Khetro. My body is cut off. My waist is pricked by a tangra fish.[1] Ah! Ah!
Reboti. I think the ninth of the moon is closed,[2] my image of gold is to go to the water, and what means shall I have? Who shall call me "Mother! Mother"? Did you bring her for this purpose? (Taking hold of Sadhu's neck, weeps).
Sadhu. Be silent, don't weep now; she will faint.
Enter RAY CHURN and the PHYSICIAN
Physician. How is she now? Did you give her that medicine?
Sadhu. The medicine did not act, and whatever went down immediately came up by a vomit. See her pulse once more now; I think, it is a sign of her end.
Reboti. She is crying out, thorns, thorns. I have prepared her bed so thickly, still she is tossing about. Now save her by a good medicine. Dear Sir, this relative is very dear unto me.
Sadhu. We don't see any sign of the pulse.
Physician. (taking hold of the hand). In this state, it is good for the pulse to be weak. Weakness makes the pulse strong; to have a strong pulse is fatal".[3]
Sadhu. At this time, it is the same thing, either to apply or not to apply the medicine. The parents have hope to the very end; therefore see, if there by any means.
Physician. The water with which the Atapa (dried rice) is washed is now necessary. The application of the Suuchikavaran (a medicine) is required.
- ↑ Tangra fish: a kind of fish having sharp fangs.—Ed.
- ↑ Here the reference is to the last of the three days, in which the goddess Durga is worshipped, and the last day is taken to be one of great pain, because on that day she is to take her departure from her parents to go to her husband Siva.
- ↑ In the original this is in the form of a Sanskrit verse taken from the Hindu Medicinal Shastras.
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