The Katha Sarit Sagara or Ocean of the Streams of Story Part 51

When the Vetala had told this tale, he again said to the king, "So let your Majesty decide, which are the worst, males or females. But if you know and do not say, your head shall split in pieces."

When the king was asked this question by the Vetala, that was on his shoulder, he said to him, "Chief of magicians, women are the worst. For it is possible that once in a way a man may be so wicked, but females are, as a rule, always such everywhere." When the king said this, the Vetala disappeared, as before, from his shoulder, and the king once more resumed the task of fetching him.

NOTE.

Oesterley tells us that in the Vetala Cadai the two stories are told by two parrots, and the same is the case in the Turkish Tutinamah, Rosen, 2, p. 92.

The 1st story is found in the Turkish Tutinamah. The princ.i.p.al difference is that the parents of the extravagant man die after his first crime; after he has spent his property, he begs in a cemetery, and is there recognized by his wife; they live some time together, and then set out to return to his house. On the way they pa.s.s the old well, and there he murders her. There are some similar points in the 11th story of the Siddhikur. [See Sagas from the Far East, pp. 120-125.]

The second story is found in Babington's Vetala Cadai, p. 44. The lover receives a mortal wound, being taken for a thief, and in the agony of death bites off the nose of the adulteress. She smears her husband's betel-knife with the blood, and accuses him of the murder. The city-guards clear the matter up.

The 2nd story is found in a very different form in the Siddhikur, No. 10; in Julg, p. 100. [See Sagas from The Far East, pp. 115-119.] Here a younger brother is not invited to supper by an elder, so he determines to rob him out of revenge. He observes his brother's wife go to a cemetery to see her dead lover, who, when she tries to feed him by force, bites off her nose and the tip of her tongue. Of course when she accuses her husband, the younger brother reveals the secret.

The story in the Turkish Tutinamah, Rosen, 2, p. 96, Wickerhauser, p. 212, closely resembles Somadeva's. The lovers are surprised by the city-guards, who crucify the man, and let the woman go. The man in the agony of death bites her nose off, and she accuses her husband of the deed; he is then condemned to lose his nose. But a thief, who has crept into the house, and has then followed the adulteress, reveals the secret, and the woman is thereupon drowned. The story in the Panchatantra, Benfey, II, p. 40, only resembles this in its conclusion. [See Johnson's. .h.i.topadesa, p. 85.] It is no doubt a clever adaptation of the end of this story. The tale has been traced through all its migrations by Benfey, Vol. I, p. 140. (Oesterley's Baital Pachisi, pp. 187-191.)

CHAPTER LXXVIII.

(Vetala 4.)

Then king Trivikramasena again went at night to that asoka-tree in the cemetery: and he fearlessly took that Vetala that was in the corpse, though it uttered a horrible laugh, and placed it on his shoulder, and set out in silence. And as he was going along, the Vetala, that was on his shoulder, said to him again, "King, why do you take all this trouble for the sake of this wicked mendicant? In truth you show no discrimination in taking all this fruitless labour. So hear from me this story to amuse you on the way."

Story of Viravara.

There is a city on the earth rightly named Sobhavati. In it there lived a king of great valour, called Sudraka. The fire of that victorious king's might was perpetually fanned by the wind of the chowries waved by the captured wives of his enemies. I ween that the earth was so glorious during the reign of that king, owing to the uninterrupted practice of righteousness that prevailed, that she forgot all her other sovereigns, even Rama.

Once on a time a Brahman, of the name of Viravara, came from Malava to take service under that king who loved heroes. His wife's name was Dharmavati, his son was Sattvavara, and his daughter was Viravati. These three composed his family; and his attendants were another three, at his side a dagger, a sword in one hand, and a splendid s.h.i.+eld in the other. Although he had so small a retinue, he demanded from the king five hundred dinars a day by way of salary. And king Sudraka, perceiving that his appearance indicated great courage, gave him the salary he desired. But he felt curious to know whether, as his retinue was so small, he employed so many gold coins to feed his vices, or lavished them on some worthy object. So he had him secretly dogged by spies, in order to discover his mode of life. And it turned out that every day Viravara had an interview with the king in the morning, and stood at his palace-gate in the middle of the day, sword in hand; and then he went home and put into the hand of his wife a hundred dinars of his salary for food, and with a hundred he bought clothes, unguents and betel; and after bathing, he set apart a hundred for the wors.h.i.+p of Vishnu and Siva; and he gave two hundred by way of charity to poor Brahmans. This was the distribution which he made of the five hundred every day. Then he fed the sacrificial fire with clarified b.u.t.ter and performed other ceremonies, and took food, and then he again went and kept guard at the gate of the palace alone at night, sword in hand. When the king Sudraka heard from his spies, that Viravara always followed this righteous custom, he rejoiced in his heart; and he ordered those spies, who had dogged his path, to desist; and he considered him worthy of especial honour as a distinguished hero.

