The Katha Sarit Sagara or Ocean of the Streams of Story Part 5

The above pa.s.sage forms a striking comment upon our text. Cp. also Plutarch in this life of Camillus Tauta eipon, kathaper esti Romaiois ethos, epeuxamenois kai proskynesasin, epi dexia exelittein, esphale peristrephomenos. It is possible that the following pa.s.sage in Lucretius alludes to the same practice--

Nec pietas ulla est velatum saepe videri Vertier ad lapidem atque omnes accedere ad aras.

Dr. Fergusson is of opinion that this movement was a symbol of the cosmical rotation, an imitation of the apparent course of the sun in the heavens. Cp. Hyginus Fable CCV. Arge venatrix, c.u.m cervum sequeretur, cervo dixisse fertur: Tu licet Solis cursum sequaris, tamen te consequar. Sol, iratus, in cervam eam convert.i.t. He quotes, to prove that the practice existed among the ancient Celts, Athenaeus IV, p. 142, who adduces from Posidonius the following statement "Tous theous proskynousin epi dexia strephomenoi." The above quotations are but a few sc.r.a.ps from the full feast of Dr. Fergusson's paper. See also the remarks of the Rev. S. Beal in the Indian Antiquary for March 1880, p. 67.

See also Henderson's Folk-lore of the Northern Counties, p. 45. "The vicar of Stranton was standing at the churchyard gate, awaiting the arrival of a funeral party, when to his astonishment the whole group, who had arrived within a few yards of him, suddenly wheeled and made the circuit of the churchyard wall, thus traversing its west, north, and east boundaries, and making the distance some five or six times greater than was necessary. The vicar, astonished at this proceeding, asked the s.e.xton the reason of so extraordinary a movement. The reply was as follows: 'Why, ye wad no hae them carry the dead again the sun; the dead maun aye go with the sun.' This custom is no doubt an ancient British or Celtic custom, and corresponds to the Highland usage of making the deazil or walking three times round a person according to the course of the sun. Old Highlanders will still make the deazil around those to whom they wish well. To go round the person in the opposite direction, or "withers.h.i.+ns," is an evil incantation and brings ill-fortune. Hunt in his Romances and Drolls of the West of England, p. 418, says, "If an invalid goes out for the first time, and makes a circuit, the circuit must be with the sun, if against the sun, there will be a relapse. Liebrecht, Zur Volkskunde, p. 322, quotes from the Statistical Account of Scotland, Vol. V. p. 88 the following statement of a Scottish minister, with reference to a marriage ceremony: "After leaving the church, the whole company walk round it, keeping the church walls always on the right hand."

Thiselton Dyer, in his English Folk-lore, p. 171, mentions a similar custom as existing in the West of England. In Devons.h.i.+re blackhead or pinsoles are cured by creeping on one's hands and knees under or through a bramble three times with the sun; that is from east to west. See also Ralston's Songs of the Russian people, p. 299.

See also the extract from Sinclair's Statistical Account of Scotland in Brand's Popular Antiquities, Vol. 1, p. 225; "When a Highlander goes to bathe or to drink water out of a consecrated fountain, he must always approach by going round the place from East to West on the South side, in imitation of the apparent diurnal motion of the sun. This is called in Gaelic going round the right, or the lucky way. The opposite course is the wrong, or the unlucky way. And if a person's meat or drink were to affect the wind-pipe, or come against his breath, they would instantly cry out, "Desheal," which is an e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n praying it may go by the right way." Cp. the note in Munro's Lucretius on V, 1199, and Burton's Narratives from Criminal Trials in Scotland, Vol. I, p. 278.

BOOK III.

CHAPTER XV.

Honour to that conqueror of obstacles whose favour, I ween, even the Creator [199] implored, in order that he might accomplish the creation of the world without let or hindrance.

That five-arrowed G.o.d of love conquers the world, at whose command even Siva trembles, when he is being embraced by his beloved.

