The legends of the Panjâb

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PRINCESS NIWAL DAf. 441
Boll Rani Niwal Daij " Babal, meri 'araz auno, ji
Aise aise NagS,n ki main beti potl, ji ;
Aisa main to rup sidharon, ji,
315' Bhari si Nelgin ban jaungi, ji.
Dharke phunkara ais§. marun, ji,
Ban ban&sati ko phftnk dungi, ji,
Sathi
"
Rajs, Parag ko pMnk dAngi, ji !
Bole Raja Basak, " Beti, woh to Dhanhantar Baid ka
chela, ji
320 Tere tukrS, ban^ke, gaddon men ladke, mahilon men
dakhil kare, ji."
Suuke bat pita ki Niwal Dai ghussa kara, ji
''
" Main s4r ki sui banke rete men ghus jadn, ji !
Bole Raja, " Beti, mat na jae, ji
Said Princess Niwal Dai, " Father, hear me :
I am the daughter of such Nags (as thou) :
I will so change my form,
315 That I will become a huge Nagin*
So will I hiss.
That I will burn up the leafy forest !
f
I will burn up R§.ja Parag and his host !
Said Raja Basak, " Daughter, he is a disciple of Dhanwantar,
the Leech :
{
320 He will cut thee in pieces and load thee on carts and
take thee to his palace."
Hearing her father's words Niwal Dal became wrath :
"I will become as a fine needle and mix with the
sand !
Said Raja Basak, " Daughter, go thou not I
* Female Nag or Serpent.
t It is a common belief that a serpent's breath can set fire to any
thing.—See Adventures of Raja Easaltl, ante.
X Dhanhantar, Dhantar, Dhanantar, Dhanthar Baid, is the classical
Dhanwantara, the conventional all-curing physician of the Hindds, as
Luqman Hakim is of the Musalmans.
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