Then in course of time, after Viravara had easily tided through the hot weather, when the rays of the sun were exceedingly powerful, the monsoon came roaring, bearing a brandished sword of lightning, as if out of envy against Viravara, and smiting [293] with rain-drops. And though at that time a terrible bank of clouds poured down rain day and night, Viravara remained motionless, as before, at the gate of the palace. And king Sudraka, having beheld him in the day from the top of his palace, again went up to it at night, to find out whether he was there or not; and he cried out from it,--"Who waits there at the palace-gate?" When Viravara heard that, he answered, "I am here, your Majesty." Then king Sudraka thought to himself, "Ah! Viravara is a man of intrepid courage and devotedly attached to me. So I must certainly promote him to an important post." After the king had said this to himself, he came down from the roof of his palace, and entering his private apartments, went to bed.

And the next evening, when a cloud was violently raining with a heavy downfall, and black darkness was spread abroad, obscuring the heaven, [294] the king once more ascended the roof of the palace to satisfy his curiosity, and being alone, he cried out in a clear voice, "Who waits there at the palace-gate?" Again Viravara said, "I am here." And while the king was lost in admiration at seeing his courage, he suddenly heard a woman weeping in the distance, distracted with despair, uttering only the piteous sound of wailing. When the king heard that, pity arose in his mind, and he said to himself, "There is no oppressed person in my kingdom, no poor or afflicted person; so who is this woman, that is thus weeping alone at night?" Then he gave this order to Viravara, who was alone below, "Listen, Viravara; there is some woman weeping in the distance; go and find out who she is and why she is weeping."

When Viravara heard that, he said, "I will do so," and set out thence with his dagger in his belt, and his sword in his hand. He looked upon the world as a Rakshasa black with fresh clouds, having the lightning flas.h.i.+ng from them by way of an eye, raining large drops of rain instead of stones. And king Sudraka, seeing him starting alone on such a night, and being penetrated with pity and curiosity, came down from the top of the palace, and taking his sword, set out close behind him, alone and un.o.bserved. And Viravara went on persistently in the direction of the weeping, and reached a tank outside the city, and saw there that woman in the middle of the water uttering this lament, "Hero! merciful man! Generous man! How can I live without you?" And Viravara, who was followed by the king, said with astonishment, "Who are you, and why do you thus weep?"--Then she answered him, "Dear Viravara, know that I am this earth, and king Sudraka is now my righteous lord, but on the third day from this his death will take place, and whence shall I obtain such another lord? So I am grieved, and bewail both him and myself." [295] When Viravara heard this, he said, like one alarmed, "Is there then, G.o.ddess, any expedient to prevent the death of this king, who is the protecting amulet of the world?"

When the earth heard this, she answered, "There is one expedient for averting it, and one which you alone can employ." Then Viravara said,--"Then, G.o.ddess, tell it me at once, in order that I may quickly put it in operation: otherwise what is the use of my life?" When the earth heard this, she said,--"Who is as brave as you, and as devoted to his master? So hear this method of bringing about his welfare. If you offer up your child Sattvavara to this glorious G.o.ddess Chandi, famous for her exceeding readiness to manifest herself to her votaries, to whom the king has built a temple [296] in the immediate vicinity of his palace, the king will not die, but live another hundred years. And if you do it at once, his safety will be ensured, but if not, he will a.s.suredly have ceased to live on the third day from this time."

When the G.o.ddess Earth said this to Viravara, he said, "G.o.ddess, I will go, and do it this very instant." Then Earth said, "May success attend you!" and disappeared; and the king, who was secretly following Viravara, heard all this.

Then Viravara went quickly in the darkness to his own house, and king Sudraka, out of curiosity, followed him un.o.bserved. There he woke up his wife Dharmavati, and told her how the G.o.ddess Earth had directed him to offer up his son for the sake of the king. When she heard it, she said, "My lord, we must ensure the prosperity of the king; so wake up this young boy of ours and tell it him yourself." Then Viravara woke up his young son Sattvavara, who was asleep, and told him what had occurred, and said to him, "So, my son, the king will live if you are offered up to the G.o.ddess Chandi, but if not, he will die on the third day." When Sattvavara heard it, though he was a mere child, he shewed a heroic soul, and justified his name. [297]

He said "I shall have obtained all I desire, if the sacrifice of my life saves that of the king, for so I shall have repaid him for his food which I have eaten. So why should there be any delay? Take me and offer me up immediately before the adorable G.o.ddess. Let me be the means of bringing about the happiness of my lord."

