The Kathá Sarit Ságara; or, Ocean of the Streams of Story
devoted to the fair sex, he would not behave in this way on such a
sad occasion." While they were thus speaking, one said with wonder;
"Tell me why our husband is so devoted to women, that, though he has
carried off many wives, he is perpetually marrying new princesses
and is never satisfied." One of the wives, a clever woman of the
name of Manovatí, said when she heard this,--"Hear why kings have
many loves. The good qualities of lovely women are different, varying
with their native land, their beauty, their age, their gestures, and
their accomplishments, no one woman possesses all good qualities. The
women of Karnáta, of Láta, of Sauráshtra and Madhyadesa, please by
the peculiar behaviour of their various countries. Some fair ones
captivate by their faces like an autumn moon, others by their breasts
full and firm like golden ewers, and others by their limbs, charming
from their beauty. One has limbs yellow as gold, another is dark like
a priyangu, another, being red and white, captivates the eyes as soon
as seen. One is of budding beauty, another of full-developed youth,
another is agreeable on account of her maturity, and distinguished by
increasing coquetry. One looks lovely when smiling, another is charming
even in anger, another charms with gait resembling that of an elephant,
another with swan-like motion. One, when she prattles, irrigates the
ears with nectar; another is naturally beautiful, when she looks at
one with graceful contraction of the eyebrows. One charms by dancing,
another pleases by singing, and another fair one attracts by being
able to play on the lyre and other instruments. One is distinguished
for good temper, another is remarkable for artfulness; another enjoys
good fortune from being able to understand her husband's mind. But,
to sum up, others possess other particular merits; so every lovely
woman has some peculiar good point, but of all the women in the
three worlds none possesses all possible virtues. So kings, having
made up their minds to experience all kinds of fascinations, though
they have captured many wives for themselves, are for ever seizing
new ones. [669] But the truly noble never, under any circumstances,
desire the wives of others. So this is not our husband's fault, and we
cannot be jealous." When the head-wives of Súryaprabha, beginning with
Madanasená, had been addressed in this style by Manovatí, they made
one after another remarks to the same effect. Then, in their merriment,
they laid aside all the ties of reserve, and began to tell one another
all kinds of secrets. For unfortunately there is nothing which women
will not let out, when they are met together in social intercourse,
and their minds are interested in the course of the conversation. At
last that long conversation of theirs was somehow or other brought
to an end, and in course of time the night passed away, during which
Súryaprabha was longing to conquer the host of his enemies, for he
was alone, intently waiting for the time when the darkness should
depart. [670]
CHAPTER XLVIII.
The next morning, Súryaprabha and his party, and Srutasarman and
his supporters, again went to the field of battle armed, with their
forces. And again the gods and Asuras, with Indra, Brahmá, Vishnu,
and Rudra, and with the Yakshas, snakes, and Gandharvas, came to see
the fight. Dámodara drew up the troops of Srutasarman in the form of a
discus, and Prabhása drew up the troops of Súryaprabha in the form of a
thunderbolt. Then the battle of those two armies went on, deafening the
horizon with drums and the shouts of champions, and the sun hid himself
in flights of arrows, as if out of fear that the warriors smitten with
weapons would certainly pierce his disk. Then Prabhása, by command of
Súryaprabha, broke the discus-arrangement of the enemy's host, hard
for another to break, and entered alone. And Dámodara himself came
and defended that opening in the line, and Prabhása fought against
him unaided. And Súryaprabha, seeing that he had entered alone, sent
fifteen great warriors to follow him, Prakampana, and Dhúmraketu,
and Kálakampana, and Mahámáya, and Marudvega, and Prahasta, and
Vajrapanjara, and Kálachakra, and Pramathana, and Sinhanáda, and
Kambala, and Vikatáksha, and Pravahana, and Kunjarakumáraka, and
Prahrishtaroman the heroic Asura prince: all those great warriors
rushed forward to the opening in the line; then Dámodara exhibited
his wonderful heroism, in that alone he fought with those fifteen.
When Indra saw that, he said to the hermit Nárada, who was at his side,
"Súryaprabha and the others of his party are incarnations of Asuras,
but Srutasarman is a portion of me, and all these Vidyádharas are
portions of the gods, so observe, hermit, this is a disguised fight
between the gods and Asuras. And observe, in it Vishnu is, as ever,
the ally of the gods, for Dámodara, who is a portion of him, is
fighting here."
While Indra was saying this, fourteen great warriors came to assist
the general Dámodara,--Brahmagupta and Váyubala, and Yamadanshtra,
and Suroshana, and Roshávaroha, and Atibala, and Tejahprabha, and
Dhurandhara, and Kuveradatta, and Varunasarman, and Kámbalika, and
the hero Dushtadamana, and Dohana and Árohana. And those fifteen
heroes, joined with Dámodara, fighting in front of the line, kept
off the followers of Súryaprabha. Then single combats took place
between them; Prakampana carried on a missile fight with Dámodara, and
Dhúmraketu fought with Brahmagupta, and Mahámáya fought with Atibala,
the Dánava Kálakampana fought with Tejahprabha, and the great Asura
Marudvega with Váyubala, and Vajrapanjara fought with Yamadanshtra,
and the heroic Asura Kálachakra with Suroshana; Pramathana fought
with Kuveradatta, and the king of the Daityas, named Sinhanáda, with
Varunasarman. Pravahana fought with Dushtadamana, and the Dánava
Prahrishtaroman fought with Roshávaroha; and Vikatáksha fought with
Dhurandhara, Kambala fought with Kámbalika, and Kunjarakumáraka with
Árohana, and Prahasta with Dohana, who was also called Mahotpáta.
