Kathasaritsagara (the Ocean of Story)
by Somadeva | 1924 | 1,023,469 words | ISBN-13: 9789350501351
This is the English translation of the Kathasaritsagara written by Somadeva around 1070. The principle story line revolves around prince Narav膩hanadatta and his quest to become the emperor of the Vidhy膩dharas (鈥榗elestial beings鈥�). The work is one of the adoptations of the now lost B峁沨atkath膩, a great Indian epic tale said to have been composed by ...
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Click the link to jump directly to the english translation of the ninth 痴别迟腻濒补. This page only contains the notes.
This story is practically a verbatim repetition of the first part of No. 38 (Vol. IV, p. 144 et seq.), which bears exactly the same title. It also has several points of resemblance to 痴别迟腻濒补 2 (Vol. VI, pp. 179-181 and 261-266). Sufficient references have already been given at the above pages.
In the Hindi version[1] the tale is No. 7. The differences are trifling. We first get a more detailed inventory of the lady鈥檚 charms:
鈥淗er face was like the moon, her hair like clouds, her eyes like those of a deer, her eyebrows like a bent bow, her nose like a parrot鈥檚, her neck like that of a pigeon, her teeth like pomegranate-grains, the red colour of her lips like that of a gourd, her waist like the leopard鈥檚, her hands and feet like soft lotuses, her complexion like the 颁丑补尘辫腻: in short, the splendour of her youth increased daily.鈥�
She stipulates that her husband must be possessed of good looks, good qualities and good sense. The first suitor can make a certain cloth for which he can obtain five rubies. He disposes of them the same way as the 艢奴诲谤补 does in our version. The second understands the language of animals. The third knows all the 艢腻蝉迟谤补蝉, while the fourth is a wonderful archer. They all draw attention to their good looks. No mention is made of what castes they belong to, but in his reply to the 痴别迟腻濒补 the king shows to what castes each must belong, and that the princess should naturally marry the one of her own caste.
The story does not appear in the Tamil version, another one entirely different being substituted. See B. G. Babington, Ved膩la Cadai, pp. 55-57.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
W. B. Barker, Bait膩l Pach墨s墨, pp. 157-173.