The Kathá Sarit Ságara; or, Ocean of the Streams of Story
met with this obstacle, therefore adore him now." Indra, when he
heard that, did so, and his arm was set free, and he duly performed
the joyful ceremony of consecrating the general. And not long after,
the general slew the Asura Táraka, and the gods rejoiced at having
accomplished their object, and Gaurí at having obtained a son. So,
princess, you see even the gods are not successful without honouring
Ganesa, therefore adore him when you desire a blessing.
After hearing this from my companions I went, my husband, and
worshipped an image of Ganesa, that stood in a lonely part of the
garden, and after I had finished the worship, I suddenly saw that those
companions of mine had flown up by their own power and were disporting
themselves in the fields of the air; when I saw that, out of curiosity
I called them and made them come down from the heaven, and when I
asked them about the nature of their magic power, they immediately
gave me this answer; "These are the magic powers of witches' spells,
and they are due to the eating of human flesh, and our teacher in this
is a Bráhman woman known by the name of Kálarátri." When my companions
said this to me, I being desirous of acquiring the power of a woman
that can fly in the air, but afraid of eating human flesh, was for
a time in a state of hesitation; then eager to possess that power, I
said to those friends of mine, "Cause me also to be instructed in this
science." And immediately they went and brought, in accordance with
my request, Kálarátri, who was of repulsive appearance. Her eyebrows
met, [308] she had dull eyes, a depressed flat nose, large cheeks,
widely parted lips, projecting teeth, a long neck, pendulous breasts,
a large belly, and broad expanded feet. She appeared as if the creator
had made her as a specimen of his skill in producing ugliness. When
I fell at her feet, after bathing and worshipping Ganesa, she made
me take off my clothes and perform, standing in a circle, a horrible
ceremony in honour of Siva in his terrific form, and after she had
sprinkled me with water, she gave me various spells known to her,
and human flesh to eat that had been offered in sacrifice to the gods;
so, after I had eaten man's flesh and had received the various spells,
I immediately flew up, naked as I was, into the heaven with my friends,
and after I had amused myself, I descended from the heaven by command
of my teacher, and I, the princess, went to my own apartments. Thus
even in my girlhood I became one of the society of witches, and in
our meetings we devoured the bodies of many men.
Story of Sundaraka.
But listen, king, to a story which is a digression from my main
tale. That Kálarátri had for husband a Bráhman of the name of
Vishnusvámin, and he, being an instructor in that country, taught
many pupils who came from different lands, as he was skilful in the
exposition of the Vedas. And among his pupils he had one young man
of the name of Sundaraka, the beauty of whose person was set off by
his excellent character; one day the teacher's wife Kálarátri being
love-sick secretly courted him, her husband having gone away to some
place or other. Truly Love makes great sport with ugly people as his
laughing-stocks, in that she, not considering her own appearance,
fell in love with Sundaraka. But he, though tempted, detested with
his whole soul the crime; however women may misbehave, the mind of the
good is not to be shaken. Then, he having departed, Kálarátri in a rage
tore her own body with bites and scratches, and she remained weeping,
[309] with dress and locks disordered, until the teacher Vishnusvámin
entered the house. And when he had entered, she said to him,--"Look,
my Lord, to this state has Sundaraka reduced me, endeavouring to
gain possession of me by force." As soon as the teacher heard that,
he was inflamed with anger, for confidence in women robs even wise
men of their power of reflection; and when Sundaraka returned home at
night, he ran upon him, and he and his pupils kicked him, and struck
him with fists, and sticks; moreover when he was senseless with the
blows, he ordered his pupils to fling him out in the road by night,
without regard to his safety, and they did so. Then Sundaraka was
gradually restored to consciousness by the cool night breeze, and
seeing himself thus outraged he reflected, "Alas! the instigation of
a woman troubles the minds even of those men whose souls are not under
the dominion of passion, as a storm disturbs the repose of lakes which
are not reached by dust. [310] This is why that teacher of mine in the
excess of his anger, though old and wise, was so inconsiderate as to
treat me so cruelly. But the fact is, lust and wrath are appointed in
the dispensation of fate, from the very birth even of wise Bráhmans,
to be the two bolts on the door of their salvation. [311] For were
not the sages long ago angry with Siva in the devadáru-wood, being
afraid that their wives would go astray? And they did not know that he
was a god, as he had assumed the appearance of a Buddhist mendicant,
with the intention of shewing Umá that even Rishis do not possess
self-restraint. But after they had cursed him, they discovered that
he was the ruling god, that shakes the three worlds, and they fled to
him for protection. So it appears that even hermits injure others, when
beguiled by the six faults that are enemies of man, [312] lust, wrath,
and their crew, much more so Bráhmans learned in the Vedas." Thinking
thus, Sundaraka from fear of robbers during the night, climbed up and
took shelter in a neighbouring cow-house. And while he was crouching
unobserved in a corner of that cow-house, Kálarátri came into it with a
drawn sword in her hand, [313] terrible from the hissing she uttered,
with wind and flames issuing from her mouth and eyes, accompanied by
a crowd of witches. Then the terrified Sundaraka, beholding Kálarátri
arriving in such a guise, called to mind the spells that drive away
Rákshasas, and bewildered by these spells Kálarátri did not see him
crouching secretly in a corner, with his limbs drawn together from
fear. Then Kálarátri with her friends recited the spells that enable
witches to fly, and they flew up into the air, cow-house and all.
