The Katha Sarit Sagara or Ocean of the Streams of Story Part 13

Then the artful minister Yaugandharayana came the next morning to the king of Vatsa, who was expecting him, and made the following representation--"O king, why do you not immediately enquire about an auspicious moment for celebrating the happy marriage of your highness with Kalingasena, the daughter of Kalingadatta, the king of Takshasila?" [488] When the king heard that, he said--"The same desire is fixed in my heart, for my mind cannot endure to remain a moment without her." Having said this, the simple-hearted monarch gave orders to a warder, who stood before him, and summoned the astrologers. When he questioned them, they, having had their cue previously given them by the prime minister, said, "For the king there will be a favourable moment in six months from this time."

When Yaugandharayana heard this, he pretended to be angry, and the cunning fellow said to the king, "Out on these blockheads! That astrologer, whom your highness previously honoured on the ground of his cleverness, has not come to-day, ask him, and then do what is proper." When he heard this speech of his minister's, the king of Vatsa immediately summoned that very astrologer with mind in an agony of suspense. He also stuck to his agreement, and in order to put off the day of the marriage he named when asked, after some reflection, a moment six months off. Then Yaugandharayana pretending to be distracted, said to the king--"Let your majesty command what is to be done in this matter!" The king, being impatient and longing for a favourable moment, said, after reflecting--"You must ask Kalingasena, and see what she says." When Yaugandharayana heard this, he took with him two astrologers and went into the presence of Kalingasena. She received him politely, and beholding her beauty, he reflected--"If the king were to obtain her, he would abandon the whole kingdom in his reckless pa.s.sion." And he said to her, "I am come with these astrologers to fix the moment of your marriage; so let these servants inform me of the particular star in the lunar mansions under which you were born." When the astrologers heard the lunar mansion stated 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 Kalingasena 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 Yaugandharayana said, "Yes, and if an inauspicious moment is appointed for us, the king Kalingadatta, our proposed connexion, will be grieved." Then Kalingasena, 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, Yaugandharayana 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 Brahman-Rakshasa, 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 Yaugandharayana told him the whole incident of Kalingasena 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 Kalingasena. For the Vidyadharas 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 Vidyadhara, 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, a.s.sume 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 Brahman-Rakshasa answered, "Why should I not by some artifice cause her to fall or slay her?" When the great minister Yaugandharayana 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 G.o.d of justice, finds that that G.o.d comes to his a.s.sistance to enable him to attain his objects. So you must discover in her, my friend, a fault self-caused, in order that through your friends.h.i.+p the king's objects may be accomplished by me." Having received this order from the excellent minister, the Brahman-Rakshasa departed, and disguised by magic entered the house of Kalingasena.

In the meanwhile Somaprabha, her friend, the daughter of the Asura Maya, went again into the presence of Kalingasena. 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 Rakshasa--"I came here in the forenoon after searching for you, but I remained concealed at your side, seeing Yaugandharayana. 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 Brahman's son Vishnudatta and his seven foolish companions.

Long ago there lived in Antarvedi a Brahman 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 Vallabhi in order to acquire learning. And there joined him seven other young Brahmans 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 Brahmans! 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 Kalingasena in their mutual conversation, Somaprabha again said to that friend of hers in Kausambi.--"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 G.o.ds too are in love with you, so you must be on your guard against this. And you must think of the minister Yaugandharayana, 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 ill.u.s.trative of this, listen."

Story of Kadaligarbha.

