% &$£ Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Alternates https://archive.org/details/kathasaritsagara01soma o j VLk«>. xu , KATHA SAEIT S A GjV R A OCEAN OF THE STREAMS OF STORY TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL SANSKRIT C. H. TAWNE Y, M. A. VOLUME I. CALCUTTA : PRINTED BY J. W. THOMAS, AT THE BAPTIST MISSION PRESS. 1880 . e Sff 5 * && EX v.X oP 0 £U cC in CONTENTS OF VOLUME I. BOOK I. CHAPTER I. Introduction,... Curse of Pushpadanta and Malyavan, Page 1—5 4—5 CHAPTER II. Story of Pushpadanta when living on the earth as Vararuchi ... 5 — 10 How Kanabhuti became a Pisacha, ... ... ... ... 6 — 7 Story of Yararuchi’s teacher Yarsha, and his fellow-pupils Yj^adi and Indradatta, ... ... ... ... ... 7 — 10 CHAPTER III. Continuation of the story of Yararuchi, Story of the founding of the city of Pataliputra,.. Story of king Brahmadatta, CHAPTER IY. Continuation of the story of Yararuchi, Story of Upakosa and her four lovers, 11—16 11—16 12—13 16— 23 17— 20 CHAPTER V. Conclusion of the story of Yararuchi, Story of S'ivasarman, ... 23—31 27—28 CHAPTER YI. Story of Malyavan when living on the earth as Grunadhya,... Story of the Mouse-merchant, Story of the chanter of the Sama Yeda, Story of Satavahana, ... 32— 40 33— 34 34— 35 36—37 CHAPTER YII. Continuation of the story of Grunadhya, How Pushpadanta got his name, ^ Story of king S'ivi, ... ... ... 41—47 43—46 45—46 1 'i IV CHAPTER VIII. Continuation of the story of Gunadhya, Siva’s tales, originally composed by Gunadhya in the Paisacha languago, are made known in Sanskrit under the title of Vrihat Katha, Page 47—49 49 BOOK II. CHAPTER IX. Story of the ancestors and parents of Udayana king of Vatsa, ... 52—56 CHAPTER X. Continuation of the story of Udayana’ s parents, Story of S'ridatta and Mrigankavati, Udayana succeeds to the kingdom of Yatsa, CHAPTER XI. Continuation of the story of Udayana, ... ... ... 67 — 71 Story of king Chandamahasena, ... ... ... ... 69 — 71 56—67 56—66 67 CHAPTER XII. Continuation of the story of Udayana, Story of Rupinika, ... ... ... CHAPTER XIII. Continuation of the story of Udayana, Story of Devasmita, ... ... ... Story of the cunning Siddhikari, ,. v Story of S'aktimati, ... ... ... CHAPTER XIY. Continuation of the story of Udayana, Story of the clever deformed child, ... Story of Ruru, 72—82 76—82 82—93 85—92 87—88 91—92 94—98 96 97—98 BOOK III. CHAPTER XV. Continuation of the story of Udayana, Story of the clever physician, ... Story of the hypocritical ascetic, Story of Unmadini, ... ... Story of the loving couple who died of separation, Story of Punyasena, ... ... ,,, Story of Sunda and Upasunda, ... ... 101 — 109 101—102 102 — 104 104 — 105 105— 106 106 108 V CHAPTER XYI. Continuation of the story of Udayana, Story of Kunti, ... ... ... CHAPTER XVII. Continuation of the story of IJdayana, Story of Urvasi, ... ... ... Story of Vihitasena, • •• HI Story of Somaprabha, ... ... Story of Ahalya, ... ... CHAPTER XVIII. Continuation of the story of Udayana, Story of Vidtishaka, CHAPTER XIX. Continuation of the story of Udayana, Story of Devadasa, ... ... CHAPTER XX. Continuation of the story of Udayana, Story of Phalabhuti, Story of Kuvalayavali and the witch Kalaratri,... Story of the birth of Kartikeya, Story of Sundaraka and Kalaratri, ... „. Page 109 — 115 110 — 111 115—124 115—117 117 118—122 122—123 124—145 128—144 145 — 152 146 — 147 152—164 152—163 155—158 155—157 158—161 BOOK IV. CHAPTER XXI. Continuation of the story of Udayana, Story of Pandu, ... ... ... Story of Devadatta, ... ,,, Story of Pingalika, ... ... ,,, 165—173 166 168—170 170—171 CHAPTER XXII. Continuation of the story of Udayana, Story of Jimutavahana, ... Story of Jimutavahana’ s adventures in a former life, Story of Kadru and Vinata, 173 — 186 174 — 186 176—181 182—183 CHAPTER XXIII. Continuation of the story of Udayana, Story of Sinhaparakrama,.. Birth of Udayana’s son X ara vahanadatta, ... 186—191 188 189 VI BOOK V. CHAPTER XXIV. Continuation of the story of Udayana and his son, Story of S'aktivega king of the Vidyadharas, ... Story of S'iva and Madhava, Story of Harasvamin, ... ... CHAPTER XXV. Continuation of the story of S'aktivega, ... Story of Asokadatta and Yijayadatta, CHAPTER XXYI. Conclusion of the story of S'aktivega, ... Story of Devadatta, Continuation of the story of Udayana and his son, BOOK VI. CHAPTER XXVII. Continuation of the story of Udayana and his son, ... Story of Kalingadatta, king of Takshasila, Story of the merchant’s son in Takshasila, Story of the Apsaras Surabhidatta, ... ... Story of king Dharmadatta and his wife Nagasri Story of the seven Brahmans who devoured a cow in time of famine, Story of the two ascetics, the one a Brahman, the other a Chandala, Story of king Vikramasinha and the two Brahmans, CHAPTER XXVIII. Continuation of the story of Kalingadatta, Birth of his daughter Kalingasena, Story of the seven princesses, .. . Story of the prince who tore out his own eye, ... Story of the ascetic who conquered anger, Story of Sulochana and Sushena, ... Story of the prince and the merchant’s son who saved his life, Story of the Brahman and the Pisacha, CHAPTER XXIX. Continuation of the story of Kalingadatta, Story of Kirtisena and her cruel mother-in-law,... CHAPTER XXX. Continuation of the story of Kalingadatta, Story of Tojasvatf, ... ... ... Story of tho Brahman Ilarisarman, ... ... rage 193 — 204 194 — 204 197—202 203—204 205—219 208—219 220—233 229—231 233 235—216 235 — 246 236 — 238 238 — 239 239 — 240 241 241 — 242 242 — 246 246 — 257 246 247 — 249 247 — 248 248 — 249 249 — 252 253 — 255 255—256 257—267 260—267 267—274 270—271 272—274 VII CHAPTER XXXI. Conclusion of the story of Kalingadatta, Story of Usha and Aniruddha, Kalingasena daughter of Kalingadatta escapes to Vatsa, Continuation of the story of Udayana and his son, Page 276—278 276—277 278 278—280 CHAPTER XXXII. Continuation of the story of Udayana and his son, Story of the Brahman’s son Vishnudatta and his seven foolish companions, Story of Kadaligarbha, ... Story of the king and the barber’s wife, 281—291 283—285 286—290 288—289 CHAPTER XXXIII. Continuation of the story of Udayana and his son, Story of S'rutasena, ... ... ... ... Story of the three Brahman brothers, ... Story of Devasena and Unmadini, ... Story of the ichneumon, the owl, the cat and the mouse, Story of king Prasenajit and the Brahman who lost his treasure, 291 — 302 292 — 295 293 294 296—298 298—299 CHAPTER XXXIV. Continuation of the story of Udayana and his son, Story of king Indradatta, ... ... Story of the Yaksha Virupaksha, ... ... Story of S'atrughna and his wicked wife, ... Story of king S'urasena and his ministers, Story of king Harisinha, ... 302—317 303 306—307 312 313—314 314 BOOK VII. CHAPTER XXXV. Continuation of the story of Udayana and his son, Story of Ratnaprabha, ... Story of Sattvasila and the two treasures, Story of the brave king Vikramatunga, 319 — 327 320 — 226 321 — 322 322 — 323 CHAPTER XXXVI. Continuation of the story of Udayana and his son, Story of king Ratnadhipati and the white elephant S'vetarasmi, Story of Y avanasena, ... . . ... , , , 328—334 328—334 331—332 CHAPTER XXXVII. Continuation of the story of Udayana and his son, Story of Nischayadatta, ... Story of Somasvamin, ... ... ... Story of Bhavasarman, ... 334—346 334—346 339—341 342—343 VIII CHAPTER XXXVIII. Continuation of the story of Udayana and his son, Story of king Vikramaditya and the hetaera, Story of king Vikramaditya and the treacherous mendicant, CHAPTER XXXIX. Continuation of the story of Udayana and his son, Story of S'ringabhuja and the daughter of the Rakshasa, ... CHAPTER XL. Continuation of the story of Udayana and his son, Story of Tapodatta, ... ... ,,, ltt Story of Virupasarman, ... ... „ 1M Story of king Vilasasila and the physician Tarunachandra, .. rage 346 — 354 347 — 354 349—350 355—367 355—367 369—375 370 371 372—375 CHAPTER XLI. Continuation of the story of Udayana and his son, Story of king Chirayus and his minister Nagarjuna, ... CHAPTER XLII. Continuation of the story of Udayana and his son, Story of king Parityagasena, his wicked wife, and his two sons, CHAPTER XLIII. Continuation of the story of Udayana and his son, Story of the two brothers Pranadhara and Rajyadhara, ... Story of Arthalobha and his beautiful wife, Story of the princess Karpurika in her birth as a swan, ... BOOK VIII. CHAPTER XLIV. Continuation of the story of Udayana and his son, Story of Suryaprabha, CHAPTER XLV. Continuation of the story of Suryaprabha, Story of the Brahman Kala, ... ... CHAPTER XLVI. Continuation of the story of Suryaprabha, ... Story of the generous Danava Namuchi, ... CHAPTER XLVII. Continuation of the story of Suryaprabha, CHAPTER XLVIII. Continuation of the story of Suryaprabha, ... Adventure of the witch' S'arabhanana, 376—379 376—378 379—390 381—389 390 — 403 391 — 393 393—396 397—398 405 — 406 406 — 414 414—434 418—419 434—446 444—446 446—452 452—459 458 IX CHAPTER XLIX. Continuation of the story of Suryaprabha, Story of king Mahasena and his virtuous minister Gunasarman, CHAPTER L. Conclusion of the story of Suryaprabha, ... Continuation of the story of Udayana and his son, BOOK IX. CHAPTER LI. Continuation of the story of Udayana and his son, Story of Alankaravatf, Story of Rama and Sita, ... Story of the handsome king Prithvirupa, CHAPTER LII. Continuation of the story of Udayana and his son, Story of Asokamala, ... ... Story of Sthulabhuja, ... ... ... Story of Anangarati and her four suitors, Story of Anangarati in a former birth, CHAPTER LIII. Continuation of the story of Udayana and his son, Story of king Lakshadatta and his dependent Labdhadatta,... Story of the Brahman Yiravara, ... ... Story of Suprabha, ,,, ... ,,, IM CHAPTER LIY. Continuation of the story of Udayana and his son, Story of the merchant Samudrasura, ... Story of king Chamarabala, Story of Yasovarman and the two fortunes, CHAPTER LY. Continuation of the story of Udayana and his son, Story of Chiradatri, Story of king Kanakavarsha and Madanasundarf, xa$e 459—471 459—471 472—481 481 483 — 494 484 — 485 486—488 489—492 494—515 496* — 498 497 — 498 498 — 514 502—503 515—524 515—518 519 — 524 520 — 521 524—537 529—531 532—536 532—535 537 — 549 53?— 538 538 — 549 CHAPTER LVI. Continuation of the story of Udayana and his son, ... ... Story of the Brahman Chandrasvamin, his son Mahfpala, and his daughter Chandra vati,... Story of Chakra, ... ... ... ... Story of the hermit and the faithful wife, Story of Dharmavyadha the righteous seller of flesh, Story of the treacherous Pasupata ascetic, ... ... ... Story of king Tribhuvana, ... ... ... ... Story of Nala and Damayantf, ... ... ... Page 549—669 549 - 569 654—556 556—557 557 658—559 558 — 559 559 — 568 ADDENDA AND CORRIGENDA To Fasciculus I. Page 1, line 6, for “ Part I” read “ Book I, called Kathapitha.” Page 14, add to footnote. — “ See also Ralston’s Russian Folk-Tales, p. 230 and Yec- kenstedt’s Wendische Sagen, p. 152.” Page 20, add to footnote. — “ General Cunningham is of opinion that the denoument of this story is represented in one of the Bharhut Sculptures ; see his Stupa of Bharhut, p. 53.” Page 27, 3rd line, from the bottom of the page, add to footnote. — “ The reader will find similar questioning demons described in Yeckenstedt’s Wendische Sagen, pp. 54 — 56, and 109.” Page 40, add to footnote. — “ See also the 60th Tale in Gonzenbach’s Sicilianische Marchen, Yol. II, p. 17. Page 58, add as a note to the story of the guardian lion. “ This incident may he compared with one described in Weckenstedt’s Wendische Sagen, p. 82. Page 70, add to footnote at the bottom of the page — “ Cp. also Yeckenstedt’s Wen- dische Sagen, p. 72.” Page 77, add to the second footnote — “ Cp. also Yeckenstedt’s Wendische Sagen, p. 124.” TRANSLATION OF THE KATHA SARIT SAGAR.A OR OCEAN OF THE STREAMS OF STORY. — # — PART I. CHAPTER I. May the dark neck of S'iva, which the god of love has, so to speak, surrounded with nooses in the form of the alluring looks of Parvati reclin- ing on his bosom, assign to you prosperity. May that victor of obstacles,* who after sweeping away the stars with his trunk in the delirious joy of the evening dance, seems to create others with the spray issuing from his hissingf mouth, protect you. After worshipping the goddess of Speech, the lamp that illuminates countless objects, J I compose this collection which contains the pith of the Yrihat-Katha. The first hook in my collection is called Kathapitha, then comes Kathamukha, then the third book named Lavanaka, then follows Narava- hanadattajanana, and then the hook called Chafcurdarika, and then Madana- manchuka, then the seventh hook named Ratnaprabha, and then the eighth hook named Suryaprabha, then Alankaravati, then S'aktiyasas, and then the eleventh book called Vela, then comes S'asankavatl, and then Madira- vati, then comes the book called Pancha followed by Mahabhisheka, and then S'uratamanjari, then Padmavatl, and then will follow the eighteenth book Vishamasila. * Dr. Brockhaus explains th^s of Ganesa, he is probably associated with Siva in the dance. So the poet invokes two gods, Siva and Ganesa, and one goddess Saras- vati, the goddess of speech and learning. f S'ttJcdra a sound made by drawing in the breath, expressive of pleasure. t There is a double meaning : paddrtha also means words and their meanings. 1 2 Tliis book is precisely on the model of that from which it is taken there is not even the slightest deviation, only such language is selected as tends to abridge the prolixity of the work ; the observance of propriety and natural connexion, and the joining together of the portions of the poem so as not to interfere with the spirit of the stories, are as far as possible kept in view : I have not made this attempt through desire of a reputation for ingenuity, but in order to facilitate the recollection of a multitude of various tales. There is a mountain celebrated under the name of Himavat, haunted by Kinnaras, Gandharvas, and Vidyadharas, a very monarch of mighty hills, whose glory has attained such an eminence among mountains that Bhavani the mother of the three worlds deigned to become his daughter ; the northernmost summit thereof is a great peak named Kailasa, which towers many thousand yojanas in the air, # and as it were, laughs forth with its snowy gleams this boast — “ Mount Mandaraf did not become white as mortar even when the ocean was churned with it, but I have become such without an effort.” There dwells Mahesvara the beloved of Parvati, the chief of things animate and inanimate, attended upon by Ganas, Vidyadharas and Siddhas. In the upstanding yellow tufts of his matted hair, the new moon enjoys the delight of touching the eastern mountain yellow in the evening twilight. When he drove his trident into the heart of Andhaka, the king of the Asuras, though he was only one, the dart which that monarch had infixed in the heart of the three worlds was, strange to say, extracted. The image of his toe-nails being reflected in the crest-jewels of the gods and Asuras made them seem as if they had been presented with half moons by his favour. J Once on a time that lord, the husband of Parvati, was gratified with praises by his wife, having gained confidence as she sat in secret with him ; the moon-crested one attentive to her praise and delighted, placed her on his lap, and said, “ What can I do to please thee ?” Then the daughter of the mountain spake — “ My lord, if thou art satisfied with me, then tell me some delightful story that is quite new.” And S'iva said to her, “ What can there be in the world, my beloved, present, past, or future that thou dost not know ?” Then that goddess, be- loved of S'iva, importuned him eagerly because she was proud in soul on account of his affection. Then S'iva wishing to flatter her, began by telling her a very short story, referring to her own divine power. * Possibly the meaning is that the mountain covers many thousand yojanas. f This mountain served the gods and Asuras as a churning stick at the churning of the ocean for the recovery of tho Amrita and fourteen other precious things lost during the deluge. J fc/iva himself wears a moon’s crescent. 3 u Once on a time* * * § Brahma and Narayana roaming through the world in order to behold me, came to the foot of Himavat. Then they beheld there in front of them a great flame -linga ;f in order to discover the end of it, one of them went up, and the other down ; and when they could not find the end of it, they proceeded to propitiate me by means of austeri- ties : and I appeared to them and bade them ask for some boon : hearing that Brahma asked me to become his son ; on that account he has ceased to be worthy of worship, disgraced by his overweening presumption. “ Then that god Narayana craved a boon of me, saying — Oh revered one, may I become devoted to thy service ! Then he became incarnate, and was born as mine in thy form ; for thou art the same as Narayana, the power of me all-powerful. “ Moreover thou wast my wife in a former birth.” When S'iva had thus spoken, Parvati. asked, “ How can I have been thy wife in a former birth ?” Then S'iva answered her. “ Long ago to the Prajapati Daksha were born many daughters, and amongst them thou, 0 goddess ! He gave thee in marriage to me, and the others to Dharma and the rest of the gods. Once on a time he invited all his sons-in-law to a sacrifice. But I alone was not included in the invitation ; thereupon thou didst ask him to tell thee why thy husband was not invited. Then he uttered a speech which pierced thy ears like a poisoned needle ; ‘ Thy husband wears a necklace of skulls ; how can he be invited to a sacrifice ?’ “ And then thou, my beloved, didst in anger abandon thy body, ex- claiming, — ‘ This father of mine is a villain ; what profit have I then in this carcase sprung from him ?’ “ And thereupon in wrath I destroyed that sacrifice of Daksha. Then thou wast born as the daughter of the mount of snow, as the moon’s digit springs from the sea. Then recall how I came to the Himalaya in order to perform austerities ; and thy father ordered thee to do me service as his guest : and there the god of love who had been sent by the gods in order that they might obtain from me a son to oppose Taraka, was consumed, £ when endeavouring to pierce me, having obtained a favourable opportunity. Then I was purchased by thee,§ the enduring one, with severe austerities, and I accepted this proposal of thine, my beloved, in order that I might add this merit to my stock. || Thus it is clear that thou wast my wife in * The Sanskrit word Asti meaning “ thus it is” is a common introduction to a tale. f The linga or phallus is a favourite emblem of S'iva. Flame is one of his eight tarns or forms. J He was burnt up by the fire of S'iva’s eye. § Compare Kumara Sambhava Sarga V, line 86. || Reading tatsanchaydya as one word. Dr. Brockhaus omits the line. Professor E. B. Cowell would read priyam for priye. 