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 ...
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Author鈥檚 epilogue
These verses, translated by Dr L. D. Barnett, appear here in English for the first time. They are not found in Brockhaus鈥� text, and consequently are not in Tawney鈥檚 translation either. They appear, however, in the first edition of Durg膩pras膩d鈥檚 text. Subsequently, they were printed separately, and in some copies of the third edition of the Durg膩pras膩d text they have inadvertently been omitted.
As previously stated, these verses contain all we know of our author. Although Sir Aurel Stein has kindly endeavoured to obtain information in Kashmir, no evidence whatever has been forthcoming.
The notes to these final verses, as well as the translation, are the work of Dr Barnett.
TRANSLATION TO ADDITIONAL VERSES
(1) THERE was a lord of earth, King 厂补峁単谤腻尘补, a 辫腻谤颈箩腻迟补 tree [issued] from the ocean of the blest 厂腻迟补惫腻丑补苍补 race,[1] who, being attended by diverse vibudhas[2] descending [to him], rendered the realm of Kashmir a Nandana.[3]
(2) To him was born a son, an emperor whose footstool was made a touchstone for masses of rubies on the crests of all lords of earth as they bowed [before him], the kalpa tree[4] of his stock, a peculiar store of valour, the blest Ananta.
(3) The head of a king which was rolled in the ground at the front of his (Ananta鈥檚) doorway, severed at the neck, with the belly cast away, was like 搁腻丑耻 come to do service because he was delighted on hearing the pleasant fame of (Ananta鈥檚) cakra (dominion) which surpassed the cakra (discus) of great Hari.[5]
(4) Now this moon of kings wedded as his queen a daughter of the monarch of Trigarta, 厂奴谤测补惫补迟墨, who, like the juncture of dawn, dispelled darkness from her subjects and was universally adored.[6]
(5)-(6) The 碍补艣尘墨谤补蝉 were adorned with excellent monasteries built by his queen, which were like holy traditions, in being kept by hundreds of Br膩hmans born in various lands; like gem-filled oceans, in being hospitable even to terrified 产丑奴产丑峁泃蝉[7]; like noble kalpa trees, in dispelling daily the distress of the needy.
(7) The dwellings of the gods, white with palatial plaster, which were built by her on the spacious bank of the 痴颈迟补蝉迟腻, assuredly possess the semblance of peaks of 贬颈尘腻濒补测补, the ends whereof are encompassed by the Heavenly River.[8]
(8) Because of the countless gems, gold, great estates, black antelope-skins, mountains of wealth and thousands of kine which were bestowed [by her], that lady indeed bears even . . . Earth.[9]
(9) Her son was the blest monarch King 碍补濒补艣补, who, though a unique tilaka on the circle of the earth, was nevertheless 补苍-补濒墨办补-lagna,[10] and, though a friend to the 驳耻峁噄, was full of rich ambrosia.[11]
(10) Her excellent grandson was the blest King 贬补谤峁, who was like a modern Child of the Jar created by the gods, a puissant one who was able to make all lofty 耻谤惫墨产丑峁泃蝉 bow [before him] and to drink up the seven oceans.[12]
(11) In order to interest somewhat for a moment the mind of that queen, who was ever intent upon the rules for the diverse offerings of oblation-rites for the worship of him who couches on the mountains,[13] and constantly devoted her efforts to learning from books of instruction,
(12) This summary of the 叠峁沨补迟-办补迟丑腻鈥檚 essence, consisting of the ambrosia of diverse tales, [a summary which is] a full-moon [attracting] the ocean of good men鈥檚 minds, was verily composed by Soma, the son of 搁腻尘补, a worthy Br膩hman, agreeable because of his abounding virtues.
(13) May this Ocean of Streams of Story, composed by the stainless-minded Soma, which has the semblance of very widespread waves, be for the delight of good men鈥檚 hearts.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
This metaphor is based on the myth of the Churning of the Milk-ocean by the gods and Asuras. Among the precious objects that issued from the ocean on this occasion was the celestial 辫腻谤颈箩腻迟补, or coral-tree (see Ocean, Vol. II, p. 13,13n2).
[2]:
Meaning both sages and gods.
[3]:
The paradise or park of the god Indra.
[4]:
The wishing-tree of paradise: see Vol. I, p. 8,8n1.
