The Kathá Sarit Ságara; or, Ocean of the Streams of Story
sent by the goddess Durgá to you, and she gives you this order--'You
have an unmarried daughter named Kámachúdámani; give her quickly to
Súryaprabha, for she is a votary of mine.'" When Jayá said this to
Sumeru, he bowed, and answered her--"I will do as the goddess Durgá
commands me, for this is a great favour to me, and this very thing was
long ago enjoined on me by the god Siva." When Sumeru answered Jayá on
this wise, she said to Súryaprabha--"You must set Kámachúdámani above
all your wives, and she must be respected by you more than all the
others; this is the order given to you to-day by the goddess Gaurí,
being propitious to you." When Jayá had said this, she disappeared,
after having been honoured by Súryaprabha. And Sumeru quickly fixed
upon an auspicious moment in that same day for the marriage, and
he had an altar made there, with pillars and pavement of refulgent
jewels, furnished with fire that seemed, as it were, eclipsed by
their rays. And he summoned there his daughter Kámachúdámani, whose
beauty was greedily drunk in by the eager eyes of gods and Asuras. Her
loveliness was like that of Umá, and no wonder, for if Párvatí was the
daughter of Himálaya, she was the daughter of Sumeru. Then he made
her ascend the altar, fully adorned, resplendent from the ceremony
of the marriage-thread, and then Súryaprabha took the lotus-hand
of Kámachúdámani, on which bracelets had been fastened by Danu,
and the other ladies. And when the first handful of parched grain
[699] was thrown into the fire, Jayá immediately came and gave her
an imperishable celestial garland sent by Bhavání, and then Sumeru
bestowed priceless jewels, and an excellent elephant of heavenly breed,
descended from Airávata. And at the second throwing of parched grain,
Jayá, bestowed a necklace, of such a kind that, as long as it is upon
a person's neck, hunger, thirst and death cannot harm them; and Sumeru
gave twice as many jewels as before, and a matchless horse descended
from Uchchhaihsravas. And at the third throwing of grain, Jayá gave
a single string of jewels, such that, as long as it is on the neck,
youth does not wither, and Sumeru gave a heap of jewels three times
as large as the first, and gave a heavenly pearl that bestowed all
kinds of magic powers upon its possessor.
Then the wedding being over, Sumeru said to all present; "Gods,
Asuras, Vidyádharas, mothers of the gods, and all. To-day all of you
must eat in my house, you must do me this honour, I entreat you with
palms folded above my head." They all were inclined to refuse Sumeru's
invitation, but in the meanwhile Nandin arrived; he said to them, who
bowed humbly before him, "Siva commands you to feast in the house of
Sumeru, for he is the god's servant, and if you eat his food, you will
be satisfied for ever." All of them, when they heard this from Nandin,
agreed to it. Then there came there innumerable Ganas sent by Siva,
under the leadership of Vináyaka, Mahákála, Vírabhadra and others. They
prepared a place fit for dining, and caused the guests to sit down in
order, gods, Vidyádharas and men. And the divine beings Vírabhadra,
Mahákála, Bhringin and others, ministered to them viands produced by
Sumeru by magic, and others supplied by the cow Kámadhenu ordered to
do so by Siva, and they waited upon every single guest according to
his rank, and then there was a concert, charming on account of the
dancing of heavenly nymphs, and in which the bards of the Vidyádharas
kept continually joining out of delight. And at the end of the feast,
Nandin and the others gave them all celestial garlands, robes, and
ornaments. After they had thus honoured the gods and others, all the
chiefs of the Ganas, Nandin and the others, departed with all the Ganas
as they had come. Then all the gods and Asuras, and those mothers of
theirs, and Srutasarman and his followers took leave of Sumeru, and
went each to his own place. But Súryaprabha and his wife, accompanied
by all his former wives, went in the chariot first to that ascetic
grove of Sumeru. And he sent his companion Harsha to announce his
success to the kings and to his brother Ratnaprabha. And at the close
of day he entered the private apartments of his wife Kámachúdámani,
in which were splendid jewelled couches, and which were admirably
built. There he flattered her by saying to her, "Now other women
dwell outside of me, but you alone live in my heart." Then the night
and his sleep gradually came to an end.
And in the morning Súryaprabha got up, and went and paid compliments
to his head-wives, who were all together. And while they were rejecting
him, as being in love with a new wife, with playfully sarcastic, sweet,
affectionate, and bashful turns of speech, a Vidyádhara named Sushena
came, announced by the warder, and after doing homage, said to that
triumphant king--"Your highness, I have been sent here by all the
princes of the Vidyádharas, the lord of Trikúta and others, and they
make this representation to your highness--'It is auspicious that your
coronation should take place on the third day at the mountain Rishabha,
let this be announced to all, and let the necessary preparations be
made.'" When Súryaprabha heard that, he answered the ambassador--"Go,
and say to the king of Trikúta and the other Vidyádharas from me--'Let
your honours begin the preparations, and say yourselves what further
is to be done; I for my part am ready. But I will announce the day
to all, as is fitting.'" Then Sushena departed, taking with him this
answer. But Súryaprabha sent off his friends Prabhása and the others,
one by one, to invite all the gods, and the hermits, Yájnavalkya and
others, and the kings, and the Vidyádharas, and the Asuras to the
great festival of his coronation.
