The Kathá Sarit Ságara; or, Ocean of the Streams of Story
by her attendants, they pretended to investigate the matter, and kept
saying in the course of their calculations, "It is not on this side,
it must be after that." At last, in accordance with their agreement
with the minister, they named again that very moment at the end of
six months. When Kalingasená heard that distant date fixed, she was
cast down in spirit, but her chamberlain said, "You must first fix a
favourable moment, so that this couple may be happy all their lives,
what matters it whether it be near or far off?" When they heard this
speech of the chamberlain's, all there immediately exclaimed--"Well
said." And Yaugandharáyana said, "Yes, and if an inauspicious moment is
appointed for us, the king Kalingadatta, our proposed connexion, will
be grieved." Then Kalingasená, being helpless, said to them all--"Let
it be as you appoint in your wisdom"--and remained silent. And at once
accepting that speech of hers, Yaugandharáyana took leave of her, and
went with the astrologers into the presence of the king. Then he told
the proceedings to the king of Vatsa, exactly as they had happened, and
so having settled his mind by an artifice, he went to his own house.
So having attained his object of putting off the marriage, in order
to complete the scheme he had in view, he called to mind his friend,
the Bráhman-Rákshasa, named Yogesvara. He, according to his previous
promise, when thought of, readily came to the minister, and bowed
before him and said--"Why am I called to mind?" Then Yaugandharáyana
told him the whole incident of Kalingasená which was tempting his
master to vice, and again said to him--"I have managed to gain time,
my friend; in that interval, do you, remaining concealed, observe
by your skill the behaviour of Kalingasená. For the Vidyádharas and
other spirits are without doubt secretly in love with her, since there
is no other woman in the three worlds equal to her in beauty. So, if
she were to have an intrigue with some Siddha or Vidyádhara, and you
were to see it, it would be a fortunate thing. And you must observe
the divine lover, though he come disguised, when he is asleep, for
divine beings, when asleep, assume their own form. If in this way
we are able to discover any offence in her by means of your eyes,
the king will be disgusted with her, and will accomplish that object
of ours." When the minister said this to him, the Bráhman-Rákshasa
answered, "Why should I not by some artifice cause her to fall or
slay her?" When the great minister Yaugandharáyana heard that, he
said to him--"This must not be done, for it would be a very wicked
deed. And whoever goes his own way without offending against the god
of justice, finds that that god comes to his assistance to enable
him to attain his objects. So you must discover in her, my friend,
a fault self-caused, in order that through your friendship the king's
objects may be accomplished by me." Having received this order from
the excellent minister, the Bráhman-Rákshasa departed, and disguised
by magic entered the house of Kalingasená.
In the meanwhile Somaprabhá, her friend, the daughter of the Asura
Maya, went again into the presence of Kalingasená. And the daughter
of Maya, after asking her friend what had happened in the night,
said to her who had abandoned her relations, in the hearing of that
Rákshasa--"I came here in the forenoon after searching for you, but
I remained concealed at your side, seeing Yaugandharáyana. However
I heard your conversation, and I understood the whole state of
affairs. So why did you make this attempt yesterday though you were
forbidden to do so by me? For any business which is undertaken,
my friend, without first counteracting the evil omen, will end in
calamity; as a proof of this, hear the following tale:"
Story of the Bráhman's son Vishnudatta and his seven foolish
companions.
Long ago there lived in Antarvedi a Bráhman named Vasudatta, and he had
a son born to him named Vishnudatta. That Vishnudatta, after he reached
the age of sixteen years, set out for the city of Vallabhí in order to
acquire learning. And there joined him seven other young Bráhmans his
fellows, but those seven were fools, while he was wise and sprung from
a good family. After they had taken an oath not to desert one another,
Vishnudatta set out with them at night without the knowledge of his
parents. And after he had set forth, he saw an evil omen presenting
itself in front of him, and he said to those friends of his who were
travelling with him,--"Ha! Here is a bad omen! it is advisable to turn
back now; we will set out again with good hope of success, when we
have auspicious omens with us." When those seven foolish companions
heard that, they said, "Do not entertain groundless fear, for we are
not afraid of the omen. If you are afraid, do not go, but we will
start this moment; to-morrow morning our relations will abandon us,
when they hear of our proceedings." When those ignorant creatures
said that, Vishnudatta set out with them, urged on by his oath, but
he first called to mind Hari, the dispeller of sin. And at the end of
the night he saw another evil omen, and again mentioned it, and he was
rebuked by all those foolish friends of his in the following words;
"This is our evil omen, you coward afraid to travel, that you have been
brought by us, since you shudder at a crow at every step you take;
we require no other evil omen." Having reviled him in these words,
they continued their journey and Vishnudatta went with them, as he
could not help it, but kept silence, reflecting--"One ought not to
give advice to a fool bent on going his own crooked way, for it only
entails ridicule, being like the beautifying of ordure. A single wise
man fallen among many fools, like a lotus in the path of the waves,
is surely overwhelmed. So I must not henceforth give these men either
good or bad advice, but I must go on in silence; destiny will educe
prosperity." Engaged in these reflections, Vishnudatta proceeded
on the way with those fools, and at the end of the day he reached a
Savara village. There he wandered about in the night and reached a
certain house inhabited by a young woman, and asked the woman for a
lodging there. She gave him a room, and he entered it with his friends,
and those seven in a moment went to sleep. He alone remained awake,
as he had entered a house belonging to a savage. For the stupid sleep
resolutely, how can the understanding sleep?