Thus having obtained Vasavadatta, that king of Vatsa gradually became most exclusively devoted to the pleasure of her society. But his prime minister Yaugandharayana, and his general Rumanvat, upheld day and night the burden of his empire. And once upon a time the minister Yaugandharayana, full of anxiety, brought Rumanvat to his house at night and said to him as follows: "This lord of Vatsa is sprung from the Pandava race, and the whole earth is his by hereditary descent, as also the city named of the elephant. [200] All these this king has abandoned not being desirous of making conquests, and his kingdom has so become confined to this one small corner of the earth. For he certainly remains devoted to women, wine and hunting, and he has delegated to us all the duty of thinking about his kingdom. So we by our own intelligence must take such steps, as that he shall obtain the empire of the whole earth, which is his hereditary right. For, if we do this, we shall have exhibited devotion to his cause, and performed our duty as ministers; for every thing is accomplished by intellect, and in proof of this listen to the following tale:"

Story of the clever physician.

Once on a time there was a king named Mahasena, and he was attacked by another king far superior to him in power. Then the king's ministers met together, and in order to prevent the ruin of his interests, Mahasena was persuaded by them to pay tribute to that enemy. And after he had paid tribute, that haughty king was exceedingly afflicted, thinking to himself, "Why have I made submission to my enemy?" And his sorrow on that account caused an abscess to form in his vitals, and he was so pulled down by the abscess that at last he was at the point of death. Then a certain wise physician considering that that case could not be cured by medicine, said falsely to that king; "O king, your wife is dead." When he heard that, the king suddenly fell on the ground, and owing to the excessive violence of his grief, the abscess burst of itself. And so the king recovered from his disease, and long enjoyed in the society of that queen the pleasures he desired, and conquered his enemies in his turn. [201]

"So, as that physician did his king a good turn by his wisdom, let us also do our king a good turn, let us gain for him the empire of the earth. And in this undertaking our only adversary is Pradyota, the king of Magadha; for he is a foe in the rear that is always attacking us behind. So we must ask for our sovereign that pearl of princesses, his daughter, named Padmavati. And by our cleverness we will conceal Vasavadatta somewhere, and setting fire to her house, we will give out everywhere that the queen is burnt. For in no other case will the king of Magadha give his daughter to our sovereign, for when I requested him to do so on a former occasion, he answered--'I will not give my daughter, whom I love more than myself, to the king of Vatsa, for he is pa.s.sionately attached to his wife Vasavadatta.' Moreover, as long as the queen is alive, the king of Vatsa will not marry any one else; but if a report is once spread that the queen is burnt, all will succeed. And when Padmavati is secured, the king of Magadha will be our marriage connection, and will not attack us in the rear, but will become our ally. Then we will march to conquer the eastern quarter, and the others in due succession, so we shall obtain for the king of Vatsa all this earth. And if we only exert ourselves, this king will obtain the dominion of the earth, for long ago a divine voice predicted this." When Rumanvat heard this speech from the great minister Yaugandharayana, he feared that the plan would cover them with ridicule, and so he said to him--"Deception practised for the sake of Padmavati might some day be to the ruin of us both;"

in proof of this, listen to the following tale:

Story of the hypocritical ascetic.

On the bank of the Ganges there is a city named Makandika; in that city long ago there was a certain ascetic who observed a vow of silence, and he lived on alms, and surrounded by numerous other holy beggars, dwelt in a monastery within the precincts of a G.o.d's temple where he had taken up his abode. Once, when he entered a certain merchant's house to beg, he saw a beautiful maiden coming out with alms in her hand, and the rascal seeing that she was wonderfully beautiful was smitten with love and exclaimed "Ah! Ah! Alas!" And that merchant overheard him. Then taking the alms he had received, he departed to his own house; and then the merchant went there and said to him in his astonishment,--"Why did you to-day suddenly break your vow of silence and say what you did?" When he heard that, the ascetic said to the merchant--"This daughter of yours has inauspicious marks; when she marries, you will undoubtedly perish, wife, sons, and all. So, when I saw her, I was afflicted, for you are my devoted adherent; and thus it was on your account that I broke silence and said what I did. So place this daughter of yours by night in a basket, on the top of which there must be a light, and set her adrift on the Ganges." The merchant said, "So I will," and went away, and at night he did all he had been directed to do out of pure fear. The timid are ever unreflecting. The hermit for his part said at that time to his own pupils, "Go to the Ganges, and when you see a basket floating along with a light on the top of it, bring it here secretly, but you must not open it, even if you hear a noise inside." They said, "We will do so,"

