The Kathá Sarit Ságara; or, Ocean of the Streams of StorySomadeva Bhatta, active 11th century
General
The Kathá Sarit Ságara; or, Ocean of the Streams of Story
Somadeva Bhatta, active 11th century
Folk literature -- Themes, motives; Hindu mythology; India -- Social life and customs; Tales -- India
"Thus even a child may do mischief if it is annoyed, and therefore
we must carefully conciliate all this retinue." Saying this,
Yaugandharáyana with the help of Rumanvat, carefully honoured all
the people on this the king of Vatsa's great day of rejoicing. [195]
And they gratified all the kings so successfully that each one of
them thought, "These two men are devoted to me alone." And the king
honoured those two ministers and Vasantaka with garments, unguents,
and ornaments bestowed with his own hand, and he also gave them
grants of villages. Then the king of Vatsa, having celebrated the
great festival of his marriage, considered all his wishes gratified,
now that he was linked to Vásavadattá. Their mutual love, having
blossomed after a long time of expectation, was so great, owing to
the strength of their passion, that their hearts continually resembled
those of the sorrowing Chakravákas, when the night, during which they
are separated, comes to an end. And as the familiarity of the couple
increased, their love seemed to be ever renewed. Then Gopálaka, being
ordered by his father to return to get married himself, went away,
after having been entreated by the king of Vatsa to return quickly.
In course of time the king of Vatsa became faithless, and secretly
loved an attendant of the harem named Virachitá, with whom he had
previously had an intrigue. One day he made a mistake and addressed
the queen by her name, thereupon he had to conciliate her by clinging
to her feet, and bathed in her tears he was anointed [196] a fortunate
king. Moreover he married a princess of the name of Bandhumatí, whom
Gopálaka had captured by the might of his arm, and sent as a present
to the queen; and whom she concealed, changing her name to Manjuliká;
who seemed like another Lakshmí issuing from the sea of beauty. Her
the king saw, when he was in the company of Vasantaka, and secretly
married her by the Gándharva ceremony in a summer-house. And that
proceeding of his was beheld by Vásavadattá, who was in concealment,
and she was angry, and had Vasantaka put in fetters. Then the king
had recourse to the good offices of a female ascetic, a friend of the
queen's, who had come with her from her father's court, of the name
of Sánkrityánaní. She appeased the queen's anger, and got Bandhumatí
presented to the king by the obedient queen, for tender is the heart of
virtuous wives. Then the queen released Vasantaka from imprisonment;
he came into the presence of the queen and said to her with a laugh,
"Bandhumatí did you an injury, but what did I do to you? You are
angry with adders [197] and you kill water-snakes." Then the queen,
out of curiosity, asked him to explain that metaphor, and he continued
as follows:
Story of Ruru.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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