And he asked her,--"Auspicious lady, who are you, and why are you perturbed?"--Hearing that, the lovely one thus answered him; "There is a king of the name of Chandavikrama, lord of the southern region. I am his daughter, auspicious sir, a maiden named Vindurekha. But a wicked Daitya, with flaming eyes, carried me off by treachery from my father"s house to-day, and brought me here. And he, desiring flesh, a.s.sumed the form of a boar, and sallied out, but while he was still hungry, he was pierced with a spear to-day by some hero; and as soon as he was pierced, he came in here and died. And I rushed out and escaped without being outraged by him." Then Saktideva said to her, "Then why all this perturbation? For I slew that boar with a spear, princess." Then she said, "Tell me who you are," and he answered her "I am a Brahman named Saktideva." Then she said to him, "You must accordingly become my husband," and the hero consenting went out of the cavern with her. And when he arrived at home, he told it to his wife Vindumati, and with her consent he married that princess Vindurekha. So, while Saktideva was living there with his two wives, one of his wives Vindurekha became pregnant; and in the eighth month of her pregnancy, the first wife Vindumati came up to him of her own accord and said to him, "Hero, remember what you promised me; this is the eighth month of the pregnancy of your second wife: so go and cut her open and bring the child here, for you cannot act contrary to your own word of honour." When she said this to Saktideva, he was bewildered by affection and compa.s.sion; but being bound by his promise he remained for a short time unable to give an answer; at last he departed in a state of agitation and went to Vindurekha; and she seeing him come with troubled air, said to him, "Husband, why are you despondent to-day? Surely I know; you have been commissioned by Vindumati to take out the child with which I am pregnant; and that you must certainly do, for there is a certain object in view, and there is no cruelty in it, so do not feel compunction; in proof of it, hear the following story of Devadatta."
Story of Devadatta.
Long ago there lived in the city of Kambuka a Brahman named Haridatta; and the son of that auspicious man, who was named Devadatta, though he studied in his boyhood, was, as a young man, exclusively addicted to the vice of gaming. As he had lost his clothes and everything by gambling, he was not able to return to his father"s house, so he entered once on a time an empty temple. And there he saw alone a great ascetic, named Jalapada, who had attained many objects by magic, and he was muttering spells in a corner. So he went up to him slowly and bowed before him, and the ascetic, abandoning his habit of not speaking to any one, greeted him with a welcome; and after he had remained there a moment, the ascetic, seeing his trouble, asked him the cause, and he told him of his affliction produced by the loss of his wealth, which had been dissipated in gambling. Then the ascetic said to Devadatta; "My child, there is not wealth enough in the whole world to satisfy gamblers; but if you desire to escape from your calamity, do what I tell you, for I have made preparations to attain the rank of a Vidyadhara; so help me to accomplish this, O man of fortunate destiny, [424] you have only to obey my orders and then your calamities will be at an end." When the ascetic said this to him, Devadatta promised to obey him, and immediately took up his residence with him. And the next day the ascetic went into a corner of the cemetery and performed worship by night under a banyan-tree, and offered rice boiled in milk, and flung portions of the oblation towards the four cardinal points, after worshipping them, and said to the Brahman who was in attendance on him; "You must worship here in this style every day, and say "Vidyutprabha, accept this worship." And then I am certain that we shall both attain our ends;" having said this the ascetic went with him to his own house. Then Devadatta, consenting, went every day and duly performed worship at the foot of that tree, according to his instructions. And one day, at the end of his worship, the tree suddenly clave open, and a heavenly nymph came out of it before his eyes, and said, "My good sir, my mistress summons you to come to her." And then she introduced him into the middle of that tree. When he entered it, he beheld a heavenly palace made of jewels, and a beautiful lady within it reclining upon a sofa. And he immediately thought--"This may be the success of our enterprise incarnate in bodily form,"
but while he was thinking thus, that beautiful lady, receiving him graciously, rose with limbs on which the ornaments rang as if to welcome him, and seated him on her own sofa. And she said to him, "Ill.u.s.trious sir, I am the maiden daughter of a king of the Yakshas, named Ratnavarsha, and I am known by the name of Vidyutprabha; and this great ascetic Jalapada was endeavouring to gain my favour, to him I will give the attainment of his ends, but you are the lord of my life. So, as you see my affection, marry me." When she said this, Devadatta consented, and did so. And he remained there some time, but when she became pregnant, he went to the great ascetic with the intention of returning, and in a state of terror he told him all that had happened, and the ascetic, desiring his own success, said to him, "My good sir, you have acted quite rightly, but go and cut open that Yakshi and taking out the embryo, bring it quickly here." The ascetic said this to him, and then reminded him of his previous promise, and being dismissed by him, the Brahman returned to his beloved, and while he stood there despondent with reflecting on what he had to do, the Yakshi Vidyutprabha of her own accord said to him;--"My husband, why are you cast down? I know, Jalapada has ordered you to cut me open, so cut me open and take out this