The Ogress
The Encounter with the Maiden
The land of Gandhara was ruled by a king named Induvarma. One day, he ventured into the forest to hunt and saw a lovely maiden standing forlornly under a tree. Approaching her, he said, “Oh, lovely maiden, what do you do here, all alone? Who are you?”
The maiden replied, “Sir, I am a Gandharva maiden, resident in the skies. I came to the earth in search of some flowers and stand here enjoying their fragrance.”
The king said, “Lovely maiden, do not return to your heavenly abode. Stay with me, and I shall be happy.”
The Maiden’s Spell
However, the Gandharva maiden did not agree, and when the king persisted in his entreaties, she became angry and cast a spell on him, causing him to lose his eyesight completely. Then, she disappeared into the blue yonder. The poor king returned to his palace, a sadder but much wiser man. He knew he could never hope to regain his eyesight unless the same Gandharva maiden came to his rescue, which was unlikely.
Chandravarma’s Quest
Induvarma had a son named Chandravarma, a dutiful son who loved his father dearly. He decided to go to the land of the Gandharvas and entreat the maiden to restore his father’s vision.
Setting out, he walked a long way. Tired and hungry, he lay under a tree and promptly fell asleep. Suddenly, he awoke to find a massive ogress sitting beside him with some fruits in her hand, which she offered to the young prince. Chandravarma trembled and asked, “Who are you?”
The Ogress’s Help
The Ogress replied, “I live in this tree. I saw that you hadn’t eaten for several days, so I woke you up. Eat these fruits and tell me why you have come here.”
The prince, encouraged by the gentle words of the Ogress, related all that had happened. Then he said, “If you would but show me the path to the land of the Gandharvas, I shall be forever beholden to you.”
The Ogress replied, “Certainly, young sir, I’ll take you to the land of the Gandharvas, but when you have achieved your goal, you must fulfill a certain bidding of mine.”
Chandravarma solemnly pledged himself to do her bidding, and she rose into the air, taking the prince with her before depositing him in front of a heavenly palace. “Go now and finish your work,” she said. “I shall wait for you here, outside the gates.”
The Encounter with Gandharva Princess Pushpa
Chandravarma wandered through the palace, marveling at the splendors that met his eye. He saw several gaily dressed Gandharva women who stared at him curiously. Then, addressing one of them, he said, “Madam, a few days ago, a certain Gandharva maiden came to the land of Gandhara and cast a spell over the king, causing him to lose his vision. I wish to see her.”
Although no one knew who that maiden might be, someone eventually suggested that it must have been Pushpa, the princess of the Gandharvas. Chandravarma was ushered into her presence, and she greeted him kindly. He entreated her to restore his father’s vision and said, “Your royal highness, my father merely asked you to come and live with us. What wrong can there be in that? Now you must restore his vision.”
Pushpa said, “True, I was a bit hasty in casting that spell on your father. However, take this flower and press it on your father’s eyes. He will see again. But remember, only he who is honest and good can press this flower on the eyes; otherwise, your father will never regain his eyesight.”
The Promise to the Ogress
Chandravarma bowed before her, took the flower, and returned to the palace gates, where he found the Ogress waiting for him. In an instant, he was transported back to his own land. As the Ogress set him down, she said, “Oh, Prince, I gave you what help I could. Now you must marry me.”
Chandravarma replied, “I will marry you, but first let me restore my father’s vision, then I’ll return, and we can be married.”
The Ogress agreed, and the prince rushed to the palace to press the flower on his father’s blinded eyes. No sooner was this done than the king opened his eyes as though awakening from a deep sleep. Chandravarma then recounted how he had come by the flower and referenced his promise to the Ogress.
The Transformation
The king was deeply shocked by this revelation and said angrily, “Never shall I permit this!” Chandravarma, however, said, “But father, if I do not keep my word, then you’ll lose your vision again and never regain it.” He returned to the Ogress and declared his readiness to marry her. Although everyone who heard that the prince was about to marry a hideous Ogress felt sorry for him, there was nothing anyone could do about it.
On the day of the wedding, thousands thronged to the palace to witness this strange affair. But as the prince took the Ogress by the hand to lead her around the sacrificial fire, behold! The beast transformed into a lovely princess. Everyone was amazed to see a beautiful maiden standing before the prince instead of the hideous hag.
Kamalini’s Revelation
The transformed Ogress said, “Oh, good prince! I am the princess of Vatsa, and my name is Kamalini. Once, an old hermit wanted to marry me, but I did not consent. Angered, the hermit cast a spell on me, transforming me into the hideous Ogress you saw. I pleaded with him to restore me to my original shape, and, relenting somewhat, he said I would regain my form if someone agreed to marry me in that changed state. You were honest and kept your word to marry me. Thus, the spell was removed.”
Induvarma rejoiced at his son’s good fortune. Chandravarma and his new bride lived happily for many, many years.
