previous births, and this being the case, who can avoid a destiny
that is fated to him, and who can prevent such a destiny's befalling
anybody? Therefore, king, it is clear that this Suratamanjarí is
some excellent being that was the wife of your son Avantivardhana in
a previous birth, and is therefore destined to be his wife again;
otherwise how could such a high-born prince have formed such an
attachment for her, a woman of the Mátanga caste? So let this Mátanga,
her father Utpalahasta, be asked to give the prince his daughter;
and let us see what he says."
When I had said this to king Pálaka, he at once sent messengers to
Utpalahasta to ask for his daughter. And the Mátanga, when entreated
by those messengers to give her in marriage, answered them, "I approve
of this alliance, but I must give my daughter Suratamanjarí to the
man who makes eighteen thousand of the Bráhmans, that dwell in this
city, eat in my house." When the messengers heard this speech of
the Mátanga's, that contained a solemn promise, they went back and
reported it faithfully to king Pálaka.
Thinking that there was some reason for this, [632] the king called
together all the Bráhmans in the city of Ujjayiní, and telling them
the whole story, said to them, "So you must eat here in the house of
the Mátanga Utpalahasta, eighteen thousand of you; I will not have
it otherwise." When the Bráhmans had been thus commanded by the king,
being at the same time afraid of touching the food of a Chandála, and
therefore at a loss what to do, they went to the shrine of Mahákála
and performed self-torture. Then the god Siva, who was present there
in the form of Mahákála, commanded those Bráhmans in a dream, saying,
"Eat food here in the house of the Mátanga Utpalahasta, for he is
a Vidyádhara; neither he nor his family are Chandálas." Then those
Bráhmans rose up and went to the king, and told him the dream, and
went on to say, "So let this Utpalahasta cook pure food for us in some
place outside the quarter of the Chandálas, and then we will eat it at
his hands." When the king heard this, he had another house made for
Utpalahasta, and being highly delighted, he had food cooked for him
there by pure cooks: and then eighteen thousand Bráhmans ate there,
while Utpalahasta stood in front of them, bathed, and clothed in a
pure garment.
And after they had eaten, Utpalahasta came to king Pálaka, in the
presence of his subjects, and bowing before him, said to him, "There
was an influential prince of the Vidyádharas, named Gaurímunda; I was
a dependent of his, named Matangadeva; and when, king, that daughter
of mine Suratamanjarí had been born, Gaurímunda secretly said to me,
'The gods assert that this son of the king of Vatsa, who is called
Naraváhanadatta, is to be our emperor: so go quickly, and kill that
foe of ours by means of your magic power, before be has attained the
dignity of emperor.'
"When the wicked Gaurímunda had sent me on this errand, I went to
execute it, and while going along through the air, I saw Siva in
front of me. The god, being displeased, made an angry roar, and
immediately pronounced on me this curse, 'How is it, villain, that
thou dost plot evil against a noble-minded man? So go, wicked one,
and fall with this same body of thine into the midst of the Chandálas
in Ujjayiní, together with thy wife and daughter. And when some one
shall make eighteen thousand of the Bráhmans, that dwell in that city,
eat in thy house by way of a gift to purchase thy daughter; then thy
curse shall come to an end, and thou must marry thy daughter to the
man who bestows on thee that gift.'
"When Siva had said this, he disappeared, and I, that very Matangadeva,
assuming the name of Utpalahasta, fell among men of the lowest caste,
but I do not mix with them. However, my curse is now at an end, owing
to the favour of your son, so I give him my daughter Suratamanjarí. And
now I will go to my own dwelling-place among the Vidyádharas, in order
to pay my respects to the emperor Naraváhanadatta." When Matangadeva
had said this, he solemnly gave the prince his daughter, and flying
up into the air with his wife, repaired, king, to thy feet.
"And king Pálaka, having thus ascertained the truth, celebrated with
great delight the marriage of Suratamanjarí and his son. And his
son Avantivardhana, having obtained that Vidyádharí for a wife, felt
himself fortunate in having gained more than he had ever hoped for.
"Now, one day, that prince went to sleep on the top of the palace with
her and at the end of the night he woke up, and suddenly discovered
that his beloved was nowhere to be seen. He looked for her, but could
not find her anywhere, and then he lamented, and was so much afflicted
that his father the king came, and was exceedingly discomposed. We all,
being assembled there at that time, said, 'This city is well-guarded,
no stranger could enter it during the night; no doubt she must have
been carried off by some evilly disposed wanderer of the air;' and
even while we were saying that, your servant the Vidyádhara Dhúmasikha
descended from the sky. He brought here this prince Avantivardhana,
and king Pálaka also was asked to part with me, in order that I
might state the facts of the case. Here too is Suratamanjarí with
her father, and the facts concerning her are such as I have said:
your Majesty is the best judge of what ought to be done now."
When Bharataroha the minister of Pálaka had told this tale, he
stopped speaking; and the assessors put this question to Matangadeva
in the presence of Naraváhanadatta, "Tell us, to whom did you give
this daughter of yours Suratamanjarí?" He answered, "I gave her to
Avantivardhana." Then they put this question to Ityaka, "Now do you
tell us why you carried her off?" He answered, "Her mother promised her
to me originally." The assessors said to Ityaka, "While the father is
alive, what authority has the mother? Moreover, where is your witness
to prove the fact of the mother having promised her to you? So she
is with regard to you the wife of another, villain!" When Ityaka was
thus put to silence by the assessors, the emperor Naraváhanadatta,
being angry with him, ordered his immediate execution on the ground
of his misconduct. But the good hermits, with Kasyapa at their head,
came and entreated him, saying, "Forgive now this one fault of his:
for he is the son of Madanavega, and therefore your brother-in-law." So
the king was at last induced to spare his life, and let him off with
a severe reprimand.
And he reunited that son of his maternal uncle, Avantivardhana, to
his wife, and sent them off with their ministers to their own city,
in the care of Váyupatha.
CHAPTER CXIII.
When Naraváhanadatta on the Black Mountain had thus taken away
the virtuous Suratamanjarí from his brother-in-law Ityaka, who had
carried her off, and had reprimanded him, and had given her back to
her husband, and was sitting in the midst of the hermits, the sage
Kasyapa came and said to him, "There never was, king, and there never
will be an emperor like you, since you do not allow passion and other
feelings of the kind to influence your mind, when you are sitting
on the seat of judgment. Fortunate are they who ever behold such a
righteous lord as you are; for, though your empire is such as it is,
no fault can be found with you.
"There were in former days Rishabha and other emperors; and they,
being seized with various faults, were ruined and fell from their
high estate. Rishabha, and Sarvadamana, and the third Bandhujívaka,
all these, through excessive pride, were punished by Indra. And the
Vidyádhara prince Jímútaváhana, when the sage Nárada came and asked
him the reason of his obtaining the rank of emperor, told him how he
gave away the wishing-tree and his own body, [633] and thus he fell
from his high position by revealing his own virtuous deeds. And the
sovereign named Visvántara, who was emperor here, he too, when his son
Indívaráksha had been slain by Vasantatilaka, the king of Chedi, for
seducing his wife, being wanting in self-control, died on account of
the distracting sorrow which he felt for the death of his wicked son.
"But Tárávaloka alone, who was by birth a mighty human king, and
obtained by his virtuous deeds the imperial sovereignty over the
Vidyádharas, long enjoyed the high fortune of empire without falling
into sin, and at last abandoned it of his own accord, out of distaste
for all worldly pleasures, and went to the forest. Thus in old times
did most of the Vidyádhara emperors, puffed up with the attainment
of their high rank, abandon the right path, and fall, blinded with
passion. So you must always be on your guard against slipping from the
path of virtue, and you must take care that your Vidyádhara subjects
do not swerve from righteousness."
When the hermit Kasyapa said this to Naraváhanadatta, the latter
approved his speech, and said to him with deferential courtesy,
"How did Tárávaloka, being a man, obtain in old time the sway over the
Vidyádharas? Tell me, reverend Sir." When Kasyapa heard this, he said,
"Listen, I will tell you his story."
Story of Tárávaloka.
There lived among the Sivis [634] a king of the name of Chandrávaloka;
that sovereign had a head-wife named Chandralekhá. Her race was as
spotless as the sea of milk, she was pure herself, and in character
like the Ganges. And he had a great elephant that trampled the armies
of his enemies, known on the earth as Kuvalayapída. Owing to the
might of that elephant, the king was never conquered by any enemy in
his realm, in which the real power was in the hands of the subjects.
And when his youth came to an end, that king had a son, with auspicious
marks, born to him by his queen Chandralekhá. He gave the son the
name of Tárávaloka, and he gradually grew up, and his inborn virtues
of liberality, self-control, and discernment grew with him. And
the mighty-minded youth learnt the meaning of all words except one;
but he was so liberal to suppliants that he cannot be said ever to
have learnt the meaning of the word "No." Gradually he became old
in actions, though young in years; and though like the sun in fire
of valour, he was exceedingly pleasing to look at; [635] like the
full moon, he became beautiful by the possession of all noble parts;
like the god of Love, he excited the longing of the whole world;
in obedience to his father he came to surpass Jímútaváhana, and he
was distinctly marked with the signs of a great emperor.
Then his father, the king Chandrávaloka, brought for that son of his
the daughter of the king of the Madras, named Mádrí. And when he was
married, his father, pleased with the supereminence of his virtues,
at once appointed him Crown-prince. And when Tárávaloka had been
appointed Crown-prince, he had made, with his father's permission,
alms-houses for the distribution of food and other necessaries. And
every day, the moment he got up, he mounted the elephant Kuvalayapída,
and went round to inspect those alms-houses. [636] To whosoever
asked anything he was ready to give it, even if it were his own life:
in this way the fame of that Crown-prince spread in every quarter.
Then he had two twin sons born to him by Mádrí, and the father
called them Ráma and Lakshmana. And the boys grew like the love
and joy of their parents, and they were dearer than life to their
grandparents. And Tárávaloka and Mádrí were never tired of looking
at them, as they bent before them, being filled with virtue, like
two bows of the prince, being strung. [637]
Then the enemies of Tárávaloka, seeing his elephant Kuvalayapída, his
two sons, and his reputation for generosity, said to their Bráhmans,
"Go and ask Tárávaloka to give you his elephant Kuvalayapída. If
he gives it you, we shall be able to take from him his kingdom,
as he will be deprived of that bulwark; if he refuses to give it,
his reputation for generosity will be at an end." When the Bráhmans
had been thus entreated, they consented, and asked Tárávaloka, that
hero of generosity, for that elephant. Tárávaloka said to himself,
"What do Bráhmans mean by asking for a mighty elephant? So I know for
certain that they have been put up to asking me by some one. Happen
what will, I must give them my splendid elephant, for how can I let a
suppliant go away without obtaining his desire, while I live?" After
going through these reflections, Tárávaloka gave the elephant to
those Bráhmans with unwavering mind.
Then Chandrávaloka's subjects, seeing that splendid elephant being
led away by those Bráhmans, went in a rage to the king, and said,
"Your son has now abandoned this kingdom, and surrendering all
his rights has taken upon him the vow of a hermit. For observe,
he has given to some suppliants this great elephant Kuvalayapída,
the foundation of the kingdom's prosperity, that scatters with its
mere smell all other elephants. So you must either send your son
to the forest to practise asceticism, or take back the elephant,
or else we will set up another king in your place." [638]
When Chandrávaloka had been thus addressed by the citizens, he sent his
son a message in accordance with their demands through the warder. When
his son Tárávaloka heard that, he said, "As for the elephant, I have
given it away, and it is my principle to refuse nothing to suppliants;
but what do I care for such a throne as this, which is under the thumb
of the subjects, or for a royal dignity which does not benefit others,
[639] and anyhow is transient as the lightning? So it is better for
me to live in the forest, among trees which give the fortune of their
fruits to be enjoyed by all, and not here among such beasts of men as
these subjects are." [640] When Tárávaloka had said this, he assumed
the dress of bark, and after kissing the feet of his parents and
giving away all his wealth to suppliants, he went out from his own
city, accompanied by his wife, who was firm in the same resolution
as himself, and his two children, comforting, as well as he could,
the weeping Bráhmans. Even beasts and birds, when they saw him setting
forth, wept so piteously that the earth was bedewed with their rain
of tears.
Then Tárávaloka went on his way, with no possessions but a chariot and
horses for the conveyance of his children; but some other Bráhmans
asked him for the horses belonging to the chariot; he gave them to
them immediately, and drew the chariot himself, with the assistance
of his wife to convey those tender young sons to the forest. Then,
as he was wearied out in the middle of the forest, another Bráhman
came up to him, and asked him for his horseless chariot. He gave it to
him without the slightest hesitation, and the resolute fellow, going
along on his feet, with his wife and sons, at last with difficulty
reached the grove of mortification. There he took up his abode at
the foot of a tree, and lived with deer for his only retinue, nobly
waited on by his wife Mádrí. And the forest regions ministered to
the heroic prince, while living in this kingdom of devotion; their
clusters of flowers waving in the wind were his beautiful chowries,
broad-shaded trees were his umbrellas, leaves his bed, rocks his
thrones, bees his singing-women, and various fruits his savoury viands.
