Baal Kaanda
33 - The story of king Pratapabhanu
Chaupais
Description
There was no seeking for any reward in his heart; the king was a man of great intelligence and wisdom. Whatever meritorious act he performed in thought, word or deed, the wise king dedicated it to Lord Vasudeva (the all-pervading God Visnu). Equipping himself with all the outfit of hunting, the king mounted a gallant steed one day and, entering the dense forest of the Vindhya range, killed many a sacred deer. While ranging in the wood he espied a wild boar. It looked as if with the moon in his mouth the demon Rahu had hid in the forest. The orb was too large to be contained in the mouth, yet in his rage he would not disgorge it. Thus have I chosen to portray the beauty of the frightful tusks of the boar, while its body too was of an enormous size and bulk. Growling at the tramp of the horse and pricking up its ears it gazed with a startled look