He himself went alone to Kailása the monarch of mountains, in order
to invite Siva and Ambiká. And as he was ascending that mountain,
he saw that it gleamed white as ashes, looking like a second Siva
to be adored by the Siddhas, Rishis, and gods. After he had got
more than half-way up it, and had seen that further on it was
hard to climb, he beheld on one side a coral door. When he found
that, though gifted with supernatural power, he could not enter,
he praised Siva with intent mind. Then a man with an elephant's
face opened the door, and said--"Come! enter! the holy Ganesa is
satisfied with you." Then Súryaprabha entered, inly wondering, and
beheld the god seated on a broad slab of jyotírasa, [700] with one
tusk, and an elephant's proboscis, in brightness like twelve suns,
with pendent stomach, with three eyes, with flaming axe and club,
surrounded by many Ganas with the faces of animals, and falling
at his feet, he adored him. The vanquisher of obstacles, being
pleased, asked him the cause of his coming, and said to him with
an affectionate voice--"Ascend by this path." Súryaprabha ascended
by that path another five yojanas, and saw another great door of
ruby. And not being able to enter there either, he praised the god
Siva by his thousand names with intent mind. Then the son of Skanda,
called Visákha, himself opened the door, proclaiming who he was,
and introduced the prince into the interior. And Súryaprabha,
having entered, beheld Skanda of the brightness of burning fire,
accompanied by his five sons like himself, Sákha, Visákha and their
brothers, surrounded by inauspicious planets, and infant planets,
[701] that submitted to him as soon as he was born, and by ten
millions of Ganesas, prostrate at his feet. That god Kártikeya also,
being pleased, asked the cause of his coming, and shewed him the
path by which to ascend the mountain. In the same manner he passed
five other jewel-doors in succession, kept by Bhairava, Mahákála,
Vírabhadra, Nandin, and Bhringin severally, each with his attendants,
and at last he reached on the top of the mountain an eighth door of
crystal. Then he praised Siva, and he was introduced courteously by
one of the Rudras, and beheld that abode of Siva that excelled Svarga,
in which blew winds of heavenly fragrance, in which the trees ever
bore fruit and flowers, [702] in which the Gandharvas had begun their
concert, which was all joyous with the dancing of Apsarases. Then,
in one part of it, Súryaprabha beheld with joy the great god Siva,
seated on a throne of crystal, three-eyed, trident in hand, in hue
like unto pure crystal, with yellow matted locks, with a lovely
half-moon for crest, adored by the holy daughter of the mountain,
who was seated at his side. And he advanced, and fell at the feet of
him and the goddess Durgá. Then the adorable Hara placed his hand on
his back, and made him rise up, and sit down, and asked him why he had
come. And Súryaprabha answered the god, "My coronation is nigh at hand,
therefore I desire the Lord's presence at it." Then Siva said to him,
"Why have you gone through so much toil and hardship? Why did you not
think of me where you were, in order that I might appear there. Be it
so, I will be present." The god, who is kind to his votaries, said
this, and calling a certain Gana who stood near him, gave him the
following command: "Go and take this man to the Rishabha mountain, in
order that he may be crowned emperor, for that is the place appointed
for the grand coronation of emperors such as he is." When the Gana
had received this command from the holy god, he took in his lap with
all respect Súryaprabha, who had circumambulated Siva. And he carried
him and placed him on the Rishabha mountain by his magic power that
very moment, and then disappeared. And when Súryaprabha arrived there,
his companions came to him, and his wives with Kámachúdámani at their
head, and the kings of the Vidyádharas, and the gods with Indra,
and the Asuras with Maya at their head, and Srutasarman, and Sumeru
with Suvásakumára. And Súryaprabha honoured them all in becoming
fashion, and when he told the story of his interview with Siva, they
congratulated him. Then Prabhása and the others brought the water
of consecration with their own hands, mixed with various herbs, in
pitchers of jewels and gold, taking it from male and female rivers,
seas and holy bathing places. In the meanwhile the holy Siva came
there, accompanied by Durgá; and the gods, and Asuras and Vidyádharas,
and kings, and great rishis adored his foot. And while all the gods,
and Dánavas, and Vidyádharas uttered loud cries of "Blessed be this
day," the rishis made Súryaprabha sit on the throne, and pouring all
the waters over him, declared him emperor of the Vidyádharas. And the
discreet Asura Maya joyfully fastened on his turban and diadem. And
the drum of the gods, preceded by the dancing of lovely Apsarases,
sounded joyfully in heaven, in unison with the cymbals of earth. And
that assembly of great rishis poured the water of consecration over
Kámachúdámani also, and made her the appropriate queen consort of
Súryaprabha. Then, the gods and Asuras having departed, Súryaprabha,
the emperor of the Vidyádharas, protracted his great coronation feast
with his relations, friends, and companions. And in a few days he
gave to Srutasarman that northern half vedi mentioned by Siva, and
having obtained his other beloved ones, he enjoyed for a long time,
together with his companions, the fortune of king of the Vidyádharas.
"Thus by virtue of the favour of Siva, Súryaprabha, though a man,
obtained of yore the empire of the Vidyádharas."
Having told this story in the presence of the king of Vatsa, and
having bowed before Naraváhanadatta, Vajraprabha, the king of the
Vidyádharas, ascended to heaven. And after he had gone, that hero,
king Naraváhanadatta, together with his queen Madanamanchuká, remained
in the house of his father the king of Vatsa, waiting to obtain the
rank of emperor of the Vidyádharas.
BOOK IX.
CHAPTER LI.