KATHA SARIT SAGAR CHAPTER V

CHAPTER V. 

    Having said this, Vararuchi continued his tale as follows: 

    In course of time Yogananda became enslaved by his passions, apd like a mad elephant he disregarded every restraint. Whom will not a sudden access of prosperity intoxicate? Then I reflected with, myself, "The king has burst all bonds, and my own religious duties are neglected being interfered with by my care for his affairs, therefore it is better for me to draw out that S'akatala from his dungeon and make him my colleague in the ministry; even if he tries to oppose me, what harm can he do as long as I am in office?" Having resolved on this I asked permission of the king, and drew S'akatala out of the deep dungeon. Brahmans are always softhearted. Now the discreet S'akatala made up his mind, that it would be difficult to overthrow Yogananda as long as I was in office, and that he had accordingly better imitate the cane which bends with the current, and watch a favourable moment for vengeance, so at my request he resumed the office of minister and managed the king's affairs. 

    Once on a time Yogananda went outside the city, and beheld in the middle of the Ganges a hand, the five fingers of which were closely pressed together. That moment he summoned me and said, "What does this mean?" But I displayed two of my fingers in the direction of the hand. Thereupon that hand disappeared, and the king, exceedingly astonished, again asked me what this meant, and I answered him, " That hand meant to say, by shewing its five fingers, ' What cannot five men united effect in this world?' Then I, king, shewed it these two fingers, wishing to indicate that nothing is impossible when even two men are of one mind." When I uttered this solution of the riddle the king was delighted, and S'akatala was despondent seeing that my intellect would be difficult to circumvent. 

     One day Yogananda saw his queen leaning out of the window and asking questions of a Brahman guest that was looking up. That trivial circumstance threw the king into a passion, and he gave orders that the Brahman should be put to death; for jealousy interferes with discernment. Then as that Brahman was being led off to the place of execution in order that he might be put to death, a fish in the market laughed aloud, though it was dead. The king hearing it immediately prohibited for the present the execution of that Brahman, and asked me the reason why the fish laughed. I replied that I would tell him after I had thought over the matter; and after I had gone out Sarasvati came to me secretly on my thinking of her and gave me this advice; " Take up a position on the top of this palm tree at night so as not to be observed, and tbou sbalt without doubt hear the reason why the fish laughed." Hearing this I went at night to that very place, and ensconced myself on the top of the palm tree, and saw a terrible female Rakshasa coming past with her children; when they asked her for food, she said, " Wait, and I will give you to-morrow morning the flesh of a Brahman, he was not killed to-day." They said to their mother, "Why was he not killed to-day?" Then she replied," He was not executed because a fish in the town, though dead, laughed when it saw him." The sons said, "Why did the fish laugh?" She continued, "The fish of course said to himself all the king's wives are dissolute, for in every part of this harem there are men dressed up as women, and nevertheless while these escape, an innocent Brahman is to be put to death and this tickled the fish so that he laughed. For demons assume these disguises, insinuating themselves into everything, and laughing at the exceeding want of discernment of kings." After I had heard that speech of the female Rakshasa I went away from thence, and in the morning I informed the king why the fish laughed. The king after detecting in the harem those men clothed as women, looked upon me with great respect, and released that Brahman from the sentence of death.

