Staunch Disciple

[This is the story of a Disciple of Gautam Buddha, Upagupta, who walked-over a bar dancer in transforming her into a noblewoman.

Rest of her life, she remained frozen in rows of stone tablets, chanting the richness of palm-leaf manuscripts]

His Staunch Disciple, 'Upagupta',

After learning from that Enlightened One,

Stepped out from the shade of that blessed tree,

To propagate His ideas and to obliterate darkness;

A celebrated prostitute, intoxicated with the wine of youth

Had made her name, which had swum across seven seas!

Her fresh blossomed chastity had been smelled by everyone,

In brothels, streets and in the countryside!

Disliked by the brazen-boorish frame of her mind,

Upagupta paved her torch-light towards consecration,

And invited her towards his observed noble propitious lane;

As intoxicated by the wine of beauty and youth, the said prostitute,

Shooed Him away, smirking, "You have been obsessively seduced,

By my curvaceous waist, silky wavy hair and soft red palms and feet;

Everyone touched me appraising its cult and beauty. And you too wanna,

Quench your thirst, by new means of an appeal"

Hurt by her malignant words, Upagupta, prophesied-

"Something ominous is waiting to swallow you and you'll be thrown,

out of your country, by your own folks..."

Her soft red feet washed by torrential rain or two-

Deadly pox conquered her, and the folk threw her out of Mathura.

Dragging her bleary eyes, she forlorn her ways into thorny paths of wood...

All Alone!

The dog-tired dancer had a quick nap

and was awakened by a young handsome lad,

Pouring out gentleness from the face, ascetic summoned:

"Hold my hand and I'll take you out"

"How come you here at my worst time,

When my body is covered with sores of smallpox"

When spring air was faraway, the ascetic knelt by her side,

took her head on his knees, and moistened her lips with the water cold,

and smeared her body with Sandal-balm;

Oh, Yea! That young lad was,

Of course, Upagupta, who came to her on time!

"Even your shadow leaves you when your time turns dark,

I want your deeds; neither your beauty nor blossomed chastity"

A radiant glow swept across her skies...