child, and if you refuse, I will do it myself, for there is an object in it." Though she said this to him, the Brahman could not bring himself to do it, then she cut herself open and took out the child, and flung it down before him and said, "Take this, which will enable him who consumes it, to obtain the rank of a Vidyadhara. But I, though properly a Vidyadhari, have been born as a Yakshi owing to a curse, and this is the appointed end of my curse, strange as it is, for I remember my former existence. Now I depart to my proper home, but we two shall meet again in that place." Saying this Vidyutprabha vanished from his eyes. And Devadatta took the child with sorrowful mind, and went to that ascetic Jalapada, and gave it to him, as that which would ensure the success of his incantations, for good men do not even in calamity give way to selfishness. The great ascetic divided the child"s flesh, and sent Devadatta to the wood to worship Durga in her terrific form. And when the Brahman came back after presenting an oblation, he saw that the ascetic had made away with all the flesh. And while he said--"What, have you consumed it all?" the treacherous Jalapada, having become a Vidyadhara, ascended to heaven. When he had flown up, with sword blue as the sky, adorned with necklace and bracelet, Devadatta reflected, "Alas! how I have been deceived by this evil-minded one! Or rather on whom does not excessive compliance entail misfortune? So how can I revenge myself on him for this ill turn, and how can I reach him who has become a Vidyadhara? Well! I have no other resource in this matter except propitiating a Vetala." [425] After he had made up his mind to do this, he went at night to the cemetery. There he summoned at the foot of a tree a Vetala into the body of a man, and after worshipping him, he made an oblation of human flesh to him. And as that Vetala was not satisfied, and would not wait for him to bring more, he prepared to cut off his own flesh in order to gratify him. And immediately that Vetala said to that brave man;--"I am pleased with this courage of yours, do not act recklessly. So, my good sir, what desire have you for me to accomplish for you?" When the Vetala said this, the hero answered him; "Take me to the dwelling-place of the Vidyadharas, where is the ascetic Jalapada, who deceives those that repose confidence in him, in order that I may punish him." The Vetala consented, and placing him on his shoulder, carried him through the air in a moment to the dwelling of the Vidyadharas; and there he saw Jalapada in a palace, seated on a jewelled throne, elated at being a king among the Vidyadharas, endeavouring by various speeches to induce that Vidyutprabha, [426] who had obtained the rank of a Vidyadhari, to marry him in spite of her reluctance. And the moment that the young man saw him, he attacked him with the help of the Vetala, being to the eyes of the delighted Vidyutprabha, what the moon, the repository of nectar, is to the partridges. [427] And Jalapada beholding him suddenly arrived in this way, dropped his sword in his fright, and fell from his throne on the floor. But Devadatta, though he had obtained his sword, did not slay him, for the great-hearted feel pity even for their enemies when they are terrified.
And when the Vetala wanted to kill him, he dissuaded him, and said, "Of what use will it be to us to kill this miserable heretic? So take him and place him in his own house on earth, it is better that this wicked skull-bearing ascetic should remain there." At the very moment that Devadatta was saying this, the G.o.ddess Durga descended from heaven and appeared to him, and said to him who bent before her, "My son, I am satisfied with thee now, on account of this incomparable courage of thine; so I give thee on the spot the rank of king of the Vidyadharas." Having said this, she bestowed the magic sciences [428]
on him, and immediately disappeared. And the Vetala immediately took Jalapada, whose splendour fell from him, and placed him on earth; (wickedness does not long ensure success;) and Devadatta accompanied by Vidyutprabha, having obtained that sovereignty of the Vidyadharas, flourished in his kingdom.
Having told this story to her husband Saktideva, the softly-speaking Vindurekha again said to him with eagerness; "Such necessities do arise, so cut out this child of mine as Vindumati told you, without remorse." When Vindurekha said this, Saktideva was afraid of doing wrong, but a voice sounded from heaven at this juncture, "O Saktideva, take out this child without fear, and seize it by the neck with your hand, then it will turn into a sword." Having heard this divine voice, he cut her open; and quickly taking out the child, he seized it by the throat with his hand; and no sooner did he seize it, than it became a sword in his hand; like the long hair of Good Fortune seized by him with an abiding grasp. Then that Brahman quickly became a Vidyadhara, and Vindurekha that moment disappeared. And when he saw that, he went, as he was, to his second wife Vindumati, and told her the whole story. She said to him, "My lord, we are three sisters, the daughter of a king of the Vidyadharas, who have been banished from Kanakapuri in consequence of a curse. The first was Kanakarekha, the termination of whose curse you beheld in the city of Vardhamana; and she has gone to that city of hers, her proper home. For such was the strange end of her curse, according to the dispensation of fate, and I am the third sister, and now my curse is at an end. And this very day I must go to that city of mine, my beloved, for there our Vidyadhara bodies remain. And my elder sister, Chandraprabha, is dwelling there; so you also must come there quickly by virtue of the magic power of your sword. And you shall rule in that city, after obtaining all four of us as wives, bestowed upon you by our father who has retired to the forest, and others in addition to us."
