The Kathá Sarit Ságara; or, Ocean of the Streams of Story
a strict vow of chastity. Hear now the story of the astrologer."
Story of the astrologer who killed his son.
There was a certain astrologer wanting in discernment. He left his own
country with his wife and son, because he could not earn a subsistence,
and went to another country. There he made a deceitful display of
his skill, in order to gain complimentary presents by a factitious
reputation for ability. He embraced his son before the public and shed
tears. When the people asked him why he did this, the wicked man said:
"I know the past, the present, and the future, and that enables me to
foresee that this child of mine will die in seven days from this time:
this is why I am weeping." By these words he excited the wonder of
the people, and when the seventh day arrived, he killed his son in the
morning, as he lay asleep. When the people saw that his son was dead,
they felt confidence in his skill, and honoured him with presents,
and so he acquired wealth and returned leisurely to his own country.
"Thus foolish men, through desire of wealth, go so far as to kill
their sons, in order to make a false display of prescience; the wise
should not make friends with such. Now hear the story of the foolish
man who was addicted to anger."
Story of the violent man who justified his character.
One day a man was relating to his friends, inside a house, the good
qualities of a man, who was listening outside. Then a person present
said: "It is true, my friend, that he possesses many good qualities,
but he has two faults; he is violent and irascible." While he was
saying this, the man, who was outside, overhearing him, entered
hastily, and twisted his garment round his throat, and said: "You fool,
what violence have I done, what anger have I been guilty of?" This
he said in an abusive way, inflamed with the fire of anger. Then
the others who were there laughed, and said to him, "Why should he
speak? You have been good enough to give us ocular demonstration of
your anger and your violence."
"So you see that fools do not know their own faults, though they
are patent to all men. Now hear about the foolish king who made his
daughter grow."
Story of the foolish king who made his daughter grow. [76]
A certain king had a handsome daughter born to him. On account of his
great affection for her, he wished to make her grow, so he quickly
summoned physicians, and said politely to them: "Make some preparation
of salutary drugs, in order that my daughter may grow up quickly,
and be married to a good husband." When the physicians heard this,
they said, in order to get a living out of the silly king: "There
is a medicine which will do this, but it can only be procured in a
distant country, and while we are sending for it, we must shut up
your daughter in concealment, for this is the treatment laid down
for such cases." When they had said this, they placed his daughter
in concealment there for many years, saying that they were engaged in
bringing that medicine. And when she grew up to be a young woman, they
shewed her to that king, telling him that she had been made to grow by
the medicine; and he was pleased, and loaded them with heaps of wealth.
"In this way rogues by means of imposture live on foolish
sovereigns. Now hear the story of a man who shewed his cleverness by
recovering half a pana."
Story of the man who recovered half a pana from his servant. [77]
There was once on a time a man living in a town, who was vain of
his wisdom. And a certain villager, who had served him for a year,
being dissatisfied with his salary, left him and went home. And when
he had gone, the town-bred gentleman said to his wife,--"My dear,
I hope you did not give him anything before he went?" She answered,
"Half a pana." Then he spent ten panas in provisions for the journey,
and overtook that servant on the bank of a river, and recovered from
him that half pana. And when he related it as a proof of his skill
in saving money, he became a public laughing-stock.
"Thus men, whose minds are blinded with wealth, fling away much to
gain little. Now hear the story of the man who took notes of the spot."
Story of the fool who took notes of a certain spot in the sea. [78]
A certain foolish person, while travelling by sea, let a silver vessel
fall from his hand into the water. The fool took notes of the spot,
observing the eddies and other signs in the water, and said to himself:
"I will bring it up from the bottom, when I return." He reached the
other side of the sea, and as he was re-crossing, he saw the eddies
and other signs, and thinking he recognized the spot, he plunged
into the water again and again to recover his silver vessel. When
the others asked him what his object was, he told them, and got well
laughed at and abused for his pains.
"Now hear the story of the king who wished to substitute other flesh
for what he had taken away."
Story of the king who replaced the flesh. [79]
A foolish king saw from his palace two men below. And seeing that
one of them had taken flesh from the kitchen, he had five palas
of flesh cut from his body. When the flesh had been cut away, the
man groaned and fell on the earth, and the king, seeing him, was
moved with compassion, and said to the warder: "His grief cannot be
assuaged because five palas of flesh were cut from him, so give him
more than five palas of flesh by way of compensation." The warder
said: "When a man's head is cut off, does he live even if you give
him a hundred heads?" Then he went outside and had his laugh out,
and comforted the man from whom the flesh had been cut, and handed
him over to the physicians.
"So you see, a silly king knows how to punish, but not how to shew
favour. Hear this story of the silly woman who wanted another son."
