The Kathá Sarit Ságara; or, Ocean of the Streams of Story
"So be it," and set out by night for Ujjayiní with the prescribed
force. And on the way he met the governor of the town, from whom he
heard that the princess had been carried off by some daring men in
another direction. Then he returned with the governor of the town,
and told king Karmasena what had taken place. When the king heard it,
he thought it impossible, and remained quiet during the night, without
making an attack. And in the camp of Mrigánkadatta Máyávatu and the
other kings passed the night under arms, by the advice of Srutadhi.
And next morning the sagacious king Karmasena found out the real state
of the case, and sent off an ambassador to the kings in the camp of
Mrigánkadatta, and he instructed the ambassador to give this message
by word of mouth, "Mrigánkadatta has carried off my daughter by a
stratagem; never mind that; for what other man would be as suitable
a match for her? So now let him come to my palace, and do you come
too, in order that I may celebrate my daughter's marriage with
appropriate ceremonies." [493] And the kings and Srutadhi approved
of this proposal, [494] and said to the ambassador, "Then let your
master retire to his own city, and we will ourselves go and bring
the prince there." When the ambassador heard that proposal, he went
and reported it to his master, and Karmasena agreed to it, and left
for Ujjayiní with his army. When the kings saw that, they went, with
Máyávatu at their head, and accompanied by Srutadhi, to Mrigánkadatta.
And in the meanwhile Mrigánkadatta, with Sasánkavatí, had reached
the palace of Máyávatu in the city of Kánchanapura. There the queens
of Máyávatu welcomed him, and his companions, and his beloved,
with becoming hospitality, and he rested there with them, having
successfully accomplished his object. And the next day the kings came
there with Srutadhi; the heroic king of the Kirátas Saktirakshita with
his army, and the mighty king Máyávatu leader of the Savaras, and the
hero Durgapisácha lord of the host of the Mátangas; and all of them,
when they beheld Mrigánkadatta united to Sasánkavatí like the white
water-lily to the night, rejoiced and congratulated him. And after
they had shewn him the honour he deserved, they told him the message
of Karmasena, and how he had gone to his own palace.
Then Mrigánkadatta, having established there his camp, that was like
a moving city, sat down with them all to take counsel. And he said to
the kings and to his ministers, "Tell me; shall I go to Ujjayiní to be
married, or not?" And they with one accord gave the following answer,
"That king is a villain; so how can a visit to his palace turn out
well? [495] Moreover, there is no need of it, as his daughter has
arrived here." Then Mrigánkadatta said to the Bráhman Srutadhi,
"Why do you remain silent, Bráhman, like one taking no interest in
the proceedings? Tell me, do you approve of this step or not?"
Then Srutadhi said, "If you will listen, I will tell you what I think:
my opinion is that you ought to go to the palace of Karmasena. For
he sent you this message because he saw no other way out of the
difficulty; otherwise, how would a powerful prince like that, when his
daughter had been carried off, give up fighting, and go home? Moreover,
what could he do to you, when you arrived at his court, since you
would take your army with you? On the contrary, if you go there,
he will be well-disposed to you, and he will again be one of your
chief allies out of love for his daughter. The reason he makes this
proposal, which is a perfectly legitimate one, is that he does not
wish his daughter to be married in an irregular manner. So I think it
advisable that you should go to Ujjayiní." When Srutadhi said this,
all, who were present, approved his speech, and said, "Bravo! Bravo!"
Then Mrigánkadatta said to them, "I admit the truth of all this;
but I do not like to marry without my father and mother. So let some
one be sent off from this place to summon my father and mother: and
when I have learnt their wish, I will do what is proper." When the
hero had said this, he took the advice of his friends, and then and
there sent off his minister Bhímaparákrama to his parents.
And in the meanwhile his father, king Amaradatta, in the city of
Ayodhyá, found out in course of time from his subjects that the
charge which Vinítamati brought against the prince, and which caused
his banishment from his native land, was wholly groundless. Then,
in his wrath, he put to death that wicked minister and his family,
and fell into a pitiable state, being terribly afflicted on account
of the banishment of his son. And he left his capital, and remained
in a sanctuary of Siva, outside the city, called Nandigráma; and
there he and his wives gave themselves up to severe asceticism.
After he had remained there some time, Bhímaparákrama, whose approach
was announced by scouts, arrived, thanks to the speed of his swift
horse, at the city of Ayodhyá. He beheld that city plunged in despair,
on account of the absence of the prince, as if it were once more going
through the painful agitation caused by the exile of Ráma. Thence he
went to Nandigráma, surrounded by citizens who asked him for news
of the prince, and hearing from their mouths what had happened to
the king. There he beheld king Amaradatta, with his body emaciated
by asceticism, surrounded by his queens, eager for news of his
beloved son.