There is in this land a city named Ikshumati, and by the side of it there runs a river called by the same name; both were created by Visvamitra. And near it there is a great forest, and in it a hermit of the name of Mankanaka had made himself a hermitage and performed penance with his heels upwards. And while he was performing austerities, he saw an Apsaras of the name of Menaka coming through the air, with her clothes floating on the breeze. Then his mind was bewildered by Cupid, who had found his opportunity, and there was born to him a daughter named Kadaligarbha, [489] beautiful in every limb. And since she was born in the interior of a plantain, her father, the hermit Mankanaka, gave her the name of Kadaligarbha. She grew up in his hermitage like Kripi the wife of Drona, who was born to Gautama on his beholding Rambha. And once on a time Dridhavarman, a king born in Madhyadesa, [490] who in the excitement of the chase was carried away by his horse, entered that hermitage. He beheld Kadaligarbha clothed in garments of bark, having her beauty exceedingly set off by the dress appropriate to the daughter of an ascetic. And she, when seen, captivated the heart of that king so completely, that she left no room in it for the women of his harem. While thinking to himself--"Shall I be able to obtain as a wife this daughter of some hermit or other, as Dushyanta obtained Sakuntala the daughter of the hermit Kanva?"--the king beheld that hermit Mankanaka coming with fuel and kusa-gra.s.s. And leaving his horse, he approached him and wors.h.i.+pped at his feet, and when questioned, discovered himself to that hermit. Then the hermit gave the following order to Kadaligarbha--"My dear child, prepare the arghya [491] for this king our guest." She said--"I will do so"--and bowing, prepared the hospitable offering, and then the king said to the hermit--"Whence did you obtain this maiden who is so beautiful?"--Then the hermit told the king the story of her birth, and her name Kadaligarbha, which indicated the manner of it. Then the king, considering the maiden born from the hermit's thinking on Menaka to be an Apsaras, earnestly craved her hand of her father. And the sage gave him that daughter named Kadaligarbha, for the actions of the sages of old time, guided by divine insight, were without hesitation. And the nymphs of heaven, discovering the fact by their divine power, came there out of love for Menaka, and adorned her for the wedding. And on that very occasion they put mustard-seeds into her hand and said to her,--"As you are going along the path, sow them, in order that you may know it again. If, daughter, at any time your husband should scorn you, and you should wish to return here, then you will be able, as you come along, to recognise the path by these, which will have sprung up." When they had said this to her, and her marriage had been celebrated, the king Dridhavarman placed Kadaligarbha on his horse, and departed thence. His army came up and escorted him, and in company with that bride of his, who sowed the mustard-seeds all along the path, he reached his own palace. There he became averse to the society of his other wives, and dwelt with that Kadaligarbha, after telling her story to his ministers.

Then his princ.i.p.al wife, being exceedingly afflicted, said to his minister in secret, after reminding him of the benefits she had conferred upon him: "The king is now exclusively attached to his new wife and has deserted me, so take steps to make this rival of mine depart." When that minister heard that, he said--"Queen, it is not appropriate for people like me to destroy or banish their masters'

wives. This is the business of the wives of wandering religious mendicants, addicted to jugglery and such practices, a.s.sociating with men like themselves. For those hypocritical female ascetics, creeping unforbidden into houses, skilled in deception, will stick at no deed whatever." When he said this to her, the queen, as if abashed, said to him in affected shame--"Then I will have nothing to do with this proceeding disapproved of by the virtuous." But she laid up his speech in her heart, and dismissing that minister, she summoned by the mouth of her maid a certain wandering female ascetic. And she told her all that desire of hers from the beginning, and promised to give her great wealth if the business were successfully accomplished. And the wicked female ascetic, from desire of gain, said to the afflicted queen--"Queen, this is an easy matter, I will accomplish it for you, for I know very many expedients of various kinds." Having thus consoled the queen, that female ascetic departed; and after reaching her house, she reflected as one afraid, "Alas! whom will not excessive desire of gain delude, since I rashly made such a promise before the queen? But the fact is, I know no device of the kind, and it is not possible to carry on any deception in the palace, as I do in other places, for the authorities might perhaps find it out and punish me. There may be one resource in this difficulty, for I have a friend, a barber, and as he is skilled in devices of the kind, all may yet go well, if he exert himself in the matter." After thus reflecting, she went to the barber, and told him all her plan that was to bring her prosperity. Then the barber, who was old and cunning, reflected--"This is good luck, that an opportunity of making something has now presented itself to me. So we must not kill the king's new wife, but we must preserve her alive, for her father has divine insight, and would reveal the whole transaction. But by separating her from the king we will now batten upon the queen, for great people become servants to a servant who shares their criminal secrets. And in due time I will re-unite her to the king, and tell him the whole story, in order that he and the sage's daughter may become a source of subsistence to me. And thus I shall not have done anything very wrong, and I shall have a livelihood for a long time." Having thus reflected, the barber said to the hypocritical female ascetic--"Mother, I will do all this, but it would not be proper to slay that new wife of the king's by means of magic, for the king might some day find it out, and then he would destroy us all: besides we should incur the sin of woman-murder, and her father the sage would curse us. Therefore it is far better that she should be separated from the king by means of our ingenuity, in order that the queen may be happy, and we may obtain wealth [punctuation missing in scan] And this is an easy matter to me, for what can I not accomplish by force of intellect? Hear my ingenuity, I will relate a story which ill.u.s.trates it."

