48 
G. A. Grierson —Song of Gopi Ghand. 
[No. 1, 
city is six months’ jonrney distant. 
Thou wilt die without food and 
water. The path to thy sister 
Birna is rough.’ £ O mother, hear 
my prayer. In as many days as 
thou dost arrive there, my mother, 
in so many cause me also to arrive.’ 
Banspati taketh the form of a 
hawk, and uplifting him in the 
shape of a parrot, carrieth him to 
Birna’s city. 
6. He began his perambulation 
of the lanes, crying, £ May ye live, 
my charitable folk of the city. 
Show me the way to your king’s 
doorway, then will I leave your 
company. 
lions will devour him, before he 
seeth (i. e., if he trieth to see) his 
sister.’ Said Gopi Chand, ‘ Let 
me die, or let me live, I will go to 
my sister’s land.’ Banspati took 
pity on him. She turned Gopi 
Chand into a parrot, and herself 
into a swan, and in an hour and 
a watch set him down in his sister’s 
land. 
6. When Gopi Chand arrived 
at his sister’s country, he applied 
ashes and burnt cowdung to his 
face, and hid his body beneath 
his ascetic’s mantle. Through all 
the lanes went he backwards and 
‘ The turret is high, and the door 
is low. At the door is a dried up 
sandal tree. That is the king’s 
doorway.’ 
forwards, and he found a sandal tree at the door of every one. 
He could not distinguish the doorway of the king from that of 
his subjects, though he went round them all. The village people 
said, ‘ Reverend Sir, stay with us. Every one of us will look 
after thy food.’ But Gopi Chand said, ‘0 sisters and mothers 
of the village, show me the doorway of the king, for there will 
I stay. I cannot stay at the doorway of any of his subjects. The 
sisters and mothers of the village 
replied. £ The turret is high, and 
the door is low. The doorposts are 
of gold, and the doors of silver. 
There are there two she-elephants 
named Aura and Bhaura, and a 
sandal tree which hath been 
withered for twelve years.’ 
7. So Gopi Chand went to his 
sister’s door, and lit his ascetic’s 
fire below it, and the sandal 
tree which had been withered for 
twelve years became fresh and 
green. The king and the subjects 
of the village saw this. £ It is not 
a mere ascetic. This is some God; 
7. The ascetic went before the 
sandal tree and lighteth his fire,f 
and, lo, the sandal tree flowered 
became fresh and green. From 
above his sister Birna is watching 
him, saying, £ I never saw a 
reverend ascetic like this before.’ 
Quickly she calleth Mugiya her 
* protection, 
t } an ascetic’s fire. 