Thus Vindumati declared the truth about herself, and Saktideva consenting, went again to the City of Gold, this time through the air, together with that Vindumati. And when he arrived, he again saw those three darlings of his bending before him, Kanakarekha and the others, after entering with their souls, as was fitting, those heavenly female bodies, which he saw on a former occasion extended lifeless on the couches in those three pavilions. And he saw that fourth sister there, Chandraprabha, who had performed auspicious ceremonies, and was drinking in his form with an eye rendered eager by seeing him after so long an absence. His arrival was joyfully hailed by the servants, who were occupied in their several duties, as well as by the ladies, and when he entered the private apartments, that Chandraprabha said to him--"n.o.ble sir, here is that princess Kanakarekha, who was seen by you in the city of Vardhamana, my sister called Chandrarekha. And here is that daughter of the fisher king, Vindumati, whom you first married in the island of Utsthala, my sister Sasirekha. And here is my youngest sister Sasiprabha, the princess who after that was brought there by the Danava, and then became your wife. So now come, successful hero, with us into the presence of our father, and quickly marry us all, when bestowed upon you by him."
When Chandraprabha had swiftly and boldly uttered this decree of Cupid, Saktideva went with those four to the recesses of the wood to meet their father, and their father, the king of the Vidyadharas, having been informed of the facts by all his daughters who bowed at his feet, and also moved by a divine voice, with delighted soul gave them all at once to Saktideva. Immediately after that, he bestowed on Saktideva his opulent realm in the City of Gold, and all his magic sciences, and he gave the successful hero his name, by which he was henceforth known among his Vidyadharas. And he said to him; "No one else shall conquer thee, but from the mighty lord of Vatsa there shall spring a universal emperor, who shall reign among you here under the t.i.tle of Naravahanadatta and be thy superior, to him alone wilt thou have to submit." With these words the mighty lord of the Vidyadharas, named Sasikhandapada, dismissed his son-in-law from the wood where he was practising asceticism, after entertaining him kindly, that he might go with his wives to his own capital. Then that Saktivega, having become a king, entered the City of Gold, that glory of the Vidyadhara world, proceeding thither with his wives. Living in that city, the palaces of which gleamed with fabric of gold, which seemed on account of its great height to be the condensed rays of the sun falling in brightness, he enjoyed exceeding happiness with those fair-eyed wives, in charming gardens, the lakes of which had steps made out of jewels.
Having thus related his wonderful history, the eloquent Saktivega went on to say to the king of Vatsa, "Know me, O lord of Vatsa, ornament of the lunar race, to be that very Saktideva come here, full of desire to behold the two feet of your son who is just born, and is destined to be our new emperor. Thus I have obtained, though originally a man, the rank of sovereign among the Vidyadharas by the favour of Siva: and now, O king, I return to my own home; I have seen our future lord; may you enjoy unfailing felicity."
After finishing his tale, Saktivega said this with clasped hands, and receiving permission to depart, immediately flew up into the sky like the moon in brightness, and then the king of Vatsa in the company of his wives, surrounded by his ministers, and with his young son, enjoyed, in his own capital a state of indescribable felicity.
BOOK VI.
CHAPTER XXVII.
May the G.o.d with the face of an elephant, [429] who appears, with his head bowed down and then raised, to be continually threatening the hosts of obstacles, protect you.
I adore the G.o.d of Love, pierced with the showers of whose arrows even the body of Siva seems to bristle with dense thorns, when embraced by Uma.
Now hear the heavenly adventures which Naravahanadatta, speaking of himself in the third person, told from the very beginning, after he had obtained the sovereignty of the Vidyadharas, and had been questioned about the story of his life on some occasion or other by the seven Rishis and their wives.
Then that Naravahanadatta being carefully brought up by his father, pa.s.sed his eighth year. The prince lived at that time with the sons of the ministers, being instructed in sciences, and sporting in gardens. And the queen Vasavadatta and Padmavati also on account of their exceeding affection were devoted to him day and night. He was distinguished by a body which was sprung from a n.o.ble stock, and bent under the weight of his growing virtues, and gradually filled out, as also by a bow which was made of a good bamboo, which bent as the string rose, and slowly arched itself into a crescent. [430] And his father the king of Vatsa spent his time in wishes for his marriage and other happiness, delightful because so soon to bear fruit. Now hear what happened at this point of the story.