[5]:
This apparently refers to an episode narrated in the 搁腻箩补迟补谤补峁単颈峁嚹�, vii, 167 et seq.: The Darad king, Acalamangala, was defeated and slain by Ananta鈥檚 general, Rudrap膩la, who cut off his head and brought it to Ananta. Here this head, thrown down before the doorway of the palace, is compared by Somadeva to the demon 搁腻丑耻, a head without any body, who is said to have been thus mutilated by Vi峁ａ箛u (Hari) with his cakra or discus (see Ocean, Vol. VIII, p. 72 n); and 搁腻丑耻 is conceived as coming thus to do homage to Ananta because he is glad to hear that Ananta鈥檚 cakra (dominion) has surpassed Vi峁ａ箛u鈥檚 cakra (discus) by which he was decapitated鈥攊n short, it is suggested that Ananta is superior to the god Vi峁ａ箛u.
One is tempted to understand 诲惫腻谤补, which I have translated as 鈥渄oorway,鈥� in the common Kashmiri sense of 鈥渕ountain pass鈥� or 鈥渉ill-fort鈥�; but to do so would spoil the point of the simile, in which 搁腻丑耻 is represented as 鈥渃ome to do service鈥� to Ananta, which implies that he came to the latter鈥檚 palace door.
[6]:
A play on the name 厂奴谤测补惫补迟墨, which means 鈥渟he to whom the sun belongs.鈥� The dawn dispels darkness for beings (辫谤补箩腻) and is greeted with prayers (蝉补苍诲丑测腻-惫补苍诲补苍补); S奴ryavat墨 saved her subjects (辫谤补箩腻) from moral darkness and was adored by all (惫颈艣惫补-惫补苍诲测腻).
[7]:
A pun: 产丑奴产丑峁泃, 鈥渂earer of earth,鈥� means both a king and a mountain. Taken in the latter sense, it refers to the legend that when Indra cut off the wings of the mountains, the mountain Main膩ka took refuge in the ocean (see Vol. VI, p.3n1).
[8]:
The celestial Ganges.
[9]:
The text is here defective. The sense seems to be that S奴ryavat墨 may be compared to the earth (惫颈艣惫补尘产丑补谤腻, 鈥渁ll-supporter鈥�) because of her gifts to mankind.
[10]:
A pun. Tilaka means the mark (ornamental or sectarian) made on the forehead with paint, etc., and generally an ornament; 补濒墨办补 signifies either 鈥渇orehead鈥� or 鈥渋nauspicious,鈥� and lagna is both 鈥渁ttached鈥� and 鈥渁strological moment.鈥� The poet thus says that the king, though he is metaphorically a frontal decoration on the brow of the goddess Earth鈥�i.e. an ornament of the circle of earth鈥攚as in one sense not bound upon any brow (an-alika-lagna), because (in the other sense) he was subject to no inauspicious moments (an-alika-lagna).
[11]:
A pun based on the king鈥檚 name, 碍补濒补艣补, which means 鈥渏ar.鈥� He is said to be 驳丑补苍腻尘峁泃补-尘补测补, literally 鈥�(as a jar) full of rich ambrosia鈥� (补尘峁泃补); but 补尘峁泃补 also signifies the state of salvation, the condition of the redeemed soul (尘辞办峁 or 苍颈谤惫腻峁嘺), so 驳丑补苍腻尘峁泃补-尘补测补 may also signify 鈥渃onsisting of compact (perfect) spirituality,鈥� and in this sense it is opposed to one of the meanings of 驳耻峁噄-b膩ndhava, 鈥渇riend to the 驳耻峁噄. For 驳耻峁噄 denotes both 鈥渧irtuous,鈥� 鈥渂ow,鈥� and 鈥減hysical nature鈥� as characterised by the three 驳耻峁嘺蝉 or phases of materiality; and while 碍补濒补艣补 is 鈥渁 friend to the virtuous鈥� and 鈥渁 friend of the bow鈥� (i.e. a brave warrior), he is not 鈥渁 friend to materiality,鈥� because he is perfectly spiritual.鈥�
[12]:
A pun: 办补濒补艣辞诲产丑补惫补 means both 鈥渟on of 碍补濒补艣补鈥� and 鈥渃hild of the jar鈥濃��i.e. the mythical saint Agastya, who made the Vindhya mountains (耻谤惫墨产丑峁泃, meaning both 鈥渕ountain鈥� and 鈥渒ing鈥�) bow down to let him pass, and drank the ocean (see Vol. VI, pp.43n1, 44 n).
[13]:
The god 艢iva.