Now I shall describe to you the pains I underwent in iny path. Are not pains which are like unto a grinding saw, re lieved when revealed to those we love ? After I gave the bunch of flowers to you, and rose up in the Akasa, 1 went to my all-truthful father in Devaloka, and attended the court of Indra, the Lord of Devas. Then, having in mind to return to this place from there, I descended through the Akasa and was in the act of coming over to this earth, through the spatial Vayu path (viz., North-west of Surya-Mandala, ie., the Sun s sphere), when I saw before me the Rishi Durvasa journeying on in the region of clouds. Having prostrated my self before his venerable feet, I addressed him thus Thou art clad in dark clothes* and art beginning to act like an ill-famed woman longing for her paramour.
Whereupon the omniscient Rishi became incensed at me and with fury cursed me for my impertinent words to be transformed every night into a female wearing beautiful ornaments. Hearing these words, I cried aloud and having contemplated the lotus feet of the Rishi, was going to beg pardon of him, when all at once he disappeared. With this thought afflicting me very much, I have now come here to you. I shall hereafter every night have to submit myself to this process of transformation into a female f How can I, without being ashamed, be a female every night, moving as I do in the company of my Gurus, Devas, Munis and hosts of others r * But the King solaced him thus : Please, god, do not be afraid. What is the use of giving way to grief? Let come what may through the dire force of the irresistible Law.
This womanhood of thine will, I think, not attach itself to the Eqfo within, but only to the body without. It behoves thee not thus to give way to grief, thou who art replete with Jnfina. It is only the ignorant that are afflicted in mind Then the sun began to set as if to hasten on the wise Kumbha-Muni to assume a female form. With the coming of twilight they performed all their daily religious Karmas. Then the Muni looked into the face of the King, who was sitting before him, and remarked thus in a plaintive tone : To my great shame, be it spoken, King, a female form is enveloping me and my present form is disintegrating- itself.
The significant marks of a female are developing themselves in me. Behold my waist forming itself, the female dress gradually covering my body, and the remainder of the female form appearing in all its entirety. Thus did the quiescent Kumbha-Muni deliver himself, as if in terms of grief. The King beholding his des pondent Guru, thus said : As a Jnani you have known well the true path of Law. While so, do not be afflicted through events which will inevitably come to pass. To which Kumbha- Muni said thus : 4 There is nothing to be done now. Who can thwart the insurmountable Law ? Every night will but entail on me a female form.
So saying, both quietly slept. With early dawn she re sumed her Kumbha-Muni form. Thus did Chudalai pass some time, the days in the form of Kumbha-Muni and the nights in the form of a female ; and yet she preserved her virginity. One noon Chudalai in the guise of Kumbha-Muni addressed thus the King “ Oh King, how long am I to remain in a state of virginity without tasting the pleasures inci dental to the female sex ? Therefore I wish to get at a lord for myself. In all the three worlds, 1 cannot pitch upon a more affectionate husband than thyself. Thou shalt accept me as thy spouse overnights. If so, thou shalt have the fear of neither heaven nor hell.” To which the King nodded assent.
Whereupon the Muni remarked :” To-day is a very propitious day for marriage, it being the month of Simha (August September). At moon-rise we shall perform the marriage rites.” Then the beautiful-eyed King fetched from Mahameru rare gems and sandals, bathed in the holy waters and made prostrations to Devas, Munis and Pitris according to Vedic injunctions. Then both these individuals clad themselves in white silken robes yielded by the Kalpa tree. The sun having set, the resplendent moon began to shed its silvery rays when the king, after performing the Sandhya rites, cele brated the marriage on Mandhara hills. Then they roved over hills and dales enjoying themselves but yet without the least clinging towards such an enjoyment, Every three days, while the King was asleep, Chudalai would regularly go to her husband s realm and administer justice there and then would return to her husband s side, as if she had not parted from him.
