The Katha Sarit Sagara or Ocean of the Streams of Story Part 48

Then they both became eager for the Gandharva form of marriage, but the Ganas stupefied them, and laid them to sleep. And, as soon as Sridarsana fell asleep, they took him and carried him back to his own palace, cheated by Destiny of his desire. Then Sridarsana woke up in his own palace, and seeing himself decked with the ornaments of a lady, he thought, "What does this mean? At one moment I am in that heavenly palace with the daughter of the king of Hansadvipa, at another moment I am here. It cannot be a dream, for here are these ornaments of hers on my wrist, so it must be some strange freak of Destiny." While he was engaged in these speculations, his wife Padmishtha woke up, and questioned him, and the kind woman comforted him, and so he pa.s.sed the night. And the next morning he told the whole story to Srisena, before whom he appeared wearing the ornaments marked with the name of Anangamanjari. And the king, wis.h.i.+ng to please him, had a proclamation made by beat of drum, to find out where Hansadvipa was, but could not find out from any one the road to that country. Then Sridarsana, separated from Anangamanjari, remained overpowered by the fever of love, averse to all enjoyment. He could not like his food while he gazed on her ornaments, necklace and all, and he abandoned sleep, having ceased to behold within reach the lotus of her face. [252]

In the meanwhile the princess Anangamanjari, in Hansadvipa, was awakened in the morning by the sound of music. When she remembered what had taken place in the night, and saw her body adorned with Sridarsana's ornaments, longing love made her melancholy. And she reflected, "Alas I am brought into a state, in which my life is in danger, by these ornaments, which prove that I cannot have been deluded by a dream, and fill me with love for an unattainable object." While she was engaged in these reflections, her father AnanG.o.daya suddenly entered, and saw her wearing the ornaments of a man. The king, who was very fond of her, when he saw her covering her body with her clothes, and downcast with shame, took her on his lap and said to her, "My daughter, what is the meaning of these masculine decorations, and why this shame? Tell me. Do not shew a want of confidence in me, for my life hangs on you." These and other kind speeches of her father's allayed her feeling of shame, and she told him at last the whole story.

Then her father, thinking that it was a piece of supernatural enchantment, felt great doubt as to what steps he ought to take. So he went and asked an ascetic of the name of Brahmasoma, who possessed superhuman powers, and observed the rule of the Pasupatas, and who was a great friend of his, for his advice. The ascetic by his powers of contemplation penetrated the mystery, and said to the king; "The truth is that the Ganas brought here prince Sridarsana from Malava, for Ganesa is favourably disposed both to him and your daughter, and by his favour he shall become a universal monarch. So he is a capital match for your daughter." When that gifted seer said this, the king bowed and said to him,--"Holy seer, Malava is far away from this great land of Hansadvipa. The road is a difficult one, and this matter does not admit of delay. So in this matter your ever propitious self is my only stay."

When the ascetic, who was so kind to his admirers, had been thus entreated by the king, he said, "I myself will accomplish this,"

and he immediately disappeared. And he reached in a moment the city of king Srisena in Malava. There he entered the very temple built by Sridarsana, and after bowing before Ganesa, he sat down and began to praise him, saying "Hail to thee of auspicious form, whose head is crowned with a garland of stars, so that thou art like the peak of mount Meru! I adore thy trunk flung up straight in the joy of the dance, so as to sweep the clouds, like a column supporting the edifice of the three worlds. Destroyer of obstacles, I wors.h.i.+p thy snake-adorned body, swelling out into a broad pitcher-like belly, the treasure-house of all success." While the ascetic was engaged in offering these praises to Ganesa in the temple, it happened that the son of the merchant-prince Upendrasakti, who brought his image, entered the temple as he was roaming about. His name was Mahendrasakti, and he had been rendered uncontrollable by long and violent madness, so he rushed forward to seize the ascetic. Then the ascetic struck him with his hand. The merchant's son, as soon as he was struck by the charm-bearing hand of that ascetic, was freed from madness and recovered his reason. And, as he was naked, he felt shame, and left the temple immediately, and covering himself with his hand, he made for his home. Immediately his father Upendrasakti, hearing of it from the people, met him full of joy and led him to his house. There he had him bathed, and properly clothed and adorned, and then he went with him to the ascetic Brahmasoma. And he offered him much wealth as the restorer of his son, but the ascetic, as he possessed G.o.dlike power, would not receive it.

In the meanwhile king Srisena himself, having heard what had taken place, reverently approached the ascetic, accompanied by Sridarsana. And the king bowed before him, and praised him, and said, "Owing to your coming, this merchant has received a benefit, by having his son restored to health, so do me a benefit also by ensuring the welfare of this son of mine Sridarsana." When the king craved this boon of the ascetic, he smiled and said, "King, why should I do anything to please this thief, who stole at night the heart and the ornaments of the princess Anangamanjari in Hansadvipa, and returned here with them? Nevertheless I must obey your orders." With these words the ascetic seized Sridarsana by the fore-arm, and disappeared with him. He took him to Hansadvipa, and introduced him into the palace of king AnanG.o.daya, with his daughter's ornaments on him. When Sridarsana arrived, the king welcomed him gladly, but first he threw himself at the feet of the ascetic and blessed him. And on an auspicious day he gave Sridarsana his daughter Anangamanjari, as if she were the earth garlanded with countless jewels. And then by the power of that ascetic he sent his son-in-law, with his wife, to Malava. And when Sridarsana arrived there, the king welcomed him gladly, and he lived there in happiness with his two wives.