Now, one day, his wife Mádrí left the hermitage to gather fruits
and flowers for him with her own hands, and a certain old Bráhman
came and asked Tárávaloka, who was in his hut, for his sons Ráma and
Lakshmana. Tárávaloka said to himself, "I shall be better able to
endure letting these sons of mine, though they are quite infants, be
led away, [641] than I could possibly manage to endure the sending a
suppliant away disappointed: the fact is, cunning fate is eager to see
my resolution give way": then he gave those sons to the Bráhman. And
when the Bráhman tried to take them away, they refused to go; then
he tied their hands and beat them with creepers; and as the cruel man
took them away, they kept crying for their mother, and turning round
and looking at their father with tearful eyes. Even when Tárávaloka
saw that, he was unmoved, but the whole world of animate and inanimate
existences was moved at his fortitude.
Then the virtuous Mádrí slowly returned tired from a remote part of the
forest to her husband's hermitage, bringing with her flowers, fruits
and roots. And she saw her husband, who had his face sadly fixed
on the ground, but she could not see anywhere those sons of hers,
though their toys, in the form of horses, chariots, and elephants
of clay, were scattered about. Her heart foreboded calamity, and she
said excitedly to her husband "Alas! I am ruined! Where are my little
sons?" Her husband slowly answered her, "Blameless one, I gave those
two little sons away to a poor Bráhman, who asked for them." When
the good lady heard that, she rose superior to her distraction,
and said to her husband, "Then you did well: how could you allow a
suppliant to go away disappointed?" When she said this, the equally
matched goodness of that married couple made the earth tremble,
and the throne of Indra rock.
Then Indra saw by his profound meditation that the world was
made to tremble by virtue of the heroic generosity of Mádrí and
Tárávaloka. Then he assumed the form of a Bráhman, and went to
Tárávaloka's hermitage, to prove him, and asked him for his only
wife Mádrí. And Tárávaloka was preparing to give without hesitation,
by the ceremony of pouring water over the hands, [642] that lady who
had been his companion in the wild forest, when Indra, thus disguised
as a Bráhman, said to him, "Royal sage, what object do you mean
to attain by giving away a wife like this?" Then Tárávaloka said,
"I have no object in view, Bráhman; so much only do I desire, that I
may ever give away to Bráhmans even my life." When Indra heard this,
he resumed his proper shape, and said to him, "I have made proof of
thee, and I am satisfied with thee; so I say to thee, thou must not
again give away thy wife; and soon thou shalt be made emperor over
all the Vidyádharas." When the god had said this, he disappeared.
In the meanwhile that old Bráhman took with him those sons of
Tárávaloka, whom he had received as a Bráhman's fee, and losing
his way, arrived, as Fate would have it, at the city of that
king Chandrávaloka, and proceeded to sell those princes in the
market. Then the citizens recognised those two boys, and went and
informed king Chandrávaloka, and took them with the Bráhman into his
presence. The king, when he saw his grandsons, shed tears, and after
he had questioned the Bráhman, and had heard the state of the case
from him, he was for a long time divided between joy and grief. Then,
perceiving the exceeding virtue of his son, he at once ceased to
care about a kingdom, though his subjects entreated him to remain,
but with his wealth he bought those two grandsons from the Bráhman,
and taking them with him, went with his retinue to the hermitage of
his son Tárávaloka.
There he saw him with matted hair, wearing a dress of bark, looking
like a great tree, the advantages of which are enjoyed by birds coming
from every quarter, for he in like manner had bestowed all he had
upon expectant Bráhmans. [643] That son ran towards him, while still
a long way off, and fell at his feet, and his father bedewed him with
tears, and took him up on his lap; and thus gave him a foretaste of
his ascent of the throne, as emperor over the Vidyádharas, after the
solemn sprinkling with water.
Then the king gave back to Tárávaloka his sons Ráma and Lakshmana,
saying that he had purchased them, and while they were relating to one
another their adventures, an elephant with four tusks and the goddess
Lakshmí descended from heaven. And when the chiefs of the Vidyádharas
had also descended, Lakshmí, lotus in hand, said to that Tárávaloka,
"Mount this elephant, and come to the country of the Vidyádharas,
and there enjoy the imperial dignity [644] earned by your great
generosity."
When Lakshmí said this, Tárávaloka, after bowing at the feet of his
father, mounted that celestial elephant, with her, and his wife,
and his sons, in the sight of all the inhabitants of the hermitage,
and surrounded by the kings of the Vidyádharas went through the air
to their domain. There the distinctive sciences of the Vidyádharas
repaired to him, and he long enjoyed supreme sway, but at last
becoming disgusted with all worldly pleasures, he retired to a forest
of ascetics.
"Thus Tárávaloka, though a man, acquired in old time by his deeds of
spotless virtue the sovereignty of all the Vidyádharas. But others,
after acquiring it, lost it by their offences: so be on your guard
against unrighteous conduct either on your own part or on that of
another." [645]
When the hermit Kasyapa had told this story, and had thus admonished
Naraváhanadatta, that emperor promised to follow his advice. And
he had a royal proclamation made all round the mountain of Siva, to
the following effect, "Listen, Vidyádharas; whoever of my subjects
after this commits an unrighteous act, will certainly be put to
death by me." The Vidyádharas received his commands with implicit
submission, and his glory was widely diffused on account of his causing
Suratamanjarí to be set at liberty; and so he lived with his retinue
in the hermitage of that excellent sage, on the Black Mountain, [646]
in the society of his maternal uncle, and in this manner spent the
rainy season.
BOOK XVII.
CHAPTER CXIV.
Glory to Siva, who assumes various forms; who, though his beloved
takes up half his body, [647] is an ascetic, free from qualities,
the due object of a world's adoration! We worship Ganesa, who, when
fanning away the cloud of bees, that flies up from his trunk, with
his flapping ears, seems to be dispersing the host of obstacles.
Thus Naraváhanadatta, who had been established in the position of
lord paramount over all the kings of the Vidyádharas, remained on that
Black Mountain in order to get through the rainy season, spending the
time in the hermitage of that sage Kasyapa, and in the society of his
maternal uncle Gopálaka, who was living the life of an ascetic. He
was accompanied by his ministers, and surrounded by twenty-five of
his wives, and attended by various Vidyádhara princes, and he occupied
himself in telling tales. One day, the hermits and his wives said to
him, "Tell us now! When Mánasavega took away queen Madanamanchuká by
his magic power, who amused you impatient of separation, and how did
he do it?"
When Naraváhanadatta had been asked this question by those hermits
and by his wives, he proceeded to speak as follows; "Can I tell now
how great grief I endured, when I found out that that wicked enemy
had carried off my queen? There was no building, and no garden,
or room, into which I did not roam seeking for her in my grief,
and all my ministers with me. Then I sat down, as if beside myself,
in a garden at the foot of a tree, and Gomukha, having obtained
his opportunity, said to me, in order to console me, 'Do not be
despondent, my sovereign; you will soon recover the queen; for the
gods promised that you should rule the Vidyádharas with her as your
consort; that must turn out as the gods predicted, for their promises
are never falsified; and resolute men, after enduring separation,
obtain reunion with those they love. Were not Rámabhadra, king Nala,
and your own grandfather, [648] after enduring separation, reunited
to their beloved wives? And was not Muktáphalaketu, emperor of the
Vidyádharas, reunited to Padmávatí, after he had been separated
from her? And now listen, king; I will tell you the story of that
couple.' When Gomukha had said this, he told me the following tale."
Story of king Brahmadatta and the Swans. [649]
There is in this country a city famous over the earth by the name of
Váránasí, which, like the body of Siva, is adorned with the Ganges, and
bestows emancipation. With the flags on its temples swayed up and down
by the wind, it seems to be ever saying to men "Come hither, and attain
salvation." With the pinnacles of its white palaces it looks like the
plateau of mount Kailása, the habitation of the god with the moon for
a diadem, and it is full of troops of Siva's devoted servants. [650]
In that city there lived of old time a king named Brahmadatta, [651]
exclusively devoted to Siva, a patron of Bráhmans, brave, generous,
and compassionate. His commands passed current through the earth,
they stumbled not in rocky defiles, they were not whelmed in seas,
there were no continents which they did not cross. He had a queen named
Somaprabhá, [652] who was dear and delightful to him as the moonlight
to the chakora, and he was as eager to drink her in with his eyes. And
he had a Bráhman minister named Sivabhúti, equal to Vrihaspati in
intellect, who had fathomed the meaning of all the Sástras.
One night, that king, as he was lying on a bed on the top of a palace
exposed to the rays of the moon, saw a couple of swans crossing
through the air, with bodies of gleaming gold, looking like two
golden lotuses opened in the water of the heavenly Ganges, [653]
and attended by a train of king-geese. When that wonderful pair had
passed from his eyes, the king was for a long time afflicted, and his
mind was full of regret at no longer enjoying that sight. He passed
that night without sleeping, and next morning he told his minister
Sivabhúti what he had seen, and said to him, "So, if I cannot feast
my eyes on those golden swans to my heart's content, of what profit
to me is my kingdom or my life?"
When the king said this to his minister Sivabhúti, he answered him,
"Do not be anxious; there is a means of bringing about what you
desire; listen, king; I will tell you what it is. Owing to the various
influence of actions in a previous birth, various is this infinite
host of sentient beings produced by the Creator in this versatile
world. This world is really fraught with woe, but owing to delusion
there arises in creatures the fancy that happiness is to be found in
it, and they take pleasure in house, and food, and drink, and so become
attached to it. And Providence has appointed that different kinds of
food, drink, and dwellings, should be agreeable to different creatures,
according to the classes to which they respectively belong. So have
made, king, a great lake to be the dwelling-place of these swans,
covered with various kinds of lotuses, and watched by guards, where
they will be free from molestation. And keep always scattering on the
bank food of the kind that birds love, in order that water-birds may
quickly come there from various quarters. Among them these two golden
swans will certainly come; and then you will be able to gaze on them
continually: do not be despondent."
When king Brahmadatta's minister said this to him, he had that
great lake made according to his directions, and it was ready in a
moment. The lake was frequented by swans, sárasas and chakravákas,
[654] and after a time that couple of swans came there, and settled
down on a clump of lotuses in it. Then the guards set to watch the
lake came and informed the king of that fact, and he went down to
the lake in a state of great delight, considering that his object had
been accomplished. And he beheld those golden swans, and worshipped
them from a distance, and ministered to their comfort by scattering
for them grains of rice dipped in milk. And the king took so much
interest in them that he spent his whole time on the bank of that
lake watching those swans with their bodies of pure gold, their eyes
of pearl, their beaks and feet of coral, and the tips of their wings
of emerald, [655] which had come there in perfect confidence.
Now, one day, as the king was roaming along the bank of the lake, he
saw in one place a pious offering made with unfading flowers. And he
said to the guards there, "Who made this offering?" Then the guards
of the lake said to the king, "Every day, at dawn, noon, and sunset,
these golden swans bathe in the lake, and make these offerings,
and stand absorbed in contemplation: so we cannot say, king, what is
the meaning of this great wonder." When the king heard this from the
guards, he said to himself, "Such a proceeding is quite inconsistent
with the nature of swans; surely there must be a reason for this. So,
I will perform asceticism until I find out who these swans are." Then
the king and his wife and his minister gave up food, and remained
performing penance and absorbed in meditation on Siva. And after the
king had fasted for twelve days, the two heavenly swans came to him,
and said to him in a dream with articulate voice, "Rise up, king;
to-morrow we will tell you and your wife and minister, after you have
broken your fast, the whole truth of the matter in private." When the
swans had said this, they disappeared, and next morning the king and
his wife and his minister, as soon as they awoke, rose up, and broke
their fast. And after they had eaten, the two swans came to them,
as they were sitting in a pleasure-pavilion near the water. The
king received them with respect, and said to them, "Tell me who you
are." Then they proceeded to tell him their history.
How Párvatí condemned her five attendants to be reborn on earth.
There is a monarch of mountains famous on the earth under the name
of Mandara, in whose groves of gleaming jewels all the gods roam, on
whose table-lands, watered with nectar from the churned sea of milk,
are to be found flowers, fruits, roots, and water, that are antidotes
to old age and death. Its highest peaks, composed of various precious
stones, form the pleasure-grounds of Siva, and he loves it more than
mount Kailása.
There, one day, that god left Párvatí, after he had been diverting
himself with her, and disappeared, to execute some business for
the gods. Then the goddess, afflicted by his absence, roamed in the
various places where he loved to amuse himself, and the other gods
did their best to console her.
And one day the goddess was much troubled by the advent of spring,
and she was sitting surrounded by the Ganas at the foot of a tree,
thinking about her beloved, when a noble Gana, named Manipushpesvara,
looked lovingly at a young maiden, the daughter of Jayá, called
Chandralekhá, who was waving a chowrie over the goddess. He was a
match for her in youth and beauty, and she met his glance with a
responsive look of love, as he stood by her side. Two other Ganas,
named Pingesvara and Guhesvara, when they saw that, interchanged
glances, and a smile passed over their faces. And when the goddess
saw them smiling, she was angry in her heart, and she cast her eyes
hither and thither, to see what they were laughing at in this unseemly
manner. And then she saw that Chandralekhá and Manipushpesvara were
looking lovingly in one another's faces.
