The Kathá Sarit Ságara; or, Ocean of the Streams of Story
as they were seen going through the air, and crossing the sea they
went to the city of Karpúrasambhava. There they delighted the king
Karpúraka by reading out his daughter's letter, which told that she had
reached her husband's palace. The next day Pránadhara took leave of the
king, and after visiting Rájyadhara, repaired with his family into the
presence of Naraváhanadatta. Naraváhanadatta, when he had returned thus
quickly after accomplishing his mission, gave him a dwelling near his
palace and an ample allowance. And he amused himself, and his wives,
by going about in the flying chariots made by him, as if rehearsing
future journeyings in the skies as emperor of the Vidyádharas.
Thus, having delighted his friends, followers and wives, and obtained
a third wife Karpúriká in addition to Ratnaprabhá and Madanamanchuká,
the son of the king of Vatsa spent those days in happiness.
BOOK VIII.
CHAPTER XLIV.
Victory to the elephant-headed god, [626] who, reddening the sky
with the vermilion dye shaken off by the wind of his flapping ears,
seems to create sunset, even when it is not due.
Thus Naraváhanadatta, the son of the king of Vatsa, dwelt happily in
his father's house, after he had won those wives. And one day, when he
was in his father's assembly-hall, he saw a man of heavenly appearance
come there, descending from heaven. And after he and his father had
welcomed the man, who bowed before him, he immediately asked him,
"Who are you and why have you come?" Then he answered--"There is a
city in this earth on the ridge of Himavat, called Vajrakúta, [627]
and rightly so called, as being all made of diamond. There I dwelt,
as a king of the Vidyádharas named Vajraprabha, and my name too was
rightly given me, because my body is framed of diamond. And I received
this command from Siva, (who was pleased with my austerities,) "If thou
remainest loyal at the appointed time to the emperor created by me,
thou shalt become by my favour invincible to thy enemies." Accordingly
I have come here without delay to pay my respects to my sovereign:
for I have already perceived by means of my science that the son of
the king of Vatsa, (who is born of a portion of the god of Love, and
appointed by the god who wears a digit of the moon,) though a mortal,
shall be sole emperor over both divisions of our territory. [628]
And though, by the favour of Siva, a prince of the name of Súryaprabha
was ruler over us for a kalpa of the gods, still he was only lord in
the southern division, but in the northern division a prince called
Srutasarman was emperor; but your majesty, being destined for great
good fortune, shall be sole emperor here over the wanderers of the air,
and your dominion shall endure for a kalpa."
When the Vidyádhara said this, Naraváhanadatta, in the presence
of the king of Vatsa, said to him again out of curiosity: "How did
Súryaprabha, being a man, obtain of old time the sovereignty over
the Vidyádharas? Tell us." Then in private, that is to say, in the
presence of the queens and ministers, the king Vajraprabha began to
tell that tale.
Story of Súryaprabha, and how he attained sovereignty over the
Vidyádharas.
Of old there was in the country of the people of Madra a town named
Sákala; [629] Chandraprabha, the son of Angáraprabha, was king of it,
whose name expressed his nature, as he delighted the whole world,
but he was like fire in that he scorched his enemies. By his wife,
named Kírtimatí, there was born to that king a son, whose future glory
was indicated by his exceedingly auspicious marks. And when he was
born, a clear voice sounded from heaven, which rained nectar into the
ears of king Chandraprabha, "This king, now born, named Súryaprabha,
is appointed by Siva as the future emperor over the kings of the
Vidyádharas. Then that prince Súryaprabha grew up in the house of
his father, who was distinguished by the delightful favour of the
enemy of Pura, [630] and he being very clever, gradually acquired,
while still a child, all knowledge and all the accomplishments by
sitting at the feet of a teacher; and then, when he was sixteen
years old, and captivated the subjects by his virtues, his father
Chandraprabha appointed him crown-prince, and he gave him the sons
of his own ministers, many in number, Bhása, Prabhása, Siddhártha,
Prahasta and others. And while he was bearing with them the burden of
a crown-prince's duty, one day a great Asura of the name of Maya came
there, and Maya went up in the assembly-hall to king Chandraprabha,
who welcomed him, and said to him in the presence of Súryaprabha,
"King, this son of yours, Súryaprabha, has been appointed as the
future emperor of the kings of the Vidyádharas by Siva; so why does
he not acquire the magic sciences that will put him in possession of
the dignity? For this reason I am sent here by the god Siva. Permit
me to take him, and teach him the right method of employing the
sciences, which will be the cause of his obtaining the sovereignty
of the Vidyádharas. For he has a rival in this business, a lord
of the sky-goers named Srutasarman; he too has been appointed by
Siva. But this prince, after acquiring the power of the sciences,
shall conquer him with our help, and become emperor over the lords of
the Vidyádharas." When Maya said this, king Chandraprabha said--"We
are fortunate; let this auspicious one be taken by you wherever you
wish." Then Maya took leave of the king, and quickly carried off
to Pátála Súryaprabha and his ministers, whom the king permitted to
depart. There he taught the prince ascetic practices of such a kind,
that by means of them the prince and his ministers quickly acquired
the sciences. And he taught him also the art of providing himself with
magic chariots, so that he acquired a chariot named Bhútásana. Then
Maya brought Súryaprabha, mounted on that chariot, with his ministers,
having acquired the sciences, back to his own city from Pátála. And
after he had led him into the presence of his parents, he said to
him, "Now I depart, enjoy here all the enjoyments given by your magic
knowledge until I return." After saying this, the Asura Maya departed,
after having been duly honoured, and king Chandraprabha rejoiced in
his son's having acquired the sciences.
