The World of Courtesans c9.19

c9.19

Chapter 10 of the *Brıhatkathashlokasamgraha* of Budhasvamın gives an account of the quarter of ill-fame. It describes how Gomukha emerging from the Sujamuna palace (situated at Kaushambı) after his meeting with Padmavati, saw a fine chariot decorated with *chauris*. To this chariot were yoked fine Persian horses. The coachman, after saluting him, informed him that he himself came from a family whose profession was chariot-driving. He had orders from the king to try out these horses. He had obeyed the king's orders but he wanted Gomukha to repeat the experiment. Gomukha hesitated for a while, but Lambakarna, the scribe, turned to him and said, "The king has entrusted me with the task of making lists of all the sensible and all the stupid persons in town. I have yet to meet a single soul who is sensible!" Holding up the record, he showed it to Gomukha and said that if he kept on debating in his mind about this offer of a lovely drive, he proposed to put his name at the head of the list of stupid persons. Gomukha, in order to prove that he was a man of sense, jumped into the chariot.