Simhasanadvatrimshika 26.5

26.5

sānandaṃ nandihastāhatamurajaravāhūtakaumārabarhi-
trāsān nāsāgrarandhraṃ viśati phaṇipatau bhogasaṃkocabhāji
gaṇḍoḍḍīnālimālāmukharitakakubhas tāṇḍave śūlapāṇer
vaināyakyaś ciraṃ vo vadanavidhutayaḥ pāntu cītkāravatyaḥ. || 5 ||

whereat the latter, with cries of alarm, shook his head so that the regions of the air were made resonant by the swarms of bees that flew up from his [elephantine] temples. May those head-shakings of his long protect you!” [This is the first verse of Bhavabhūti’s play, Mālatīmādhava.] And then he said: “O king, by reason of my poverty I am become a magician; since tho I can see all people, no one can see me. And it is said: 6. Hail to you, Poverty! By your grace I am become a magician. For tho I can see everybody, no man can see me at all. Now if one is sealed with the seal of poverty, there is always in his house the (ceremonial) uncleanness of childbirth. 7. ‘Give me, a wayfarer, a bite to eat, fair lady.’ ‘Alas, your words are fruitless.’ ‘Tell me why.’ ‘My friend, there is the uncleanness of child-birth here.’ ‘Is there no time-limit to it?’ ‘For life this lasts, and there can be no further birth; this is because of the power of my son. (You ask) who was born to me in this dearth of all property? A son named Poverty!’” The king said: “O brahman, what do you ask for?” The brahman said: “O king, your majesty is a tree of wishes for your suppliants. Bring it about that my poverty shall be destroyed for the rest of my life.” The king said: “This Cow of Wishes here will give you what you wish; take her.” So he gave him the Cow of Wishes. And the brahman, feeling as if he had gained the bliss of paradise, took the Cow of Wishes and went to his own place.