When these pairs of warriors were thus fighting in the front of the
line, Sunítha said to Maya, "Alas! observe, our heroic warriors,
though skilled in the use of many weapons, have been prevented by
these antagonists from entering the enemies' line; but Prabhása
entered before recklessly alone, so we do not know what will become
of him there." When Suvásakumára heard this, he said, "All the gods,
Asuras, and men in the three worlds are not a match for this Prabhása
unaided, much less then are these Vidyádharas. So why do you fear
without reason, though you know this well enough?"
While the hermit's son was saying this, the Vidyádhara Kálakampana came
to meet Prabhása in fight. Then Prabhása said to him, "Ha! Ha! you
have rendered me a great service, so let me now see your valour
here." Saying this, Prabhása let fly at him a succession of arrows,
and Kálakampana in return showered sharp arrows upon him. Then that
Vidyádhara and that man fought together with arrows and answering
arrows, making the worlds astonished. Then Prabhása with a sharp
arrow struck down the banner of Kálakampana, with a second he killed
his charioteer, with four more his four horses, and with one more
he cut his bow in half, with two more he cut off his hands, with
two more his arms, and with two more his two ears, and with one
sharp-edged arrow he cut off the head of his foe, and thus displayed
wonderful dexterity. Thus Prabhása, as it were, chastised Kálakampana,
being angry with him because he had slain so many heroes in his own
army. And the men and Asuras, when they saw that Vidyádhara chief
slain, raised a shout, and the Vidyádharas immediately proclaimed
their despondency. [671]
Then a king of the Vidyádharas, named Vidyutprabhá, lord of the hill
of Kálanjara, in wrath attacked Prabhása. When he was fighting with
Prabhása, Prabhása first cut asunder his banner, and then kept cutting
his bows in two, as fast as he took them up. Then the Vidyádhara,
being ashamed, by his delusive power flew up invisible into the sky,
and rained swords, clubs, and other weapons upon Prabhása. Prabhása,
for his part, swept away his succession of missiles with others,
and by the illuminating weapon made that Asura manifest, and then
employing the weapon of fire, he burned up Vidyutprabhá with its blaze,
and bringing him down from the heaven, laid him dead on the earth.
When Srutasarman saw this, he said to his warriors, "Observe, this
man has slain two chiefs of hosts of great warriors. Now why do you
put up with it? Join together and slay him." When they heard that,
eight warriors in anger surrounded Prabhása. One was a king of the
Vidyádharas named Úrdhvaroman, a lord of hosts of warriors, dwelling
in the great mountain named Vankataka. And the second warrior was
a chief of the Vidyádharas named Vikrosana, the king of the rock
Dharanídhara. And the third was the hero Indramálin, a prince of the
Vidyádharas, lord of a host of distinguished warriors, and his home
was the mountain Lílá. And the fourth was an excellent Vidyádhara
named king Kákandaka, a chief of a host of warriors, and his dwelling
was in the mountain Malaya. And the fifth was Darpaváha by name, lord
of the hill Niketa, and the sixth was Dhúrtavyayana the lord of the
mountain Anjana, and both these Vidyádharas were chiefs of excellent
warriors. And the seventh one, whose chariot was drawn by asses,
was named Varáhasvámin, king of the mount Kumuda, and he was chief
of a host of great warriors. And the eighth warrior was like him,
Medhávara king of Dundhubhi. Prabhása repelled the numerous arrows,
which these eight came and discharged, and he pierced them all at
the same time with arrows. And he slew the horse of one, and of one
the charioteer, and he cut in half the banner of one, and he cleft
the bow of another. But Medhávara he struck at the same time with
four arrows in the heart, and at once laid him dead on the earth. And
then he fought with the others, and cut off with an anjalika [672] the
head of Úrdhvaroman with its curled and plaited hair, and of the other
six he killed the horses and charioteers, and at last laid themselves
low, cutting off their heads with crescent-headed arrows. And then a
rain of flowers fell on his head from heaven, encouraging the kings
of the Asuras, and discouraging the Vidyádharas. Then four more
great warriors, armed with bows, sent by Srutasarman, surrounded
Prabhása; one was named Kácharaka, the lord of the mountain Kuranda;
the second Dindimálin, whose home was the hill of Panchaka, and the
third was Vibhávasu, king of the mountain Jayapura, the fourth was
named Dhavala, the ruler of Bhúmitundika. Those excellent Vidyádharas,
chiefs of hosts of great warriors, let fly five hundred arrows at the
same time at Prabhása. But Prabhása easily disposed of all, one by
one, each with eight arrows; with one arrow he cut down the banner,
with one cleft the bow, with one he killed the charioteer, with four
the horses, and with one more he cut off the head of the warrior,
and then shouted triumphantly.
Then another four Vidyádharas, by the order of Srutasarman, assembled
in fight against Prabhása. The first was named Bhadrankara, dark as the
blue water-lily, sprung from Mercury in the house [673] of Visvávasu,
but the second was Niyantraka like the fire in brightness, sprung
from Mars in the house of Jambaka, and the third was called Kálakopa,
very black in hue, with tawny hair, sprung from Saturn in the house of
Dámodara. And the fourth was Vikramasakti, like gold in brightness,
sprung from the planet Jupiter in the house of the Moon. The three
first were lords of hosts of lords of hosts of transcendent warriors,
but the fourth was a great hero surpassing the rest in valour. And