Then the goddess, who was quite distracted with the sorrow of
separation, was angry, and said, "These young people have done well
to look lovingly [656] at one another in the absence of the god,
and these two mirthful people have done well to laugh when they
saw their glances: so let this lover and maiden, who are blinded
with passion, fall into a human birth; and there the disrespectful
pair shall be man and wife; but these unseasonable laughers shall
endure many miseries on the earth; they shall be first poor Bráhmans,
and then [657] Bráhman-Rákshasas, and then Pisáchas, and after that
Chandálas, and then robbers, and then bob-tailed dogs, and then they
shall be various kinds of birds,--shall these Ganas who offended by
laughing; for their minds were unclouded, when they were guilty of
this disrespectful conduct.
When the goddess had uttered this command, a Gana of the name of
Dhúrjata said, "Goddess, this is very unjust; these excellent Ganas
do not deserve so severe a curse, for a very small offence." When the
goddess heard that, she said in her wrath to Dhúrjata also, "Fall thou
also, great sir, that knowest not thy place, into a mortal womb." When
the goddess had inflicted these tremendous curses, the female warder
Jayá, the mother of Chandralekhá, clung to her feet, and addressed
this petition to her, "Withdraw thy anger, goddess; appoint an end to
the curse of this daughter of mine, and of these thy own servants,
that have through ignorance committed sin." When Párvatí had been
thus entreated by her warder Jayá, she said, "When all these, owing to
their having obtained insight, shall in course of time meet together,
they shall, after visiting Siva the lord of magic powers, in the place
[658] where Brahmá and the other gods performed asceticism, return to
our court, having been freed from their curse. And this Chandralekhá,
and her beloved, and that Dhúrjata shall, all three of them, be happy
in their life as mortals, but these two shall be miserable."
When the goddess had said this, she ceased; and at that very moment
the Asura Andhaka came there, having heard of the absence of Siva. The
presumptuous Asura hoped to win the goddess, but having been reproached
by her attendants he departed, but he was slain on that account by the
god, who discovered the reason of his coming, and pursued him. [659]
Then Siva returned home having accomplished his object, and Párvatí
delighted told him of the coming of Andhaka, and the god said to her,
"I have to-day slain a former mind-born son of thine, named Andhaka,
and he shall now be a Bhringin here, as nothing remains of him but
skin and bone." When Siva had said this, he remained there diverting
himself with the goddess, and Manipushpesvara and the other five
descended to earth.
"Now, king, hear the long and strange story of these two, Pingesvara
and Guhesvara."
Story of the metamorphoses of Pingesvara and Guhesvara.
There is on the earth a royal grant to Bráhmans, named Yajnasthala. In
it there lived a rich [660] and virtuous Bráhman named Yajnasoma. In
his middle age he had two sons born to him; the name of the elder
was Harisoma and of the younger Devasoma. They passed through the age
of childhood, and were invested with the sacred thread, and then the
Bráhman their father lost his wealth, and he and his wife died.
Then those two wretched sons, bereaved of their father, and without
subsistence, having had their grant taken from them by their relations,
said to one another, "We are now reduced to living on alms, but we
get no alms here. So we had better go to the house of our maternal
grandfather, though it is far off. Though we have come down in
the world, who on earth would welcome us, if we arrive of our own
accord. Nevertheless let us go. What else indeed are we to do, for
we have no other resource?"
After deliberating to this effect they went, begging their way, by
slow stages, to that royal grant, where the house of their grandfather
was. There the unfortunate young men found out, by questioning people,
that their grandfather, whose name was Somadeva, was dead, and his
wife also.
Then, begrimed with dust, they entered despairing the house of
their maternal uncles named Yajnadeva and Kratudeva. There those
good Bráhmans welcomed them kindly, and gave them food and clothing,
and they remained engaged in study. But in course of time the wealth
of their maternal uncles diminished, and they could keep no servants,
and then they came and said to those nephews in the most affectionate
way, "Dear boys, we can no longer afford to keep a man to look after
our cattle, as we have become poor, so do you look after our cattle
for us." When Harisoma and Devasoma's uncles said this to them, their
throats were full of tears, but they agreed to their proposal. Then
they took the cattle to the forest every day, and looked after them
there, and at evening they returned home with them, wearied out.
Then, as they went on looking after the cattle, owing to their falling
asleep in the day, some animals were stolen, and others were eaten by
tigers. That made their uncles very unhappy: and one day a cow and goat
intended for sacrifice, belonging to their uncles, both disappeared
somewhere or other. Terrified at that, they took the other animals
home before the right time, and running off in search of the two that
were missing, they entered a distant forest. There they saw their goat
half eaten by a tiger, and after lamenting, being quite despondent,
they said, "Our uncles were keeping this goat for a sacrifice, and
now that it is destroyed, their anger will be something tremendous. So
let us dress its flesh with fire, and eat enough of it to put an end
to our hunger, and then let us take the rest, and go off somewhere
and support ourselves by begging."
After these reflections they proceeded to roast the goat, and while
they were so engaged, their two uncles arrived, who had been running
after them, and saw them cooking the goat. When they saw their
uncles in the distance, they were terrified, and they rose up in
great trepidation, and fled from the spot. And those two uncles in
their wrath pronounced [661] on them the following curse, "Since,
in your longing for flesh, you have done a deed worthy of Rákshasas,
you shall become flesh-eating Bráhman-Rakshasas." And immediately
those two young Bráhmans became Brahman-Rákshasas, having mouths
formidable with tusks, flaming hair, and insatiable hunger; and they
wandered about in the forest catching animals and eating them.
But one day they rushed upon an ascetic, who possessed supernatural
power, to slay him, and he in self-defence cursed them, and they became
Pisáchas. And in their condition as Pisáchas, they were carrying off
the cow of a Bráhman, to kill it, but they were overpowered by his
spells, and reduced by his curse to the condition of Chandálas.
One day, as they were roaming about in their condition as Chandálas,
bow in hand, tormented with hunger, they reached, in their search for
food, a village of bandits. The warders of the village, supposing
them to be thieves, arrested them both, as soon as they saw them,
and cut off their ears and noses. And they bound them, and beat
them with sticks, and brought them in this condition before the
chiefs of the bandits. There they were questioned by the chiefs,
and being bewildered with fear, and tormented with hunger and pain,
[662] they related their history to them. Then the chiefs of the gang,
moved by pity, set them at liberty, and said to them, "Remain here
and take food; do not be terrified. You have arrived here on the
eighth day of the month, the day on which we worship Kártikeya, and
so you are our guests; and should have a share in our feast." [663]
"When the bandits had said this, they worshipped the goddess Durgá,
and made the two Chandálas eat in their presence, [664] and having,
as it happened, taken a fancy to them, they would not let them out
of their sight. Then they lived with those bandits by robbing, and
thanks to their courage, became eventually the chiefs of the gang.
And one night those chiefs marched with their followers to plunder a
large town, a favourite abode of Siva, which some of their spies had
selected for attack. Though they saw an evil omen, they did not turn
back, and they reached and plundered the whole city and the temple
of the god. Then the inhabitants cried to the god for protection,
and Siva in his wrath bewildered the bandits by making them blind. And
the citizens suddenly perceiving that, and thinking that it was due to
the favour of Siva, assembled and smote those bandits with sticks and
stones. And Ganas, moving about invisibly, flung some of the bandits
into ravines, and dashed others to pieces against the ground.
And the people, seeing the two leaders, were about to put them to
death, but they immediately turned into bob-tailed dogs. And in this
transformation they suddenly remembered their former birth, and danced
in front of Siva, and fled to him for protection. When the citizens,
Bráhmans, merchants, and all, saw that, they were delighted at being
free from fear of robbers, and went laughing to their houses. And
then the delusion, that had possessed those two beings now turned
into dogs, disappeared, and they awoke to reality, and in order to
put an end to their curse, they fasted, and appealed to Siva by severe
asceticism. And the next morning, the citizens, making high festival
and worshipping Siva, beheld those dogs absorbed in contemplation,
and though they offered them food, the creatures would not touch it.
And the two dogs remained in this state for several days, beheld by
all the world, and then Siva's Ganas preferred this prayer to him,
"O god, these two Ganas, Pingesvara and Guhesvara, who were cursed
by the goddess, have been afflicted for a long time, so take pity on
them." When the holy god heard that, he said, "Let these two Ganas be
delivered from their canine condition and became crows!" Then they
became crows, and broke their fast upon the rice of the offering,
and lived happily, remembering their former state, exclusively devoted
to Siva.
After some time, Siva having been satisfied by their devotion to
him, they became by his command first vultures, and then peacocks;
then those noble Ganas, in course of time, became swans; and in that
condition also they strove with the utmost devotion to propitiate
Siva. And at last they gained the favour of that god by bathing
in sacred waters, by performing vows, by meditations, and acts of
worship, and they became all composed of gold and jewels, and attained
supernatural insight.
"Know that we are those very two, Pingesvara and Guhesvara, who by
the curse of Párvatí endured a succession of woes, and have now become
swans. But the Gana Manipushpesvara, who was in love with the daughter
of Jayá, and was cursed by the goddess, has become a king upon earth,
even yourself, Brahmadatta. And that daughter of Jayá has been born
as this lady, your wife Somaprabhá; and that Dhúrjata has been born
as this your minister Sivabhúti. And therefore we, having attained
insight, and remembering the end of the curse appointed by Párvatí,
appeared to you at night. By means of that artifice we have all
been re-united here to-day; and we will bestow on you the perfection
of insight.
"Come, let us go to that holy place of Siva on the Tridasa mountain,
rightly named Siddhísvara, [665] where the gods performed asceticism in
order to bring about the destruction of the Asura Vidyuddhvaja. And
they slew that Asura in fight, with the help of Muktáphalaketu,
the head of all the Vidyádhara princes, who had been obtained by
the favour of Siva. And that Muktáphalaketu, having passed through
the state of humanity brought upon him by a curse, obtained reunion
with Padmávatí by the favour of the same god. Let us go to that holy
place, which has such splendid associations connected with it, and
there propitiate Siva, and then we will return to our own home, for
such was the end of the curse appointed to all of us by the goddess,
to take place at the same time." When the two heavenly swans said
this to king Brahmadatta, he was at once excited with curiosity to
hear the tale of Muktáphalaketu.
CHAPTER CXV.
Then king Brahmadatta said to those celestial swans, "How did
Muktáphalaketu kill that Vidyuddhvaja? And how did he pass through
the state of humanity inflicted on him by a curse, and regain
Padmávatí? Tell me this first, and afterwards you shall carry out
your intentions." When those [666] birds heard this, they began to
relate the story of Muktáphalaketu as follows.
Story of Muktáphalaketu and Padmávatí.
Once on a time there was a king of the Daityas named Vidyutprabhá,
hard for gods to conquer. He, desiring a son, went to the bank of the
Ganges, and with his wife performed asceticism for a hundred years
to propitiate Brahmá. And by the favour of Brahmá, who was pleased
with his asceticism, that enemy of the gods obtained a son named
Vidyuddhvaja, who was invulnerable at their hands.
That son of the king of the Daityas, even when a child, was of great
valour; and one day seeing that their town was guarded on all sides by
troops, he said to one of his companions, "Tell me, my friend, what
have we to be afraid of, that this town is thus guarded on all sides
by troops?" Then his companion said to him, "We have an adversary in
Indra the king of the gods; and it is on his account that this system
of guarding the town is kept up. Ten hundred thousand elephants,
and fourteen hundred thousand chariots, and thirty hundred thousand
horsemen, and a hundred millions of footmen guard the city in turn
for one watch of the night, and the turn of guarding comes round for
every division in seven years."
When Vidyuddhvaja heard this, he said, "Out on such a throne, that
is guarded by the arms of others, and not by its own might! However,
I will perform such severe asceticism, as will enable me to conquer
my enemy with my own arm, and put an end to all this insolence of
his." When Vidyuddhvaja had said this, he put aside that companion
of his, who tried to prevent him, and without telling his parents,
went to the forest to perform penance.
But his parents heard of it, and in their affection for their child,
they followed him, and said to him, "Do not act rashly, son; severe
asceticism ill befits a child like you. Our throne has been victorious
over its enemies; is there one more powerful in the whole world? What
do you desire to get by withering yourself in vain? Why do you afflict
us?" When Vidyuddhvaja's parents said this to him, he answered them,
"I will acquire, even in my childhood, heavenly arms by the force
of asceticism; as for our empire over the world being unopposed by
enemies, do I not know so much from the fact that our city is guarded
by troops ever ready in their harness?"
When the Asura Vidyuddhvaja, firm in his resolution, had said so much
to his parents, and had sent them away, he performed asceticism to win
over Brahmá. He continued for a period of three hundred years living
on fruits only, and successively for similar periods living on water,
air, and nothing at all. Then Brahmá, seeing that his asceticism was
becoming capable of upsetting the system of the world, came to him,
and at his request gave him the weapons of Brahmá. He said, "This
weapon of Brahmá cannot be repelled by any weapon except the weapon
of Pasupati Rudra, which is unattainable by me. So, if you desire
victory, you must not employ it unseasonably." When Brahmá had said
this, he went away, and that Daitya went home.