Story of the woman who wanted another son. [80]
One day a woman with only one son, desiring another, applied to a
wicked female ascetic belonging to a heretical sect. The ascetic told
her that, if she killed her young son and offered him to the divinity,
another son would certainly be born to her. When she was preparing
to carry out this advice, another and a good old woman said to her in
private: "Wicked woman, you are going to kill the son you have already,
and wish to get another. Supposing a second is not born to you,
what will you do?" So that good old woman dissuaded her from crime.
"So women, who associate with witches, fall into evil courses, but
they are restrained and saved by the advice of the old. Now, prince,
hear the story of the man who brought the ámalaka fruit."
Story of the servant who tasted the fruit. [81]
A certain householder had a stupid servant. As the householder was
fond of ámalakas, he said to his servant, "Go, and bring me some
perfectly sweet ámalakas from the garden." The foolish fellow bit
every one, to taste if it was sweet, and then brought them, and said;
"Look, master, I tasted these and found them sweet, before bringing
them." And his master, seeing that they were half eaten, sent them
away in disgust and his stupid servant too.
"Thus a foolish person ruins his master's interests and then his own,
and here by way of episode hear the story of the two brothers."
Story of the two brothers Yajnasoma and Kírtisoma.
There were two Bráhmans, brothers, in the city of Pátaliputra; the
elder was called Yajnasoma and the younger Kírtisoma. And those two
young Bráhmans had much wealth derived from their father. Kírtisoma
increased his share by business, but Yajnasoma exhausted his by
enjoying and giving. Then, being reduced to poverty, he said to his
wife; "My dear, how can I, who am reduced from riches to poverty, live
among my relations? Let us go to some foreign country." She said,--"How
can we go without money for the journey." Still her husband insisted,
so she said to him: "If you really must go, then first go and ask
your younger brother Kírtisoma for some money for the journey." So
he went and asked his younger brother for his travelling expenses,
but his younger brother's wife said to him: "How can we give even the
smallest sum to this man who has wasted his substance. For every one
who falls into poverty will sponge on us." When Kírtisoma heard this,
he no longer felt inclined to give anything to his elder brother,
though he loved him. Subjection to bad women is pernicious!
Then Yajnasoma went away silent, and told that to his wife, and set
out with her, relying upon the help of Heaven only. When they reached
the wood, it happened that, as he was going along, he was swallowed by
a monstrous serpent. And when his wife saw it, she fell on the ground
and lamented. And the serpent said with a human voice to the lady:
"Why do you lament, my good woman?" The Bráhman lady answered the
snake: "How can I help lamenting, mighty sir, when you have deprived
me in this remote spot of my only means of obtaining alms?" When the
serpent heard that, he brought out of his mouth a great vessel of gold
and gave it her, saying, "Take this as a vessel in which to receive
alms." [82] The good Bráhman lady said, "Who will give me alms in this
vessel, for I am a woman?" The serpent said: "If any one refuses to
give you alms in it, his head shall that moment burst into a hundred
pieces. What I say is true." When the virtuous Bráhman lady heard that,
she said to the serpent, "If this is so, then give me my husband in
it by way of alms." The moment the good lady said this, the serpent
brought her husband out of his mouth alive and unharmed. As soon as
the serpent had done this, he became a man of heavenly appearance,
and being pleased, he said to the joyful couple: "I am a king of the
Vidyádharas, named Kánchanavega, and by the curse of Gautama I was
reduced to the condition of a serpent. And it was appointed that my
curse should end when I conversed with a good woman." When the king of
the Vidyádharas had said this, he immediately filled the vessel with
jewels, and delighted flew up into the sky. And the couple returned
home with abundance of jewels. And there Yajnasoma lived in happiness
having obtained inexhaustible wealth.
"Providence gives to every one in accordance with his or her
character. Hear the story of the foolish man who asked for the barber."
Story of the fool who wanted a barber.
A certain inhabitant of Karnáta pleased his king by his daring
behaviour in battle. His sovereign was pleased, and promised to
give him whatever he asked for, but the spiritless warrior chose the
king's barber.
"Every man chooses what is good or bad according to the measure of
his own intellect: now hear the story of the foolish man who asked
for nothing at all."
Story of the man who asked for nothing at all.
A certain foolish man, as he was going along the road, was asked by
a carter to do something to make his cart balance evenly. He said,
"If I make it right, what will you give me?" The carter answered;
"I will give you nothing at all." Then the fool put the cart even, and
said, "Give me the nothing-at-all you promised." But the carter laughed
at him. "So you see, king, fools are for ever becoming the object of
the scorn and contempt and reproach of men, and fall into misfortune,
while the good on the other hand are thought worthy of honour."
When the prince surrounded by his ministers, had heard at night
these amusing stories from Gomukha, he was enabled to enjoy sleep,
which refreshes the whole of the three worlds.
CHAPTER LXII.
The next morning Naraváhanadatta got up, and went into the presence
of the king of Vatsa his loving father. There he found Sinhavarman,
the brother of the queen Padmávatí and the son of the king of Magadha,
who had come there from his own house. The day passed in expressions