Story of the king and the barber's wife

This king Dridhavarman had an immoral father. And I was then his servant, being engaged in the duties which belong to me. He, one day, as he was roaming about here, cast eyes on my wife; and as she was young and beautiful, his mind became attached to her. And when he asked his attendants who she was, they said--"The barber's wife." He thought--"What can the barber do?" So the wicked king entered my house, and after enjoying at will the society of my wife, departed. But, as it happened, I was away from my house that day, being absent somewhere or other. And the next day, when I entered, I saw that my wife's manner had altered, and when I asked her the reason, she told me the whole story, being full of pride at what had occurred. And in that way the king went on puffing up my wife by continual visits, which I was powerless to prevent. A prince distracted by unholy pa.s.sion makes no distinction between what is lawful and what is illicit. The forest is like straw to a sylvan fire fanned by the wind. So, not being in possession of any other expedient for restraining my sovereign, I reduced myself with spare diet, and took refuge in feigned sickness. And in this state I went into the presence of that king to perform my duties, sighing deeply, pale and emaciated. Then the king, seeing that I seemed to be ill, asked me meaningly the following question--"Holla! tell me why you have become thus?" And after he had questioned me persistently, I answered the king in private, after imploring immunity from punishment--"King, my wife is a witch. And when I am asleep she extracts my entrails and sucks them, and then replaces them as before--This is how I have become lean. So how can continual refreshment and eating nourish me?" When I said this to the king, he became anxious and reflected--"Can she really be a witch? Why was I captivated by her? I wonder whether she will suck my entrails also, since I am well nourished with food. So I will myself contrive to test her this very night." Having thus reflected, the king caused food to be given me on the spot. Then I went home and shed tears in the presence of my wife, and when she questioned me, I said to her--"My beloved, you must not reveal to any one what I am about to tell you. Listen! That king has teeth as sharp as the edge of a thunderbolt, where teeth are not usually found, and they broke my razor to-day while I was performing my duties. And in this way I shall break a razor every time. So how am I to be continually procuring fresh razors? This is why I weep, for the means of supporting myself in my home are destroyed." When I had said this to my wife, she made up her mind to investigate the marvel of the concealed teeth while the king was asleep, since he was to visit her at night. But she did not perceive that such a thing had never been seen since the world was, and could not be true. Even clever women are deceived by the tales of an impostor.

So the king came at night and visited my wife at will, and as if fatigued, pretended to go to sleep, remembering what I had said. Then my wife, thinking he was asleep, slowly stretched out her hand to find his concealed teeth. And as soon as her hand reached him, the king exclaimed--"A witch! A witch!" and left the house in terror. Henceforth my wife, having been abandoned by the king out of fear, became satisfied with me and devoted to me exclusively. In this way I saved my wife on a former occasion from the king by my intelligence.

