The Kathá Sarit Ságara; or, Ocean of the Streams of Story
second day. Being weary and dusty with the long journey, he bathed
outside that city in the pellucid water of a lake. And he drew out
of the middle of the lake a garment placed there by some robbers,
not suspecting any harm. But in one corner of the garment, which was
knotted up, a necklace was concealed. [139] Then Srídatta took that
garment, and in his eagerness to meet his wife did not notice the
necklace, and so entered the city of Mathurá. Then the city police
recognized the garment, and finding the necklace, arrested Srídatta
as a thief, and carried him off, and brought him before the chief
magistrate exactly as he was found, with the garment in his possession;
by him he was handed up to the king, and the king ordered him to be
put to death.
Then, as he was being led off to the place of execution with the
drum being beaten behind him, [140] his wife Mrigánkavatí saw him in
the distance. She went in a state of the utmost distraction and said
to the chief minister, in whose house she was residing, "Yonder is
my husband being led off to execution." Then that minister went and
ordered the executioners to desist, and, by making a representation
to the king, got Srídatta pardoned, and had him brought to his
house. And when Srídatta reached his house, and saw that minister,
he recognised him and fell at his feet, exclaiming, "What! is this my
uncle Vigatabhaya, who long ago went to a foreign country, and do I now
by good luck find him established in the position of a minister?" He
too recognised to his astonishment Srídatta as his brother's son,
and embraced him, and questioned him about all his adventures. Then
Srídatta related to his uncle his whole history beginning with the
execution of his father. And he, after weeping, said to his nephew in
private, "Do not despond, my son, for I once brought a female Yaksha
into subjection by means of magic; and she gave me, though I have
no son, five thousand horses and seventy millions of gold pieces:
and all that wealth is at your disposal." After telling him this,
his uncle brought him his beloved, and he, having obtained wealth,
married her on the spot. And then he remained there in joy, united
with that beloved Mrigánkavatí as a bed of white lotuses [141] with
the night. But even when his happiness was at its full, anxiety for
Báhusálin and his companions clouded his heart, as a spot of darkness
does the full moon. Now one day his uncle said secretly to Srídatta:
"my son, the king Súrasena has a maiden daughter, and in accordance
with his orders I have to take her to the land of Avanti to give her
away in marriage; so I will take her away on that very pretext, and
marry her to you. Then, when you have got possession of the force that
follows her, with mine already at your disposal, you will soon gain
the kingdom that was promised you by the goddess Srí." Having resolved
on this, and having taken that maiden, Srídatta and his uncle set out
with their army and their attendants. But as soon as they had reached
the Vindhya forest, before they were aware of the danger, a large army
of brigands set upon them showering arrows. After routing Srídatta's
force, and seizing all the wealth, they bound Srídatta himself, who
had fainted from his wounds, and carried him off to their village. And
they took him to the awful temple of Durgá, in order to offer him up
in sacrifice, and, as it were, summoned Death with the sound of their
gongs. There Sundarí saw him, one of his wives, the daughter of the
chief of the village, who had come with her young son to visit the
shrine of the goddess. Full of joy she ordered the brigands, who were
between her and her husband, to stand aside, and then Srídatta entered
her palace with her. Immediately Srídatta obtained the sovereignty of
that village, which Sundarí's father, having no son, bequeathed to
her when he went to heaven. So Srídatta recovered his wife and his
sword Mrigánka, and also his uncle and his followers, who had been
overpowered by the robbers. And, while he was in that town, he married
the daughter of Súrasena, and became a great king there. And from
that place he sent ambassadors to his two fathers-in-law, to Bimbaki,
and king Súrasena. And they, being very fond of their daughters,
gladly recognised him as a connection, and came to him accompanied by
the whole of their armies. And his friends Báhusálin and the others,
who had been separated from him, when they heard what had happened,
came to him with their wounds healed and in good health. Then the hero
marched, united with his fathers-in-law, and made that Vikramasakti,
who had put his father to death, a burnt-offering in the flame of his
wrath. And then Srídatta, having gained dominion over the sea-encircled
earth, and deliverance from the sorrow of separation, joyed in the
society of Mrigánkavatí. Even so, my king, do men of firm resolution
cross the calamitous sea of separation and obtain prosperity.
