The Kathá Sarit Ságara; or, Ocean of the Streams of Story
like ant-hills, and many other wonders did she show him from time to
time, until at last she had gradually accomplished a long distance.
Then Naraváhanadatta became thirsty with his long journey through
the air, and begged for water; so she descended to earth from her
airy path. And she took him to the corner of a forest, and placed
him near a lake, which seemed to be full of molten silver, as its
water was white with the rays of the moon. So his craving for water
was satisfied by the draught which he drank in that beautiful forest,
but there arose in him a fresh craving as he felt a desire to embrace
that lovely lady. [536] But she, when pressed, would hardly consent;
for her thoughts reverted with pity to Madanamanchuká, whom she had
tried to comfort; in truth the noble-minded, when they have undertaken
to forward the interests of others, put out of sight their own. And
she said to him, "Do not think ill, my husband, of my coldness;
I have an object in it; and now hear this story which will explain it."
Story of the child that died of a broken heart because his mother
forgot to bring him a sweetmeat.
Once on a time, there lived in the city of Pátaliputra a certain widow
who had one child; she was young, and beautiful, but poor. And she was
in the habit of making love to a strange man for her gratification, and
at night she used to leave her house and roam where she pleased. But,
before she went, she used invariably to console her infant son
by saying to him, "My boy, I will bring you a sweetmeat to-morrow
morning," and every day she brought him one. And the child used to
remain quiet at home, buoyed up by the hope of that sweetmeat.
But one day she forgot, and did not bring him the sweetmeat. And
when the child asked for the sweetmeat, she said to him, "Sweetmeat
indeed! I know of no sweet, but my sweetheart." Then the child said
to himself, "She has not brought me a sweetmeat, because she loves
another better than me." So he lost all hope, and his heart broke.
"So if I were over-eager to appropriate you whom I have long loved,
and if Madanamanchuká, whom I consoled with the hope of a joyful
reunion with you, were to hear of it, and lose all hope through me,
her heart, which is as soft as a flower, would break. [537] It is
this desire to spare her feelings, which prevents me from being so
eager now for your society, before I have consoled her, though you
are my beloved, dearer to me than life."
When Prabhávatí said this to Naraváhanadatta, he was full of joy and
astonishment, and he said to himself, "Well! Fate seems to take a
pleasure in perpetually creating new marvels, since it has produced
Prabhávatí, whose conduct is so inconceivably noble." With these
thoughts in his mind, the prince lovingly praised her, and said,
"Then take me where that Madanamanchuká is." When Prabhávatí heard
that, she took him up, and in a moment carried him through the air to
the mountain Áshádhapura. There she bestowed him on Madanamanchuká,
whose body had long been drying up with grief, as a shower bestows
fullness on a river.
Then Naraváhanadatta beheld that fair one there, afflicted with
separation, thin and pale, like a digit of the new moon. That reunion
of those two seemed to restore them to life, and gave joy to the world,
like the union of the night and the moon. And the pair embraced,
scorched with the fire of separation, and as they were streaming
with fatigue, they seemed to melt into one. Then they both partook
at their ease of luxuries suddenly provided in the night by the might
of Prabhávatí's science. And thanks to her science, no one there but
Madanamanchuká, saw Naraváhanadatta.
The next morning Naraváhanadatta proceeded to loose Madanamanchuká's
one lock, [538] but she, overpowered with resentment against her enemy,
said to her beloved, "Long ago I made this vow, 'That lock of mine
must be loosed by my husband, when Mánasavega is slain, but not till
then; and if he is not slain, I will wear it till my death, and then
it shall be loosed by the birds, or consumed with fire.' But now you
have loosed it, while this enemy of mine is still alive; that vexes
my soul. For though Vegavatí flung him down on Agniparvata, he did
not die of the fall. And you have now been made invisible here by
Prabhávatí by means of her magic power; otherwise the followers of
that enemy, who are continually moving near you here, would see you,
and would not tolerate your presence."
When Naraváhanadatta had been thus addressed by his wife, he,
recognising the fact that the proper time for accomplishing his object
had not yet arrived, said to her by way of calming her, "This desire
of yours shall be fulfilled; I will soon slay that enemy; but first I
must acquire the sciences; wait a little, my beloved." With speeches
of this kind Naraváhanadatta consoled Madanamanchuká; and remained
there in that city of the Vidyádharas.
Then Prabhávatí disappeared herself, and, by the power of her magic
science, bestowed in some incomprehensible way on Naraváhanadatta
her own shape. And the prince lived happily there in her shape, and
without fear of discovery, enjoying pleasures provided by her magic
science. And all the people there thought, "This friend of Vegavatí's
is attending on Madanamanchuká, partly out of regard for Vegavatí, and
partly on account of the friendly feelings which she herself entertains
for the captive princess;" for they all supposed that Naraváhanadatta
was no other than Prabhávatí, as he was disguised in her shape: and
this was the report that they carried to Mánasavega. Then, one day,
something caused Madanamanchuká to relate to Naraváhanadatta her
adventures in the following words,
Madanamanchuká's account of her treatment while in captivity.