Having told this story to the female ascetic, the barber went on to say--"So, my good lady, this desire of yours must be accomplished by wisdom; and I will tell you, mother, how it is to be done, listen to me. Some old servant of the harem must be won over to say to this king in secret every day, 'Your wife Kadaligarbha is a witch.' For she, being a forest maiden, has no attendants of her own, and what will not all alien servants do for gain, being easily corrupted? Accordingly, when the king becomes apprehensive on hearing what the old servant says, you must contrive to place at night hands and feet and other limbs in the chamber of Kadaligarbha. [492] Then the king will see them in the morning, and concluding that what the old man says is true, will be afraid of Kadaligarbha and desert her of his own accord. So the queen will be delighted at getting rid of a rival wife, and entertain a favourable opinion of you, and we shall gain some advantage." When the barber said this to the female ascetic, she consented and went and told the whole matter to the king's head queen. And the queen carried out her suggestions, and the king, who had been warned, saw the hands and feet in the morning with his own eyes, and abandoned Kadaligarbha, thinking her to be wicked. So the female ascetic, together with the barber, enjoyed to the full the presents which the queen secretly gave to her, being pleased with her aid.

So Kadaligarbha, being abandoned by Dridhavarman, went out from the palace, grieved because the king would be cursed. And she returned to the hermitage of her father by the same path by which she came, which she was able to recognise by the mustard-seeds she had sown, which had sprung up. [493] Her father, the hermit Mankanaka, when he saw her suddenly arrived there, remained for some time suspecting immorality on her part. And then he perceived the whole occurrence by the power of contemplation, and after lovingly comforting her, departed thence with her. And he went and told the king, who bowed before him, the whole treacherous drama, which the head queen had got up out of hatred for her rival. At that moment the barber himself arrived, and related the whole occurrence to the king, and then proceeded to say this to him; "In this way, my sovereign, I sent away the lady Kadaligarbha, and so delivered her from the danger of the incantations which would have been practised against her, since I satisfied the head queen by an artifice." When the king heard that, he saw that the speech of the great hermit was certainly true, and he took back Kadaligarbha, recovering his confidence in her. And after respectfully accompanying the departing hermit, he rewarded the barber with wealth, thinking that he was attached to his person: kings are the appointed prey of rogues. Then the king, being averse to the society of his queen, lived in great comfort with Kadaligarbha.

"Many false accusations of this kind do rival wives bring, O Kalingasena of irreproachable beauty. And you are a maiden, the auspicious moment of whose marriage is fixed at a distant date, and even the G.o.ds, whose goings transcend our thought, are in love with you. So do you yourself preserve yourself now, as the one jewel of the world, dedicated to the king of Vatsa only, from all a.s.saults, for your own excellence brings you enmity. I indeed, my friend, shall never return to you, since you are now established in the palace of your husband: good women do not visit the house of a friend's husband, O fair one! besides I have been forbidden by my own lord. And it is not possible for me to come here secretly, induced by my affection for you, inasmuch as my husband possesses divine insight and would find it out; with difficulty in truth did I obtain his permission to come here to-day. And since I can be of no use to you now, my friend, I will return home, but if my husband should give me permission, I will come here again, disregarding modesty." Thus Somaprabha, the daughter of the Asura king, spake weeping to Kalingasena, the daughter of the mortal king, whose face also was washed with tears, and after embracing her, departed swiftly to her own palace, as the day was pa.s.sing away.

CHAPTER x.x.xIII.

Then the princess Kalingasena, who had deserted her own country and relations, remembering her dear friend Somaprabha who had left her, and finding the great festival of her marriage with the king of Vatsa delayed, remained in Kausambi like a doe that had strayed from the forest.

