The Kathá Sarit Ságara; or, Ocean of the Streams of Story
And in the meanwhile his accomplice, the other rogue Mádhava, having
heard from his emissaries how he was getting on, entered that city;
and taking up his abode there in a distant temple, he went to the
bank of the Siprá to bathe, disguised as a Rájpút, and after bathing,
as he was returning with his retinue, he saw Siva praying in front
of the god, and with great veneration he fell at his feet, and said
before all the people, "There is no other such ascetic in the world,
for he has been often seen by me going round from one holy place to
another." But Siva, though he saw him, kept his neck immoveable out
of cunning, and remained in the same position as before, and Mádhava
returned to his own lodging. And at night those two met together
and ate and drank, and deliberated over the rest of their programme,
what they must do next. And in the last watch of the night Siva went
back leisurely to his hut. And in the morning Mádhava said to one
of his gang, "Take these two garments and give them as a present to
the domestic chaplain of the king here, who is called Sankarasvámin,
and say to him respectfully: 'There is a Rájpút come from the Deccan
of the name of Mádhava, who has been oppressed by his relations, and
he brings with him much inherited wealth; he is accompanied by some
other Rájpúts like himself, and he wishes to enter into the service of
your king here, and he has sent me to visit you, O treasure-house of
glory.'" The rogue, who was sent off by Mádhava with this message, went
to the house of that chaplain with the present in his hand, and after
approaching him, and giving him the present at a favourable moment, he
delivered to him in private Mádhava's message, as he had been ordered;
he, for his part, out of his greed for presents, believed it all,
anticipating other favours in the future, for a bribe is the sovereign
specific for attracting the covetous. The rogue then came back, and
on the next day Mádhava, having obtained a favourable opportunity,
went in person to visit that chaplain, accompanied by attendants,
who hypocritically assumed the appearance of men desiring service,
[378] passing themselves off as Rájpúts, distinguished by the maces
they carried; he had himself announced by an attendant preceding
him, and thus he approached the family priest, who received him with
welcomes which expressed his delight at his arrival. Then Mádhava
remained engaged in conversation with him for some time, and at last
being dismissed by him, returned to his own house. On the next day he
sent another couple of garments as a present, and again approached
that chaplain and said to him, "I indeed wish to enter into service
to please my retainers, for that reason I have repaired to you,
but I possess wealth." When the chaplain heard that, he hoped to get
something out of him, and he promised Mádhava to procure for him what
he desired, and he immediately went and petitioned the king on this
account, and, out of respect for the chaplain, the king consented to do
what he asked. And on the next day the family priest took Mádhava and
his retinue, and presented them to the king with all due respect. The
king too, when he saw that Mádhava resembled a Rájpút in appearance,
received him graciously and appointed him a salary. Then Mádhava
remained there in attendance upon the king, and every night he met
Siva to deliberate with him. And the chaplain entreated him to live
with him in his house, out of avarice, as he was intent on presents.
Then Mádhava with his followers repaired to the house of the chaplain;
this settlement was the cause of the chaplain's ruin, as that of
the mouse in the trunk of the tree was the cause of its ruin. And he
deposited a safe in the strong room of the chaplain, after filling it
with ornaments made of false gems. And from time to time he opened the
box and by cunningly half-shewing some of the jewels, he captivated
the mind of the chaplain as that of a cow is captivated by grass. And
when he had gained in this way the confidence of the chaplain, he made
his body emaciated by taking little food, and falsely pretended that
he was ill. And after a few days had passed, that prince of rogues
said with weak voice to that chaplain, who was at his bedside;
"My condition is miserable in this body, so bring, good Bráhman,
some distinguished man of your caste, in order that I may bestow my
wealth upon him for my happiness here and hereafter, for, life being
unstable, what care can a wise man have for riches?" That chaplain,
who was devoted to presents, when addressed in this way, said,
"I will do so," and Mádhava fell at his feet. Then whatever Bráhman
the chaplain brought, Mádhava refused to receive, pretending that
he wanted a more distinguished one. One of the rogues in attendance
upon Mádhava, when he saw this, said--"Probably an ordinary Bráhman
does not please him. So it will be better now to find out whether
the strict ascetic on the banks of Siprá named Siva pleases him or
not?" When Mádhava heard that, he said plaintively to that chaplain:
"Yes, be kind, and bring him, for there is no other Bráhman like him."
