The Katha Sarit Sagara/Chapter 83
and his wife a serving-maid. Oesterley refers also to the beginning of Donatus' life of Virgil, and to Heraclius Von Otte, also to the parallels quoted above from Liebrecht. The brother, who was so fastidious about beds, may be compared with a princess in Andersen's Tale of "The Princess on a pea," Gesammelte Märchen, Part III, 8, 62, (Leipzig, 1847). This is identical with a tale found in Cavallius' Schwedische Volkssagen und Märchen, German version, Vienna, 1848, p. 222, which resembles No. 182 in the older editions of Grimm's Kindermärchen. (Andersen's story is clearly the same as Thorpe's referred to above. ) Nearly akin is Diocletian's test in the Seven Wise Masters. His masters put an ash-leaf under the bed; and he remarks, " Either the floor has risen, or thereof sunk." (Oesterley, p. 215.) In the version in Simrock's Deutsche Volks-bücher, Vol. XII, p. 122, it is an ivy-leaf. See also Ellia's Metrical Romances, p. 412.
CHAPTER LXXXIII.
(Vetála 9.)
So king Trivikramasena again went to the aśoka-tree, and taking the Vetála down from it, placed him on his shoulder, and set out. Then the Vetála said to him; " King, this wandering about in a cemetery at night is inconsistent with your kingly rank. Do you not see that this place of the dead*[1] is full of ghosts, and terrible at night, and full of darkness as of the smoke of funeral pyres. Alas ! what tenacity you display in this undertaking you have engaged in, to please that mendicant ! So listen to this question from me which will render your journey more agreeable."
Story of Anangarati and her four suitors.:— There is in Avanti a city built by gods at the beginning of the world, which is limitless as the body of Śiva, and renowned for enjoyment and prosperity, even as his body is adorned with the snake's hood and ashes. †[2] It was called Padmávatí in the Krita Yuga, Bhogavatí in the Tretá Yuga, Hiranyavatí in the Dvápara Yuga, and Ujjayiní in the Kali Yuga. And in it there lived an excellent king, named Víradeva, and he had a queen named Padmarati. The king went with her to the bank of the Mandákiní, and propitiated Śiva with austerities, in order to obtain a son. And after he had remained a long time engaged in austerities, he performed the ceremonies of bathing and praying, and then he heard this voice from heaven, uttered by Śiva, who was pleased with him, " King, there shall be born to thee a brave son to be the head of thy family, and a daughter, who with her matchless beauty shall put to shame the nymphs of heaven." When king Viradeva had heard this voice from heaven, he returned to his city with his consort, having gained all he desired.
There he first had a son born to him named Śúradeva, and after a time queen Padmarati gave birth to a daughter. And her father gave her the name of Anangarati, on the ground that she was beautiful enough to inspire love in the breast of Cupid. And, when she grew up, in his desire to procure for her a suitable husband, he had brought the portraits of all the kings of the earth, painted on canvass. And as no one of them seemed a match for her, he said to his daughter, in his tenderness for her; " I cannot find a suitable match for you, my daughter, so summon all the kings of the earth, and select your own husband." When the princess heard that, she said to her father, " My father, I am too modest to select my own husband, but I must be given in marriage to a good-looking young man, who is a perfect master of one art; I do not want any other better man."
When the king heard this speech of his daughter Anangarati, he proceeded to search for a young man, such as she had described, and while he was thus engaged, there came to him from the Dekkan four magnificent men, brave and skilful, who bad heard from the people what was going on. Those four suitors for the hand of the princess were received with respect by the king, and one after another they told to him in her presence their respective acquirements.
The first said; " I am a Śúdra, Panchaphuțțika by name; I make every day five splendid pairs of garments: The first of them I give to my god, and the second to a Brahman, the third I retain for my own wearing,*[3] the fourth I should give to my wife, if this maid here were to become my wife, the fifth I sell, and procure myself meat and drink: as I possess this art, let Anangarati be given to me."
When he had said this, the second man said, " I am a Vaiśya, Bháshájna by name, I know the speech of all beasts and birds; †[4] so let the princess be given to me."
When the second had said this, the third said, " I am a Kshatriya king, by name Khadgadhara, renowned for might of arm: my equal in the art of swordsmanship does not exist upon the earth, so bestow this maiden on me, O king."
When the third had said this, the fourth said, " I am a Bráhman, named Jívadatta, and I possess the following art; I can restore to life dead creatures, and exhibit them alive;*[5] so let this maiden obtain for a husband me, who am renowned for daring exploits."
When they had thus spoken, the king Víravara, with his daughter by his side, seeing that they were like gods in shape and dress, remained lost in doubt.
When the Vetála had told this story, he said to king Trivikramasena, menacing him with the before-mentioned curse, " So tell me, king, to which of these four ought the maiden Anangarati to be given?"
When the king heard this, he gave the Vetála the following answer; " You are thus repeatedly making me break silence simply in order to waste time; otherwise, master of magic, how could you possibly ask such an absurd question? How can a woman of Kshatriya caste be given to a Śúdra weaver? Moreover, how can a Kshatriya woman be given to a Vaiśya? And as to the power of understanding the language of beasts and birds, which he possesses, what is the practical use of it? And as for the third, the Bráhman, who fancies himself such a hero, of what worth is he, as he is a sorcerer, and degraded by abandoning the duties of his caste? Accordingly the maiden should be given to the fourth suitor, the Kshatriya Khadgadhara, who is of the same caste and distinguished for his skill and valour."
When the Vetála heard this, he left the king's shoulder, as before, and quickly returned by the power of his magic to his own place, and the king again pursued him, as before, to recover him, for despondency never penetrates into a hero's heart, that is cased in armour of fortitude.
Note.
This story is found on page 498 and ff of Vol. I. It bears a close resemblance to Tale 5, and many of the parallels there quoted are applicable to it. In the 47th tale of the Pentamerone of Basile, the sons Least of their accomplishments in a very similar manner.
CHAPTER LXXXIV.
(Vetála 10.)
Then Trivikramasena went and took the Vetála from the aśoka-tree, and put him on his shoulder once more, and set out; and as he was going
- ↑ * Literally " grove of ancestors," i. e., cemetery.
- ↑ † Here we have one of the puns in which our author delights.
- ↑ * More literally, " for my own two garments." A Hindu wears two pieces of cloth.
- ↑ † See note on Vol. I, p. 499, Liebrecht's translation of the Pentamerone of Basile, Vol. II, p. 215, Herrtage's edition of tho English Gesta Romanorum, p. 55, the Greek fable of Teiresias, Waldau, Böhmische Mürchen, p. 1.
- ↑ * This idea is common enough in this work, and I have already traced it in other lands. I wish now to refer to Rohde, der Griechische Roman, p. 126, note. It will be found specially illustrative of a passage in Vol II, p. 144 of this work. Cp. also