4 a former birth. What else shall I tell thee ?” Thus S'iva spake, and when he had ceased, the goddess transported with wrath, exclaimed, — “ Thou art a deceiver ; thou wilt not tell me a pleasing tale even though I ask thee : Do I not know that thou worshippest Sandhya, and bearest Ganga on thy head ?” Hearing that, S'iva proceeded to conciliate her and promised to tell her a wonderful tale : then she dismissed her anger. She herself gave the order that no one was to enter where they were ; Nandin* thereupon kept the door, and S'iva began to speak. “ The gods are supremely blessed, men are ever miserable, the actions of demigods are exceedingly charming, therefore I now proceed to relate to thee the history of the Vidyadharas.” While S'iva was thus speaking to his consort, there arrived a favourite dependant of S'iva’s, Pushpadanta, best of Ganas,f and his entrance was forbidden by Nandin who was guard- ing the door. Curious to know why even he had been forbidden to enter at that time without any apparent reason, Pushpadanta immediately enter- ed, making use of his magic power attained by devotion to prevent his being seen, and when he had thus entered, he heard all the extraordinary and wonderful adventures of the seven Vidyadharas being narrated by the trident-hearing god, and having heard them he in turn went and narrated them to his wife Jaya ; for who can hide wealth or a secret from women ? Jay a the doorkeeper being filled with wonder went and recited it in the presence of Parvati. How can women be expected to restrain their speech ? And then the daughter of the mountain flew into a passion, and said to her husband, “ Thou didst not tell me any extraordinary tale, for Jaya knows it also.” Then the lord of Uma, perceiving the truth by profound medi- tation, thus spake : “ Pushpadanta employing the magic power of devotion entered in where we were, and thus managed to hear it. He narrated it to Jaya ; no one else knows it, my beloved.” Having heard this, the goddess exceedingly enraged caused Pushpa- danta to be summoned, and cursed him, as he stood trembling before her, saying, “ Become a mortal thou disobedient servant.”]; She cursed also the Gana Malyavan who presumed to intercede on his behalf. Then the two fell at her feet together with Jaya and entreated her to say when the curse would end, and the wife of S'iva slowly uttered this speech — “ A Yaksha named Supratika who has been made a Pisacha by the curse of Kuvera is residing in the Vindhya forest under the name of Kanabhuti. When thou shalt see him and, calling to mind thy origin, tell him this tale, then, Pushpadanta, thou shalt be released from this curse. And * One of S'iva’ s favourito attendants. f Attendants of S'iva, presided over by Ganesa. ] For the ativinita of Dr. Brockhaus’s text I read avinita. when Malyavan shall hear this tale from Kanabhuti, then Kanabhuti shall be released, and thou, Malyavan, when thou hast published it abroad, shalt be free also.” Having thus spoken the daughter of the mountain ceased, and immediately those Ganas disappeared instantaneously like flashes of lightning. Then it came to pass in the course of time that Gauri full of pity asked S'iva, “ My lord, where on the earth have those excellent Pra- mathas* * * § whom I cursed, been born ?” And the moon-diademed god answered : “My beloved, Pushpadanta has been born under the name of Yararuchi in that great city which is called Kausambi. f Moreover Malyavan also has been born in the splendid city called Supratishthita under the name of Gunadhya. This, 0 goddess, is what has befallen them.” Having given her this information with grief caused by recalling to mind the degrada- tion of the servants that had always been obedient to him, that lord con- tinued to dwell with his beloved in pleasure-arbours on the slopes of mount Kailasa, which were made of the branches of the' Kalpa tree. J CHAPTER II. Then Pushpadanta wandering on the earth in the form of a man, was known by the name of Yararuchi and Katyayana. Having attained per- fection in the sciences, and having served Nanda as minister, being wearied out he went once on a time to visit the shrine of Durga.§ And that god- dess, being pleased with his austerities, ordered him in a dream to repair to the wilds of the Yindhya to behold Kanabhuti. And as he wandered about there in a waterless and savage wood,|| full of tigers and apes, he beheld a lofty Nyagrodha tree.^f And near it he saw, surrounded by hun- dreds of Pisachas, that Pisacha Kanabhuti, in stature like a S'dla tree. * Pramatha, an attendant on S'iva. f Kausambi succeeded Hastinapur as the capital of the emperors of India. Its precise site has not been ascertained, but it was probably somewhere in the Doaba, or at any rate not far from the west bank of the Yamuna, as it bordered upon Magadha and was not far from the Yindhya hills. It is said that there are ruins at Karali or Karari about 14 miles from Allahabad on the western road, which may indicate the site of Kausambi. It is possible also that the mounds of rubbish about Karrah may conceal some vestiges of the ancient capital — a circumstance rendered more probable by the inscription found there, which specifies Kata as comprised within Kausamba mandala or the district of Kausambi. [Note in Wilson’s Essays, p. 163.] X A tree of Indra’s Paradise that grants all desires. § More literally, the goddess that dwells in the Vindhya hills. Her shrine is near Mirzapur. [| Dr. Brockhaus makes parusha a proper name. H Ficus Indies 6 When Kanabhuti had seen him and respectfully clapped his feet, Katyaya- na sitting down immediately spake to him. “ Thou art an observer of the good custom, how hast thou come into this state ?” Having heard this Kanabhuti said to Katyayana, who had shewn affection towards him, I know not of myself, but listen to what I heard from Siva at Ujjayini in the place where corpses are burnt ; I proceed to tell it thee. The adorable god was asked by Durga — “ Whence, my lord, comes thy delight in skulls and burning-places ?” He thereupon gave this answer. “ Long ago when all things had been destroyed at the end of a Kalpa, the universe became water : I then cleft my thigh and let fall a drop of blood ; that drop falling into the water turned into an egg, from that sprang the Supreme Soul, # the Disposer ; from him proceeded Nature, f created by me for the purpose of further creation, and they created the other lords of created beings, J and those in turn the created beings, for which reason, my beloved, the Supreme Soul is called in the world the grandfather. Having thus created the world, animate and inanimate, that Spirit became arrogant : § thereupon I cut off his head : then through regret for what I had done, I undertook a difficult vow. So thus it comes to pass that I carry skulls in my hand, and love the places where corpses are burned. Moreover this world resembling a skull, rests in my hand ; for the two skull-shaped halves of the egg before mentioned are called heaven and earth.” When S'iva had thus spoken, I, being full of curiosity, determined to listen ; and Parvati again said to her husband. “ After how long a time will that Pushpadanta return to us ?” Hearing that, Mahes- vara spoke to the goddess, pointing me out to her ; “ That Pisacha whom thou beholdest there, was once a Yaksha, a servant of Kuvera, the god of wealth, and he had for a friend a Eakshasa named Sthulasiras ; and the lord of wealth perceiving that he associated with that evil one, banished him to the wilds of the Yindhya mountains. But his brother Dirghajangha fell at the feet of the god, and humbly asked when the curse would end. Then the god of wealth said — “ After thy brother has heard the great tale from Pushpadanta, who has been born into this world in consequence of a curse, and after he has in turn told it to Malyavan, who owing to a curse has become a human being, he together with those two Ganas shall be released from the effects of the curse.” Such were the terms on which the god of wealth then ordained that Malyavan should obtain remission from his curse here below, and thou didst fix the same in the case of Pushpadan- * Pumdn = Purusha, the spirit. f Pralcriti , the original sourco or rather passive power of creating the material world. \ Prajdpati. § The spirit was of course Brahma whose head Siva cut off. 7 ta ; recall it to mind, my beloved.” When I heard that speech of S'iva, I came here overjoyed, knowing that the calamity of my curse would be terminated by the arrival of Pushpadanta. When Kanabhuti ceased after telling this story, that moment Yararuchi remembered his origin, and exclaimed like one aroused from sleep, “ I am that very Pushpadanta, hear that tale from me.” Thereupon Katyayana related to him the seven great tales in seven hundred thousand verses, and then Kanabhuti said to him — “ My lord, thou art an incarnation of S'iva, who else knows this story ? Through thy favour that curse has almost left my body. Therefore tell me thy own history from thy birth, thou mighty one, sanctify me yet further, if the narrative may be revealed to such a one as I am.” Then Yararuchi, to gratify Kanabhuti, who remained prostrate before him, told all his his- tory from his birth at full length, in the following words : Story of Vdraruchi , his teacher Varsha, I n the city of Kausambl there and his fellow-pupils Vyddi and Indradatta. lived a Brahman called Somadatta, who also had the title of Agnisikha, and his wife was called Vasudatta. She was the daughter of a hermit, and was born into the world in this position in consequence of a curse ; and I was born by her to this excellent Brah- man, also in consequence of a curse. Now while I was still quite a child my father died, but my mother continued to support me, as I grew up, by severe drudgery ; then one day two Brahmans came to our house to stop a night, exceedingly dusty with a long journey ; and while they were stay- ing in our house there arose the noise of a tabor, thereupon my mother said to me, sobbing, as she called to mind her husband — “ there, my son, is your father’s friend Bhavananda, giving a dramatic entertainment.” I an- swered, “ I will go and see it, and will exhibit the whole of it to you, with a recitation, of all the speeches.” On hearing that speech of mine, those Brahmans were astonished, but my mother said to them — “ Come, my children, there is no doubt about the truth of what he says ; this boy will remember by heart everything that he has heard once.” Then they, in order to test me, recited to me a Pratisakhya # ; immediately I repeated the whole in their presence, then I went with the two Brahmans and saw that play, and when. I came home, I went through the whole of it in front of my mother : then one of the Brahmans, named Yyadi, having ascertained that I was able to recollect a thing on hearing it once, told with submissive reverence this tale to my mother. Mother, in the city of Yetasa there were two Brahman brothers, Deva- Swamin and Karambaka, who loved one another very dearly, this Indradatta here is the son of one of them, and I am the son of the other, and my name * A grammatical treatise on the rules regulating the euphonic combination of letters and their pronunciation peculiar to one of the different Sakhas or branches of the Vedas. — M. W. s. v. 8 is Vyadi. It came to pass that my father died. Owing to grief for hi* * * § loss, the father of Indradatta went on the long journey,* and then the hearts of our two mothers broke with grief ; thereupon being orphans though we had wealth, + and, desiring to acquire learning, we went to the southern region to supplicate the lord Kartikeya. And while we were engaged in austerities there, the god gave us the following revelation in a dream. “ There is a city called Pataliputra, the capital of king Nanda, and in it there is a Brahman, named Varsha, from him ye shall learn all knowledge, therefore go there.” Then we went to that city, and when we made en- quiries there, people said to us : “ There is a blockhead of a Brahman in this town, of the name of Varsha.” Immediately we went on with minds in a state of suspense, and saw the house of Varsha in a miserable condition, made a very ant-hill by mice, dilapidated by the cracking of the walls, untidy,}; deprived of eaves, looking like the very birth-place of misery. Then, seeing Varsha plunged in meditation within the house, we ap- proached his wife, who shewed us all proper hospitality ; her body was emaciated and begrimed, her dress tattered and dirty ; she looked like the incarnation of poverty, attracted thither by admiration for the Brahman’s virtues. Bending humbly before her, we then told her our circumstances, and the report of her husband’s imbecility, which we heard in the city. She exclaimed— “ My children, I am not ashamed to tell you the truth ; listen 1 I will relate the whole story,” and then she, chaste lady, proceeded to tell us the tale which follows : There lived in this city an excellent Brahman, named Sankara Svamin, and he had two sons, my husband Varsha, and Upavarsha ; my husband was stupid and poor, and his younger brother was just the opposite : and Upavarsha appointed his own wife to manage his elder brother’s house. § Then in the course of time, the rainy season came on, and at this time the women are in the habit of making a cake of flour mixed with molasses, of an unbecoming and disgusting shape, || and giving it to any Brahman who is thought to be a blockhead, and if they act thus, this cake is' said to remove their discomfort caused by bathing in the cold season, and their exhaustion^" * i. e ., died. f Here we have a pun which it is impossible to render in English. Andtha means without natural protectors and also poor. + Taking chhdya in the sense of sobhd. It might mean “ affording no shelter to the inmates.” § Dr. Brockhaus translates the line — Von diemn rntrde ich meinem Manne ver- miihlt , urn seinem Hauswesen vorzustehen. || Like the ltoinan fascinum. guhya = phallus. II I read tat for tdh according to a conjecture of Professor E. B. Cowell’s. He informs me on the authority of Dr. Post that the only variants are sd for tdh and 9 caused by bathing in the hot weather ; but when it is given, Brahmans refuse to receive it, on the ground that the custom is a disgusting one. This cake was presented by my sister-in-law to my husband, together with a sacrificial fee ; he received it, and brought it home with him, and got a severe scolding from me ; then he began to be inwardly consumed with grief at his own stupidity, and went to worship the sole of the foot of the god Kartikeya : the god, pleased with his austerities, bestowed on him the knowledge of all the sciences ; and gave him this order — “ When thou findest a Brahman who can recollect what he has heard only once, then thou mayest reveal these” — thereupon my husband returned home delight- ed, and when he had reached home, told the whole story to me, From that time forth, he has remained continually muttering prayers and meditating : so find you some one who can remember anything after hearing it once, and bring him here : if you do that, you will both of you undoubtedly obtain all that you desire. Having heard this from the wife of Varsha, and having immediately given her a hundred gold pieces to relieve her poverty, we went out of that city ; then we wandered through the earth, and could not find anywhere a person who could remember what he had only heard once : at last we arrived tired out at your house to-day, and have found here this boy, your son, who can recollect anything after once hearing it : therefore give him us and let us go forth to acquire the commodity knowledge. Having heard this speech of Vyadi, my mother said with respect, “ All this tallies completely, I repose confidence in your tale : for long ago at the birth of this my only son, a distinct spiritual* voice was heard from yoshitd for yoshitah. Dr. Dost would take evamJcrite as the dative of evamlcrit. If tdh be retained it may be taken as a repetition “ having thus prepared it, I say, the women give it.” Professor Cowell would translate (if tdh be retained) “ the women then do not need to receive anything to relieve their fatigue during the cold and hot weather.” Professor E. B. Cowell has referred me to an article by Dr. Liebrecht in the Zeit- schrift der Morgenlandischen Gesellschaft. He connects the custom with that of the Jewish women mentioned in Jeremiah VII. 18, “ The women knead their dough to make cakes to the queen of heaven,” and he quotes a curious custom practised on Palm Sunday in the town of Saintes. Dulaure states that in his time the festival was called there La fete des Pinnes ; the women and children carried in the procession a phallus made of bread, which they called a pinne , at the end of their palm branches ; these pinnes were subsequently blessed by the priest, and carefully preserved by the women during the year. This article has been repub- lished by the learned author in his “ Zur Volkskunde” (Heilbronn, 1879) p. 436 and f f. under the title of “ der aufgegessene Gott.” It contains many interesting parallels to the custom described in the text. * Literally bodiless — she heard the voice, but saw no man. 2 ]() heaven. 