While one named Terami was occupied in his usual office of preparing flowers, and putting them on the image of the god, it so happened that the king, Sudamani, went one day to one of his flower gardens, and a particular thought occurred to him while there, respecting which he resolved on a poetical contest; and hence he tied a sum of gold in a packet, and hung it suspended to the bench of the poets, saying, "Whichsoever of you shall succeed by a chant in telling me the thought that is in my mind, he shall be rewarded with this packet of gold." They all attempted, but failed. Terami hearing of this circumstance, paid homage to the god, and said, "I have long been performing this duty of preparing and robbing you with flowers, without establishing myself in life; I am poor, and cannot afford to pay the expense of marriage to enable me to win this purse of gold." The god condescended to his request, and put a chant into his hands, which he carried to the collegiate bench; when the poets all said, "We find no fault with the versification; if it suit the thought in the king's mind, and if he approve, you can then take the reward." The king admitted that the chant contained his thought, and ordered the reward to be given. While Terami was just about cutting the string, Narkiren, from Kailastri, said, "Hold! there is a fault in this chant, take it back." Terami, saddened at the disappointment, went to the shrine of the god, and said, "I am ignorant myself of versification, but they say you have given me a defective chant." The god, being moved, came forth, clothed with all the habiliments of a poet, and coming up to the bench, inquired who found fault with his stanzas? Narkiren replied, 'I do" 'What fault?" "It is not in the versification but in the subject." On this objection being proffered, a discussion arose; and on Narkiren manifesting obstinacy, the god opened a little the eye on his forehead, perceptible only to Narkiran; who being infatuated, said, "If even Indran were to open his thousand eyes, I would not yield", where on the god entirely opened his fiery eye, (which burns what it fixes on); and Narkiran, perceiving the commencement of combustion, ran away as fast as possible and plunged himself in the golden lotus tank, which removes all kind of sin, and there remained to cool at leisure.

 

 

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