Chapter V — Manimekalai Enters the Grove

With the blessing of Madhavi, Mani- mekalai and Suthamathi left the monastery. Beyond its walls, sprawled the great city. What stirring scenes awaited them there!

A Jain friar first caught their attention. In one hand he carried his water bowl. In the other, he held a tin can. He wore no clothes. His soul had risen above shame. His famished body had not been washed for years. His skin looked like a_ sick ele- phant’s. He walked carefully, afraid of hurting the tiniest insect.

A drunken man followed the holy man. He carried a bowl of toddy. He shouted;

“Hail! holy friar! J salute your blessed feet. Ipray you give heed to my words. Your ‘soul is shut up in a filthy body. It stifles as in a foul dungeon. Now | have the secret of happiness, in this world and the next. I long to share my secret with. your reverence. You cannot bear to take life. In drawing the juice from the cocoanut, you may be sure of killing no single thing. Drink then, drink deep from my bowl. Test its wondrous magic. If I say not truth, then spurn both me and my bowl for ever.”

Farther on, a mad man danced about. Red oleandar blossoms were wound about his arms. Wreaths of erukka flowers decked his neck. His dress was a crazy patchwork of. rags. and leaves and twigs. His body was smeared with ashes and sandal paste. He ‘babbled — words - without.. meaning. He wept and laughed. He moaned and screamed. He fell on his knees. He whirled in the dance. He fought madly with his own shadow. A crowd stood about him. They looked on at his antics with sorrow and pity.

The whole town seemed to be in the ‘streets to admire the sights. There were the pictures of the devas painted on the white walls of the mansions. There were the

gaily-dressed children, who could scarcely walk, The weight of precious metals and’ jewels on their dress bore them down. White: mustard was sprinkled on their oiled hair toward off evil spirits. Their curls were tied up with strings of pearls.

It was a gay, delightful scene. But none attracted so much attention as Manimekalai. Everyone noticed her beauty. They bewailed her fate. ‘* Shame on her mother!” they cried, “How can she force so fair a daughter to: embrace such a life! In the parks, the very swans must be put to shame by her whiteness. and grace. ‘The peacocks might learn from her how to walk.”

But Manimekalai heeded not their remarks. Lightly she stepped on her way. Her white feet seemed scarcely to touch the ground.

Soon they arrived at the Grove. Every kind -of tree, and shrub, and creeper seemed to flourish here. It seemed as if an artist had made a gorgeous mantle, and flung it over the earth. :

At the entrance, Suthamathi bowed be-— fore the guardian spirit of the place. Her companion humbly followed her example. Hand in hand, they entered the beautiful garden.

Suthamathi loved the place. She was eager that her ward should miss none of its charms. She pointed out each beauty.

“See ‘how the thick branches ‘form a perfect canopy,” she cried. “ Not a ray of the noon-day sun may reach us here. Listen to the busy murmur of the bees. One might think it the music of the lute. . Hark ! how the bulbuls sing in concert! Look at - those monkeys! They have formed a complete circle. They~want to see the peacock ‘dance. Is not this pond as clear as crystal? See how the swan sits upon the lotus! Is she not like a noble queen upon her throne? Ah! another peacock is gravely dancing. A cuckoo calls out to him. The cry of the ‘water-fowl is like the flourish of drums. See where the agave grows on the bank. It has shed its pollen on the lotus bloom below. The lotus looks like your own lovely face, soiled with the dust of the streets. _ Have you noticed how the bees swarm about you? They must think you are a flower yourself.”

“22 MANIMEKALAI