The Kathá Sarit Ságara

[Dark Saint Alaick]

The Kathá Sarit Ságara

or Ocean of the Streams of Story


by Somadeva Bhatta

Translator: C.H. Tawney

[Dark Saint Alaick]

BOOK I.

CALLED KATH�P�THA


CHAPTER I.


May the dark neck of Siva, which the god of love has, so to speak,
surrounded with nooses in the form of the alluring looks of PárvatÃ*
reclining on his bosom, assign to you prosperity.

May that victor of obstacles, [1] who after sweeping away the stars
with his trunk in the delirious joy of the evening dance, seems to
create others with the spray issuing from his hissing [2] mouth,
protect you.

After worshipping the goddess of Speech, the lamp that illuminates
countless objects, [3] I compose this collection which contains the
pith of the VrÃ*hat-Kathá.

[Dark Saint Alaick]

The first book in my collection is called KathápÃ*tha, then comes
Kathámukha, then the third book named Lávánaka, then follows
Naraváhanadattajanana, and then the book called Chaturdáriká, and then
Madanamanchuká, then the seventh book named Ratnaprabhá, and then the
eighth book named Súryaprabhá, then AlankáravatÃ*, then Saktiyasas,
and then the eleventh book called Velá, then comes SasánkavatÃ*,
and then MadirávatÃ*, then comes the book called Pancha followed by
Mahábhisheka, and then SuratamanjarÃ*, then PadmávatÃ*, and then will
follow the eighteenth book VishamasÃ*la.

This book is precisely on the model of that from which it is taken,
there is not even the slightest deviation, only such language is
selected as tends to abridge the prolixity of the work; the observance
of propriety and natural connexion, and the joining together of the
portions of the poem so as not to interfere with the spirit of the
stories, are as far as possible kept in view: I have not made this
attempt through desire of a reputation for ingenuity, but in order
to facilitate the recollection of a multitude of various tales.

[Dark Saint Alaick]

There is a mountain celebrated under the name of Himavat, haunted
by Kinnaras, Gandharvas, and Vidyádharas, a very monarch of mighty
hills, whose glory has attained such an eminence among mountains that
BhavánÃ* the mother of the three worlds deigned to become his daughter;
the northernmost summit thereof is a great peak named Kailása,
which towers many thousand yojanas in the air, [4] and as it were,
laughs forth with its snowy gleams this boast--"Mount Mandara [5] did
not become white as mortar even when the ocean was churned with it,
but I have become such without an effort." There dwells Mahesvara
the beloved of PárvatÃ*, the chief of things animate and inanimate,
attended upon by Ganas, Vidyádharas and Siddhas. In the upstanding
yellow tufts of his matted hair, the new moon enjoys the delight of
touching the eastern mountain yellow in the evening twilight. When he
drove his trident into the heart of Andhaka, the king of the Asuras,
though he was only one, the dart which that monarch had infixed in the
heart of the three worlds was, strange to say, extracted. The image
of his toe-nails being reflected in the crest-jewels of the gods and
Asuras made them seem as if they had been presented with half moons
by his favour. [6] Once on a time that lord, the husband of PárvatÃ*,
was gratified with praises by his wife, having gained confidence as
she sat in secret with him; the moon-crested one attentive to her
praise and delighted, placed her on his lap, and said, "What can I do
to please thee?" Then the daughter of the mountain spake--"My lord,
if thou art satisfied with me, then tell me some delightful story that
is quite new." And Siva said to her, "What can there be in the world,
my beloved, present, past, or future that thou dost not know?" Then
that goddess, beloved of Siva, importuned him eagerly because she
was proud in soul on account of his affection.

[Dark Saint Alaick]

Then Siva wishing to flatter her, began by telling her a very short
story, referring to her own divine power.

"Once on a time [7] Brahmá and Náráyana roaming through the world
in order to behold me, came to the foot of Himavat. Then they beheld
there in front of them a great flame-linga; [8] in order to discover
the end of it, one of them went up, and the other down; and when
they could not find the end of it, they proceeded to propitiate
me by means of austerities: and I appeared to them and bade them
ask for some boon: hearing that Brahmá asked me to become his son;
on that account he has ceased to be worthy of worship, disgraced by
his overweening presumption.

"Then that god Náráyana craved a boon of me, saying--Oh revered one,
may I become devoted to thy service! Then he became incarnate, and
was born as mine in thy form; for thou art the same as Náráyana,
the power of me all-powerful.

[Dark Saint Alaick]

"Moreover thou wast my wife in a former birth." When Siva had thus
spoken, PárvatÃ* asked, "How can I have been thy wife in a former
birth?" Then Siva answered her. "Long ago to the Prajápati Daksha
were born many daughters, and amongst them thou, O goddess! He gave
thee in marriage to me, and the others to Dharma and the rest of the
gods. Once on a time he invited all his sons-in-law to a sacrifice. But
I alone was not included in the invitation; thereupon thou didst ask
him to tell thee why thy husband was not invited. Then he uttered a
speech which pierced thy ears like a poisoned needle; 'Thy husband
wears a necklace of skulls; how can he be invited to a sacrifice?'


"And then thou, my beloved, didst in anger abandon thy body,
exclaiming,--'This father of mine is a villain; what profit have I
then in this carcase sprung from him?'

