[Dark Saint Alaick]

Candrapida, too, rose and poured a
libation of water strewn with flowers, said his evening prayer, and
made a couch on the other rock with soft creeper boughs. As he rested
upon it he went over Mahaçveta's story again in his mind. 'This evil
Love,' thought he, 'has a power hard alike to cure and to endure. For
even great men, when overcome by him, regard not the course of time,
but suddenly lose all courage and surrender life. Yet all hail to
Love, whose rule is honoured throughout the three worlds!' (344)
And again he asked her: 'She that was thy handmaiden, thy friend in
the resolve to dwell in the woods, and the sharer of the ascetic vow
taken in thy sorrow--Taralika, where is she?' 'Noble sir,' she replied,
'from the race of Apsarases sprung from ambrosia of which I told you,
there was born a fair-eyed daughter named Madira, [291] who married
King Citraratha, the king whose footstool was formed of the buds in
the crests of all the Gandharvas. Charmed by her countless virtues,
he showed his favour by giving her the title of Chief Queen, bearing
with it cowrie, sceptre and umbrella, marked by a golden throne,
and placing all the zenana below her--a woman's rarest glory! And,
as they pursued together the joys of youth in their utter devotion
to each other, a priceless daughter was in due time born to them,
by name Kadambari, most wondrous, the very life of her parents, and
of the whole Gandharva race, and even of all living beings. From her
birth she was the friend of my childhood, and shared with me seat,
couch, meat and drink; on her my deepest love was set, and she was
the home of all my confidence, and like my other heart.