Cuento 1: Padmavati y las señas del loto

The First Tale

There was a king of Benares named Pratap Mukut, and his son's name was Bajra Mukut, whose wife was named Mahadevi. One day the prince took the minister's son with him and went hunting, and went far out into the forest, and in its midst he saw a lovely lake, on whose banks swans, chakwa and chakwi birds, herons and waterfowl were all at their play. On every side stood stone steps; lotuses bloomed in the lake; on the banks grew trees of every kind, in whose deep shade cool breezes blew, and birds were twittering in the trees, and flowers of many colours were blooming in the wood, with swarms of bees humming over them, when these two reached the bank of the lake, washed their hands and faces and came up.

There was a temple of Mahadev there. They tied their horses, went into the temple, paid their devotions to Mahadev and came out. In the time their worship took, the daughter of some king came with a crowd of companions to bathe on the other side of the lake; and having bathed, meditated and worshipped, she began to stroll in the shade of the trees with her companions.

Here the minister's son was sitting and the king's son was walking about, when suddenly his eyes and the princess's eyes met. At the very sight of her beauty the king's son was smitten and said in his heart: O cruel Love! Why do you torment me? And that princess, seeing the prince, took the lotus flower she had worshipped and placed in her hair, held it to her ear, bit it with her teeth, put it under her foot, then picked it up and pressed it to her breast, and taking her companions, mounted and went to her home. And this prince, utterly hopeless and drowned in the pain of separation, came to the minister's son and, with shame, told him the truth: O friend! I have seen a most beautiful maiden; I know neither her name nor her place. If I do not win her, I shall not keep my life. This I have resolved firmly in my heart.

The minister's son, hearing this, had him mounted and brought him home; but the king's son was so restless with the pain of love that he gave up reading and writing, eating and drinking, sleep and the business of state, everything. He would draw her likeness again and again, gaze at it and weep. He neither spoke of himself nor listened to others. When the minister's son saw the state love had brought him to, he said to him: whoever has set foot on the road of love has not lived, and whoever lived suffered much grief; that is why wise men do not set foot on that road.

Then, hearing his words, the prince said: I have set my foot on that path, whether it bring joy or sorrow. When he heard such firm words, he said: Maharaj! When she left, did she say anything to you, or you to her? He answered: I said nothing, nor did I hear anything from her. Then the minister's son said: to win her is very hard. He said: if I win her, my life is saved; if not, it is gone. Then he asked: did she make any sign or hint? The prince said: what she did was this: all at once, seeing me, she took the lotus flower from her head, held it to her ear, bit it with her teeth, put it under her foot and pressed it to her breast. Hearing this the minister's son said: I have understood her signs and know her name and place. He said: tell me what you have understood.

He began: hear, O prince! When she took the lotus from her head and held it to her ear, it was as though she told you: I live in Karnatak; when she bit it with her teeth, she said: I am the daughter of King Dantavat; when she pressed it with her foot, she said: my name is Padmavati; and when she pressed it to her breast, she said: you dwell in my heart.

When the prince heard all this he said to him: the best thing is to take me to her city. As soon as he said this, they put on their clothes, girded on their weapons, took some jewels, mounted their horses and set out in that direction. After some days they reached the land of Karnatak and, strolling through the city, came beneath the king's palace, and what do they see there but an old woman sitting at her door spinning.

The two dismounted, went to her and said: Mother! We are travelling merchants; our goods are coming behind us, and we have come ahead to find lodgings; if you will give us a place, we will stay. The old woman, seeing their faces and hearing their words, took pity and said: this house is yours; stay as long as you like.

In short, hearing this they put up in the house, and after a while the old woman kindly came and sat with them and began to talk. Meanwhile the minister's son asked her: who are your children and family, and how do you get your living? The old woman said: my son is in the king's service and very well provided for, and Padmavati, who is the princess, I, your servant, nursed her at my breast; now that old age has come I stay at home, but the king looks after my food and drink. Yet I go once every day to see that girl. Coming back from there I sit at home and tell my troubles. The prince, hearing this, was glad at heart and said to the old woman: tomorrow, when you go, take a message from us too. She said: son, why wait till tomorrow? Tell me now whatever you wish and I will deliver your message. Then he said: go and say only this: that the prince whom you saw on the bank of the lake on the fifth of the bright half of Jeth has arrived.

