t
to be created, consisting of many trees with abundant flowers and
fruits, and he caused to be excavated within that forest and towards one
of its sides a large tank, placed in a secluded spot and full of water
that was sweet as _Amrita_. The tank was well covered with a net of
pearls. Approaching the king one day in private, he addressed the king
saying, "This is a fine forest without water. Sport thou here joyfully!"
And the king at those words of his minister entered that forest with
that adorable wife of his, and the king sported with her in that
delightful forest, and afflicted with hunger and thirst and fatigued and
spent, the king beheld a bower of Madhavi creepers[8] and entering that
bower with his dear one, the king beheld a tank full of water that was
transparent and bright as nectar, and beholding that tank, the king sat
on its bank with her and the king told his adorable wife, "Cheerfully do
thou plunge into this water!" And she, hearing those words plunged into
the tank. But having plunged into the water she appeared not above the
surface, and as the king searched, he failed to discover any trace of
her. And the king ordered the waters of the tank to be baled out, and
thereupon he beheld a frog sitting at the mouth of a hole, and the king
was enraged at this and promulgated an order saying, "Let frogs be
slaughtered everywhere in my dominions! Whoever wishes to have an
interview with me must come before me with a tribute of dead frogs." And
accordingly when frogs began to be terribly slaughtered, the affrighted
frogs represented all that had happened unto their king, and the king of
the frogs assuming the garb of an ascetic came before the king
Parikshit, and having approached the monarch, he said, "O king, give not
thyself up to wrath! Be inclined to grace. It behoveth thee not to slay
the innocent frogs." Here occurs a couple of _Slokas_. (They are
these):--"O thou of unfading glory, slay not the frogs! Pacify thy
wrath! The prosperity and ascetic merits of those that have their souls
steeped in ignorance suffer diminution! Pledge thyself not to be angry
with the frogs! What need hast thou to commit such sin! What purpose
will be served by slaying the frogs!" Then king Parikshit whose soul was
filled with woe on account of the death of her that was dear to him,
answered the chief of the frogs who had spoken to him thus, "I will not
forgive the frogs. On the other hand, I will slay them. By these wicked
w