and off they went; but before they reached the Ganges, strange to say, a certain prince went into the river to bathe. He seeing that basket, which the merchant had thrown in, by the help of the light on it, got his servants to fetch it for him, and immediately opened it out of curiosity. And in it he saw that heart-enchanting girl, and he married her on the spot by the Gandharva ceremony of marriage. And he set the basket adrift on the Ganges, exactly as it was before, putting a lamp on the top of it, and placing a fierce monkey inside it. The prince having departed with that pearl of maidens, the pupils of the hermit came there in the course of their search, and saw that basket, and took it up and carried it to the hermit. Then he being delighted, said to them, "I will take this upstairs and perform incantations with it alone, but you must lie in silence this night." When he had said this, the ascetic took the basket to the top of the monastery, and opened it, eager to behold the merchant's daughter. And then a monkey of terrible appearance sprang out of it, [202] and rushed upon the ascetic, like his own immoral conduct incarnate in bodily form. The monkey in its fury immediately tore off with its teeth the nose of the wicked ascetic, and his ears with its claws, as if it had been a skilful executioner; and in that state the ascetic ran downstairs, and when his pupils beheld him, they could with difficulty suppress their laughter. And early next morning everybody heard the story, and laughed heartily, but the merchant was delighted, and his daughter also, as she had obtained a good husband. And even as the ascetic made himself ridiculous, so too may we possibly become a laughing-stock, if we employ deceit, and fail after all. For the separation of the king from Vasavadatta involves many disadvantages. When Rumanvat had said this to Yaugandharayana, the latter answered; "In no other way can we conduct our enterprise successfully, and if we do not undertake the enterprise, it is certain that with this self-indulgent king we shall lose even what territory we have got; and the reputation which we have acquired for statesmans.h.i.+p will be tarnished, and we shall cease to be spoken of as men who shew loyalty to their sovereign. For when a king is one who depends on himself for success, his ministers are considered merely the instruments of his wisdom; and in the case of such monarchs you would not have much to do with their success or failures. But when a king depends on his ministers for success, it is their wisdom that achieves his ends, and if they are wanting in enterprise, he must bid a long farewell to all hope of greatness. [203]

But if you fear the queen's father Chandamahasena, I must tell you that he and his son and the queen also will do whatever I bid them." When Yaugandharayana, most resolute among the resolute, had said this, Rumanvat, whose heart dreaded some fatal blunder, again said to him; "Even a discerning prince is afflicted by the pain of being separated from a beloved woman, much more will this king of Vatsa be. In proof of what I say, listen to the following tale:"

Story of Unmadini. [204]