[Dark Saint Alaick]

"And thereupon in wrath I destroyed that sacrifice of Daksha. Then
thou wast born as the daughter of the mount of snow, as the moon's
digit springs from the sea. Then recall how I came to the Himálaya
in order to perform austerities; and thy father ordered thee to do
me service as his guest: and there the god of love who had been sent
by the gods in order that they might obtain from me a son to oppose
Táraka, was consumed, [9] when endeavouring to pierce me, having
obtained a favourable opportunity. Then I was purchased by thee,
[10] the enduring one, with severe austerities, and I accepted this
proposal of thine, my beloved, in order that I might add this merit
to my stock. [11] Thus it is clear that thou wast my wife in a former
birth. What else shall I tell thee?" Thus Siva spake, and when he had
ceased, the goddess transported with wrath, exclaimed,--"Thou art a
deceiver; thou wilt not tell me a pleasing tale even though I ask thee:
Do I not know that thou worshippest Sandhyá, and bearest Gangá on thy
head?" Hearing that, Siva proceeded to conciliate her and promised to
tell her a wonderful tale: then she dismissed her anger. She herself
gave the order that no one was to enter where they were; Nandin [12]
thereupon kept the door, and Siva began to speak.

[Dark Saint Alaick]

"The gods are supremely blessed, men are ever miserable, the actions
of demigods are exceedingly charming, therefore I now proceed to
relate to thee the history of the Vidyádharas." While Siva was thus
speaking to his consort, there arrived a favourite dependant of Siva's,
Pushpadanta, best of Ganas, [13] and his entrance was forbidden by
Nandin who was guarding the door. Curious to know why even he had
been forbidden to enter at that time without any apparent reason,
Pushpadanta immediately entered, making use of his magic power attained
by devotion to prevent his being seen, and when he had thus entered,
he heard all the extraordinary and wonderful adventures of the seven
Vidyádharas being narrated by the trident-bearing god, and having heard
them he in turn went and narrated them to his wife Jayá; for who can
hide wealth or a secret from women? Jayá the doorkeeper being filled
with wonder went and recited it in the presence of PárvatÃ*. How can
women be expected to restrain their speech? And then the daughter of
the mountain flew into a passion, and said to her husband, "Thou didst
not tell me any extraordinary tale, for Jayá knows it also." Then the
lord of Umá, perceiving the truth by profound meditation, thus spake:
"Pushpadanta employing the magic power of devotion entered in where
we were, and thus managed to hear it. He narrated it to Jayá; no one
else knows it, my beloved."

[Dark Saint Alaick]

Having heard this, the goddess exceedingly enraged caused Pushpadanta
to be summoned, and cursed him, as he stood trembling before her,
saying, "Become a mortal thou disobedient servant." [14] She cursed
also the Gana Mályaván who presumed to intercede on his behalf. Then
the two fell at her feet together with Jayá and entreated her to say
when the curse would end, and the wife of Siva slowly uttered this
speech--"A Yaksha named SupratÃ*ka who has been made a Pisácha by the
curse of Kuvera is residing in the Vindhya forest under the name of
Kánabhúti. When thou shalt see him and, calling to mind thy origin,
tell him this tale, then, Pushpadanta, thou shalt be released from
this curse. And when Mályaván shall hear this tale from Kánabhúti,
then Kánabhúti shall be released, and thou, Mályaván, when thou
hast published it abroad, shalt be free also." Having thus spoken
the daughter of the mountain ceased, and immediately those Ganas
disappeared instantaneously like flashes of lightning. Then it came
to pass in the course of time that GaurÃ* full of pity asked Siva,
"My lord, where on the earth have those excellent Pramathas [15] whom
I cursed, been born?" And the moon-diademed god answered: "My beloved,
Pushpadanta has been born under the name of Vararuchi in that great
city which is called KausámbÃ*. [16] Moreover Mályaván also has been
born in the splendid city called Supratishthita under the name of
Gunádhya. This, O goddess, is what has befallen them." Having given
her this information with grief caused by recalling to mind the
degradation of the servants that had always been obedient to him,
that lord continued to dwell with his beloved in pleasure-arbours on
the slopes of mount Kailása, which were made of the branches of the
Kalpa tree. [17]

[Dark Saint Alaick]

CHAPTER II.


Then Pushpadanta wandering on the earth in the form of a man,
was known by the name of Vararuchi and Kátyáyana. Having attained
perfection in the sciences, and having served Nanda as minister,
being wearied out he went once on a time to visit the shrine of
Durgá. [18] And that goddess, being pleased with his austerities,
ordered him in a dream to repair to the wilds of the Vindhya to
behold Kánabhúti. And as he wandered about there in a waterless
and savage wood, [19] full of tigers and apes, he beheld a lofty
Nyagrodha tree. [20] And near it he saw, surrounded by hundreds of
Pisáchas, that Pisácha Kánabhúti, in stature like a Sála tree. When
Kánabhúti had seen him and respectfully clasped his feet, Kátyáyana
sitting down immediately spake to him. "Thou art an observer of the
good custom; how hast thou come into this state?" Having heard this
Kánabhúti said to Kátyáyana, who had shewn affection towards him, "I
know not of myself, but listen to what I heard from Siva at UjjayinÃ*
in the place where corpses are burnt; I proceed to tell it thee." The
adorable god was asked by Durgá--"Whence, my lord, comes thy delight
in skulls and burning-places?" He thereupon gave this answer.