After hearing this tale from Sangataka, the king Sahasráníka, though
longing for the sight of his beloved one, managed to get through
that night on the journey. Then, engrossed with his desire, sending
his thoughts on before, in the morning Sahasráníka set out to meet
his darling. And in a few days he reached that peaceful hermitage of
Jamadagni, in which even the deer laid aside their wantonness. And
there he beheld with reverence that Jamadagni, the sight of whom
was sanctifying, like the incarnate form of penance, who received him
hospitably. And the hermit handed over to him that queen Mrigávatí with
her son, regained by the king after long separation, like tranquillity
accompanied with joy. And that sight which the husband and wife
obtained of one another, now that the curse had ceased, rained,
as it were, nectar into their eyes, which were filled with tears of
joy. And the king embracing that son Udayana, whom he now beheld for
the first time, could with difficulty let him go, as he was, so to
speak, riveted to his body with his own hairs that stood erect from
joy. [142] Then king Sahasráníka took his queen Mrigávatí with Udayana,
and, bidding adieu to Jamadagni, set out from that tranquil hermitage
for his own city, and even the deer followed him as far as the border
of the hermitage with tearful eyes. Beguiling the way by listening to
the adventures of his beloved wife during the period of separation,
and by relating his own, he at length reached the city of Kausámbí,
in which triumphal arches were erected and banners displayed. And
he entered that city in company with his wife and child, being, so
to speak, devoured [143] by the eyes of the citizens, that had the
fringe of their lashes elevated. And immediately the king appointed
his son Udayana crown-prince, being incited to it by his excellent
qualities. And he assigned to him as advisers the sons of his own
ministers, Vasantaka and Rumanvat and Yaugandharáyana. Then a rain
of flowers fell, and a celestial voice was heard--"By the help of
these excellent ministers, the prince shall obtain dominion over the
whole earth." Then the king devolved on his son the cares of empire,
and enjoyed in the society of Mrigávatí the long-desired pleasures of
the world. At last the desire of earthly enjoyment, beholding suddenly
that old age, the harbinger of composure had reached the root of the
king's ear, [144] became enraged and fled far from him. Then that king
Sahasráníka established in his throne his excellent son Udayana, [145]
whom the subjects loved so well, to ensure the world's prosperity,
and accompanied by his ministers, and his beloved wife, ascended the
Himálaya to prepare for the last great journey.
CHAPTER XI.
Then Udayana took the kingdom of Vatsa, which his father had
bequeathed to him, and, establishing himself in Kausámbí, ruled his
subjects well. But gradually he began to devolve the cares of empire
upon his ministers, Yaugandharáyana and others, and gave himself
up entirely to pleasures. He was continually engaged in the chase,
and day and night he played on the melodious lute which Vásuki [146]
gave him long ago; and he subdued evermore infuriated wild elephants,
overpowered by the fascinating spell of its strings' dulcet sound,
and, taming them, brought them home. That king of Vatsa drank wine
adorned by the reflection of the moon-faces of fair women, and at the
same time robbed his minister's faces of their cheerful hue. [147]
Only one anxiety had he to bear, he kept thinking, "Nowhere is a
wife found equal to me in birth and personal appearance, the maiden
named Vásavadattá alone has a liking for me, but how is she to be
obtained?" Chandamahásena also in Ujjayiní thought; "There is no
suitable husband to be found for my daughter in the world, except one
Udayana by name, and he has ever been my enemy. Then how can I make
him my son-in-law and my submissive ally? There is only one device
which can effect it. He wanders about alone in the forest capturing
elephants, for he is a king addicted to the vice of hunting; I will
make use of this failing of his to entrap him and bring him here by
a stratagem: and, as he is acquainted with music, I will make this
daughter of mine his pupil, and then his eye will without doubt
be charmed with her, and he will certainly became my son-in-law,
and my obedient ally. No other artifice seems applicable in this
case for making him submissive to my will." Having thus reflected,
he went to the temple of Durgá, in order that his scheme might
be blessed with success, and, after worship and praise, offered a
prayer to the goddess. And there he heard a bodiless voice saying,
"This desire of thine, O king, shall shortly be accomplished." Then
he returned satisfied, and deliberated over that very matter with
the minister Buddhadatta [148] saying--"That prince is elated with
pride, he is free from avarice, his subjects are attached to him,
and he is of great power, therefore he cannot be reached by any of
the four usual expedients beginning with negotiation, nevertheless
let negotiation be tried first." [149] Having thus deliberated,
the king gave this order to an ambassador, "Go and give the king
of Vatsa this message from me; 'My daughter desires to be thy pupil
in music, if thou love us, come here and teach her.'" When sent off
by the king with this message, the ambassador went and repeated it
to the king of Vatsa in Kausámbí exactly as it was delivered; and
the king of Vatsa, after hearing this uncourteous message from the
ambassador, repeated it in private to the minister Yaugandharáyana,
saying "Why did that monarch send me that insolent message? What can
be the villain's object in making such a proposal?" When the king
asked him this question, the great minister Yaugandharáyana, who was
stern to his master for his good, thus answered him; "Your reputation
for vice [150] has shot up in the earth like a creeper, and this,
O king, is its biting bitter fruit. For that king Chandamahásena,
thinking that you are the slave of your passions, intends to ensnare
you by means of his beautiful daughter, throw you into prison, and so
make you his unresisting instrument. Therefore abandon kingly vices,
for kings that fall into them are easily captured by their enemies,
even as elephants are taken in pits." When his minister had said this
to him, the resolute king of Vatsa sent in return an ambassador to
Chandamahásena with the following reply, "If thy daughter desires to
become my pupil, then send her here." When he had sent this reply,
that king of Vatsa said to his ministers--"I will march and bring
Chandamahásena here in chains." When he heard that, the head minister
Yaugandharáyana said--"That is not a fitting thing to do, my king, nor
is it in thy power to do it. For Chandamahásena is a mighty monarch,