Once on a time there was a king named Devasena, best of wise men, and the city of Sravasti was his capital. And in that city there was a wealthy merchant, and to him there was born a daughter of unparalleled beauty. And that daughter became known by the name of Unmadini, because every one, who beheld her beauty, became mad. Her father the merchant thought, "I must not give this daughter of mine to any one without telling the king, or he may be angry." So he went and said to the king Devasena, "King, I have a daughter who is a very pearl, take her if she finds favour in your eyes." When he heard that, the king sent some Brahmans, his confidential ministers, saying to them, "Go and see if that maiden possesses the auspicious marks or not." The ministers said, "We will do so," and went. But when they beheld that merchant's daughter, Unmadini, love was suddenly produced in their souls, and they became utterly bewildered. When they recovered their senses, the Brahmans said to one another: "If the king marries this maiden, he will think only of her, and will neglect the affairs of the State, and everything will go to rack and ruin; so what is the good of her?" Accordingly they went and told the king, what was not true, that the maiden had inauspicious marks. Then the merchant gave that Unmadini, whom the king had refused, and who in her heart felt a proud resentment at it, to the king's commander-in-chief. When she was in the house of her husband, she ascended one day to the roof, and exhibited herself to the king, who she knew would pa.s.s that way. And the moment the king beheld her, resembling a world-bewildering drug employed by the G.o.d of love, distraction seemed to be produced within him. When he returned to his palace, and discovered that it was the same lady he had previously rejected, he was full of regret, and fell violently ill with fever; the commander-in-chief, the husband of the lady, came to him and earnestly entreated him to take her, saying, "She is a slave, she is not the lawful wife of another, or if it seem fit, I will repudiate her in the temple, then my lord can take her for his own." But the king said to him, "I will not take unto myself another man's wife, and if you repudiate her, your righteousness will be at end, and you will deserve punishment at my hands." When they heard that, the other ministers remained silent, and the king was gradually consumed by love's burning fever, and so died. So that king perished, though of firm soul, being deprived of Unmadini; but what will become of the lord of Vatsa without Vasavadatta? When Yaugandharayana heard this from Rumanvat, he answered; "Affliction is bravely endured by kings who have their eyes firmly fixed on their duty. Did not Rama when commissioned by the G.o.ds, who were obliged to resort to that contrivance, to kill Ravana, endure the pain of separation from queen Sita? When he heard this, Rumanvat said in answer--"Such as Rama are G.o.ds, their souls can endure all things. But the thing is intolerable to men; in proof whereof listen to the following tale.

Story of the loving couple who died of separation.

There is on this earth a great city rich in jewels, named Mathura. In it there lived a certain young merchant, called Illaka. And he had a dear wife whose mind was devoted to him alone. Once on a time, while he was dwelling with her, the young merchant determined to go to another country on account of the exigencies of his affairs. And that wife of his wished to go with him. For when women are pa.s.sionately attached to any one, they cannot endure to be separated from him. And then that young merchant set out, having offered the usual preliminary prayer for success in his undertaking, and did not take with him that wife of his, though she had dressed herself for the journey. She looking after him, when he had started, with tears in her eyes, stood supporting herself against the panel of the door of the courtyard. Then, he being out of sight, she was no longer able to endure her grief; but she was too timid to follow him. So her breath left her body. And as soon as the young merchant came to know of that, he returned and to his horror found that dear wife of his a corpse, with pale though lovely complexion, set off by her waving locks, like the spirit of beauty that tenants the moon fallen down to the earth in the day during her sleep. [205] So he took her in his arms and wept over her, and immediately the vital spirits left his body, which was on fire with the flame of grief, as if they were afraid to remain. So that married couple perished by mutual separation, and therefore we must take care that the king is not separated from the queen." When he had said this, Rumanvat ceased, with his mind full of apprehension, but the wise Yaugandharayana, that ocean of calm resolution answered him; "I have arranged the whole plan, and the affairs of kings often require such steps to be taken, in proof of it, hear the following tale:"

Story of Punyasena.

There lived long ago in Ujjayini a king named Punyasena, and once on a time a powerful sovereign came and attacked him. Then his resolute ministers, seeing that that king was hard to conquer, spread everywhere a false report that their own sovereign Punyasena was dead; and they placed him in concealment, and burnt some other man's corpse with all the ceremonies appropriate to a king, and they proposed to the hostile king through an amba.s.sador that, as they had now no king, he should come and be their king. The hostile monarch was pleased and consented, and then the ministers a.s.sembled accompanied by soldiers, and proceeded to storm his camp. And the enemy's army being destroyed, Punyasena's ministers brought him out of concealment, and having recovered their power put that hostile king to death.