And the king of Vatsa, feeling a little bitter against the astrologers, who were so dexterous in deferring the marriage of Kalingasena, being despondent with love-longing, went that day to divert his mind, to the private apartments of Vasavadatta. There the queen, who had been tutored beforehand by the excellent minister, let fall no sign of anger, but shewed especial sedulity in honouring her husband with her usual attentions. And the king, wondering how it was that, even though she knew the episode of Kalingasena, the queen was not angry, being desirous of knowing the cause, said to her; "Do you know, queen, that a princess named Kalingasena has come here to choose me for her husband?" The moment she heard it, she answered, without changing the hue of her countenance, "I know it; I am exceedingly delighted, for in her the G.o.ddess of Fortune has come to our house; for by gaining her you will also get her father Kalingadatta under your influence, and the earth will be more completely in your power. Now I am delighted on account of his great power and your pleasure, and long ago did I know this circ.u.mstance with regard to you. So am I not fortunate, since I have such a husband as you, whom princesses fall in love with, that are themselves sought by other kings?" When thus addressed by queen Vasavadatta, who had been previously tutored by Yaugandharayana, the king rejoiced in his heart. And after enjoying a drinking-bout with her, he slept that night in her apartments, and waking up in the morning he reflected--"What, does the magnanimous queen obey me so implicitly as even to acquiesce in having Kalingasena for a rival? But how could this same proud woman endure her, since it was owing to the special favour of destiny that she did not yield her breath, even when I married Padmavati? So, if anything were to happen to her, it would be utter ruin; upon her hang the lives of my son, my brother-in-law, my father-in-law, and Padmavati, and the welfare of the kingdom; what higher tribute can I pay her? So how can I marry that Kalingasena?" Thus reflecting the king of Vatsa left her chamber at the close of night, and the next day went to the palace of queen Padmavati. She too, having been taught her lesson by Vasavadatta, shewed him attentions after the very same fas.h.i.+on, and when questioned by him, gave a similar answer. The next day the king, thinking over the sentiments and speeches of the queens, which were completely in unison, commended them to Yaugandharayana. And the minister Yaugandharayana, who knew how to seize the right moment, seeing that the king was plunged in doubt, spake slowly to him as follows--"I know well, the matter does not end where you think, there is a terrible resolve here. For the queens spoke thus, because they are steadfastly bent on surrendering their lives. Chaste women, when their beloved is attached to another, or has gone to heaven, become careless about all enjoyments, and determined to die, though their intentions are inscrutable on account of the haughtiness of their character. For matrons cannot endure the interruption of a deep affection; and in proof of this hear now, O king, this story of Srutasena."

The story of Srutasena.

There lived long ago in the Dekhan, in a city called Gokarna, a king named Srutasena, who was the ornament of his race, and possessed of learning. And this king, though his prosperity was complete, had yet one source of sorrow, that he had not as yet obtained a wife who was a suitable match for him. And once on a time the king, while brooding over that sorrow, began to talk about it, and was thus addressed by a Brahman, named Agnisarman: "I have seen two wonders, O king, I will describe them to you: listen! Having gone on a pilgrimage to all the sacred bathing-places, I reached that Panchatirthi, in which five Apsarases were reduced to the condition of crocodiles by the curse of a holy sage, and were rescued from it by Arjuna, who had come there while going round the holy spots. There I bathed in the blessed water, which possesses the power of enabling those men, who bathe in it and fast for five nights, to become followers of Narayana. And while I was departing, I beheld a cultivator in the middle of a field, who had furrowed the earth with his plough, singing. That cultivator was asked about the road by a certain wandering hermit, who had come that way, but did not hear what he said, being wholly occupied with his song. Then the hermit was angry with that cultivator, and began to talk in a distracted manner; and the cultivator, stopping his song, said to him--'Alas! though you are a hermit, you will not learn even a fraction of virtue; even I, though a fool, have discovered what is the highest essence of virtue.' When he heard that, the hermit asked him out of curiosity--'What have you discovered?' And the cultivator answered him--'Sit here in the shade, and listen while I tell you a tale.'