Then Vidyuddhvaja marched out to conquer his enemies with his father,
and with all his forces, who came together to that great feast of
war. Indra, the ruler of the gods' world, heard of his coming, and
kept guard in heaven, and when he drew near, marched out to meet
him, eager for battle, accompanied by his friend Chandraketu, the
king of the Vidyádharas, and by the supreme lord of the Gandharvas,
named Padmasekhara. Then Vidyuddhvaja appeared, hiding the heaven
with his forces, and Rudra and others came there to behold that
battle. Then there took place between those two armies a battle,
which was involved in darkness [667] by the sun's being eclipsed with
the clashing together of missiles; and the sea of war swelled high,
lashed by the wind of wrath, with hundreds of chariots for inflowing
streams, and rolling horses and elephants for marine monsters.
Then single combats took place between the gods and Asuras, and
Vidyutprabhá, the father of Vidyuddhvaja, rushed in wrath upon
Indra. Indra found himself being gradually worsted by the Daitya in
the interchange of missiles; so he flung his thunderbolt at him. And
then that Daitya, smitten by the thunderbolt, fell dead. And that
enraged Vidyuddhvaja so that he attacked Indra. And, though his life
was not in danger, he began by discharging at him the weapon of Brahmá;
and other great Asuras struck at him with other weapons. Then Indra
called to mind the weapon of Pasupati, presided over by Siva himself,
which immediately presented itself in front of him; he worshipped
it, and discharged it among his foes. That weapon, which was of the
nature of a destroying fire, consumed the army of the Asuras; but
Vidyuddhvaja, being a child, only fell senseless when smitten by it;
for that weapon does not harm children, old men, or fugitives. Then
all the gods returned home victorious.
And Vidyuddhvaja, for his part, who had fallen senseless, recovered
his senses after a very long time, and fled weeping, and then said to
the rest of his soldiers, who had assembled; "In spite of my having
acquired the weapon of Brahmá, we were not victorious to-day, though
victory was in our grasp; on the contrary we were defeated. So I will
go and attack Indra, and lose my life in battle. Now that my father
is slain, I shall not be able to return to my own city." When he
said this, an old minister of his father's said to him, "The weapon
of Brahmá, discharged unseasonably, is too languid to contend with
other weapons discharged, for that great weapon was to-day overcome
by the weapon of Siva, which will not brook the presence of others. So
you ought not unseasonably to challenge your victorious enemy, for in
this way you will strengthen him and destroy yourself. The calm and
resolute man preserves his own life, and in due time regains might,
and takes revenge on his enemy, and so wins a reputation esteemed by
the whole world."
When that old minister said this to Vidyuddhvaja, he said to him,
"Then go you and take care of my kingdom, but I will go and propitiate
that supreme lord Siva."
When he had said this, he dismissed his followers, though they were
loth to leave him, and he went with five young Daityas, companions
of equal age, and performed asceticism on the bank of the Ganges, at
the foot of mount Kailása. During the summer he stood in the midst
of five fires, and during the winter in the water, meditating on
Siva; and for a thousand years he lived on fruits only. For a second
thousand years he ate only roots, for a third he subsisted on water,
for a fourth on air, and during the fifth he took no food at all.
Brahmá once more came to grant him a boon, but he did not shew him
any respect: on the contrary he said, "Depart, I have tested the
efficiency of thy boon." And he remained fasting for another period
of equal duration, and then a great volume of smoke rose up from
his head; and Siva manifested himself to him, and said to him,
"Choose a boon." When thus addressed, that Daitya said to him,
"May I, Lord, by thy favour slay Indra in fight!" The god answered,
"Rise up! There is no distinction between the slain [668] and the
conquered; so thou shalt conquer Indra and dwell in his heaven."
When the god had said this, he disappeared, and Vidyuddhvaja,
considering that the wish of his heart was attained, broke his fast,
and went to his city. There he was welcomed by the citizens, and
met by that minister of his father's, who had endured suffering
for his sake, and who now made great rejoicing. He then summoned
the armies of the Asuras, and made preparation for battle, and sent
an ambassador to Indra to warn him to hold himself in readiness for
fight. And he marched out, hiding with his banners the sky, which he
clove with the thunderous roar of his host, and so he seemed to be
fulfilling the wish [669] of the inhabitants of heaven. And Indra,
for his part, knowing that he had returned from winning a boon,
was troubled, but after taking counsel with the adviser of the gods,
[670] he summoned his forces.
Then Vidyuddhvaja arrived, and there took place between those two
armies a great battle, in which it was difficult to distinguish
between friend and foe. Those Daityas, who were headed by Subáhu,
fought with the wind-gods, and Pingáksha and his followers with the
gods of wealth, and Mahámáya and his forces with the gods of fire,
and Ayahkáya and his hosts with the sun-gods, and Akampana and
his warriors with the Siddhas; some other Daityas fought with the
Vidyádharas, and the rest with the Gandharvas and their allies. So
a great battle continued between them for twenty days, and on the
twenty-first day the gods were routed in fight by the Asuras.
And when routed, they fled, and entered heaven: and then Indra himself
issued, mounted on Airávana. And the forces of the gods rallied round
him, and marched out again, with the leaders of the Vidyádharas, headed
by Chandraketu. Then a desperate fight took place, and Asuras and gods
[671] were being slain in great numbers, when Vidyuddhvaja attacked
Indra, to revenge the slaughter of his father. The king of the gods
cleft over and over again the bow of that chief of the Asuras, who
kept repelling his shafts with answering shafts. Then Vidyuddhvaja,
elated with the boon of Siva, seized his mace, and rushed furiously
on Indra. He leapt up, planting his feet on the tusks of Airávana,
and climbed up on his forehead, and killed his driver. And he gave the
king of the gods a blow with his mace, and he quickly returned it with
a similar weapon. But when Vidyuddhvaja struck him a second time with
his mace, Indra fell senseless on to the chariot of the Wind-god. And
the Wind-god carried him away in his chariot out of the fight with
the speed of thought; and Vidyuddhvaja, who sprang after him, [672]
fell on the ground.
At that moment a voice came from the air, "This is an evil day, so
carry Indra quickly out of the fight." Then the Wind-god carried off
Indra at the utmost speed of his chariot, and Vidyuddhvaja pursued
them, mounted on his; and in the meanwhile Airávanah, infuriated and
unrestrained by the driver's hook, ran after Indra, trampling and
scattering the forces. And the army of the gods left the field of
battle and followed Indra; and Brihaspati carried off his wife Sachí,
who was much alarmed, to the heaven of Brahmá. Then Vidyuddhvaja,
having gained the victory, and having found Amarávatí empty, entered
it, accompanied by his shouting troops.
And Indra, having recovered consciousness, and seeing that it was an
evil time, entered that heaven of Brahmá with all the gods. And Brahmá
comforted him, saying, "Do not grieve; at present this boon of Siva
is predominant; but you will recover your position." And he gave him,
to dwell in, a place of his own, furnished with all delights, named
Samádhisthala, situated in a region of the world of Brahmá. There the
king of the gods dwelt, accompanied by Sachí and Airávana: and by his
orders the Vidyádhara kings went to the heaven of the Wind-god. And
the lords of the Gandharvas went to the inviolable world of the
moon; and others went to other worlds, abandoning severally their
own dwellings. And Vidyuddhvaja, having taken possession of the
territory of the gods with beat of drum, enjoyed sway over heaven,
[673] as an unlimited monarch.
At this point of the story, Chandraketu the Vidyádhara king, having
remained long in the world of the Wind-god, said to himself, "How long
am I to remain here, fallen from my high rank? The asceticism of my
enemy Vidyuddhvaja has not even now spent its force; but I have heard
that my friend Padmasekhara, the king of the Gandharvas, has gone from
the world of the Moon to the city of Siva to perform asceticism. I
do not know as yet, whether Siva has bestowed a boon on him, or not;
when I have discovered that, I shall know what I myself ought to do."
While he was going through these reflections, his friend, the king of
the Gandharvas, came towards him, having obtained a boon. That king of
the Gandharvas, having been welcomed with an embrace by Chandraketu,
and questioned, [674] told him his story, "I went to the city of
Siva and propitiated Siva with asceticism; and he said to me, 'Go,
thou shalt have a noble son; and thou shalt recover thy kingdom,
and obtain a daughter of transcendent beauty, whose husband shall
be the heroic slayer of Vidyuddhvaja.' [675] Having received this
promise from Siva, I have come here to tell you."
When Chandraketu had heard this from the king of the Gandharvas he
said, "I too must go and propitiate Siva in order to put an end to this
sorrow; without propitiating him we cannot obtain the fulfilment of our
desires. "When Chandraketu had formed this resolution, he went with his
wife Muktávalí to the heavenly abode of Siva, to perform asceticism.
And Padmasekbara told the story of his boon to Indra, and having
conceived a hope of the destruction of his enemy, went to the world
of the moon. Then that king of the gods in Samádhisthala, having also
conceived a hope of the destruction of his enemy, called to mind the
counsellor of the immortals. And he appeared as soon as he was thought
upon, and the god, bowing before him, and honouring him, said to him,
"Siva, pleased with the asceticism of Padmasekhara, has promised
that he shall have a son-in-law who shall slay Vidyuddhvaja. So we
shall eventually see an end put to his crimes; in the meanwhile I am
despondent, dwelling here in misery on account of my having fallen
from my high position. So devise, holy sir, some expedient that will
operate quickly." When the adviser of the gods heard this speech of
Indra's, he said to him; "It is true that that enemy of ours has nearly
exhausted his asceticism by his crimes; so now we have an opportunity
of exerting ourselves against him. Come, then; let us tell Brahmá;
he will point out to us an expedient."
When Brihaspati had said this to Indra, he went with him to Brahmá,
and after worshipping him, he told him what was in his mind. Then
Brahmá said, "Am I not also anxious to bring about the same end? But
Siva alone can remove the calamity that he has caused. And that god
requires a long propitiation: [676] so let us go to Vishnu, who is
like-minded with him; he will devise an expedient."
When Brahmá and Indra and Brihaspati had deliberated together to this
effect, they ascended a chariot of swans, and went to Svetadvípa;
[677] where all the inhabitants carried the conch, discus, lotus, and
club, and had four arms, being assimilated to Vishnu in appearance as
they were devoted to him in heart. There they saw the god in a palace
composed of splendid jewels, reposing on the serpent Sesha, having his
feet adored by Lakshmí. After bowing before him, and having been duly
welcomed by him, and venerated by the divine sages, they took the seats
befitting them. When the holy one asked the gods how they prospered,
they humbly said to him, "What prosperity can be ours, O god, as long
as Vidyuddhvaja is alive? For you know all that he has done to us,
and it is on his account that we have come here now: it now rests
with you to determine what further is to be done in this matter."
When the gods said this to Vishnu, he answered them, "Why, do I not
know that my regulations are broken by that Asura? But what the great
lord, the slayer of Tripura has done, he alone can undo: I cannot. And
from him must proceed the overthrow of that wicked Daitya. You must
make haste, provided I tell you an expedient; and I will tell you one;
listen! There is a heavenly abode of Siva, named Siddhísvara. There the
god Siva is found ever manifest. And long ago that very god manifested
to me and Prajápati [678] his form as the flame-linga, and told me
this secret. So come, let us go there and entreat him with asceticism:
he will put an end to this affliction of the worlds." When the god
Vishnu had uttered this behest, they all went to Siddhísvara by means
of two conveyances, the bird Garuda and the chariot of swans. That
place is untouched by the calamities of old age, death, and sickness,
and it is the home of unalloyed happiness, and in it beasts, birds,
and trees are all of gold. There they worshipped the linga of Siva,
that exhibits in succession all his forms, [679] and is in succession
of various jewels; and then Vishnu, Brahmá, Indra, and Brihaspati,
all four, with their minds devoted to Siva, proceeded to perform a
severe course of asceticism in order to propitiate him.
And in the meanwhile Siva, propitiated by the severe asceticism of
Chandraketu, bestowed a boon on that prince of the Vidyádharas, "Rise
up, king, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a great hero, and
shall slay in fight thy enemy Vidyuddhvaja; he shall become incarnate
among the human race by a curse, and shall render a service to the
gods, and shall recover his position by virtue of the asceticism
of Padmávatí, the daughter of the king of the Gandharvas: and with
her for a wife he shall be emperor over all the Vidyádharas for ten
kalpas." [680] When the god had granted this boon, he disappeared,
and Chandraketu went back to the world of the Wind-god with his wife.
In the meanwhile Siva was pleased with the severe asceticism of Vishnu
and his companions in Siddhísvara, and he appeared to them in the
linga and delighted them by the following speech, "Rise up, afflict
yourselves no longer; I have been fully propitiated with self-torture
by your partizan Chandraketu, the prince of the Vidyádharas. And he
shall have a heroic son, sprung from a part of me, who shall soon slay
in fight that Daitya Vidyuddhvaja. Then, in order that he may perform
another service to the gods, he shall fall [681] by a curse into the
world of men, and the daughter of the Gandharva Padmasekhara shall
deliver him from that condition. And he shall rule the Vidyádharas
with that lady, who shall be an incarnation of a portion of Gaurí,
and shall be named Padmávatí, for his consort, and at last he shall
come to me. So bear up for a little: this desire of yours is already
as good as accomplished." "When Siva had said this to Vishnu and his
companions, he disappeared; then Vishnu, Brahmá, Indra and Brihaspati
went, in high delight, back to the places from which they came.