Then this lady Chudalai, who now passed under her new marriage pseudonym, viz.) Mad- hanika, lived with her husband for some time and reflected thus within herself : The king will never hereafter centre his desires on worldly enjoyments. Therefore I shall test his mind in the enjoyments of Devaloka. I shall, by the force of my yoga practice, through which I have developed AnimA and other psychic powers, create a Mayavic (illusory) pana- roma in this forest, wherein Devas will appear with their Lord Devendra at their head. Accordingly, when Indra ap peared before the king, the latter saluted the former, and having paid him all the necessary respects, said O Chief of Devas, I do not know what good Karmas I have per formed to merit this visit of yours to me. To which Indra replied in terms of affection thus : * Attracted by the force of your good qualities, I. have come here along with my reti nues of Devas.
The Devaloka is a fit abode for you alone. The Deva maidens are awaiting your arrival there. May you be pleased to appear there like the Sun, to cause to bloom the lotus-like face of Rambha and other Deva maidens. O King and Jivanmukta, you may stay there for the period of a Kalpa, and plunge yourself in diverse ways in Devalokic enjoyment. Therefore do not tarry here any longer, but come at (Mice there. It is for this purpose I came here to take you.
Hearing these strange words of Indra, the noble king said thus: O my parent Deva, I have known all the plea sures of Svarga-loka. I have not even the conception of differences of locality, such as this or that place. Wher ever T am, there is Svarga (heaven) for me, and there it is I enjoy bliss. Therefore I do not long after Svarga pleasures- Be pleased to return to your seat, fhave not the least desire for it. When the kine had given vent to these words, the whole troup of Devas returned to their abode. Thus did Chudalai ob serve that the King s (lower; mind had been destroyed, not withstanding the different trials to which she had subjected him through her powers of M&ya. Still she wanted to try him further, and so hit upon another expedient.
One day, while the pure King was performing Japa on the banks of the Ganges, Just at moon-rise, Chudalai entered a thickset bower hard by and having created within it, through her Mayavic power, a lover seated on a pleasant seat of Neerandra flowers, she made a show of embracing him. After having performed the daily rites and sought in vain for his wife (Madhanika) over all the hills and dales, the king saw on his return his wife and a male figure in a mutual embrace, but was not in the least disconcerted. Nearly forty-eight minutes after the King, who went away unruffled without evincing the least anger towards Madhanika, disappeared from view, she, in order yet to ob serve his demeanour appeared before this Rajayogi with signs of her late love tryst still visible in her, such as dishevelled hair, &c., and stood as if penitent in a submissive attitude of great shame.
While Chudalai, surnamed Madhanika, was thus stand ing as if greatly stricken by grief and remorse, the King re turned from Samadhi, and saw her before him. Then, with out showing the least symptoms of anger, he said softly the following words with calm deliberation: How is it you have hurried so and come away so soon as this ? You may, O girl, if you like, still gratify your passion by returning to your lover. At these words of the King, Madhanika said thus : It is the supreme duty of the unblemished to put up with and overlook the faults of the ignorant. The quali ties of females are unsteady in diverse ways. Therefore, be pleased to excuse me for my heinous crime.
Thereupon Sikhidwaja of mighty Jnana said the follow ing words to his wife Madhanika : A tree may grow in the sky, but never will anger rise in me, O lady. Tnus was he in full possession of equal vision over all. Then Chudalai soliloquised to herself thus : The King has destroyed to the root passion and anger. He will not subject himself to the many enjoyments and the love of transcendental Siddhis, This king of puissant arms has at last attained the end ot Jnana.
Let me no longer pass under false colors. Let me cast aside the body of Madhanika, and assuming that of Chudalai appear before him. With this thought in her mind she transformed herself into Chudalai and presented hersalt in that true character before him, when the quiescent King eyed her and remarked in wonder thus: * Is it true that I see before me Chudalai with her entire form, speech, modesty of mien and her other inestimable good qualities? O lady who are you ?
To which she replied that she was his lawfully wedded wife and continued : O dearest one, it was I that initiated you into the mysteries of Atma-Jndna, assuming the bodies of Kumbha-Muni and then Madhanika. Through such a course, I sounded the depth of your Jnana by the power of Maya. Now go into Nirvikalpa Samadhi, and you will under stand all things truly.
