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
And while he was crouching
unobserved in a corner of that cow-house, Kálarátri came into it with a
drawn sword in her hand, [313] terrible from the hissing she uttered,
with wind and flames issuing from her mouth and eyes, accompanied by
a crowd of witches. Then the terrified Sundaraka, beholding Kálarátri
arriving in such a guise, called to mind the spells that drive away
Rákshasas, and bewildered by these spells Kálarátri did not see him
crouching secretly in a corner, with his limbs drawn together from
fear. Then Kálarátri with her friends recited the spells that enable
witches to fly, and they flew up into the air, cow-house and all.
And Sundaraka heard the spell and remembered it; [314] but Kálarátri
with the cow-house quickly flew through the air to Ujjayiní: there
she made it descend by a spell in a garden of herbs, and went and
sported in the cemetery among the witches: and immediately Sundaraka
being hungry went down into the garden of herbs, and made a meal
on some roots which he dug up, and after he had allayed the pangs
of hunger, and returned as before to the cow-house, Kálarátri came
back in the middle of the night from her meeting. Then she got up
into the cow-house, and, just as before, she flew through the air
with her pupils by the power of her magic, and returned home in the
night. And after she had replaced the cow-house, which she made use
of as a vehicle, in its original situation, and had dismissed those
followers of hers, she entered her sleeping apartment. And Sundaraka,
having thus passed through that night, astonished at the troubles
he had undergone, in the morning left the cow-house and went to
his friends; there he related what had happened to him, and, though
desirous of going to some other country, he was comforted by those
friends and took up his abode among them, and leaving the dwelling of
his teacher, and taking his meals in the almshouse for Bráhmans, he
lived there enjoying himself at will in the society of his friends. One
day Kálarátri, having gone out to buy some necessaries for her house,
saw Sundaraka in the market. And being once more love-sick, she went
up to him and said to him a second time--"Sundaraka, shew me affection
even now, for my life depends on you." When she said this to him, the
virtuous Sundaraka said to her, "Do not speak thus, it is not right;
you are my mother, as being the wife of my teacher." Then Kálarátri
said; "If you know what is right, then grant me my life, for what
righteousness is greater than the saving of life?" Then Sundaraka
said--"Mother, do not entertain this wish, for what righteousness can
there be in approaching the bed of my preceptor." Thus repulsed by
him, and threatening him in her wrath, she went home, after tearing
her upper garment with her own hand, and shewing the garment to her
husband, she said to him, "Look, Sundaraka ran upon me, and tore this
garment of mine in this fashion;" so her husband went in his anger
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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