11 A boy has been born who shall be able to remember what he lias heard once ; he shall acquire knowledge from Yarsha, and shall make the science of grammar famous in the world, and he shall be called Vararuchi by name, because whatever is excellent,* shall please him.” Having utter- ed this, the voice ceased. Consequently, ever since this boy has grown big, I have been thinking, day and night, where that teacher Yarsha can be, and to-day I have been exceedingly gratified at hearing it from your mouth. Therefore take him with you : what harm can there be in it, he is your brother ?” When they heard this speech of my mother’s, those two, Vyadi and Indradatta, overflowing with joy, thought that night but a moment in length. Then Vyadi quickly gave his own wealth to my mother to provide a feast, and desiring that I should be qualified to read the Yedas, invested me with the Brahmanical thread. Then Vyadi and Indradatta took me, who managed by my own fortitude to control the excessive grief I felt at parting, while my mother in taking leave of me could with difficulty sup- press her tears, and considering that the favour of Kartikeya towards them had now put forth blossom, set out rapidly from that city ; then in course of time we arrived at the house of the teacher Yarsha : he too considered that I was the favour of Kartikeya arrived in bodily form. The next day he placed us in front of him, and sitting down in a consecrated spot, he began to recite the syllable Om with heavenly voice. Immediately the Yedas with the six supplementary sciences rushed into his mind, and then he began to teach them to us ; then I retained what the teacher told us after hearing it once, Yyadi after hearing it twice, and Indradatta after hearing it three times : then the Brahmans of the city hearing of a sudden that divine sound, came at once from all quarters with wonder stirring in their breasts to see what this new thing might be ; and with their reverend mouths loud in his praises honoured Yarsha with low bows. Then behold- ing that wonderful miracle, not only Upavarsha, but all the citizens of Pataliputraf kept high festival. Moreover the king Nanda of exalted fortune, seeing the power of the boon of the son of S'iva, was delighted, and immediately filled the house of Yarsha with wealth, shewing him every mark of respect. J * Vara = excellent ruck = to please. t I. e. Palibothra. t Wilson remarks (Essays on Sanskrit Literature, Yol. I, p. 165). “ The contempo- rary existence of Nanda with Vararuchi and Yyadi is a circumstance of considerable interest in the literary history of the Hindus, as the two latter are writers of note on philological topics. Vararuchi is also called in this work Katyayana, who is one of the earliest commentators on Panini. Nanda is the predecessor or one of the predecessors of ( 'handragupta or Sandrakottos ; and consequently the chief institutes of Sanskrit grammar are thus dated from the fourth century before the Christian era. We need 11 CHAPTER III. Having thus spoken while Kanabhuti was listening with intent mind, Vararuchi went on to tell his tale in the wood. It came to pass in the course o£ time, that one day, when the reading of the Yedas was finished, the teacher Varsha, who had performed his daily ceremonies, was asked by us, “ How comes it that such a city as this has become the home of Sarasvati and Lakshmi,* tell us that, 0 teacher.” Hearing this, he bade us listen, for that he was about to tell the history of the city. Story of the founding of the city of There is a sanctifying place of pil- Pdtaliputra. grimage, named Kanakhala, at the point where the Ganges issues from the hills, f where the sacred stream was brought down from the table-land of mount TJsinara, by Kanchanapata the elephant of the gods, having cleft it asunder. J In that place lived a certain Brahman from the Deccan, performing austerities in the company of his wife, and to him were born there three sons. In the course of time he and his wife went to heaven, and those sons of his went to a place named Rajagriha, for the sake of acquiring learning. And having studied the sciences there, the three, grieved at their unprotected condition, went to the Deccan in order to visit the shrine of the god Kartikeya. Then they reached a city named Chinchini on the shore of the sea, and dwelt in the house of a Brahman named Bhojika, and he gave them his three daugh- ters in marriage, and bestowed on them all his wealth, and having no other children, went to the Ganges to perform austerities. And while they were living there in the house of their father-in-law, a terrible famine arose produced by drought, thereupon the three Brahmans fled, abandoning their virtuous wives, (since no care for their families touches the hearts of cruel men,) then the middle one of the three sisters was found to be pregnant ; and those ladies repaired to the house of Yajnadatta a friend of their father’s : there they remained in a miserable condition, thinking each on her own husband, (for even in calamity women of good family do not forget the not suppose that Somadeva took the pains to be exact here ; but it is satisfactory to be made acquainted with the general impressions of a writer who has not been biassed in any of his views by Pauranik legends and preposterous chronology.” * I. e., of learning and material prosperity. f Literally the gate of the Ganges : it is now well known under the name of Haridvar (Hurdwar). X Dr. Brockhaus renders the passage u wo S'iva die Jahnavi im goldenen Falle von den Gipfeln des Berges Usinara herabsandte.” 12 duties of virtuous wives). Now in course of time the middle one of the three sisters gave birth to a son, and they all three vied with one another in love towards him. So it happened once upon a time that, as S'iva was roaming through the air, the mother of Skanda* who was reposing on S'iva’ s breast, moved with compassion at seeing their love for their child, said to her husband, “ My lord, observe, these three women feel great affec- tion for this boy, and place hope in him, trusting that he may some day support them ; therefore bring it about that he may be able to maintain them, even in his infancy.” Having been thus entreated by his beloved, S'iva, the giver of boons, thus answered her : I adopt him as my protegd, for in a previous birth he and his wife propitiated me, therefore he has been born on the earth to reap the fruit of his former austerities ; and his former wife has been born again as Patala the daughter of the king Mahendravarman, and she shall be his wife in this birth also. Having said this, that mighty god told those three virtuous women in a dream, — “ This young son of yours shall be called Putraka ; and every day when he awakes from sleep, a hundred thousand gold pieces shall be found under his pillow, and at last he shall become a king.” Accordingly, when he woke up from sleep, those virtuous daughters of Yajnadatta found the gold and rejoiced that their vows and prayers had brought forth fruit. Then by means of that gold Putraka having in a short time accumulated great treasure, became a king, for good fortune is the result of austerities.f Once upon a time Yajnadatta said in private to Putraka, — “ King, your father and uncles have gone away into the wide world on account of a famine, therefore give continually to Brahmans, in order that they may hear of it and return : and now listen, I will tell you the story of Brahmadatta. There lived formerly in Benares a Story of king Brohmadatta. king named Brahmadatta. He saw a pair of swans flying in the air at night. They shone with the lustre of gleaming gold, and were begirt with hundreds of white swans, and so look- ed like a sudden flash of lightning, surrounded by white clouds. And his desire to behold them again kept increasing so mightily that he took no pleasure in the delights of royalty. And then having taken counsel with his ministers he caused a fair tank to be made according to a design of his own, and gave to all living creatures security from injury. In a short time he perceived that those two swans had settled in that lake, and when they had become tame he asked them the reason of their golden plumage. And then those swans addressed the king with an articulate voice. £ In a former * Skanda is Kartikcya and his mother is of course Durga or Parvati the consort of Siva. tin this case the austerities which he had performed in a former birth to propi- tiate S'iva. 13 birth, 0 ting, we were born as crows ; and when we were fighting for the remains of the daily offering* in a holy empty temple of S'iva, we fell down and died within a sacred vessel belonging to that sanctuary, and consequently we have been born as golden swans with a remembrance of our former birth’ ; — having heard this the king gazed on them to his heart’s content, and derived great pleasure from watching them. “ Therefore you will gain back your father and uncles by an unparalleled gift.” When Yajnadatta had given him this advice, Putraka did as he re- commended ; when they heard the tidings of the distribution those Brah- mans arrived : and when they were recognized they had great wealth bestowed on them, and were reunited to their wives. Strange to say, even after they have gone through calamities, wicked men having their minds blinded by want of discernment, are unable to put off their evil nature. After a time they hankered after royal power, and being desirous of mur- dering Putraka they enticed him under pretext of a pilgrimage to the temple of Durga : and having stationed assassins in the inner sanctuary of the temple, they said to him, “ First go and visit the goddess alone, step inside.” Thereupon he entered boldly, but when he saw those assassins preparing to slay him, he asked them why they wished to kill him. They replied, “We were hired for gold to do it by your father and uncles.” Then the discreet Putraka said to the assassins, whose senses were bewilder- ed by the goddess, “ I will give you this priceless jewelled ornament of mine. Spare me, I will not reveal your secret ; I will go to a distant land.” The assassins said, “ So be it,” and taking the ornament they depart- ed, and falsely informed the father and uncles of Putraka that he was slain. Then those Brahmans returned and endeavoured to get possession of the throne, but they were put to death by the ministers as traitors. How can the ungrateful prosper ? In the meanwhile that king Putraka, faithful to his promise, entered the impassable wilds of the Yindhya, disgusted with his relations : as he wandered about he saw two heroes engaged heart and soul in a wrestling- match, and he asked them who they were. They replied, “ We are the two sons of the Asura Maya, and his wealth belongs to us, this vessel, and this stick, and these shoes ; it is for these that we are fighting, and whichever of us proves the mightier is to take them.” When he heard this speech of theirs, Putraka said with a smile — “ That is a fine inheritance for a man.” Then they said — “ By putting on these shoes one gains the power of flying through the air ; whatever is written with this staff turns out true ; and whatever food a man wishes to have in the vessel is found there immediate- * I. e., ball, a portion of the daily meal offered to creatures of every description, especially the household spirits. Practically the ball generally falls to some crow, hence that bird is called balibhuj . 14 ly.” When he heard this, Putraka said — “ What is the use of fighting ? make this agreement, that whoever proves the best man in running shall possess this wealth.”'* Those simpletons said — “ Agreed” — and set off to run, while the prince put on the shoes and flew up into the air, taking with him the * A similar incident is found in Grimm’s Fairy Tales translated by Mrs. Pauli, p. 370. The hero of the tale called the Crystal Ball finds two giants fighting for a littlo hat. On his expressing his wonder, “ Ah”, they replied “ you call it old, you do not know its value. It is what is called a wishing-hat, and whoever puts it on can wish himself where he will, and immediately he is there.” “ Give me the hat,” replied the young man, “ I will go on a little way and when I call you must both run a race to overtake me, and whoever reaches me first, to him the hat shall belong.” The giants agreed and the youth taking the hat put it on and went away ; but he was thinking so much of the princess that he forgot the giants and the hat, and continued to go further and further without calling them. Presently he sighed deeply and said, “ Ah if I were only at the Castle of the golden sun.” Wilson (Collected Works, Yol. Ill, p. 169, note,) observes that “the story is told almost in the same words in the Bahar Danish, a purse being substituted for the rod ; Jahandar obtains possession of it, as well as the cup, and slippers in a similar manner. Weber [Eastern Romances, Introduction, p. 39] has noticed the analogy which the slippers bear to the cap of Fortunatus. The inexhaustible purse, although not mentioned here, is of Hindu origin also, and a fraudulent representative of it makes a great figure in one of the stories of the Dasa Kumara Charita” [ch. 2, see also L. Deslongchamps Essai sur les Fables Indiennes. Paris, 1838, p. 35 f. and Grasse, Sagen des Mittelalters, Leipzig, 1842, p. 19 f.] The additions between brackets are due to Dr. Reinholdt Rost the editor of Wilson’s Essays. The Mongolian form of the story may be found in Sagas from the Far East, p. 24. A similar incident is also found in the Swedish story in Thorpe’s Scandinavian Tales, entitled “ the Beautiful Palace East of the Sun and North of the Earth.” A youth acquires boots by means of which he can go a hundred miles at every step, and a cloak, that renders him invisible, in a very similar way. I find that in the notes in Grimm’s 3rd Volume, page 168, (edition of 1856) the passage in Somadeva is referred to, and other parallels given. The author of these notes compares a Swedish story in Cavallius, p. 182, and Prohle, Kindermarchen, No. 22. He also quotes from the Sidi Kiir, the story to which I have referred in Sagas from the Far East, and compares a Norwegian story in Ashbjornsen, pp. 53, 171, a Hungarian story in Mailath and Gaal, N. 7, and an Arabian tale in the continuation of the 1001 Nights. See also Sicilianische Marchen by Laura Gonzenbach, Part I, Story 31. Here we have a table-cloth, a purse, and a pipe. When the table-cloth is spread out one has only to say — Dear little table-cloth, give maccaroni or roast-meat or whatever may be required, and it is immediately present. The purse will supply as much money as one asks it for, and the pipe is something like that of the pied piper of Hamelin, — every one who hears it must dance. Dr. Kohler in his notes, at the end of Laura Gonzenbach’ s collection, compares (besides the story of Fortunatus, and Grimm III. 202,) lingerie, Kindcr-und Ilausmarchen, II. 73 and 193. Curze, Popular Traditions from Waldeck, p. 34. Gesta Romanorum, Chap. 120. Campbell’s Highland Tales, No. 10, and many others. The shoes in our present story may also be compared with the bed in tire IXtli Novel of the Xth day of the Decameron. 15 staff and the vessel ; then he went a great distance in a short time and saw beneath him a beautiful city named Ykarshika and descended into it from the sky. He reflected with himself ; “ hetcerce are prone to deceive, Brah- mans are like my father and uncles, and merchants are greedy of wealth ; in whose house shall I dwell ?” Just at that moment he reached a lonely dilapidated house, and saw a single old woman in it ; so he gratified that old woman with a present, and lived unobserved in that broken down old house, waited upon respectfully by the old woman. Once upon a time the old woman in an affectionate mood said to Putra- ka — “ I am grieved, my son, that you have not a wife meet for you. But here there is a maiden named Patali, the daughter of the king, and she is preserved like a jewel in the upper story of a seraglio.” While he was lis- tening to this speech of hers with open ear, the god of love found an un- guarded point, and entered by that very path into his heart. He made up his mind that he must see that damsel that very day, and in the night flew up through the air to where she was, by the help of his magic shoes. He then entered by a window, which was as high above the ground as the peak of a mountain, and beheld that Patali, asleep in a secret place in the sera- glio, continually bathed in the moonlight that seemed to cling to her limbs : as it were the might of love in fleshly form reposing after the conquest of this world. While he was thinking how he should awake her, suddenly outside a watchman began to chant ; “ Young men obtain the fruit of their birth, when they awake the sleeping fair one, embracing her as she sweetly scolds, with her eyes languidly opening.” On hearing this encou- raging prelude, he embraced that fair one with limbs trembling with excite- ment, and then she awoke. When she beheld that prince, there was a contest between shame and love in her eye, which was alternately fixed on his face and averted. When they had conversed together, and gone through the ceremony of the Gandharva marriage, that couple found their love continually increasing, as the night waned away. Then Putraka took leave of his sorrowing wife, and with his mind dwelling only on her went in the last watch of the night to the old woman’s house. So every night the prince kept going backwards and forwards, and at last the intrigue was discovered by the guards of the seraglio, accordingly they revealed the matter to the lady’s father, and he appointed a woman to watch secretly in the seraglio at night. She, finding the prince asleep, made a mark with red lac upon his garment to facilitate his recognition. In the morning she informed the king of what she had done, and he sent out spies in all directions, and Putraka was discovered by the mark and dragged out from the dilapidated house into the presence of the king. Seeing that the king was enraged, he flew up into the air with the help of the shoes, and entered the palace of Patali. He said to her, — “ We are discovered, therefore rise 16 up, let us escape with the help of the shoes, and so taking Patali in his arms he flew away from that place through the air. Then descending from heaven near the bank of the Ganges, he refreshed his weary beloved with cakes provided by means of the magic vessel. When Patali saw the power of Putraka she made a request to him, in accordance with which he sketch- ed out with the staff a city furnished with a force of all four arms.* In that city he established himself as king, and his great power having attain- ed full development, he subdued that father-in-law of his, and became ruler of the sea-engirdled earth. This is that same divine city, produced by magic, together with its citizens ; hence it bears the name of Pataliputra, and is the home of wealth and learning. When we heard from the mouth of Yarsha the above strange and extraordinarily marvellous story, our minds, 0 Kanabhuti, were for a long time delighted with thrilling wonder. CHAPTER IV. Having related this episode to Kanabhuti in the Yindhya forest, Vara- ruchi again resumed the main thread of his narrative. While thus dwelling there with Vyadi and Indradatta, I gradually attained perfection in all sciences, and emerged from the condition of child- hood. Once on a time when we went out to witness the festival of Indra, we saw a maiden looking like some weapon of Cupid, not of the nature of an arrow. Then, Indradatta, on my asking him who that lady might be, replied, — “ She is the daughter of Upavarsha, and her name is Upakosa,” and she found out by means of her handmaids who I was, and drawing my soul after her with a glance made tender by love, she with difficulty managed to return to her own house. She had a face like a full moon, and eyes like a blue lotus, she had arms graceful like the stalk of a lotus, and a lovely f ullf bosom ; she had a neck marked with three lines like a shell, J and magnificent coral lips ; in short she was a second Lakshmi, so to speak, the store-house of the beauty of king Cupid. Then my heart was cleft by the stroke of love’s arrow, and I could not sleep that night through my desire to kiss her bimba§ lip. Having at last with difficulty gone off to * I. k that tale which Gunadhya had given, called Vrihat Katha, containing the adventures of Naravahana- datta, and went to his own city. And there he bestowed on Gunadeva and Nandideva, the pupils of the poet who composed that tale, lands, gold, gar- ments, beasts of burden, palaces, and treasures. And having recovered the sense of that tale with their help, Satavahana composed the book named Kathapitha, in order to shew how the tale came to be first made known in the Paisacha language. Now that tale was so full of various interest, that men were so taken up with it as to forget the tales of the gods, and after producing that effect in the city it attained uninterrupted renown in the three worlds. * It is unnecessary to remind the reader of the story of the Sibyl. 