Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists

""Mother"""Ho"Myths of the Hindus & Buddhistsknow not if it be a punishment for any former sin that Iam now denied.But here stands thy son altogether perfect ; yet no father makes him !happy Dost thou feel nolove for him who is thine own flesh and so like thyself ?Indeed thy heart is evil."Ah, Shakuntala," said the king, were he my son Ishould be glad. But see, he is too great ;in such a littleDo not maketime no child could have grown so tall.this pretence against me, but depart."But as the kingspoke there came a voice from Heaven.! Mahait raja," cried, this is thy child. Shakuntala has spokentruth." Then Dushyanta came down from his lion-throneand took All-tamer in his arms ;to Shakuntala he spokewith tears :Shakuntala, I was indeed glad whenI saw thee. It was because of my kingly state that Idenied thee ;for how should the people have believedthat this was my son and heir ? Now the voice fromHeaven has made the sonship clear to all, and he shall situpon my lion-throne and shall come after me as the protector of the world, and his name shall be no more Alltamer,but shall be Bharata, because of the divine voice;and he prayed Shakuntala to pardon him ;but she stoodstill with folded hands and downcast eyes, too glad toanswer, and too shy, now that all was well.Bharata s prowessis the cause that there is now a Bharatland;the history thereof is told in the Mahabharata.Nala and DamayantiThere was once a young king of Nishadha, in Central India,whose name was Nala.In a neighbouring country calledVidarbha there reigned another king, whose daughterDamayantI was said to be the most beautiful girl inthe world. Nala was a very accomplished youth, well356