The Kathá Sarit Ságara; or, Ocean of the Streams of Story
so skilfully with his body, that the hearts of both the king and queen
danced for joy. And, at the end of it, the king gave him a lyre to
play upon, and the moment he tested its tones, he said to the king,
"This lyre is not in good order, so give me another one, there is a
puppy inside this, your Majesty,--I know that by the indications of
the twanging of the strings." Saying this, Gunasarman let go the lyre
from under his arm. Then the king sprinkled it, and unscrewed and
examined it, and a puppy came out of it. Then king Mahásena praised
Gunasarman's omniscience, and was much astonished, and had another
lyre brought. He played on that lyre which, like the Ganges that flows
in three worlds, [676] was charming from its swift stream of music,
[677] and purged the ear by its sound. Then in presence of the king,
who with his wife looked on astonished, he exhibited in turn his skill
in the nobler studies. Then the king said to him, "If you are skilled
in fighting, then shew me a specimen of the art of binding the enemy's
limbs with your own hands unarmed." The Bráhman answered him--"King,
take your weapons and strike at me, that I may shew you a specimen of
my skill." Then, as fast as the king took a sword or other weapon and
struck at him, Gunasarman, by that artifice of fettering the limbs
immediately disarmed him with ease, and frequently fettered his hand
and body, without receiving a wound. Then the king, seeing that he
was capable of aiding him in his political affairs, praised that
excellent Bráhman of transcendent ability, and honoured him highly.
But queen Asokavatí, having beheld again and again the beauty and
abilities of that Bráhman, suddenly fell in love with him. She
thought to herself, "If I cannot obtain him, of what use is my life
to me." Then she artfully said to the king--"Do me a kindness,
my husband, and order this Gunasarman to teach me to play on the
lyre. For when I beheld to-day his skill in playing on the lyre,
I took a desperate fancy to the instrument." When the king heard
this, he said to Gunasarman--"By all means teach the queen to play
on the lyre." Then Gunasarman said, "I will do so, my sovereign, we
will begin the practising on an auspicious day." Then he took leave
of the king and went home. But he put off for many days beginning to
teach the queen the lyre, seeing the changed expression of the queen,
and afraid of some mischief.
One day he was standing near the king when he was eating, and when
the cook was giving him some condiment, he prevented him, saying,
"Stop! stop!" The king asked what this meant, then the discreet
man said, "This sauce is poisoned, and I detected it by certain
indications. For when the cook was giving you the sauce, he looked
at my face, trembling with fear, and with an eye that rolled
apprehensively. And we can at once find out whether I am right;
let this sauce be given to some one to eat, and I will counteract
the effect of the poison." When he said this, the king made the
cook eat the sauce, and immediately after he had eaten it, he became
senseless. Then Gunasarman counteracted the effect of the poison on
the cook by a spell, and when the king asked the cook the truth of
the whole matter, he said this--"King, your enemy king Vikramasakti,
sovereign of Gauda, sent me here to give you poison. I introduced
myself to your majesty as a foreigner skilful in the culinary art, and
entered your kitchen. So to-day I have been discovered by that shrewd
man in the act of giving you poison in sauce; your majesty knows what
to do now." When the cook said this, the king punished him, and being
much pleased, gave Gunasarman a thousand villages for saving his life.
And the next day, as the queen kept vigorously pressing him, the
king made Gunasarman begin to teach her the lyre. Then, while he was
teaching her the lyre, the queen Asokavatí indulged in perpetual
coquetry, laughter, and mirth. One day, wounded with the arrow
of love, she scratched him with her nails frequently in secret,
and said to the chaste Gunasarman, who entreated her to desist,
"It was yourself that I asked for, handsome man, under the pretext
of learning to play the lute, for I am desperately in love with you,
so consent to my wishes." When she said this, Gunasarman answered
her, "Do not talk so, for you are my master's wife, and such a one
as I am should not commit such treason, desist from this reckless
conduct." When Gunasarman said this, the queen continued, "Why do
you possess in vain this beauty and skill in accomplishments? How
can you look with a passionless eye on me who love you so much?" When
Gunasarman heard this, he answered sarcastically, "You are right. What
is the use of that beauty and skill, which is not tarnished with infamy
by seducing the wife of another, and which does not in this world and
the next cause one to fall into the ocean of hell?" When he said this,
the queen said to him, pretending to be angry, "I am determined to
die, if you do not do what I say, so being despised by you, I will
slay you before I die." Then Gunasarman said, "By all means, let it
be so. For it is better to live for one moment, bound by the bonds
of righteousness, than to live unrighteously for hundreds of crores
of kalpas. And it is far preferable for me to die without reproach,
having done no wrong, than for me to have done wrong, and to be put
to death by the king, with reproach attaching to my name." When the
queen heard that, she went on to say to him--"Do not commit treason
against yourself and me; listen, I will tell you something. The king
does not neglect to do what I tell him, even if it is impossible;
so I will ask him and get territories given to you, and I will have
all your servants made barons, so you will become a king, for you
are distinguished for good qualities. So what have you to fear? Who
can overpower you and how? So grant my wishes fearlessly, otherwise
you will not live." When the king's wife said this, seeing that she
was determined, Gunasarman said to her artfully, in order to put her
off for a moment,--"If you are persistently set on this, then I will
obey your command, but it will not be advisable to do so immediately,
for fear it should get abroad; wait for some days; believe that what
I say is true; what object have I in incurring your enmity which would
ensure my destruction?" Thus Gunasarman comforted her with that hope,
and agreed to her request, and then departed with heart lightened.