"Such necessities will arise in monarch's affairs, therefore let us resolutely accomplish this business of the king's by spreading a report of the queen's having been burnt." When he heard this from Yaugandharayana, who had made up his mind, Rumanvat said; "If this is resolved upon, let us send for Gopalaka the queen's respected brother, and let us take all our measures duly, after consultation with him." Then Yaugandharayana said, "So be it," and Rumanvat allowed himself to be guided, in determining what was to be done, by the confidence which he placed in his colleague. The next day, these dexterous ministers sent off a messenger of their own to bring Gopalaka, on the pretext that his relations longed to see him. And as he had only departed before on account of urgent business, Gopalaka came at the request of the messenger, seeming like an incarnate festival. And the very day he came, Yaugandharayana took him by night to his own house together with Rumanvat, and there he told him of that daring scheme which he wished to undertake, all of which he had before deliberated about together with that Rumanvat; and Gopalaka desiring the good of the king of Vatsa consented to the scheme though he knew it would bring sorrow to his sister, for the mind of good men is ever fixed upon duty. Then Rumanvat again said,--"All this is well planned, but when the king of Vatsa hears that his wife is burnt, he will be inclined to yield up his breath, and how is he to be prevented from doing so? This is a matter which ought to be considered. For though all the usual politic expedients may advantageously be employed, the princ.i.p.al element of sound state-craft is the averting of misfortune." Then Yaugandharayana who had reflected on everything that was to be done, said, "There need be no anxiety about this, for the queen is a princess, the younger sister of Gopalaka, and dearer to him than his life, and when the king of Vatsa sees how little afflicted Gopalaka is, he will think to himself, 'Perhaps the queen may be alive after all,' and so will be able to control his feelings. Moreover he is of heroic disposition, and the marriage of Padmavati will be quickly got through, and then we can soon bring the queen out of concealment." Then Yaugandharayana, and Gopalaka, and Rumanvat having made up their minds to this, deliberated as follows: "Let us adopt the artifice of going to Lavanaka with the king and queen, for that district is a border-district near the kingdom of Magadha. And because it contains admirable hunting-grounds, it will tempt the king to absent himself from the palace, so we can set the women's apartments there on fire and carry out the plan [206] on which we have determined. And by an artifice we will take the queen and leave her in the palace of Padmavati, in order that Padmavati herself may be a witness to the queen's virtuous behaviour in a state of concealment." Having thus deliberated together during the night, they all, with Yaugandharayana at their head, entered the king's palace on the next day. Then Rumanvat made the following representation to the king, "O king, it is a long time since we have gone to Lavanaka, and it is a very delightful place, moreover you will find capital hunting-grounds there, and gra.s.s for the horses can easily be obtained. And the king of Magadha, being so near, afflicts all that district. So let us go there for the sake of defending it, as well as for our own enjoyment." And the king, when he heard this, having his mind always set on enjoyment, determined to go to Lavanaka together with Vasavadatta. The next day, the journey having been decided on, and the auspicious hour having been fixed by the astrologers, suddenly the hermit Narada came to visit the monarch.

He illuminated the region with his splendour, as he descended from the midst of heaven, and gave a feast to the eyes of all spectators, seeming as if he were the moon come down out of affection towards his own descendants. [207] After accepting the usual hospitable attentions, the hermit graciously gave to the king, who bowed humbly before him, a garland from the Parijata [208] tree. And he congratulated the queen, by whom he was politely received, promising her that she should have a son, who should be a portion of Cupid [209] and king of all the Vidyadharas. And then he said to the king of Vatsa, while Yaugandharayana was standing by, "O king, the sight of your wife Vasavadatta has strangely brought something to my recollection. In old time you had for ancestors Yudhishthira and his brothers. And those five had one wife between them, Draupadi by name. And she, like Vasavadatta, was matchless in beauty. Then, fearing that her beauty would do mischief, I said to them, you must avoid jealousy, for that is the seed of calamities; in proof of it, listen to the following tale, which I will relate to you. [210]

Story of Sunda and Upasunda.