Story of the merchant"s son in Takshasila.
There was once a city named Takshasila [431] on the banks of the Vitasta, the reflection of whose long line of palaces gleamed in the waters of the river, as if it were the capital of the lower regions come to gaze at its splendour. In it there dwelt a king named Kalingadatta, a distinguished Buddhist, all whose subjects were devoted to the great Buddha the bridegroom of Tara. [432] His city shone with splendid Buddhist temples densely crowded together, as if with the horns of pride elevated because it had no rival upon earth. He not only cherished his subjects like a father, but also himself taught them knowledge like a spiritual guide. Moreover there was in that city a certain rich Buddhist merchant called Vitastadatta, who was exclusively devoted to the honouring of Buddhist mendicants. And he had a son, a young man named Ratnadatta. And he was always expressing his detestation of his father, calling him an impious man. And when his father said to him, "Son, why do you blame me?"--the merchant"s son answered with bitter scorn, "My father, you abandon the religion of the three Vedas and cultivate irreligion. For you neglect the Brahmans and are always honouring Sramanas. [433] What have you to do with that Buddhist discipline, which all kinds of low-caste men resort to, to gratify their desire to have a convent to dwell in, released from bathing and other strict ordinances, loving to feed whenever it is convenient, [434] rejecting the Brahmanical lock and other prescribed methods of doing the hair, quite at ease with only a rag round their loins?" When the merchant heard that he said--"Religion is not confined to one form; a transcendent religion is a different thing from a religion that embraces the whole world. People say that Brahmanism too consists in avoiding pa.s.sion and other sins, in truth, and compa.s.sion to creatures, not in quarrelling causelessly with one"s relations. [435] Moreover you ought not to blame generally that school which I follow, which extends security to all creatures, on account of the fault of an individual. n.o.body questions the propriety of conferring benefits, and my beneficence consists simply in giving security to creatures. So, if I take exceeding pleasure in this system, the princ.i.p.al characteristic of which is abstinence from injuring any creature, and which brings liberation, wherein am I irreligious in doing so?" When his father said this to him, that merchant"s son obstinately refused to admit it, and only blamed his father all the more. Then his father, in disgust, went and reported the whole matter to the king Kalingadatta, who superintended the religion of his people. The king, for his part, summoned on some pretext the merchant"s son into his judgement-hall, and feigning an anger he did not feel, said to the executioner, "I have heard that this merchant"s son is wicked and addicted to horrible crimes, so slay him without mercy as a corrupter of the realm." When the king had said this, the father interceded, and then the king appointed that the execution should be put off for two months, in order that he might learn virtue, and entrusted the merchant"s son to the custody of his father, to be brought again into his presence at the end of that time. The merchant"s son, when he had been taken home to his father"s house, was distracted with fear, and kept thinking, "What crime can I have committed against the king?" and pondering over his causeless execution which was to take place at the end of two months; and so he could get no sleep day or night, and was exhausted by taking less than his usual food at all times. Then, the reprieve of two months having expired, that merchant"s son was again taken, thin and pale, into the presence of the king. And the king seeing him in such a depressed state said to him--"Why have you become so thin? Did I order you not to eat?" When the merchant"s son heard that, he said to the king--"I forgot myself for fear, much more my food. Ever since I heard your majesty order my execution, I have been thinking every day of death slowly advancing." When the merchant"s son said this, the king said to him, "I have by an artifice made you teach yourself what the fear of death is. [436] Such must be the fear which every living creature entertains of death, and tell me what higher piety can there be than the benefit of preserving creatures from that? So I shewed you this in order that you might acquire religion and the desire of salvation, [437] for a wise man being afraid of death strives to attain salvation. Therefore you must not blame your father who follows this religion." When the merchant"s son heard this, he bowed and said to the king--"Your majesty has made me a blessed man by teaching me religion, and now a desire for salvation has arisen in me, teach me that also, my lord." When the king heard that, as it was a feast in the city, he gave a vessel full of oil into the hand of the merchant"s son and said to him, "Take this vessel in your hand and walk all round this city, and you must avoid spilling a single drop of it, my son; if you spill one drop of it, these men will immediately cut you down." [438] Having said this, the king dismissed the merchant"s son to walk round the city, ordering men with drawn swords to follow him. The merchant"s son, in his fear, took care to avoid spilling a drop of oil, and having perambulated that city with much difficulty, returned into the presence of the king. The king, when he saw that he had brought the oil without spilling it, said to him: "Did you see any one to-day, as you went along in your perambulation of the city?" When the merchant"s son heard that, he clasped his hands, and said to the king--"In truth, my lord, I neither saw nor heard any thing, for at the time when I was perambulating the city I had my undivided attention fixed on avoiding spilling a drop of oil, lest the swords should descend upon me." When the merchant"s son said this, the king said to him; "Because your whole soul was intent on looking at the oil, you saw nothing. So practise religious contemplation with the same undivided attention. For a man, who with intent concentration averts his attention from all outward operations, has intuition of the truth, and after that intuition he is not entangled again in the meshes of works. Thus I have given you in a compendious form instruction in the doctrine of salvation." Thus the king spoke and dismissed him, and the merchant"s son fell at his feet and went home rejoicing to his father"s house, having attained all his objects. This Kalingadatta, who superintended in this way the religion of his subjects, had a wife named Taradatta, of equal birth with the king, who being politic and well-conducted, was such an ornament to the king as language is to a poet, who delights in numerous ill.u.s.trations. She was meritorious for her bright qualities and was inseparable from that beloved king, being to him what the moonlight is to the moon, the receptacle of nectar. The king lived happily there with that queen, and pa.s.sed his days like Indra with Sachi in heaven.