Then Muktávalí the wife of that king of the Vidyádharas, named
Chandraketu, became pregnant, and in time she brought forth a son,
illuminating the four quarters with his irresistible splendour,
[682] like the infant sun arisen to remove the oppression under which
those ascetics were groaning. And as soon as he was born this voice
was heard from heaven, "Chandraketu, this son of thine shall slay the
Asura Vidyuddhvaja, and know that he is to be by name Muktáphalaketu,
the terror of his foes."
When the voice had said so much to the delighted Chandraketu, it
ceased; and a rain of flowers fell; and Padmasekhara, and Indra,
hearing what had taken place, came there, and the other gods, who
were lurking concealed. Conversing to one another of the story of
the boon of Siva, and having rejoiced thereat, they went to their own
abodes. And Muktáphalaketu had all the sacraments performed for him,
and gradually grew up; and as he grew, the joy of the gods increased.
Then, some time after the birth of his son, a daughter was born to
Padmasekhara, the supreme lord of the Gandharvas. And when she was
born, a voice came from the air, "Prince of the Gandharvas, this
daughter of thine Padmávatí shall be the wife of that king of the
Vidyádharas who shall be the foe of Vidyuddhvaja." Then that maiden
Padmávatí gradually grew up, adorned with an overflowing effulgence
of beauty, as if with billowy nectar acquired by her being born in
the world of the moon. [683]
And that Muktáphalaketu, even when a child, was high-minded, and
being always devoted to Siva, he performed asceticism, in the form
of vows, fasts, and other penances. And once on a time, when he had
fasted twelve days, and was absorbed in meditation, the adorable
Siva appeared to him, and said, "I am pleased with this devotion of
thine, so by my special favour the weapons, the sciences, and all the
accomplishments shall manifest themselves to thee. And receive from me
this sword named Invincible, [684] by means of which thou shalt hold
sovereign sway, unconquered by thy enemies." When the god had said
this, he gave him the sword and disappeared, and that prince at once
became possessed of powerful weapons and great strength and courage.
Now, one day, about this time, that great Asura Vidyuddhvaja, being
established in heaven, was disporting himself in the water of the
heavenly Ganges. He saw the water of that stream flowing along brown
with the pollen of flowers, and remarked that it was pervaded by
the smell of the ichor of elephants, and troubled with waves. Then,
puffed up with pride of his mighty arm, he said to his attendants,
"Go and see who is disporting himself in the water above me." When the
Asuras heard that, they went up the stream, and saw the bull of Siva
sporting in the water with the elephant of Indra. And they came back
and said to that prince of the Daityas, "King, the bull of Siva has
gone higher up the stream, and is amusing himself in the water with
Airávana: so this water is full of his garlands and of the ichor of
Airávana." When that Asura heard this, he was wroth, in his arrogance
making light of Rudra, and infatuated by the full ripening of his
own evil deeds he said to his followers, "Go and bring that bull and
Airávana here bound." Those Asuras went there, and tried to capture
them, and thereupon the bull and elephant ran upon them in wrath and
slew most of them. And those who escaped from the slaughter went and
told Vidyuddhvaja; and he was angry, and sent a very great force of
Asuras against those two animals. And those two trampled to death
that army, upon which destruction came as the result of matured crime,
and then the bull returned to Siva, and the elephant to Indra.
Then Indra heard about that proceeding of the Daitya's from the guards,
who followed Airávana to take care of him, and he concluded that
the time of his enemy's destruction had arrived, as he had treated
with disrespect even the adorable Siva. He told that to Brahmá,
and then he united himself with the assembled forces of the gods,
and the Vidyádharas, and his other allies; and then he mounted the
chief elephant of the gods, and set out to slay that enemy of his;
and on his departure Sachí performed for him the usual ceremony to
ensure good fortune.
CHAPTER CXVI.
Then Indra reached heaven and surrounded it with his forces, that were
rendered confident by the favour of Siva, and had gained the suitable
opportunity and the requisite strength. When Vidyuddhvaja saw that,
he marched out with his army ready for battle; but as he marched out
evil omens manifested themselves to him; lightning flashes struck his
banners, vultures circled above his head, the state-umbrellas were
broken, and jackals uttered boding howls. [685] Disregarding these
evil omens, nevertheless that Asura sallied forth; and then there
took place a mighty battle between the gods and the Asuras.
And Indra said to Chandraketu the king of the Vidyádharas, "Why has
Muktáphalaketu not yet come?" Then Chandraketu humbly made answer,
"When I was marching out I was in such a hurry that I forgot to
tell him; but he is sure to hear of it, and will certainly follow
me quickly." When the king of the gods heard this, he quickly
sent the dexterous charioteer of the Wind-god to bring the noble
Muktáphalaketu. And his father Chandraketu sent with Indra's messenger
his own warder, with a force and a chariot, to summon him.
But Muktáphalaketu, hearing that his father had gone to battle with the
Daityas, was eager to set out for that fight with his followers. Then
he mounted his elephant of victory, and his mother performed for him
the ceremony to ensure good fortune, and he set out from the world of
the Wind, bearing the sword of Siva. And when he had set out, a rain
of flowers fell on him from heaven, and the gods beat their drums,
and favouring breezes blew. And then the hosts of the gods, that had
fled and hid themselves out of fear of Vidyuddhvaja, assembled and
surrounded him. As he was marching along with that large army, he saw
in his way a great temple of Párvatí named Meghavana. His devotion to
the goddess would not allow him to pass it without worshipping [686];
so he got down from his elephant, and taking in his hand heavenly
flowers, he proceeded to adore the goddess.
Now it happened that, at that very time, Padmávatí the daughter of
Padmasekhara the king of the Gandharvas, who had now grown up, had
taken leave of her mother, who was engaged in austerities to bring
good fortune to her husband who had gone to war, and had come, with
her attendant ladies, in a chariot, from the world of Indra, to that
temple of Gaurí, with the intention of performing asceticism in order
to ensure success to her father in battle, and to the bridegroom on
whom she had set her heart.
On the way one of her ladies said to her, "You have not as yet any
chosen lover, who might have gone to the war, and your mother is
engaged in asceticism for the well-being of your father; for whose
sake, my friend, do you, a maiden, seek to perform asceticism?" When
Padmávatí had been thus addressed by her friend on the way, she
answered, "My friend, a father is to maidens a divinity procuring all
happiness; moreover there has already been chosen for me a bridegroom
of unequalled excellence. That Muktáphalaketu, the son who has been
born to the Vidyádhara king, in order that he may slay Vidyuddhvaja,
has been destined for my husband by Siva. This I heard from the
mouth of my father, when questioned by my mother. And that chosen
bridegroom of mine has either gone, or certainly is going to battle:
so I am about to propitiate with asceticism the holy Gaurí, desiring
victory for my future husband [687] as well as for my father."
When the princess said this, her attendant lady answered her, "Then
this exertion on your part, though directed towards an object still in
the future, is right and proper; may your desire be accomplished!" Just
as her friend was saying this to her, the princess reached a large
and beautiful lake in the neighbourhood of the temple of Gaurí. It
was covered all over with bright full-blown golden lotuses, and they
seemed as if they were suffused with the beauty flowing forth from
the lotus of her face. The Gandharva maiden went down into that lake,
and gathered lotuses with which to worship Ambiká, and was preparing
to bathe, when two Rákshasís came that way, as all the Rákshasas
were rushing to the battle between the gods and Asuras, eager for
flesh. They had up-standing hair, yellow as the flames vomited forth
from their mouths terrible with tusks, gigantic bodies black as smoke,
and pendulous breasts and bellies. The moment that those wanderers
of the night saw that Gandharva princess, they swooped down upon her,
and seized her, and carried her up towards the heaven.
But the deity, that presided over her chariot, impeded the flight
of those Rákshasís, and her grieving retinue cried for help; and
while this was going on, Muktáphalaketu issued from the temple of the
goddess, having performed his worship; and hearing the lamentation, he
came in that direction. When the great hero beheld Padmávatí gleaming
bright in the grasp of that pair of Rákshasís, looking like a flash of
lightning in the midst of a bank of black clouds, he ran forward and
delivered her, hurling the Rákshasís senseless to earth by a blow from
the flat of his hand. And he looked on that torrent river of the elixir
of beauty, adorned with a waist charming with three wave-like wrinkles,
who seemed to have been composed by the Creator of the essence of
all beauty, when he was full of the wonderful skill he had acquired
by forming the nymphs of heaven. And the moment he looked on her, his
senses were benumbed by love's opiate, though he was strong of will;
and he remained for a moment motionless, as if painted in a picture.
And Padmávatí too, now that the alarm caused by the Rákshasís was at
an end, at once recovered her spirits, and looked on the prince, who
possessed a form that was a feast to the eyes of the world, and who
was one fitted to madden womankind, and seemed to have been created
by Fate by a blending together in one body of the moon and the god of
Love. Then, her face being cast down with shame, she said of her own
accord to her friend, "May good luck befall him! I will depart hence,
from the presence of a strange man."
Even while she was saying this, Muktáphalaketu said to her friend,
"What did this young lady say?" And she answered, "This lovely maiden
bestowed a blessing on you, the saver of her life, and said to me,
"Come, let us depart from the presence of a strange man." When
Muktáphalaketu heard this, he said to her with eager excitement,
"Who is she? Whose daughter is she? To what man of great merit in a
former life is she to be given in marriage? [688]"
When he addressed this question to the princess's companion,
she answered him, "Fair sir, this my friend is the maiden named
Padmávatí, the daughter of Padmasekhara the king of the Gandharvas,
and Siva has ordained that her husband is to be Muktáphalaketu,
the son of Chandraketu, the darling of the world, the ally of Indra,
the destined slayer of Vidyuddhvaja. Because she desires the victory
for that future husband of hers and for her father in the battle now
at hand, she has come to this temple of Gaurí to perform asceticism."
When the followers of Chandraketu's son heard this, they delighted
the princess by exclaiming, "Bravo! here is that future husband of
yours." Then the princess and her lover had their hearts filled with
joy at discovering one another, and they both thought, "It is well
that we came here to-day," and they continued casting loving sidelong
timid glances at one another; and while they were thus engaged, the
sound of drums was heard, and then a host appeared, and a chariot
with the wind-god, [689] and the warder of Chandraketu coming quickly.
Then the wind-god and the warder respectfully left the chariot,
and went up to that Muktáphalaketu, and said to him, "The king of
the gods and your father Chandraketu, who are in the field of battle,
desire your presence: so ascend this chariot, and come quickly." Then
the son of the Vidyádhara king, though fettered by love of Padmávatí,
ascended the chariot with them, out of regard for the interests of
his superiors. And putting on a heavenly suit of armour [690] sent
by Indra, he set out quickly, often turning back his head to look
at Padmávatí.
And Padmávatí followed with her eyes, as long as he was in sight,
that hero, who with one blow from the flat of his hand had slain
the two Rákshasís, and with him ever in her thoughts, she bathed and
worshipped Siva and Párvatí, and from that time forth kept performing
asceticism in that very place, to ensure his success.
And Muktáphalaketu, still thinking on his sight of her, which was
auspicious and portended victory, reached the place where the battle
was going on between the gods and Asuras. And when they saw that hero
arrive well-armed and accompanied by a force, all the great Asuras
rushed to attack him. But the hero cut their heads to pieces with
a rain of arrows, and made with them an offering to the gods of the
cardinal points, by way of inaugurating the feast of battle.
But Vidyuddhvaja, seeing his army being slain by that Muktáphalaketu,
himself rushed in wrath to attack him. And when he smote with arrows
that Daitya, as he came on, the whole army of the Asuras rushed upon
him from every quarter. When Indra saw that, he at once attacked
the army of the Daityas, with the Siddhas, Gandharvas, Vidyádharas,
and gods at his back.
Then a confused battle arose, with dint of arrow, javelin, lance,
mace and axe, costing the lives of countless soldiers; rivers of blood
flowed along, with the bodies of elephants and horses for alligators,
with the pearls from the heads of elephants [691] for sands, and
with the heads of heroes for stones. That feast of battle delighted
the flesh-loving demons, who, drunk with blood instead of wine, were
dancing with the palpitating trunks. The fortune of victory of the
gods and Asuras in that sea of battle, swayed hither and thither from
time to time, fluctuating like a tide-wave. And in this way the fight
went on for twenty-four days, watched by Siva, Vishnu, and Brahmá,
who were present in their chariots.
And at the end of the twenty-fifth day a series of single combats was
taking place between the principal warriors of both armies along the
greater part of the line of fight. And then a duel began between the
noble Muktáphalaketu, and Vidyuddhvaja, the former in a chariot, the
latter on an elephant. Muktáphalaketu repelled the weapon of darkness
with the weapon of the sun, the weapon of cold with the weapon of heat,
the rock-weapon with the thunderbolt-weapon, the serpent-weapon with
the weapon of Garuda, and then he slew the elephant-driver of that
Asura with one arrow, and his elephant with another. Then Vidyuddhvaja
mounted a chariot, and Muktáphalaketu killed the charioteer and the
horses. Then Vidyuddhvaja took refuge in magic. He ascended into the
sky invisible with his whole army, and rained stones and weapons on
all sides of the army of the gods. And as for the impenetrable net
of arrows which Muktáphalaketu threw around it, that Daitya consumed
it with showers of fire.