Story of the three Brahman brothers.

In this land there were three Brahman brothers, Brahmadatta, Somadatta, and Visvadatta of holy deeds. Of these the two eldest possessed wives, but the youngest was unmarried; he remained as their servant without being angry, obeying their orders along with me; for I was their ploughman. And those elder brothers thought that he was soft, and devoid of intellect, good, not swerving from the right path, simple, and unenterprising. Then, once on a time, the youngest brother Visvadatta was solicited by his two brothers'

wives who fell in love with him, but he rejected their advances as if each of them had been his mother. Then they both of them went and said falsely to their own husbands, "This younger brother of yours makes love to us in secret." This speech made those two elder brothers cherish anger against him in their hearts, for men bewildered by the speeches of wicked women, do not know the difference between truth and falsehood. Then those brothers said once on a time to Visvadatta--"Go and level that ant-hill in the middle of the field!" He said--"I will"--and went and proceeded to dig up the ant-hill with his spade, though I said to him, "Do not do it, a venomous snake lives there." Though he heard what I said, he continued to dig at the ant-hill, exclaiming--"Let what will happen, happen," for he would not disobey the order of his two elder brothers, though they wished him ill. Then, while he was digging it up, he got out of it a pitcher filled with gold, and not a venomous snake, for virtue is an auxiliary to the good. So he took that pitcher and gave it all to his elder brothers out of his constant affection for them, though I tried to dissuade him. But they sent a.s.sa.s.sins, hiring them with a portion of that gold, and had his hands and feet cut off, in their desire to seize his wealth. But he was free from anger, and in spite of that treatment, did not wax wroth with his brothers, and on account of that virtue of his, his hands and feet grew again.

'After beholding that, I renounced from that time all anger, but you, though you are a hermit, have not even now renounced anger. The man who is free from anger has gained heaven, behold now a proof of this.' After saying this, the husbandman left his body and ascended to heaven. "This is one wonder which I have seen, hear a second, O king;"

After saying this to king Srutasena, the Brahman continued, "Then, as I was roaming about on the sh.o.r.e of the sea to visit sacred places, I reached the realm of king Vasantasena. There, as I was about to enter an almshouse where cooked food is distributed by the king, the Brahmans said to me,--'Brahman, advance not in that direction, for there the king's daughter is present, she is called Vidyuddyota, and if even a hermit beholds her, he is pierced by the arrow of love, and becoming distracted ceases to live.' Then I answered them--'This is not wonderful to me, for I continually behold king Srutasena, who is a second G.o.d of love. When he leaves his palace on an expedition, or for some other purpose, women of good family are removed by guards from any place whence they may possibly see him, for fear they should infringe chast.i.ty.' When I said this, they knew I was a subject of your Majesty's, and the superintendent of the house of entertainment and the king's chaplain took me into the presence of the king, that I might share the feast. There I saw that princess Vidyuddyota, looking like the incarnation of the magic art with which the G.o.d of love bewilders the world. After a long time I mastered my confusion at beholding her, and reflected--'If this lady were to become the wife of our sovereign, he would forget his kingdom. Nevertheless I must tell this tale to my master, otherwise there might take place the incident of Devasena and Unmadini.'

The story of Devasena and Unmadini.

Once on a time, in the realm of king Devasena, there was a merchant's daughter, a maiden that bewildered the world with her beauty. Her father told the king about her, but the king did not take her in marriage, for the Brahmans, who wished to prevent his neglecting his duties, told him she had inauspicious marks. So she was married to his prime minister. [494] And once on a time she showed herself to the king at a window. And the king, struck by her with a poisonous look from a distance, as if she had been a female snake, [495] fainted again and again, enjoyed no pleasure, and took no food. And the righteous king, though entreated over and over again to marry her by the ministers, with her husband at their head, refused to do so, and devoted to her, yielded up his breath.

