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 the king rejoiced on hearing this report from the scouts, and
he gave them a hundred thousand gold pieces by way of reward. The
king spent that night in thinking; "If I obtain that mighty elephant,
a fit match for Nadágiri, then that Chandamahásena will certainly be
in my power, and then he will of his own accord give me his daughter
Vásavadattá." So in the morning he started for the Vindhya forest,
making these scouts shew him the way, disregarding, in his ardent
desire to capture the elephant, the advice of his ministers. He did
not pay any attention to the fact, that the astrologers said, that
the position of the heavenly bodies at the moment of his departure
portended the acquisition of a maiden together with imprisonment. When
the king of Vatsa reached the Vindhya forest, he made his troops halt
at a distance through fear of alarming that elephant, and accompanied
by the scouts only, holding in his hand his melodious lute, he entered
that great forest boundless as his own kingly vice. The king saw on
the southern slope of the Vindhya range that elephant looking like a
real one, pointed out to him by his scouts from a distance. He slowly
approached it, alone, playing on his lute, thinking how he should bind
it, and singing in melodious tones. As his mind was fixed on his music,
and the shades of evening were setting in, that king did not perceive
that the supposed wild elephant was an artificial one. The elephant
too for its part, lifting up its ears and flapping them, as if through
delight in the music, kept advancing and then retiring, and so drew
the king to a great distance. And then, suddenly issuing from that
artificial elephant, a body of soldiers in full armour surrounded
that king of Vatsa. When he beheld them, the king in a rage drew his
hunting knife, but while he was fighting with those in front of him,
he was seized by others coming up behind. And those warriors with the
help of others, who appeared at a concerted signal, carried that king
of Vatsa into the presence of Chandamahásena. Chandamahásena for his
part came out to meet him with the utmost respect, and entered with
him the city of Ujjayiní. Then the newly arrived king of Vatsa was
beheld by the citizens, like the moon, pleasing to the eyes, though
spotted with humiliation. Then all the citizens, suspecting that
he was to be put to death, through regard for his virtues assembled
and determined to commit suicide. [158] Then the king Chandamahásena
put a stop to the agitation of the citizens, by informing them that
he did not intend to put the monarch of Vatsa to death, but to win
him over. So the king made over his daughter Vásavadattá on the spot
to the king of Vatsa, to be taught music, and said to him--"Prince,
teach this lady music; in this way you will obtain a happy issue to
your adventure, do not despond." But when he beheld that fair lady,
the mind of the king of Vatsa was so steeped in love that he put out of
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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