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Mahabharata -Rajagopalachari
5.THE MARRIAGE OF DEVAYANI
ONE warm afternoon, pleasantly tired
with sporting in the woods Devayani and
the daughters of Vrishaparva, king of the
asuras, went to bathe in the cool waters of
a sylvan pool, depositing their garlands on
the bank before they entered its waters.
A strong breeze blew their clothes
together into a huddled heap and when
they came to take them up again, some
mistakes naturally occurred. It so
happened that princess Sarmishtha, the
daughter of the king, clad herself in
Devayani's clothes. The latter was vexed
and exclaimed half in jest at the
impropriety of the daughter of a disciple
wearing the clothes of the master's
daughter.
These words were spoken half in jest, but
the princess Sarmishtha became very
angry and said arrogantly: "Do you not
know that your father humbly bows in
reverence to my royal father every day?
Are you not the daughter of a beggar who
lives on my father's bounty? You forget I
am of the royal race which proudly gives,
while you come of a race which begs and
receives, and you dare to speak thus to
me." Sarmishtha went on, getting angrier and
angrier as she spoke till, working herself
up into a fit of anger, she finally slapped
Devayani on the cheek and pushed her
into a dry well. The asura maidens
thought that Devayani had lost her life and
returned to the palace.
Devayani had not been killed by the fall
into the well but was in a sad plight
because she could not climb up the steep
sides. Emperor Yayati of the Bharata race
who was hunting in the forest by a happy
chance came to this spot in search of
water to slake his thirst. When he glanced
into the well, he saw something bright,
and looking closer, he was surprised to
find a beautiful maiden lying in the well.
He asked: "Who are you, O beautiful
maiden with bright earrings and ruddy
nails? Who is your father? What is your
ancestry? How did you fall into the well?"
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