New History of the Marathas v1.c12.10

v1.c12.10

There is evidence to show that Shivaji himself thought Sinhagad impregnable. He was, however, egged on to the venture by his mother Jija Bai in whose mind the public insult of the demolition of Kashivishveshwar was bitterly rankling. The ballad of Sinhagad says, when she found Shivaji hesitating on the question of retaking Sinhagad, which practically meant a sacrifice of some of his best soldiers and a challenge to the Emperor, she insisted on playing with him a game at dice and the wager was to be the capture of this fort. She demanded that if Shivaji lost the game he must pay the price. If he refused, she threatened him with a curse upon his newly erected raj,—a mother’s curse! What was Shivaji to do?²