When Mánasavega first brought me here, he tried to win me to his will
by his magic power, endeavouring to alarm me by cruel actions. And
then Siva appeared in a terrible form, with drawn sword and lolling
tongue, and making an appalling roar, said to Mánasavega; "How is it
that, while I still exist, thou dost presume to treat disrespectfully
the wife of him who is destined to be emperor over all the Vidyádhara
kings?" When the villain Mánasavega had been thus addressed by Siva,
he fell on the earth vomiting blood from his mouth. Then the god
disappeared, and that villain immediately recovered, and went to his
own palace, and again began to practise cruelties against me. [539]
Then in my terror, and in the agony of separation, I was thinking of
abandoning my life, but the attendants of the harem came to me, and
said to me by way of consolation, "Long ago this Mánasavega beheld a
certain beautiful hermit maiden and tried to carry her off by force
but was thus cursed by her relations; 'When, villain, you approach
another's wife against her will, your head shall split into a thousand
fragments;' so he will never force himself on the wife of another, do
not be afraid. Moreover you will soon be reunited with your husband,
as the god announced." Soon after the maids had said this to me,
Vegavatí, the sister of that Mánasavega, came to me to talk me over;
but when she saw me, she was filled with compassion, and she comforted
me by promising to bring you; and you already know how she found you.
Then Prithivídeví, the good mother of that wicked Mánasavega,
came to me, looking, with her garments white as moonlight, like
the orb of Luna without a spot, seeming to bathe me with nectar by
her charming appearance; and with a loving manner she said to me,
"Why do you refuse food and so injure your bodily health, though you
are destined to great prosperity? And do not say to yourself, 'How
can I eat an enemy's food?' For my daughter Vegavatí has a share in
this kingdom, bestowed on her by her father, and she is your friend,
for your husband has married her. Accordingly her wealth, as belonging
to your husband, is yours as much as hers. So enjoy it. What I tell
you is true, for I have discovered it by my magic knowledge." This she
said, and confirmed it with an oath, and then, being attached to me,
on account of her daughter's connexion, she fed me with food suited
to my condition. Then Vegavatí came here with you, and conquered her
brother, and saved you; the sequel I do not know.
So I, remembering the magic skill of Vegavatí and the announcement of
the god, did not surrender my life, which was supported by the hope
of regaining you, and, thanks to the power of the noble Prabhávatí,
I have regained you, although I am thus beset by my enemies. But my
only anxiety is as to what would happen to us, if Prabhávatí here
were deprived of her power, and you were so to lose her shape, which
she has bestowed on you by way of disguise.
This and other such things did Madanamanchuká say, while the brave
Naraváhanadatta remained there with her, endeavouring to console
her. But one night Prabhávatí went to her father's palace, and in the
morning Naraváhanadatta, owing to her being at a distance, lost her
shape, which she had bestowed on him. And next day the attendants
beheld him there in male form, and they all ran bewildered and
alarmed to the king's court and said, "Here is an adulterer crept in;"
thrusting aside the terrified Madanamanchuká, who tried to stop them.
Then king Mánasavega came there at full speed, accompanied by his
army, and surrounded him. Then the king's mother Prithivídeví hurried
thither and said to him, "It will not do for you or me either to put
this man to death. For he is no adulterer, but Naraváhanadatta, the
son of the king of Vatsa, who has come here to visit his own wife. I
know this by my magic power; why are you so blinded with wrath that
you cannot see it? Moreover I am bound to honour him, as he is my
son-in-law, and sprung from the race of the moon." When Mánasavega's
mother said this to him, he flew into a passion, and said, "Then
he is my enemy." Then his mother, out of love for her son-in-law,
used another argument with him. She said, "My son, you will not be
allowed to act wrongfully in the world of the Vidyádharas. For here
there exists a court of the Vidyádharas to protect the right. So accuse
him before the president of that court [540]. Whatever steps you take
with regard to your captive in accordance with the court's decision
will be commendable; but if you act otherwise, the Vidyádharas will
be displeased, and the gods will not tolerate it."
Mánasavega, out of respect for his mother, consented to follow
her advice, and attempted to have Naraváhanadatta bound, with the
intention of taking him before the court. But he, unable to endure the
indignity of being bound, tore a pillar from the arched gateway, and
killed with it a great number of his captor's servants. And the hero,
whose valour was godlike, snatched a sword from one of those that he
had killed, and at once slew with it some more of his opponents. Then
Mánasavega fettered him by his superhuman powers, and took him, with
his wife, before the court. Then the Vidyádharas assembled there from
all quarters, summoned by the loud sound of a drum, even as the gods
assemble in Sudharmá.
And the president of the court, king Váyupatha, came there,
and sat down on a jewelled throne surrounded by Vidyádharas, and
fanned by chowries which waved to and fro, as if to winnow away all
injustice. And the wicked Mánasavega stood in front of him, and said
as follows, "This enemy of mine, who though a mortal, has violated my
harem, and seduced my sister, ought immediately to be put to death;
especially as he actually wishes to be our sovereign." When the
president heard this, he called on Naraváhanadatta for an answer, and
the hero said in a confident tone, "That is a court, where there is a
president; he is a president, who says what is just; that is just, in