In course of time king Srisena went to the next world, and that hero took his kingdom and conquered the whole earth. And when he had attained universal dominion, he had two sons by his two wives Padmishtha and Anangamanjari. And to one of them the king gave the name of Padmasena, and to the other of Anangasena, and he reared them up to manhood.

And in course of time king Sridarsana, as he was sitting inside the palace with his two queens, heard a Brahman lamenting outside. So he had the Brahman brought inside, and asked him why he lamented. Then the Brahman shewed great perturbation and said to him; "The fire that had points of burning flame (Diptasikhu) has been now destroyed by a dark cloud of calamity, discharging a loud laugh (Attahasa), together with its line of brightness and line of smoke (Jyotirlekha and Dhumalekha)." [253] The moment the Brahman had said this, he disappeared. And while the king was saying in his astonishment, "What did he say, and where has he gone," the two queens, weeping copiously, suddenly fell dead.

When the king saw that sudden calamity, terrible as the stroke of a thunderbolt, he exclaimed in his grief, "Alas! Alas! what means this?" and fell on the ground wailing. And when he fell, his attendants picked him up, and carried him to another place, and Mukharaka took the bodies of the queens, and performed the ceremony of burning them. At last the king came to his senses, and after mourning long for the queens, he completed out of affection their funeral ceremonies. And after he had spent a day darkened by a storm of tears, he divided the empire of the earth between his two sons. Then, having conceived the design of renouncing the world, he left his city, and turning back his subjects who followed him, he went to the forest to perform austerities.

There he lived on roots and fruits, and one day, as he was wandering about at will, he came near a banyan-tree. As soon as he came near it, two women of celestial appearance suddenly issued from it with roots and fruits in their hands, and they said to him, "King, take these roots and fruits which we offer." When he heard that, he said, "Tell me now who you are." Then those women of heavenly appearance said to him, "Well come into our house and we will tell you the truth." When he heard that, he consented, and entering with them, he saw inside the tree a splendid golden city. There he rested and ate heavenly fruits, and then those women said to him, "Now, king, hear."

"Long ago there dwelt in Pratishthana a Brahman, of the name of Kamalagarbha, and he had two wives, the name of the one was Pathya, and the name of the other Abala. Now in course of time all three, the husband and the wives, were worn out with old age, and at last they entered the fire together, being attached to one another. And at that time they put up a pet.i.tion to Siva from the fire, 'May we be connected together as husband and wives in all our future lives!' Then Kamalagarbha, owing to the power of his severe penances, was born in the Yaksha race as Diptasikha, the son of the Yaksha Pradiptaksha, and the younger brother of Attahasa. His wives too, Pathya and Abala, were born as Yaksha maidens, that is to say, as the two daughters of the king of the Yakshas named Dhumaketu, and the name of the one was Jyotirlekha, and the name of the other Dhumalekha.

"Now in course of time those two sisters grew up, and they went to the forest to perform asceticism, and they propitiated Siva with the view of obtaining husbands. The G.o.d was pleased and he appeared to them and said to them, 'That man with whom you entered the fire in a former birth, and who you asked might be your husband in all subsequent births, was born again as a Yaksha named Diptasikha, the brother of Attahasa, but he has become a mortal owing to the curse of his master, and has been born as a man named Sridarsana, so you too must go to the world of men and be his wives there, but as soon as the curse terminates, you shall all become Yakshas, husband and wives together.' When Siva said this, those two Yaksha maidens were born on the earth as Padmishtha and Anangamanjari. They became the wives of Sridarsana, and after they had been his wives for some time, that Attahasa, as fate would have it, came there in the form of a Brahman, and by the device of employing an ambiguous speech, he managed to utter their names and remind them of their former existence, and this made them abandon that body and become Yaks.h.i.+nis. "Know that we are those wives of yours, and you are that Diptasikha." When Sridarsana had been thus addressed by them, he remembered his former birth, and immediately became the Yaksha Diptasikha, and was again duly united to those two wives of his.

"Know therefore, Vichitrakatha, that I am that Yaksha, and that these wives of mine are Jyotirlekha and Dhumalekha. So, if creatures of G.o.dlike descent, like myself, have to endure such alternations of joy and sorrow, much more then must mortals. But do not be despondent, my son, for in a short time you shall be reunited to your master Mrigankadatta. And I remained here to entertain you, for this is my earthly dwelling, so stay here, I will accomplish your desire. Then I will go to my own home in Kailasa." When the Yaksha had in these words told me his story, he entertained me for some time. And the kind being, knowing that you had arrived here at night, brought me and laid me asleep in the midst of you who were asleep. So I was seen by you, and you have been found by me. This, king, is the history of my adventures during my separation from you."

When prince Mrigankadatta had heard at night this tale from his minister Vichitrakatha, who was rightly named, [254] he was much delighted, and so were his other ministers.

So, after he had spent that night on the turf of the forest, he went on with those companions of his towards Ujjayini, having his mind fixed on obtaining Sasankavati, and he kept searching for those other companions of his, who were separated by the curse of the Naga, and whom he had not yet found.

