The Kathá Sarit Ságara; or, Ocean of the Streams of Story
went away, and all laughed at that furious message of Srutasarman's
[657], and Sumeru, joyfully embracing Súryaprabha, said to him--"I
am delighted that that speech of Siva's has without doubt been
fulfilled, for now that you have acquired this excellent quiver,
you have practically acquired sovereign empire; so come and obtain
now a splendid bow with calm intrepidity."
When they heard Sumeru say this, and he himself led the way, they all,
Súryaprabha and the others, went to the mountain Hemakúta. And on the
north side of it they reached a beautiful lake named Mánasa, which
seemed to have been the first assay of the Creator's skill when making
the sea, which eclipsed with its full-blown golden lotuses shaken by
the wind, the faces of the heavenly nymphs sporting in the water. And
while they were contemplating the beauty of the lake, Srutasarman and
all the others came there. And then Súryaprabha made a sacrifice with
lotuses and ghee, and immediately a terrible cloud rose up from that
lake. That cloud filled the heaven, and poured down a great rain,
and among the rain-drops fell from the cloud a black serpent. By the
order of Sumeru, Súryaprabha rose up, and seized that serpent with a
firm grasp, though it resisted, thereupon it became a bow. When it
became a bow, a second snake fell from the cloud, through fear of
the fiery poison of which all the sky-goers fled. That serpent too,
when seized by Súryaprabha, like the first, became a bowstring,
and the cloud quickly disappeared. And after a rain of flowers,
a voice was heard from heaven,--"Súryaprabha, you have won this
bow Amitabala and this string which cannot be cut, so take these
priceless treasures." And Súryaprabha took that excellent bow with
the string. Srutasarman, for his part, went despondent to his wood
of ascetics, and Súryaprabha, and Maya and the others were delighted.
Then they asked Sumeru about the origin of the bow, and he said--"Here
there is a great and marvellous wood of bamboo canes; whatever
bamboos are cut from it and thrown into this lake, become great and
wonderful bows; and these bows have been acquired by several of the
gods before yourself, and by Asuras and Gandharvas, and distinguished
Vidyádharas. They have various names, but the bows appropriated to
emperors are all called Amitabala, and were in old time deposited
in the lake by the gods. And they are obtained, through the favour
of Siva, with these exertions, by certain men of virtuous conduct
destined to be emperors. Hence it comes that Súryaprabha has to-day
procured this great bow, and these companions of his shall procure
bows suited to them. For they, being heroes who have acquired the
sciences, are appropriate recipients for them, for they are still
procured by worthy men, as is right."
When the companions of Súryaprabha, Prabhása and the others, heard this
speech of Sumeru's, they went to the bamboo-grove, and after defeating
the king Chandradatta, who guarded it, they brought the bamboos, and
threw them into the lake. And these heroic men, by fasting on the
bank of the lake, and muttering prayers, and sacrificing, obtained
bows in seven days. When they returned and told their adventure,
Súryaprabha returned with them and Maya and the others to that
wood of ascetics, in which Sumeru dwelt. Then Sumeru said to him:
"It is strange that your friends have conquered Chandradatta, the
king of the bamboo-wood, though he is invincible. He possesses a
science called the bewildering science, for that reason he is hard to
conquer. Surely he must have been keeping it to use against a more
important enemy. For this reason he did not employ it against these
companions of yours on the present occasion, for it only can succeed
once in his hands, not repeatedly. For he employed it once against
his spiritual preceptor to try its force, thereupon he laid upon him
this curse. So this matter should be thought upon, for the might of
sciences is hard to overcome, and for that reason you should consult
the revered Maya. What can I say in his presence? Of what avail
is a candle in the face of the sun?" When Sumeru had said this to
Súryaprabha, Maya said; "Sumeru has told you the truth in few words,
listen to this which I now say--From undeveloped matter there spring
in this world various powers, and subordinate powers. Among them
the sound expressed by Anusvára arises from the power of breathing,
and becomes a spell of force in magic sciences, when accompanied
with the doctrine of the highest truth. And of those sciences which
deal with spells, and which are acquired by supernatural knowledge,
or austerity, or the holy command of holy men, the power is hard to
resist. So, my son, you have obtained all the sciences, except two,
in which you are deficient, namely, the science of bewildering,
and that of counteracting. But Yájnavalkya knows them, therefore
go and ask him to bestow them on you." When thus advised by Maya,
Súryaprabha went into the presence of that rishi.
That hermit made him dwell for seven days in the serpent-lake, and
ordered him to perform austerities for three days in the midst of
the fire. And he gave him the bewildering power when he had endured
for seven days the bite of the snakes, and the counteracting power
when he had resisted for three days the force of the fire. [658]
And when he had obtained these sciences, that hermit ordered him
again to enter the fire-cavity, and he consented and did it. And
immediately there was bestowed on Súryaprabha a chariot in the
form of a white lotus, that moved at the will of the possessor, and
travelled through the air, which was furnished with a hundred and
eight wings, and the same number of dwellings, and constructed of
precious jewels of various kinds. And a voice from heaven addressed
that resolute one,--"You have obtained this chariot suitable for an
emperor, and you must place your wives in all these dwellings, in
order that they may be safe from your enemies." Then he, bending low,
addressed this petition to his preceptor Yájnavalkya--"Tell me what
fee I am to pay." The hermit answered him--"Remember me at the time
when you are anointed emperor, this in itself will be sufficient fee;
in the meanwhile go to your army." Then he bowed before that hermit,
and ascended that chariot, and went to his army, that was encamped
in the place where Sumeru dwelt. There he told his story, and Maya
and the others, with Sunítha and Sumeru, congratulated him, now that
he had obtained a magic chariot.
