The Katha Sarit Sagara or Ocean of the Streams of Story Part 107

[192] Or Kamalakara.

[193] It may also mean a host of Brahmans or many birds and bees. It is an elaborate pun.

[194] Another pun! It may mean "by obtaining good fortune in the form of wealth."

[195] For vatayanoddesat the Sanskrit College MS. reads chayatanoddesat; perhaps it means "entering to visit the temple."

[196] Cp. Die Gansemagd, Grimm's Kinder- und Hausmarchen, No. 89. See also Indian Fairy Tales, by Miss Stokes, No. 1; and Bernhard Schmidt's Griechische Marchen, p. 100. In the 1st Tale of Basile's Pentamerone, Liebrecht's translation, a Moorish slave-girl supplants the princess Zoza. See also the 49th tale of the same collection. In Gonzenbach's Sicilianische Marchen, Nos. 33 and 34, we have tales of "A subst.i.tuted Bride;" see Dr. Kohler's notes.

[197] i. e., Vishnu.

[198] The sword seems to be essential in these rites: compare the VIth book of the aethiopica of Heliodorus, where the witch Cybele raises her son to life, in order that he may prophesy; see also the story of Kalaratri, Chapter 20 of this work.

[199] The debased form of Buddhism found throughout this work is no doubt the Tantra system introduced by Asanga in the sixth century of our era (Rhys Davids' Manual of Buddhism, pp. 207, 208, 209.) To borrow Dr. Rajendralala Mitra's words, who is speaking of even worse corruptions, (Introduction to the Lalita Vistara, p. 12) it is a wonder "that a system of religion so pure and lofty in its aspirations as Buddhism could be made to ally itself with such pestilent dogmas and practices." The whole incantation closely resembles similar practices in the West. See Brand's Popular Antiquities, Vol. III, pp. 56 and ff. especially the extract from Mason's Anatomie of Sorcerie, 1612, p. 86--"Inchanters and charmers, they which by using of certaine conceited words, characters, circles, amulets, and such like wicked trumpery (by G.o.d's permission) doo worke great marvailes: as namely in causing of sicknesse, as also in curing diseases in men's bodies.

[200] Here there is a pun, as Kamalakara means a bed of lotuses, the word paksha meaning wing and also "side." She was of good lineage by her father's and mother's side. Manorathasiddhi means "the attainment of desire."

[201] Compare the Soldier's Midnight Watch in Ralston's Russian Folk-Tales, p. 274.

[202] In the Golden a.s.s of Apuleius, Pamphile turns herself into an owl; when Apuleius asks to be turned into an owl, in order to follow her, Fotis turns him by mistake into an a.s.s. See also the a.s.s of Lucian. The story of Circe will occur to every one in connection with these transformations. See also Baring Gould's Myths of the Middle Ages, 1st Series, p. 143.

[203] I read pratah for prayah.

[204] This city is identified by General Cunningham with Adikot near Ramnagar in Rohilcund. (Ancient Geography of India, p. 359 and ff.)

[205] The male and female of this bird are represented by Hindu poets as separated at night.

[206] The sword may be compared with that of Chandamahasena in the eleventh chapter, and with Morglay, Excalibur, Durandal, Gram, Balmung, Chrysaor &c. (See Sir G. c.o.x's Mythology of the Aryan nations, Vol. I, p. 308.) The same author has some remarks upon Pegasus and other magic horses in his IInd Vol. p. 287 and ff. See also Ralston's Russian Folk-Tales, p. 256 and ff.

[207] Excessive rain, drought, rats, locusts, birds, and foreign invasion.

[208] I have before referred to Ralston's remarks on snakes in his Russian Folk-Tales, p. 65. Melusina is a clear instance of a snake-maiden in European Folk-lore. See her story in Simrock's Deutsche Volksbucher, Vol. VI. There is a similar marriage in Prym und Socin, Syrische Marchen, p. 246.

[209] Compare the commencement of the story of the Blind Man and the Cripple in Ralston's Russian Folk-Tales, and Waldau's Bohmische Marchen, p. 445. This tale appears to belong to the Atalanta cycle.

[210] The pa.s.sage is full of puns, which it is impossible to translate: the "ornaments" may be rhetorical ornaments, there is also a reference to the gunas of rhetorical writers. "Sweetly-tinkling" might mean "elegant words." Gunakrishta in sloka 76 b, may also mean that the princess was attracted by the good qualities of her opponent.

[211] Dr. Kern conjectures udaghatayat, which is as far as I can make out, the reading of the Sanskrit College MS.

[212] There is probably a pun here. It may mean that his joints and body were relaxed by old age.

[213] This seems to be the meaning of manava here. See Bohtlingk and Roth s. v.

[214] The word also means "dust."

[215] Or "by great sorrow."

[216] Mara, the G.o.d of Love, is the Buddhist devil.

[217] The k.u.muda remains with its petals closed during the day.

[218] I follow the Sanskrit College MS. reading dhritya.

[219] A being recording the vices and virtues of mankind in Yama's world. Kuhn, in his Westfalische Sagen, p. 71, speaks of "a devil who records the evil deeds of men." Bohtlingk and Roth say that utpunsayati in sl. 323 should be utpansayati.

[220] Compare the story in Waldau's Bohmische Marchen, p. 242, Gut da.s.s es den Tod auf Erden gibt!

[221] Cp. the speech of Chi, the scribe of the realms below, in Giles's Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio, p. 366.

[222] I subst.i.tute Bauddham for bodhum.

[223] I follow the Sanskrit College MS. which reads lopatah for lobhatah.

[224] This idea is found in the story of Jimutavahana in the 21st Taranga of this work, where see note. Cp. also "Das Wa.s.ser des Lebens,"

Grimm. 97, and the notes in his 3rd volume. See also note on page 499 of Vol. I; and Herrtage's edition of the English Gesta, page 344.

[225] I read ullaghayan, which is found in the Sanskrit College MS.

[226] I read with the MS. in the Sanskrit College bhuktottaram.

[227] It also means "the virtues of good or learned men."

[228] It also means "without wealth;" vritta also means "metre."

[229] i.e. female Yaksha.

[230] The notion which Lucretius ridicules in his famous lines, (Book III, 776 and ff,)

Denique conubia ad Veneris partusque ferarum Esse animas praesto deridiculum esse videtur, Expectare immortales mortalia membra &c.

would, it is clear, present no difficulty to the mind of a Hindu. Nor would he be much influenced by the argument in lines 670-674 of the same book,

Praeterea si immortalis natura animai Constat, et in corpus nascentibus insinuetur, Cur super anteactam aetatem meminisse nequimus, Nec vestigia gestarum rerum ulla tenemus?

[231] i.e. vision of the G.o.ddess of Fortune: something like Fortunatus.

[232] I read bahu and vidhvastata: kim tad in sl. 78 should probably be tat kim.

[233] In the original there is a most elaborate pun: "free from calamity" may mean also "impolitic" or "lawless."

[234] A name of Siva.

[235] My native friends tell me that the hand is waved round the head, and the fingers are snapped four or ten times.

[236] Possibly this story is the same as that of Tannhauser, for which see Baring-Gould's Curious Myths of the Middle Ages, pp. 196-208. He remarks that the story of Tannhauser is a very ancient myth christianized.