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
Then, in a short time, Vásavadattá became pregnant with a child,
glorious inasmuch as it was an incarnation of the god of Love,
and it was a feast to the eyes of the king of Vatsa. She shone with
a face, the eyes of which rolled, and which was of palish hue, as
if with the moon come to visit her out of affection for the god of
Love conceived in her. When she was sitting down, the two images of
her form, reflected in the sides of the jewelled couch, seemed like
Rati and Príti come there out of regard for their husband. [332]
Her ladies-in-waiting attended upon her like the Sciences that grant
desires, come in bodily form to shew their respect for the future king
of the Vidyádharas [333] conceived in her. At that time she had breasts
with points dark like a folded bud, resembling pitchers intended for
the inaugural sprinkling [334] of her unborn son. When she lay down
on a comfortable couch in the middle of the palace, which gleamed
with pavement composed of translucent, flashing, lustrous jewels,
she appeared as if she were being propitiated by the waters, that had
come there trembling, through fear of being conquered by her future
son, with heaps of jewels on every side. Her image reflected from the
gems in the middle of the chariot, appeared like the Fortune of the
Vidyáharas coming in the heaven to offer her adoration. And she felt
a longing for stories of great magicians provided with incantations by
means of spells, introduced appropriately in conversation. Vidyádhara
ladies, beginning melodious songs, waited upon her when in her dream
she rose high up in the sky, and when she woke up, she desired to
enjoy in reality the amusement of sporting in the air, which would
give the pleasure of looking down upon the earth. And Yaugandharáyana
gratified that longing of the queen's by employing spells, machines,
juggling, and such like contrivances. So she roamed through the air
by means of those various contrivances, which furnished a wonderful
spectacle to the upturned eyes of the citizens' wives. But once on a
time, when she was in her palace, there arose in her heart a desire to
hear the glorious tales of the Vidyádharas; then Yaugandharáyana, being
entreated by that queen, told her this tale while all were listening.
Story of Jímútaváhana.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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