146 G. A. Grierson —The Song of Bijai Mai. [Sp. No. 
brought out the sword, and went along to the fortress of Jirhul. Above 
the fortress was planted a hedge of solid bamboos,* * * § and below was a 
clump of (thorny) bdburs,f (865) and encircled by these was the fortress 
of Jirhul. He cut down the bdburs,^ and with his sword the bamboos ; 
and then he entered within the ramparts. The prince went round it in 
all directions (870), but nowhere could he find an entrance to the inner 
fort. At last on one side he found a doorway, but the doors were 
tightly shut. Hichchhal gave them a violent kick,§ and the tightly shut 
doors burst open. (875) There there were two watchmen, and saith the 
goddess Durga, ‘ Hear, Prince Bijai, now is your time, make a beginning|| 
here.’ (880) The prince killed both of these watchmen, (and cut ofi^) 
their heads, and he gave his sword blood to taste. The Prince cut 
through the second door, and the third door was cut through and the 
fourth, (885) fifth and sixth. At the last were found all the shopkeepers, 
and Bawan Suba’s prime-minister was seated there, casting up the 
account of the food given to the prisoners. (890) Up rose the goddess 
Durga and said, ‘ Kill all the shopkeepers, and the prime-minister.’ So 
the prince hacked till he had made a clear space and then he cut through 
the seventh door, (895) so that the edge of the sword became blunt. The 
prisoners were all still in prison, and when they saw him they began to 
weep. ‘ Is this Prince Manik Chand, (900) or King Bawan Siiba ?’ 
And they said, ‘ How will the King treat us ?’ But up rose Prince Bijai 
and said, ‘ It is not my father-in-law Bawan Suba. (905) My name, O 
prisoners, is Prince Bijai. Be patient in your hearts, and I will bring 
back the vermilion to your (wives’) foreheads.’^ He began to cut the 
bonds of the prisoners. He cut and cut and made a clear space. (910) 
Then up he rose and said, ‘ Hear, 0 prisoners, plunder Bawan’s market,’ 
which they did, and then went to Bawan’s tank. Then up rose Prince Bijai 
and said, (915) as he began to search for his father and his brother, 
‘ What has become of my father Gorakh Singh, and what of my brother 
Bandhir Chhattri ? Has Bawan Suba had them hung ? ’ Then up rose his 
father Gorakh Singh** (920) (saying) ‘ Is this a goblin or a demon ?’ Up 
rose Prince Bijai and said, ‘ It is neither a goblin nor a demon. I came here 
* ^ kind of thin, stronp^, male bamboo nsed for fences, 
t is long form of or a hdhur clump. 
X 'EIT^, see verse 215. 
§ is long form of ‘ foot.’ 
II = a beginning. 
^ See note to verse 798. 
Evidently Gorakh Singh and Randhir had been imprisoned separately frojii 
the rest of the marriage procession, and had not yet been released. 