As soon as she heard this, the old woman took her stick in hand and went to the palace. Going there she saw the princess sitting alone. When she came before her, the princess greeted her; she gave her blessing and said: Daughter! In your childhood I served you and nursed you at my breast; now God has made you grown, and my heart longs to see the joy of your youth, so that I too may have peace. Talking lovingly in this way, she said: the prince whom you took to your heart on the bank of the lake on the fifth of the bright half of Jeth has come and put up at my house. He has sent me with this message: fulfil now the promise you made us; we have arrived. And I too say that that prince is fit for you alone; as beautiful as you are, so accomplished is he.

Hearing all this the princess grew angry, smeared sandalwood on her hands, slapped the old woman's cheeks and said: wretch! Get out of my house. Thus distressed, the old woman tottered back to the prince and told him all that had happened. The prince was dumbfounded to hear it; then the minister's son said: Maharaj! Do not worry; you have not grasped this. Then he said: true, but explain it to me so that my heart may have peace. He said: when she struck her face with all ten fingers full of sandalwood, she told us that when the ten moonlit nights are over, she will meet you in the dark. In short, after ten days the old woman went again and gave her the news; then she dipped three fingers in saffron, struck her on the cheek and said: get out of my house. At last the old woman, helpless, left and told the prince everything that had passed. Hearing this he drowned in a sea of grief. Seeing his state, the minister's son said again: do not fear, the meaning of this is something else. He said: my heart is restless; tell me quickly. Then he said: she is in the state that is the way of women, so she has promised three more days; on the fourth day she will call you.

In short, when three days had passed the old woman asked after her on his behalf; then she grew angry and brought the old woman to the western window and put her out through it. The old woman came and told the prince this. He was saddened to hear it. Then the minister's son said: the meaning of this is that tonight she has called you by way of that window. Hearing this he was overjoyed.

When the time came, they took out suits of purple, tied their turbans in pleats, dressed, girded on their weapons and made ready, and meanwhile half the night was gone. At that hour the whole world was silent, and they too came along quietly without a sound. When they reached the window, the minister's son stayed outside and the prince went in through the window. What does he see but the princess standing right there watching the way, and at that their eyes met. Then the princess laughed, shut the window and took the prince with her into her pleasure-chamber.

Going there, the prince sees lamps burning everywhere, and companions in dresses of every colour standing respectfully with folded hands, each in her rank. On one side a bed of flowers is spread. Perfume-boxes, betel-boxes, rosewater sprinklers, baskets and sweet-trays stand arranged in their proper order. Scented oils, sandalwood, argaja, musk and saffron stand filled in little bowls. In one place coloured boxes of fine confections are set out, in another dishes of every kind. All the doors and walls are decorated with paintings, and on them are such figures that whoever sees them is lost in wonder.

In short, every means of pleasure and delight is at hand. It is such a wondrous scene as cannot be described. In this very chamber Princess Padmavati took the prince and seated him, had his feet washed, rubbed sandalwood on his body, hung garlands of flowers on him, sprinkled rosewater and began to fan him with her own hand. At this the prince said: I grew cool just from seeing you; why do you take such trouble? These delicate hands of yours are not fit for a fan; give me the fan and sit down.

Padmavati said: Maharaj! You have come for my sake with great toil; it is my duty to serve you. Then one of the companions took the fan from the princess's hand and said: this is our work, we will serve, and you two enjoy yourselves together. They began to eat pan together and talk lovingly, and meanwhile dawn broke. The princess kept him hidden, and when night came they were again absorbed in pleasure together.

In this way some days went by; whenever the prince meant to go, the princess would not let him. So a month passed, and then the prince grew very anxious and worried. One night, sitting alone, he was brooding in his heart: country, kingdom, home, all were left behind anyway; but there is a friend of mine through whom I found this happiness, and I have not met him for a whole month; what must he be saying in his heart, and who knows how he is faring? He was sitting in this worry when the princess too arrived and, seeing his state, began to ask: Maharaj! What grief have you that you sit so sad? Tell me. Then he said: I have a very dear friend, the minister's son, and for a month I have had no news of him; he is such a clever, learned friend that it was by his skill that I found you, and he explained all your secrets.

