The painter’s beauty

“At last I have found the image of the young woman I have been looking for," thought the painter Kusala. He was in hiding when the royal beauty came to the lakeside to take her midday bath. She had not come alone. There was another ageing woman, who was her maidservant.

"I know who she is," thought the painter.

"She is none other than Pabavathi, the young princess looking for a prince to get married." Then he knew more about her.

"Several princes have come to take her hand. But she has turned them down. But I am just a painter. True, I too descend from a royal lineage. But in reality I am in hiding. Why? My name is Kusala. It means I am skilful. But surely she will repel me, the moment she sights me. I am so ugly. I am also called the dark prince. I look so ugly and black. She will get scared. So all I can do is paint. But what else can I do?"

So the prince cum painter got obsessed with the idea of his face being ugly.

"I don't live in a palace. Nor do I live with a retinue of relatives. I live alone in a forest abode. I live with fauna and flora. I have drawn thousands of pictures of forest creatures. Sometimes the forest creatures too come to see me. They see their picture. They nod their heads as if to say 'I like it'. 'Thank you', I say. They are my relatives and well wishers. They will do anything for me. But I don't depend upon them,"

Thinking thus, he decided to draw the beauty of Pabavathi.

"I wish I had a close look at her. But, well my eyesight is all right. I can see her from a distance." In the first instance, he pictured her in her mind. Then he went back to the forest abode. In a meditative mood, he drew the primary sketch that rested in his mind. But surely, she is much more beautiful than this," he thought. The following day too, he went to the lakeside. He saw her coming to the bank and taking off her clothes one by one. Then he thought of hiding himself in the wayside of the lake. But if she catches sight of me, surely she would cry aloud and never come again. Thinking thus, he hid himself in a thicket from whence he could take a better glimpse at her.

The picture of the beauty Pabavathi seems to be a continuous task. He was in a continuous meditative mood. He was undisturbed by anybody. He continued to check all the possible features of the beauty.

"Oh it's coming well. In a few days time the image of the beauty, the life size portrait of Pabavathi will be over. Then what am I to do? I should place it in the forest path to the lake, for her to see."

Deciding thus, he completed Pabvathi's portrait. Then he looked at the portrait from all sides to ascertain its perfection.

"My work is now complete," he thought, "now I should carry this and place it in a good place for her to see. Having carried the portrait, Kusala hid himself in a nearby bush. As usual Pabavathi came to take a dip in the lake in the forest. To her grave surprise, she saw another beauty like her standing on the path to the lake.

"Look," she cried to her maidservant, "look at her. She is silent. I asked who she is. She does not talk."

"Can't you see, this is not a live woman. This is an image exactly like yours. Go and take your bath." The maidservant said. But she disobeyed saying: "I want to look at this and I want to know who drew it. Then she went on gazing at the portrait for a long time."

"Aren't we getting late?" the maidservant asked.

"No, I want to talk to the person who drew this. Can't you call whoever who had drawn this?"

The maidservant just addressed aloud.

'Oh come on, the painter of this portrait!"

No answer came. The maidservant repeated the same words and walked back and sat under a tree. Pabavathi went on gazing at the portrait wit thousands of streams of thought troubling her. Kusala who was in hiding wanted to talk to her. But he thought: 'my devilish face will send her creeps."

"I want to know who drew this. Please come and see me," Pabavathi said with a smile cast on her face. Kusala was forced to respond.

"I am the painter."

"So why don't you come out?"

"No, I cannot."

"Why?"

"I am so ugly."

"No, you cannot be. I want to see you."

"Please, come and see me, please..."

"Then let me dip in the lake and see you."

"Why?"

"Let me."

Kusala went to the lake and dipped in water. He determined to himself: "if there is any hidden power which could help me change my face, please do it."

Kusala dipped into the water and came up.

"I see you now," Pabavathi said.

"Are you not afraid to look at my face?"

"No I am not."

"Am I not devilish?"

"No you are so charming."

"Let me be sure," said he, and ran away to see his own reflection on the surface of water.

"Oh I have changed," Kusala cried aloud to himself.