The Kathá Sarit Ságara; or, Ocean of the Streams of Story
them to bed; thus it comes to pass that I have such knowledge. And
being engaged in the duties of my profession, I sell only for my
subsistence the flesh of deer and other animals slain by others, not
from desire of wealth. And I and that faithful wife do not indulge
self-consciousness, the impediment of knowledge, so the knowledge
of both of us is free from hindrance. Therefore do you, observing
the vow of a hermit, perform your own duties, without giving way to
self-consciousness, with a view to acquiring purity, in order that
you may quickly attain the supreme brightness." When he had been thus
instructed by Dharmavyádha, he went to his house and observed his
practice, and afterwards he returned satisfied to the forest. And by
his advice he became perfected, and the faithful wife and Dharmavyádha
also attained perfection by such performance of their duties.
"Such is the power of those who are devoted to husband or father and
mother. So come, visit that mother who longs for a sight of you." When
thus addressed by his father Chandrasvámin, Mahípála promised to go
to his native land to please his mother. And he disclosed that of
his own accord to Anantasvámin his spiritual father, and when he took
upon him the burden of his kingdom, the king set out with his natural
father by night. And at last he reached his own country, and refreshed
his mother Devamati with a sight of him, as the spring refreshes the
female cuckoo. And Mahípála stayed there some time with his mother,
being welcomed by his relations, together with his father who related
their adventures.
In the meanwhile in Tárápura the princess, his wife Bandhumatí, who
was sleeping within the house, woke up at the close of night. And
discovering that her husband had gone somewhere, she was distressed at
her lonely state, and could not find solace in the palace, the garden,
or any other place. But she remained weeping, shedding tears that
seemed to double her necklace, intent on lamentation only, desiring
relief by death. But the minister Anantasvámin came and comforted her
with hope-inspiring words, saying, "Before your husband went, he said
to me, 'I am going away on some business and I will quickly return,'
so do not weep, my daughter." Then she recovered self-control,
though with difficulty. Then she remained continually honouring
with gifts excellent Bráhmans, that came from a foreign country, in
order to obtain news of her husband. And she asked a poor Bráhman,
named Sangamadatta, who came for a gift, for tidings of her husband,
having told him his name and the signs by which to recognize him. Then
the Bráhman said, "I have never beheld a man of that kind; but, queen,
you must not give way to excessive anxiety on this account. Doers of
righteous actions eventually obtain reunion with loved ones, and in
proof of that I will tell you a wonder which I saw, listen."
Story of the treacherous Pásupata ascetic.
As I was wandering round all the holy places, I came to the Mánasa
lake on the Himálayas, and in it I saw, as in a mirror, [782] a house
composed of jewels, and from that building there came out suddenly a
man with a sword in his hand, and he ascended the bank of the lake,
accompanied by a troop of celestial females. There he amused himself
with the females in a garden in the recreation of drinking, and I
was looking on from a distance unobserved, full of interest in the
spectacle. In the meanwhile a man of prepossessing appearance came
there from somewhere or other. And when he met me, I told him what I
had seen. And with much interest I pointed out to him that man from
a distance, and when he beheld him he told me his own story in the
following words:
Story of the king Tribhuvana.
I am a king named Tribhuvana in the city of Tribhuvana. There a certain
Pásupata ascetic for a long time paid me court. And being asked the
reason by me, he at once asked me to be his ally in obtaining a sword
concealed in a cavern, and I agreed to that. Then the Pásupata ascetic
went with me at night, and having by means of a burnt-offering and
other rites discovered an opening in the earth, the ascetic said to
me, "Hero! enter thou first, and after thou hast obtained the sword,
come out, and cause me also to enter; make a compact with me to do
this." When he said this, I made that compact with him, and quickly
entered the opening, and found a palace of jewels. And the chief
of the Asura maidens who dwelt there came out from the palace,
and out of love led me in, and there gave me a sword. She said,
"Keep this sword which confers the power of flying in the air, and
bestows all magical faculties." Then I remained there with her. But
I remembered my compact, and going out with the sword in my hand,
I introduced that ascetic into the palace of the Asuras by that
opening. There I dwelt with the first Asura lady who was surrounded
by her attendants, and he dwelt with the second. One day when I was
stupefied with drinking, the ascetic treacherously took away from
my side the sword, and grasped it in his own hand. When he had it in
his grasp, he possessed great power, and with his hand he seized me
and flung me out of the cavern. Then I searched for him for twelve
years at the mouths of caverns, hoping that some time I might find
him outside. And this very day the scoundrel has presented himself
to my eyes, sporting with that very Asura lady who belongs to me.
While the king Tribhuvana was relating this to me, O queen, that
ascetic, stupefied with drink, went to sleep. And while he was asleep,
the king went and took the sword from his side, and by its operation
he recovered celestial might. Then the hero woke up that ascetic with
a kick, and reproached the unfortunate man, but did not kill him. And
then he entered the palace with the Asura lady and her attendants,
recovered again like his own magic power. But the ascetic was much
grieved at having lost his magic power. For the ungrateful, though
long successful, are sure to fail at last.
