The Kathá Sarit Ságara; or, Ocean of the Streams of Story
follower named Sinhaparákrama; who was wonderfully successful in all
battles and in all gambling contests. And he had a wife very deformed
both in body and mind, called by a name, which expressed her nature,
Kalahakárí. [358] This brave man continually obtained much money
both from the king and from gambling, and, as soon as he got it,
he gave it all to his wife. But the shrewish woman, backed by her
three sons begotten by him, could not in spite of this remain one
moment without a quarrel. She continually worried him by yelling out
these words at him with her sons--"You are always eating and drinking
away from home, and you never give us anything." And though he was
for ever trying to propitiate her with meat, drink, and raiment,
she tortured him day and night like an interminable thirst. Then,
at last, Sinhaparákrama vexed with indignation on that account,
left his house, and went on a pilgrimage to the goddess Durgá that
dwells in the Vindhya hills. While he was fasting, the goddess said
to him in a dream: "Rise up, my son, go to thy own city of Benares;
there is an enormous nyagrodha tree, by digging round its root thou
wilt at once obtain a treasure. And in the treasure thou wilt find
a dish of emerald, bright as a sword-blade, looking like a piece of
the sky fallen down to earth; casting thy eyes on that, thou wilt
see, as it were, reflected inside, the previous existence of every
individual, in whatever case thou mayest wish to know it. By means of
that thou wilt learn the previous birth of thy wife and of thyself,
and having learned the truth wilt dwell there in happiness free from
grief." Having thus been addressed by the goddess, Sinhaparákrama woke
up and broke his fast, and went in the morning to Benares; and after
he had reached the city, he found at the root of the nyagrodha tree a
treasure, and in it he discovered a large emerald dish, and, eager to
learn the truth, he saw in that dish that in a previous birth his wife
had been a terrible she-bear, and himself a lion. And so recognising
that the hatred between himself and his wife was irremediable owing to
the influence of bitter enmity in a previous birth, he abandoned grief
and bewilderment. Then Sinhaparákrama examined many maidens by means
of the dish, and discovering that they had belonged to alien races in
a previous birth, he avoided them, but after he had discovered one,
who had been a lioness in a previous birth and so was a suitable
match for him, he married her as his second wife, and her name was
Sinhasrí. And after assigning to that Kalahakárí one village only as
her portion, he lived, delighted with the acquisition of treasure,
in the society of his new wife. Thus, O king, wives and others are
friendly or hostile to men in this world by virtue of impressions in
a previous state of existence.
When the king of Vatsa had heard this wonderful story from Vasantaka,
he was exceedingly delighted and so was the queen Vásavadattá. And the
king was never weary day or night of contemplating the moon-like face
of the pregnant queen. And as days went on, there were born to all of
his ministers in due course sons with auspicious marks, who heralded
approaching good fortune. First there was born to Yaugandharáyana,
the chief minister, a son Marubhúti by name. Then Rumanvat had a
son called Harisikha, and to Vasantaka there was born a son named
Tapantaka. And to the head-warder called Nityodita, whose other title
was Ityaka, [359] there was born a son named Gomukha. And after they
were born a great feast took place, and during it a bodiless voice
was heard from heaven--"These ministers shall crush the race of the
enemies of the son of the king of Vatsa here, the future universal
emperor. And as days went by, the time drew near for the birth of the
child, with which the queen Vásavadattá was destined to present the
king of Vatsa, and she repaired to the ornamented lying-in-chamber,
which was prepared by matrons having sons, and the windows of which
were covered with arka and samí plants. The room was hung with
various weapons, rendered auspicious by being mixed with the gleam
of jewel-lamps, shedding a blaze [360] able to protect the child;
and secured by conjurers who went through innumerable charms and
spells and other incantations, so that it became a fortress of the
matrons hard for calamity to storm, and there she brought forth in
good time a prince of lovely aspect, as the heaven brings forth the
moon from which stream pure nectarous rays. The child, when born,
not only irradiated that room, but the heart also of that mother
from which the darkness of grief had departed; then, as the delight
of the inmates of the harem was gradually extended, the king heard
of the birth of a son from the people who were admitted to it; the
reason he did not give his kingdom in his delight to the person, who
announced it, was, that he was afraid of committing an impropriety,
not that he was avaricious. And so the king, suddenly coming to the
harem with longing mind, beheld his son, and his hope bore fruit
after a long delay. The child had a long red lower lip like a leaf,
beautiful flowing hair like wool, and his whole face was like the
lotus, which the goddess of the Fortune of empire carries for her
delight. He was marked on his soft feet with umbrellas and chowries,
as if the Fortunes of other kings had beforehand abandoned their
badges in his favour, out of fear. Then, while the king shed with
tearful eye, that swelled with the pressure of the fulness of the
weight of his joy, drops that seemed to be drops of paternal affection,
[361] and the ministers with Yaugandharáyana at their head rejoiced,
a voice was heard from heaven at that time to the following effect:
"King, this son that is born to thee is an incarnation of Káma, [362]
and know that his name is Naraváhanadatta; and he will soon become
