The Kathá Sarit Ságara; or, Ocean of the Streams of Story
to meet him. And when those two armies came to close quarters,
and could see one another, a battle took place between them, that
gladdened heroes. The battlefield seemed like the dwelling-place of
Hiranyakasipu, as it was full of timid demons dispersed in terror
by the roar of the Man-lion; [481] the continued dense showers of
arrows flying through the air, and cutting one another, descended
on brave warriors, like locusts on the tender herb. Dense clouds of
pearls gleamed as they sprang from the frontal globes of elephants
struck with swords, resembling the necklace of the Fortune of that
battle broken in her agitation. That place of combat appeared like the
mouth of Death; and the sharp points of spears, that seized on men,
horses, and elephants, were like his fangs. The heads of strong-armed
warriors, cut off with crescent-headed arrows, flew up to heaven,
as if leaping up [482] to kiss the heavenly nymphs; and at every
moment trunks of brave heroes danced, as if in delight at the battle
of their noble leader being gloriously illuminated; and so for five
days that hero-destroying battle went on, with flowing rivers of blood,
rich in mountains of heads.
And in the evening of the fifth day the Bráhman Srutadhi came secretly
to Mrigánkadatta when he was closeted with his ministers, and said to
him, "While you were engaged in fighting, I went away from the camp,
in the disguise of a mendicant, and entered Ujjayiní, the gates of
which were almost deserted; and now listen; I will tell you truly what
I observed, being myself all the while, though near at hand, unseen in
virtue of my knowledge. As soon as king Karmasena went out to battle,
Sasánkavatí with the permission of her mother also left the palace, and
repaired to a temple of Gaurí in that city, to propitiate the goddess,
in order to ensure her father's success in the combat. And while she
was there, she said in secret to a devoted confidante 'My friend, it
is for my sake, that my father has become involved in this war. And if
he is conquered, he will give me to that prince; for kings disregard
love for offspring altogether, when the interests of their kingdoms
are at stake. And I do not know whether that prince is a suitable match
for me in respect of personal appearance, or not. I would sooner meet
my death than marry an ugly husband. I think a good-looking husband,
even though poor, is to be preferred to an ugly one, though he be
emperor over the whole earth. So you must go to the army and see what
he is like, and then return. For, my fortunate friend, Prudence [483]
is your name, and Prudence is your nature.'
"When the princess had given this order to her confidante, that girl
managed to come to our camp, and after seeing you, prince, went and
said to that princess, 'My friend, I can say nothing but this; even
Vásuki [484] himself has not got a tongue able to describe the beauty
of that prince. So far however I can give you an idea of it: as there
is no woman in the world equal to you in good looks, so there is no
man equal to him. But alas! that is but a feeble description of him;
I believe in these three worlds there is no Siddha, or Gandharva,
or god like him.' By this speech of her confidante's Sasánkavatí's
heart was fixed on you, and at the same moment it was nailed to you
by the god of love with his arrows. And from that time forth she has
remained desiring the welfare of you and also of her father, becoming
gradually attenuated by penance and the grief of separation from you."
"So go secretly this very night, and carry off that princess from
that sanctuary of Gaurí, which is now unfrequented, and bring her here
without being observed. Let her be conveyed to the palace of Máyávatu;
and then these kings, after securing your rear against the fury of
the foe, shall come there with me. Let this fighting be put an end
to. Do not allow any further slaughter of soldiers. And ensure the
personal safety of yourself and the king your father-in-law. For war,
that involves a great waste of human life, is an inexpedient expedient,
and sages affirm it to be the worst of all political measures."
When Srutadhi had said this to Mrigánkadatta, that prince and his
ministers mounted their horses and set out secretly at night. And
the prince arrived at the city of Ujjayiní, in which only women, and
children, and sleepy men were left, and entered it easily, as the gates
were kept by only a few drowsy guards. [485] And then he proceeded
to that famous sanctuary of Gaurí, which was easily discovered by the
description which Srutadhi had given of it. It was situated in a great
garden called Pushpakarnda, and was just then illuminated by the rays
of the moon, which at that time adorned the face of the East. [486]
In the meanwhile Sasánkavatí, who remained sleepless, though her
companions, worn out by attendance and other fatigues, were sleeping
around her, was saying to herself; "Alas! for my sake brave kings
and princes and heroes are being slain every day in battle in both
these armies. Moreover, that prince, who has appealed to the ordeal
of battle for my sake, was long ago designated as my husband by the
goddess Durgá in a dream; and the god of love has with unfailing
aim cut out my heart with a continual shower [487] of arrows, and
taken it, and presented it to him. But, ill-starred girl that I am,
my father will not give me to that prince, on account of the previous
enmity between them, and his own pride; so much I gathered from his
letter. So what is the use of a sure revelation by a goddess in a
dream, when Fate is adverse? The fact is, I see no chance of obtaining
my beloved in any way. So, why should I not abandon my hopeless life,
before I hear of some misfortune happening to my father or to my lover
in battle? [488]" With these words she rose up, and in her grief went
in front of the image of Gaurí and made a noose with her outer garment,
fastening it to an asoka-tree.
