Sacred Tales of India

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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1916 Excerpt: ... not sink. At this emergency, Padma besought the aid of her father:"Father, see how my step-mother crosses me at every turn. Is she not content with blinding one of my eyes and banishing me from heaven, without seeking to defeat all my purposes?" And Mahadeo felt for her and descending from Kailas, his abode, appeared before his high-mettled consort with the purpose of making her, if possible, quit the vessel. He began as follows: "By the heads of your favourite sons, Kartika and Ganesha, you must leave the vessel and come away directly, 0 Bhagavati, or--" "Or, what?" flashed out his spouse. "Nothing," replied Mahadeo in a lower key, "I do not mean anything. But, Bhagavati, my darling, you should not press your point in all matters. Is it not bare justice to poor Padma that she should have her way once? Remember, she has been cruelly wronged. You were wont to be generous." And Bhagavati yielded, and arm-in-arm with her husband re-ascended to heaven leaving Chand to his fate. The next blast upset his vessel, and he was forced to swim for his life. At this Padma appeared in the air above Chand's head and said: "Saodagar, do you not realise that this is not by chance or in the course of nature. Even now yield and worship me whilst there is yet time!" But he still refused even though he was drowning. Padma, however, did not mean to kill him. So, after drifting in the water for some days, he was at length allowed to reach the shore but not before he had been made the subject of many illusions by Padma, in which he thought himself to be continually in sight of land only to find nothing but water as far as the eye could reach. At each fresh disappointment Padma reiterated her appeals but in vain. The Sao...