The Kathá Sarit Ságara; or, Ocean of the Streams of Story
prosperity. Hear a story shewing this."
Story of the snake who told his secret to a woman.
A certain snake, [70] out of fear of Garuda, fled to earth, and taking
the form of a man, concealed himself in the house of a hetæra. And
that hetæra used to take as payment five hundred elephants; [71]
and the snake by his power gave her five hundred every day. And the
lady importuned him to tell her how he acquired so many elephants
every day, and who he was. And he, blinded with love, replied--"I am
a snake hiding here from fear of Garuda, do not tell any one." But
the hetæra privately told all this to the kuttiní.
Now Garuda, searching through the world for the snake, came there in
the form of a man, and he came to the kuttiní and said; "I wish to
remain to-day in your daughter's house, take my payment." And the
kuttiní said to him, "There is a snake living here, who gives us
five hundred elephants every day. What do we care about one day's
pay?" Then Garuda, finding out that the snake was living there,
entered as a guest that hetæra's house. And there he saw the snake
on the flat roof, and revealing himself in his real form, he swooped
down, and killed him, and ate him.
"So a wise man should not recklessly tell secrets to women." Having
said this, Gomukha told him another story of a simpleton.
Story of the bald man and the hair-restorer.
There was a bald man, with a head like a copper pot. And he,
being a fool, was ashamed because, though a rich man in the world,
he had no hair on his head. Then a rogue, who lived upon others,
came to him and said, "There is a physician who knows a drug that
will produce hair." When he heard it, he said;--"If you bring him
to me, I will give wealth to you and to that physician also." When
he said this, the rogue for a long time devoured his substance, and
brought to that simpleton a doctor who was a rogue also. And after
the doctor too had long lived at his expense, he one day removed
his head-dress designedly, and shewed him his bald head. In spite of
that, the blockhead, without considering, asked him for a drug which
would produce hair, then the physician said to him,--"Since I am bald
myself, how can I produce hair in others? It was in order to explain
this to you, that I showed you my bald head. But out on you! you do
not understand even now." With these words the physician went away.
"So you see, prince, rogues perpetually make sport of fools. You have
heard the story of the simpleton and his hair, now hear that of the
simpleton and the oil."
Story of a foolish servant.
A certain gentleman had a simpleton for a servant. His master sent
him once to fetch oil from a merchant, and he received from him the
oil in a vessel. And as he was returning, with the vessel in his hand,
a friend of his said to him,--"Take care of this oil-vessel, it leaks
at the bottom." When the blockhead heard this, he turned the vessel
upside down to look at the bottom of it, and that made all the oil
fall on the ground. When his master heard that, he turned out of his
house that fool, who was the laughing-stock of the place.
"So it is better for a simpleton to rely upon his own sense, and
not to take advice. You have heard about the simpleton and the oil,
now hear the story of the simpleton and the bones."
Story of the faithless wife who was present at her own Sráddha. [72]
There was once a foolish man, and he had an unchaste wife. Once on
a time, when her husband had gone away for some business to another
country, she placed in charge of the house a confidential servant of
hers, a truly unique maid, after giving her instructions as to what
she was to do, and went away alone to the house of her paramour,
intent on enjoying herself without being interfered with. When
the lady's husband returned, the maid, who had been well schooled
beforehand, said with a voice choked with tears: "Your wife is dead
and burnt." She then took him to the burning-ghaut, and shewed him
the bones belonging to the pyre of some other person; the fool brought
them home with tears, and after bathing at the sacred bathing-places,
and strewing her bones there, he proceeded to perform her sráddha. And
he made his wife's paramour the officiating Bráhman at the ceremony,
as the maid brought him, saying that he was an excellent Bráhman. And
every month his wife came with that Bráhman, splendidly dressed, and
ate the sweetmeats. And then the maid said to him, "See, master, by
virtue of her chastity your wife is enabled to return from the other
world, and eat with the Bráhman." And the matchless fool believed
most implicitly what she said.
"In this way people of simple dispositions are easily imposed upon
by wicked women. You have heard about the simpleton and the bones;
now hear the story of the Chandála maiden."
Story of the ambitious Chandála maiden.
There was once a simple but good-looking Chandála maiden. And she
formed in her heart the determination to win for her bridegroom a
universal monarch. Once on a time, she saw the supreme sovereign go
out to make a progress round his city, and she proceeded to follow
him, with the intention of making him her husband. At that moment a
hermit came that way; and the king, though mounted on an elephant,
bowed at his feet, and returned to his own palace. When she saw that,
she thought that the hermit was a greater man even than the king,
and abandoning him, she proceeded to follow the hermit. The hermit,
as he was going along, beheld in front of him an empty temple
of Siva, and kneeling on the ground, he worshipped Siva, and then
departed. Then the Chandála maiden thought that Siva was greater even
than the hermit, and she left the hermit, and attached herself to the
god, with the intention of marrying him. Immediately a dog entered,
and going up on to the pedestal of the idol, lifted up his leg, and
behaved after the manner of the dog tribe. Then the Chandála maiden
thought that the dog was superior even to Siva, and leaving the god,
followed the departing dog, desiring to marry him. And the dog entered
the house of a Chandála, and out of affection rolled at the feet of
a young Chandála whom it knew. When she saw that, she concluded that
the young Chandála was superior to the dog, and satisfied with her
own caste, she chose him as her husband.