Story of the Apsaras Surabhidatta.
At this point of my tale Indra, for some cause or other, had a great feast in heaven. All the Apsarases a.s.sembled there to dance, except one beautiful Apsaras named Surabhidatta, who was not to be seen there. Then Indra by his divine power of insight perceived her a.s.sociating in secret with a certain Vidyadhara in Nandana. When Indra saw it, wrath arose in his bosom, and he thought--"Ah! these two, blinded with love, are both wicked: the Apsaras, because forgetting us she acts in a wilful manner, the Vidyadhara, because he enters the domain of the G.o.ds and commits improprieties. Or rather, what fault is that miserable Vidyadhara guilty of? For she has enticed him here, ensnaring him with her beauty. A lovely one will sweep away with the sea of her beauty, flowing between the lofty banks of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, even one who can restrain his pa.s.sions. Was not even Siva disturbed long ago when he beheld Tilottama, whom the Creator made by taking an atom from all the n.o.blest beings? [439] And did not Visvamitra leave his asceticism when he beheld Menaka? And did not Yayati come to old age for love of Sarmishta? So this young Vidyadhara has committed no crime in allowing himself to be allured by an Apsaras with her beauty, which is able to bewilder the three worlds. [440] But this heavenly nymph is in fault, wicked creature, void of virtue, who has deserted the G.o.ds, and introduced this fellow into Nandana." Thus reflecting, the lover of Ahalya [441] spared the Vidyadhara youth, but cursed that Apsaras in the following words: "Wicked one, take upon thyself a mortal nature, but after thou hast obtained a daughter not sprung from the womb, and hast accomplished the object of the G.o.ds, thou shalt return to this heaven."
In the meanwhile Taradatta, the consort of that king in the city of Takshasila, reached the period favourable for procreation. And Surabhidatta, the Apsaras who had been degraded from heaven by the curse of Indra, was conceived in her, giving beauty to her whole body. Then Taradatta beheld in a dream a flame descending from heaven and entering into her womb; and in the morning she described with astonishment her dream to her husband, the king Kalingadatta; and he being pleased said to her,--"Queen, heavenly beings owing to a curse fall into human births, so I am persuaded that this is some divine being conceived in you. For beings, bound by various works, good and evil, are ever revolving in the state of mundane existence in these three worlds, to receive fruits blessed and miserable." When the queen was thus addressed by the king, she took the opportunity of saying to him; "It is true, actions, good and bad, have a wonderful power, producing the perception of joy and sorrow, [442] and in proof of it I will tell you this ill.u.s.tration, listen to me."
Story of king Dharmadatta and his wife Nagasri.
There once lived a king named Dharmadatta, the lord of Kosala; he had a queen named Nagasri, who was devoted to her husband and was called Arundhati on the earth, as, like her, she was the chief of virtuous women. And in course of time, O slayer of your enemies, I was born as the daughter of that king by that queen; then, while I was a mere child, that mother of mine suddenly remembered her former birth and said to her husband; "O king, I have suddenly to-day remembered my former birth; it is disagreeable to me not to tell it, but if I do tell it, it will cause my death, because they say that, if a person suddenly remembers his or her former birth and tells it, it surely brings death. Therefore, king, I feel excessively despondent." When his queen said this to him, the king answered her; "My beloved, I, like you, have suddenly remembered my former birth; therefore tell me yours, and I will tell you mine, let what will be, be; for who can alter the decree of fate." When thus urged by her husband, the queen said to him, "If you press the matter, king, then I will tell you, listen.
