The Kathá Sarit Ságara; or, Ocean of the Streams of Story
perform the marriage ceremony?" When king Chandraprabha heard that,
he honoured the messenger in his joy, and had Sulochaná escorted by
Prahasta into the presence of her father. Then they, Subhata and all,
in the company of Súryaprabha, went to Lávánaka in the chariot, that
came as soon as it was thought of. There Paurava performed the joyful
marriage ceremony, and bestowed jewels liberally on Súryaprabha and
Sulochaná, and honoured the kings also. And while they were remaining
there in delight, entertained by the king, Suroha, the king of China,
also sent an ambassador. That king, like the others, requested by the
mouth of the ambassador that, as his daughter had been carried off,
they would come with her to his palace.
Then king Chandraprabha was delighted, and he had the king of China's
daughter, Vidyunmálá, also conducted by Prahasta to her father's
house. And on the next day Chandraprabha and all went, including
Paurava, together with Súryaprabha and his retinue, to the land of
China. There the king came out to meet them, and led them into his
own treasure-chamber, and there performed the marriage ceremony of
his daughter. And he gave to Vidyunmálá and Súryaprabha an immense
quantity of gold, elephants, horses, jewels and silk garments. And
being invited by Suroha, Chandraprabha and the others continued there
for some days in various enjoyments. And Súryaprabha, who was in the
prime of youth, was adorned by that Vidyunmálá, [634] as the rainy
season, when the clouds abound, is adorned by the lightning-garland.
Thus Súryaprabha and his relatives, accompanied by his various
charmers, enjoyed delights here and there in the houses of his
fathers-in-law. Then he took counsel with Siddhártha and his other
ministers, and dismissed one by one to their own lands Vírabhata and
the other kings, with numbers of horses, and then took leave of that
king Suroha, and accompanied by his daughter, with his own parents
and followers ascended that chariot Bhútásana, and went triumphant
to his own city of Sákala. In that city great rejoicing took place
on account of his arrival; in one place there was the occupation of
dancing, in another the delight of music; in one place the amusement of
drinking, in another the toilet-rites of fair-eyed ladies; in another
the voice of bards loud in the praise of him who had obtained what
he desired. Then he had brought his other wives, who had remained in
their fathers' houses, and with the stores of elephants and horses
bestowed by their fathers, that were brought with them, and with the
innumerable camels bowed down with burdens full of various jewels, he
displayed in sport the wealth obtained by the conquest of the world,
and aroused the wonder of his subjects.
Then Sákala, inhabited by that fortunate one, appeared glorious,
as if the chiefs of the gods, of the followers of Kuvera, and of the
snakes, had made in it many deposits of much wealth. Then Súryaprabha
dwelt there with Madanasená, enjoying the pleasures he desired, happy
in that all blessings were fully bestowed upon him, in the society
of his parents, with his ministers, accompanied by his other wives,
expecting every day Maya, who had made a promise to return.
CHAPTER XLV.
Then, one day, when king Chandraprabha was in the hall of assembly,
and Súryaprabha was there accompanied by all his ministers, they
called to mind Maya à propos of a remark made by Siddhártha, and
suddenly the earth cleft open in the middle of the assembly. Then
first a loud-sounding fragrant breeze ascended from the aperture in
the earth, and afterwards the Asura Maya rose up from it, looking
like a mountain in the night, for his hair gleamed upon his black
lofty head like the potent herbs upon the mountain peaks, and his
crimson robe resembled the flowing streams of cinnabar. And the king
of the Dánavas, after having been duly honoured by king Chandraprabha,
spake from his seat on a jewelled throne--"You have enjoyed these
delights of earth, and now it is time for you to enjoy others; set
yourselves now to prepare for acquiring them. Send out ambassadors,
and collect your subordinate kings, and your friends and connexions;
then we will unite with Sumeru, prince of the Vidyádharas, and we will
conquer Srutasarman, and win the sovereignty of the sky-goers. And
Sumeru is our ally, considering us as friends, for he received at the
outset a command from Siva, to support Súryaprabha and give him his
own daughter. When the Asura Maya said this, Chandraprabha sent, as
ambassadors to all the kings, Prahasta and the other ministers that
travelled through the air; and, by the advice of Maya, Súryaprabha
communicated the magic sciences to all his wives and ministers,
on whom they had not been bestowed already.