And Sundaraka heard the spell and remembered it; [314] but Kálarátri
with the cow-house quickly flew through the air to Ujjayiní: there
she made it descend by a spell in a garden of herbs, and went and
sported in the cemetery among the witches: and immediately Sundaraka
being hungry went down into the garden of herbs, and made a meal
on some roots which he dug up, and after he had allayed the pangs
of hunger, and returned as before to the cow-house, Kálarátri came
back in the middle of the night from her meeting. Then she got up
into the cow-house, and, just as before, she flew through the air
with her pupils by the power of her magic, and returned home in the
night. And after she had replaced the cow-house, which she made use
of as a vehicle, in its original situation, and had dismissed those
followers of hers, she entered her sleeping apartment. And Sundaraka,
having thus passed through that night, astonished at the troubles
he had undergone, in the morning left the cow-house and went to
his friends; there he related what had happened to him, and, though
desirous of going to some other country, he was comforted by those
friends and took up his abode among them, and leaving the dwelling of
his teacher, and taking his meals in the almshouse for Bráhmans, he
lived there enjoying himself at will in the society of his friends. One
day Kálarátri, having gone out to buy some necessaries for her house,
saw Sundaraka in the market. And being once more love-sick, she went
up to him and said to him a second time--"Sundaraka, shew me affection
even now, for my life depends on you." When she said this to him, the
virtuous Sundaraka said to her, "Do not speak thus, it is not right;
you are my mother, as being the wife of my teacher." Then Kálarátri
said; "If you know what is right, then grant me my life, for what
righteousness is greater than the saving of life?" Then Sundaraka
said--"Mother, do not entertain this wish, for what righteousness can
there be in approaching the bed of my preceptor." Thus repulsed by
him, and threatening him in her wrath, she went home, after tearing
her upper garment with her own hand, and shewing the garment to her
husband, she said to him, "Look, Sundaraka ran upon me, and tore this
garment of mine in this fashion;" so her husband went in his anger
and stopped Sundaraka's supply of food at the almshouse, by saying
that he was a felon who deserved death. Then Sundaraka in disgust,
being desirous of leaving that country, and knowing the spell for
flying up into the air which he had learnt in the cow-house, but
being conscious that he had forgotten, after hearing it, the spell for
descending from the sky, which he had been taught there also, again
went in the night to that deserted cow-house, and while he was there,
Kálarátri came as before, and flying up in the cow-house in the same
way as on the former occasion, travelled through the air to Ujjayiní,
and having made the cow-house descend by a spell in the garden of
herbs, went again to the cemetery to perform her nightly ceremonies.
And Sundaraka heard that spell again, but failed again to retain it;
for how can magic practices be thoroughly learnt without explanation
by a teacher? Then he ate some roots there, and put some others in
the cow-house to take away with him, and remained there as before;
then Kálarátri came, and climbing up into the cow-house, flew through
the air by night, and stopping the vehicle, entered her house. In the
morning Sundaraka also left that house, and taking the roots with him
he went to the market in order to procure money with which to purchase
food. And while he was selling them there, some servants of the king's,
who were natives of Málava, took them away without paying for them,
seeing that they were the produce of their own country. Then he began
to remonstrate angrily, so they manacled him, and took him before the
king on a charge of throwing stones at them, and his friends followed
him. Those villains said to the king--"This man, when we asked him
how he managed continually to bring roots from Málava and sell them
in Ujjayiní, would not give us any answer, on the contrary he threw
stones at us."
When the king heard this, he asked him about that marvel, [315] then
his friends said--"If he is placed on the palace with us, he will
explain the whole wonder, but not otherwise." The king consented,
and Sundaraka was placed on the palace, whereupon by the help of
the spell he suddenly flew up into the heaven with the palace. And
travelling on it with his friends, he gradually reached Prayága,
[316] and being now weary he saw a certain king bathing there,
and after stopping the palace there, he plunged from the heaven
into the Ganges, and, beheld with wonder by all, he approached that
king. The king inclining before him, said to him, "Who art thou, and
why hast thou descended from heaven?" Sundaraka answered, "I am an
attendant of the god Siva, named Murajaka, and by his command I have
come to thee desiring human pleasures." When the king heard this,
he supposed it was true, and gave him a city, rich in corn, filled
with jewels, with women and all the insignia of rank. Then Sundaraka
entered that city and flew up into the heaven with his followers,
and for a long time roamed about at will, free from poverty. Lying
on a golden bed, and fanned with chowries by beautiful women, he
enjoyed happiness like that of Indra. Then once on a time a Siddha,
that roamed in the air, with whom he had struck up a friendship,
gave him a spell for descending from the air, and Sundaraka, having