"Accordingly I have come to-day and told you this wonderful tale, thinking that if a similar distraction were to come upon you, I should be guilty of conspiring against your life."

When king Srutasena heard from that Brahman this speech, which was like the command of the G.o.d of love, he became ardently attached to Vidyuddyota, so he immediately sent off the Brahman and took steps to have her brought quickly and married her. Then the princess Vidyuddyota became inseparable from the person of that king, as the daylight from the orb of the sun.

Then a maiden of the name of Matridatta, the daughter of a very rich merchant, intoxicated with the pride of her beauty, came to select that king for her husband. Through fear of committing unrighteousness, the king married that merchant's daughter; then Vidyuddyota, coming to hear of it, died of a broken heart. And the king came and beheld that dearly loved wife lying dead, and took her up in his arms, and lamenting, died on the spot. Thereupon Matridatta, the merchant's daughter, entered the fire. And so the whole kingdom perished with the king.

"So you see, king, that the breaking off of long love is difficult to bear, especially would it be so to the proud queen Vasavadatta. Accordingly, if you were to marry this Kalingasena, the queen Vasavadatta would indubitably quit her life, and queen Padmavati would do the same, for their life is one. And then how would your son Naravahanadatta live? And, I know, the king's heart would not be able to bear any misfortune happening to him. And so all this happiness would perish in a moment, O king. But as for the dignified reserve, which the queens displayed in their speeches, that sufficiently shews that their hearts are indifferent to all things, being firmly resolved on suicide. So you must guard your own interests, for even animals understand self-protection, much more wise men like yourself, O king." The king of Vatsa, when he heard this at length from the excellent minister Yaugandharayana, having now become quite capable of wise discrimination, said--"It is so; there can be no doubt about it; all this fabric of my happiness would be overthrown. So what is the use of my marrying Kalingasena? Accordingly the astrologers did well in mentioning a distant hour as auspicious for the marriage: and there cannot after all be much sin in abandoning one who had come to select me as her husband." When Yaugandharayana heard this, he reflected with joy, "Our business has almost turned out according to our wishes. Will not that same great plant of policy, watered with the streams of expedient, and nourished with due time and place, truly bring forth fruit?" Thus reflecting, and meditating upon fitting time and place, the minister Yaugandharayana went to his house, after taking a ceremonious farewell of the king.

The king too went to the queen Vasavadatta, who had a.s.sumed to welcome him a manner which concealed her real feelings, and thus spoke to her to console her: "Why do I speak? you know well, O gazelle-eyed one, that your love is my life, even as the water is of the lotus. Could I bear even to mention the name of another woman? But Kalingasena came to my house of her own impetuous motion. And this is well known, that Rambha, who came to visit Arjuna of her own impetuous will, having been rejected by him, as he was engaged in austerities, inflicted on him a curse which made him a eunuch. That curse was endured by him to the end, living in the house of the king of Virata in the garb of a eunuch, though he displayed miraculous valour. So I did not reject this Kalingasena when she came, but I cannot bring myself to do anything without your wish." Having comforted her in these words, and having perceived by the flush of wine which rose to her cheek, as if it were her glowing pa.s.sionate heart, that her cruel design was a reality, the king of Vatsa spent that night with the queen Vasavadatta, delighted at the transcendent ability of his prime minister.

