A Digit of the Moon

One of the common names of Love is 'the mind-born.'

95

She turned pale, possibly because she saw that her love for the King must have an end: but still more probably because she was afraid of offending the God of Love by not deciding in his favour.

96

Kála, Time, is another name for Yama. The answer of the Princess is clever in the extreme.

97

i. e. it is all over with me. Water is offered to the spirits of departed ancestors.

98

i. e. I shall fail in my suit, like the others. The following sentence is a play on his own name.

99

'Done and not done.'

100

Achárabhrashta, an apostate or decasted person. See Manu, I., 108.

101

Wétála, an uncanny being, generally possessing magic powers, given to occupying empty corpses and devouring human flesh.

102

The lowest caste, whose very proximity was pollution to a Brahman.

103

This is all one word in the original, únádhikákritamkritam, 'what has been done is too little, too much, and not done at all.'

104

Literally, 'the object is attained.'

105

Here there is a pun.

106

This has a meaning: see below. The sunstone is probably a topaz.

107

See note, p. 88.

108

This is an allusion to the swayamwara, an old ceremony by which a maiden chose her own husband by throwing a garland round his neck.

109

See Manu, III. 26. Though recognised as a legitimate marriage, especially for Kshatriyas, it was simply the union of two lovers without any rites at all. This suits it admirably for fairy tale and romance, and makes it a great favourite with the poets.

110

Bhakti is almost untranslateable. It means the absorbed and total love, faith, devotion of a worshipper for his god.

111

Shiwa.