7 BOOK II. CALLED KATHAMUKHA. This nectarous tale sprang in old time from the month of S'iva, set in motion by his love for the daughter of the Himalaya, as the nectar of im- mortality sprang from the sea, when churned by the mountain Mandara. Those who drink eagerly the nectar of this tale, have all impediments re- moved and gain prosperity, and by the favour of S'iva attain, while living upon earth, the high rank of gods. CHAPTER IX. May the water of Siva’s sweat, fresh from the embrace of Gauri,* which the god of love when afraid of the fire of S'iva’s eye, employs as his aqueous weapon, protect you. Listen to the following tale of the Vidyadharas, which the excellent Gana Pushpadanta heard on mount Kailasa from the god of the matted locks, and which Kanabhuti heard on the earth from the same Pushpadanta after he had become Vararuchi, and which Gunadhya heard from Kanabhu- ti, and Satavahana heard from Gunadhya. Story of JJdayana king of Vatsa . There is a land famous under the name of Yatsa, that appears as if it had been made by the Creator as an earthly rival to dash the pride of heaven. In the centre of it is a great city named Kausambi, the favourite dwelling-place of the goddess of prosperity ; the ear-ornament, so to speak, of the earth. In it dwelt a king named S'atanika, sprung from the Panda- va family, he was the son of Janamejaya, and the grandson of king Parik- shit, who was the great-grandson of Abhimanyu. The first progenitor of his race was Arjuna, the might of whose strong arms was tested in a strug- gle with the mighty arms of S'iva ;t his wife was the earth, and also Vish- * I. e., Durga. f I believe this refers to Arjuna’s combat with the god when he had assumed the form of a Kirata or mountaineer. S'iva is here called Tripurari, the enemy or destroyer of Tripura. Dr. Brockhaus renders it quite differently. numati his queen ; tlie first produced jewels, but the second did not produce a son. Once on a time, as that king was roaming about in his passion for the chase, he made acquaintance in the forest with the hermit S'andilya. That worthy sage finding out that the king desired a son, came to Kau- sambi and administered to his queen an artfully prepared oblation* consecrated with mystic verses. Then he had a son born to him called Sahasranika. And his father was adorned by him as excellence is by modesty. Then in course of time S'atanika made that son crown-prince and though he still enjoyed kingly pleasures, ceased to trouble himself about the cares of government. Then a war arose between the gods and Asuras, and Indra sent Matali as a messenger to that king begging for aid. Then he committed his son and his kingdom to the care of his princi- pal minister, who was called Yogandhara, and his Commander-in-chief, whose name was Supratika, and went to Indra with Matali to slay the Asuras in fight. That king, having slain many Asuras, of whom Yamadanshtra was the chief, under the eyes of Indra, met death in that very battle. The king’s body was brought back by Matali, and the queen burnt herself with it, and the royal dignity descended to his son Sahasranika. Wonderful to say, when that king ascended his father’s throne, the heads of the kings on every side of his dominions were bent down with the weight. Then Indra sent Matali, and brought to heaven that Sahasranika, as being the son of his friend, that he might be present at the great feast which he was holding to celebrate his victory over his foes. There the king saw the gods, attended by their fair ones, sporting in the garden of Nandana, and desiring for himself a suitable wife, fell into low spirits. Then Indra, pereeiving this desire of his, said to him ; “ King, away with despondency, this desire of thine shall be accomplished. For there has been born upon the earth one, who was long ago ordained a suitable match for thee. For listen to the following history, which I now proceed to relate to thee. “ Long ago I went to the court of Brahma in order to visit him, and a certain Yasu named Yidhuma followed me. While we were there, an Apsarasf named Alambusha came to see Brahma, and her robe was blown aside by the wind. And the Yasu, when he beheld her, was overpowered by love, and the Apsaras too had her eyes immediately attracted by his form. The lotus-sprung god,J when he beheld that, looked me full in the face, and I, knowing his meaning, in wrath cursed those two, c Be born, you two, shameless creatures, into the world of mortals, and there become man and * Composed of rice, milk, sugar and spices. f Certain fcmalo divinities who reside in the sky and are the wives of the Gan- dbarviis. Monier Williams, s. v. I Brahma. Ho emerges from a lotus growing from the navel of Yishnu. wife.’ That Yasu has been born as thou, Sahasranika, the son of S'atanika, an ornament to the race of the moon. And that Apsaras too has been born in Ayodhya as the daughter of king Kritavarman, Mrigavati by name, she shall be thy wife.” By these words of Indra the flame of love was fanned in the passionate* heart of the king and burst out into full blaze ; as a fire when fanned by the wind. Indra then dismissed the king from heaven with all due honour in his own chariot, and he set out with Matalif for his capital. But as he was starting, the Apsaras Tilottama said to him out of affection, “ King I have somewhat to say to thee, wait a mo- ment.” But he, thinking on Mrigavati, went off without hearing what she said, then Tilottama in her rage cursed him ; “ King, thou shalt be separated for fourteen years from her who has so engrossed thy mind that thou dost not hear my speech.” Now Matali heard that curse, but the king, yearning for his beloved, did not. In the chariot he went to Kau- sambi but in spirit he went to Ayodhya. Then the king told with longing heart, all that he had heard from Indra with reference to Mrigavati, to his ministers, Yogandhara and the others : and not being able to endure delay, he sent an ambassador to Ayodhya to ask her father Kritavarman for the hand of that maiden. And Kritavarman having heard from the ambassador his commission, told in his joy the queen Kalavati, and then she said to him — “ King we ought certainly to give Mriga- vati to Sahasranika, and, I remember, a certain Brahman told me this very thing in a dream” ; then in his delight the king showed to the ambassador Mrigavati’s wonderful skill in dancing, singing, and other accomplishments, and her matchless beauty ; so the king Kritavarman gave to Sahasranika that daughter of his who was unequalled as a mine of graceful arts, and who shone like an incarnation of the moon ; that marriage of Sahasranika and Mrigavati was one in which the good qualities of either party supple- mented those of the other, and might be compared to the union of learning and intelligence. Not long after sons were born to the king’s ministers ; Yogandhara had a son born to him named Yaugandharayana ; and Supratika had a son born to him named Human vat. And to the king’s master of the revels was born a son named Yasantaka. Then in a few days Mrigavati became slightly pale and promised to bear a child to king Sahasranika. And then she asked the king, who was never tired of looking at her, to gratify her longing by filling a tank full of blood for her to bathe in. Accordingly the king, who was a righteous man, in order to gratify her desire, had a tank filled with the juice of lac and other red extracts, so that it seemed to be full of blood. And while she was bathing in that lake, and covered * In the word sasnehe there is probably a pun ; sneha meaning love, and also oil. f The charioteer of Indra. with red dye, a bird of the race of Garucla* suddenly pounced upon her and carried her off thinking she was raw flesh. As soon as she was carried away in some unknown direction by the bird, the king became distracted, and his self-command forsook him as if in order to go in search of her. Ilis heart was so attached to his beloved that it was in very truth carried off by that bird, and thus he fell senseless upon the earth. As soon as ho had recovered his senses, Matali, who had discovered all by his divine power, descended through the air and came where the king was. He consoled the king, and told him the curse of Tilottama with its destined end, as he had heard it long ago, and then he took his departure. Then the king tormen- ted with grief lamented on this wise ; “ Alas my beloved, that wicked Tilottama has accomplished her desire.” But having learned the facts about the curse, and having received advice from his ministers, he managed, though with difficulty, to retain his life through hope of a future reunion. But that bird, which had carried off Mrigavati, as soon as it found out that she was alive, abandoned her, and as fate would have it, left her on the mountain where the sun rises. And when the bird let her drop and de- parted, the queen, distracted with grief and fear, saw that she was left unprotected on the slope of a trackless mountain. While she was weeping in the forest, alone, with one garment only to cover her, an enormous ser- pent rose up and prepared to swallow her. Then she, for whom prosperity was reserved in the future, was delivered by some heavenly hero that came down and slew the serpent, and disappeared almost as soon as he was seen. Thereupon she, longing for death, flung herself down in front of a wild elephant, but even he spared her as if out of compassion. Wonderful was it that even a wild beast did not slay her when she fell in his way ! Or rather it was not to be wondered at. What cannot the will of S'iva effect ? Then the girl tardy with the weight of her womb, desiring to hurl herself down from a precipice, and thinking upon that lord of hers, wept aloud ; and a hermit’s son, who had wandered there in search of roots and fruits, hearing that, came up, and found her looking like the in- * This is the Hoc or Rokh of Arabian romance, agreeing in the multiplicity of . individuals as well as their propensity for raw flesh. (See Sindbad’s Voyages ed. Langles, p. 149.) Thelatter characteristic, to the sub- version of all poetical fancies, has acquired, it may he supposed, for the Adjutant (Ardea Argila) the name of Garuda. A wmdervogel is the property of all people, and the Garuda of the Hindoos is represented by the Eorosh of the Zend, Simoorgh of the Per- sians, the Anka of the Arabs, the Kerkes of the Turks, the Kirni of the Japanese, the sacred dragon of the Chinese, tho Griffin of Chivalry, the Phoenix of classical fable, the wiso and ancient bird that sits upon tho ash Yggdrasil of tho Edda, and according to Faber with all tho rest is a misrepresentation of tho holy cherubim that guarded the gate of Paradiso. Somo writers have oven traced the twelvo knights of tho round table to the twelve Rocs of Persian story. (Wilson’s Essays, Vol. 1, pp. 192, 193, note.) 55 carnation of sorrow. And he, after questioning the queen about her adventures, and comforting her as well as he could, with a heart melted with compassion led her off to the hermitage of Jamadagni. There she beheld Jamadagni, looking like the incarnation of comfort, whose brightness so illumined the eastern mountain that it seemed as if the rising sun ever rested on it. When she fell at his feet, that hermit who was kind to all that came to him for help, and possessed heavenly insight, said to her who was tortured with the pain of separation ; “ Here there shall be born to thee, my daughter, a son that shall uphold the family of his father, and thou shalt be reunited to thy husband, therefore weep not.” When that virtuous woman heard that speech of the hermit’s, she took up her abode in that hermitage, and entertained hope of a reunion with her beloved. And some days after, the blameless one gave birth to a charmingly beautiful son, as association with the good produces good manners. At that moment a voice was heard from heaven ; “ an august king of great renown has been born, Udayana by name, and his son shall be monarch of all the Yidyadharas.” That voice restored to the heart of Mrigavati joy which she had long forgotten. Gradually that boy grew up to size and strength in that grove of asceticism, accompanied by his own excellent qualities' as playmates. And the heroic child had the sacraments appropriate to a member of the warrior-caste performed for him by Jama- dagni, and was instructed by him in the sciences, and the practice of arche- ry. And out of love for him Mrigavati drew off from her own wrist, and placed on his, a bracelet marked with the name of Sahasranika. Then that Udayana roaming about once upon a time in pursuit of deer, beheld in the forest a snake that had been forcibly captured by a S'avara.* And he, feeling pity for the beautiful snake, said to that S'avara, “Let go this snake to please me.” Then that S'avara said, “ My lord, this is my liveli- hood, for I am a poor man, and I always maintain myself by exhibiting dancing snakes. The snake I previously had having died, I searched through this great wood, and, finding this one, overpowered him by charms and captured him.” When he heard this, the generous Udayana gave that S'avara the bracelet which his mother had bestowed on him, and persuaded him to set the snake at liberty. The S'avara took the bracelet and depart- ed, and then the snake being pleased with Udayana bowed before him and said as follows, “ I am the eldest brother of Yasuki,f called Yasunemi : receive from me, whom thou hast preserved, this lute, sweet in the sound- ing of its strings, divided according to the division of the quarter-tones ; * A wild mountaineer. Dr. Bxihler observes that the names of these tribes are used very vaguely in Sanskrit story-books, f Sovereign of the snakes. and betel leaf, together with the art of weaving unfading garlands, and adorning the forehead with marks that never become indistinct.” Then Udayana furnished with all these, and dismissed by the snake, returned to the hermitage of Jamadagni, raining nectar, so to speak, into the eyes of his mother. In the meanwhile that S'avara who had lighted on this forest, and while roaming about in it had obtained the bracelet from Udayana by the will of fate, was caught attempting to sell this ornament marked with the king’s name in the market, and was arrested by the police, and brought up in court before the king. Then king Sahasranika himself asked him in sorrow whence he had obtained the bracelet. Then that S'avara told him the whole story of his obtaining possession of the bracelet, beginning with his capture of the snake upon the eastern mountain. Hearing that from the S'avara, and beholding that bracelet of his beloved, king Sahasra- nika ascended the swing of doubt. Then a divine voice from heaven delighted the king who was tortured with the fire of separation, as the rain-drops delight the peacock when afflicted with the heat, uttering these words — “ Thy curse is at an end, O king, and that wife of thine Mrigavati is residing in the hermitage of Jamadagni together with thy son.” Then that day at last came to an end, though made long by anxious expectation, and on the morrow that king Sahasranika, making the S'avara show him the way, set out with his army for that hermitage on the eastern mountain, in order quickly to recover his beloved wife. CHAPTEE X. After he had gone a long distance the king encamped that day in a certain forest on the border of a lake. He went to bed weary, and in the evening he said to Sangataka a story-teller who had come to him on account of the pleasure he took in his service ; “ Tell me some tale that will glad- den my heart, for I am longing for the joy of beholding the lotus-face of Mrigavati.” Then Sangataka said, King why do you grieve without cause ? The union with your queen, which will mark the termination of your curse, is nigh at hand. Human beings experience many unions and separations : and I will tell you a story to illustrate this ; listen, my lord ! „ , 7 ■, , r • - 7 Once on a time there lived in Story of S'ridatta and Mngan/cavati. the country ot Malava a Brahman named Yainasoma. And that good man had two sons born to him, beloved by men. One of them was known as Kalanemi and the second was named 57 Vigatabhaya. Now, when their father had gone to heaven, those two bro- thers, having passed through the age of childhood, went to the city of Pataliputra to acquire learning. And when they had completed their studies, their teacher Devasarman gave them his own two daughters, like another couple of sciences incarnate in bodily form. Then seeing that the householders around him were rich, Kalanemi through envy made a vow and propitiated the goddess of Fortune with burnt- offerings. And the goddess being satisfied appeared in bodily form and said to him — “ Thou shalt obtain great wealth and a son who shall rule the earth ; but at last thou shalt be put to death like a robber, because thou hast offered flesh in the fire with impure motives.” When she had said this, the goddess disappeared ; and Kalanemi in course of time became very rich ; moreover after some days a son was born to him. So the father, whose desires were now accomplished, called that son S'ridatta,* because he had been obtained by the favour of the goddess of Fortune. In course of time S'ridatta grew up, and though a Brahman, became matchless upon earth in the use of weapons, and in boxing and wrestling. Then Kalanemi’s brother Yigatabhaya went to a foreign land, having become desirous of visiting places of pilgrimage, through sorrow for his wife, who died of the bite of a snake. Moreover the king of the land, Vallabhasakti, who appreciated good qualities, made S'ridatta the companion of his son Vikramasakti. So he had to live with a haughty prince, as the impetuous Bhima lived in his youth with Duryodhana. Then two Kshatriyas, natives of Avanti, Bahu- salin and Vajramushti became friends of that Brahman’s. And some other men from the Deccan, sons of ministers, having been conquered by him in wrestling, resorted to him out of spontaneous friendship, as they knew how to value merit. Mahabala and Vyaghrabhata and also Upendrabala and a man named Nishthuraka became his friends. One day, as years rolled on, S'ridatta, being in attendance on the prince, went with him and those friends to sport on the bank of the Ganges ; then the prince’s own servants made him king, and at the same time S'ridatta was chosen king by his friends. This made the prince angry, and in over-weening confidence he at once challenged that Brahman hero to fight. Then being conquered by him in wrestling, and so disgraced, he made up his mind that this rising hero should be put to death. But S'ridatta found out that intention of the prince’s, and withdrew in alarm with those friends of his from his presence. And as he was going along, he saw in the middle of the Ganges a woman being dragged under by the stream, looking like the goddess of Fortune in the middle of the sea. And then he plunged in to pull her out of the water,’ leaving Bahusalin and his five other friends on the bank. Then that woman, * I. e., given by Fortune. 