Then Muktáphalaketu sent against that enemy and his followers the
weapon of Brahmá, which was capable of destroying the whole world,
after he had pronounced over it the appropriate spells. That weapon
killed the great Asura Vidyuddhvaja and his army, and they fell down
dead from the sky. And the rest, namely, Vidyuddhvaja's son and his
followers, and Vajradanshtra and his crew fled in fear to the bottom
of Rasátala. [692]
And then the gods from heaven exclaimed, "Bravo! Bravo!" and they
honoured the noble Muktáphalaketu with a rain of flowers. Then Indra,
having recovered his sway, as his enemy was slain, entered heaven,
and there was great rejoicing in the three worlds. And Prajápati
[693] himself came there, making Sachí precede him, and fastened a
splendid crest-jewel on the head of Muktáphalaketu. And Indra took the
chain from his own neck, and placed it on the neck of that victorious
prince, who had restored his kingdom to him. And he made him sit on
a throne equal in all respects to his own; and the gods, full [694]
of joy, bestowed upon him various blessings. And Indra sent on his
warder to the city of the Asura Vidyuddhvaja, and took possession of
it in addition to his own city, with the intention of bestowing it
on Muktáphalaketu, when a fitting time presented itself.
Then the Gandharva Padmasekhara, wishing to bestow Padmávatí on
that prince, looked meaningly at the face of the Disposer. And the
Disposer, knowing what was in his heart, said to that prince of
the Gandharvas, "There is still a service remaining to be done, so
wait a little." Then there took place the triumphal feast of Indra,
with the songs of Háhá and Húhú, and the dances of Rambhá and others,
which they accompanied with their own voices. And when the Disposer
had witnessed the festive rejoicing, he departed, and Indra honoured
the Lokapálas and dismissed them to their several stations. [695]
And after honouring that Gandharva monarch Padmasekhara and his
train, he dismissed them to their own Gandharva city. And Indra,
after treating with the utmost respect the noble Muktáphalaketu
and Chandraketu, sent them to their own Vidyádhara city to enjoy
themselves. And then Muktáphalaketu, having destroyed the plague of
the universe, returned to his palace, accompanied by his father, and
followed by many Vidyádhara kings. And on account of the prince having
returned victorious with his father, after a long absence, that city
displayed its joy, being adorned with splendid jewels, and garlanded
with flags. And his father Chandraketu at once bestowed gifts on all
his servants and relations, and kept high festival in the city for
the triumph of his son, showering wealth on it, as a cloud showers
water. But Muktáphalaketu, though he had gained glory by conquering
Vidyuddhvaja, derived no satisfaction from his enjoyments without
Padmávatí. However, being comforted in soul by a friend named Samyata,
who reminded him of the decree of Siva, and consoling topics of that
kind, he managed, though with difficulty, to get through those days.
CHAPTER CXVII.
In the meanwhile, that king of the Gandharvas, Padmasekhara, re-entered
his city, celebrating a splendid triumph; and hearing from his wife
that his daughter Padmávatí had performed asceticism in the temple
of Gaurí, to procure for him victory, he summoned her. And when his
daughter came, emaciated with asceticism and separation from her lover,
and fell at his feet, he gave her his blessing, and said to her,
"Dear girl, for my sake you have endured great hardship in the form
of penance, so obtain quickly for a husband the noble Muktáphalaketu,
the son of the king of the Vidyádharas, the slayer of Vidyuddhvaja,
the victorious protector of the world, who has been appointed to
marry you by Siva himself."
When her father said this to her, she remained with face fixed on
the ground, and then her mother Kuvalayávali said to him, "How,
my husband, was so terrible an Asura, that filled the three worlds
with consternation, slain by that prince in fight?" When the king
heard that, he described to her the valour of that prince, and
the battle between the gods and Asuras. Then Padmávatí's companion,
whose name was Manoháriká, described the easy manner in which he slew
the two Rákshasís. Then the king and queen, finding out that he and
their daughter had met and fallen in love, were pleased, and said,
"What could those Rákshasís do against one, who swallowed the whole
army of the Asuras, as Agastya swallowed the sea?" Then the fire
of Padmávatí's love blazed up more violently, being fanned by this
description of her lover's surpassing courage, as by a breeze.
Then the princess left her parents' presence, and immediately ascended
in eager longing a jewelled terrace in the women's apartments, which
had pillars of precious stone standing in it, and lattices of pearl
fastened to them, and had placed on its pavement, of costly mosaic,
luxurious couches and splendid thrones, and was rendered still more
delightful by means of the various enjoyments which there presented
themselves as soon as thought of. Even when there, she was exceedingly
tortured with the fire of separation. And she saw from the top of
this terrace a magnificent heavenly garden, planted with trees and
creepers of gold, and full of hundreds of tanks adorned with costly
stone. And when she saw it, she said to herself, "Wonderful! This
splendid city of ours is more beautiful even than the world of the
moon in which I was born. And yet I have not explored this city which
is the very crest-jewel of the Himálayas, in which there is such a
splendid suburban garden excelling Nandana. So I will go into this
lovely shrubbery, cool with the shade of trees, and alleviate a little
the scorching of the fires of separation."
After the young maiden had gone through these reflections, she
dexterously managed to descend slowly from the terrace alone, and
prepared to go to that city garden. And as she could not go on foot,
she was carried there by some birds that were brought to her by her
power, and served as her conveyance. When she reached the garden,
she sat in an arbour formed of plantains growing together, on a carpet
of flowers, with heavenly singing and music sounding in her ears. And
even there she did not obtain relief, and her passion did not abate;
on the contrary, the fire of her love increased still more, as she
was separated from her beloved.
Then in her longing she was eager to behold that loved one, though only
in a picture, so by her magic power she summoned for herself a tablet
for painting and colour-pencils. And she said to herself, "Considering
even the Disposer is unable to create a second like my beloved, how can
I, reed [696] in hand, produce a worthy likeness of him? Nevertheless,
I will paint him as well as I can for my own consolation." After going
through these reflections she proceeded to paint him on a tablet, and
while she was thus engaged, her confidante Manoháriká, who had been
troubled at not seeing her, came to that place to look for her. She
stood behind the princess, and saw her languishing alone in the bower
of creepers, with her painting-tablet in her hand. She said to herself,
"I will just see now what the princess is doing here alone." So the
princess's confidante remained there concealed.
And then Padmávatí, with her lotus-like eyes gushing with tears, began
to address in the following words her beloved in the painting. "When
thou didst slay the formidable Asuras and deliver Indra, how comes it
that thou dost not deliver me from my woe, though near me, by speaking
to me at any rate? To one whose merits in a former life are small, even
a wishing-tree is ungenerous, even Buddha is wanting in compassion,
and even gold becomes a stone. Thou knowest not the fever of love,
and canst not comprehend my pain; what could the poor archer Love,
whose arrows are but flowers, do against one whom the Daityas found
invincible? But what am I saying? Truly Fate is adverse to me, for Fate
stops my eyes with tears, and will not allow me to behold thee for
long together, even in a picture." When the princess had said this,
she began to weep with teardrops that were so large that it appeared
as if her necklace were broken, and great pearls were falling from it.
At that moment her friend Manoháriká advanced towards her, and the
princess concealed the picture and said to her, "My friend, I have not
seen you for ever so long; where have you been?" When Manoháriká heard
this, she laughed and said, "I have been wandering about, my friend,
for a long time to look for you; so, why do you hide the picture? I
saw a moment ago a wonderful picture." [697]
When Padmávatí's friend said this to her, she seized her hand, and
said to her with a face cast down from shame, and a voice choked
with tears, "My friend, you knew it all long ago; why should I try to
conceal it? [698] The fact is, that prince, though on that occasion,
in the sacred enclosure of Gaurí, he delivered me from the terrible
fire of the Rákshasí's wrath, plunged me nevertheless in the fire
of love, with its intolerable flame of separation. So I do not know,
where to go, whom to speak to, what to do, or what expedient I must
have recourse to, since my heart is fixed on one hard to obtain."
When the princess said this, her friend answered her, "My dear,
this attachment of your mind is quite becoming and suitable; your
union would certainly be to the enhancement of one another's beauty,
as the union of the digit of the new moon with the hair of Siva matted
into the form of a diadem. And do not be despondent about this matter:
of a truth he will not be able to live without you; did you not see
that he was affected in the same way as yourself? Even women, who
see you, [699] are so much in love with your beauty that they desire
to become men; so what man would not be a suitor for your hand? Much
more will he be, who is equal to you in beauty. Do you suppose that
Siva, who declared that you should be man and wife, can say what
is false? However, what afflicted one feels quite patient about an
object much desired, even though it is soon to be attained? So cheer
up! He will soon become your husband. It is not hard for you to win
any husband, but all men must feel that you are a prize hard to win."
When the princess's attendant said this to her, she answered her,
"My friend, though I know all this, what am I to do? My heart cannot
endure to remain for a moment without that lord of my life, to whom it
is devoted, and Cupid will not bear to be trifled with any further. For
when I think of him, my mind is immediately refreshed, [700] but my
limbs burn, and my breath seems to leave my body with glowing heat."
Even as the princess was saying this, she, being soft as a flower, fell
fainting with distraction into the arms of that friend of hers. Then
her weeping friend gradually brought her round by sprinkling her with
water and fanning her with plantain-leaves. Her friend employed with
her the usual remedies of a necklace and bracelet of lotus-fibres, a
moist anointing with sandal-wood unguent, and a bed of lotus-leaves;
but these contracted heat by coming in contact with her body,
and seemed by their heating and withering to feel the same pain as
she felt.
Then Padmávatí, in her agitation, said to that friend, "Why do you
weary yourself in vain? My suffering cannot be alleviated in this
way. It would be a happy thing, if you would take the only step
likely to alleviate it." When she said this in her pain, her friend
answered her, "What would not I do for your sake? Tell me, my friend,
what that step is."
When the princess heard this, she said with difficulty, as if ashamed,
"Go, my dear friend, and bring my beloved here quickly; for in no other
way can my suffering be allayed, and my father will not be angry; on
the contrary, as soon as he comes here, he will give me to him." When
her friend heard that, she said to her in a tone of decision, "If it be
so, recover your self-command. This is but a little matter. Here am I,
my friend, setting out for Chandrapura the famous and splendid city of
Chandraketu the king of the Vidyádharas, the father of your beloved,
to bring your beloved to you. Be comforted! What is the use of grief?"
When the princess had been thus comforted by Manoháriká, she said,
"Then rise up, my friend, may your journey be prosperous! Go at
once! And you must say courteously from me to that heroic lord
of my life, who delivered the three worlds, 'When you delivered
me so triumphantly in that temple of Gaurí from the danger of the
Rákshasís, how is that you do not deliver me now, when I am being
slain by the god Cupid, the destroyer of women? Tell me, my lord,
what kind of virtue is this in persons like yourself able to deliver
the worlds--to neglect in calamity one whom you formerly saved,
though she is devoted to you.' [701] This is what you must say,
auspicious one, or something to this effect as your own wisdom may
direct." When Padmávatí had said this, she sent that friend on her
errand. And she mounted a bird which her magic knowledge brought to
her, to carry her, and set out for that city of the Vidyádharas.
And then Padmávatí, having to a certain extent recovered her spirits
by hope, took the painting-tablet, and entered the palace of her
father. There she went into her own apartment surrounded by her
servants, and bathed and worshipped Siva with intense devotion, and
thus prayed to him, "Holy one, without thy favouring consent no wish,
great or small, is fulfilled for any one in these three worlds. So if
thou wilt not give me for a husband that noble son of the emperor of
the Vidyádharas, on whom I have set my heart, I will abandon my body
in front of thy image."
When she addressed this prayer to Siva, her attendants were filled
with grief and astonishment, and said to her, "Why do you speak
thus, princess, regardless of your body's weal? Is there anything in
these three worlds difficult for you to obtain? Even Buddha would
forget his self-restraint, if loved by you. So he must be a man of
exceptional merit, whom you thus love." When the princess heard this,
carried away by the thought of his virtues, she said, "How can I help
loving him, who is the only refuge of Indra and the rest of the gods,
who alone destroyed the army of the Asuras, as the sun destroys the
darkness, and who saved my life?" Saying such things, she remained
there full of longing, engaged in conversation about her beloved with
her confidential attendants.
In the meanwhile her friend Manoháriká, travelling at full speed,
reached Chandrapura, that city of the king of the Vidyádharas; which
Visvakarman made wonderful, and of unparalleled magnificence, as if
dissatisfied with the city of the gods, though of that also he was the
architect. There she searched for Muktáphalaketu, but could not find
him, and then, riding on her bird, she went to the garden belonging
to that city. She derived much pleasure from looking at that garden,
the magic splendour of which was inconceivable; the trees of which
were of glittering jewels, and had this peculiarity that one tree
produced a great many flowers of different kinds; which was rendered
charming by the blending of the notes of various birds with the sound
of heavenly songs; and which was full of many slabs of precious stone.