Then Súryaprabha, by virtue of the sciences, was continually roaming
through many countries in his chariot, with his ministers, to amuse
himself. And wherever any princess beheld him, she was immediately
bewildered by love, and chose him for her husband. The first was the
virgin daughter of the king of Támraliptí, who was called Vírabhata;
her name was Madanasená, and she was the first beauty of the world. The
second was Chandrikávatí the daughter of Subhata, the emperor of
the western border, who had been carried off by the Siddhas and left
somewhere else. And the third was the famous daughter of Kumbhíra,
the king of the city of Kánchí, Varunasená by name, remarkable
for her beauty. And the fourth was the daughter of king Paurava,
sovereign of Lávánaka, Sulochaná by name, with lovely eyes. And
the fifth was the daughter of king Suroha, the lord of the land of
China, Vidyunmálá with charming limbs, yellow as gold. And the sixth
was the daughter of king Kántisena, ruler in the land of Sríkantha,
surpassing in beauty the Apsarases. And the seventh was Parapushtá,
the daughter of king Janamejaya, the lord of the city of Kausámbí,
a sweet-voiced maid. And though the relations of these maidens,
who were carried off by a surprise, found out what had happened,
still, as the prince was confident in the might of his supernatural
science, they were pliant as canes. These wives also acquired the
sciences, and Súryaprabha associated with them all at the same time,
taking many bodies by his magic skill. Then he amused himself,
in the company of these wives, and of the ministers Prahasta and
others, with roaming in the air, with concerts, drinking-parties and
other amusements. Possessing heavenly skill in painting, he drew the
Vidyádhara females, and in that way, and by making sportive sarcastic
speeches, he enraged those charmers, and he was amused at their faces,
furrowed with frowns, and with reddened eyes, and at their speeches,
the syllables of which faltered on their trembling lips. And that
prince went with his wives to Támraliptí, and roaming through the
air sported in the gardens with Madanasená. And having left his
wives there, he went in the chariot Bhútásana, and accompanied by
Prahasta only, visited the city called Vajrarátra. There he carried
off the daughter of king Rambha before his eyes, Tárávalí by name,
who was enamoured of him, and burning with the fire of love. And he
came back to Támraliptí, and there carried off again another maiden
princess, by name Vilásiní. And when her haughty brother Sahasráyudha
was annoyed at it, he paralyzed him by his supernatural power. And he
also stupefied Sahasráyudha's mother's brother, who came with him,
and all his retainers, and made his head shorn of hair, because
he wished to carry off his beloved ones. But though he was angry,
he spared to slay them both, because they were his wife's relatives,
but he taunted them, who were downcast on account of the overthrow of
their pride, and let them go. Then Súryaprabha, surrounded by nine
wives, having been summoned by his father, returned in his chariot
to his city Sákala.
And then king Vírabhata sent from Támraliptí an ambassador to
Súryaprabha's father, king Chandraprabha, and gave him the following
message to deliver--"Your son has carried off my two daughters,
but let that be, for he is a desirable husband for them, as he
is a master of supernatural sciences, but, if you love us, come
here now, in order that we may make a friendship based upon the
due performance of marriage rites and hospitality." Thereupon king
Chandraprabha rewarded the messenger, and determined that he would
quickly start for that place on the morrow. But he sent Prahasta, as
an ambassador to Vírabhata, in order to make sure of his sincerity,
and gave him Bhútásana to travel in. Prahasta went quickly and had an
interview with king Vírabhata, and questioned him about the business,
and was informed and highly honoured by him, [631] and promised him,
who smiled graciously, that his masters would come early next morning,
and then he returned in a moment to Chandraprabha through the air. And
he told that king that Vírabhata was ready to receive him. The king,
for his part, being pleased, shewed honour to that minister of his
son's. Then king Chandraprabha with queen Kírtimatí, and Súryaprabha
with Vilásiní and Madanasená, mounted that chariot Bhútásana, and
went off early next day with retinue and ministers. In one watch only
of the day they reached Támraliptí, being beheld, as they passed
through the air, by the people with eyes the lashes of which were
upraised through wonder. And descending from the sky, they entered
the city side by side with king Vírabhata, who came out to meet them;
the beautiful streets of the town were irrigated at every step with
sandal-wood water, and seemed to be strewed with blue lotuses by
means of the sidelong glances of the city ladies. There Vírabhata
honoured his connexion and his son-in-law, and duly performed the
marriage ceremony of his daughters. And king Vírabhata gave at the
marriage-altar of those daughters, a thousand loads of pure gold,
and a hundred camels laden with burdens of ornaments made of jewels;
and five hundred camels laden with loads of various garments, and
fifty thousand horses, and five thousand elephants, and a thousand
lovely women adorned with beauty and jewels. And moreover he gratified
his son-in-law Súryaprabha and his parents with valuable jewels and
territories. And he duly honoured his ministers, Prahasta and others,