"In my former birth I was a well-conducted female slave in this very land, in the house of a certain Brahman named Madhava. And in that birth I had a husband named Devadasa, an excellent hired servant in the house of a certain merchant. And so we two dwelled there, having built a house that suited us, living on the cooked rice brought from the houses of our respective masters. A water vessel and a pitcher, a broom and a brazier, and I and my husband, formed three couples. We lived happy and contented in our house into which the demon of quarrelling never entered, eating the little food that remained over after we had made offerings to the G.o.ds, the manes and guests.
"And any clothes which either of us had over, we gave to some poor person or other. Then there arose a grievous famine in our country, and owing to that the allowance of food, which we had to receive every day, began to come to us in small quant.i.ties. Then our bodies became attenuated by hunger, and we began to despond in mind, when once on a time at meal-time there arrived a weary Brahman guest. To him we both gave all our own food, as much as we had, though we were in danger of our lives. When the Brahman had eaten and departed, my husband"s breath left him, as if angry that he respected a guest more than it. And then I heaped up in honour of my husband a suitable pyre, and ascended it, and so laid down the load of my own calamity. Then I was born in a royal family, and I became your queen, for the tree of good deeds produces to the righteous inconceivably glorious fruit." When his queen said this to him, the king Dharmadatta said--"Come, my beloved, I am that husband of thine in a former birth; I was that very Devadasa the merchant"s servant, for I have remembered this moment this former existence of mine." Having said this, and mentioned the tokens of his own ident.i.ty, the king, despondent and yet glad, suddenly went with his queen to heaven.
"In this way my parents went to another world, and my mother"s sister brought me to her own house to rear me, and while I was unmarried, there came there a certain Brahman guest, and my mother"s sister ordered me to wait on him. And I diligently strove to please him as Kunti to please Durvasas, and owing to a boon conferred by him, I obtained you, a virtuous husband. Thus good fortune is the result of virtue, owing to which my parents were both born at the same time in royal families, and also remembered their former birth." Having heard this speech of the queen Taradatta, the king Kalingadatta, who was exclusively devoted to righteousness, answered her, "It is true, a trifling act of righteousness duly performed will bring much fruit, and in proof of this, O queen, hear the ancient tale of the seven Brahmans."
Story of the seven Brahmans who devoured a cow in time of famine. [443]
Long ago, in a city called Kundina, a certain Brahman teacher had for pupils seven sons of Brahmans. Then that teacher, under pressure of famine, sent those pupils to ask his father-in-law, who was rich in cows, to give him one. And those pupils of his went, with their bellies pinched by hunger, to his father-in-law, who dwelt in another land, and asked him, as their teacher had ordered them, for a cow. He gave them one cow to support them, but the miserly fellow did not give them food, though they were hungry. Then they took the cow, and as they were returning and had accomplished half the journey, being excessively pained by hunger, they fell exhausted on the earth. They said--"Our teacher"s house is far off, and we are afflicted by calamity far from home, and food is hard to obtain everywhere, so it is all over with our lives. And in the same way this cow is certain to die in this wilderness without water, wood, or human beings, and our teacher will not derive even the smallest advantage from it. So let us support our lives with its flesh, and quickly restore our teacher and his family with what remains over: for it is a time of sore distress." Having thus deliberated, those seven students treated that cow as a victim, and sacrificed it on the spot according to the system prescribed in the sacred treatises. After sacrificing to the G.o.ds and manes, and eating its flesh according to the prescribed method, they went and took what remained of it to their teacher. They bowed before him, and told him all that they had done, to the letter, and he was pleased with them, because they told the truth, though they had committed a fault. And after seven days they died of famine, but because they told the truth on that occasion, they were born again with the power of remembering their former birth.
"Thus even a small germ of merit, watered with the water of holy aspiration, bears fruit to men in general, as a seed to cultivators, but the same corrupted by the water of impure aspiration bears fruit in the form of misfortune, and a propos of this I will tell you another tale, listen!"
Story of the two ascetics, one a Brahman the other a Chandala.
Once on a time two men remained for the same length of time fasting on the banks of the Ganges, one a Brahman and the other a Chandala. Of those two, the Brahman being overpowered with hunger, and seeing some Nishadas [444] come that way bringing fish and eating them, thus reflected in his folly--"O happy in the world are these fishermen, sons of female slaves though they be, for they eat to their fill of the fresh meat of fish!" But the other, who was a Chandala, thought, the moment he saw those fishermen, "Out on these destroyers of life, and devourers of raw flesh! So why should I stand here and behold their faces?" Saying this to himself, he closed his eyes and remained buried in his own thoughts. And in course of time those two, the Brahman and the Chandala, died of starvation; the Brahman was eaten by dogs on the bank, the Chandala rotted in the water of the Ganges. So that Brahman, not having disciplined his spirit, was born in the family of a fisherman, but owing to the virtue of the holy place, he remembered his former existence. As for that Chandala, who possessed self-control, and whose mind was not marred by pa.s.sion, he was born as a king in a palace on that very bank of the Ganges, and recollected his former birth. And of those two, who were born with a remembrance of their former existence, the one suffered misery being a fisherman, the other being a king enjoyed happiness.