There were two brothers, Asuras by race, Sunda and Upasunda, hard to overcome, inasmuch as they surpa.s.sed the three worlds in valour. And Brahma, wis.h.i.+ng to destroy them, gave an order to Visvakarman, [211]

and had constructed a heavenly woman named Tilottama, in order to behold whose beauty even Siva truly became four-faced, so as to look four ways at once, while she was devoutly circ.u.mambulating him. She, by the order of Brahma, went to Sunda and Upasunda, while they were in the garden of Kailasa, in order to seduce them. And both those two Asuras distracted with love, seized the fair one at the same time by both her arms, the moment they saw her near them. And as they were dragging her off in mutual opposition, they soon came to blows, and both of them were destroyed. To whom is not the attractive object called woman the cause of misfortune? And you, though many, have one love, Draupadi, therefore you must without fail avoid quarrelling about her. And by my advice always observe this rule with respect to her. When she is with the eldest, she must be considered a mother by the younger, and when she is with the youngest, she must be considered a daughter-in-law by the eldest. Your ancestors, O king, accepted that speech of mine with unanimous consent, having their minds fixed on salutary counsels. And they were my friends, and it is through love for them that I have come to visit you here, king of Vatsa, therefore I give you this advice. Do you follow the counsel of your ministers, as they followed mine, and in a short time you will gain great success. For some time you will suffer grief, but you must not be too much distressed about it, for it will end in happiness." After the hermit Narada, so clever in indirectly intimating future prosperity, had said this duly to the king of Vatsa, he immediately disappeared. And then Yaugandharayana and all the other ministers, auguring from the speech of that great hermit that the scheme they had in view was about to succeed, became exceedingly zealous about carrying it into effect.

CHAPTER XVI.

Then Yaugandharayana and the other ministers managed to conduct the king of Vatsa with his beloved, by the above-mentioned stratagem, to Lavanaka. The king arrived at that place, which, by the roar of the host echoing through it, seemed, as it were, to proclaim that the ministers' object would be successfully attained. And the king of Magadha, when he heard that the lord of Vatsa had arrived there with a large following, trembled, antic.i.p.ating attack. But he being wise, sent an amba.s.sador to Yaugandharayana, and that excellent minister well-versed in his duties, received him gladly. The king of Vatsa for his part, while staying in that place, ranged every day the wide-extended forest for the sake of sport. One day, the king having gone to hunt, the wise Yaugandharayana accompanied by Gopalaka, having arranged what was to be done, and taking with him also Rumanvat and Vasantaka, went secretly to the queen Vasavadatta, who bowed at their approach. There he used various representations to persuade her to a.s.sist in furthering the king's interests, though she had been previously informed of the whole affair by her brother. And she agreed to the proposal, though it inflicted on her the pain of separation. What indeed is there which women of good family, who are attached to their husbands, will not endure? Thereupon the skilful Yaugandharayana made her a.s.sume the appearance of a Brahman woman, having given her a charm, which enabled her to change her shape. And he made Vasantaka one-eyed and like a Brahman boy, and as for himself, he in the same way a.s.sumed the appearance of an old Brahman. Then that mighty-minded one took the queen, after she had a.s.sumed that appearance, and accompanied by Vasantaka, set out leisurely for the town of Magadha. And so Vasavadatta left her house, and went in bodily presence along the road, though she wandered in spirit to her husband. Then Rumanvat burnt her pavilion with fire, and exclaimed aloud--"Alas! alas! The queen and Vasantaka are burnt." And so in that place there rose to heaven at the same time flames and lamentation; the flames gradually subsided, not so the sound of weeping. Then Yaugandharayana with Vasavadatta and Vasantaka reached the city of the king of Magadha, and seeing the princess Padmavati in the garden, he went up to her with those two, though the guards tried to prevent him. And Padmavati, when she saw the queen Vasavadatta in the dress of a Brahman woman, fell in love with her at first sight. The princess ordered the guards to desist from their opposition, and had Yaugandharayana, who was disguised as a Brahman, conducted into her presence. And she addressed to him this question, "Great Brahman, who is this girl you have with you, and why are you come?" And he answered her, "Princess, this is my daughter avantika by name, and her husband, being addicted to vice, [212] has deserted her and fled somewhere or other. So I will leave her in your care, ill.u.s.trious lady, while I go and find her husband, and bring him back, which will be in a short time. And let this one-eyed boy, her brother, remain here near her, in order that she may not be grieved at having to remain alone." He said this to the princess, and she granted his request, and, taking leave of the queen, the good minister quickly returned to Lavanaka. Then Padmavati took with her Vasavadatta, who was pa.s.sing under the name of avantika, and Vasantaka who accompanied her in the form of a one-eyed boy; and shewing her excellent disposition by her kind reception and affectionate treatment of them, entered her splendidly-adorned palace; and there Vasavadatta, seeing Sita in the history of Rama represented upon the painted walls, was enabled to bear her own sorrow. And Padmavati perceived that Vasavadatta was a person of very high rank, by her shape, her delicate softness, the graceful manner in which she sat down, and ate, and also by the smell of her body, which was fragrant as the blue lotus, and so she entertained her with luxurious comfort to her heart's content, even such as she enjoyed herself. And she thought to herself, "Surely she is some distinguished person remaining here in concealment; did not Draupadi remain concealed in the palace of the king of Virata?" Then Vasavadatta, out of regard for the princess made for her unfading garlands and forehead-streaks, as the king of Vatsa had previously taught her; and Padmavati's mother, seeing her adorned with them, asked her privately who had made those garlands and streaks. Then Padmavati said to her, "There is dwelling here in my house a certain lady of the name of avantika, she made all these for me." When her mother heard that, she said to her, then, my daughter, she is not a woman, she is some G.o.ddess, since she possesses such knowledge; G.o.ds and also hermits remain in the houses of good people for the sake of deluding them, and in proof of this listen to the following anecdote.

