The Kathá Sarit Ságara; or, Ocean of the Streams of Story
Yama, and there Chitragupta, whose favour he had long ago won, saw him,
and said to him in private; [221] "If you are asked here, whether you
will stay in hell first or in heaven, ask to be allowed to take your
period in heaven first. And while you live in heaven, acquire merit,
in order to ensure the permanence of your stay there. And then perform
severe asceticism, in order to expiate your sin." When Chitragupta
said this to Sinhavikrama, who was standing there abashed, with face
fixed on the ground, he readily consented to do it.
And a moment afterwards Yama said to Chitragupta, "Has this robber
any amount of merit to his credit or not?" Then Chitragupta said,
"Indeed he is hospitable, and he bestowed his own wife on a suitor,
in order to please his favourite deity; so he has to go to heaven for a
day of the gods." When Yama heard this, he said to Sinhavikrama; "Tell
me, which will you take first, your happiness or your misery?" Then
Sinhavikrama entreated that he might have his happiness first. So
Yama ordered his chariot to be brought, and Sinhavikrama mounted it,
and went off to heaven, remembering the words of Chitragupta.
There he rigidly observed a vow of bathing in the Ganges of heaven,
and of muttering prayers, and remained indifferent to the enjoyments
of the place, and so he obtained the privilege of dwelling there
for another year of the gods. Thus in course of time he obtained
a right to perpetual residence in heaven, by virtue of his severe
asceticism, and by propitiating Siva his sin was burnt up, and he
obtained knowledge. Then the messengers of hell were not able to look
him in the face, and Chitragupta blotted out the record of his sin
on his birch-bark register, and Yama was silent.
"Thus Sinhavikrama, though a robber, obtained emancipation by virtue
of true discernment; and now I have explained to you the perfection
of discernment. And thus, my son, the wise embark on these six
perfections taught by Buddha, as on a ship, and so cross the ocean
of temporal existence."
While Somasúra was being thus instructed in the forest by king
Vinítamati, who had attained the rank of a Bodhisattva, the sun
heard these religious lessons, and became subdued, and assuming the
hue of sunset as the red robe of a Buddhist, entered the cavern of
the western mountain. Then king Vinítamati and Somasúra performed
their evening rites, according to pious usage, and spent the night
there. And the next day, Vinítamati went on to teach Somasúra the law
of Buddha with all its secrets. [222] Then Somasúra built a hut at the
foot of a tree, and remained there in the wood, sitting at the feet
of that instructor, absorbed in contemplation. And in course of time
those two, the teacher and the pupil, attained supernatural powers,
the result of abstraction, and gained the highest illumination.
And in the meanwhile, Indukalasa came, out of jealousy, and by
the might of his sword and horse ejected his brother Kanakakalasa
from the kingdom of Ahichchhatra also, which Vinítamati gave him,
when he was afflicted at losing his first kingdom. He, having been
deposed from his throne, wandered about with two or three of his
ministers, and, as chance would have it, reached the grove, which
was the retreat of Vinítamati. And while he was looking for fruits
and water, as he suffered from severe hunger and thirst, Indra
burnt up the wood by his magic power, and made it as it was before,
wishing to entrap Vinítamati by making it impossible for him to shew
such hospitality to every wayfarer. [223] And Vinítamati, beholding
the grove, which was his retreat, suddenly turned into a desert,
roamed about hither and thither for a short time, in a state of
bewilderment. And then he saw Kanakalasa, who in the course of his
wanderings had come there with his followers, and was now his guest,
and he and his train were all on the point of death from hunger. And
the hospitable Bodhisattva approached the king, when he was in this
state, and asked him his story, and then he exerted his discernment,
and said to him, "Though this wood has become a desert, and affords
no hospitable entertainment, still I can tell you an expedient for
saving your lives in your present state of hunger. Only half a kos
from here there is a deer, which has been killed by falling into a
hole, go and save your lives by eating its flesh." His guest, who was
suffering from hunger, took his advice, and set out for that place
with his followers, but the Bodhisattva Vinítamati got there before
him. He reached that hole, and by his supernatural power assumed the
form of a deer, and then he threw himself into it, and sacrificed
his life for the sake of his petitioner. Then Kanakakalasa and his
followers slowly reached that hole, and found the deer lying dead in
it. So they pulled it out, and made a fire with grass and thorns,
and roasted its flesh, and devoured it all. In the meanwhile the
Bodhisattva's two wives, the daughter of the Nága and the princess,
seeing that the wood of their retreat had been destroyed, and not
seeing their husband, were much distressed, and went and told what
had happened, to Somasúra, whom they roused from deep meditation. He
soon discerned by contemplation what his spiritual teacher had done,
and he told the news to his wives, distressing as it was to them. And
he quickly went with them to that hole, in which his spiritual guide
had sacrificed himself for his guests. There the princess and the
Nága's daughter, seeing that only the bones and horns of the deer,
into which their husband had turned himself, remained, mourned for
him. And the two ladies, who were devoted to their husband, took his
horns and bones, and brought a heap of wood from their hermitage, and
entered the fire. And then Kanakakalasa and his companions, who were
there, being grieved when they heard the story, entered the fire also."