"Such is the root of the tree of virtue; according to the purity or impurity of a man"s heart is without doubt the fruit which he receives." Having said this to the queen Taradatta, king Kalingadatta again said to her in the course of conversation,--"Moreover actions which are really distinguished by great courage produce fruit, since prosperity follows on courage; and to ill.u.s.trate this I will tell the following wonderful tale. Listen!"
Story of king Vikramasinha and the two Brahmans.
There is in Avanti a city named Ujjayini, famous in the world, which is the dwelling-place of Siva, [445] and which gleams with its white palaces as if with the peaks of Kailasa, come thither in the ardour of their devotion to the G.o.d. This vast city, profound as the sea, having a splendid emperor for its water, had hundreds of armies entering it, as hundreds of rivers flow into the sea, and was the refuge of allied kings, as the sea is of mountains that retain their wings. [446] In that city there was a king who had the name of Vikramasinha, [447] a name that thoroughly expressed his character, for his enemies were like deer and never met him in fight. And he, because he could never find any enemy to face him, became disgusted with weapons and the might of his arm, and was inwardly grieved as he never obtained the joy of battle. Then his minister Amaragupta, who discovered his longing, said to him incidentally in the course of conversation--"King, it is not hard for kings to incur guilt, if through pride in their strong arms, and confidence in their skill in the use of weapons, they even long for enemies; in this way Bana in old time, through pride in his thousand arms, propitiated Siva and asked for an enemy that was a match for him in fight, until at last his prayer was actually granted, and Vishnu became his enemy, and cut off his innumerable arms in battle. So you must not shew dissatisfaction because you do not obtain an opportunity of fighting, and a terrible enemy must never be desired. If you want to shew here your skill in weapons and your strength, shew it in the forest an appropriate field for it, and in hunting. And since kings are not generally exposed to fatigue, hunting is approved to give them exercise and excitement, but warlike expeditions are not recommended. Moreover the malignant wild animals desire that the earth should be depopulated, for this reason the king should slay them; on this ground too hunting is approved. But wild animals should not be too unremittingly pursued, for it was owing to the vice of exclusive devotion to hunting that former kings, Pandu and others, met destruction." When the wise minister Amaragupta said this to him, the king Vikramasinha approved the advice saying--"I will do so." And the next day the king went out of the city to hunt, to a district beset with horses, footmen and dogs, and where all the quarters were filled with the pitching of various nets, and he made the heaven resound with the shouts of joyous huntsmen. And as he was going out on the back of an elephant, he saw two men sitting together in private in an empty temple outside the walls. And the king, as he beheld them from afar, supposed that they were only deliberating together over something at their leisure, and pa.s.sed on to the forest where his hunting was to be. There he was delighted with the drawn swords, and with the old tigers, and the roaring of lions, and the scenery, and the elephants. He strewed that ground with pearls fallen from the nails of elephant-slaying lions whom he killed, resembling the seeds of his prowess. The deer leaping sideways, being oblique-goers, [448] went obliquely across his path; his straight-flying arrow easily transfixing them first, reached afterwards the mark of delight. And after the king had long enjoyed the sport of hunting, he returned, as his servants were weary, with slackened bowstring to the city of Ujjayini. There he saw those two men, whom he had seen as he was going out, who had remained the whole time in the temple occupied in the same way. He thought to himself--"Who are these, and why do they deliberate so long? Surely they must be spies, having a long talk over secrets." So he sent his warder, and had those men captured and brought into his presence, and then thrown into prison. And the next day he had them brought into his judgement-hall, and asked them--"Who are you and why did you deliberate together so long?" When the king in person asked them this, they entreated him to spare their lives, and one of these young men began to say; "Hear, O king, I will now tell the whole story as it happened.