When Sattvavara said this, Viravara answered, "Bravo! you are in truth my own son." And the king, who had followed them, and heard all this conversation from outside, said to himself, "Ah! they are all equal in courage."

Then Viravara took his son Sattvavara on his shoulder, and his wife Dharmavati took their daughter Viravati, and they both went that very night to the temple of Chandi, and king Sudraka followed them un.o.bserved. Then Sattvavara was taken down by his father from his shoulder, and placed in front of the idol, and the boy, who was full of courage, bowed before the G.o.ddess, and said, "May the sacrifice of my head ensure the life of king Sudraka! May he rule unopposed, G.o.ddess, for another hundred years!" When the boy Sattvavara said this, Viravara exclaimed, "Bravo!" and drew his sword and cut off his son's head, and offered it to the G.o.ddess, saying, "May the sacrifice of my son save the king's life!"--Immediately a voice was heard from the air, "Bravo! Viravara! What man is as devoted to his sovereign as thou, who, by the sacrifice of thy n.o.ble only son, hast bestowed on this king Sudraka life and a kingdom?" Then that young girl Viravati, the daughter of Viravara, came up, and embraced the head of her slain brother, and weeping, blinded with excessive grief, she broke her heart and so died. And the king saw and heard all this from his concealment.

Then Viravara's wife Dharmavati said to him, "We have ensured the prosperity of the king, so now I have something to say to you. Since my daughter, though a child and knowing nothing, has died out of grief for her brother, and I have lost these two children of mine, what is the use of life to me? Since I have been so foolish as not to offer my own head long ago to the G.o.ddess for the welfare of the king, give me leave to enter the fire with my children's bodies." When she urged this request, Viravara said to her, "Do so, and may prosperity attend you, for what pleasure could you find, n.o.ble woman, in continuing a life, that would for you be full of nothing but grief for your children. But do not be afflicted, because you did not sacrifice yourself. Would not I have sacrificed myself, if the object could have been attained by the sacrifice of any victim but our son? So wait until I have made a pyre for you with these pieces of timber, collected to build the fence round the sanctuary of the G.o.ddess."

When Viravara had said this, he made a funeral pyre with the timber, and placed on it the bodies of his two children, and lighted it with the flame of a lamp. Then his virtuous wife Dharmavati fell at his feet, and, after wors.h.i.+pping the G.o.ddess Chandi, she addressed to her this prayer, "May my present husband be my husband also in a future birth! And may the sacrifice of my life procure prosperity for the king his master!" When the virtuous woman had said this, she threw herself fearlessly into the burning pyre, from which the flames streamed up like hair.

Then the hero Viravara said to himself, "I have done what the king's interests required, as the celestial voice testified, and I have paid my debt to my master for his food which I have eaten: so, as I am now left alone, why should I thus cling to life? It does not look well for a man like me to nurse his own life only, after sacrificing all his dear family, which it is his duty to maintain. So why should I not gratify Durga by sacrificing myself?" Having thus reflected, he first approached the G.o.ddess with this hymn of praise:

"Hail to thee, thou slayer of the Asura Mahisha, destroyer of the Danava Ruru, trident-bearing G.o.ddess! Hail to thee, best of mothers, that causest rejoicing among the G.o.ds, and upholdest the three worlds! Hail thou whose feet are wors.h.i.+pped by the whole earth, the refuge of those that are intent on final beat.i.tude! Hail thou that wearest the rays of the sun, and dispellest the acc.u.mulated darkness of calamity! Hail to thee, Kali, skull-bearing G.o.ddess, wearer of skeletons! Hail, Siva! Honour to thee! Be propitious now to king Sudraka on account of the sacrifice of my head!" After Viravara had praised the G.o.ddess in these words, he cut off his head with a sudden stroke of his sword.

King Sudraka, who was a witness of all this from his place of concealment, was full of bewilderment, sorrow, and astonishment, and said to himself, "This worthy man and his family have performed for my sake a wonderful and difficult exploit never seen or heard of anywhere else. Though the world is wide and various, where could there be found a man so resolute as secretly to sacrifice his life for his master, without proclaiming the fact abroad? And if I do not requite this benefit, what is the use of my sovereignty, and of my protracting my life, which would only be like that of an animal?"

When the heroic king had thus reflected, he drew his sword from the sheath, and approaching the G.o.ddess, prayed thus to her, "Be propitious to me now, G.o.ddess, on account of this sacrifice of my head, and confer a boon on me, thy constant votary. Let this Brahman Viravara, whose acts are in accordance with his name, and who sacrificed his life for my sake, be resuscitated with his family!" After uttering this prayer, king Sudraka was preparing to cut off his head with his sword, but at that moment a voice was heard from the air, "Do not act rashly; I am pleased with this courage of thine; let the Brahman Viravara be restored to life, together with his wife and his children!"--Having uttered so much, the voice ceased, and Viravara rose up alive and unwounded, with his son, his daughter, and his wife. When the king, who quickly concealed himself again, saw that marvel, he was never tired of looking at them with an eye full of tears of joy.