Story of Kunti.

There was once a king named Kuntibhoja; and a hermit of the name of Durvasas, who was exceedingly fond of deluding people, came and stayed in his palace. He commissioned his own daughter Kunti to attend upon the hermit, and she diligently waited upon him. And one day he, wis.h.i.+ng to prove her, said to her, "Cook boiled rice with milk and sugar quickly, while I bathe, and then I will come and eat it." The sage said this, and bathed quickly, and then he came to eat it, and Kunti brought him the vessel full of that food; and then the hermit, knowing that it was almost red-hot with the heated rice, and seeing that she could not hold it in her hands, [213] cast a look at the back of Kunti and she perceiving what was pa.s.sing in the hermit's mind, placed the vessel on her back; then he ate to his heart's content while Kunti's back was being burnt, and because, though she was terribly burnt, she stood without being at all discomposed, the hermit was much pleased with her conduct, and after he had eaten granted her a boon.

"So the hermit remained there, and in the same way this avantika, who is now staying in your palace, is some distinguished person, therefore endeavour to conciliate her." When she heard this from the mouth of her mother, Padmavati showed the utmost consideration for Vasavadatta, who was living disguised in her palace. And Vasavadatta for her part, being separated from her lord, remained there pale with bereavement, like a lotus in the night. [214] But the various boyish grimaces, which Vasantaka exhibited, [215] again and again called a smile into her face.

