148 
G. A. Grierson —The Song of Bijai Mol. 
[Sp. No. 
with cha:ff.’ When the Prince heard these words, he smashed all 
their water-jars, and tore from them their ornaments, and the damsels 
went away from him with their clothes torn, (1000) and came to Bawan’s 
andience-chamber. Said they, ‘ Hear, proud Bawan Suba, some king 
has come, and cut all the fetters of your prisoners. (1005) He has 
plundered Bawan’s market. He has fired the fortress of Jirhul. He 
has mixed up your tank with dust, and he has brought us to this evil 
plight. Has the woodworm attacked your arm, 0 Suba ? ’ (1010) When 
Bawan heard these words he burnt himself to ashes with anger. ‘ Hear 
me, son Manik Chand : make ready your army. Fasten the pad on Bba- 
waranan the elephant, (1015) and seize the base-born one and bring him 
here. I will see what sort of man he is. I will make the base-born 
one cut grass.’ So the Prince makes ready his army, the dust whereof 
reaches to heaven; (1020) and the trumpets sound the call to battle. 
Up rose the goddess Durga and said, ‘ Prince, here is Manik Chand’s 
army. ’ So he made his horse to prance in the field, and stood up before 
(the army) in answer to the challenge. (1025) He stopped all the army, 
and the battle with weapons began. As the Prince attacked them, 
Durga overshadowed (and protected him). He hacked and hewed 
till he had cleared the battlefield,"^ (1030), and only Prince Manik 
Chand survived. His nose he cut off, and then his ears and arms, and 
then he tied him up with his horse’s heel-ropes. (1035) Manik Chand 
went off to Bawan’s audience-chamber, and appeared before his eyes. 
Bawan became filled with rage and drunk with it. Up rose the proud 
Bawan Siiba and said, (1040) ‘ It would have been better if you had been 
killed in the open battle-field than that you should come home with your 
ears cut off. You were born from a Chhattri’s womb.’ When Bawan 
had heard all this, he made ready his own army, (1045) and started, and 
arrived at the open field, and then again began the battle with weapons. 
The Prince hacked and hewed till he had cleared the battle-field, and 
only King Bawan Siiba survived. (1050) With hands humbly clasped 
Bawan says, ‘ Sir, hear my little word. I am your father-in-law. Spare 
my life.’ But the Prince leaped and cut off his head. (1055) So he 
hacked and hewed, till he had cleared the battle-field and went off to 
Bawan’s castle. 
Now the Prince begins to feel boastful. ‘If there had not been 
strength in my thighs, if there had not been valour in my arms, then 
(1060) what could the goddess Durga have done.’ At this the goddess 
Durga became displeased, and the horse and Prince falls into a well. 
Behold, Tilki had mounted a high upper room and, her gaze falling 
* Lit. ‘ made a clear field ’. 
