1871 .] 
Bihar Legends and Ballads. 
143 
ating the chhappars, delivers him through the opening thus caused. 
Lurik is, however, very anxious for his virtuous wife, and therefore 
makes the family over to the care of an intimate friend, though 
burning with jealousy at the opportunities he will thus enjoy of 
gaining over her affections. The lovers meet at last, and start for 
Hardi. On the way, the Rajah’s* daughter refuses to take the 
food out of Lurik’s dishes unless he consents to make her his wife. 
After some hesitation, Lurik affixes some sindur on her fore¬ 
head, and the marriage ceremony is performed by Durga herself, 
assisted by her seven sisters. When the lovers arrive at the place 
where Lurik’s younger brother keeps a million of cattle, Lurik 
is extremely anxious to bid him farewell. Leaving Chanain near 
a hedge, he approaches his brother, but is accused of running 
away with another man’s wife. He denies the truth of the charge, 
at which his brother throws a club at the hedge which carries off 
the patara placed to protect Chanain, while a second club thrown 
by the same powerful hand scatters her knotted hair to the wind. 
The mistress is then introduced weeping, after which, according to 
custom, Lurik’s younger brother jests with her. The brother, 
being tired, falls asleep on a portion of his sister-in-law’s sdrhi 
spread by her to receive his body, while she lays his head 
down upon her lap. When he becomes insensible, Chanain de¬ 
parts with her lover after thrusting a piece of stone under her 
brother-in-law’s head, and after separating the remaining portion 
of her sdrhi with a pair of scissors. On the next day, the pair is 
pursued by the attendants and soldiers of the Rajah and of his 
son-in-law, the first husband of Chanain. Magic fire-works are 
hurled by the disconsolate husband which overtake Chanain 
across the Ganges, but they fall harmless when coming in contact 
with the corner of her cloth spread by her with an invocation to 
the deity to protect her in consideration of several years of her 
youth having been passed away in vain expectation of her first 
husband. Lurik valiantly refuses to take shelter under her cloth, 
but by some mysterious process ascends the sky to save himself 
from the fire-arms of an injured and infuriated husband. After 
effecting their flight, they repose under the shade of a tree, where 
Chanain dies from the sting of a serpent. 
19 