And then, various gardeners, in the form of birds, saw her, and came
up to her, speaking with articulate voice, and addressing her kindly,
and they invited her to sit down on a slab of emerald at the foot of
a párijáta-tree, and when she was seated, served her with appropriate
luxuries. And she received that attention gratefully, and said to
herself, "Wonderful are the magic splendours of the princes of the
Vidyádharas, since they possess such a garden in which enjoyments
present themselves unlooked for, in which the servants are birds,
and the nymphs of heaven keep up a perpetual concert." When she had
said this to herself, she questioned those attendants, and at last,
searching about, she found a thicket of párijáta and other trees of
the kind, and in it she saw Muktáphalaketu appearing to be ill, [702]
lying on a bed of flowers sprinkled with sandal-wood juice. And she
recognized him, as she had become acquainted with him in the hermitage
of Gaurí, and she said to herself, "Let me see what his illness is,
that he is lying here concealed."
In the meanwhile Muktáphalaketu began to say to his friend Samyataka,
who was attempting to restore him with ice, and sandal-wood, and
fanning, "Surely this god of love has placed hot coals in the ice for
me, and in the sandal-wood juice a flame of chaff, and in the air of
the fan a fire as of a burning forest, since he produces a scorching
glow on every side of me, who am tortured with separation. So why,
my friend, do you weary yourself in vain? In this garden, which
surpasses Nandana, even the delightful songs and dances and other
sports of heavenly nymphs afflict my soul. And without Padmávatí,
the lotus-faced, the daughter of Padmasekhara, this fever produced
by the arrows of love cannot be alleviated. But I do not dare to say
this, and I do not find a refuge in any one; indeed I know only of one
expedient for obtaining her. I will go to the temple of Gaurí, where
I saw my beloved, and where she tore out my heart with the arrows of
her sidelong glances, and carried it away. There Siva, who is united
with the daughter of the king of mountains, will, when propitiated
with penance, shew me how to become united with my beloved."
When the prince had said this, he was preparing to rise up, and then
Manoháriká, being much pleased, shewed herself; and Samyataka,
delighted, said to that prince, "My friend, you are in luck;
your desire is accomplished. Look! here is that beloved's female
attendant come to you. I beheld her at the side of the princess in
the hermitage of the goddess Ambiká." Then the prince, beholding the
friend of his beloved, was in a strange state, a state full of the
bursting forth of joy, astonishment, and longing. And when she came
near him, a rain of nectar to his eyes, he made her sit by his side,
and asked her about the health of his beloved.
Then she gave him this answer, "No doubt my friend will be well enough,
when you become her husband; but at present she is afflicted. For
ever since she saw you, and you robbed her of her heart, she has been
despondent, and neither hears nor sees. The maiden has left off her
necklace, and wears a chain of lotus-fibres; and has abandoned her
couch, and rolls on a bed of lotus-leaves. Best of conquerors, I tell
you, her limbs, now white with the sandal-wood juice which is drying
up with their heat, seem laughingly [703] to say, 'That very maiden,
who formerly was too bashful to endure the mention of a lover [704],
is now reduced to this sad condition by being separated from her dear
one.' And she sends you this message." Having said so much, Manoháriká
recited the two verses which Padmávatí had put into her mouth.
When Muktáphalaketu heard all that, his pain departed, and he joyfully
welcomed Manoháriká, and said to her, "This my mind has been irrigated
by your speech, as by nectar, and is refreshed; and I have recovered
my spirits, and got rid of my languor: my good deeds in a former life
have to-day borne fruit, in that that daughter of the Gandharva king
is so well-disposed towards me. But, though I might possibly be able
to endure the agony of separation, how could that lady, whose body
is as delicate as a sirísha-flower, endure it? So I will go to that
very hermitage of Gaurí; and do you bring your friend there, in order
that we may meet at once. And go quickly, auspicious one, and comfort
your friend, and give her this crest-jewel, which puts a stop to all
grief, which the Self-existent gave me, when pleased with me. And
this necklace, which Indra gave me, is a present for yourself." When
the prince had said this, he gave her the crest-jewel from his head,
and he took the necklace from his neck, and put it on hers.
Then Manoháriká was delighted, and she bowed before him, and set out,
mounted on her bird, to find her friend Padmávatí. And Muktáphalaketu,
his languor having been removed by delight, quickly entered his own
city with Samyataka.
And Manoháriká, when she came into the presence of Padmávatí, told her
of the love-pain of her beloved, as she had witnessed it, and repeated
to her his speech, sweet and tender with affection, as she had heard
it; and told her of the arrangement to meet her in the hermitage of
Gaurí, which he had made, and then gave her the crest-jewel which he
had sent, and shewed her the chain which he had given herself as a
present. Then Padmávatí embraced and honoured that friend of hers who
had been so successful; and forgot that pain of the fire of love which
had tortured her before, and she fastened that crest-jewel on her head,
as if it were joy, and began to prepare to go to the wood of Gaurí.
In the meanwhile it happened that a hermit, of the name of Tapodhana,
came to that grove of Gaurí, with his pupil, named Dridhavrata. And
while there, the hermit said to his pupil Dridhavrata, "I will engage
in contemplation for a time in this heavenly garden. You must remain
at the gate, and not let any one in, and after I have finished my
contemplation, I will worship Párvatí." When the hermit had said this,
he placed that pupil at the gate of the garden, and began to engage
in contemplation under a párijáta-tree. After he rose up from his
contemplation, he went into the temple to worship Ambiká, but he did
not tell his pupil, who was at the gate of the garden.
And in the meanwhile Muktáphalaketu came there adorned, with Samyataka,
mounted on a heavenly camel. And as he was about to enter that
garden, that pupil of the hermit forbade him, saying, "Do not do
so! My spiritual superior is engaged in contemplation within." But
the prince, longing to see his beloved, said to himself, "The area
of this garden is extensive, and it is possible that she may have
arrived and may be somewhere within it, whereas the hermit is only
in one corner of it." So he got out of sight of that hermit's pupil,
and with his friend entered the garden by flying through the air.
And while he was looking about, the hermit's pupil came in to see
if his spiritual superior had completed his meditation. He could not
see his superior there, but he did see the noble Muktáphalaketu with
his friend, who had entered the garden by a way by which it was not
meant to be entered. Then that pupil of the hermit cursed the prince
in his anger, saying to him, "As you have interrupted the meditation
of my spiritual guide, and driven him away, go with your friend to the
world of men on account of this disrespect." After he had pronounced
this curse, he went in search of his superior. But Muktáphalaketu
was thrown into great despondency by this curse having fallen on
him like a thunderbolt, when his desire was on the point of being
fulfilled. And in the meanwhile, Padmávatí, eager to meet her beloved,
came mounted on a bird, with Manoháriká and her other attendants. And
when the prince saw that lady, who had come to meet him of her own
accord, but was now separated from him by a curse, he was reduced to
a painful frame of mind in which sorrow and joy were blended. And at
that very moment Padmávatí's right eye throbbed, boding evil fortune,
and her heart fluttered. Then the princess, seeing that her lover was
despondent, thought that he might be annoyed because she had not come
before he did, and approached him with an affectionate manner. Then
the prince said to her, "My beloved, our desire, though on the point
of fulfilment, has been again baffled by Fate." She said excitedly,
"Alas! how baffled?" And then the prince told her how the curse was
pronounced on him.
Then they all went, in their despondency, to entreat the hermit, who
was the spiritual guide of him who inflicted the curse, and was now
in the temple of the goddess, to fix an end to the curse. When the
great hermit, who possessed supernatural insight, saw them approach
in humble guise, he said with a kind manner to Muktáphalaketu,
"You have been cursed by this fool who acted rashly before he had
reflected; [705] however you have not done me any harm, since I rose
up of myself. And this curse can only be an instrument, not the real
reason of your change; in truth you have in your mortal condition
to do the gods a service. You shall come in the course of destiny
to behold this Padmávatí, and sick with love, you shall abandon your
mortal body, and be quickly released from your curse. And you shall
recover this lady of your life, wearing the same body that she wears
now; for being a deliverer of the universe, you do not deserve to
lie long under a curse. And the cause of all this that has befallen
you is the slight stain of unrighteousness which attaches to you,
on account of your having slain with that weapon of Brahmá, which
you employed, old men and children."
When Padmávatí heard this, she said, with tears in her eyes, to that
sage, "Holy Sir, let me now have the same lot as my future husband! I
shall not be able to live for a moment without him." When Padmávatí
made this request, the hermit said to her, "This cannot be: do you
remain here for the present engaged in asceticism, in order that he
may be quickly delivered from his curse, and may marry you. And then,
as the consort of that Muktáphalaketu, you shall rule the Vidyádharas
and Asuras for ten kalpas. And while you are performing asceticism,
this crest-jewel, which be gave you, shall protect you; for it is of
great efficacy, having sprung from the water-pot of the Disposer."
When the hermit, possessing divine insight, had said this to Padmávatí,
Muktáphalaketu, bending low, addressed this prayer to him, "Holy Sir,
may my faith in Siva be unwavering during my life as a man, and may my
mind never be inclined to any lady but Padmávatí." The hermit replied,
"So let it be!" and then Padmávatí, sorely grieved, pronounced on that
pupil, whose fault had entailed these misfortunes, the following curse,
"Since you cursed in your folly my destined husband, you shall be
a vehicle for him to ride on in his human condition, possessing the
property of going with a wish and changing your shape at will." When
the pupil had been thus cursed, he was despondent, and then the hermit
Tapodhana disappeared with him.
Then Muktáphalaketu said to Padmávatí, "I will now go to my city,
and see what will happen to me there." When Padmávatí heard this,
being terrified at separation, she at once fell on the earth with all
her ornaments, as a creeper, broken by the wind, falls with all its
flowers. And Muktáphalaketu comforted, as well as he could, his crying
love, and departed with his friend, frequently turning round his eyes
to look at her. And after he was gone, Padmávatí was much grieved,
and weeping, said to her friend Manoháriká, who tried to comfort her,
"My friend, I am certain that I saw the goddess Párvatí to-day in
a dream, and she was about to throw a garland of lotuses round my
neck, when she said, 'Never mind! I will give it you on some future
occasion,' and desisted from her intention. So I understand that she
wished in this way to let me know that my union with my beloved would
be hindered." When she was mourning in this way over what had occurred,
her friend said to her, "This dream was no doubt sent to you when you
say, by the goddess, in order to comfort you. And the hermit said
the very same to you, and the gods have clearly thus ordained: so,
be of good cheer, you will soon be reunited with your beloved."
This and other speeches from her friend, and the magic efficacy
of the crest-jewel made Padmávatí recover her self-command, and
she remained there in the hermitage of Gaurí. And she performed
asceticism, worshipping there Siva and Párvatí, three times a day,
and also the picture of her beloved, which she had brought from her
own city, looking upon it as the image of a divinity. Her parents,
hearing what had taken place, came to her in tears, and tried to
prevent her, saying, "Do not uselessly fatigue yourself with penance,
to bring about a desired end, which will anyhow take place." But
she said to them, "How could I live here with any comfort, now that
the husband recently appointed for me by the god has fallen into
misery owing to a curse? For to ladies of good family a husband is
a god. And no doubt, this calamity may soon be brought to an end by
austerities, and Siva may be propitiated, and then I may be reunited
with my beloved, for there is nothing [706] that austerities cannot
accomplish." When Padmávatí had said this with firm resolution,
her mother Kuvalayávalí said to her father the king, "King, let her
perform this severe asceticism! Why trouble her further on false
grounds? This is appointed for her by destiny: there is a reason for
it; listen. Long ago, in the city of Siva, the daughter of the king of
the Siddhas, named Devaprabhá, was performing a very severe penance,
in order to obtain the husband she desired. Now my daughter Padmávatí
had gone there with me to visit the shrine of the god, and she went up
to the Siddha maiden and laughed at her, saying, 'Are you not ashamed
to practise austerities in order to obtain a husband?' Then the Siddha
maiden cursed her in her rage, saying, 'Fool! your laughter proceeds
from childishness: you also shall perform painful austerities to your
heart's content to obtain a husband.' Accordingly she must of necessity
endure the misery which the curse of the Siddha maiden has entailed;
who can alter that? So let her do what she is doing?" When the queen
had said this to the king of the Gandharvas, he took leave at last,
though reluctantly, of his daughter, who bowed at his feet, and went
to his own city. And Padmávatí remained in that hermitage of Párvatí,
intent on religious observances and prayers, and every day she went
through the air and worshipped that Siddhísvara, that was worshipped
by Brahmá and the other gods, of which Siva had told her in a dream.
CHAPTER CXVIII.
While Padmávatí was engaged in asceticism, in order that she might be
reunited to Muktáphalaketu, the son of the emperor of the Vidyádharas,
that prince, feeling that his descent into the world of men was nigh
at hand owing to the curse of the Bráhman, in his fear, fled to Siva
as a refuge.