And in the meanwhile that Brahman-Rakshasa, named Yogesvara, who was a friend of Yaugandharayana, and whom he had commissioned beforehand to watch day and night the proceedings of Kalingasena, came that very night of his own accord and said to the prime minister: "I remain ever at Kalingasena's house, either without it or within it, and I have never seen man or G.o.d come there. But to-day I suddenly heard an indistinct noise in the air, at the commencement of the night, as I was lying hid near the roof of the palace. Then my magic science was set in motion to ascertain the cause of the sound, but prevailed not; so I pondered over it, and came to this conclusion: 'This must certainly be the voice of some being of divine power, enamoured of Kalingasena, who is roaming in the sky. Since my science does not succeed, I must look for some opening, for clever people who remain vigilant, find little difficulty in discovering holes in their opponents' armour. And I know that the prime minister said--"Divine beings are in love with her"--moreover I overheard her friend Somaprabha saying the same. After arriving at this conclusion I came here to make my report to you. This I have to ask you by the way, so tell me so much I pray you. By my magic power I heard, without being seen, what you said to the king, 'Even animals understand self-protection.' Now tell me, sagacious man, if there is any instance of this."--When Yogesvara asked him this question, Yaugandharayana answered. "There is, my friend, and to prove it, I will tell you this tale. Listen!"

The tale of the ichneumon, the owl, the cat, and the mouse.

Once on a time there was a large banyan tree outside the city of Vidisa. In that vast tree dwelt four creatures, an ichneumon, an owl, a cat, and a mouse, [496] and their habitations were apart. The ichneumon and the mouse dwelt in separate holes in the root, the cat in a great hollow in the middle of the tree: but the owl dwelt in a bower of creepers on the top of it, which was inaccessible to the others. Among these the mouse was the natural prey of all three, three out of the four of the cat. The mouse, the ichneumon, and the owl ranged for food during the night, the two first through fear of the cat only, the owl partly because it was his nature to do so. But the cat fearlessly wandered night and day through the neighbouring barley-field, in order to catch the mouse, while the others went there by stealth at a suitable time out of desire for food. One day a certain hunter of the Chandala caste came there. He saw the track of the cat entering that field, and having set nooses all round the field in order to compa.s.s its death, departed. So the cat came there at night to slay the mouse, and entering the field was caught in one of the hunter's nooses. The mouse, for his part, came there secretly in search of food, and seeing the cat caught in the noose, danced for joy. While it was entering the field, the owl and ichneumon came from afar by the same path, and seeing the cat fast in the noose, desired to capture the mouse. And the mouse, beholding them afar off, was terrified and reflected--"If I fly to the cat, which the owl and the ichneumon are afraid of, that enemy, though fast in the noose, may slay me with one blow, but if I keep at a distance from the cat, the owl and the ichneumon will be the death of me. So being compa.s.sed about with enemies, where shall I go, what shall I do? Ah! I will take refuge with the cat here, for it is in trouble, and may save me to preserve its own life, as I shall be of use to gnaw through the noose." Thus reflecting the mouse slowly approached the cat, and said to it, "I am exceedingly grieved at your being caught, so I will gnaw through your noose; the upright come to love even their enemies by dwelling in their neighbourhood. But I do not feel confidence in you, as I do not know your intentions." When the cat heard that, he said "Worthy mouse, be at rest, from this day forth you are my friend as giving me life." The moment he heard this from the cat, he crept into his bosom; when the owl and ichneumon saw that, they went away hopeless. Then the cat, galled with the noose, said to the mouse, "My friend, the night is almost gone, so quickly gnaw through my bonds." The mouse for its part, waiting for the arrival of the hunter, slowly nibbled the noose, and protracted the business, making a continual munching with its teeth, which was all pretence. Soon the night came to an end, and the hunter came near; then the mouse, at the request of the cat, quickly gnawed through the noose which held it. So the cat's noose was severed, and it ran away, afraid of the hunter; and the mouse, delivered from death, fled into its hole. But when called again by the cat, it reposed no confidence in him, but remarked, "The truth is, an enemy is occasionally made a friend by circ.u.mstances, but does not remain such for ever."

"Thus the mouse, though an animal, saved its life from many foes, much more ought the same thing to take place among men. You heard that speech which I uttered to the king on that occasion, to the effect that by wisdom he should guard his own interests by preserving the life of the queen. And wisdom is in every exigency the best friend, not valour, Yogesvara; in ill.u.s.tration of this hear the following story."