"Having seen this with my own eyes, I have now arrived here in
the course of my wanderings; so be assured, queen, that you shall
eventually be reunited to your beloved, like Tribhuvana, for the
righteous does not sink." When Bandhumatí heard that from the Bráhman,
she was highly delighted, and made him successful by giving him
much wealth.
And the next day a distinguished Bráhman came there from a distant
land, and Bandhumatí eagerly asked him for tidings of her husband,
telling his name and the tokens by which he might be recognized. Then
that Bráhman said to her: "Queen, I have not seen your husband
anywhere, but I, who have to-day come to your house, am named not
without reason, the Bráhman Sumanas, [783] so you will quickly have
your wishes satisfied, thus my heart tells me. And reunions do take
place, even of the long separated. In proof of thus I will tell you
the following tale; listen, queen."
Story of Nala and Damayantí.
Of old time there lived a king named Nala, whose beauty, I fancy, so
surpassed that of the god of Love, that in disgust he offered his body
as a burnt-offering in the fire of the eye of the enraged Siva. He
had no wife, and when he made enquiries, he heard that Damayantí,
the daughter of Bhíma the king of Vidarbha, would make him a suitable
wife. And Bhíma, searching through the world, found that there was
no king except Nala fit to marry his daughter.
In the meanwhile Damayantí went down into a tank in her own city,
to amuse herself in the water. There the girl saw a swan that had
fed on blue and white lotuses, and by a trick she threw over it
her robe and made it a prisoner in sport. But the celestial swan,
when captured, said to her in accents that she could understand:
"Princess, I will do you a good turn, let me go. There is a king of
the name of Nala, whom even the nymphs of heaven bear on their hearts,
like a necklace strung with threads of merit. [784] You are a wife
fitted for him and he is a husband suited for you, so I will be an
ambassador of Love to bring like to like." When she heard that, she
thought that the celestial swan was a polished speaker, and so she
let him go, saying--"So be it."--And she said, "I will not choose
any husband but Nala," having her mind captivated by that prince,
who had entered by the channel of her ear.
And the swan departed thence, and quickly repaired to a tank resorted
to by Nala, when bent on sporting in the water. And Nala, seeing that
the swan was beautiful, took it captive out of curiosity by throwing
his robe over it in sport. Then the swan said--"Set me free, O king,
for I have come to benefit you; listen, I will tell you. There is
in Vidarbha one Damayantí, the daughter of king Bhíma, the Tilottamá
of the earth, to be desired even by gods. And she has chosen you as
her future husband, having fallen in love with you on account of my
description of your virtues; and I have come here to tell you. Nala
was at the same time pierced with the words of that excellent swan,
that were brightened by the splendid object they had in view, [785]
and with the sharp arrows of the god of the flowery shafts. And
he said to that swan, "I am fortunate, best of birds, in that I
have been selected by her, as if by the incarnate fulfilment of my
wishes." When the swan had been thus addressed by him and let go, it
went and related the whole occurrence to Damayantí, as it took place,
and then went whither it would.
Now Damayantí was longing for Nala; so, by way of a device to obtain
him, she sent her mother to ask her father to appoint for her the
ceremony of the Svayamvara. And her father Bhíma consented, and
sent messengers to all the kings on the earth, to invite them to the
Svayamvara. And all the kings, when they had received the summons, set
out for Vidarbha, and Nala went also eagerly, mounted on his chariot.
And in the meanwhile, Indra and the other Lokapálas heard from the
hermit Nárada of the Svayamvara of Damayantí, and of her love for
Nala. And of them Indra, the Wind, the god of Fire, Yama and Varuna,
longing for Damayantí, deliberated together, and went to Nala, and
they found Nala setting off on the journey, and when he prostrated
himself before them, they said to him "Go, Nala, and tell Damayantí
this from us--'Choose one of us five; what is the use of choosing
Nala who is a mortal? Mortals are subject to death, but the gods
are undying.' And by our favour, thou shalt enter where she is,
unperceived by the others." Nala said "So be it," and consented to do
the errand of the gods. And he entered the apartments of Damayantí
without being seen, and delivered that command of the gods, exactly
as it was given. But when the virtuous woman heard that, she said
"Suppose the gods are such, nevertheless Nala shall be my husband,
I have no need of gods." When Nala had heard her utter this noble
sentiment, and had revealed himself, he went and told it, exactly
as it was said, to Indra and the others; and they, pleased with him,
gave him a boon, saying, "We are thy servants from this time forth,
and will repair to thee as soon as thought of, truthful man."
Then Nala went delighted to Vidarbha, and Indra and the other gods
assumed the form of Nala, with intent to deceive Damayantí. And they
went to the court of Bhíma, assuming the attributes of mortals, and,
when the Svayamvara began, they sat near Nala. Then Damayantí came,
and leaving the kings who were being proclaimed one by one by her
brother, gradually reached Nala. And when she saw six Nalas, all
possessing shadows and the power of winking, [786] she thought in
her perplexity, while her brother stood amazed, "Surely these five
guardians of the world have produced this illusion to deceive me, but
I think that Nala is the sixth here, and so I cannot go in any other