Harshachandra came out, and, in reply to the

beggar, promised to give him whatever he wanted. The beggar said—“Give me as much money as will cover a tall man standing on an elephant.” The king emptied his treasury, but to no purpose; the sum was insufficient. He sold everything he had, and yet he found himself short of the measure.

67

THE KULWADI.

MARCH, 1873.]

For Vishvāmitra had, by

means of rats, undermined the ground, so that as fast as the money was piled up, that below went to

fill up the rat-holes.

He now sold his wife

and only son, but this was of no use, for the

and took up his quarters under a tree which

grew in the burial-ground. The leaves of this tree are used by the Brahmans for plates.

The

Saukar, who had bought the queen and her son, disgusted at getting little or no work out of the boy, ordered him one day to go and collect leaves for the dinner.

The lad went into the burial

ground, and began picking leaves from the tree; while so doing the snake came out, the lad was bitten, and died. The mother, hearing of this,

rushed to the burial-ground, and, after the first burst of grief, began busying herself in making preparations for burning the body. Too poor to buy wood, she set about collecting what

money thus realized did not cover the measure. In despair, the king had it published abroad that he would hold himself the slave of any person, who, by fulfilling the promise he had made to the beggar, would extricate him from his dif ficulties. No one came forward. The king was obliged to follow Vishvāmitra all over

his duty to his master, and sternly demanded the proper fees. The unhappy mother, who

the country.

had not recognized her husband, told him she

In the course of their wanderings

they came across Vir Baraka, the Kulwadi of the capital, who had amassed a large fortune from the burial-fees. Seeing the king's pitiable state, the Kulwadi offered to pay the money. After some words, the beggar accepted to hold the Kulwadi responsible, and made over the ex-king to him as a slave. Vir

Baraka (Baraka was the name by which the Kulwadi was called at the capital Kaliyan purapattna), asked what were the terms of the promise; being informed, he filled a bamboo of the required height with money, and made this

she could find on the ground.

The king, who

had from the first recognized his wife and son, would not allow his affections to interfere with

was a slave, and had no funds.

Nothing would

appease the strict agent, who cut the wife down

with his sword.

The gods, pleased with the

manner in which Harshachandra had conducted

himself, thought it was time to interfere.

They

appeared on the scene, restored to life both

mother and son, and offered to reinstate the king in all his former wealth and power The king declined, and begged he might, with his wife and child. be allowed to accompany the gods to their

paradise. To this they agreed, and were just setting out, when every ghost, goblin, demon,

sum over to Vishvāmitra, who had to be satisfied

devil, &c., started up, and, since there was no

with getting what the strict letter of the promise only entitled him to receive. The Kulwadi now appointed the ex-king his agent

longer a person to look after the fees, threatened to keep the gods company. The gods would

for the collection of the fees.

The following were the fees payable in the good days of old :— 1. Nela haja, the ground-fee. 2. Hari hāja, a fee for tearing the winding sheet.

3. 4.

One hān (=Rs. 1-12) placed in the mouth of the corpse. One hana (=1 anna 2 pie) placed on the navel.

The winding-sheet.

A handful of coarse sugar.

i

12 cocoa-nuts.

not hear of this ; they therefore appointed two persons to collect the fees. Calling the Kulwadi

into their presence, they ordered him to pay these Siddharu a yearly fee of a fowl, a “hana,” and one day's rice.

Vir Baraka,

purse-proud and

arrogant,

laughed when he heard the small amount of the remuneration, and said—“What is that for me?

I could give them gold untold, and none the worse would I be.”

The gods were highly dis

pleased, and cursed him in the following lines:— “Hale kambale ; lake gudige ;

Utturmara mane umbó gadige ; Präpti agale.” Which may be translated :“An old kambale for clothing; a stick in your -

12 betel leaves. A half ser of rice.

10. A third of an anna of incense.

Vishvāmitra, however, had not yet done with the king ; he was determined to test him further. He accordingly transformed himself into a snake,

hand ;

The leavings of betters you'll eat in this land.” That the curse has been fulfilled, few who

have seen the Kulwadi will dispute.