CHAPTER LXXIV.

Then Mrigankadatta, as he gradually travelled along in the Vindhya forest, accompanied by those ministers, Srutadhi and the four others, reached a wood, which was refres.h.i.+ng with the shade of its goodly fruit-laden trees, and in which there was a tank of very pure sweet cold water. He bathed in it with his ministers and ate many fruits, and lo! he suddenly thought that he heard conversation in a place shut in with creepers. So he went and looked into that bower of creepers, and he saw inside it a great elephant, which was refres.h.i.+ng a blind way-worn man by throwing over him showers of water from his trunk, by giving him fruits, and fanning him with his ears. And like a kind man, the elephant said to him lovingly, over and over again, with articulate voice, "Do you feel at all better?" When the prince saw that, he was astonished, and he said to his companions, "Look! how comes it that a wild elephant conducts itself like a man? So you may be sure that this is some higher being translated into this form for some reason. And this man is very like my friend Prachandasakti. But he is blind. So let us keep a sharp lookout." When Mrigankadatta had said this to his friends, he remained there concealed, and listened attentively. In the meanwhile the blind man recovered a little, and the elephant said to him, "Tell me; who are you, and how did you come here, being blind?" Then the blind man said to that mighty elephant, "There is in this land a king of the name of Amaradatta, lord of the city of Ayodhya, he has a son of excellent qualities, named Mrigankadatta, of auspicious birth, and I am that prince's servant. For some reason or other his father banished him from his native land, with us his ten companions. We had set out for Ujjayini to obtain Sasankavati, when we were separated in the forest by the curse of a Naga. And I was blinded by his curse, and wandering about I have arrived here, living on the fruits, and roots, and water I could get on the way. And to me death by falling into a chasm, or in some other way, would be most desirable, but alas! Providence has not bestowed it on me, but makes me endure calamity. However I feel convinced that, as my pangs of hunger have been to-day a.s.suaged by your favour, so my blindness also will be somewhat alleviated, for you are a divinity." When he said this, Mrigankadatta felt certain who he was, and with a mind wavering between joy and grief he said to those ministers, "It is our friend Prachandasakti that is reduced to this melancholy state, but it will not do for us to be in a hurry to greet him immediately. Perhaps this elephant will cure his blindness. But if he were to see us, he would flee away; so we must stop here and look at him." When the prince had said this, he remained listening with his followers. Then Prachandasakti said to that elephant, "Now great-souled one, tell me your history; who are you? How comes it that, though you are an elephant, and are subject to the fury of elephants, you speak in this gentle way?" When the great elephant heard this, he sighed, and said to him, "Listen! I will tell you my story from the beginning."

Story of Bhimabhata.

Long ago, in the city of Ekalavya, there was a king named Srutadhara, and he had two sons by two wives. When the king went to heaven, his younger son, named Satyadhara, expelled the elder son, named Siladhara, from the throne. Siladhara was angry on that account, so he went and propitiated Siva, and craved the following boon from the G.o.d, who was pleased with his asceticism, "May I become a Gandharva, in order that I may be able to move through the air, and so slay with ease that kinsman of mine, Satyadhara!" When the holy G.o.d Siva heard this, he said to him, "This boon shall be granted to thee, but that enemy of thine has to-day died a natural death. And he shall be again born in the city of Radha, as Samarabhata, the favourite son of king Ugrabhata. But thou shalt be born as Bhimabhata, his elder brother, by a different mother, and thou shalt kill him and rule the kingdom. But because thou didst perform these ascetic penances under the influence of anger, thou shalt be hurled from thy rank by the curse of a hermit, and become a wild elephant, that remembers its birth and possesses articulate speech, and when thou shalt comfort a guest in distress and tell him thy history, then thou shalt be freed from thy elephant-nature and become a Gandharva, and at the same time a great benefit will be conferred upon that guest." When Siva had said this, he disappeared, and Siladhara, seeing that his body was emaciated by long penance, flung himself into the Ganges.

At this point of my tale it happened that, while that king named Ugrabhata, whom I have before mentioned, was living happily in the city of Radha with his wife Manorama who was equal to him in birth, there came to his court from a foreign country an actor named Lasaka. And he exhibited before the king that dramatic piece in which Vishnu, in the form of a woman, carries off the amrita from the Daityas. And in that piece the king saw the actor's daughter Lasavati dancing in the character of Amritika. When he saw her beauty, that was like that of the real Amrita, with which Vishnu bewildered the Danavas, he fell in love with her. And at the end of the dance he gave her father much wealth, and immediately introduced her into his harem. And then he married that dancer Lasavati, and lived with her, having his eyes riveted upon her face. One day he said to his chaplain named Yajuhsvamin, "I have no son, so perform a sacrifice in order to procure me a son." The chaplain obeyed, and performed duly, with the help of learned Brahmans, a sacrifice for that king's benefit. And, as he had been previously gained over by Manorama, he gave her to eat, as being the eldest queen, the first half of the oblation purified with holy texts. [255] And he gave the rest to the second queen Lasavati. Then those two, Siladhara and Satyadhara, whom I have before mentioned, were conceived in those two queens. And when the time came, Manorama, the consort of that king, brought forth a son with auspicious marks. And at that moment a distinct utterance was heard from heaven, "This child who is born shall be a famous king under the name of Bhimabhata." On the next day Lasavati also brought forth a son, and the king his father gave him the name of Samarabhata. And the usual sacraments were performed for them, and the two boys gradually grew up. But the eldest Bhimabhata surpa.s.sed the youngest in all accomplishments, and rivalry in these increased the natural ill-feeling between them.

