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The Kathá Sarit Ságara; or, Ocean of the Streams of Story

active 11th century Somadeva Bhatta

Epi dê toutois pasin ophthalmos hêlato mou ho dexios, kai ên moi to sêmeion agathon, kai to promanteuma dexiôtaton See also Theocritus III, 37. halletai ophthalmos meu ho dexios· ê rha g' idêsô autan? Where Fritsche quotes Plant. Pseudol. 1.1.105. Brand in his Popular Antiquities, Vol. III, p. 172, quotes the above passage from Theocritus, and a very apposite one from Dr. Nathaniel Home's Demonologie--"If their ears tingle, they say they have some enemies abroad that doe or are about to speake evill of them: so, if their right eye itcheth, then it betokens joyful laughter." Bartsch in his Sagen, Märchen, und Gebraüche aus Mecklenburg, says, "Throbbing in the right eye betokens joy, in the left, tears." In Norway throbbing in the right ear is a good sign, in the left a bad sign (Liebrecht, Zur Volkskunde, p. 327.) Forcellini s. v. Salisatores quotes from Isidor. VIII, 9. Salisatores vocati sunt, qui dum eis membrorum quæcunque partes salierint, aliquid sibi exinde prosperum, seu triste significare prædicunt. [155] i. e., under the protection of a Buddha. [156] So Malegis in Die Heimonskinder represents that his blind brother will be freed from his affliction when he comes to a place where the horse Bayard is being ridden. (Simrock's Deutsche Volksbücher, Vol. II, p. 96.) [157] See note in Vol. I, p. 121. So Balder is said to be so fair of countenance and bright that he shines of himself. (Grimm's Teutonic Mythology, translated by Stallybrass, p. 222.) In Tennyson's Vivien we find "A maid so smooth, so white, so wonderful, They said a light came from her when she moved." [158] This probably means that she was burnt with his corpse. [159] Böhtlingk and Roth read sákinísiddhisamvará. [160] We have had many transformations of this kind and shall have many more. A very amusing story of a transformation is found in Campbell's Highland Tales, Vol. II, p. 60 which may be compared with this. The biter is bit as in our text, and in the story of Sidi Noman in the Arabian Nights, which closely resembles this. [161] I read kritvá for kírtvá. [162] Cp. the story of the Porter and the Ladies of Baghdad in the Arabian Nights. (Lane's translation, Vol. I, page 129.) The bitches are solemnly beaten in the same way as the mare in our story. They are the sisters of the lady who beats them. [163] Professor Cowell informs me that there is a passage in the Sankara Dig Vijaya which explains this. A seer by means of this vidyá gains a life equivalent to 11 years of Brahmá. It seems to be a life-prolonging charm. [164] So "one who dwelt by the castled Rhine" called the flowers, "the stars that in earth's firmament do shine." [165] This story extends to the end of the book. [166] The word tejas also means "courage." [167] An elaborate pun, only intelligible in Sanskrit. [168] Cp. the long black tongue which the horrible black man protrudes in Wirt Sikes's British Goblins, p. 177. In Birlinger's Aus Schwaben, Vol. I, p. 341, the fahrende schüler puts out his tongue in a very uncanny manner. [169] Cp. Ralston's Russian Folk-Tales, p. 15, Giles's Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, p. 294, and the classical legend of the birth of Adonis. A similar story will be found in Liebrecht, Zur Volkskunde, p. 306. In Bernhard E. Schmidt's Griechische Märchen, No. 5, three maidens come out of a citron, and one of them again out of a rosebush. For other parallels see the Notes to No. XXI, in Miss Stokes's Indian Fairy Tales. Cp. also Das Rosmarinsträuchlein in Kaden's Unter den Olivenbäumen, (Stories from the South of Italy), p. 10. In the 49th Story of the Pentamerone of Basile a fairy comes out of a citron. The word I have translated "tear" is in the original vírya. See Rohde, Der Griechische Roman, p. 195, and Ralston's Tibetan