When all this had taken place, Somasúra, unable to endure the grief,
which he felt for the loss of his spiritual teacher, took to a bed of
darbha-grass with the intention of yielding up his breath. And then
Indra appeared to him in person and said to him, "Do not do so, for I
did all this to try your spiritual teacher. And I have now sprinkled
with amrita the ashes and bones, which were all that remained of him,
and his wives, and his guests, and restored them all to life." [224]
When Somasúra heard Indra say this, he worshipped him, and rose up
delighted, and went and looked, and lo! his spiritual guide the
Bodhisattva Vinítamati had risen up again alive, with his wives,
and Kanakakalasa, and his attendants. Then he honoured with an
inclination of the head, and worshipped with gifts of flowers and
respectful speeches, his spiritual father, who had returned from
the other world with his wives, and feasted his eyes upon him. And
while Kanakakalasa and his followers were respectfully testifying
their devotion to him, all the gods came there, headed by Brahmá and
Vishnu. And pleased with the goodness of Vinítamati, they all gave him
by their divine power boons earned by his disinterestedness, and then
disappeared. And Somasúra and the others told their history, and then
Vinítamati went with them to another and a heavenly wood of ascetics.
"So you see that in this world even those who are reduced to ashes meet
again, much more men who are alive and can go where they will. So,
my son, no more of abandoning the body! Go, for you are a brave man,
and you shall certainly be re-united with Mrigánkadatta." When I
had heard this tale from the old female ascetic, I bowed before her,
and set out, sword in hand, with renewed hope, and in course of time
I reached this forest, and was, as fate would have it, captured by
these Savaras, who were seeking a victim for Durgá. And after wounding
me in fight, they bound me, and brought me as a prisoner to this
king of the Savaras Máyávatu. Here I have found you, my sovereign,
accompanied by two or three of your ministers, and by your favour I
am as happy as if I were in my own house.
When Mrigánkadatta, who was in the palace of the Savara prince, had
heard this history of the adventures of his friend Gunákara told
by himself, he was much pleased, and after he had seen the proper
remedies applied to the body of that minister who had been wounded in
fight, as the day was advancing, he rose up with his other friends,
and performed the duties of the day.
And he remained there for some days engaged in restoring Gunákara to
health, though eager to go to Ujjayiní, in order to be re-united with
his other friends and to obtain Sasánkavatí. [225]
CHAPTER LXXIII.
Then Gunákara's wounds healed, and he recovered his health, so
Mrigánkadatta took leave of his friend the king of the Savaras, and
set out from his town on a lucky day for Ujjayiní, to find Sasánkavatí.
But his friend followed him a long way with his retinue, accompanied
by his ally Durgapisácha king of the Mátangas, and made a promise to
come to his assistance. And as he was going along with his friends
Srutadhi, and Vimalabuddhi, and Gunákara, and Bhímaparákrama, and
searching for his other friends in that Vindhya forest, it happened
that he slept one day on the road with his ministers at the foot of a
certain tree. And he suddenly awoke, and got up, and looked about him,
and beheld there another man asleep. And when he uncovered his face,
he recognised him as his own minister Vichitrakatha, who had arrived
there. And Vichitrakatha too woke up, and saw his master Mrigánkadatta,
and joyfully embraced his feet. And the prince embraced him, with
eyes wide open with delight at seeing him so unexpectedly, and all
his ministers woke up and welcomed him. Then all in turn told him
their adventures, and asked him to tell his, and Vichitrakatha began
to relate his story as follows:
Story of Vichitrakatha's adventures after his separation from the
prince.
At that time, when you were dispersed in all directions by the curse
of Párávatáksha, I too in my bewilderment wandered about alone for a
long time. And after I had roamed far, still unconscious, I suddenly
reached in the course of the next day, when I was tired out, a great
and heavenly town on the outskirts of the forest. There a godlike
being, accompanied by two consorts, beheld me, and had me bathed with
cool water, and restored my strength. And he made me enter his city,
and carefully fed me with heavenly food, then he ate himself, and
those two wives of his ate after him. And after the meal, [226] being
refreshed, I said to him, "Who are you, sir, and why have you thus
saved the life of me who am resolved on death? For I must certainly
abandon the body, as I have lost my master." When I had said this,
I told him my whole story. Then that noble and kind being said to me,
"I am a Yaksha, these are my wives, and you have come here to-day
as my guest, and you know that it is the duty of householders to
honour guests to the utmost of their power. I have accordingly
welcomed you. But why do you wish to abandon the body? For this
separation of yours is due to the curse of a Nága, and will last
only a short time. And you will certainly be all re-united, when the
curse pronounced on you has spent its force. And reflect, my good man;
who is born free from sorrow in this world? Hear what sorrow I have
gone through, though I am a Yaksha."
Story of Srídarsana.
There is a city named Trigartá, the garland that adorns the head of
this bride the earth, strung with virtues as with flowers. [227] In
it there lived a young Bráhman named Pavitradhara, who was himself
poor in worldly wealth, but rich in relations, high birth, and other
advantages. That high-spirited Bráhman, living in the midst of rich
people, reflected,--"Though I live up to the rules of my caste, I