One day, as they were engaged in wrestling, Samarabhata, being jealous, struck Bhimabhata with his arm with great force on the neck. Then Bhimabhata was enraged, and immediately throwing his arms round Samarabhata, he lifted him up and flung him on the ground. The fall gave him a severe shock, and his servants took him up and carried him to his mother, discharging blood from all the apertures in his body. When she saw him, and found out what had taken place, she was alarmed on account of her love for him, and she placed her face close to his and wept bitterly. At that moment the king entered, and when he saw this sight, he was much troubled in mind, and asked Lasavati what it meant, and she gave the following answer: "This son of mine has been reduced to this state by Bhimabhata. And he is always ill-treating him, but I have never told you, king; however now, that I have seen this, I must say, I cannot [256] understand how your majesty can be safe with such a son as this, but let your majesty decide." When king Ugrabhata was thus appealed to by his favourite wife, he was angry, and banished Bhimabhata from his court. And he took away from him his allowance, and appointed a hundred Rajputs with their retainers to guard that Samarabhata. And he put his treasury at the disposal of the younger son, but he drove the elder son from his presence, and took away all that he possessed.

Then his mother Manorama sent for him and said, "Your father has thrown you over, because he is in love with a dancer. So go to the palace of my father in Pataliputra, and when you arrive there, your grandfather will give you his kingdom, for he has no son. But, if you remain here, your enemy, this Samarabhata, will kill you, for he is powerful." When Bhimabhata heard this speech of his mother's, he said, "I am a Kshatriya, and I will not sneak away from my native land, like a coward. Be of good cheer, mother! what wretch is able to injure me?" When he said this, his mother answered him, "Then procure a numerous body of companions to guard you, by means of my wealth." When Bhimabhata heard this proposal, he said, "Mother, this is not becoming; for if I did this, I should be really opposing my father. You may be quite at your ease, for your blessing alone will procure me good fortune." When Bhimabhata had encouraged her with these words, he left her. In the meanwhile all the citizens came to hear of it, and they thought, "Alas! a great injustice has been done to Bhimabhata by the king. Surely Samarabhata does not think he is going to rob him of the kingdom. Well it is an opportunity for us to do him a service, before he comes to the throne." Having formed this resolution, the citizens secretly supplied Bhimabhata with such abundance of wealth, that he lived in great comfort with his servants. But the younger brother was ever on the look out to kill his elder brother, supposing that this was his father's object in furnis.h.i.+ng him with a guard.

In the meanwhile a heroic and wealthy young Brahman, of the name of Sankhadatta, who was a friend of both brothers, came and said to Samarabhata, "You ought not to carry on hostility with your elder brother; it is not right, and you cannot do him an injury; on the contrary the result of a quarrel would be disgraceful to you." When he said this, Samarabhata abused and threatened him; good advice given to a fool does not calm but rather enrages him. Then the resolute Sankhadatta went away indignant at this treatment, and made a strict friends.h.i.+p with Bhimabhata, in order to have the opportunity of conquering Samarabhata.

Then a merchant, of the name of Manidatta, came there from a foreign country, bringing with him an excellent horse; it was as white as the moon; the sound of its neighing was as musical as that of a clear conch or other sweet-sounding instrument; it looked like the waves of the sea of milk surging on high; it was marked with curls on the neck; and adorned with the crest-jewel, the bracelet, and other signs, which it seemed as if it had acquired by being born in the race of the Gandharvas. When Bhimabhata heard of that splendid horse, which was mentioned to him by Sankhadatta, he went and bought it for a high price from that merchant-prince. At that moment Samarabhata, hearing of it, came and tried to buy the horse from the merchant for double the price. But he refused to give it him, as it had already been sold to another; then Samarabhata, out of envy, proceeded to carry it off by force. Then there took place a fierce combat between those two princes, as the adherents of both came running up with weapons in their hands. Then the mighty arm of Bhimabhata laid low the attendants of Samarabhata, and he himself abandoned the horse, and began to retire through fear of his brother. But as he was retiring, Sankhadatta, full of overpowering anger, pursued him, and laying hold of his hair behind, was on the point of killing him, when Bhimabhata rushed up and prevented him, saying, "Let be for the present, it would be a grief to my father." Then Sankhadatta let Samarabhata go, and he fled in fear, discharging blood from his wounds, and repaired to his father.