8 58 though he seized her by the hair, sank deep in the water ; and he dived as deep in order to follow her. And after he had dived a long way, he sud- denly saw a splendid temple of S'iva, but no water and no woman.* After beholding that wonderful sight, being wearied out he paid his adorations to the god with the bull-blazoned banner, and spent that night in a beautiful garden attached to the temple. And in the morning that lady was seen by him having come to worship the god S'iva, like the incarnate splendour of beauty attended by all womanly perfections. And after she had wor- shipped the god, the moon-faced one departed to her own house, and S'ri- datta for his part followed her. And he saw that palace of hers resembling the city of the gods, which the haughty beauty entered hurriedly in a contemptuous manner. And without deigning to address him, the graceful lady sat down on a sofa in the inner part of the house, waited upon by thousands of women. And S'ridatta also took a seat near her ; then sud- denly that virtuous lady began to weep. The tear-drops fell in an unceas- ing shower on her bosom, and that moment pity entered into the heart of S'ridatta. And then he said to her, “ Who art thou, and what is thy sorrow P Tell me, fair one, for I am able to remove it.” Then she said reluctantly, “We are the thousand granddaughters of Balif the king of the Daityas, and I am the eldest of all, and my name is Vidyutprabha. That grandfather of ours was carried off by Vishnu to long imprisonment, and the same hero slew our father in a wrestling-match. And after he had slain him, he excluded us from our own city, and he placed a lion in it to prevent us from entering. The lion occupies that place, and grief our hearts. It is a Yaksha that was made a lion by the curse of Kuvera, and long ago it was predicted that the Yaksha’s curse should end when he was conquered by some mortal ; so Vishnu deigned to inform us on our humbly asking him how we might be enabled to enter our city. Therefore subdue that lion our enemy ; it was for that reason, 0 hero, that I enticed you hither. And when you have overcome him you will obtain from him a sword named Mriganka, by the virtue of which } r ou shall conquer the world and become a king.” When he heard that, S'ridatta agreed to undertake the adventure, and after that day had passed, on the morrow he took those- Uaitya imfidens with him as guides, and went to that city, and there he overcame in wrestling that haughty lion. He being freed from his curse * Cp. the story of Sattvasila, which is the seventh tale in the Vetala Panchavin- s'ati, and will he found in Chapter 81 of this work. Cp. also the story of S'aktideva in Book V. ch. 26, and Ralston’s remarks on it in his Russian Folk-Tales, p. 99. f Vishnu assumed tho form of a dwarf and appeared before Bali, and asked for as much land as ho could step over. On Bali’s granting it, Vishnu dilating himself, in two steps deprived him of heaven and earth, hut left the lower regions still in his domi- nion. 59 assumed a human form, and out of gratitude gave his sword to the man who had put an end to his curse, and then disappeared together with the burden of the sorrow of the great Asura’s daughter. Then that S'ridatta, together with the Daitya’s daughter, who was accompanied by her younger sisters, entered that splendid city which looked like the serpent Ananta* having emerged from the earth. And that Daitya maiden gave him a ring that destroyed the effect of poison. Then that young man remaining there fell in love with her. And she cunningly said to him, “ Bathe in this tank, and when you dive in, take with you this swordf to keep off the danger of crocodiles.” He consented, and diving into the tank, rose upon that very bank of the Ganges from which he first plunged in. Then he, seeing the ring and the sword, felt astonishment at having emerged from the lower regions, and despondency at having been tricked by the Asura maid. Then he went towards his own house to look for his friends, and as he was going he saw on the way his friend Nishthuraka. Nishthuraka came up to him and saluted him, and quickly took him aside into a lonely place, and when asked by him for news of his relations, gave him this answer ; “ On that occasion when you plunged into the Ganges we searched for you many days, and out of grief we were preparing to cut off our heads, but a voice from heaven forbade that attempt of ours saying, ‘ My sons, do no rash act, your friend shall return alive.’ And then we were returning into the pre- sence of your father, when on the way a man hurriedly advanced to meet us and said this — ‘ You must not enter this city at present, for the king of it Vallabhasakti is dead, and the ministers have with one accord con- ferred the royal dignity on Vikramasakti ; now the day after he was made king he went to the house of Kalanemi, and full of wrath asked him where his son S'ridatta was, and he replied — 4 1 do not know.’ Then the king in a rage, supposing he had concealed his son, had him put to death by impale- ment as a thief. When his wife saw that, her heart broke. Men of cruel deeds must always pile one evil action upon another in long succes- sion ; and so Vikramasakti is searching for S'ridatta to slay him, and you are his friends, therefore leave this place.’ When the man had given us this warning, Bahusalin and his four companions being grieved went by common consent to their own home in Ujjayini. And they left me here in conceal- ment, my friend, for your sake. So come, let us go to that very place to meet our friends.” Having heard this from Nishthuraka, and having be- wailed his parents, S'ridatta cast many a look at his sword, as if reposing in that his hope of vengeance ; then the hero, biding his time, set out accompanied by Nishthuraka for that city of Ujjayini in order to meet his friends. * Ananta, endless, or infinite, is a name of the thousand-headed serpent Sesha. f Reading khadgani for the khadge of Dr. Brockhaus’s text. 00 And as lie was relating to his friend his adventures from the time of his plunging into the stream, S'ridatta beheld a woman weeping in the road ; when she said, “ I am a woman going to Ujjayim and I have lost my way,” S'ridatta out of pity made her journey along with him. He and Nishthuraka, together with that woman, whom he kept with him out of compassion, halted that day in a certain deserted town. There he suddenly woke up in the night and beheld that the woman had slain Nishthuraka, and was devouring his flesh with the utmost delight. Then he rose up drawing his sword Mriganka, and that woman assumed her own terrible form, that of a Rakshasi,* and he seized that night- wanderer by her hair, to slay her. That moment she assumed a heavenly shape and said to him, “ Slay me not, mighty hero, let me go, I am not a Rakshasi ; the hermit Visvamitra imposed this condition on me by a curse. For once when he was performing austerities from a desire to attain the position of the god of wealth, I was sent by the god to impede him. Then finding that I was not able to seduce him with my alluring form, being abashed, I assumed in order to terrify him a formidable shape. When he saw this, that hermit laid on me a curse suitable to my offence, exclaiming — ‘ Wicked one, be- come a Rakshasi and slay men.’ And he appointed that my curse should end when you took hold of my hair ; accordingly I assumed this detestable condition of a Rakshasi, and I have devoured all the inhabitants of this town ; now to-day after a long time you have brought my curse to an end in the manner foretold ; therefore receive now some boon.” When he heard that speech of hers, S'ridatta said respectfully, “ Mother grant that my friend may be restored to life. What need have I of any other boon ?” “So be it,” said she, and after granting the boon disappeared. And Nishthuraka rose up again alive without a scratch on his body. Then S'ridatta set out the next morning with him, delighted and astonished, and at last reached Ujjayini. There he revived by his appearance the spirits of his friends, who ■were anxiously expecting him, as the arrival of the cloud revives the pea- cocks. And after he had told all the wonders of his adventures, Baliusa- lin went through the usual formalities of hospitality, taking him to his own home. There S'ridatta was taken care of by the parents of Bahusalin, and lived with his friends as comfortably as if he were in his own house. Once on a time, when the great feast of spring-tidef had arrived, he went with his friends to behold some festal rejoicings in a garden. There he behold a maiden, the daughter of king Bimbaki, who had come to see the show, looking like the goddess of the Splendour of Spring present in bodily form. She, by name Mrigankavati, that moment penetrated into his heart, as if through the openings left by the expansion of his eye. Her * Female demon. The Rakshasas are often ealleds “ night- wanderers.” t Or more literally of tho month Chaitra, i. c., March-April. 61 passionate look too, indicative of the beginning of love, fixed on him, went and returned like a confidante. ' When she entered a thicket of trees, S'ri- datta not beholding her, suddenly felt his heart so empty that he did not know where he was. His friend Bahusalin, who thoroughly understood the language of gestures, said to him, “My friend, I know your heart, do not deny your passion, therefore, come, let us go to that part of the garden where the king’s daughter is.” He consented and went near her accom- panied by his friend. That moment a cry was heard there, which gave great pain to the heart of S'ridatta, “ Alas the princess has been bitten by a snake!” Bahusalin then went and said to the chamberlain — “ My friend here possesses a ring that counteracts the effects of poison, and also healing spells.” Immediately the chamberlain came, and bowing at his feet, quick- ly led S'ridatta to the princess. He placed the ring on her finger, and then muttered his spells so that she revived. Then all the attendants were de- ♦ lighted, and loud in praise of S'ridatta, and the king Bimbaki hearing the circumstances came to the place. Accordingly S'ridatta returned with his friends to the house of Bahusalin without taking back the ring. And all the gold and other presents, which the delighted king sent to him there, he handed over to the father of Bahusalin. Then, thinking upon that fair one, he was so much afflicted, that his friends became utterly bewildered as to what to do with him. Then a dear friend of the princess, Bhavanika by name, came to him on pretence of returning the ring ; and said to him, “ That friend of mine, illustrious Sir, has made up her mind, that either you must save her life by becoming her husband, or she will be married to her grave.” When Bhavanika had said this, S'ridatta and Bahusalin and the others quickly put their heads together and came to the following reso- lution, “ We will carry off this princess secretly by a stratagem, and will go unperceived from here to Mathura and live there.” The plan having been thoroughly talked over, and the conspirators having agreed with one ano- ther what each was to do in order to carry it out, Bhavanika then departed. And the next day Bahusalin, accompanied by three of his friends, went to Mathura on pretext of trafficking, and as he went he posted in concealment at intervals swift horses for the conveyance of the princess. But S'ridat- ta then brought at eventide a woman with her daughter into the palace of the princess, after making them both drink spirits, and then Bhavanika, on pretence of lighting up the palace, set fire to it, and secretly conveyed the princess out of it ; and that moment S'ridatta, who was remaining outside, received her, and sent her on to Bahusalin, who had started in the morning, and directed two of his friends to attend on her and also Bhavanika. Now that drunken woman and her daughter were burnt in the palace of the prin- cess, and people supposed that the princess had been burnt with her friend. 62 But S'ridatta took care to show himself in the morning, as before, in the city; then on the second night, taking with him his sword Mriganka, he started to follow his beloved, who had set out before him. And in his eagerness he accomplished a great distance that night, and when the morn- ing watch* had passed, he reached the Vindhya forest. There he first beheld unlucky omens, and afterwards he saw all those friends of his to- gether with Bhavanika lying in the road gashed with wounds. And when he came up all distracted, they said to him, “ We were robbed to-day by a large troop of horsemen that set upon us. And after we were reduced to this state, one of the horsemen threw the terrified princess on his horse and carried her off. So before she has been carried to a great distance, go in this direction, do not remain near us, she is certainly of more importance than we.” Being urged on with these words by his friends, S'ridatta rapidly followed after the princess, but could not help frequently turning round to look at them. And after he had gone a considerable distance, he caught up that troop of cavalry, and he saw a young man of the warrior caste in the midst of it. And he beheld that princess held by him upon his horse. So he slowly approached that young warrior ; and when soft words would not induce him to let the princess go, he hurled him from his horse with a blow of his foot, and dashed him to pieces on a rock. And after he had slain him, he mounted on his horse and slew a great number of the other horsemen who charged him in anger. And then those who remained alive, seeing that the might which the hero displayed was more than human, fled away in terror ; and S'ridatta mounted on the horse with the princess Mri- gankavati and set out to find those friends of his. And after he had gone a little way, he and his wife got off the horse which had been severely wound- ed in the fight, and soon after it fell down and died. And then his beloved Mrigankavati, exhausted with fear and exertion, became very thirsty. And leaving her there, he roamed a long distance hither and thither, and while he was looking for water the sun set. Then he discovered that, though he bad found water, he had lost his way, and he passed that night in the wood roaming about, moaning aloud like a Chakravaka.f And in the morning he reached that place, which was easy to recognise by the carcass of the horse. And nowhere there did he behold his beloved princess. Then in his distraction he placed his sword Mriganka on the ground, and climbed to the top of a tree, in order to cast his eye in all directions for her. That very moment a certain S'avara chieftain passed that way ; and he came up and took the sword from the foot of the tree. Beholding that S'avara 4 At nine o’clock in the morning. f Anas Casarca, commonly called the Brahmany duck. The male has to pass the night separated from its female : if we are to trust tho unanimous testimony of Hindu poets. chieftain, S'ridatta came down from the top of the tree, and in great grief asked him for news of his beloved. The S'avara chieftain said — “ Leave this place and come to my village ; I have no doubt she whom you seek has gone there ; and I shall come there and return you this sword.” When the S'avara chieftain urged him to go with these words, S'ridatta, being himself all eagerness, went to that village with the chief’s men. And there those men said to him, — “ Sleep off your fatigue,” — and when he reached the house of the chief of the village, being tired he went to sleep in an instant. And when he woke up he saw his two feet fastened with fetters, like the two efforts he had made in order to obtain his beloved, which failed to reach their object. Then he remained there weeping for his darling, who, like the course of destiny, had for a moment brought him joy, and the next moment blasted his hopes. One day a serving maid of the name of Mochanika came to him and said, — Illustrious Sir, unwittingly you have come hither to your death ? For the S'avara chieftain has gone somewhither to accomplish certain weighty affairs, and when he returns, he will offer you to Chandika. # For with that object he decoyed you here by a stratagem from this slope of the wild Vindhya hill, and immediately threw you into the chains in which you now are. And it is because you are intended to be offered as a victim to the goddess, that you are continually served with garments and food. But I know of only one expedient for delivering you, if you agree to it. This S'avara chieftain has a daughter named Sundari, and she having seen you is becoming exceedingly love-sick ; marry her who is my friend, then you will obtain deliverance, f When she said this to him, S'ridatta consent- ed, desiring to be set at liberty, and secretly made that S'undari his wife by the Gandharva form of marriage. And every night she removed his chains and in a short time Sundari became pregnant. Then her mother, having heard the whole story from the mouth of Mochanika, out of love for her son-in-law S'ridatta, went and of her own accord said to him — “ My son, S'richanda the father of Sundari is a wrathful man, and will show thee no mercy. Therefore depart, but thou must not forget Sundari.” When his mother-in-law had said this, she set him at liberty, and S'ridatta departed after telling Sundari that the sword, which was in her father’s possession, really belonged to himself. So he again entered full of anxiety that forest, in which he had before wandered about, in order again to search for traces of Mrigavati. And having seen an auspicious omen he came to that same place, where that * A name of Durga. Cp. Prescott’s account of the human sacrifices in Mexico* Vol. I pp. 62, 63. t This incident reminds us of the fifth tale in Wright’s Gesta Romanorum. liorse of his died before, and whence his wife was carried off. And there he saw near* him a hunter coming towards him, and when he saw him ho asked him for news of that gazelle-eyed lady. Then the hunter asked him “ Are you