The chaplain, thus entreated, went near Siva, and beheld him
immoveable, pretending to be engaged in meditation. And then he walked
round him, keeping him on his right hand, and sat down in front of
him: and immediately the rascal slowly opened his eyes. Then the
family priest, bending before him, said with bowed head,--"My Lord,
if it will not make you angry, I will prefer a petition to you. There
is dwelling here a very rich Rájpút from the Deccan, named Mádhava,
and he, being ill, is desirous of giving away his whole property:
if you consent, he will give you that treasure which glitters with
many ornaments made out of priceless gems." When Siva heard that, he
slowly broke silence, and said,--"O Bráhman, since I live on alms, and
observe perpetual chastity, of what use are riches to me?" Then that
chaplain went on to say to him, "Do not say that, great Bráhman, do you
not know the due order of the periods in the life of a Bráhman? [379]
By marrying a wife, and performing in his house offerings to the Manes,
sacrifices to the gods and hospitality to guests, he uses his property
to obtain the three objects of life; [380] the stage of the householder
is the most useful of all." Then Siva said, "How can I take a wife,
for I will not marry a woman from any low family?" When the covetous
chaplain heard that, he thought that he would be able to enjoy his
wealth at will, and, catching at the opportunity, he said to him:
"I have an unmarried daughter named Vinayasváminí, and she is very
beautiful, I will bestow her in marriage on you. And I will keep for
you all the wealth which you receive as a donation from Mádhava, so
enter on the duties of a householder." When Siva heard this, having
got the very thing he wanted, he said, "Bráhman, if your heart is
set on this, [381] I will do what you say. But I am an ascetic who
knows nothing about gold and jewels: I shall act as you advise; do
as you think best." When the chaplain heard that speech of Siva's,
he was delighted, and the fool said, "Agreed"--and conducted Siva
to his house. And when he had introduced there that inauspicious
guest named Siva, [382] he told Mádhava what he had done and was
applauded by him. And immediately he gave Siva his daughter, who
had been carefully brought up, and in giving her he seemed to be
giving away his own prosperity lost by his folly. And on the third
day after his marriage, he took him to Mádhava who was pretending to
be ill, to receive his present. And Mádhava rose up and fell at his
feet and said what was quite true, "I adore thee whose asceticism is
incomprehensible." [383] And in accordance with the prescribed form
he bestowed on Siva that box of ornaments made of many sham jewels,
which was brought from the chaplain's treasury. Siva for his part,
after receiving it, gave it into the hand of the chaplain, saying,
"I know nothing about this, but you do." And that priest immediately
took it, saying, "I undertook to do this long ago, why should you
trouble yourself about it?" Then Siva gave them his blessing, and
went to his wife's private apartments, and the chaplain took the
box and put it in his strong room. Mádhava for his part gradually
desisted from feigning sickness, affecting to feel better the next
day, and said that his disease had been cured by virtue of his great
gift. And he praised the chaplain when he came near, saying to him,
"It was by your aiding me in an act of faith that I tided over this
calamity." And he openly struck up a friendship with Siva, asserting
that it was due to the might of Siva's holiness that his life had
been saved. Siva, for his part, after some days said to the chaplain:
"How long am I to feast in your house in this style? Why do you not
take from me those jewels for some fixed sum of money? If they are
valuable, give me a fair price for them." When the priest heard that,
thinking that the jewels were of incalculable value, he consented,
and gave to Siva as purchase-money his whole living. And he made
Siva sign a receipt for the sum with his own hand, and he himself
too signed a receipt for the jewels, thinking that that treasure
far exceeded his own wealth in value. And they separated, taking one
another's receipts, and the chaplain lived in one place, while Siva
kept house in another. And then Siva and Mádhava dwelt together and
remained there leading a very pleasant life consuming the chaplain's
wealth. And as time went on, that chaplain, being in need of cash,
went to the town to sell one of the ornaments in the bazar.
Then the merchants, who were connoisseurs in jewels, said after
examining it, "Ha! the man who made these sham jewels was a clever
fellow, whoever he was. For this ornament is composed of pieces of
glass and quartz coloured with various colours and fastened together
with brass, and there are no gems or gold in it." When the chaplain
heard that, he went in his agitation and brought all the ornaments from
his house, and showed them to the merchants. When they saw them, they
said that all of them were composed of sham jewels in the same way; but
the chaplain, when he heard that, was, so to speak, thunderstruck. And
immediately the fool went off and said to Siva, "Take back your
ornaments and give me back my own wealth." But Siva answered him,
"How can I possibly have retained your wealth till now? Why it has
all in course of time been consumed in my house." Then the chaplain
and Siva fell into an altercation, and went, both of them, before
the king, at whose side Mádhava was standing. And the chaplain made
this representation to the king: "Siva has consumed all my substance,
taking advantage of my not knowing that a great treasure, which he
deposited in my house, [384] was composed of skilfully coloured pieces
of glass and quartz fastened together with brass." Then Siva said,
"King, from my childhood I have been a hermit, and I was persuaded by
that man's earnest petition to accept a donation, and when I took it,
though inexperienced in the ways of the world, I said to him, 'I am no
connoisseur in jewels and things of that kind, and I rely upon you,'
and he consented saying, 'I will be your warrant in the matter.' And
I accepted all the donation and deposited it in his hand. Then he
bought the whole from me at his own price, and we hold from one another
mutual receipts; and now it is in the king's power to grant me help in
my sorest need." Siva having thus finished his speech, Mádhava said,
"Do not say this, you are honourable, but what fault have I committed
in the matter? I never received anything either from you or from Siva;
I had some wealth inherited from my father, which I had long deposited