Then the brave Bhimabhata took possession of the horse, and immediately a Brahman came up to him, and taking him aside, said to him, "Your mother the queen Manorama, and the chaplain Yajuhsvamin, and Sumati, the minister of your father, send you the following advice at this juncture. "You know, [257] dear boy, how the king is always affected towards you, and he is especially angry with you at present, now that this misfortune has happened. So if you feel disposed to save your own life, and to preserve glory, and justice inviolate, if you have any regard for the future, if you consider us well disposed towards you; leave this place un.o.bserved this very evening, as soon as the sun has set, and make for the palace of your maternal grandfather, and may good fortune attend you. This is the message they gave me for you, and they sent you this casket full of precious jewels and gold; receive it from my hand." When the wise Bhimabhata heard this message, he accepted it, saying, "I consent to act thus," and he took that casket of gold and valuable jewels. And he gave him an appropriate message to take back, and then dismissed him, and mounted that horse, sword in hand. And Sankhadatta took some gold and jewels, and mounted another horse. And then prince Bhimabhata set out with him, and after he had gone a long distance, he reached at dead of night a great thicket of reeds that lay in his way. As he and his companion pursued their course through it without stopping, a couple of lions, roused by the noise, which the reeds made when trampled by the horses' hoofs, rushed out roaring, with their cubs, and began to rip up the bellies of the horses with their claws. And immediately the hero and his companion cut off the limbs of the lions with their swords, and killed them. Then he got down with his friend to look at the state of the two horses, but as their entrails were torn out, they immediately fell down dead. When Bhimabhata saw that, he felt despondent, and he said to Sankhadatta, "Friend, by a great effort we have escaped from our hostile relatives. Tell me, where, even by a hundred efforts, shall we find an escape from Fate, who has now smitten us even here, not allowing us even to retain our horses. The very horse, for which I abandoned my native land, is dead; so how can we travel on foot through this forest at night?" When he said this, his friend Sankhadatta answered him, "It is no new thing for hostile Fate to conquer courage. This is its nature, but it is conquered by firm endurance. What can Fate do against a firm unshaken man, any more than the wind against a mountain? So come, let us mount upon the horse of endurance and so plod on here." When Sankhadatta said this, Bhimabhata set out with him. Then they slowly crossed that thicket, wounding their feet with the canes, and at last the night came to an end. And the sun, the lamp of the world, arose, dispelling the darkness of night, and the lotus-flowers in the lotus-clumps, by the side of their path, with their expanding cups and the sweet murmur of their bees, seemed to be looking at one another and saying, "It is a happy thing that this Bhimabhata has crossed this thicket full of lions and other dangerous animals." So travelling on, he at last reached with his friend the sandy sh.o.r.e of the Ganges, dotted with the huts of hermits. There he drank its sweet waters, which seemed to be impregnated with the nectar of the moon, from dwelling on the head of Siva, and he bathed in them, and felt refreshed. And he ate, by way of sustenance, some venison, which they had bought from a hunter whom they happened to meet, and which Sankhadatta brought to him roasted. And seeing that the Ganges was full and difficult to cross, for with its waves uplifted like hands it seemed again and again to warn him back, he proceeded to roam along the bank of the river. And there he saw a young Brahman in the court of an out-of-the-way hut, engaged in the study of the Vedas. So he went up to him and said, "Who are you, and what are you doing in this solitary place?" Then the young Brahman answered him:

"I am Nilakantha, the son of a Brahman named Srikantha, who lived at Varanasi, and after all the ceremonies had been performed for me, and I had learnt knowledge in the family of my spiritual preceptor, I returned home and found all my relations dead. That left me helpless and poor, and as I was not in a position to carry on the duties of a householder, I became despondent, and repaired to this place, and had recourse to severe asceticism. Then the G.o.ddess Ganga gave me some fruits in a dream, and said to me, 'Remain here living on these fruits, until you obtain your desire.' Then I woke up and went and bathed, and when the morning came, I found in the water some fruits, that had been washed here by the stream of the Ganges. I brought those fruits, delicious as nectar, into my hut, and ate them there, and so I remain here engaged in asceticism, receiving these fruits day by day."

When he said this, Bhimabhata said to Sankhadatta, "I will give this virtuous youth enough wealth to enable him to enter the householder-state." Sankhadatta approved his speech; whereupon the prince gave the Brahman the wealth that his mother gave him. For what is the use of the greatness of great ones, who have abundant courage and wealth, if they do not put a stop to the sufferings of their neighbour as soon as they hear of them?

And after he had made the fortune of the Brahman, Bhimabhata searched in every direction for some means of crossing the Ganges, but could not find any. Then he tied his ornaments and sword on his head, and plunged in with Sankhadatta to swim across it.

And in the middle of the river the current carried his friend to a distance from him, and he himself was swept away by the waves, and reached the bank with difficulty. When he reached the other side, he could not see his friend Sankhadatta, and while he was looking for him along the bank, the sun set. Then he began to despair, and he exclaimed in bitter grief, "Alas my friend!" and it being now the beginning of the night, he prepared to drown himself in the waters of the Ganges. He said, "G.o.ddess Jahnavi, you have taken from me my life in the form of my friend, so now receive also this empty vessel of my body," and he was on the point of plunging in, when Ganga appeared to him from the middle of the flood. And pleased with his violent agitation she said to him then and there, "Do not act rashly, my son! your friend is alive, and in a short time you shall be reunited with him. Now receive from me this charm called, 'Forwards and Backwards.' If a man repeats it forwards, he will become invisible to his neighbour, but if he repeats it backwards, he will a.s.sume whatever shape he desires. [258] Such is the force of this charm only seven syllables long, and by its help you shall become a king on this earth." When the G.o.ddess Ganga had said this, and given him the charm, she disappeared from his eyes, and he gave up the idea of suicide, now that he had got a hope of regaining his friend and of other successes. And being anxious to regain his friend, he pa.s.sed the night in impatience, like the lotus-flower, and the next morning he set out in search of him.

