now the thirteenth year and he hath not come. 603. Why did the dice fall 
in disorder from our hands ? Of a surety I believe that your father is dead 
and gone.” 604. “ Mother, let us two loose. We will search where our 
father is.” 605. “ Speed ye, speed ye, my pretty children, to a far country, 
and find out where your father is.” 606. The birds made obeisance at the 
feet of their mistress, and flew away in a southern direction. 607. For 
seven days the birds flew, but found no trace of the king. 608. On the 
banks of the river there were a banyan and a pippal tree, and the birds flew 
and rested on a branch of the banyan tree. 609. The birds flew from the 
western branch to the eastern branch, and underneath them passed the 
king bearing his burden. 610. He descended into the water and cleansed 
his teeth, and over his head the birds began to hover. 
* Lit, Scratching. 
Gt a 
