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15.THE SLAYING OF BAKASURA
When he could find
his voice, he replied: "O beloved and
noble one, what words are these? Can I
bear to live without you? The first duty of
a married man is to protect his wife. I
should indeed be a pitiful sinner if I lived
after giving you up to the Rakshasa,
sacrificing both love and duty."
The daughter who was hearing this
piteous conversation, now interposed with
sobs: "Listen to me, child though I be, and
then do what is proper. It is me alone that
you can spare to the Rakshasa. By
sacrificing one soul, that is, myself, you
can save the others. Let me be the little
boat to take you across this river of
calamity. In like manner, a woman
without a guardian becomes the sport of
wicked people who drag her hither and
thither. It is impossible for me to protect
two fatherless orphans and they will
perish miserably like fish in a waterless
pond. If both of you pass away, both I and
this little baby brother of mine will soon
perish unprotected in this hard world. If
this family of ours can be saved from
destruction by my single death, what a
good death mine would be! Even if you
consider my welfare alone, you should
send me to the Rakshasa."
At these brave words of the poor child, the
parents tenderly embraced her and wept.
Seeing them all in tears the boy, hardly
more than a baby, started up with glowing
eyes, lisping: "Father, do not weep.
Mother, do not weep. Sister, do not
weep," and he went to each and sat on
their lap by turns.
Then he rose up took a stick of firewood
and brandishing it about, said in his sweet
childish treble: "I shall kill the Rakshasa
with this stick." The child's action and
speech made them smile in the midst of
their tears, but only added to their great
sorrow.
Feeling this was the moment for
intervention, Kuntidevi entered and
inquired for the cause of their sorrow and
whether there was anything she could do
to help them.
The brahmana said: "Mother, this is a
sorrow far beyond your aid. There is a
cave near the city, where lives a cruel and
terribly strong Rakshasa named Bakasura.
He forcibly seized this city and kingdom
thirteen years ago. Since then he has held
us in cruel thraldom.
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