And Viravara quickly awoke as if from sleep, and, beholding his children and wife alive, and also himself, he was confused in mind. And he asked his wife and children, addressing them severally by name, "How have you returned to life after having been reduced to ashes? I too cut off my head: what is the meaning of my being now alive? Is this a delusion, or the manifest favour of the G.o.ddess?" When he said this, his wife and children answered him, "Our being alive is due to a merciful interposition of the G.o.ddess, of which we were not conscious." Then Viravara came to the conclusion that it was so, and after wors.h.i.+pping the G.o.ddess, he returned home with his wife and children, having accomplished his object.

And after he had left his son, wife, and daughter there, he returned that very night to the palace-gate of the king, and stood there as before. King Sudraka, for his part, who had beheld all un.o.bserved, again went up to the roof of his palace. And he cried out from the roof, "Who is in attendance at the palace-gate?" Then Viravara said, "I myself am in waiting here, your Majesty. And in accordance with your orders I went in search of that woman, but she disappeared somewhere as soon as seen, like a Rakshasi." When the king heard the speech of that Viravara, he was very much astonished, as he had himself seen what took place, and he said to himself, "Indeed people of n.o.ble spirit are deep and self-contained of soul as the sea, for when they have performed an unparalleled exploit, they do not utter any description of it." Thus reflecting, the king silently descended from the roof of the palace, and entered his private apartments, and there spent the rest of the night.

And the next morning, Viravara came to present himself at the time of audience, and then the delighted king related to the ministers all that Viravara had gone through during the night, so that they were all, as it were, thunderstruck with wonder. Then the king gave to Viravara and his son the sovereignty over the provinces of Lata and Karnata, as a token of his regard. Then the two kings, Viravara and Sudraka, being equal in power, lived happily in the interchange of mutual good offices.

When the Vetala had told this exceedingly wonderful story, he went on to say to king Trivikramasena, "So tell me, king, who was the bravest of all these, and if you know and do not tell, the curse, which I before mentioned, shall descend upon you."

When the king heard this, he answered the Vetala, "King Sudraka was the greatest hero of them all." Then the Vetala said, "Was not Viravara greater, for his equal is not found on this earth? And was not his wife braver, who, though a mother, endured to witness with her own eyes the offering up of her son as a victim? And was not his son Sattvavara braver, who, though a mere child, displayed such preeminent courage? So why do you say that king Sudraka was more heroic than these?"

When the Vetala said this, the king answered him, "Do not say so! Viravara was a man of high birth, one in whose family it was a tradition that life, son, and wife must be sacrificed to protect the sovereign. And his wife also was of good birth, chaste, wors.h.i.+pping her husband only, and her chief duty was to follow the path traced out for her by her husband. And Sattvavara was like them, being their son; a.s.suredly, such as are the threads, such is the web produced from them. But Sudraka excelled them all, because he was ready to lay down his life for those servants, by the sacrifice of whose lives kings are wont to save their own."

When the Vetala heard that speech from that king, he at once left his shoulder, and returned invisibly to his former place by his supernatural power, but the king resolutely set out on his former path in that cemetery at night to bring him back again.

NOTE.

For the story of Viravara, see Vol. I, pp. 253 and 519. Oesterley refers us to Benfey's Panchatantra, Vol. I, p. 414, where it is shown to be based upon the Asadrisa Jataka of Buddha. The story is found in the Persian Tutinamah, No 21, (in Iken, p. 89,) in a form resembling that in the Hitopadesa. But there is another form which is No. 2 in the same work of Kaderi and found in the older Tutinamah, (p. 17 in Iken,) which seems to be based on the Vetala Panchavinsati. This is also found in the Turkish Tutinamah. Janbaz saves the life of a king by the mere determination to sacrifice himself and his whole family. (Oesterley's Baital Pachisi, pp. 185-187.) Benfey refers us to No. 39 in Basile's Pentamerone, [Liebrecht's German translation, Vol. II, pp. 116-134,] and to No. 6 in Grimm's Kinder-Marchen.

CHAPTER LXXIX.

(Vetala 5.)

Then king Trivikramasena went back again to that asoka-tree, and saw the Vetala in the corpse again hanging on it as before, and took him down, and after showing much displeasure with him, set out again rapidly towards his goal. And as he was returning along his way, in silence as before, through the great cemetery by night, the Vetala on his shoulder said to him, "King, you have embarked on a toilsome undertaking, and I liked you from the moment I first saw you, so listen, I will tell you a tale to divert your mind."