The princess said: Maharaj! Your heart is there, so what joy will you have here? Better that I prepare dishes and sweets and send them, and you go too, feed him, comfort him well and come back with a quiet mind. Hearing this the prince got up and went out. And the queen had poison mixed in and had sweets of every kind made and sent. The prince had only just sat down with the minister's son when the sweets arrived. The minister's son asked: Maharaj! How did these sweets come? The prince said: I was sitting there sad with worry about you, when the princess came, looked at me and asked: why are you sitting so sad? Tell me the reason. Then I told her all your secrets and cleverness. Hearing that, she gave me leave to come to you and sent these for you; if you eat them, my heart too will be glad.

Then the minister's son said: you have brought me poison; it is well that you did not eat it. Maharaj! Hear one thing from me: a courtesan does not love her lover's friend. You did not do well to speak my name there. Hearing this the prince said: you say such a thing as no one would ever do. Even if a person does not fear people, he will fear God. Saying this he threw one of the sweets before a dog, and as soon as the dog ate it, it writhed and died. Seeing this, the prince grew angry in his heart and said: it is not right to meet such a false woman; till today there was love for her in my heart, but now I know. Hearing this the minister's son said: Maharaj! What is done is done; now we need some way to take her to your home. The prince said: brother! This too can only be done by you.

The minister's son said: do one thing today: go to Padmavati again and do as I tell you. First go and show her much affection and love, and when she falls asleep, take off her jewels, strike this trident into her left thigh, and come away from there at once. Hearing this, the prince went to Padmavati at night, talked much of love, and the two lay down together. But inwardly he was watching for his chance.

In short, when the princess fell asleep, he took off all her jewels, struck the trident into her left thigh and came back to his lodging. He told the minister's son everything and laid all the jewels before him. Then he took up the jewels, took the prince with him, disguised himself as a yogi, went and sat in a burning-ground, made himself the guru and the prince his disciple, and said to him: go to the bazaar and sell these jewels; if anyone seizes you over them, bring him to me. Hearing him, the prince took the jewels into the city and showed them to a goldsmith right by the king's gate. As soon as he saw them he recognized them and said: these are the princess's jewels; tell me truly, where did you find them?

He was saying this to him when ten or twenty more people gathered. In short, the Kotwal heard the news, sent men and had the prince brought in along with the jewels and the goldsmith, and looking at the jewels asked him: tell me truly, where did you get these? When he said: my guru gave them to me to sell, but I do not know where he got them, the Kotwal had his guru seized and brought too, and brought both of them with the jewels before the king and reported everything.

Hearing this, the king began to ask the yogi: Nath-ji! Where did you get these jewels? The yogi said: Maharaj! On the night of the dark fourteenth I went to the burning-ground to perfect a spell over a witch; when the witch came, I took off her jewels and clothes and marked her left thigh with my trident; in this way these jewels came into my hands.

Hearing this from the yogi, the king went into the palace, and the yogi to his seat. The king said to the queen: look at Padmavati's left thigh and see whether there is a mark or not, and what kind. The queen went and looked and there was the scar of a trident. She came and told the king: Maharaj! There are three marks side by side, and they look as if someone had struck her with a trident.

Hearing this the king came out, called the Kotwal and said: go and bring the yogi. The Kotwal went at once to fetch the yogi, and the king brooded in his mind and said: the affairs of one's house, the intent of one's heart and whatever loss one suffers are not fit to reveal to anyone; and meanwhile the Kotwal brought the yogi before him. Then the king took the yogi aside and asked: Gosain-ji! What punishment is written in the sacred law for a woman? Then the yogi said: Maharaj! A Brahmin, a cow, a woman, a child and anyone under one's protection: if any of them does some wicked deed, the punishment written for them is that they be banished from the land.

Hearing this the king had Padmavati put in a litter and left in a forest. Then from their lodging the prince and the minister's son both mounted their horses, went into that forest, took Princess Padmavati with them and set out for their own city; after some days they reached his father, and everyone, great and small, rejoiced greatly, and they lived in pleasure together.

Having told this much, the Baital asked Raja Bir Bikramajit: which of these four was guilty of sin? If you do not judge this rightly, you will fall into hell. Raja Bikram said: that king was guilty of sin. The Baital said: how was the king guilty of sin? Bikram answered him: the minister's son did his master's work, and the Kotwal obeyed the king's command, and the princess gained her desire. So the sin fell on the king, who banished her without considering. Hearing this much from the king's mouth, the Baital went and hung again on the same tree.