emperor of the kings of the Vidyádharas, and maintain that position
unwearied for a kalpa of the gods." [363] When so much had been said,
the voice stopped, and immediately a rain of flowers fell from heaven,
and the sounds of the celestial drums went forth. Then the king,
excessively delighted, made a great feast, which was rendered all the
more solemn from the gods having begun it. The sound of cymbals floated
in the air rising from temples, as if to tell all the Vidyádharas of
the birth of their king: and red banners, flying in the wind on the
tops of the palaces, seemed with their splendour to fling red dye to
one another. On earth beautiful women assembled and danced everywhere,
as if they were the nymphs of heaven glad that the god of love had been
born with a body. [364] And the whole city appeared equally splendid
with new dresses and ornaments bestowed by the rejoicing king. For
while that rich king rained riches upon his dependants, nothing but
the treasury was empty. And the ladies belonging to the families of
the neighbouring chieftains came in from all sides, with auspicious
prayers, versed in the good custom, [365] accompanied by dancing
girls, bringing with them splendid presents, escorted by various
excellent guards, attended with the sound of musical instruments,
like all the cardinal points in bodily form. Every movement there
was of the nature of a dance, every word uttered was attended with
full vessels, [366] every action was of the nature of munificence,
the city resounded with musical instruments, the people were adorned
with red powder, and the earth was covered with bards,--all these
things were so in that city which was all full of festivity. Thus
the great feast was carried on with increasing magnificence for many
days, and did not come to an end before the wishes of the citizens
were fully satisfied. And as days went on, that infant prince grew
like the new moon, and his father bestowed on him with appropriate
formalities the name of Naraváhanadatta, which had been previously
assigned him by the heavenly voice. His father was delighted when
he saw him make his first two or three tottering steps, in which
gleamed the sheen of his smooth fair toe-nails, and when he heard
him utter his first two or three indistinct words, shewing his teeth
which looked like buds. Then the excellent ministers brought to the
infant prince their infant sons, who delighted the heart of the king,
and commended them to him. First Yaugandharáyana brought Marubhúti,
and then Rumanvat Harisikha, and then the head-warder named Ityaka
brought Gomukha, and Vasantaka his son named Tapantaka. And the
domestic chaplain Sántikara presented the two twin sons of Pingaliká,
his nephews Sántisoma and Vaisvánara. And at that moment there fell
from heaven a rain of flowers from the gods, which a shout of joy
made all the more auspicious, and the king rejoiced with the queens,
having bestowed presents on that company of ministers' sons. And that
prince Naraváhanadatta was always surrounded by those six ministers'
sons devoted to him alone, who commanded respect even in their boyhood,
[367] as if with the six political measures that are the cause of great
prosperity. The days of the lord of Vatsa passed in great happiness,
while he gazed affectionately on his son with his smiling lotus-like
face, going from lap to lap of the kings whose minds were lovingly
attached to him, and making in his mirth a charming indistinct
playful prattling.
BOOK V.
CHAPTER XXIV.
May Ganesa, painting the earth with mosaic by means of the particles
of red lead flying from his trunk whirled round in his madness, [368]
and so, as it were, burning up obstacles with the flames of his might,
protect you.
Thus the king of Vatsa and his queen remained engaged in bringing
up their only son Naraváhanadatta, and once on a time the minister
Yaugandharáyana, seeing the king anxious about taking care of him,
said to him as he was alone,--"King, you must never feel any anxiety
now about the prince Naraváhanadatta, for he has been created by
the adorable god Siva in your house as the future emperor over the
kings of the Vidyádharas; and by their divine power the kings of the
Vidyádharas have found this out, and meaning mischief have become
troubled, unable in their hearts to endure it; and knowing this, the
god with the moon-crest has appointed a prince of the Ganas, [369]
Stambhaka by name, to protect him. And he remains here invisible,
protecting this son of yours, and Nárada coming swiftly informed
me of this." While the minister was uttering these words, there
descended from the midst of the air a divine man wearing a diadem
and a bracelet, and armed with a sword. He bowed, and then the king
of Vatsa, after welcoming him, immediately asked him with curiosity:
"Who are you, and what is your errand here?" He said, "I was once
a mortal, but I have now become a king of the Vidyádharas, named
Saktivega and I have many enemies. I have found out by my power that
your son is destined to be our emperor, and I have come to see him, O
king." When Saktivega, over-awed at the sight of his future emperor,
had said this, the king of Vatsa was pleased and again asked him
in his astonishment, "How can the rank of a Vidyádhara be attained,
and of what nature is it, and how did you obtain it? Tell me this,
my friend." When he heard this speech of the king's, that Vidyádhara
Saktivega courteously bowing, answered him thus, "O king, resolute
souls having propitiated Siva either in this or in a former birth,
obtain by his favour the rank of Vidyádhara. And that rank, denoted
by the insignia of supernatural knowledge, of sword, garland and so
on, is of various kinds, but listen! I will tell you how I obtained
it. Having said this, Saktivega told the following story, relating
to himself, in the presence of the queen Vásavadattá.
Story of Saktivega king of the Vidyádharas.