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
on the way with those fools, and at the end of the day he reached a
Savara village. There he wandered about in the night and reached a
certain house inhabited by a young woman, and asked the woman for a
lodging there. She gave him a room, and he entered it with his friends,
and those seven in a moment went to sleep. He alone remained awake,
as he had entered a house belonging to a savage. For the stupid sleep
resolutely, how can the understanding sleep?
And in the meanwhile a certain young man secretly entered the inner
apartment of the house, and went into the presence of that woman. And
she remained in confidential conversation with him, and as fate
would have it, they both fell asleep. And Vishnudatta, perceiving it
all through the half-open door by the light of a candle, reflected
despondently, "Alas! have we entered the house of a profligate
woman? Surely this is her paramour, and not the husband of her youth,
for otherwise we should not have this timid secret proceeding;
I saw at the first that she was of a flighty disposition; but we
have entered here as mutual witnesses, for lack of others." While he
was thinking he heard outside a noise of men, and he saw entering a
young chief of the Savaras with a sword, looking about him, while
his attendants remained in the sleeping apartment. When the chief
said--"Who are you?" Vishnudatta, supposing him to be the master of
the house, said in his terror--"We are travellers." But the Savara
entered, and seeing his wife in such a position, he cut off with
his sword the head of her sleeping paramour. But he did not punish
or even wake his wife; but placing his sword on the ground he went
to sleep on another couch. Seeing that by the light of the candle,
Vishnudatta reflected--"He did right not to kill his wife, but to
kill the adulterer; but that he should sleep here in confidence,
after performing such a deed, is an act of surprising courage,
characteristic of men of mighty minds." While Vishnudatta was thus
reflecting, that wicked woman awoke and beheld her paramour slain,
and that husband of hers asleep. So she rose up, and took on her
shoulder the body of her lover, and carrying his head in one hand,
she went out. And going outside quickly, she threw into an ash-heap
the trunk with the head, and came secretly back. And Vishnudatta going
out beheld it all from a distance, and again entering remained as he
was, in the midst of his sleeping companions. But the wicked woman
came back, and entering the room, cut off with that very sword the
head of her sleeping husband. And going out she raised a cry so as to
make all the servants hear, "Alas! I am ruined, my husband has been
slain by these travellers." Then the servants, hearing the cry, rushed
forward and beholding their master slain, ran upon Vishnudatta and his
friends with uplifted weapons. And when those others, his companions,
rose up in terror, as they were about to be slain, Vishnudatta said
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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