S'ridatta?” and he sighing replied “ I am that unfortunate man.” Then that hunter said, “ Listen, friend, I have somewhat to tell you. I saw that wife of yours wandering hither and thither lamenting your absence, and having asked her her story, and consoled her, moved with compassion I took her out of this wood to my own village. But when I saw the young Pulindasf there, I was afraid, and I took her to a village named Nagasthala near Mathura. And then I placed her in the house of an old Brahman named Visvadatta commending her with all due respect to his care. And thence I came here having learnt your name from her lips. Therefore you had better go quickly to Nagasthala to search for her.” When the hunter had told him this, S'ridatta quickly set out, and he reached Nagasthala in the evening of the second day. Then he entered the house of Visvadatta and when he saw him said, “ Give me my wife who was placed here by the hunter.” Visvadatta when he heard that, answered him, “ I have a friend in Mathura a Brahman, dear to all virtuous men, the spiritual preceptor and minister of the king S'urasena. In his care I placed your wife. For this village is an out-of-the-way place and would not afford her protection. So go to that city to-morrow morning, but to-day rest here.” When Visvadatta said this, he spent that night there, and the next morning he set off, and reached Mathura on the second day. Being weary and dusty with the long journey, he bathed outside that city in the pellucid water of a lake. And he drew out of the middle of the lake a garment placed there by some robbers, not suspecting any harm. But in one corner of the garment, which was knotted up, a necklace was concealed. J Then S'ridatta took that garment, and in his eagerness to meet his wife did not notice the neck- lace, and so entered the city of Mathura. Then the city police recognized the garment, and finding the necklace, arrested S'ridatta as a thief, and carried him off, and brought him before the chief magistrate exactly as he was found, with the garment in his possession ; by him he was handed up to the king, and the king ordered him to be put to death. Then, as he was being led off to the place of execution with the drum being beaten behind him,§ his wife Mrigankavati saw him in the distance. She went in a state of the utmost distraction and said to the chief minis- ter, in whose house she was residing, “ Yonder is my husband being led off * Or it may mean “ from a distance,” as Dr. Brockhaus takes it. f Vulinda , name of a savage tribe. X A common way of carrying money in India at the present day. § Compare the last Sccno of the Toy Cart in tho 1st volume of Wilson’s Hindu Theatre. to execution.” Then that minister went and ordered the executioners to desist, and, by making a representation to the king, got STidatta pardoned, and had him brought to his house. And when STidatta reached his house, and saw that minister, he recognised him and fell at his feet, exclaiming, “ What ! is this my uncle Vigatabhaj'a, who long ago went to a foreign country, and do I now by good luck find him established in the position of a minister ?” He too recognised to his astonishment STidatta as his brother’s son, and embraced him, and questioned him about all his adventures. Then STidatta related to his uncle his whole history beginning with the execution of his father. And he, after weeping, said to his nephew in private, “ Do not despond, my son, for I once brought a female Yaksha into subjection by means of magic ; and she gave me, though I have no son, five thousand horses and seventy millions of gold pieces : and all that wealth is at your disposal.” After telling him this, his uncle brought him his beloved, and he, having obtained wealth, married her on the spot. And then he remained there in joy, united with that beloved Mrigankavati as a bed of white lotuses* with the night. But even when his happiness was at its full, anxiety for Bahusalin and his companions clouded his heart, as a spot of darkness does the full moon. Now one day his uncle said secretly to STidatta : “ my son, the king S'urasena has a maiden daughter, and in ac- cordance with his orders I have to take her to the land of Avanti to give her away in marriage ; so I will take her away on that very pretext, and marry her to you. Then, when you have got possession of the force that follows her, with mine already at your disposal, you will soon gain the kingdom that was promised you by the goddess S'ri.” Having resolved on this, and having taken that maiden, STidatta and his uncle set out with their army and their attendants. But as soon as they had reached the Vindhya forest, before they were aware of the danger, a large army of brigands set upon them showering arrows. After routing STidatta’ s force, and seizing all the wealth, they bound STidatta himself, who had fainted from his wounds, and carried him off to their village. And they took him to the awful temple of Durga, in order to offer him up in sacrifice, and, as it were, summoned Death with the sound of their gongs. There Sundari saw him, one of his wives, the daughter of the chief of the village, who had come with her young son to visit the shrine of the goddess. Full of joy she ordered the brigands, who were between her and her husband, to stand aside, and then STidatta entered her palace with her. Immediately Sridatta obtained the sovereignty of that village, which Sundari’s father, having no son, bequeathed to her when he went to heaven. So STidatta recovered his wife and his sword Mriganka, and also his uncle and * The esculent white lotus (Sanskrit Jcmnida) expands its petals at night, and closes them in the daytime. 9 GO his followers, who had been overpowered by the robbers. And, while he was in that town, he married the daughter of S'urasena, and became a great king there. And from that place he sent ambassadors to his two fathers-in-law, to Bimbaki, and king S'urasena. And they, being very fond of their daugh- ters, gladly recognised him as a connection, and came to him accompanied by the whole of their armies. And his friends Bahusalin and the others, who had been separated from him, when they heard what had happened, came to him with their wounds healed and in good health. Then the hero marched, united with his fathers-in-law, and made that Vikrama^akti, who had put his father to death, a burnt-offering in the flame of his wrath. And then S'ridatta, having gained dominion over the sea-encircled earth, and deliverance from the sorrow of sej>aration, joyed in the society of Mrigan- kavati. Even so, my king, do men of firm resolution cross the calamitous sea of separation and obtain prosperity. After hearing this tale from Sangataka, the king Sahasranika, though longing for the sight of his beloved one, managed to get through that night on the journey. Then, engrossed with his desire, sending his thoughts on before, in the morning Sahasranika set out to meet his darling. And in a few days he reached that peaceful hermitage of Jamadagni, in which even the deer laid aside their wantonness. And there he beheld with reverence that Jamadagni, the sight of whom was sanctifying, like the incarnate form of penance, who received him hospitably. And the hermit handed over to him that queen Mrigavati with her son, regained by the king after long separation, like tranquillity accompanied with joy. And that sight which the husband and wife obtained of one another, now that the curse had ceased, rained, as it were, nectar into their eyes, which were filled with tears of joy. And the king embracing that son Udayana, whom he now beheld for the first time, could with difficulty let him go, as he was, so to speak, riveted to his body with his own hairs that stood erect from joy. # Then king Sahasranika took his queen Mrigavati with Udayana, and, bidding adieu to Jamadagni, set out from that tranquil hermitage for his own city, and even the deer followed him as far as the border of the hermitage with tearful eyes. Beguiling the way by listening to the adventures of his beloved' wife during the period of separation, and by relating his own, he at length reached the city of Kausambi, in which triumphal arches were erected and banners displayed. And he entered that city in company with his wife and child, being, so to speak, devouredf by the eyes of the citizens, that had the fringe of their lashes elevated. And immediately the king appointed his son Udayana crown-prince, being incited to it by his excellent qualities. * In Sanskrit poetry horripilation is often said to bo produced by joy. I have here inserted the words “from joy” in order to mako the meaning clear. t Literally drunk in. 67 And he assigned to him as advisers the sons of his own ministers, Vasantaka and Rumanvat and Yaugandharayana. Then a rain of flowers fell, and a celestial voice was heard — “ By the help of these excellent ministers, the prince shall obtain dominion over the whole earth.” Then the king devolved on his son the cares of empire, and enjoyed in the society of Mri- gavati the long-desired pleasures of the world. At last the desire of earthly enjoyment, beholding suddenly that old age, the harbinger of composure had reached the root of the king’s ear, # became enraged and fled far from him. Then that king Sahasranika established in his throne his excellent son Udayana,f whom the subjects loved so well, to ensure the world’s pros- perity, and accompanied by his ministers, and his beloved wife, ascended the Himalaya to prepare for the last great journey. CHAPTER XI. Then Udayana took the kingdom of Yatsa, which his father had be- queathed to him, and, establishing himself in Kausambi, ruled his subjects well. But gradually he began to devolve the cares of empire upon his ministers, Yaugandharayana and others, and gave himself up entirely to pleasures. He was continually engaged in the chase, and day and night he played on the melodious lute which Vasukij; gave him long ago ; and he subdued evermore infuriated wild elephants, overpowered by the fascinating spell of its strings’ dulcet sound, and, taming them, brought them home. That king of Yatsa drank wine adorned by the reflection of the moon-faces of fair women, and at the same time robbed his minister’s faces of their cheerful hue.§ Only one anxiety had he to bear, he kept thinking, “No- where is a wife found equal to me in birth and personal appearance, the maiden named Vasavadatta alone has a liking for me, but how is she to be obtained?” Chandamahasena also in Uj jay ini thought; “There is no suit- able husband to be found for my daughter in the world, except one Udayana by name, and he has ever been my enemy. Then how can I make him my * Alluding to his grey hairs. In all eastern stories the appearance of the first grey hair is a momentous epoch. The point of the whole passage consists in tbe fact that jard , old age, is feminine in form. f There is a pun between the name of the king Udayana and prosperity ( udaya ). J Not Vasuki, hut his eldest brother. § Chhayd means “ colour he drank their colour, i. e., made them pale. It also means “ reflection in the wine.” son-in-law and my. submissive ally ? There is only one device which can effect it. He wanders about alone in the forest capturing elephants, for he is a king addicted to the vice of hunting ; I will make use of this failing of his to entrap him and bring him here by a stratagem : and, as he is acquainted with music, I will make this daughter of mine his pupil, and then his eye will without doubt be charmed with her, and he will certainly became my son-in-law, and my obedient ally. No other artifice seems appli- cable in this case for making him submissive to my will.” Having thus reflected, he went to the temple of Durga, in order that his scheme might be blessed with success, and, after worship and praise, offered a prayer to the goddess. And there he heard a bodiless voice saying, “ This desire of thine, O king, shall shortly be accomplished.” Then he returned satisfied, and deliberated over that very matter with the minister Buddhadatta* saying — “ That prince is elated with pride, he is free from avarice, his sub- jects are attached to him, and he is of great power, therefore he cannot be reached by any of the four usual expedients beginning with negotiation, nevertheless let negotiation be tried first.f Having thus deliberated, the king gave this order to an ambassador, “ Go and give the king of Yatsa this message from me ; ‘ My daughter desires to be thy pupil in music, if thou love us, come here and teach her.’ ” When sent off by the king with this message, the ambassador went and repeated it to the king of Yatsa in Kausambi exactly as it was delivered; and the king of Yatsa, after hearing this uncourteous message from the ambassador, repeated it in private to the minister Yaugandharayana, saying “ Why did that monarch send me that insolent message ? What can be the villain’s object in making such a proposal ?” When the king asked him this question, the great minister Yaugandharayana, who was stern to his master for his good, thus answered him ; “ Your reputation for vice^ has shot up in the earth like a creeper, and this, 0 king, is its biting bitter fruit. For that king Chanda- mahasena, thinking that you are the slave of your passions, intends to ensnare you by means of his beautiful daughter, throw you into prison, and so make you his unresisting instrument. Therefore abandon kingly * i. e ., given by Buddha. f The four Upayas or means of success are sdman, negotiation, which his pride would render futile, dana , giving, which appeals to avarice, bheda , sowing dissension, which would be useless where a king is beloved by his subjects, and danda , open force, of no use in the case of a powerful king like Udayana. + The chief vices of kings denounced by Hindu writers on statecraft are : Hunt, ing, gambling, sleeping in the day, calumny, addiction to women, drinking spirits } dancing, singing, and instrumental music, idlo roaming, these proceed from the love of pleasure, others prococd from anger, viz., tale-bearing, violence, insidious injury, envy> detraction, unjust seizure of property, abuso, assault. {See Monier Williams s. v. vyasana 69 vices, for kings that fall into them are easily captured by their enemies, even as elephants are taken in pits.” When his minister had said this to him, the resolute king of Yatsa sent in return an ambassador to Chanda- mahasena with the following reply, “ If thy daughter desires to become my pupil, then send her here.” When he had sent this reply, that king of Yatsa said to his ministers — “ I will march and bring Chandamahasena here in chains.” When he heard that, the head minister Yaugandharayana said — “ That is not a fitting thing to do, my king, nor is it in thy power to do it. For Chandamahasena is a mighty monarch, and not to be sub- dued by thee. And in proof of this, hear his whole history, which I now proceed to relate to thee.” 0 7 , There is in this land a city named Story oj fcing Chandamahasena . . ^ Ujjayini, the ornament of the earth, that, so to speak, laughs to scorn with its palaces of enamelled white- ness* Amaravati, the city of the gods. In that city dwells S'iva himself, the lord of existence, under the form of Mahakala,f when he desists from the kingly vice of absenting himself on the heights of mount Kailasa. In that city lived a king named Mahendravarman, best of monarchs, and he had a son like himself, named Jayasena. Then to that Jayasena was born a son named Mahasena, matchless in strength of arm, an elephant among monarchs. And that king, while cherishing his realm, reflected, “I have not a sword worthy of me, nor a wife of good family.” Thus reflecting that monarch went to the temple of Durga, and there he remained without food, propitiating for a long time the goddess. Then he cut off pieces of his own flesh, and offered a burnt-offering with them, whereupon the goddess Durga being pleased appeared in visible shape and said to him, “ I am pleased with thee, receive from me this excellent sword, by means of its magic power thou shalt be invincible to all thy enemies. Moreover thou shalt soon obtain as a wife Angaravati, the daugh- ter of the Asura Angaraka, the most beautiful maiden in the three worlds. And since thou didst here perform this very cruel penance, therefore thy name shall be Chandamahasena.” Having said this and given him the sword, the goddess disappeared. But in the king there appeared joy at the fulfilment of his desire. He now possessed, O king, two jewels, his sword and a furious elephant named Nadagiri, which were to him what the thunderbolt and Airavana are to Indra. Then that king, delighting in the power of these two, one day went to a great forest to hunt ; and there he * Sudhddhauta may mean “ white as plaster,” but more probably here “ whitened with piaster” like the bouses in the European quarter of the “ City of palaces.” f A ling a of Siva in Ujjayim. S'iva is here compared to an earthly monarch sub- ject to the vyasana of roaming. I take it, the poet means, Ujjayini is a better place than Kailasa. 