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TALES FROM THE HINDU DRAMATISTS - Awaken Video

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_aswamedha_, or horse-sacrifice, for which it was essential that the<br />

steed should have a free range for twelve months, being attended only by<br />

a guard to secure him. This guard had been placed by Pushpamitra under<br />

the command of Agnimitra's son, Vasumitra. Whilst following the victim<br />

along the Indus, a party of Yavana horse attempted to carry off the<br />

courser, but they were encountered by the young prince, and after a<br />

sharp conflict, defeated.<br />

Pushpamitra concludes with inviting his son to come with his family to<br />

complete the sacrifice.<br />

The queen, Dharini, overjoyed with the news of her son's success and<br />

safety, distributes rich presents to all her train and the females of<br />

Agnimitra's establishment, whilst to him she presents Malavika. Iravati<br />

communicates her concurrence in this arrangement, and the Raja obtains a<br />

bride, whom his queens accept as their sister. The difficulty of<br />

conciliating his queens is thus removed. The king now marries Malavika<br />

and all ends happily.<br />

<strong>THE</strong> VIRA CHARITA OR <strong>THE</strong> MAHAVIRA CHARITA<br />

OR<br />

<strong>THE</strong> LIFE OF <strong>THE</strong> GREAT HERO.<br />

Dasaratha, the king of Ayodhya (Oudh), is the father of four sons Rama,<br />

Lakshmana, Bharata and Satrughna. Rama and Lakshmana visit Viswamitra's<br />

hermitage. Kusadhwaja, the king of Sankasya and the brother of Janaka,<br />

the king of Mithila, accompanied by his two nieces, Sita and Urmila,<br />

enters the hermitage of Viswamitra on the borders of the Kausiki (Cosi),<br />

having been invited by the sage to his sacrifice. He is met by the sage<br />

with the two youths Rama and Lakshmana, and the young couples become<br />

mutually enamoured. Meanwhile Ahalya--the cursed wife of Gautama--gets<br />

cleared of her guilt through the purifying influence of Rama.<br />

A messenger from Ravana, the demon king of Lanka, arrives, who has<br />

followed them from Mithila, and comes to demand Sita as a wife for his<br />

master.<br />

They are further disturbed by Taraka, a female fiend, the daughter of<br />

Suketu, wife of Sunda and mother of Maricha. Rama, by command of<br />

Viswamitra slays her. Viswamitra is exceedingly pleased with the deed<br />

and invokes and gives to Rama the heavenly weapons with all their<br />

secrets of discharge and dissolution. The sage recommends Kusadhwaja to<br />

invite the bow of Siva for Rama's present trial, and consequent<br />

obtaining of Sita. The bow arrives, self-conveyed, being, as the weapon<br />

of so great a deity, pregnant with intelligence. Rama snaps it asunder,<br />

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