Tales, Introduction, p. lii. [170] See the story of Polyidos, in Preller, Griechische Mythologie, Vol. II, p. 478. Preller refers to Nonnus, XXV, 451 and ff. The story terminates psychê d' eis demas êlthe to deuteron. See also Baring Gould's Curious Myths of the Middle Ages, New Edition, 1869, pp. 399-402, and Rohde, Der Griechische Roman, pp. 112 and 126. [171] Dr. Kern conjectures evam. [172] In Bengal no animal sacrifices are offered to Siva at the present day. [173] Cp. "The Story of the First Royal Mendicant," Lane's Arabian Nights, Vol. I, p. 136. [174] I follow the Sanskrit College MS. which reads kesakapáládi; perhaps for kesa we should read vesa. The skulls have been mentioned before. [175] For ásvasto I read visvasto. Perhaps we ought to read asvastho, i. e., sick, ill. [176] The wanderings of Herzog Ernst are brought about in a very similar manner. (See Simrock's Deutsche Volksbücher, Vol. III, p. 278). [177] Compare the myths of Attis and Cyparissus. In the story called "Der rothe Hund," Gaal, Märchen der Magyaren, p. 362, the queen becomes a dry mulberry tree. See also Grohmann, Sagen aus Böhmen, p. 116. In Ovid's Metamorphoses, XIV, 517 an abusive pastor is turned into an oleaster. [178] Triphalá according to Professor Monier Williams means the three myrobalans, i. e., the fruits of Terminalia Chebula, T. Bellerica, and Phyllanthus Emblica; also the three fragrant fruits, nutmeg, areca-nut, and cloves; also the three sweet fruits, grape, pomegranate and date. The first interpretation seems to be the one usually accepted by the Pandits of Bengal. [179] i. e., Nága a kind of snake demon. See Ralston's Russian Folk-Tales, page 65, Veckenstedt's Wendische Märchen, pp. 400-409, Prym und Socin, Syrische Märchen, pp. 100, 101. The sword with a name may remind the reader of Balmung, Excalibur, Durandal &c. [180] The Sanskrit College MS. reads sámpusáraih perhaps for sámbusârasaih i. e., with the water-cranes. [181] Anáyata is a misprint for anáyatta. [182] I read kulamandiram with the MS. in the Sanskrit College. [183] i. e., Máyá. [184] For vanopamám I conjecture vanopamát. [185] i. q., Ganesa. [186] Or "the elephants of his enemies." Here there is probably a pun. [187] Literally, "water-men." Perhaps they were of the same race as Grendel the terrible nicor. See also Veckenstedt's Wendische Märchen, p. 185 and ff., Grimm's Irische Märchen, p. cv, Kuhn's Westfälische Märchen, Vol. II, p. 35, Waldau's Böhmische Märchen, p. 187 and ff., and the 6th and 20th Játakas. See also Grohmann's account of the "Wassermann," Sagen aus Böhmen, p. 148. [188] The MS. in the Sanskrit College seems to me to read púrnosya. [189] I read 'nyuvesustham, which is the reading of the Sanskrit College MS. [190] The silk-cotton tree. [191] Or Hansávalí. [192] Or Kamalákara. [193] It may also mean a host of Bráhmans or many birds and bees. It is an elaborate pun. [194] Another pun! It may mean "by obtaining good fortune in the form of wealth." [195] For vátáyanoddesát the Sanskrit College MS. reads cháyatanoddesát; perhaps it means "entering to visit the temple." [196] Cp. Die Gänsemagd, Grimm's Kinder- und Hausmärchen, No. 89. See also Indian Fairy Tales, by Miss Stokes, No. 1; and Bernhard Schmidt's Griechische Märchen, p. 100. In the 1st Tale of Basile's Pentamerone, Liebrecht's translation, a Moorish slave-girl supplants the princess Zoza. See also the 49th tale of the same collection. In Gonzenbach's Sicilianische Märchen, Nos. 33 and 34, we have tales of "A substituted Bride;" see Dr. Köhler's notes. [197] i. e., Vishnu. [198] The sword seems to be essential in these rites: compare the VIth book of the Æthiopica of Heliodorus, where the witch Cybele raises her son to life, in order that he may prophesy; see also the story of Kálarátri, Chapter 20 of this work. [199] The debased form of Buddhism found throughout this work is no doubt the Tantra system introduced by Asanga