Rajatarangini of Kalhana:Kings of Kashmira/Appendix C
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Being A Translation of the Sanskrit Work
Rajatarangini of Kalhana Pandita
By Jogesh Chunder Dutt
1887
London: Trubner & Co.[p.iv]: Sandhimati died impaled by the orders of his master, and his corpse was thrown into the field where the dead were burnt ; as has been stated in the text.
[p.v]: The story of his reviving is as follows :— His religious instructor named Ishana, though he was muster of his passions, was much afflicted to learn of his death, and went to that place to perform the last ceremonies due to the remains of his pupil. Here he found the body fixed to the pale (pike), and reduced to skeleton, the wolves having devoured the flesh and the wind was passing through the hole in his head. Ishana began to weep as he disengaged the stick from the body; and driving back the howling wolves, he dragged away the corpse from the place ; the hair of his late pupil covered with dust touched his feet. But when he was going to perform the last ceremony, the following lines marked on his forehead by Vidhata caught his eye :
- " Poverty so long as he lives,
- ten years' imprisonment,
- death on a pale,
- and then kingdom again."
Seeing that the first three lines had agreed with the fact, he became much anxious to know how the fourth would come to pass. He thought that Fate was irresistible, and in spite of every opposition what was writ by Fate must come to happen. He recollected the history of king Partha of Manipura, who, when killed, was brought back to life by the daughter of a Naga; and Parikshita when burnt in his mother's womb by the arrow of Ashvatthama, was revived by Krishna. Who but Fate brought to life again Kacha who was burnt by Daitya, and the Nagas who were devoured by Garuda ? Saying all these to himself, he watched the skeleton in hope to see it revive again.
Now, at midnight, while he was watching, his thoughts having driven sleep away, he felt the smell of burning incense, and then he heard the loud sound of drums. Soon after he saw Yogini coming that way with a burning light. They then got hold of the skeleton and ran away with it. Much, astonished he ran after them sword in hand. He found them among the trees, seated around the skeleton, and repairing it. Each of them lent it a number of her own body, and having finished the whole, they begain to dance around it. The corpse then rose as from a sleep, and each of them began to caress him for which purpose they had brought him to life. When the night began to wane, Ishana feared that they would take back the members which they had supplied, and so he with a yell rushed into their circle. The Yogini fled at the same time bidding him not to fear, for they would not take back the members they had given, nor would they themselves be
[p.vi]: mutilated because of their gift ; and assuring him that through their blessings he would be king under the name of Aryyaraja Sandhimati clothed in heavenly robes and garlands, and remembering the facts before his death, bowed to his Guru. He, too, in excess of delight embraced him whom he never hoped to see alive again, They then, in wise conversation, began to discuss on the worthlessness of the world. The citizens in the meantime having learnt what had happened came to the spot, both young and old, with the ministers of the State. They at first doubted the ideality of Sandhimati, but his speech dispelled their doubts. The Brahmanas then bathed his newly received heavenly body in the neighbouring grove, and he entered the city accompanied by his army.