Bhímaparákrama went up to him and fell at his feet: and the
king embraced him, and asked for news of his son; and thereupon
Bhímaparákrama said to him with tears; "Your son Mrigánkadatta
has won by his valour the princess Sasánkavatí, the daughter of
king Karmasena. But, as he is devoted to his parents, it does not
seem at all becoming to him to marry her, unless the king and the
queen can be present at the ceremony. So your son, placing his head
upon the ground, has sent me to request you to come to him. And he
awaits your Highness's arrival, in Kánchanapura, in the palace of
king Máyávatu, the monarch of the Savaras. Now hear the story of our
adventures." And thereupon Bhímaparákrama began with the banishment
of his master, and related all his various and wonderful adventures,
involving the long story of the misfortunes of their forest sojourn
and their separation, with the war, and winding up with the prince's
reconciliation with Karmasena.
When king Amaradatta heard that, he made up his mind that it was
well with his son, and in his joy he announced that he would set out
that moment. He mounted an elephant, and accompanied by his queen,
his subject kings, and his ministers, and followed by a force of
elephants and cavalry, he started full of eagerness to join his
son. And travelling uninterruptedly, the king reached in a few days
his son's camp, that was pitched in the territory of the monarch of
the Savaras.
And when Mrigánkadatta, who had long been yearning for his father,
heard of his approach, he went out to meet him with all the kings. And
he saw him from a distance, and dismounted from his horse, and fell
at the feet of his father, who was seated on an elephant, and at the
feet of his mother. And when embraced by his father, he filled with
his body his clasping arms, with satisfaction his heart, and his eyes
with tears. His mother too folded him in a long embrace, and looking
at him again and again, was for some time unable to let him go, as
if fearing a second separation. And Mrigánkadatta introduced to his
father Amaradatta the kings his friends, and they bowed before him and
the queen. And that couple, the king and the queen, received lovingly
those friends who had stood by their only son in his difficulties.
Then Amaradatta entered the palace of Máyávatu, and saw Sasánkavatí,
his future daughter-in-law, who bowed at his feet. And after accepting
a present, he departed with the queen and that daughter-in-law, and
took up his quarters in his own camp. And there he took food with
his son and all the kings, and spent that day agreeably with song,
music, and dancing. And he thought that all his objects in life had
been gained, thanks to his son Mrigánkadatta, the future emperor,
who had attained so much glory.
And in the meanwhile the wise king Karmasena, after deliberating,
sent off an ambassador to Mrigánkadatta with the following message,
which was contained in a letter, and also intended to be delivered
by word of mouth; "I know that you will not come to Ujjayiní; so I
will send to you my own son Sushena; he will bestow on you with due
ceremonies his sister Sasánkavatí; so you ought not, blameless one,
to marry her in an irregular manner, if you value my friendship."
And when the prince had heard this message delivered in the royal
hall of audience, his father the king himself gave this answer to
the ambassador; "Who but king Karmasena would send such a gracious
message? That excellent monarch is truly well-disposed to us; so
let him send here his son Sushena; we will so order matters as that
his daughter's marriage shall give him satisfaction." When the king
had given this answer and dismissed the messenger with due honours,
he said to his son, and Srutadhi, and the kings, "We had better
go now to Ayodhyá; that is the place where the marriage can be
performed with most éclat; and there we can entertain Sushena with
becoming magnificence. And let king Máyávatu wait here for Sushena;
when that prince arrives he can come on after us to Ayodhyá with
him. But we will go on in front to make the necessary preparations
for the marriage." And all present approved this speech of the king's.
Then, the next day, the king with the queen and his soldiers, and
Mrigánkadatta with the kings and his ministers, started off with
Sasánkavatí, exulting in their success, leaving Máyávatu to wait there
for Sushena. Their army moved on like a deep and terrible sea, agitated
with hundreds of waves in the form of troops of bounding horses,
filling all the horizon with a flood of countless marching footmen,
rendering all other sounds inaudible with the confused din that arose
from it. And gradually advancing, father and son reached the palace
of Saktirakshita the king of the Kirátas, that lay in their course.
There they and their attendants were courteously and generously
welcomed with heaps of valuable jewels, gold, and splendid
garments. And they stayed there one day with their army, taking
food and resting, and then they set out and reached in course of
time their city of Ayodhyá. It seemed like a lake in windy weather,
as they entered it: for the ladies of the city that had climbed up
to the windows of the palaces, as they moved to and fro, seemed like
swaying full-blown lotuses, sending forth shoots of beauty; and their
rolling eyes eager to behold the prince, who after a long absence had
returned, bringing a bride with him, were like dancing blue lilies;
it was crowded with assembling kingly swans; and tossing with wavy
banners. And father and son looked grand, as they sat on thrones,
being blessed by the Bráhmans, praised by heralds, and hymned by bards.
And when the people there saw the great beauty of Sasánkavatí,
they exclaimed in their astonishment, "If they were to behold this
daughter of Karmasena, the Ocean would cease to boast of the beauty
of his daughter Lakshmí, and the Himálaya would no longer pride
himself on Gaurí." And then, when the festival came on, the quarters,
re-echoing the sound of the auspicious drums of rejoicing, as it were,
gave notice to the kings. And the whole city was full of exultation,
and the vermilion colours that covered it throughout, seemed like
its red glow of affection overflowing in external form.
The next day the astrologers fixed an auspicious date for the prince's
marriage, and his father king Amaradatta began to make preparations