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THE BAITÂL PACHCHISI

Or, The Twenty-Five Tales Of a Sprite

By John Platts

Translated From The Hindi Text of Dr. Duncan Forbes

(One of Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Schools in the Central Provinces of
India)

London: Wm. H. Allen & Co.

1871

[Illustration: 0006]




TRANSLATORS PREFACE.

The English translation of these tales has been made by special
request, to meet repeated demands for a translation of the text as
edited by the late Dr. Duncan Forbes. The aim of the Translator has been
to produce a work which would enable the student to study the original
with facility and accuracy. It being considered that few save students
who are compelled to study the Hindi original would be likely to peruse
the work, the translation has been made as literal as it was possible
to make it without doing unpardonable violence to English idiom. All
difficulties have been boldly, if not successfully, met; and explanatory
and other notes have been added, wherever the text appeared to call for
such. The study of the translation must not be supposed to dispense with
that of the Grammar of the language; it will be found, however, to prove
of the highest utility to a student who has mastered the elementary
principles of Grammar, and uses it--not as a mere “crib” but--for the
purpose of discovering what light it sheds on the application of those
principles.




PREFACE

THE origin of these tales is as follows:--In the reign of the Emperor
Muhammad Shah, Rajã Jaisinh Sawãr (who was the ruler of. Jainagar)
ordered the eminent poet, named Sürat, to translate the Baitãl Pachisi
(which was in the Sanskrit) into the Braj dialect. Thereupon he
translated it into the dialect of Braj, in accordance with the king’s
command. And now, during the reign of the Emperor Sfãhi ’Alam, and
in the time of the lord of lords, the cream of exalted princes, the
Privy-Counsellor of the Monarch of England, whose court stands as high
as Saturn; the noblest of the noble, the Governor-General, Marquis
Wellesley (may his government be perpetuated!); and in accordance with
the bidding of His Honour, Mr. John Gilchrist (may his good fortune
endure!); to the end that illustrious gentleman may learn and
understand, the poet Mazhar Ali Khan (whose _nom de plume_ is Vila),
with the aid of the poet Shrï Lallü Lãl, rendered the same into easy
language, such as high and low use in speaking, and which the learned
and the ignorant, the talented and the obtuse, would all comprehend, and
which would be easy to the mind of every one, no difficulty of any kind
presenting itself to the intellect, and wherein the dialect of Braj
frequently occurs.

Now, in conformity with the command of the Professor of Hindi, the
bounteous patron, His Honour, Captain James Mouat, (may his prosperity
last long!) Tãrinïcharan Mitra, (in preparing the work) for the press,
has struck out such Sanskrit and Braj words as seldom occur in the Urdu
dialect, and introduced words in current use. Some words, however, in
use among the Hindus, the exclusion of which he regarded as detrimental,
he has preserved intact. He trusts that the work may meet with a
favourable reception.




THE BAITÂL PACHCHISI.




INTRODUCTORY TALE.

There was a city named Dhãrãnagar, the king of which was Gandharb Sen.
He had four queens, and by them six sons, one more learned and more
powerful than another. Fate ordaining, after some days the king died,
and his eldest son, Shank by name, became king in his stead. Again,
after some days, a younger brother, Vikram, after slaying his eldest
brother, himself became king, and began to govern well. Day by day his
dominion so increased that he became king of all India; * and, after
fixing his government on a firm basis, he established an æra.

     * Jambudwip is the name of one of the seven divisions of the
     world, and implies, the central division, or the known
     world; according to the Bauddhas, it is confined to India.

After some time the king thought to himself that he ought to visit those
countries of which he had heard. * Having determined on this, he made
over his throne to his younger brother Bharthari, and himself assuming
the guise of