    I was disgusted by seeing this and other lawless proceedings on the part of the king, and, while I was in this frame of mind, there came to court a new painter. He painted on a sheet of canvass the principal queen and Yogananda, and that picture of his looked as if it were alive, it only lacked speech and motion. And the king being delighted loaded that painter with wealth, and had the painting set up on a wall in his private apartments. Now one day when I entered into the king's private apartments, it occurred to me that the painting of the queen did not represent all her auspicious marks; from the arrangement of the other marks I conjectured by means of my acuteness that there ought to be a spot where the girdle comes, and I painted one there. Then I departed after thus giving queen all her lucky marks. Then Yogananda entered and saw that spot, and asked his chamberlains who had painted it. And they indicated me to him as the person who had painted it. Yogananda thus reflected while burning with anger ; " No one except myself knows of that spot, which is in a part of the queen's body usually concealed, then how can this Vararuchi have come thus to know it? No doubt he has secretly corrupted my harem, and this is how he came to see there those men disguised as women." Foolish men often find such coincidences. Then of his own motion he summoned S'akatala, and gave him the following order: "You must put Vararuchi to death for seducing the queen." S'akatala said, " Your Majesty's orders shall be executed," and went out of the palace, reflecting, "I should not have power to put Vararuchi to death, for he possesses godlike force of intellect; and he delivered me from calamity; moreover he is a Brahman, therefore I had better hide him and win him over to my side." Having formed this resolution, he came and told me of the king's causeless wrath which had ended in his ordering my execution, and thus concluded, "I will have some one else put to death in order that the news may get abroad, and do you remain hidden in my house to protect me from this passionate king." In accordance with this proposal of his, I remained concealed in his house, and he had some one else put to death at night in Border that the report of my death might be spread. When he had in this way displayed his statecraft, I said to him out of affection, " You have shewn yourself an unrivalled minister in that you did not attempt to put me to death; for I cannot be slain, since I have a Rakshnsa to friend, and lie' will come, on being only thought of, and at my request will devour the whole world. As for this king he is a friend of mine, being a Brahman named Indradatta, and he ought not to be slain." Hearing this, that minister said " Shew me the Rakshasa." Then I shewed him that Rakshasa who came with a thought; and on beholding him, S'akatala was astonished and terrified. And when the Rakshasa had disappeared, S'akatala again asked me " How did the Rakshasa become your friend ?" Then I said " Long ago the heads of the police as they went through the city night after night on inspecting duty, perished one by one. On hearing that, Yogananda made me head of the police, and as I was on my rounds at night, I saw a Rakshasa roaming about, and he said to me, "Tell me, who is considered the best-looking woman in this city?" When I heard that, I burst out laughing and said " You fool, any woman is good-looking to the man who admires her." Hearing my answer, he said " You are the only man that has beaten me." And now that I had escaped death by solving his riddle, he again said to me, " I am pleased with you, henceforth you are my friend, and I will appear to you when you call me to mind." Thus he spoke and disappeared, and I returned by the way that I came. Thus the Rakshasa has become my friend, and my ally in trouble. When I had said this, S'akatala made a second request to me, and I shewed him the goddess of the Ganges in human form who came when I thought of her. And that goddess disappeared when she had been gratified by me with hymns of praise. But S'akatala became from thenceforth my obedient ally.

     Now once on a time that minister said to me when my state of concealment weighed upon my spirits; " why do you, although you know all things, abandon yourself to despondency? Do you not know that the minds of kings are most undiscerning, and in a short time you will be cleared from all imputations; in proof of which listen to the following tale..

     The story of sivavarman  

      There reigned here long ago a king The story of Sivararman. named A'dityavarman, and he had a very wise minister, named S'ivavarman. Now it came to pass that one of that king's queens became pregnant, and when he found it out, the king said to the guards of the harem, " It is now two years since I entered this place, then how has this queen become pregnant? Tell me." Then they said, " No man except your minister S'ivavarman is allowed to enter here, but he enters without any restriction." When he heard that, the king thought, " Surely he is guilty of treason against me, and yet if I put him to death publicly, I shall incur reproach," thus reflecting, that king sent that S'ivavarman on some pretext to Bhogavarman a neighbouring chief, who was an ally of his, and immediately afterwards the king secretly sent off a messenger to the same chief, bearing a letter by which he was ordered to put the minister to death. When a week had elapsed after the minister's departure, that queen tried to escape out of fear, and was taken by the guards with a man in woman's attire, then A'dityavarman when he heard of it was tilled with remorse, and asked himself why he had causelessly brought about the death of so excellent a minister. In the meanwhile S'ivavarman reached the Court of Bhogavarman, and that messenger came bringing the letter; and fate would have it so that after Bhogavarman had read the letter he told to S'ivavarman in secret the order he had received to put him to death. 