And in the meanwhile a certain young man secretly entered the inner
apartment of the house, and went into the presence of that woman. And
she remained in confidential conversation with him, and as fate
would have it, they both fell asleep. And Vishnudatta, perceiving it
all through the half-open door by the light of a candle, reflected
despondently, "Alas! have we entered the house of a profligate
woman? Surely this is her paramour, and not the husband of her youth,
for otherwise we should not have this timid secret proceeding;
I saw at the first that she was of a flighty disposition; but we
have entered here as mutual witnesses, for lack of others." While he
was thinking he heard outside a noise of men, and he saw entering a
young chief of the Savaras with a sword, looking about him, while
his attendants remained in the sleeping apartment. When the chief
said--"Who are you?" Vishnudatta, supposing him to be the master of
the house, said in his terror--"We are travellers." But the Savara
entered, and seeing his wife in such a position, he cut off with
his sword the head of her sleeping paramour. But he did not punish
or even wake his wife; but placing his sword on the ground he went
to sleep on another couch. Seeing that by the light of the candle,
Vishnudatta reflected--"He did right not to kill his wife, but to
kill the adulterer; but that he should sleep here in confidence,
after performing such a deed, is an act of surprising courage,
characteristic of men of mighty minds." While Vishnudatta was thus
reflecting, that wicked woman awoke and beheld her paramour slain,
and that husband of hers asleep. So she rose up, and took on her
shoulder the body of her lover, and carrying his head in one hand,
she went out. And going outside quickly, she threw into an ash-heap
the trunk with the head, and came secretly back. And Vishnudatta going
out beheld it all from a distance, and again entering remained as he
was, in the midst of his sleeping companions. But the wicked woman
came back, and entering the room, cut off with that very sword the
head of her sleeping husband. And going out she raised a cry so as to
make all the servants hear, "Alas! I am ruined, my husband has been
slain by these travellers." Then the servants, hearing the cry, rushed
forward and beholding their master slain, ran upon Vishnudatta and his
friends with uplifted weapons. And when those others, his companions,
rose up in terror, as they were about to be slain, Vishnudatta said
quickly--"Cease your attempt to slay Bráhmans! We did not do this deed;
this wicked woman herself did it, being in love with another man. But I
saw the whole affair from the very beginning, through a half-open door;
and I went out and observed what she did, and if you will have patience
with me, I will tell you." Vishnudatta with these words restrained the
Savaras, and told them the whole affair from the beginning, and took
them out and showed them the trunk with the head freshly severed and
thrown by the woman on that heap of refuse. Then the woman confessed
the truth by the paleness of her face, and all there reviled the
wanton, and said--"Whom will not a wicked woman kill, when won over
by another man, like a sword in an enemy's hand, since enticed by
love she commits reckless crime without being taught." Having said
this, they thereupon let Vishnudatta and his companions go; and then
the seven companions praised Vishnudatta, saying, "You became to us,
while we were asleep at night, a protecting jewel-lamp, through your
kindness we escaped to-day from death produced by an evil omen." In
these words they praised Vishnudatta, and ceased henceforth their
reviling, and after bowing before him they set out in the morning on
their errand, accompanied by him.
Having told this story to Kalingasená in their mutual conversation,
Somaprabhá again said to that friend of hers in Kausámbí.--"Thus,
my friend, an evil omen presenting itself to people engaged in
any undertaking, if not counteracted by delay and other methods,
produces misfortune. And so people of dull intelligence, neglecting
the advice of the wise, and acting impetuously, are afflicted in
the end. Accordingly you did not act wisely in sending a messenger
to the king of Vatsa, asking him to receive you, when there was an
inauspicious omen. May Fate grant you to be married without any
impediment, but you came from your house in an unlucky moment,
therefore your marriage is far off. And the gods too are in love
with you, so you must be on your guard against this. And you must
think of the minister Yaugandharáyana, who is expert in politic
wiles; he, fearing that the king may become engrossed in pleasure,
may throw impediments in your way in this business; or he may even
bring a charge against you after your marriage is celebrated: but no,
being virtuous, he will not bring a false accusation; nevertheless,
my friend, you must at all events be on your guard against your rival
wife, I will tell you a story illustrative of this, listen."
Story of Kadalígarbhá.
There is in this land a city named Ikshumatí, and by the side of
it there runs a river called by the same name; both were created
by Visvámitra. And near it there is a great forest, and in it a
hermit of the name of Mankanaka had made himself a hermitage and