Then Sunítha called to mind that Suvásakumára, and he came and said
to Maya and the others, with the kings; "Súryaprabha has obtained a
chariot and all the magic sciences; so why do you even now remain
indifferent about conquering your enemies?" When Maya heard that,
he said, "Reverend sir, you have spoken rightly, but first let an
ambassador be sent, and let policy be employed." When Maya said
this, the hermit's son said--"So be it! What harm can this do? Let
this Prahasta be sent. He is discerning, eloquent, and understands
the nature of business and occasions, and he is stern and enduring,
he possesses all the qualities of an ambassador." All approved this
speech of his, and after giving Prahasta instructions, they sent him
off as ambassador to Srutasarman.
When he had gone, Súryaprabha said to all his followers,--"Hear the
strange wonderful vision that I have had--I remember, I saw toward the
end of last night, that we were all carried away by a great stream of
water, and while we were swept away, we kept dancing, we did not sink
at all. Then that stream was turned back by a contrary breeze. Then
a certain man of fiery brightness drew us out, and threw us into the
fire, and we were not burned by the fire. Then a cloud rained a stream
of blood, and that blood filled the whole sky, then my sleep came to
an end with the night." When he said this, Suvásakumára said to him,
"This dream indicates success preceded by a struggle. The stream of
water is battle, it is due to valour that you did not sink but danced,
and were carried along by the water; the wind, that turned back the
water for you, is some saviour to whom men resort for protection;
and the man of fiery brightness, who drew you out of it, is Siva
in bodily form. And that he threw you into the fire, means that you
are cast into a great war; and that the clouds arose, that means the
returning again of fear; and the rain of a stream of blood, that means
the destroying of fear, and the filling of all the quarters with blood,
that means great success for you. Now dreams are of many kinds, [659]
the rich-sensed, the true-sensed, and the senseless. A dream which
quickly reveals its meaning, is called rich-sensed, a dream in which a
propitious god gives a command, is called true-sensed, and one which is
brought about by deep meditation and anxiety, they call senseless. For
a man under the influence of sleep, with mind bewildered by the quality
of passion and withdrawn from outward objects, sees a dream on account
of various causes. And it depends upon the time, when it is seen,
whether it is fulfilled soon or late, but this kind of dream which
is seen at the end of the night is quickly fulfilled. [660]" When
Súryaprabha and his companions heard this from the hermit's son, they
were much pleased, and rising up they performed the duties of the day.
In the meanwhile Prahasta returned from the court of Srutasarman, and,
when asked by Maya and the others, he described his adventures. "I
went rapidly hence to the city named Trikútapatáká, situated on
the mountain Trikúta, built of gold. And being introduced by the
door-keeper, I entered, and beheld Srutasarman surrounded by various
Vidyádhara kings, by his father Trikútasena, and also by Vikramasakti
and Dhurandhara and other heroes, Dámodara among them. And sitting
down, I said to Srutasarman, 'I am sent to visit you by the august
Súryaprabha: and he commissioned me to give you this command. By
the favour of Siva I have obtained precious sciences, and wives and
allies. So come and join my army, together with those chiefs of the
sky-goers; I am the slayer of those that oppose, but the saviour of
those that bend. And as for your carrying off from her relations the
maiden Kámachúdámani, the daughter of Sunítha, who ought not to be
approached, set her at liberty, for that is a deed of shame.' When
I said this they all exclaimed in wrath,--'Who is he that sends us
this haughty command? Let him give commands to mortals, but who is
he compared with Vidyádharas? Since he assumes such airs, though he
is a miserable mortal, he should be destroyed.'
"When I heard that, I said, 'What, what? Who is he? Listen, he has
been created by Siva as your future emperor. If he is a mortal,
then mortals have attained divinity, and the Vidyádharas have seen
the valour of that mortal; moreover, if he comes here, we shall
soon see which party will be destroyed.' When I said this in wrath,
that assembly was disturbed. And Srutasarman and Dhurandhara rushed
forward to slay me. And I said to them--'Come now, let me see your
valour!' Then Dámodara rose up, and restrained them, exclaiming
'Peace! an ambassador and a Bráhman must not be slain.' Then
Vikramasakti said to me--'Depart, ambassador, for we, like your
master, are all created by Siva. So let him come, and we will see
whether we are able to entertain him or not.' When he said this in a
haughty manner, I laughed and said, 'The swans utter their cries in
the lotus-bower and enjoy themselves much, until they see the cloud
that comes darkening the heaven.' After saying this I rose up in a
contemptuous manner, left the court, and came here." When Maya and
others heard this from Prahasta, they were pleased. And they all,
Súryaprabha and the rest, determined on preparing for battle, and