Then, as he was travelling about in search of Sankhadatta, he one day reached alone the district of Lata, where, though the colours of the castes are not mixed, the people lead a diversified and richly coloured life, which though a seat of fine arts, is not reputed a home of crimes. [259] In this city he wandered about, looking at the temples and the dwelling-houses, and at last he reached a hall of gamblers. He entered it and saw a number of fraudulent dice-players, who though they were clothed in a loin-rag only, shewed by their handsome, well-shaped, stout limbs, which indicated good living and plenty of exercise, that they were men of rank though they concealed it, and that they had resorted to that occupation for the sake of making money. They began to talk to him, so he sat down to play with them, and they fancied that they would make a fine thing out of him and his ornaments. Then he beat them at the dice-play, and won from the rogues all the wealth which they had acquired by cheating others.

Then those gamblers, having lost their wealth, were preparing to go home, when Bhimabhata set his arms against the door and stopped them, and said to them, "Where are you going? Take back this wealth; I do not want it. I must give it away to my friends, and are not you my friends? Where can I find [260] such dear friends as you?" When he said this, and they declined to take the money out of shame, a gambler there, of the name of Akshakshapanaka, said, "Undoubtedly it is the definition of gambling that what is won is not returned, but if this gentleman becomes our friend, and gives us of his own accord wealth which he has fairly won, why should we not take it?" The others, when they heard this, exclaimed, "It is fitting, if he makes such an eternal friends.h.i.+p with us." When they said this, he came to the conclusion that they were men of spirit, and he at once consented to swear eternal friends.h.i.+p to them, and gave them back their wealth. And at their request he went into a garden with them and their families, and refreshed himself with food, and wine, and other luxuries, supplied by them. Then, at the request of Akshakshapanaka and the others, he told his name, race, and history, and asked them also for theirs. Then Akshakshapanaka told him the story of his life.

Story of Akshakshapanaka.

There lived in Hastinapura a Brahman named Sivadatta, a very rich man, and I am his son, and my real name is Vasudatta. And in my youth I learnt skill in arms as well as in the Vedas. Then my father made me marry a wife from a family equal in rank to my own. But my mother was a great scold, implacable, and very pa.s.sionate. And she worried my father so intolerably, that as soon as he saw me married, he left his home, and went away somewhere where he could not be traced. When I saw that, I was afraid, and I earnestly enjoined on my wife to study carefully my mother's disposition, and she, being terrified, did so. But my mother was bent on quarrelling, and it was impossible for my wife to please her in any way. The ill-natured woman interpreted her silence as contempt, her plaintive lamentation as hypocrisy, and her attempts at explanation as wrangling. For who can deprive the fire of its tendency to burn? Then her disagreeable behaviour in a short time worried my wife also so much, that she left the house and fled I know not where.

Then I was so despondent that I made up my mind to abandon family life, but my wretched relations a.s.sembled together and forced me to take another wife. That second wife of mine also was so worried by my mother, that she committed suicide by hanging herself. Then I was exceedingly vexed, and I determined to go to a foreign country. And when my relations tried to prevent me, I told them of the wickedness of my mother. They a.s.signed another reason for my father's leaving the country, and would not believe my story; so I adopted the following artifice. I had a wooden doll made, and pretended to marry it privately as a third wife, and I brought it and placed it in another secluded house which I locked up. And I made another female puppet to guard her, dressed like a servant. And I said to my mother, "I have put this wife of mine in a separate house. So you and I must for the present remain apart from her in our own house; you must not go there and she must not come here. For she is timid as yet, and does not know how to win your affection." To this arrangement my mother gave her consent.

After some days had elapsed, my mother, finding that she could not manage anyhow to get at that supposed daughter-in-law of hers, who was in a private house kept always locked, took a stone one day and struck herself on the head, and remained in the courtyard in front of her own house, streaming with blood, and lamenting with loud cries. Then I and all my relations came in, hearing the cries, and when we saw her, we said, "Tell us, what is the matter?" When we asked her this question, she said spitefully, "My daughter-in-law came without any reason and reduced me to this state; so now my only remedy is death." When my relations heard this, they were furious, and they took her and me with them to the house where I kept the wooden doll. They removed the fastening, and opened the door, and went in, and lo! they saw nothing there but a wooden doll. Then they laughed at my mother, who was covered with shame, having imposed on no one but herself, and they began to repose confidence in what I had said, and so they went away again.

And I left that country, and travelled about till I came to this region, and here I happened to enter a gambling-hall. And there I saw these five men playing, this man named Chandabhujanga, and that Pasupata, and this Smasanavetala, and that Kalavarataka, and this Sariprastara, heroes equal in valour. And I gambled with them on this mutual understanding, that whoever was conquered should be the slave of the conqueror. Then they became my slaves by being beaten by me in gambling, but I have become their slave by being won over by their good qualities. And dwelling with them I have forgotten my woes.