And while he was worshipping Siva, he heard a voice issue from the
inner cell of his temple, "Fear not, for thou shalt not have to
endure misery while dwelling in the womb, and thou shalt not have
to suffer during thy life as a mortal, nor shalt thou long remain
in that condition. [707] Thou shalt be born as a strong and valorous
prince. Thou shalt obtain from the hermit Tapodhana the control of all
weapons, and my Gana named Kinkara shall be thy younger brother. With
his help thou shalt conquer thy enemies, and accomplish the required
service for the gods, and thou shalt be reunited with Padmávatí and
rule the Vidyádharas." When that prince had heard this voice, he
conceived hope, and remained waiting for the ripening, so to speak,
of the fruit of the curse pronounced upon him.
At this point of my story there was a city in the eastern region
named Devasabha, that surpassed in splendour the court of the
gods. In it there lived a universal monarch named Merudhvaja, the
comrade of Indra when war arose between the gods and Asuras. That
great-hearted prince was greedy of glory, not of the goods of others;
his sword was sharp, but not his punishments; he feared sin, but not
his enemy. His brows were sometimes curved in anger, but there was
no crookedness in his heart. His arm was hard, where it was marked
with the horny thickening produced by the bowstring, but there was
no hardness in his speech. He spared his helpless enemies in battle,
but he did not exhibit any mean parsimony with regard to his treasure;
[708] and he took pleasure in virtuous deeds and not in women.
That king had always two anxieties in his heart, the first was that not
even one son was as yet born to him, the second was that the Asuras,
who escaped from the slaughter in the great fight long ago between
the gods and Asuras, and fled to Pátála, kept continually sallying
out to a distance from it, and treacherously destroying holy places,
temples, and hermitages in his land, and then retiring into Pátála
again; and the king could not catch them, as they could move through
the air as well as through Pátála; that afflicted the brave monarch,
though he had no rivals upon earth.
It happened that once, when he was afflicted with these anxieties,
he went to the assembly of the gods, on the day of the full moon in
the month Chaitra, in Indra's splendid chariot, which he sent to fetch
him; for Indra always held a general assembly in the early part of
that day, and king Merudhvaja always went to it in his chariot. But
on that occasion the king kept sighing, though he was amused with
the dances and songs of the heavenly nymphs, and honoured by Indra.
When the king of the gods saw that, knowing what was in his
heart, he said to him, "King, I know what thy grief is; dismiss it
from thy mind. One son shall be born to thee, who shall be called
Muktáphaladhvaja, and shall be a portion of Siva, and a second named
Malayadhvaja, who shall be an incarnation of a Gana. Muktáphaladhvaja
and his younger brother shall obtain from the hermit Tapodhana
the sciences and all weapons and a creature to ride on, that shall
possess the power of assuming any shape. And that invincible warrior
shall again obtain the great weapon of Pasupati, and shall slay the
Asuras, and get into his power the earth and Pátála. And receive from
me these two air-going elephants Kánchanagiri and Kánchanasekhara,
together with mighty weapons." When Indra had said this to Merudhvaja,
he gave him the arms and the elephants, and dismissed him, and he went
delighted to his own city on the earth. But those Asuras, who had
managed by their treachery to cast discredit upon the king, escaped
being caught by him, even when mounted on the sky-going elephant,
for they took refuge in Pátála.
Then the king, desiring a son, went, on his heavenly elephant, to the
hermitage of that hermit Tapodhana, of whom Indra had told him. There
he approached that hermit, and told him that command of Indra, and said
to him, "Reverend Sir, quickly tell me what course I ought to take to
gain my end." And the hermit recommended that the king and his wife
should immediately take upon them a vow for the propitiation of Siva,
in order that they might attain their end. The king then proceeded
to propitiate Siva with that vow, and then that god, being pleased,
said to the king in a dream, "Rise up, king, thou shalt soon [709]
obtain one after another two invincible sons for the destruction of
the Asuras." When the king had heard this, he told it to the hermit
when he woke up in the morning, and after he and his wife had broken
their fast, he returned to his own city.
Then that august and beautiful lady, the queen of Merudhvaja, became
pregnant within a few days. And Muktáphalaketu was in some mysterious
way conceived in her, having been compelled by the curse to abandon
his Vidyádhara body. And that body of his remained in his own city of
Chandrapura, guarded by his relations, kept by magic from corrupting.
So the queen of king Merudhvaja, in the city of Devasabha, delighted
her husband by becoming pregnant. And the more the queen was oppressed
by her condition, the more sprightly was her husband the king. And
when the time came, she gave birth to a boy resembling the sun, who,
though an infant, was of great might, even as Párvatí gave birth to
the god of war. And then not only did rejoicing take place over the
whole earth, but in the heaven also in which the gods struck their
drums. And the hermit Tapodhana, who possessed heavenly insight,
came there in person, to congratulate that king Merudhvaja. With
the help of that hermit, the rejoicing king gave his son the name
Muktáphaladhvaja mentioned by Indra.
Then the hermit departed; but after the lapse of a year a second
son was born to the king by that queen, and the king, with the help
of that hermit, who, in the same way, came there out of joy, named
him Malayadhvaja.
Then Samyataka was born as the son of the king's minister in accordance
with the curse, and his father gave him the name of Mahábuddhi. Then
those two princes gradually grew up, like lions' whelps, with that
minister's son, and as they grew, their might developed also.
And after eight years only had passed, the hermit Tapodhana came
and invested those princes with the sacred thread. And during
eight more years he instructed them [710] in knowledge, and in the
accomplishments, and in the use of all the mighty weapons. Then king
Merudhvaja, seeing that his sons were young men, able to fight with
all weapons, considered that he had not lived in vain.
Then the hermit was about to return to his hermitage, but the king
said to him, "Reverend Sir, now take whatever present you desire." The
great sage answered, "This is the present I desire from you, king,
that, with your sons, you would slay the Asuras that impede my
sacrifices. The king said to him, "Then, reverend sir, you must now
take your present; so begin a sacrifice; the Asuras will come to impede
it, and then I will come with my sons. For formerly those Daityas,
after they had treacherously wrought you wrong, used to fly up into
the air, and dive into the sea, and go to Pátála. But now I have two
air-going elephants given me by Indra, by means of those two I and
my sons will catch them, even if they do fly through the air."
When the hermit heard that, he was pleased and he said to the king,
"Then do you make in the mean time fit preparation for my sacrifice,
in order that I may go and begin a long sacrificial session that
will be famous in every corner of the earth. And I will send you, as
a messenger, this my pupil Dridhavrata, who has acquired the shape
of an unrestrained mighty bird going with a wish; and on him shall
Muktáphaladhvaja ride."
When the hermit had said this, he returned to his hermitage, and the
king sent after him the preparations for the sacrifice. With those he
began a sacrifice, at which the gods and rishis assembled in a body,
and the Dánavas, dwelling in Pátála, were excited when they heard
of it.
When the hermit knew that, he sent his pupil Dridhavrata, who had
been made by the curse to assume the form of a bird, to the city of
Devasabha. When king Merudhvaja saw him arrive there, he remembered the
words of the hermit, and got ready those two heavenly elephants. And
he himself mounted the chief one, which was named Kánchanagiri,
and the lesser one, which was named Kánchanasekhara, he gave to
the younger of his sons. But Muktáphaladhvaja, taking with him the
heavenly weapons, mounted the great bird Dridhavrata, and the bards
hailed him with songs. Then those three heroes sent their armies on
in front, and set forth, mounted on air-going steeds, and blessed
by holy Bráhmans. And when they reached the hermitage, the hermit,
being pleased with them, granted them this boon, that they should be
invulnerable by all weapons.
In the meanwhile the army of the Asuras came to impede the sacrifice,
and the soldiers of Merudhvaja, when they saw the Asuras, charged
them with a shout. Then a battle took place between the Daityas
and the men, but the Daityas, being in the air, pressed sore the
men who were on the ground. Then Muktáphaladhvaja, mounted on his
winged steed, rushed forward, and cut and crushed the Daityas with a
shower of arrows. And those Daityas who escaped his destroying hand,
seeing him mounted on a bird, and resplendent with brightness, took
to flight, supposing that he was Náráyana. And all of them fled in
fear to Pátála, and told what had happened to Trailokyamálin, who
was at that time king of the Daityas.
When the king of the Asuras heard that, he quickly enquired into the
matter by means of his spies, and found out that Muktáphaladhvaja was a
mortal; and unable to endure the disgrace of having been defeated by a
man, he collected all the Dánavas in Pátála, and though warned by omens
to desist, he went to that hermitage to fight. But Muktáphaladhvaja
and his men, who were on the alert there, rushed to attack the king
of the Dánavas, as soon as they saw him arrive with his army. Then a
second great battle took place between the Asuras and the men; and the
gods, headed by Rudra and Indra, came in their chariots to witness it.
And then Muktáphaladhvaja saw instantly presenting itself before him
there a great weapon of Pasupati, of irresistible might, of huge size,
with a flame of fire streaming up from it, with three eyes, with four
faces, with one leg, and eight arms, looking like the fire which is
to burn up the world at the end of the kalpa. The weapon said, "Know
that I have come by the command of Siva, to ensure your victory." When
the weapon said this, the prince worshipped it and clutched it.
In the meanwhile those Asuras in the air, raining arrows, pressed
hard the fainting army of Merudhvaja that was below them. Then
Muktáphaladhvaja, who fought in various manners, came to deliver that
army and fought with the Asuras, placing a net of arrows between them
and his own men.
And when Trailokyamálin, the king of the Asuras, saw him and his
father and brother, mounted on their air-going steeds, he sent forth
the snake-weapon. Innumerable terrible venomous snakes came out of it,
and these Malayadhvaja slew with Garuda-birds, that came out of the
Garuda-weapon. Then Muktáphalaketu repelled with case every weapon
that the king of the Daityas and his son sent forth.
Then that enemy of the gods, and his son, and the other Dánavas
were enraged, and they all at one time launched at him their fiery
weapons. But those weapons, seeing the weapon of Pasupati blazing in
front of him, were immediately terrified and fled.
Then the Daityas were terrified and tried to escape, but the hero
Muktáphaladhvaja perceived their intention, and immediately constructed
above them, and on all sides of them, an impenetrable net of arrows,
like a cage of adamant. And while the Dánavas were circling within
this, like birds, Muktáphaladhvaja with the help of his father and
brother, smote them with sharp arrows. And the severed hands, feet,
bodies, and heads of those Daityas fell on the ground, and streams of
blood [711] flowed. Then the gods exclaimed "Bravo!" and followed up
their acclamation with a rain of flowers, and Muktáphaladhvaja used
the bewildering weapon against those enemies. That made the Asuras
and their king fall senseless on the earth, and then by means of the
weapon of Varuna the prince bound them all with nooses.
Then the hermit Tapodhana said to king Merudhvaja, "You must by no
means kill those Asura warriors that have escaped the slaughter: but
you must win them over and enter Rasátala with them. As for this king
of the Daityas, and his son, and his ministers, you must take them with
the great Asuras, and the malignant Nágas, and the principal Rákshasas,
and imprison them in the cave of Svetasaila in Devasabha." [712] When
the hermit had said this to Merudhvaja, he said to the Daitya warriors,
"Do not be afraid, we must not slay you, but you must henceforth be
subject to the sway of this Muktáphaladhvaja and his brother." When
the king said this to the Dánavas, they joyfully consented to his
proposal. Then the king had Trailokyamálin, the sovereign of the
Daityas, with his son and the others, conveyed to Svetasaila. And he
placed them in confinement in that cave, and had them guarded by his
principal minister, who was backed by a force of many brave warriors.
Then, the battle having come to an end, and the gods, who were
present in their chariots, having departed, after showering mandára
flowers, an universal rejoicing took place over the whole world,
and the victorious king Merudhvaja said to his two sons, "I will
remain here for the present to guard the sacrifice, and do you march
to Pátála with these soldiers of ours, who have possessed themselves
of many chariots belonging to the Daityas, and with those soldiers of
the Asura army who have escaped destruction. And conciliate and win
over to our allegiance the inhabitants of Pátála, and appoint chief
governors throughout the territory, and having thus taken possession
of it you must return here."
When the heroic Muktáphaladhvaja, who was mounted on his heavenly
steed, that went with a wish, and Malayadhvaja heard this, the two
brothers, with their forces, entered Rasátala, together with that
portion of the army of the Dánavas, that had made submission, which
marched in front of them. And they killed the guards that opposed them
in various places, and proclaimed an amnesty to the others by beat
of drum. And, as the people shewed confidence and were submissive,
they took possession of the seven Rasátalas, adorned with splendid
palaces [713] built of various jewels, and they enjoyed those palaces
which were rendered delightful by gardens that gratified every wish,
and had in them lakes of heavenly wine with many ladders of precious
stone. And there they beheld Dánava ladies of wonderful beauty,
and their daughters, who by means of magic concealed their forms
within trees.
And then Svayamvaraprabhá, the wife of Trailokyamálin, began
austerities in order to bring about the welfare of her imprisoned
husband, and in the same way her daughters, Trailokyaprabhá and
Tribhuvanaprabhá, began austerities for the welfare of their father.
And those princes honoured with various favours all the inhabitants
of Pátála, who were happy now that they had obtained repose; and they
appointed Sangrámasinha and others governors, and went to their father
in the hermitage of Tapodhana.