In the meanwhile the king of Vatsa, who had wandered away into very distant hunting-grounds, returned late in the evening to Lavanaka. And there he saw the women's apartments reduced to ashes by fire, and heard from his ministers that the queen was burnt with Vasantaka. And when he heard it, he fell on the ground, and he was robbed of his senses by unconsciousness, that seemed to desire to remove the painful sense of grief. But in a moment he came to himself and was burnt with sorrow in his heart, as if penetrated with the fire that strove to consume [216] the image of the queen imprinted there. Then overpowered with sorrow he lamented, and thought of nothing but suicide; but a moment after he began to reflect, calling to mind the following prediction--"From this queen shall be born a son who shall reign over all the Vidyadharas. This is what the hermit Narada told me, and it cannot be false. Moreover that same hermit warned me that I should have sorrow for some time. And the affliction of Gopalaka seems to be but slight. Besides I cannot detect any excessive grief in Yaugandharayana and the other ministers, therefore I suspect the queen may possibly be alive. But the ministers may in this matter have employed a certain amount of politic artifice, therefore I may some day be re-united with the queen. So I see an end to this affliction." Thus reflecting and being exhorted by his ministers, the king established in his heart self-control. And Gopalaka sent off a private messenger immediately, without any one's knowing of it, to his sister, to comfort her, with an exact report of the state of affairs. Such being the situation in Lavanaka, the spies of the king of Magadha who were there, went off to him and told him all. The king who was ever ready to seize the opportune moment, when he heard this, was once more anxious to give to the king of Vatsa his daughter Padmavati, who had before been asked in marriage by his ministers. Then he communicated his wishes with respect to this matter to the king of Vatsa, and also to Yaugandharayana. And by the advice of Yaugandharayana, the king of Vatsa accepted that proposal, thinking to himself that perhaps this was the very reason why the queen had been concealed. Then Yaugandharayana quickly ascertained an auspicious moment, and sent to the sovereign of Magadha an amba.s.sador with an answer to his proposal which ran as follows: "Thy desire is approved by us, so on the seventh day from this, the king of Vatsa will arrive at thy court to marry Padmavati, in order that he may quickly forget Vasavadatta." This was the message which the great minister sent to that king. And that amba.s.sador conveyed it to the king of Magadha, who received him joyfully. Then the lord of Magadha made such preparations for the joyful occasion of the marriage, as were in accordance with his love for his daughter, his own desire, and his wealth; and Padmavati was delighted at hearing that she had obtained the bridegroom she desired, but, when Vasavadatta heard that news, she was depressed in spirit. That intelligence, when it reached her ear, changed the colour of her face, and a.s.sisted the transformation effected by her disguise. But Vasantaka said, "In this way an enemy will be turned into a friend, and your husband will not be alienated from you." This speech of Vasantaka consoled her like a confidante, and enabled her to bear up. Then the discreet lady again prepared for Padmavati unfading garlands and forehead-streaks, both of heavenly beauty, as her marriage was now nigh at hand; and when the seventh day from that arrived, the monarch of Vatsa actually came there with his troops, accompanied by his ministers, to marry her. How could he in his state of bereavement have ever thought of undertaking such a thing, if he had not hoped in that way to recover the queen? And the king of Magadha immediately came with great delight to meet him, (who was a feast to the eyes of the king's subjects,) as the sea advances to meet the rising moon. Then the monarch of Vatsa entered the city of the king of Magadha, and at the same time great joy entered the minds of the citizens on every side. There the women beheld him fascinating [217] the mind, though his frame was attenuated from bereavement, looking like the G.o.d of love, deprived of his wife Rati. Then the king of Vatsa entered the palace of the lord of Magadha, and proceeded to the chamber prepared for the marriage ceremony, which was full of women whose husbands were still alive. In that chamber he beheld Padmavati adorned for the wedding, surpa.s.sing with the full moon of her face the circle of the full moon. And seeing that she had garlands and forehead-streaks such as he himself only could make, the king could not help wondering where she got them. Then he ascended the raised platform of the altar, and his taking her hand there was a commencement of his taking the tribute [218] of the whole earth. The smoke of the altar dimmed his eyes with tears, as supposing that he could not bear to witness the ceremony, since he loved Vasavadatta so much. Then the face of Padmavati, reddened with circ.u.mambulating the fire, appeared as if full of anger on account of her perceiving what was pa.s.sing in her husband's mind. When the ceremony of marriage was completed, the king of Vatsa let the hand of Padmavati quit his, but he never even for a moment allowed the image of Vasavadatta to be absent from his heart. Then the king of Magadha gave him jewels in such abundance, that the earth seemed to be deprived of her gems, they all having been extracted. And Yaugandharayana, calling the fire to witness on that occasion, made the king of Magadha undertake never to injure his master. So that festive scene proceeded, with the distribution of garments and ornaments, with the songs of excellent minstrels, and the dancing of dancing-girls. In the meanwhile Vasavadatta remained un.o.bserved, hoping for the glory of her husband, appearing [219] to be asleep, like the beauty of the moon in the day. Then the king of Vatsa went to the women's apartments, and the skilful Yaugandharayana, being afraid that he would see the queen, and that so the whole secret would be divulged, said to the sovereign of Magadha, "Prince, this very day the king of Vatsa will set forth from thy house." The king of Magadha consented to it, and then the minister made the very same announcement to the king of Vatsa, and he also approved of it.