Chapter XXIII — Manimekalai Is Set Free

In the palace, there was an old woman, called Vasanthavai, She was wise and gentle. The bitterest sorrow was softened by the gentle tones of Vasanthavai. The direst grief became more bearable when Vasanthavai was near. So the King sent for her. “Go to your. royal mistress, O Vasanthavai. Speak to her of Udhaya-kuma- ran. Tell her of his death. Tell her also of my commands. Soothe her grief. Strength- en her pride.”

So Vasanthavai came before the Queen. The Queen wept for her beloved son. Her women wept with her. But Vasanthavai stood dry-eyed. “What would you, O Queen? Would you have him die in his bed? You would think that a shameful death. You would not mourn him. The only glorious death is on the field of battle. Many Kings have fought well in the wars. They have held back the enemy. They have kept peace in their own land. Yet they live tobe old. They die of old age in their beds. The prayers of Brahmans and _ their rites must open the gates of the heroes

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heaven for them, Yet they have lived heroes’ lives.

“Your son is no hero. Grieve not for him. The King is just. Rejoice then, in all his acts.”

The Queen saw the truth of her words. She checked her sobs. She stifled her sighs. But in her heart, she hated Manimekalai. She said to herself, ‘But for this girl, my dear son would still live. My fond eyes should still adore him.” She planned to take revenge on Manimekalai.

One day, she said to the King, ‘ You have done well. Our son was not fit to rule. He is better dead. He deserved his fate. I wept for him. But I see now that you were right. Yet why do you keep the innocent maiden? She has done no harm, Her life is spent in good works. The gods have chosen her from among all women. You prevent her from doing the will of the gods. You are calling their wrath upon yous Set her free, I pray you.”

“How wise and beautiful is my Queen!” cried the King. “I could not hope for such nobility. Wise men say, ‘The good and the righteous are the children of Kings. Let them -deny the rest.’ It was hard for me to denounce

Udhaya-kumaran. He was my son. But you were his mother. For him you had travailed. It was much more diflicult for you to thrust him out of your heart. [can deny you nothing. Have your way with the girl, I set her free. What will you do then?’

“Let her decide,” answered the Queen. “She may stay with me in the palace. Per- haps she will not like that. She may wish to take up her begging bowl once again.”

So the King gave up Manimekalai to the Queen. She dwelt in the Queen’s apartments. The foolish mother sought to bring harm to the pure maiden. She put poison into her food. She waited to see madness cloud the nun’s brain. But Manimekalai knew the past and the future. The drugs could not harm her,

The Queen thought of another plan. There was a foolish young man of the court. The Queen led him aside. She offered him much money. ‘Insult the maiden before all my women,” she bade him. “Shame her before the court.” The young man_ was. greedy for money. “That is easy sport,” he thought. But Manimekalai guessed the plan. She took on the form of a man. The youth sought her out. He could not find Mani- mekalai. Instead, he found a man. He was afraid. He ran away.

Two plans had failed. But the Queen’s. hate only grew in strength. She thought outa third plan. She pretended that Mani- mekalai was too ill to eat. She shut her up: in a dark cell. She hoped that her enemy would starve to death. But Manimekalai had power over hunger and thirst. She felt no lack of food. The roses still bloomed in her cheeks. The strength did not leave her limbs.

Then the Queen grew afraid. “Truly, the gods must have this maiden in their care. I offend the gods. I must ask forgiveness.” So she came to Manimekalai, and bowed’ low before her. “I loved my son. Because of you, he died. I sought to harm you. Now I see my error, Will you forgive me?” ,

Manimekalai spoke gently to the sorrow- ing Queen. ‘*Your son means more to -me than he does to you. In our last life, we were man and wife. We loved each other dearly. He died. Life held no joy, for me without him. I mounted his funeral, pyre. Where were you, then? Did you, too, weep: for him? Your.love is a foolish thing. Do. you mourn his godlike body? Yet you sent it to the burning ground. Do you mourn his soul? ._Why? At each death, the soul takes a new form. It is hard to-guess what

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form, The evil and the good he has done in this life decide that. Do you love ‘his life ? Then you should love all life. You should not seek to harm mine. It was his fate to die thus, so suddenly. In our last life, he killed a cook in his royal anger. He slew in haste. So must he himself die a sudden death,”

The Queen gazed on Manimekalai with awe. “You speak with an air of wisdom, fair maid. How come you to know all this?”

