232 
[No. 3, 
G. A. Grierson —The Song of Manik Chandra. 
The birds spake. 
611. “Art tliou the king Gopi Chanclra? We two brothers have 
come for news of thee.” 612. He stretched forth his arm, and the two 
birds settled down upon it. 613. The eyes of the king flowed with affec¬ 
tion, as he commenced the tale of his woes. 614. He plucked the leaves 
of some wild plants (that grew by), and with his teeth he mended a reed 
pen. 615. He cut his left thigh with his little finger, and wrote a letter 
with the blood. All his woes he wrote within it. 616. “ If thou art a 
good mother, thou wilt rescue me. If thou art a bad mother, thou wilt 
leave me in sin.” “ This letter give ye to your grandmother.” 617. The 
birds made obeisance to the king and flew off to Mayana’s abode. 618. 
They made a hole in the roof and threw in the letter “ See, see, oh Gran- 
dam, see if thy head* is in this ? 619. If thou art a good mother thou 
wilt rescue him.” 620. She opened the envelope and began to read : and 
lamentably the birds began to weep. 
The burden of her song. 
621. “ My son left me in the morning. I fear that he hath died in 
the fierce heat of the sun.” 622. Mayana went into contemplation and 
gazed around, and her eyes fell upon the Hadi sitting beneath fourteen 
fathoms of water. 623. She brought into play her magic art called 
Icliaru'pa (or cutting), and she cut away the Hadi’s seat of contemplation 
and himself. 624. He began to float away through the cold sea; but 
Mayana seized him by the hair and pulled him on land. 625. She struck 
him a slap forcible as a thunderbolt; and the Hadi who was still in con¬ 
templation got up with a start. 626. In his contemplation the Hadi 
gazed around, and his eyes fell upon Mayana. 627. “ 0 sister, I am going 
to the king. I will first rescue thy son, and then will I eat my gdnja . 
Mayana' spake. 
628, “ If I find that my son hath learned only a few charms, I will 
burn thee, 0 Hadi, to ashes, and send thee to Yama’s house.” 629. The 
Hadi started, and arrived at the ghat where the king was sitting. 630. 
As soon as the king saw the Hadi’s face, he laid down the two water-jars 
and broke them. 631, He divided his hair in the middle and fell at the 
feet of the Hadi. 632. Thereupon the Hadi put him into his wallet and 
carried him off to the harlot’s house. 633. When he arrived there, he 
uttered a loud cry, and the whole city began to quake with a rumbling 
noise. 634. The harlot said to her maid-servant “ Daughter, see who it 
be. If it be a beggar, send him away.” 635. The maid-servant hastened 
to the door and when she saw the Hadi she returned to her mistress. 636. 
* i. e., if this concernetk thee. 