in the sixth century of our era (Rhys Davids' Manual of Buddhism, pp. 207, 208, 209.) To borrow Dr. Rajendralála Mitra's words, who is speaking of even worse corruptions, (Introduction to the Lalita Vistara, p. 12) it is a wonder "that a system of religion so pure and lofty in its aspirations as Buddhism could be made to ally itself with such pestilent dogmas and practices." The whole incantation closely resembles similar practices in the West. See Brand's Popular Antiquities, Vol. III, pp. 56 and ff. especially the extract from Mason's Anatomie of Sorcerie, 1612, p. 86--"Inchanters and charmers, they which by using of certaine conceited words, characters, circles, amulets, and such like wicked trumpery (by God's permission) doo worke great marvailes: as namely in causing of sicknesse, as also in curing diseases in men's bodies. [200] Here there is a pun, as Kamalákara means a bed of lotuses, the word paksha meaning wing and also "side." She was of good lineage by her father's and mother's side. Manorathasiddhi means "the attainment of desire." [201] Compare the Soldier's Midnight Watch in Ralston's Russian Folk-Tales, p. 274. [202] In the Golden Ass of Apuleius, Pamphile turns herself into an owl; when Apuleius asks to be turned into an owl, in order to follow her, Fotis turns him by mistake into an ass. See also the Ass of Lucian. The story of Circe will occur to every one in connection with these transformations. See also Baring Gould's Myths of the Middle Ages, 1st Series, p. 143. [203] I read prátah for práyah. [204] This city is identified by General Cunningham with Adikot near Ramnagar in Rohilcund. (Ancient Geography of India, p. 359 and ff.) [205] The male and female of this bird are represented by Hindu poets as separated at night. [206] The sword may be compared with that of Chandamahásena in the eleventh chapter, and with Morglay, Excalibur, Durandal, Gram, Balmung, Chrysaor &c. (See Sir G. Cox's Mythology of the Aryan nations, Vol. I, p. 308.) The same author has some remarks upon Pegasus and other magic horses in his IInd Vol. p. 287 and ff. See also Ralston's Russian Folk-Tales, p. 256 and ff. [207] Excessive rain, drought, rats, locusts, birds, and foreign invasion. [208] I have before referred to Ralston's remarks on snakes in his Russian Folk-Tales, p. 65. Melusina is a clear instance of a snake-maiden in European Folk-lore. See her story in Simrock's Deutsche Volksbücher, Vol. VI. There is a similar marriage in Prym und Socin, Syrische Märchen, p. 246. [209] Compare the commencement of the story of the Blind Man and the Cripple in Ralston's Russian Folk-Tales, and Waldau's Böhmische Märchen, p. 445. This tale appears to belong to the Atalanta cycle. [210] The passage is full of puns, which it is impossible to translate: the "ornaments" may be rhetorical ornaments, there is also a reference to the gunas of rhetorical writers. "Sweetly-tinkling" might mean "elegant words." Gunákrishtá in sloka 76 b, may also mean that the princess was attracted by the good qualities of her opponent. [211] Dr. Kern conjectures udaghátayat, which is as far as I can make out, the reading of the Sanskrit College MS. [212] There is probably a pun here. It may mean that his joints and body were relaxed by old age. [213] This seems to be the meaning of mánava here. See Böhtlingk and Roth s. v. [214] The word also means "dust." [215] Or "by great sorrow." [216] Mára, the god of Love, is the Buddhist devil. [217] The Kumuda remains with its petals closed during the day. [218] I follow the Sanskrit College MS. reading dhrityá. [219] A being recording the vices and virtues of mankind in Yama's world. Kuhn, in his Westfälische Sagen, p. 71, speaks of "a devil who records the evil deeds of men." Böhtlingk and Roth say that utpunsayati in sl. 323 should be utpánsayati. [220] Compare the story in Waldau's Böhmische Märchen, p. 242, Gut dass es den Tod auf Erden gibt!