The Counterfeit Priest Appears at Dawn
Bala Kanda, Chaupai 172
Doha 172 · Movement 1 of 2
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Kalketu assumes the priest's form and lies upon the beautiful bed. At dawn Pratapbhanu opens his eyes inside the palace and is overwhelmed by wonder. He attributes the impossible return to Ekatanu's spiritual power and rises quietly so the queen will not know.
The king mounts the restored horse and rides into the forest without any man or woman in the city seeing him. After two watches of night he returns, and celebration fills every house at the sovereign's safe reappearance.
When Pratapbhanu sees the priest, astonishment joins recognition of the secret affair. Three days pass like ages as his mind remains fixed upon the deceptive sage. At the appointed time the counterfeit comes privately and explains enough of the plan to secure the king's belief.
Dawn reveals the palace, the familiar priest, and not one visible seam in the deception.
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AI-created devotional illustration · Chaupai 172
King wakes BEFORE MORNING astonished at HOME, rises quietly without wife knowing
Source reference and artistic choices
Gita Press code81 undated · PDF pages 176 · printed pages 174. Reader passage: bala-kanda-chaupai-172. Printed numbering may differ.
Source facts
- ALL8 read: first priestform selfactor not explicitly identified; localwitness bracket तपसमुनि or कालकेतुराक्षस UNCERTAIN retained, notcertify humanhermit alone.
- Selected2 King wakes BEFOREMORNING marvels at HOME not dawn/laterpriestjoy.3 imagines Muni greatness as KINGBELIEF not trueSaint certification, rises quietly WIFE notknow, wifeoutsidecrop retained not abandoned/unspecifiedwoman.
- 4 rides HORSE secretFOREST nobodytownknows;5 returns after TWOWATCHESELAPSED with celebrations, not2watchesNIGHT after morningdeparture.6 later seespriest startled recallsplan;7 THREE DAYS likeAGES absorbedinfakefeet;8 appointedpriest privatelyexplainsplan later notpart2arrival.
Artistic choices
- Approved D154 Pratapbhanu imaginary humanportrait wheatbrown curlyhair shortbeard rubycrown creamPLUM; sittingupcreamroyalbed eyesOPEN raisedbrow wonder oneownchesthand otherblanketownthigh, crownkept sameC170sleep artisticidentityconvention.
- Imagined creamcarvedarches royalbedhead curtain floralglass sapphirewindow crescentstars distantunidentifieddomedbuildings sitearchitecture unverified; bedcontinuesoutsidecrop WIFEunshown no newQueenportrait, beforemorning no exactclock.
An imaginative interpretation, not a historical portrait or documentary evidence.
आपु बिरचि उपरोहित रूपा। परेउ जाइ तेहि सेज अनूपा।। जागेउ नृप अनभएँ बिहाना। देखि भवन अति अचरजु माना।। मुनि महिमा मन महुँ अनुमानी। उठेउ गवँहि जेहि जान न रानी।। कानन गयउ बाजि चढ़ि तेहीं। पुर नर नारि न जानेउ केहीं।। गएँ जाम जुग भूपति आवा। घर घर उत्सव बाज बधावा।। उपरोहितहि देख जब राजा। चकित बिलोकि सुमिरि सोइ काजा।। जुग सम नृपहि गए दिन तीनी। कपटी मुनि पद रह मति लीनी।। समय जानि उपरोहित आवा। नृपहि मते सब कहि समुझावा।।
He shaped himself into the priest's very form and lay down upon that splendid bed. The king woke before dawn. Seeing the priest, great happiness flooded his heart.