    The excellent minister S'ivavarman in his turn said to that chief, " put me to death ; if you do not, I will slay myself with my own hand." When he heard that, Bhogavarman was filled with wonder, and said to him, " What does all this mean? Tell me Brahman, if you do not, you will lie under my curse." Then the minister said to him, " King, in whatever land I am slain, on that land God will not send rain for twelve years." When he heard that, Bhogavarman debated with his minister, "that wicked king desires the destruction of our land, for could he not have employed secret assassins to kill his minister? So we must not put this minister to death, moreover we must prevent him from laying violent hands on himself." Having thus deliberated and appointed him guards, Bhogavarman sent S'ivavarman out of his country that moment; so that minister by means of his wisdom returned alive, and his innocence was established from another quarter, for righteousness cannot be undone.

    In the same way your innocence will be made clear, Katyayana; remain for a while in my house; this king too will repent of what he has done. When Sakatala said this to me, I spent those days concealed in his house, waiting my opportunity. 

    Then it came to pass that one day, Kanabhuti, a son of that Yogananda named Hiranyagupta went out hunting, and when he had somehow or other been carried to a great distance by the speed of his horse, while he was alone in the wood the day came to an end; and then he ascended a tree to pass the night. Immediately afterwards a bear, which had been terrified by a lion, ascended the same tree ; he seeing the prince frightened, said to him with a human voice, " Fear not, thou art my friend," and thus promised him immunity from harm. Then the prince confiding in the bear's promise went to sleep, while the bear remained awake. Then the lion below said to the bear, " Bear, throw me down this man, and I will go away." Then the bear said, " Villain, I will not cause the death of a friend." When in course of time the bear went to sleep while the prince was awake, the lion said again, " Man, throw me down the bear." When he heard that, the prince, who through fear for his own safety wished to propitiate the lion, tried to throw down the bear, but wonderful to say, it did not fall, since Fate caused it to awake. And then that bear said to the prince, " become insane, thou betrayer of thy friend," laying upon him a curse destined not to end until a third person guessed the whole transaction. Accordingly the prince, when he reached his palace in the morning went out of his mind, and Yogananda seeing it, was immediately plunged in despondency; and said, " If Vararuchi were alive at this moment, all this matter would be known ;" curse on my readiness to have him put to death! 

    S'akatala, when he heard this exclamation of the king's, thought to himself, "Ha! here is an opportunity obtained for bringing Katyayana out of concealment, and he being a proud man will not remain here, and the king will repose confidence in me." After reflecting thus, he implored pardon, and said to the king, " King, cease from despondency, Vararuchi remains alive." Then Yogananda said. " Let him he brought quickly." Then I was suddenly brought by S'akatala into the presence of Yogananda and beheld the prince in that state ; and by the favour of Sarasvati I was enabled to reveal the whole occurrence ; and I said, " King, he has proved a traitor to his friend" ; then I was praised by that prince who was deli- vered from his curse ; and the king asked me how I had managed to find out what had taken place. Then I said, " King, the minds of the wise see everything by inference from signs, and by acuteness of intellect. So I found out all this in the same way as I found out that mole." When I had said this, that king was afflicted with shame. Then without accepting his munificence, considering myself to have gained all I desired by the clearing of my reputation, I went home : for to the wise character is wealth. And the moment I arrived, the servants of my house wept before me, and when I was distressed at it Upavarsha came to me and said, " Upakosa, when she heard that the king had put you to death, committed her body to the flames, and then your mother's heart broke with grief." Hearing that, senseless with the distraction produced by recently aroused grief, I suddenly fell on the ground like a tree broken by the wind : and in a moment I tasted the relief of loud lamentations ; whom will not the fire of grief, produced by the loss of dear relations, scorch ? Varsha came and gave me sound advice in such words as these, " The only thing that is stable in this ever-changeful world is instability, then why are you distracted though you know this delusion of the Creator" ? By the help of these and similar exhortations I at length, though with difficulty, regained my equanimity ; then with heart disgusted with the world, I flung aside all earthly lords, and choosing self-restraint for my only companion, I went to a grove where asceticism was practised.