70 beheld an enormous and terrible wild boar ; like the darkness of the night suddenly condensed into a solid mass in the day time. That boar was not wounded by the king’s arrows, in spite of their sharpness, but after breaking the king’s chariot* fled and entered a cavern. The king, leaving that car of his, in revengeful pursuit of the boar, entered into that cavern with only his bow to aid him. And after he had gone a long distance, he beheld a great and splendid capital, and astonished he sat down inside the city on the bank of a lake. While there, he beheld a maiden moving along, sur- rounded by hundreds of women, like the arrow of love that cleaves the armour of self-restraint. She slowly approached the king, bathing him, so to speak, again and again in a look, that rained in showers the nectar of love.f She said, “ who art thou, illustrious sir, and for what reason hast thou entered our home on this occasion ?” The king, being thus questioned by her, told her the whole truth ; hearing which, she let fall from her eyes a pas- sionate flood of tears, and from her heart all self-control. The king said, “Who art thou, and why dost thou weep ?” When he asked her this question, she, being a prisoner to love at his will, answered him, “The boar that entered here is the Daitya Angaraka by name. And I am his daughter, 0 king, and my name is Angaravati. And he is of adamantine frame, and has carried off these hundred princesses from the palaces of kings and appointed them to attend on me. Moreover this great Asura has become a Rakshasa owing to a curse, but to-day as he was exhausted with thirst and fatigue, even when he found you, he spared you. At present he has put off the form of a boar and is resting in his own proper shape, but when he wakes up from his sleep, he will without fail do you an injury. It is for this reason that I see no hope of a happy issue for you, and so these tear-drops fall from my eyes like my vital spirits boiled with the fire of grief.” When he heard this speech of Angaravati’s the king said to her, — “ If you love me, do this which I ask you. When your father awakes, go and weep in front of him, and then he will certainly ask you the cause of your agitation ; then you must say — If some one were to slay thee, what would become of me ? J This is the cause of * Dr. Brockhaus translates it — Stiirzte den Wagen des Konigs um. Can Syandana mean horses, like magni currus Achilli ? If so, dhatya would mean, having killed. f Rasa means nectar, and indeed any liquid, and also emotion, passion. The pun is of course most intentional in the original. X Cp. the story of Ohime in the “ Sicilianische Miirchen” collected by Laura von Gonzenbach where Maruzza asks Ohime how it would be possible to kill him. So in Indian Fairy Tales, collected by Miss Stokes, Iliralal Basa persuades Sonahri Rani to ask his father where ho kept his soul. Some interesting remarks on this subject will be found in the notes to this talc (Indian Fairy Tales, p. 260.) See also No. I, in Campbell’s Tales of the Western Highlands, and Dr. Rcinhold Kohler’s remarks in Orient and Occident, Yol. II, p. 100. Cp. also Ralston’s Russian Folk-Tales, pp. 80, 81 and 18G. 71 my grief. If you do this, there will be a happy issue both for you and me.” When the king said this to her, she promised him that she would do what he wished. And that Asura maiden, apprehending misfortune, placed the king in concealment, and went near her sleeping father. Then the Daitya woke up, and she began to weep. And then he said to her, “ Why do you weep, my daughter ?” She with affected grief said to him, “ If some one were to slay thee, what would become of me ?” Then he burst out laughing and said ; — “ Who could possibly slay me, my daughter, for I am cased in adamant all over, only in my left hand is there an unguarded place, but that is protected by the bow.” In these words the Daitya consoled his daughter, and all this was heard by the king in his concealment. Imme- diately afterwards the Danava rose up and took his bath, and proceeded in devout silence to worship the god S'iva ; at that moment the king appeared with his bow bent, and rushing up impetuously towards the Daitya, chal- lenged him to fight. He, without interrupting his devout silence, lifted his left hand towards the king and made a sign that he must wait for a moment. The king for his part, being very quick of hand, immediately smote him. with an arrow in that hand which was his vital part. And that great Asura Angaraka, being pierced in a vital spot, immediately uttered a terrible cry and fell on the ground, and exclaimed, as his life departed, — “ If that man, who has slain me when thirsty, does not offer water to my manes every year, then his five ministers shall perish.” After he had said this, that Daitya died, and the king, taking his daughter Angaravati as a prize, returned to Ujjayini. There the king Chandamahasena married that Daitya maiden, and two sons were born to him, the first named Gopalaka, and the second Palaka ; and when they were born, he held a feast in honour of Indra on their account. Then Indra, being pleased, said to that king in a dream, “ By my favour thou shalt obtain a matchless daughter.” Then in course of time a graceful daughter was born to that king, like a second and more wonderful shape of the moon made by the Creator. And on that occasion a voice was heard from heaven ; — “ She shall give birth to a son, who shall be a very incarnation of the god of love, and king of the Vidyadharas.” Then the king gave that daughter the name of Vasava- datta, because she was given by Indra being pleased with him. And that maiden still remains unmarried in the house of her father, like the goddess of prosperity in the hollow cavity of the ocean before it was churned. That king Chandamahasena cannot indeed be conquered by you, 0 king, in the first place because he is so powerful, and in the next place because his realm is situated in a difficult country. Moreover he is ever longing to give you that daughter of his in marriage, but being a proud monarch, he desires the triumph of himself and his adherents. But, I think, you must certainly marry that Vasavadatta. When he heard this, that king of Vatsa imme- diately lost his heart to Vasavadatta. 72 CHAPTER XII. In the meanwhile the ambassador, sent by the king of Vatsa in answer to Chandamahasena’s embassy, went and told that monarch his master’s reply. Chandamahasena for his part, on hearing it, began to reflect — “ It is certain that that proud king of Vatsa will not come here. And I can- not send my daughter to his court, such conduct would be unbecoming ; so I must capture him by some stratagem and bring him here as a prisoner.’ ’ Having thus reflected and deliberated with his ministers, the king had made a large artificial elephant like his own, and, after filling it with con- cealed warriors, he placed it in the Vindhya forest. There the scouts kept in his pay by the king of Vatsa, who was passionately fond of the sport of elephant-catching, discerned it from a distance and they came with speed and informed the king of Vatsa in these words : “ 0 king, we have seen a single elephant roaming in the Vindhya forest, such that nowhere else in this wide world is his equal to be found, filling the sky with his stature, like a moving peak of the Vindhya range.” Then the king rejoiced on hearing this report from the scouts, and he gave them a hundred thousand gold pieces by way of reward. The king spent that night in thinking ; “If I obtain that mighty elephant, a fit match for Nadagiri, then that Chandamahasena will certainly be in my power, and then he will of his own accord give me his daughter Vasavadatta.” So in the morning he started for the Vindhya forest, making these scouts shew him the way, disregarding, in his ardent desire to capture the elephant, the advice of his ministers He did not pay any attention to the fact, that the astrologers said, that the position of the heavenly bodies at the moment of his departure portended the acquisition of a maiden together with im- prisonment. When the king of Vatsa reached the Vindhya forest, he made his troops halt at a distance through fear of alarming that elephant, - and accompanied by the scouts only, holding in his hand his melodious lute, he entered that great forest boundless as his own kingly vice. The king saw on the southern slope of ihe Vindhya range that elephant looking like a real one, pointed out to him by his scouts from a distance. He slowly approached it, alone, playing on his lute, thinking how he should bind it, and singing in melodious tones. As his mind was fixed on his * They would not go noar for fear of disturbing it. Wild elephants are timid, so there is more probability in this story, than in that of the Trojan horse. Even now scouts who mark down a wild beast in India, almost lose their heads with excitement. music, and the shades of evening were setting in, that king did not per- ceive that the supposed wild elephant was an artificial one. The elephant too for its part, lifting up its ears and flapping them, as if through delight in the music, kept advancing and then retiring, and so drew the king to a great distance. And then, suddenly issuing from that artificial elephant, a body of soldiers in full armour surrounded that king of Yatsa. When he beheld them, the king in a rage drew his hunting knife, but while he was fighting with those in front of him, he was seized by others coming up behind. And those warriors with the help of others, who appeared at a concerted signal, carried that king of Yatsa into the presence of Chanda- mahasena. Chandamahasena for his part came out to meet him with the utmost respect, and entered with him the city of Ujjayini. Then the newly arrived king of Yatsa was beheld by the citizens, like the moon, pleasing to the eyes, though spotted with humiliation. Then all the citizens, suspect- ing that he was to be put to death, through regard for his virtues assembled and determined to commit suicide. Then the king Chandamahasena put a stop to the agitation of the citizens, by informing them that he did not intend to put the monarch of Yatsa to death-, but to win him over. So the king made over his daughter Yasavadatta on the spot to the king of Yatsa, to be taught music, and said to him — “ Prince, teach this lady music ; in this way you will obtain a happy issue to your adventure, do not despond.” But when he beheld that fair lady, the mind of the king of Yatsa was so steeped in love that he put out of sight his anger : and her heart and mind turned towards him together ; her eye was then averted through modesty, but her mind not at all. So the king of Yatsa dwelt in the concert-room of Chandamahasena’s palace, teaching Vasavadatta to sing, with his eyes ever fixed on her. In his lap was his lute, in his throat the quarter- tone of vocal music, and in front of him stood Yasavadatta delighting his heart. And that princess Yasavadatta was devoted in her attentions to him, re- sembling the goddess of Fortune in that she was firmly attached to him, and did not leave him though he was a captive. In the meanwhile the men who had accompanied the king returned to Kausambi, and the country, hearing of the captivity of the monarch, was thrown into a state of great excitement. Then the enraged subjects, out of love for the king of Yatsa, wanted to make- a generalf assault on Ujjayini. But Rumanvat checked the impetuous fury of the subjects by telling them that Chandamahasena was not to be overcome by force, for he was a mighty monarch, and besides that an assault was not advisable, for it might en- danger the safety of the king of Yatsa ; but their object must be attained by policy. Then the calm and resolute Yaugandharayana, seeing that the * I. e., they sat in Dharna outside the door of the palace. f Perhaps we should read samantaiah , one word. 10 7t country was loyal, and would not swerve from its allegiance, said to Human vat and the others; “All of you must remain here, ever on the alert ; you must guard this country, and when a fit occasion comes you must display your prowess ; but I will go accompanied by Vasantaka only, and will without fail accomplish by my wisdom the deliverance of the king and bring him home. For he is a truly firm and resolute man whose wis- dom shines forth in adversity, as the lightning flash is especially brilliant during pelting rain. I know spells for breaking through walls, and for rending fetters, and receipts for becoming invisible, serviceable at need.” Having said this, and entrusted to Kumanvat the care of the subjects, Yaugandharayana set out from Kausambi with Vasantaka. And with him he entered the Vindhya forest, full of life* like his wisdom, intricate and trackless as his policy. Then he visited the palace of the king of the Pulindas, Pulindaka by name, who dwelt on a peak of the Vindhya range, and was an ally of the king of Vatsa. He first placed him, with a large force at his heels, in readiness to protect the king of Vatsa when he return- ed that way, and then he went on accompanied by Vasantaka and at last arrived at the burning-ground of Mahakala in Ujjayini, which was densely tenanted by vampiresf that smelt of carrion, and hovered hither and thither, black as night, rivalling the smoke-wreaths of the funeral pyres. And there a Brahman- Kakshasa of the name of Yogesvara immediately came up to him, delighted to see him, and admitted him into his friendship ; then Yaugandharayana by means of a charm, which he taught him, suddenly altered his shape. That charm immediately made him deformed, hunch- backed, and old, and besides gave him the appearance of a madman, so that he produced loud laughter in those who beheld him. And in the same way Yaugandharayana, by means of that very charm, gave Vasantaka a body full of outstanding veins, with a large stomach, and an ugly mouth with projecting teeth ; then he sent Vasantaka on in front to the gate of the king’s palace, and entered Ujjayini with such an appearance as I have de- scribed. There he, singing and dancing, surrounded by Brahman boys, beheld with curiosity by all, made his way to the king’s palace. And there he excited by that behaviour the curiosity of the king’s wives, and was at * Sattva, when applied to the forest,- means animal, when applied to wisdom, it means excellence. f Vetdla is especially used of a goblin that tenants dead bodies. See Colonel R. Burton’s Tales of Vikramaditya and the Vampire. They will he found in the 12th hook of this work. In the Vth Chapter of Ralston’s Russian Folk-Tales will he found much interesting information with regard to the Slavonic superstitions about Vampires. They resemble very closoly those of the Hindus. See especially p. 311. “At cross- roads, or in the neighbourhood of cemeteries, an animated corpse of this description often lurks, watching for some unwary traveller whom it may bo able to slay and cat.” 75 last heard o£ by Yasavadatta. She quickly sent a maid and had him brought to the concert-room. For youth is twin-brother to mirth. And when Yaugandharayana came there and beheld the king of Yatsa in fetters, though he had assumed the appearance of a madman, he could not help shedding tears. And he made a sign to the king of Yatsa, who quickly recognized him, though he had come in disguise. Then Yaugandharayana by means of his magic power made himself invisible to Yasavadatta and her maids. So the king alone saw him, and they all said with astonish- ment, “ that maniac has suddenly escaped somewhere or other.” Then the king of Yatsa hearing them say that, and seeing Yaugandharayana in front of him, understood that this was due to magic, and cunningly said to Yasavadatta ; “ Go my good girl, and bring the requisites for the worship of Sarasvati.” When she heard that, she said, “So I will,” and went out with her companions. Then Yaugandharayana approached the king and communicated to him, according to the prescribed form, spells for breaking chains ; and at the same time he furnished him with other charms for winning the heart of Yasavadatta, which were attached to the strings of the lute ; and informed him that Yasantaka had come there and was stand- ing outside the door in a changed form, and recommended him to have that Brahman summoned to him ; at the same time he said — “ When this lady Yasavadatta shall come to repose confidence in you, then you must do what I tell you, at the present remain quiet.” Having said this, Yaugandhara- yana quickly went out, and immediately Yasavadatta entered with the requisites for the worship of Sarasvati. Then the king said to her, “ There is a Brahman standing outside the door, let him be brought in to celebrate this ceremony in honour of Sarasvati, in order that he may obtain a sacrificial fee.” Yasavadatta consented, and had Yasantaka, who wore a deformed shape< summoned from the door into the music-hall. And when he was brought and saw the king of Yatsa, he wept for sorrow, and then the king said to him, in order that the secret might not be discovered, there is the shrine of a powerful Yaksha named Manibhadra, established by our ancestors. The people there come and make petitions at this shrine, offering various gifts, in order to obtain various blessings. Whenever a man is found at night with another man’s wife, he is placed with her within the inner chamber of the Yaksha’s temple. And in the morning he is taken away from thence with the woman to the king’s court, and his behaviour being made known, he is punished ; such is the custom. Once on a time in that city a merchant, of the name of Samudradatta, was found by a city-guard in the company of another man’s wife. So he took him and placed him with the woman in that temple of the Yaksha, fastening the door firmly. And immediately the wise and devoted wife of that merchant, whose name was S'aktimati, came to hear of the occurrence ; then that resolute woman, disguising her- self, went confidently at night to the temple of the Yaksha, accompanied by her friends, taking with her offerings for the god. When she arrived there, the priest whose business it was to eat the offerings, through desire for a fee, opened the door and let her enter, informing the magistrate of what he had done. And she, when she got inside, saw her husband looking sheepish, with a woman, and she made the woman put on her own dress, and told her to go out. So that woman went out in her dress by night, and got off, but S'aktimati remained in the temple with her husband. And when the king’s officers came in the morning to examine the merchant, he was seen by all to be in the company of his own wife. # When he heard * A precisely similar story occurs in the Bahar Danish. The turn of the chief incident, although not the same, is similar to that of Nov VII, Part 4 of Bandello’s No- velle, or the Accorto Avvedimento di una Fantesca a liberare la padrona e V innamorato 92 that, the king dismissed the merchant from the temple of the Yaksha, as it were from the mouth of death, and punished the chief magistrate. So Saktimati in old time delivered her husband by he? wisdom, and in the same way I will go and save my husband by my discretion. So the wise Devasmita said in secret to her mother-in-law, and, in com- pany with her maids, she put on the dress of a merchant. Then she embark- ed on a ship, on the pretence of a mercantile expedition, and came to the country of Kataha where her husband was. And when she arrived there, she saw that husband of hers, Guhasena, in the midst of a circle of mer- chants, like consolation in external bodily form. He seeing her afar off in the dress of a man,* as it were, drank her in with his eyes, and thought to himself, “ Who may this merchant be that looks so like my beloved wife”? So Devasmita went and represented to the king that she had a petition to make, and asked him to assemble all his subjects. Then the king full of curiosity assembled all the citizens, and said to that lady disguised as a merchant, “What is your petition ?” Then Devasmita said — There are resid- ing here in your midst four slaves of mine who have escaped, let the king make them over to me. Then the king said to her, “ All the citizens are present here, so look at every one in order to recognise him, and take those slaves of yours.” Then she seized upon the four young merchants, whom she had before treated in such a humiliating way in her house, and who had wrappers bound round their heads. Then the merchants, who were there, flew in a passion, and said to her, “ These are the sons of distinguished merchants, how then can they be your slaves ?” Then she answered them, “ If you do not believe what I say, examine their foreheads which I marked with a dog’s foot.” They consented, and removing the head-wrappers of these four, they all beheld the dog’s foot on their foreheads. Then all the merchants were abashed, and the king, being astonished, himself asked Dev- asmita what all this meant. She told the whole story, and all the people burst out laughing, and the king said to the lady, — “ They are your slaves by the best of titles.” Then the other merchants paid a large sum of money to that chaste wife, to redeem those four from slavery, and a fine to the king’s treasury. Devasmita received that money, and recovered her husband, and being honoured by all good men, returned then to her own city Tamralipta, and she was never afterwards separated from her beloved. “ Thus, 0 queen, women of good family ever worship their husbands with chaste and resolute behaviour, f and never think of any other man, for di quella dc la morte. (Wilson’s Essays, Yol. I, p. 224.) Cp. also the Mongolian version of the story in Sagas from the Far East, p. 320. * Cp. tho story of the Chest in Campbell's Stories from the Western Highlands. It is the first story in tho 2nd volume and contains one or two incidents which remind us of this story. f I read mahtikulodyatdh . 