In the meanwhile Mrigánkadatta, with his companions, entered that
garden and fastened his horse to a tree in front of the temple and
sanctuary of Gaurí. Then Mrigánkadatta's minister Vimalabuddhi,
seeing the princess near, said of his own accord to the prince,
"Look prince, here is some lovely girl trying to hang herself; now,
who can she be?" When the prince heard that, he looked at her and
said, "Dear me! who can this girl be? Is she the goddess Rati? Or
is she happiness incarnate in bodily form? Or is she the beauty of
the moon, having taken shape, [489] or the command of Cupid living
and walking? Or is she a nymph of heaven? No, that cannot be. For
what can make heavenly nymphs desire to hang themselves? So let us
remain here for a time concealed by the trees, until we find out for
certain, somehow or other, who she is." When he had said this, he and
his ministers remained there in concealment; and in the meanwhile
the despondent Sasánkavatí offered this prayer to the goddess,
"O adorable Gaurí that deliverest the afflicted from their pain,
grant that, though, owing to my sins in a former state of existence,
prince Mrigánkadatta has not become my husband in this birth, he
may become such in a future life." When the princess had said this,
she bowed before the goddess, and fastened the noose round her neck
with eyes moist with tears.
At that moment her companions woke up, and distressed at not seeing
her, began to look for her, and quickly came where she was. And they
said, "Alas, friend, what is this that you have undertaken? Out on
your rashness!" With these words they removed the noose from her
neck. So, while the girl was standing there ashamed and despondent,
a voice came from the inner shrine of Gaurí's temple, "Do not despond,
my daughter Sasánkavatí; that word, fair one, that I spake to thee
in a dream, cannot prove false. Here is that husband of thine in a
former life, Mrigánkadatta, come to thy side; go and enjoy with him
the whole earth."
When Sasánkavatí heard this sudden utterance, she slowly looked aside
a little confused, and at that moment Vikramakesarin, the minister
of Mrigánkadatta, came up to her, and pointing out the prince with
his finger, said to her, "Princess, Bhavání has told you the truth,
for here is the prince, your future husband, come to you, drawn by
the cords of love." When the princess heard that, she cast a sidelong
glance, and beheld that noble lover of hers [490] standing in the
midst of his companions, looking like the moon having descended from
heaven begirt by the planets, like the standard by which beauty is
tested in others, raining nectar into the eyes.
Then she remained motionless as a pillar, and every hair stood erect
with joy on all her limbs, so that they appeared to be covered with
the feathers at the end of Cupid's arrows raining upon her; and at
that moment Mrigánkadatta came up to her, and in order to dispel her
shame, he addressed to her, with a voice raining the honey of love,
the following speech appropriate to the occasion, [491] "Fair one,
you have made me leave my own country and kingdom and relations,
and brought me from a distance, enslaving me and binding me with
the chain of your virtues. So now I have gained this fruit of my
dwelling in the forest, and of my sleeping on the ground, and of
my living on wild fruits, and enduring the fierce heat of the sun,
and of my emaciation with asceticism, that I have beheld this form
of yours which rains nectar into my eyes. And if you love me enough
to care to please me, bestow also, gazelle-eyed one, that feast of
the eyes upon the ladies of our city. Let the war cease; let the
welfare of both armies be ensured; let my birth be made a success,
and let my father's blessing be gained for me at the same time!"
When Mrigánkadatta had said this to Sasánkavatí, she slowly answered
with eyes fixed on the ground, "I indeed have been purchased with
your virtues and made your slave, so do, my husband, what you think
will be for our good." When Mrigánkadatta had been refreshed by
this nectar-like speech of hers, and saw that his point was gained,
he praised the goddess Gaurí and bowed before her, and then he made
the princess get up behind him on his horse, and his ten [492] brave
ministers mounted and took her ladies-in-waiting up behind them;
and then the prince, with his sword drawn, set out from that city at
night, accompanied by them sword in hand. And though the city-guards
saw those eleven heroes, they did not dare to stop them, for they
looked as formidable as so many angry Rudras. And leaving Ujjayiní,
they went with Sasánkavatí to the palace of Máyávatu, in accordance
with the advice of Srutadhi.
While the guards were exclaiming in their distraction, "Who are these,
and whither are they gone?" it gradually became known in Ujjayiní that
the princess had been carried off. And the queen-consort hurriedly
despatched the governor of the city to the camp, to tell king Karmasena
what had taken place. But in the meanwhile the head of the scouts
came to king Karmasena in the camp there at night, and and said to
him, "King, Mrigánkadatta and his ministers left the army secretly
in the early part of this night, and went on horseback to Ujjayiní,
to carry off Sasánkavatí, who is in the temple of Gaurí. So much I
have discovered for certain; your Highness knows what step it is now
desirable to take."
When king Karmasena heard this, he sent for his general, and
communicated to him privately the information he had received,
and said to him, "Choose five hundred swift horses, and set picked
men on them, and go with them secretly and rapidly to Ujjayiní, and
wherever you find that villain Mrigánkadatta, kill him, or make him
prisoner: know that I will follow you quickly, leaving my army behind
me." When the general received this order from the king, he said,