"So fools, after aspiring high, fall into their proper place. And
now hear in a few words the tale of the foolish king."
Story of the miserly king.
There was a certain foolish king, who was niggardly, though he
possessed an abundant treasure, and once on a time his ministers,
who desired his prosperity, said to him: "King, charity here averts
misery in the next life. So bestow wealth in charity; life and riches
are perishable." When the king heard this, he said, "Then I will bestow
wealth, when I am dead, and see myself reduced to a state of misery
here." Then the ministers remained silent, laughing in their sleeves.
"So, you see, a fool never takes leave of his wealth, until his wealth
takes leave of him. You have heard, prince, of the foolish king,
now hear the story of the two friends, by way of an episode in these
tales of fools."
Story of Dhavalamukha, his trading friend, and his fighting
friend. [73]
There was a king in Kányakubja, named Chandrapída. And he had a servant
named Dhavalamukha. And he, whenever he came to his house, had eaten
and drunk abroad. And one day his wife asked him,--"Where do you always
eat and drink before you come home?" And Dhavalamukha answered her,
"I always eat and drink with my friends before I come home, for
I have two friends in the world. The one is called Kalyánavarman,
who obliges me with food and other gifts, and the other is Vírabáhu,
who would oblige me with the gift of his life." When his wife heard
this, she said to Dhavalamukha, "Then shew me your two friends."
Then he went with her to the house of Kalyánavarman, and Kalyánavarman
honoured him with a splendid entertainment. The next day he went
with his wife to Vírabáhu, and he was gambling at the time, so he
welcomed him and dismissed him. Then Dhavalamukha's wife, being full
of curiosity, said to him: "Kalyánavarman entertained you splendidly,
but Vírabáhu only gave you a welcome. So why do you think more
highly of Vírabáhu than of the other?" When he heard that, he said,
"Go and tell them both in succession this fabrication, that the king
has suddenly become displeased with us, and you will find out for
yourself." She agreed, and went to Kalyánavarman and told him that
falsehood, and he answered: "Lady, I am a merchant's son, what can
I do against the king?" When he gave her this answer, she went to
Vírabáhu, and told him also that the king was angry with her husband;
and the moment he heard it, he came running with his shield and his
sword. But Dhavalamukha induced him to return home, saying that the
king's ministers had pacified his resentment. And he said to his
wife: "This, my dear, is the difference between those two friends of
mine." And she was quite satisfied.
"So you see that a friend, that shews his friendship by ceremonious
entertainment only, is a different thing from a real friend; though
oil and ghee both possess the property of oiliness, [74] oil is oil,
and ghee is ghee." When Gomukha had told this story, he continued
his tales of fools for the benefit of Naraváhanadatta.
Story of the thirsty fool that did not drink.
A certain foolish traveller, tormented by thirst, having with
difficulty got through a wood, reached a river; however, he did not
drink of it, but kept looking at the water. Some one said to him:
"Why do you not drink water, though you are thirsty?" But the blockhead
answered, "How could I drink so much water as this?" The other person
ridiculed him, saying, "What! will the king punish you, if you drink
it all up?" But still the foolish man did not drink the water.
"So you see that in this world fools will not even do a part of a
task to the best of their power, if they are not able to complete
it altogether. Now you have heard about the fool and the water,
hear the story of the son-slayer."
Story of the fool who killed his son.
There was once a foolish man, who was poor and had many sons. When one
of his sons died, he killed another, saying, How could this child go
such a long journey alone? So he was banished by the people, as being
a fool and a criminal.
"Thus a fool is as void of sense and discernment as an animal. You
have heard of the son-killer, now hear the story of the fool and
his brother."
Story of the fool and his brother.
A certain stupid fellow was talking in a crowd of men. Seeing a
respectable man some way off, he said: "That man there is brother
to me, so I shall inherit his property, but I am no relation to him,
so I am not liable for his debts." When the fool said this, even the
stones laughed at him.
Thus fools shew folly, and people blinded by the thought of their
own advantage behave in a very wonderful way. So you have heard the
story of the fool and his brother, now hear the story of the man
whose father followed a strict vow of chastity."
Story of the Brahmachárin's son.
A certain fool was engaged in relating his father's good qualities
in the midst of his friends. And describing his father's superior
excellence, he said: "My father has followed a strict vow of chastity
from his youth, there is no man who can be compared with him." When his
friends heard that, they said, "How did you come into the world?" He
answered "Oh! I am a mind-born son of his;" whereupon the matchless
fool was well laughed at by the people. [75]
"Thus foolish people make self-contradictory statements with regard
to others. You have heard the story of the son of the man who observed