Then, in the course of some days, king Mahásena went and surrounded
king Somaka in his treasure-city. And when the king of Gauda,
Vikramasakti, knew that he had arrived there, he went and surrounded
king Mahásena; then king Mahásena said to Gunasarman--"While we are
occupied in besieging one enemy we are besieged by another, so now
how are we to fight with two enemies, as we are unequal in force? And
how long, being brave men, can we remain without fighting a battle? So
what are we to do in this difficulty?" When Gunasarman, who was at the
side of the king, was asked this question, he answered--"Be of good
courage, my sovereign; I will devise a stratagem that will enable us
to get out of this situation, difficult as it is." He comforted the
king with these words, and put on his eyes an ointment that rendered
him invisible, and at night went, without any one seeing him, to the
camp of Vikramasakti. And he entered into his presence, and woke him
up while asleep, and said, "Know, O king, that I am come a messenger
from the gods. Make peace with king Mahásena and depart quickly,
otherwise you will certainly be destroyed here with your army. And
if you send an ambassador, he will agree to your proposals of peace;
I have been sent by the holy Vishnu to tell you this. For you are a
votary of his, and he watches over the safety of his votaries." When
king Vikramasakti heard this, he thought, "Certainly this is true, if
he were any other, how could he enter this carefully guarded tent? This
is not what a mere mortal could accomplish." When the king had gone
through these reflections, he said--"I am fortunate in receiving such
a command from the god, I will do what he bids me." When the king said
that, Gunasarman disappeared by the help of his magic collyrium, thus
confirming the king's confidence in him, and went away. And he came
and told king Mahásena what he had done; he threw his arms round his
neck, and hailed him as the preserver of his life and throne. And the
next morning Vikramasakti sent an ambassador to Mahásena, and after
making peace with him, returned home with his army. But Mahásena
conquered Somaka, and having obtained elephants and horses, returned
to Ujjayiní a victor, thanks to Gunasarman. And while he was there,
Gunasarman saved him from a crocodile while bathing in the river,
and from the poison of a snake-bite while in his garden.
Then, after some days had passed, king Mahásena, having got together
an army, went to attack his enemy Vikramasakti. And that king, as
soon as he heard of his approach, marched out to meet him in fight,
and a great battle took place between the two. And in the course of
it, the two kings met in single combat, and disabled one another's
chariots. Then, in their fury, they rushed forward sword in hand,
and king Mahásena through carelessness stumbled and fell on the
earth. Then the king Vikramasakti tried to strike him on the ground,
but Gunasarman cut off his arm with a discus, sword and all, and
striking him again in the heart with an iron mace laid him low. And
king Mahásena rose up, and was pleased when he saw his enemy dead,
and said repeatedly to Gunasarman--"What am I to say? This is the
fifth time that you have saved my life, heroic Bráhman." Then Mahásena
conquered the army and kingdom of Vikramasakti, who had been slain by
Gunasarman, and after overcoming other kings by the aid of Gunasarman,
he returned to Ujjayiní and dwelt there in happiness.
But queen Asokavatí did not cease from importunately soliciting
Gunasarman day and night. But he would never consent to that crime;
good men prefer death to immodest conduct. Then Asokavatí, finding
out that he was resolved, one day out of enmity to him affected to
be unhappy, and remained with tearful countenance. Then Mahásena,
coming in, and seeing her in that condition, said--"What is this, my
beloved? Who has offended you? Tell me the name of the man whose life
and property I am to take by way of punishment?" Then the unforgiving
queen said with affected reluctance to the king, who had thus addressed
her, "You have no power to punish the man who has injured me; he is not
a man you can chastise, so what is the good of revealing the injury to
no purpose?" When she said this, the king pressed her, and she said
deceitfully--"My husband, if you are very anxious to know, listen,
I will tell you. Gunasarman, who pretends to be a loyal servant,
[678] made an agreement with the King of Gauda, and in order to get
money from him, undertook to do you an injury. The wicked Bráhman
secretly sent his confidential messenger to Gauda, to make the king
hand over treasure and so on. Then a confidential servant, seeing
the king despondent, said to him--'I will manage this affair for you,
do not waste your wealth.' When the king of Gauda heard this, he had
that messenger of Gunasarman's cast into prison, [679]----
and the cook who was to administer the poison came here, carefully
keeping the secret. In the meanwhile Gunasarman's messenger escaped
from prison, and came here to him. And he, knowing the whole story,
revealed it all, and pointed out to Gunasarman [680] that cook, who
had entered into our kitchen. Then that scoundrelly Bráhman detected
the cook in the act of administering the poison, and denounced him to