Then Manimekalai told the Queen all her history. “I knew you put drugs in my food. They could not harm me. I knew you sent the foolish youth to insult me. But I took on the form of a man. I knew you sought to starve me to death. But +I have power over hunger and thirst. | Nor did I cease to sorrow for your sorrow. I prayed for you. You are the mother of my beloved. 1 wished :to save you from your own evil heart. I could have escaped from the palace. I can fly through the air. But I stayed on, for your sake. Listen to me, O

ueen, There are five deadly sins. They bring much suffering in their train. Try to avoid them. Be wise. Do not let anger enter your heart. Serve your fellow crea-

tures. That is the only way to live. In service to others, one learns to live. A kind heart and a humble spirit are the greatest good. Knowledge and power are fine things too. But they can do nothing by themselves.”

Thus spoke Manimekalai to the Queen. Her wise words were as a cooling stream, They soothed the raging sorrow of the mother of Udhaya-Kumaran. Her gentle voice was like balm to her wounded pride. The Queen now saw clearly. She under- stood the law of life. She bowed to the will of the gods. She fell down before Mani- mekalai. She tried to kiss her feet. But the gentle maid raised her up. ‘You are the mother of my husband. You are also- the wife of a great King. It is not meet that you should bow before me, Let me bow before you.” So did Manimekalai salute the Queen.

‘Now eyerywhere in the city of Kaveri- patnam men spoke of the murder of the Prince Udhaya-kumaran. Chitrapathi. heard the gravé news. She was sore afraid. She said to herself, “It is all my fault. -I told him where to find Manimekalai. I sent him to his doom.” So she came to the Queen..

She fell down at her feet, “1 am Chitrapathi,” she said, “1 am a lonely old woman, Life has lost all its savour for me. The gods delight to deny my wishes. I was a dancer. IT had a daughter Madhavi. She too was a dancer. She wept for her lover, and entered a monastery. She was no good to me. I consoled myself with her child, Manimekalai, | trained her for our ‘life. She too has deserted me. The gods have avenged her. The Prince your son is dead. But Manimekalai remains your prisoner. Manimekala-devi may be angry. She may seek to hurt you, and all your kingdom. Do not forget the curse. Let not the festival of Indra be neglected. For then the sea will rise, and drown all the city. This is the time of the festival. None mtst bear hatred in his heart, Yet you harbour hatred against my grand-daughter. Set her free, I beg you. Observe the rites. Let not the curse fall upon our beloved fair city.” ‘ Manimekalai is already Sih answered the Queen.

*Where is she?” asked the old woman eagerly. ‘Can you send her to my house?”

“Manimekalai is no longer a dancing girl. She has no place in your . house, O ‘Chitrapathi. She belongs to‘the gods now.”

Poor Chitrapathi was very sad. She tose to go. She took her humble leave of the Queen. Suddenly Madhavi and Sutha- mathi came into the presence. The sage Aravana was with them. His piety and wisdom were known to all. The Queen and all her court rose to pay him homage. The old man gave them all his blessing, ‘May you become wise!”” The Queen made him sit beside her. She paid him all honour . and respect.

‘Our royal house is indeed honoured by your presence,” she said. ‘May your aged body last for many years yet. Your good- ness and wisdom are too precious to lose.”

The holy man made answer. “ All things have an end, O Queen. Iam like the setting sun. Some day I must sink down out of _sight.”

“Then shall our world be the darker for it,’ responded the Queen.

The sage spoke gravely and gently to them all. They listened with awe and reverence. He told them many wise and true things.

; At last he rose to go. He turned to Manimekalai. “Some day, my daughter, I shall explain the laws of Buddha to you.

But first. you must give ear to the doctrines of all the other religions.”

Manimekalai saluted him. Then she turned to the Queen and to those about her. “Aravana has come amongst you. He has spoken wisely and well. Forget not his words.’ Guard the pearls of his wisdom as you guard your stores of wealth. And now, I must leave you. I go from this city. I cannot tarry here, for men would say of me, ‘There goes the begging nun. But for her, our Beleveu Prince would still be with us.” They would spurn my humble help. But be of good cheer, and fear nothing. For no one is able to harm me.”