The Kathá Sarit Ságara; or, Ocean of the Streams of Story
he turned [161] his former wife into a mare, and tied her up in the
stable. And in order to revenge himself, he made it a rule to give
her every day seven blows with a stick, before he took any food. [162]
One day, while he was living there in this way with Kántimatí, a
guest came to his house. The guest had just sat down to his meal, when
suddenly Vámadatta got up and rushed quickly out of the room without
eating anything, because he recollected that he had not beaten his
wicked wife with a stick that day. And after he had given his wife,
in the form of a mare, the appointed number of blows, he came in with
his mind easy, and took his food. Then the guest, being astonished,
asked him, out of curiosity, where he had gone in such a hurry,
leaving his food. Thereupon Vámadatta told him his whole story from
the beginning, and his guest said to him, "What is the use of this
persistent revenge? Petition that mother-in-law of yours, who first
released you from your animal condition, and gain some advantage for
yourself." When the guest gave this advice to Vámadatta, he approved
it, and the next morning dismissed him with the usual attentions.
Then that witch, his mother-in-law, suddenly paid him a visit, and
he supplicated her persistently to grant him a boon. The powerful
witch instructed him and his wife in the method of gaining the
life-prolonging charm, with the proper initiatory rites. [163] So he
went to the mountain of Srí and set about obtaining that charm, and
the charm, when obtained, appeared to him in visible shape, and gave
him a splendid sword. And when the successful Vámadatta had obtained
the sword, he and his wife Kántimatí became glorious Vidyádharas. Then
he built by his magic power a splendid city on a peak of the Malaya
mountain, named Rajatakúta. There, in time, that prince among the
Vidyádharas had born to him by his queen an auspicious daughter,
named Lalitalochaná. And the moment she was born, she was declared
by a voice, that came from heaven, to be destined to be the wife of
the future emperor of the Vidyádharas.
"Know, my husband, that I am that very Lalitalochaná, and that knowing
the facts by my science and being in love with you, I have brought
you to this very Malaya mountain, which is my own home." When she had
in these words told him her story, Naraváhanadatta was much pleased,
and entertained great respect for his new wife. And he remained there
with her, and immediately the king of Vatsa and his entourage learnt
the truth, by means of the supernatural knowledge of Ratnaprabhá,
and the other wives of Naraváhanadatta that possessed the same powers.
CHAPTER LXIX.
Then Naraváhanadatta, having obtained that new bride Lalitalochaná,
sported with her on that very Malaya mountain, delightful on account
of the first burst of spring, in various forest purlieus adorned with
flowering trees.
And in one grove his beloved, in the course of gathering flowers,
disappeared out of his sight into a dense thicket, and while he was
wandering on, he saw a great tank with clear water, that, on account
of the flowers fallen from the trees on its bank, resembled the heaven
studded with stars. [164]
And he thought--"I will wait until my beloved, who is gathering
flowers, returns to me; and in the meanwhile I will bathe in this lake
and rest for a little upon its bank." So he bathed and worshipped
the gods, and then he sat down on a slab of rock in the shade of
a sandal-wood tree. While sitting there he thought of his beloved
Madanamanchuká, who was so far off, beholding the gait of the female
swans that rivalled hers, and hearing the singing of the female cuckoos
in the mango-creepers that equalled hers, and seeing the eyes of the
does that recalled hers to his mind. And as soon as he recollected
her, the fire of love sprang up in his breast, and tortured him so
that he fainted; and at that moment a glorious hermit came there to
bathe, whose name was Pisangajata. He, seeing the prince in such a
state, sprinkled him with sandal-water, refreshing as the touch of
his beloved. Then he recovered consciousness and bowed before the
hermit. But the hermit said to him, "My son, in order that you may
obtain your wish, acquire endurance. For by means of that quality every
thing is acquired, and in order that you may understand this, come
to my hermitage and hear the story of Mrigánkadatta, if you have not
already heard it. When the hermit had said this, he bathed and took the
prince to his hermitage, and quickly performed his daily prayers. And
Pisangajata entertained him there with fruits, and ate fruits himself,
and then he began to tell him this tale of Mrigánkadatta.
Story of Mrigánkadatta. [165]
There is a city of the name of Ayodhyá famous in the three worlds. In
it there lived in old time a king named Amaradatta. He was of
resplendent brightness, and he had a wife named Surataprabhá, who
was as closely knit to him as the oblation to the fire. [166] By her
there was born to him a son named Mrigánkadatta, who was adored for
his ten million virtues, as his bow was bent by the string reaching
the notches. [167]
And that young prince had ten ministers of his own, Prachandasakti
and Sthúlabáhu, and Vikramakesarin, Dridhamushti, and Meghabala and
Bhímaparákrama, and Vimalabuddhi, and Vyághrasena and Gunákara, and
the tenth Vichitrakatha. They were all of good birth, young, brave,
and wise, and devoted to their master's interests. And Mrigánkadatta
led a happy life with them in his father's house, but he did not
obtain a suitable wife.
