Simhasanadvatrimshika 9.p19

9.p19

One time the king caused a servant of his to put on his sandals, and sent him to Benares to worship Viçvanātha [Çiva]. Now as he was returning after having performed this worship, in a certain city he found a king's daughter named Naramohinī. And whoever saw her was crazed with love; so beautiful was she. And whoever sued for her love entered in by night and perisht there in the night, and in the morning was cast forth dead. And it was unknown what happened during the night. A report was current that even the gods, seeing her, a mortal, were maddened (with love), and thought nothing of death. Finding out these circumstances, this man, overcome with love but afraid of death, returned to his city and told the king the story of Naramohinī. Then the king went with this same servant to that city, and saw Naramohinī, and rested in her house. And she went to sleep on her couch. But the king arose, and taking his sword in his hand stood behind a pillar. And at midnight a terrible black rākṣasa came up to her bed, and seeing her alone there was about to go away again, when he was stopt by the king: "Accursed son of a caṇḍāla [a very low caste], where are you going? Fight with me!" So they fought, and the rākṣasa was killed by the king. Thereupon Naramohinī came before him and said: "O king, by your grace I have been freed from a curse. How many men have met death on my account! I cannot repay you; I am now at your command; I will do whatever you bid me." The king said: "If you are at my command, then go along with this my servant." So having brought about the union of these two, the king went to his city.