So know that here I bear the name of Akshakshapana, [261] a name suited to my condition. Here I have lived with these excellent men of good family, who conceal their real position, and now you have joined us. So now you are our chief, and it was with this view that we took that money of yours originally, being charmed with your virtues.

When Akshakshapana had told his story in these words, all the others in succession also told their adventures. And prince Bhimabhata perceived that his friends were heroes, who had disguised their real character by taking up gambling practices for the sake of gaining wealth, so he had much more pleasant chat with them, and spent the day in amus.e.m.e.nt, and then seeing that the eastern quarter had adorned its face with the rising moon, as with an ornamental patch, he went from that garden with Akshakshapanaka and the other six to their dwelling. And while he was there with them, the rainy season arrived, seeming to announce with the roarings of its joyous clouds his recovery of his friend. And then the impetuous river there, named Vipasa, that flowed into the sea, was filled with an influx of sea-water and began to flow backwards, and it deluged that sh.o.r.e with a great inundation, and then owing to the cessation of that influx, [262] it seemed to flow on again to the sea. Now at that time the sudden influx of sea-water brought in a great fish, and on account of its unwieldy size it was stranded on the bank of the river. And the inhabitants, when they saw the fish stranded, ran forward with all kinds of weapons to kill it, and ripped open its stomach. And when its stomach was cut open, there came out of it alive a young Brahman; and the people, astonished at that strange sight, raised a shout. [263] When Bhimabhata heard that, he went there with his friends, and saw his friend Sankhadatta, who had just issued from the inside of the fish. So he ran and embraced him, and bedewed him with copious tears, as if he wished to wash off the evil smell he had contracted by living in the gulf of the fish's maw. [264] Sankhadatta, for his part, having escaped that calamity, and having found and embraced his friend, went from joy to joy. Then being questioned out of curiosity by Bhimabhata, he gave this brief account of his adventures.

"On that occasion, when I was swept out of your sight by the force of the waves of the Ganges, I was suddenly swallowed by a very large fish. Then I remained for a long time inside the capacious habitation of his stomach, eating in my hunger his flesh, which I cut off with a knife. To-day Providence somehow or other brought this fish here, and threw it up upon the bank, so that it was killed by these men and I was taken out of its stomach. I have seen again you and the light of the sun, the horizon has been once more illuminated for me. This, my friend, is the story of my adventures, I know no more than this."

When Sankhadatta said this, Bhimabhata and all that were present exclaimed in astonishment, "To think that he should have been swallowed in the Ganges by a fish, and that that fish should have got into the sea, and then that from the sea it should have been brought into the Vipasa, and that it should have been killed, and then that Sankhadatta should have come out of it alive. Ah! the way of fate is inscrutable, and wonderful are its works!" While uttering such remarks with Akshakshapanaka and the others, Bhimabhata took Sankhadatta to his own dwelling. And there in high delight he entertained with a bath, clothes, and other needful things, his friend, who had, as it were, been born a second time with the same body from the belly of a fish.

And while Bhimabhata was living with him in that country, there came on there a festive procession in honour of Vasuki the king of the snakes. In order to see it, the prince went, surrounded with his friends, to the temple of that chief of the snakes, where great crowds were a.s.sembling. He wors.h.i.+pped there in the temple, where his idol was, which was full of long wreaths [265] of flowers in form like serpents, and which therefore resembled the abyss of Patala, and then going in a southerly direction, he beheld a great lake sacred to Vasuki, studded with red lotuses, resembling the concentrated gleams of the brilliance of the jewels on snakes' crests; [266] and encircled with blue lotuses, which seemed like clouds of smoke from the fire of snake-poison; overhung with trees, that seemed to be wors.h.i.+pping with their flowers blown down by the wind. When he saw it, he said to himself in astonishment, "Compared with this expanded lake, that sea from which Vishnu carried off the G.o.ddess of Fortune, seems to me to be only worthy of neglect, for its fortune of beauty is not to be taken from it by anything else." [267] In the meanwhile he saw a maiden, who had come there to bathe, by name Hansavali, the beautiful daughter of Chandraditya, king of Lata, by Kuvalayavati; her mortal nature, which was concealed by all her other members moulded like those of G.o.ds, was revealed by the winking of her rolling eye. She had ten million perfections darting forth from her flower-soft body, she was with her waist, that might be spanned with the hand, a very bow of Cupid, and the moment she looked at Bhimabhata, she pierced him in the heart with the sidelong arrows of her eyes, and bewildered him. [268] He too, who was a thief of the world's beauty, entered by the oblique path of her eyes the treasure-chamber of her heart, and robbed her of her self-control. Then she sent secretly a trustworthy and discreet maid, and enquired from his friends his name and residence. And after she had bathed, she was taken back to her palace by her attendants, frequently turning round her face to fix her eyes on him. And then Bhimabhata, accompanied by his friends, went to his dwelling, with faltering steps, for he was entangled with the net which his beloved had cast over him.

And immediately the princess Hansavali sent that maid to him as an amba.s.sadress of love, with the message for which he longed. The maid came up to him and said to him in secret, "Prince, the princess Hansavali solicits you thus, 'When you see me, who love you, being carried away by the stream of love, you should rescue me quickly, you should not remain indifferent upon the bank [269]'"

When Bhimabhata heard from the messenger the nectar of his beloved's message, he was delighted at having his life saved, and said to her, "I am in the current, I am not upon the bank; does not my beloved know that? But now, that I have obtained some hope to cling to, [270] I will gladly do her bidding. I will this night come and wait upon her in her private apartments, and no one shall see me, for I will enter concealed by a charm." When he said this to the maid, she was pleased, and went and told it to Hansavali, and then she remained anxiously expecting an interview with him.

