Bihar Legends and Ballads. 
145 
1871 .] 
by caste, used to reign, they are surrounded by the Rajah’s attend¬ 
ants, who invite Lurik to a gambling match at the palace. The 
Rajah is a great cheat, and by means of loaded dice, continues to 
make Lurik stake and lose everything he owned, including his 
beautiful wife whom the Rajah coveted more than anything else. 
But Chanain refuses to submit, alleging that she being Lurik’s 
mistress, and not his wife, he cannot dispose of her person, and 
that she will only jdeld if she is herself vanquished in play. The 
play begins ; Chanain throws away the dice as unfair; takes new 
dice, and one by one gains every thing the Rajah owned. The 
Rajah then runs away, but is overtaken and killed. 
From Rohini the travellers reach Hardi, the place of their 
destination. Lurik is introduced to the Rajah by a relation and 
friend, but the Rajah is incensed at his omission to bow to him, 
and will not allow him a place in his capital unless he accepts the 
occupation of a cowherd. Lurik indignantly replies that he 
would only turn a cowherd if the Rajah’s daughter came out her¬ 
self to milk the cows. A battle ensues which lasts for seven days 
and seven nights, and ends in the slaughter of the immense hosts 
of the Rajah, a result attributed to the goddess whose favour 
Chanain obtains by offering to sacrifice her first-born. The 
Rajah now consents to give half his dominions to Lurik in case he 
succeeds in bringing the head of his antagonist, the Rajah of 
Hanrwa. This he undertakes to do. Mounting a horse which 
Chanain selects from the Rajah’s stable, Lurik marches alone 
to Hanrwa, gives battle, slaughters immense hosts, but is subse¬ 
quently entrapped in a magic net called Mahapdsh. By the advice 
and aid of a fellow countryman, he, however, escapes from the net, 
and after killing the Rajah, places his son, still a minor, on the 
throne. The Ranis endeavour to poison Lurik, but he avoids 
the snares laid for him, and refuses to touch any food at the palace, 
though he is constrained to promise aid in case the infant Rajah 
be attacked by a third party. He returns to Hardi, and on 
presenting the head of the Rajah of Hanrwa, is proclaimed joint- 
king of Hardi. 
A short time only elapses, when the Rajah of Kolapur having 
attacked the infant Rajah of Hanrwa, and taken him a prisoner, 
