O thou of eyes like lotus-petals, Kama is piercing me incessantly!  O large-eyed girl, be merciful unto me!  It becometh thee not, O black-eyed maid, to cast me off; O handsome girl, it behoveth thee to relieve me from such affliction by giving me thy love!  At first sight thou hast attracted my heart.  My mind wandereth!  Beholding thee I like not to cast my eyes on any other woman!  Be merciful!  I am thy obedient slave—­thy adorer!  O, accept me!  O beautiful lady, O large-eyed girl at the sight of thee, the god of desire hath entered my heart, and is piercing me with his shafts!  O thou of lotus-eyes, the flame of desire burneth within me!  O, extinguish that flame with the water of thy love poured on it!  O beautiful lady, by becoming mine, pacify thou the irrepressible god of desire that hath appeared here armed with his deadly bow and arrows and that is piercing me incessantly with those keen shafts of his!  O thou of the fairest complexion, wed me according to the Gandharva form, for, O thou of tapering hips, of all forms of marriage the Gandharva hath been said to be the best.’

“The Gandharva continued, ’Hearing those words of the monarch, Tapati made answer, ’O king, I am not the mistress of my own self!  Be it known that I am a maiden under the control of my father.  If thou really entertainest an affection for me, demand me of my father.  Thou sayest, O king, that thy heart hath been robbed by me.  But thou also hast, at first sight, robbed me of my heart; I am not the mistress of my body, and therefore, O best of kings, I do not approach thee; women are never independent.  What girl is there in the three worlds that would not desire thee for her husband, as thou art kind unto all thy dependents and as thou art born in a pure race?  Therefore, when the opportunity comes, ask my father Aditya for my hand with worship, ascetic penances, and vows.  If my father bestoweth me upon thee, then, O king, I shall ever be thy obedient wife.  My name is Tapati and I am the younger sister of Savitri, and the daughter, O bull amongst Kshatriyas of Savitri, of (Sun) the illuminator of the universe.’”

SECTION CLXXV

(Chaitraratha Parva continued)

“The Gandharva continued, ’Saying this, Tapati of faultless features, ascended the skies.  The monarch thereupon again fell down on the earth.  His ministers and followers searching for him throughout the forest at length came upon him lying on that solitary spot, and beholding that excellent king, that mighty bowman, thus lying forsaken on the ground like a rainbow dropped from the firmament, his minister-in-chief became like one burnt by a flame of fire.  Advancing hastily with affection and respect, the minister raised that best of monarchs lying prostrate on the ground and deprived of his senses by desire.  Old in wisdom as in age, old in achievements as in policy, the minister, after having raised the prostrate monarch, became