"There lived a Brahman, of the name of Karabhaka, in this very city of yours. I, whom you see here, am the son of that learned student of the Vedas, born by his propitiating the G.o.d of fire in order to obtain a heroic son. And, when my father went to heaven, and his wife followed him, [449] I being a mere boy, though I had learned the sciences, abandoned the course of life suited to my caste, because I was friendless. And I set myself to practise gaming and the use of arms; what boy does not become self-willed if he is not kept in order by some superior? And, having pa.s.sed my childhood in this way, I acquired overweening confidence in my prowess, and went one day to the forest to practise archery. And while I was thus engaged, a bride came out of the city in a covered palanquin, surrounded by many attendants of the bridegroom. And suddenly an elephant, that had broken its chain, came from some quarter or other at that very moment, and attacked that bride in its fury. And through fear of that elephant, all those cowardly attendants and her husband with them deserted the bride, and fled in all directions. When I saw that, I immediately said to myself in my excitement,--"What! have these miserable wretches left this unfortunate woman alone? So I must defend this unprotected lady from this elephant. For what is the use of life or courage, unless employed to succour the unfortunate?" Thus reflecting I raised a shout and ran towards that huge elephant; and the elephant, abandoning the woman, charged down upon me. Then I, before the eyes of that terrified woman, shouted and ran, and so drew off that elephant to a distance, at last I got hold of a bough of a tree thickly covered with leaves, which had been broken off, and covering myself with it, I went into the middle of the tree; and placing the bough in front of me, I escaped by a dexterous oblique movement, while the elephant trampled the bough to pieces. Then I quickly went to that lady, who remained terrified there, and asked her whether she had escaped without injury. She, when she saw me, said with afflicted and yet joyful manner; "How can I be said to be uninjured, now that I have been bestowed on this coward, who has deserted me in such straits, and fled somewhere or other; but so far at any rate I am uninjured, that I again behold you unharmed. So my husband is nothing to me; you henceforth are my husband, by whom regardless of your life, I have been delivered from the jaws of death. And here I see my husband coming with his servants, so follow us slowly; for when we get an opportunity, you and I will elope somewhere together." When she said this, I consented. I ought to have thought--"Though this woman is beautiful, and flings herself at my head, yet she is the wife of another; what have I to do with her?" But this is the course of calm self-restraint, not of ardent youth. And in a moment her husband came up and greeted her, and she proceeded to continue her journey with him and his servants. And I, without being detected, followed her through her long journey, being secretly supplied with provisions for the journey by her, though I pa.s.sed for some one unconnected with her. And she, throughout the journey, falsely a.s.serted that she suffered pain in her limbs, from a strain produced by falling in her terror at the elephant, and so avoided even touching her husband. A pa.s.sionate woman, like a female snake, terrible from the condensed venom she acc.u.mulates within, will never, if injured, neglect to wreak her vengeance. And in course of time we reached the city of Lohanagara, where was the house of the husband of that woman, who lived by trading. And we all remained during that day in a temple outside the walls. And there I met my friend this second Brahman. And though we had never met before, we felt a confidence in one another at first sight; the heart of creatures recognises friendships formed in a previous birth. Then I told him all my secret. When he heard it, he said to me of his own accord; "Keep the matter quiet, I know of a device by which you can attain the object for which you came here; I know here the sister of this lady"s husband. She is ready to fly from this place with me, and take her wealth with her. So with her help I will accomplish your object for you."
"When the Brahman had said this to me, he departed, and secretly informed the merchant"s wife"s sister-in-law of the whole matter. And on the next day the sister-in-law, according to arrangement, came with her brother"s wife and introduced her into the temple. And while we were there, she made my friend at that very time, which was the middle of the day, put on the dress of her brother"s wife. And she took him so disguised into the city, and went into the house in which her brother lived, after arranging what we were to do. But I left the temple, and fleeing with the merchant"s wife dressed as a man, reached at last this city of Ujjayini. And her sister-in-law at night fled with my friend from that house, in which there had been a feast, and so the people were in a drunken sleep.
"And then he came with her by stealthy journeys to this city; so we met here. In this way we two have obtained our two wives in the bloom of youth, the sister-in-law and her brother"s wife, who bestowed themselves on us out of affection. Consequently, king, we are afraid to dwell anywhere; for whose mind is at ease after performing deeds of reckless temerity? So the king saw us yesterday from a distance, while we were debating about a place to dwell in, and how we should subsist. And your majesty, seeing us, had us brought and thrown into prison on the suspicion of being thieves, and to-day we have been questioned about our history, and I have just told it; now it is for your highness to dispose of us at pleasure." When one of them had said this, the king Vikramasinha said to those two Brahmans,--"I am satisfied, do not be afraid, remain in this city, and I will give you abundance of wealth." When the king had said this, he gave them as much to live on as they wished, and they lived happily in his court accompanied by their wives.
"Thus prosperity dwells for men even in questionable deeds, if they are the outcome of great courage, and thus kings, being satisfied, take pleasure in giving to discreet men who are rich in daring. And thus this whole created world with the G.o.ds and demons will always reap various fruits, corresponding exactly to their own stock of deeds good or bad, performed in this or in a former birth. So rest a.s.sured, queen, that the flame which was seen by you falling from heaven in your dream, and apparently entering your womb, is some creature of divine origin, that owing to some influence of its works has been conceived in you." The pregnant queen Taradatta, when she heard this from the mouth of her own husband Kalingadatta, was exceedingly delighted.