And while they were thus engaged, the hermit Nárada arrived, descending
from the sky, illuminating the whole horizon with brightness. And after
he had received the argha, he sat down and said to Chandraprabha, "I
am sent here by Indra, and he sends this message to your Highness--'I
have learned that, by the instigation of Siva, you purpose, with the
assistance of the Asura Maya, being all of you deluded by ignorance,
to obtain for this Súryaprabha, of mortal frame, the great dignity of
emperor of all the chiefs of the Vidyádharas: that is improper, for
I have conferred it on Srutasarman, and besides it is the hereditary
right of that moon of the sea of the Vidyádhara race. And as for what
you are doing in a spirit of opposition to me, and contrary to what
is right, it will certainly result in your destruction. Moreover,
before, when your Highness was offering a sacrifice to Rudra, I told
you first to offer an Asvamedha sacrifice, but you did not do it. So
the haughty enterprise you are engaged in, without regard to the gods,
relying upon Siva alone, will not turn out to your happiness.'" When
Nárada had delivered in these words the message of Indra, Maya
laughed and said to him; "Great hermit, the king of gods has not
spoken well. For what he says about the fact of Súryaprabha being
a mortal is beside the point; for who was not aware of that fact,
when he met Dámodara in fight? For mortals who possess courage can
obtain all powers. Did not Nahusha and others of old time obtain the
dignity of Indra? And as for his saying that he bestowed the empire on
Srutasarman, and that it is his hereditary right, that also is absurd,
for where Siva is the giver, who has any authority? Besides, did not
he himself take away the sovereignty of the gods from Hiranyáksha,
though it descended to him as the elder? And as for his other remark
about opposition, and our acting contrary to what is right, that is
false, for he violently puts himself in opposition to us out of selfish
motives, and wherein, pray, are we acting contrary to what is right,
for we are only striving to conquer our rival, we are not carrying off
a hermit's wife, we are not killing Bráhmans? And what he says about
the necessity of first performing an Asvamedha sacrifice, and about
contempt of the gods, is untrue, for when sacrifice to Siva has been
performed, what need is there of other sacrifices? [635] And when Siva
the god of gods is worshipped, what god is not worshipped? And as for
his remark that exclusive attention to Rudra [636] is not becoming,
I answer--Of what importance are the hosts of the other gods, where
Siva is in arms? When the sun has risen, do the other luminaries give
light? So you must tell all this to the king of the gods, O hermit,
and we shall continue to carry out what we are engaged in, let him
do what he can." When the rishi Nárada had been thus addressed by the
Asura Maya, he said "I will do so," and took back to the king of the
gods that answer to his message. When that hermit had departed, the
Asura Maya thus spake to king Chandraprabha, who was apprehensive on
account of the message of Indra, "You must not be afraid of Indra;
even if he is on the side of Srutasarman in fight, with the hosts
of the gods, out of hostility to us, still we Daityas and Dánavas
are countless in number, and under the leadership of Prahláda we are
ranged together on your side. And if the destroyer of Tripura [637]
favours us and is active on our side, what other miserable creature
in the three worlds has any power? So set about this expedition,
heroes." When Maya said this, all those there were pleased, and
considered that it was as he said.
Then in accordance with the messages carried by the ambassadors,
in course of time all the kings, Vírabhata and the others, assembled
there, and all the other friends and relatives of Chandraprabha. When
these kings with their armies had been duly honoured, the Asura
Maya again said to Chandraprabha, "Perform to-night, O king, a
great sacrifice in honour of Siva; afterwards you shall do all as
I direct." When he heard this speech of Maya's, king Chandraprabha
immediately had preparations made for a sacrifice to Siva. Then he went
to the forest at night, and under the instructions of Maya, himself
performed devoutly a sacrifice to Rudra. And while the king was engaged
in the fire-offering, there suddenly appeared there Nandin the prince
of the host of Bhútas. He was honoured duly by the delighted king,
and said--"The god Siva himself sends this command by me, 'Through
my favour thou needst not fear even a hundred Indras; Súryaprabha
shall become emperor of the sky-goers.'" After he had delivered this
message, Nandin received a portion of the offering and disappeared
with the hosts of Bhútas. Then Chandraprabha became confident in
the future elevation of his son, and after completing the sacrifice,
at the end of the fire-offering, re-entered the city with Maya.
And the next morning, when king Chandraprabha was sitting in secret
conclave together with the queen, his son, the kings and his ministers,
the Asura Maya said to him--"Listen, king, I will to-day tell you a
secret long guarded; you are a Dánava, Sunítha by name, my mighty son,
and Súryaprabha is your younger brother, named Sumundíka; after you
were slain in the war of the gods, you were born here as father and
son. That Dánava body of yours has been preserved by me skilfully
embalmed with heavenly drugs and ghee. Therefore you must enter a
cavern and visit Pátála, and then return to your own body by a charm
which I will teach you. And when you have entered that body, you will
be so much superior in spirit and strength, that you will conquer in
fight the wanderers of the air. But Súryaprabha, who is an incarnation
of Sumundíka, with this same beautiful body which he now possesses,
shall soon become lord of the sky-goers. When king Chandraprabha heard
this from Maya, he was delighted and agreed to it, but Siddhártha
said this--"O excellent Dánava, what ground of confidence have we,
if this doubt should arise, 'Why has the king entered another body,
has he then died?' And moreover will he forget us when he enters
another body, like a man gone to the other world? Who is he, and
who are we?" When the Asura Maya heard this speech of Siddhártha's,
he answered--"You yourselves must come and see him with your own
eyes entering another body, of his own free will, by the employment
of a charm. And hear the reason why he will not forget you. A man,
who does not die of his own free will, and is born in another womb,
does not remember anything, as his memory is destroyed by old age and
other afflictions, but whoever of his own free will enters another
body, penetrating by the employment of magic the internal organ and
the senses, without his mind and intellect being impaired, and passes,
as it were, from one house to another, that prince among Yogins has
supernatural knowledge and remembers all. So do not feel doubtful;