And he, in the early part of the night, went adorned with heavenly ornaments, and making himself invisible by repeating forwards the charm bestowed on him by Ganga, entered her splendid chamber which she had previously cleared of attendants. In that chamber, which suggested thoughts of love, which was perfumed with aloes, and adorned with nose-gays of flowers of five hues [271] arranged there, and which therefore resembled the garden of the G.o.d of love, he beheld that lovely one exhaling heavenly fragrance, like a blossom put forth by the creeper of the wonderful charm bestowed by Ganga. And then the handsome prince recited the charm backwards, and immediately became visible to that princess. When he beheld her timidly trembling with a joyful agitation that made her hair stand on end, his ornaments immediately tinkled like musical instruments, and he seemed to be dancing with joy to their music. And the maiden hid her face with the shame of love, and seemed to be asking her heart, that caused all that display of emotion, what she was to do now. Then Bhimabhata said to her, "Fair one, why do you allow your heart to exhibit shame, though its feelings have been already revealed? It does not deny the state of affairs; besides how is it possible to conceal this trembling of the limbs and this bursting boddice?" Then Bhimabhata with such words, and other loving persuasions, made the fair one forget her modesty, and married her by the Gandharva form of marriage. And after he had spent that night with her, in sporting like a bee round the lotus of her mouth, he at last tore himself away, and saying, "I will come again at night," returned to his house.

And when the chamberlains belonging to Hansavali entered her chamber the next morning, they saw that her lover had been with her. The ends of her curls were disordered, she had marks of moist teeth and nails, and she seemed as if the G.o.d of Love had appeared in person and afflicted her with the wounds of all his arrows. They immediately went and reported the matter to the king, and he secretly appointed spies to watch at night. And Bhimabhata spent the day with his friends in their usual employments, and in the beginning of the night again repaired to the bower of his beloved. When the spies saw that he had entered without being seen, by virtue of his charm, and discovered that he possessed supernatural powers, they went out, and told the king, and he gave them this order, "The being, who has entered a well-guarded room without being seen, cannot be a mere man; so bring him here that I may see what this means. And say to him politely from me, 'Why did you not openly ask me for my daughter? Why did you make a secret of it? For it is difficult to obtain a bridegroom for my daughter as accomplished as yourself.'" When the king had sent off the spies with this message, they went as he commanded, and stood at the door and delivered this message to Bhimabhata. And the resolute prince, perceiving that the king had discovered him, answered them boldly from inside; "Tell the king from me, that to-morrow I will enter his hall of audience, and tell him the truth, for now it is the dead of night." They then went and gave this message to the king and he remained silent. And in the morning Bhimabhata went to rejoin his friends. And putting on a magnificent costume, he went with those seven heroes to the hall of king Chandraditya. When the king saw his splendour, his resolute bearing and handsome appearance, he received him kindly, and made him sit on a throne equal to his own, and then his friend, the Brahman Sankhadatta, said to the king, "King, this is the son of Ugrabhata the king of Radha, Bhimabhata by name; his might is irresistible on account of the wonderful power of the charm which he possesses. And he has come here to sue for the hand of your daughter." When the king heard that, he remembered the occurrence of the night, and seeing that he was a suitable match for his daughter, he exclaimed, "I am fortunate indeed," and accepted the proposal. And after he had made splendid preparations for the marriage, he bestowed his daughter Hansavali on Bhimabhata with much wealth. Then Bhimabhata, having obtained many elephants, horses, and villages, remained there in great comfort, possessed of Hansavali and the G.o.ddess of Fortune. And in a few days his father-in-law gave him that kingdom of Lata, and, being childless and old, retired to the forest. Then the successful Bhimabhata, having obtained that kingdom, ruled it admirably with the help of those seven heroes, Sankhadatta and the others.

Then, in the course of some days, he heard from his spies, that his father king Ugrabhata had gone to Prayaga and died there; and that, when he was intent on death, he had anointed his youngest son Samarabhata, the son of the dancing-girl, king of Radha. Then he mourned for his father, and performed his funeral ceremonies, and sent a messenger to that Samarabhata with a letter. And in the letter, he sent the following message to the pretender who was treating him unjustly, "Foolish son of a dancing-girl, what business have you to sit on my father's throne, for it belongs to me, though I have this kingdom of Lata; so you must not ascend it." And the messenger went, and after announcing himself, delivered the letter to that Samarabhata, when he was in the hall of a.s.sembly. And when Samarabhata read this letter of such an import, under his brother's sign manual, he was angry, and answered, "This baseless presumption is becoming in this ill-conducted man, who was long ago banished by my father from the country, because he was not fit to remain in it. Even the jackal apes the lion, when he is comfortably ensconced in his native cavern, but when he comes within view of the lion, he is discovered to be only a jackal." Such was the answer he roared forth, and he wrote to the same effect in a letter, and sent his return-messenger to carry it to Bhimabhata.