And one day his minister Bhímaparákrama said to him in secret,--"Hear,
prince, what happened to me in the night. I went to sleep last night
on the roof of the palace, and I saw in a dream a lion, with claws
terrible as the thunderbolt, rushing upon me. I rose up, sword in
hand, and then the lion began to flee, and I pursued him at my utmost
speed. He crossed a river, and stuck out his long tongue [168] at me,
and I cut it off with my sword. And I made use of it to cross that
river, for it was as broad as a bridge. And thereupon the lion became
a deformed giant. I asked him who he was and the giant said, 'I am a
Vetála, and I am delighted with your courage, my brave fellow.' Then
I said to him, 'If this is the case, then tell me who is to be the
wife of my master Mrigánkadatta.' When I said this to the Vetála,
he answered,--'There is in Ujjayiní a king named Karmasena. He has a
daughter, who in beauty surpasses the Apsarases, being, as it were, the
receptacle of the Creator's handiwork in the form of loveliness. Her
name is Sasánkavatí, and she shall be his wife, and by gaining her,
he shall become king of the whole earth.' When the Vetála had said
this, he disappeared, and I came home; this is what happened to me
in the night, my sovereign."
When Mrigánkadatta heard this from Bhímaparákrama, he summoned all his
ministers, and had it told to them, and then he said, "Hear, what I
too saw in a dream; I thought we all entered a certain wood; and in it,
being thirsty with travelling, we reached with difficulty some water;
and when we wished to drink it, five armed men rose up and tried to
prevent us. We killed them, and then in the torments of our thirst we
again turned to drink the water, but lo! neither the men nor the water
were to be seen. Then we were in a miserable state; but on a sudden
we saw the god Siva come there, mounted on his bull, resplendent
with the moon on his forehead; we bent before him in prayer and he
dropped from his right eye a tear-drop on the ground. That became
a sea, and I drew from it a splendid pearl-necklace and fastened it
round my neck. And I drank up that sea in a human skull stained with
blood. And immediately I awoke, and lo! the night was at an end."
When Mrigánkadatta had described this wonderful sight that he had
seen in his dream, the other ministers rejoiced, but Vimalabuddhi
said; "You are fortunate, prince, in that Siva has shewn you this
favour. As you obtained the necklace and drank up the sea, you shall
without fail obtain Sasánkavatí and rule the whole earth. But the
rest of the dream indicates some slight amount of misfortune." When
Vimalabuddhi had said this, Mrigánkadatta again said to his ministers,
"Although the fulfilment of my dream will no doubt come to pass in
the way which my friend Bhímaparákrama heard predicted by the Vetála,
still I must win from that Karmasena, who confides in his army and
his forts, his daughter Sasánkavatí by force of policy. And the force
of policy is the best instrument in all undertakings. Now listen,
I will tell you a story to prove this."
Story of king Bhadrabáhu and his clever minister.
There was a king in Magadha, named Bhadrabáhu. He had a minister named
Mantragupta, most sagacious of men. That king once said of his own
accord to that minister; "The king of Váránasí, named Dharmagopa, has
a daughter named Anangalílá, the chief beauty of the three worlds. I
have often asked for her in marriage, but out of hostility that king
will not give her to me. And he is a formidable foe, on account of
his possessing an elephant named Bhadradanta. Still I cannot bear to
live any longer without that daughter of his. So I have no measure
which I can adopt in this business. Tell me, my friend, what I am to
do." When the king said this, his minister answered him; "Why, king,
do you suppose that courage and not policy ensures success? Dismiss
your anxiety; I will manage the matter for you by my own ingenuity."
So, the next day, the minister set out for Váránasí, disguised as a
Pásupata ascetic, and he took six or seven companions with him, who
were disguised as his pupils, and they told all the people, who came
together from all quarters to adore him, that he possessed supernatural
powers. Then, as he was roaming about one night to find out some
means of accomplishing his object, he saw in the distance the wife
of the keeper of the elephants leave her house, going along quickly
through fear, escorted in some direction or other by three or four
armed men. He at once said to himself, "Surely this lady is eloping
somewhere, so I will see where she is going." So he followed her with
his attendants. And he observed from a distance the house into which
she went, and then he returned to his own lodging. And the next day,
as the elephant-keeper was wandering about in search of his wife, who
had gone off with his wealth, the minister contrived to send his own
followers to meet him. They found that he had just swallowed poison
because he could not find his wife, and they counteracted by their
knowledge the effect of the poison, pretending that they did it out
of pure compassion. And they said to him; "Come to our teacher, for
he is a seer and knows every thing:" and so they brought him to the
minister. And the elephant-keeper fell at the feet of the minister,
who was rendered more majestic by the insignia of his vow, and asked
him for news of his wife. The minister pretended to meditate, and
after a time told him the place where she was taken by the strange
men at night, with all the signs by which he might recognise it. Then
the elephant-keeper bowed again before him, and went with a host of
policemen and surrounded that place. And he killed those wicked men
who had carried off his wife, and recovered her, together with her
ornaments and his wealth.
And the next day he went and bowed before, and praised that supposed
seer, and invited him to an entertainment. And as the minister did not
wish to enter a house, and said that he must eat at night, he made an
entertainment for him at nightfall in the elephant-stables. So the
minister went there and feasted with his followers, taking with him
a concealed serpent, that he had by means of a charm got to enter the