     Then, as days went by, once on a time a Brahman from Ayodhya came to that ascetic-grove while I was there : I asked him for tidings about Yogananda's government, and he recognizing me told me in sorrowful accents the following story:-

    "Hear what happened to Nanda after you had left him. Sakatal waiting for it a long time, found that he had now obtained an opportunity of injuring him. While thinking how he might by some device get Yogananda killed, he happened to see a Brahman named Chanakya digging up the earth in his path; he said to him, " Why are you digging up the earth?" The Brahman, whom he had asked, said, I am rooting up a plant of darba grass here, because it has pricked my foot. When he heard that, the minister thought that Brahman who formed such stern resolves out of anger, would be the best instrument to destroy Nanda with. After asking his name he said to him, " Brahman, I assign to you the duty of performing a s'rdddha on the thirteenth day of the lunar fortnight, in the house of king Nanda; you shall have one hundred thousand gold pieces by way of fee, and you shall sit at the board above all others; in the meanwhile come to my house." Saying this, S'akatala took that Brahman to his house, and on the day of the s'rdddha he showed the Brahman to the king, and he approved of him. Then Chanakya went and sat at the head of the table during the s'rdddha, but a Brahman named Subandhu desired that post of honour for himself. Then S'akatala went and referred the matter to king Nanda, who answered, " Let Subandhu sit at the head of the table, no one else deserves the place." Then S'akatala went, and, humbly bowing through fear, communicated that order of the king's to Chanakya, adding, "it is not my fault." Then that Chanakya, being, as it were, inflamed all over with wrath, undoing the lock of hair on the crown of his head, made this solemn vow, " Surely this Nanda must be destroyed by me within seven days, and then my anger being appeased I will bind up my lock." When he had said this, Yogananda was enraged; so Chanakya escaped unobserved, and S'akatala gave him refuge in his house. Then being supplied by S'akatala with the necessary instruments, that Brahman Chanakya went somewhere and performed a magic rite; in consequence of this rite Yogananda caught a burning fever, and died when the seventh day arrived; and S'akatala, having slain Nanda's son Hiranyagupta, bestowed the royal dignity upon Chandragupta a son of the previous Nanda. And after he had requested Chanakya, equal in ability to Brihaspati, to be Chandragupta's prime-minister, and established him in the office, that minister, considering that all his objects had been accomplished, as he had wreaked his vengeance on Yogananda, despondent through sorrow for the death of his sons, retired to the forest." 

    After I had heard this, O Kanabhuti, from the mouth of that Brahman, I became exceedingly afllicted, seeing that all things are unstable; and on account of my affliction came to visit this shrine of Durga, and through her favour having beheld you, O my friend, I have remembered my former birth.

  And having obtained divine discernment I have told you the great tale: now as my curse has spent its strength, I will strive to leave the body; and do you remain here for the present, until there comes to you a Brahman named Gunadhya, who has forsaken the use of three languages, surrounded with his pupils, for he like myself was cursed by the goddess in anger, being an excellent Gana Malyavan by name, who for taking my part has become a mortal. To him you must tell this tale originally told by Siva, then you shall be delivered from your curse, and so shall he. 

    Having said all this to Kanabhuti, that Vararuchi set forth for the holy hermitage of Badarika in order to put off his body. As he was going along he beheld on the banks of the Ganges a vegetable-eating hermit, and while he was looking on, that hermit's hand was pricked with Kussa grass. Then Vararuchi turned his blood, as it flowed out, into sap through his magic power, out of curiosity, in order to test his egotism; on beholding that, the hermit exclaimed, "Ha! I have attained perfection;" and so he became puffed up with pride. Then Vararuchi laughed a little and said to him, "I turned your blood into sap in order to test you, because even now, hermit, you have not abandoned egotism. Egotism is in truth an obstacle in the road to knowledge hard to overcome, and without knowledge liberation cannot be attained even by a hundred vows. But the perishable joys of Svarga cannot attract the hearts of those who long for liberation, therefore, O hermit, endeavour to acquire knowledge by forsaking egotism." Having thus read that hermit a lesson, and having been praised by him prostrate in adoration, Vararuchi went to the tranquil site of the hermitage of Badari. There he, desirous of putting off his mortal condition, resorted for protection with intense devotion to that goddess who only can protect, and she manifesting her real form to him told him the secret of that meditation which arises from fire, to help him to put off the body. Then Vararuchi having consumed his body by that form of meditation, reached his own heavenly home ; and henceforth that Kanabhuti remained in the Vindhya forest eager for his desired meeting with Gunadhya.