93 to virtuous wives the husband is the highest deity.” When V&savadatta on the journey heard this noble story from the mouth of Vasantaka, she got over the feeling of shame at having recently left her father’s house, and her mind, which was previously attached by strong affection to her hus- band, became so fixed upon him as to be entirely devoted to his service. Note on Chapter XIII. With regard to the incident of the bitch and the pepper in the story of Devasmita see the note in the 1st volume of Wilson’s Essays on Sanskrit Literature. He says : “ This incident with a very different and much less moral denouement is one of the stories in the Disciplina Clericalis, a collection of stories professedly derived from the Arabian fabulists and compiled by Petrus Alfonsus a converted Jew, who flourished about 1106 and was godson to Alfonso I, king of Arragon. In the Analysis prepared by Mr. Douce, this story is the 12th, and is entitled “ Stratagem of an old woman in favour of a young gallant.” She persuades his mistress who had rejected his addresses that her little dog was formerly a woman, and so transformed in consequence of her cruelty to her lover. (Ellis’s Metrical Romances, I, 130.) This story was introduced into Europe, therefore, much about the time at which it was enrolled among the contents of the Vrihat Katha in Cashmir. The metempsychosis is so much more obvious an ex- planation of the change of forms, that it renders it probable the story was originally Hindu. It was soon copied in Europe, and occurs in Le Grand as La vieille qui seduisit lajeune Jille. III. 118 [ed. III. Yol. IY. 50]. The parallel is very close and the old woman gives “ une chienne a manger des choses fortement saupoudrees de seneve qui lui pico - tait le palais et les narines et V animal larmoyait beaucoup .” She then shows her to the young woman and tells her the bitch was her daughter. “ Son malheur fut d' avoir le coiur dur ; unjeune homme Vaimait , elle le rebuta. Le malheureux apres avoir tout tente pour V attendrir , desespere de sa durete en prit tant de chagrin qu'il tomba malade et mourut. Dieu Va bien venge ; voyez en quel etat pour la punir il a reduit ma pauvre JUle, et comment elle pleure safaute.” The lesson was not thrown away. The story occurs also in the Gesta Romanorum as “The Old Woman and her Dog” [in Bohn’s edition it is Tale XXVIII], and it also finds a place where we should little have expected to find it, in the Promptuarium of John Herolt of Basil, an ample repository of examples for com- posing sermons : the compiler a Dominican friar, professing to imitate his patron saint, who always abundabat exemplis in his discourses.” [In Bohn’s edition we are told that it appears in an English garb amongst a translation of M sop’s Fables published in 1658.] Dr. Rost refers us to Th. Wright, Latin Stories, London, 1842, p. 218. Loiseleur Deslongchamps Essai sur les Fables Indiennes, Paris, 1838, p. 106 ff. F. H. Von der Hagen, Gesammtabenteuer 1850 I, cxii. ff and Grasse, 1. 1, 374 ff. CHAPTER XIV. Accordingly while the king of Vatsa was remaining in that Vindhya forest, the warder of king Chandamahasena came to him. And when he arrived, he did obeisance to the king and spoke as follows: The king Chanda- mahasena sends you this message. You did rightly in carrying off Vasava- datta yourself, for I had brought you to my court with this very object ; and the reason I did not myself give her to you, while you were a prisoner, was, that I feared, if I did so, you might not be well disposed towards me. Now, 0 king, I ask you to wait a little, in order that the marriage of my daughter may not be performed without due ceremonies. For my son Gopalaka will soon arrive in your court, and he will celebrate with appro- priate ceremonies the marriage of that sister of his. This message the warder brought to the king of Vatsa, and said various things to Vasava- datta. Then the king of Vatsa, being pleased, determined on going to Kausambi with Vasavadatta, who was also in high spirits. He told his ally Pulindaka, and that warder in the service of his father-in-law to await, where they were, the arrival of Gopalaka, and then to come with him to Kausambi. Then the great king set out early the next day for his own city with the queen Vasavadatta, followed by huge elephants raining streams of ichor, that seemed like moving peaks of the Vindhya range accompanying him out of affection ; he was, as it were, praised by the earth, that outdid the compositions of his minstrels, while it rang with the hoofs of his horses and the tramplings of his soldiers ; and by means of the tower- ing clouds of dust from his army, that ascended to heaven, he made Indra fear that the mountains were sporting with unshorn wings.* Then the king reached his country in two or three days, and rested one night in a palace belonging to Rumanvat ; and on the next day, accompanied by his beloved, he enjoyed after a long absence the great delight of entering Kausambi, the people of which were eagerly looking with uplifted faces for his approach. And then that city was resplendent as a wife, her lord having returned after a long absence, beginning her adornment and auspi- cious bathing vicariously by means of her women ; and there the citizens, their sorrow now at an end, beheld the king of Vatsa accompanied by his bride, as peacocks behold a cloud accompanied by lightning ;f and the wives of the citizens standing on the tops of the palaces, filled the heaven with their * Alluding to Indra’s having cut the wings of the mountains. t The peafowl are delighted at tho approach of the rainy soason, when “ their sor- row” comes to an end. faces, that had the appearance of golden lotuses blooming in the heavenly Ganges. Then the king of Yatsa entered his royal palace with Vasava- datta, who seemed likfe a second goddess of royal fortune ; and that palace then shone as if it had just awaked from sleep, full of kings who had come to shew their devotion, festive with songs of minstrels.* * * § Not long after came Gopalaka the brother of Vasavadatta, bringing with him the warder and Pulindaka ; the king went to meet him, and Vasavadatta received him with her eyes expanded with delight, as if he were a second spirit of joy. While she was looking at this brother, a tear dimmed her eyes lest she should be ashamed ; and then she, being encouraged by him with the words of her father’s message, considered that her object in life was attained, now that she was reunited to her own relations. Then, on the next day, Gopalaka, with the utmost eagerness, set about the high festival of her marriage with the king of Yatsa, carefully observing all prescribed ceremonies. Then the king of Vatsa received the hand of Vasavadatta, like a beautiful shoot lately budded on the creeper of love. She too, with her eyes closed through the great joy of touching her beloved’s hand, having her limbs bathed in perspiration accompanied with trembling, covered all over with extreme horripilation, appeared at that moment as if struck by the god of the flowery bow with the arrow of bewilderment, the weapon of wind, and the water weapon in quick succession ;f when she walked round the fire keeping it to the right, her eyes being red with the smoke, she had her first taste, so to speak, of the sweetness of wine and honey. % Then by means of the jewels brought by Gopalaka, and the gifts of the kings, the monarch of Yatsa became a real king of kings. § That bride and bridegroom, after their marriage had been celebrated, first exhibited themselves to the eyes of the people, and then entered their private apartments. Then the king of Yatsa, on the day so auspicious to himself invested Gopalaka and Pulindaka with turbans of honour and other distinctions, and he commis- sioned Yaugandharayana and Rumanvat to confer appropriate distinctions on the kings who had come to visit him, and on the citizens. Then Yaugan- dharayana said to Rumanvat ; “ The king has given us a difficult commission, for men’s feelings are hard to discover. And even a child will certainly do mischief if not pleased ; to illustrate this point listen to the tale of the child Vinashtaka, my friend.” * It is often tlie duty of these minstrels to wake the king’ with their songs, f Weapons well known in Hindu mythology. See the 6th act of the Uttara Rama Charita. J Sutrapdtam aJcarot she tested, so to speak. Cp. Taranga 24. SI. 93. The fact is, the smoke made her eyes as red as if she had been drinking. § Or “ like Kuvera.” There is a pun here. Story of the clever deformed child. Once on a time there was a cer- tain Brahman named Rudraiarman, and he, when lie became a householder, had two wives, and one of his wives gave birth to a son and died ; and then the Brahman entrusted that son to the care of bis step-mother ; and when he grew to a tolerable stature, she gave him coarse food ; the consequence was, the boy became pale, and got a swollen stomach. Then Rudrasarman said to that second wife, “ How comes it that you have neglected this child of mine that has lost its mother ?” She said to her husband, “ Though I take affectionate care of him, he is never- theless the strange object you see ; what am I to do with him ?” Where- upon the Brahman thought, “No doubt it is the child’s nature to be liko this.” For who sees through the deceitfulness of the speeches of women ut- tered with affected simplicity ? Then that child began to go by the name of Balavinashtaka* in his father’s house, because they said this child (bctla) is deformed (vinashta.) Then Balavinashtaka thought to himself — “ This step-mother of mine is always ill-treating me, therefore I had better be revenged on her in some way” — for though the boy was only a little more than five years old, he was clever enough. Then he said secretly to his father when he returned from the king’s court, with half suppressed voice — “ Papa, I have two Papas.” So the boy said every day, and his father suspecting that his wife had a paramour, would not even touch her. She for her part thought — “ Why is my husband angry without my being guilty ; I wonder whether Balavinashtaka has been at any tricks ?” So she washed Balavi- nashtaka with careful kindness, and gave him dainty food, and taking him on her lap, asked him the following question: “My son why have you incensed your father Rudrasarman against me ?” When he heard that, the boy said to his step-mother, “ I will do more harm to you than that, if you do not immediately cease ill-treating me. You take good care of your own children ; why do you perpetually torment me ?” When she heard that, she bowed before him, and said with a solemn oath, “ I will not do so any more ; so reconcile my husband to me.” Then the child said to her — “Well, when my father comes home, let one of your maids shew him a mirror, and leave the rest to me.” She said, “Very' well,” and by her orders a maid shewed a mirror to her husband as soon as he returned home. Thereupon the child pointing out the reflection of his father in the mirror, said, “ There is my second father.” When he heard that, Rudrasarman dismissed his suspicions and was immediately reconciled to his wife, whom he had blamed without cause. “ Thus even a child may do mischief if it is annoyed, and therefore we must carefully conciliate all this retinue.” Saying this, Yaugandharayana with the help of Rumanvat, carefully honoured all the people on this the * Young Doformed. 97 king of Vatsa’s great day of rejoicing. And they gratified all the kings so successfully that each one of them thought, “ These two men are devoted to me alone.” And the king honoured those two ministers and Vasanbaka with garments, unguents, and ornaments bestowed with his own band, and he also gave them grants of villages. Then the king of Vatsa, having cele- brated the great festival of his marriage, considered all his wishes gratified, now that he was linked to Vasavadatta. Their mutual love, having blos- somed after a long time of expectation, was so great, owing to the strength of their passion, that their hearts continually resembled those of the sorrow- ing Chakravakas, when the night, during which they are separated, comes to- an end. And as the familiarity of the couple increased, their love seemed to be ever renewed. Then Gopalaka, being ordered by his father to return to get married himself, went away, after having been entreated by the king of Vatsa to return quickly. In course of time the king of -Vatsa became faithless, and secretly loved an attendant of the harem named Virachita, with whom he had previously had an intrigue. One day he made a mistake and addressed the queen by her name, thereupon he had to conciliate her by clinging' to her feet, and bathed in her tears he was anointed* a fortunate king. Moreover he mar- ried a princess of the name of Bandhumati, whom Gopalaka had captured by the might of his arm, and sent as a present to the queen ; and whom she concealed, changing her name to Manjulika; who seemed like another Lakshmi issuing from the sea of beauty. Her the king saw, when he was in the company of Vasantaka, and secretly married her by the Gandharva ceremony in a summer-house. And that proceeding of his was beheld by Vasavadatta, who was in concealment, and she was angry, and had Vasantaka put in fetters. Then the king had recourse to the good offices of a female ascetic, a friend of the queen’s, who had come with her from her father’s court, of the name of Sankrityanani. She appeased the queen’s anger, and got Bandhumati presented to the king by the obedient queen, for tender is the heart of virtuous wives. Then the queen released Vasantaka from imprisonment ; he came into the presence of the queen and said to her with a laugh, “ Bandhumati did you an injury, but what did I do to you ? You are angry with addersf and you kill water- snakes.” Then#the queen, out of curiosity, asked him to explain that metaphor, and he continued as follows: „ „ _ Once on a time a hermit’s son Story of Ruru. or the name or Kuru, wandering about at will, saw a maiden of wonderful beauty, the daughter of a heavenly nymph named Menaka by a Vidyadhara, and brought up by a hermit of * It, must be remembered that a king among the Hindus was inaugurated with water, not oil. f The word “ adders" must here do duty for all venomous kinds of serpents. 13 OS the name of Sthulakesa in his hermitage. That lady, whose name was Prishadvara, so captivated the mind of that Ruru when he saw her, that he went and begged the hermit to give him to her in marriage. Sthulakesa for his part betrothed the maiden to him, and when the wedding was nigh at hand, suddenly an adder bit her. Then the heart of Ruru was full of despair, but he heard this voice in the heaven — “ 0 Brahman raisetolife with the gift of half thy own life,* this maiden, whose allotted term is at an end.” When he heard that, Ruru gave her the half of his own life, as he had been directed ; by means of that she revived, and Ruru married her. Thence- forward he was incensed with the whole race of serpents, and whenever he saw a serpent he killed it, thinking to himself as he killed each one — “This may have bitten my wife.” One day a water snake said to him with human voice, as he was about to slay it, “You are incensed against adders, Brahman, but why do you slay water-snakes ? An adder bit your wife, and adders are a distinct species from water-snakes ; all adders are venomous, water-snakes are not venomous.” When he heard that, he said in answer to the water- snake, — “My friend, who are you?” The water-snake said, “Brahman, I am a hermit fallen from my high estate by a curse, and this curse was appointed to last till I held converse with you.” When he had said this he disappear- ed, and after that Ruru did not kill water-snakes. So I said this to you metaphorically, “ My queen, you are angry with adders and you kill water- snakes.” When he had uttered this speech, full of pleasing wit, Yasantaka ceased, and Vasavadatta sitting at the side of her husband was pleased with him. Such soft and sweet tales in which Yasantaka displayed various in- genuity, did the loving Udayana, king of Yatsa, continually make use of to conciliate his angry wife, while he sat at her feet. That happy king’s tongue was ever exclusively employed in tasting the flavour of wine, and his ear was ever delighting in the sweet sounds of the lute, and his eye was ever riveted on the face of his beloved. Note to Chapter XIV. The practice of walking round an object of reverence with the right hand towards it, which is one of the ceremonies mentioned in our author’s account of Vasavadatta’s marriage, has been exhaustively discussed by Dr. Samuel Fergusson in his paper— “ On the Ceremonial turn called Desiul,” published in the Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy for March 1877. (Vol. I. Ser. II. No. 12.) He shews it to have existed among the ancient Romans as well as the Celts. One of the most striking of his quota- tions is from the Curculio of Plautus (1.1.69.) Phsedromus says — Quo me vortarn nescio. Palinurus jestingly replies — Si deos snlutas dextrovorsum censeo. Cp. also the following passage of Valerius Flaccus (Argon VIII. 243). * A similar story is found in the IVth hook of the Panchatantra, Fable 5, where Benfoy compares tho story of Yayati and his son Puru. Ben fey .Panchatantra I. 436. 99 hide ubi sacrificas cum conjuge venit ad aras AEsonides , unague adeunt pariterque precari Incipiunt. Ignem Pollux undamque jug ale m Prcetulit ut dextrum pariter vertantur in orbem. The above passage forms a striking comment upon our text. Cp. also Plutarch in this life of Camillus T avra einbi/, Ka.Qh.nep i