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
though wounded, to enter a cavern: and Saktideva entered there in
pursuit of him, and immediately beheld a great garden-shrubbery with
a house. And when he was there, he beheld a maiden of very wonderful
beauty, coming in a state of agitation to meet him, as if it were
the goddess of the wood advancing to receive him out of love.
And he asked her,--"Auspicious lady, who are you, and why are you
perturbed?"--Hearing that, the lovely one thus answered him; "There is
a king of the name of Chandavikrama, lord of the southern region. I
am his daughter, auspicious sir, a maiden named Vindurekhá. But a
wicked Daitya, with flaming eyes, carried me off by treachery from my
father's house to-day, and brought me here. And he, desiring flesh,
assumed the form of a boar, and sallied out, but while he was still
hungry, he was pierced with a spear to-day by some hero; and as soon
as he was pierced, he came in here and died. And I rushed out and
escaped without being outraged by him." Then Saktideva said to her,
"Then why all this perturbation? For I slew that boar with a spear,
princess." Then she said, "Tell me who you are," and he answered her
"I am a Bráhman named Saktideva." Then she said to him, "You must
accordingly become my husband," and the hero consenting went out
of the cavern with her. And when he arrived at home, he told it to
his wife Vindumatí, and with her consent he married that princess
Vindurekhá. So, while Saktideva was living there with his two wives,
one of his wives Vindurekhá became pregnant; and in the eighth
month of her pregnancy, the first wife Vindumatí came up to him of
her own accord and said to him, "Hero, remember what you promised
me; this is the eighth month of the pregnancy of your second wife:
so go and cut her open and bring the child here, for you cannot act
contrary to your own word of honour." When she said this to Saktideva,
he was bewildered by affection and compassion; but being bound by
his promise he remained for a short time unable to give an answer;
at last he departed in a state of agitation and went to Vindurekhá;
and she seeing him come with troubled air, said to him, "Husband, why
are you despondent to-day? Surely I know; you have been commissioned
by Vindumatí to take out the child with which I am pregnant; and
that you must certainly do, for there is a certain object in view,
and there is no cruelty in it, so do not feel compunction; in proof
of it, hear the following story of Devadatta."
Story of Devadatta.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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