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THE 
OCEAN  OF  STORY 


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THE 

OCEAN  OF  STORY 

BEING 

G.  H.  TAWNEY'S  TRANSLATION 

OF 

SOMADEVA'S  KATHA  SARIT  SAGARA 

(or  ocean  of  streams  of  story) 


NOW    EDITED    WITH    INTRODUCTION,    FRESH 

EXPLANATORY  NOTES  AND  TERMINAL  ESSAY 

BY 

N.   M.   PENZER,   M.A.,    F.R.G.S.,    F.G.S. 

MEMBER  OF  THE  FOLK-LORE  SOCIETY  ;  FELLOW  OF  THE 

ROYAL   ANTHROPOLOGICAL   INSTITUTE;   MEMBER 

OF  THE   ROYAL  ASIATIC  SOCIETY,   ETC. 

AUTHOR  OF 

"AN  ANNOTATED  BIBLIOGRAPHY  OF  SIR  RICHARD  FRANCIS 

BURTON."  ETC. 


IN  TEN  VOLUMES 


VOL.  I 


WITH  A  FOREWORD  BY 

SIR  RICHARD  GARNAG  TEMPLE,   Bart.,   C.B.,   CLE. 


LONDON:      PRIVATELY     PRINTED      FOR     SUBSCRIBERS     ONLY 
BY  CHAS.  J.   SAWYER  LTD.,   GRAFTON  HOUSE,    W.I.     MCMXXIV 


Made  and  Printed  in  Great  Britain 


THIS  EDITION 

OP  THE 

OCEAN  OF  STORY 

IS  DEDICATED  TO 
THE    MEMORY    OF 

CHARLES  HENRY  TAWNEY 

M.A.,   CLE. 
AUTHOR  AND  SCHOLAR 


CHARLES  HENRY  TAWNEY 

1837-1922 

[The  following  account  of  the  life  and  labours  of  Mr  Tawney  has  been 
prepared  chiefly  from  the  obituary  notices  which  appeared  in  "  The 
Times"  "  Journal  of  the  Royal  Asiatic  Society"  and  "  The  Calcutta 
Review"] 

CHARLES  HENRY  TAWNEY  was  the  son  of  the 
Rev.  Richard  Tawney,  vicar  of  Willoughby,  whose 
wife  was  a  sister  of  Dr  Bernard,  of  Clifton.  From 
Rugby,  which  he  entered  while  the  great  days  of  Dr  Arnold 
were  still  a  recent  memory,  he  went  to  Trinity  College, 
Cambridge,  where  he  greatly  distinguished  himself.  He 
was  Bell  University  Scholar  in  1857,  and  Davies  University 
Scholar  and  Scholar  of  Trinity  in  the  following  year.  In 
1860  he  was  bracketed  Senior  Classic  and  was  elected  a 
Fellow  of  his  college. 

For  the  next  four  years  he  worked  as  a  Fellow  and  Tutor 
at  Trinity,  but  though  he  had  obviously  excellent  prospects 
of  academical  work  at  home,  considerations  of  health  induced 
him  to  seek  employment  in  India. 

In  1865  he  was  selected  to  occupy  the  Chair  of  History  in  the 
Presidency  College,  just  then  vacated  by  Professor  E.  Byles 
Cowell.  Mr  Tawney  filled  this  Chair  with  great  credit  from 
1866  to  1872  ;  in  the  latter  year  he  was  appointed  Professor 
of  English. 

In  1875  he  officiated  as  Principal  in  the  place  of  Mr  James 
Sutcliffe,  and  on  the  latter's  death,  in  the  following  year, 
his  position  as  Principal  was  confirmed.  This  office  he  held 
from  1876  to  1892,  with  breaks  for  short  periods,  during 
which  he  either  went  home  on  leave  or  was  called  upon 
to  officiate  as  Director  of  Public  Instruction  in  the  then 
undivided  province  of  Bengal. 

He  also  held  the  position  of  Registrar  of  the  Calcutta 
vii 


viii  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

University  from  1877  to  1881,  1884  to  1885,  and  again  in 
1886  and  1889. 

He  was  awarded  the  CLE.  in  1888  and  retired  from  the 
Education  service  at  the  end  of  1892. 

Mr  Tawney  had  a  happy  familiarity  with  the  literature 
of  his  own  country,  and  published  in  Calcutta  (1875)  The 
English  People  and  their  Language,  translated  from  the  German 
of  Loth.  His  acquaintance  with  Elizabethan  literature  was 
remarkable,  while  in  Shakespearean  learning  he  had  no  living 
rival  in  India.  In  this  connection  it  is  to  be  regretted  that, 
except  for  editing  Richard  III  (1888),  he  left  no  record  of 
his  great  learning  in  this  particular  field  of  knowledge. 

There  was  little  scope  in  Calcutta  for  the  display  of  Mr 
Tawney 's  knowledge  of  Latin  and  Greek,  and  so  almost  as 
soon  as  he  arrived  in  India  he  threw  himself  heart  and  soul 
into  the  mastering  of  Sanskrit.  This  he  achieved  with  the 
greatest  credit,  as  the  numerous  works  which  he  has  left 
clearly  show.  His  first  publications  were  prose  translations  of 
two  well-known  plays,  the  Uttara-rama-carita  of  Bhavabhtiti 
(1874)  and  the  M dlavikdgnimitra  of  Kalidasa  (1875).  In 
Two  Centuries  of  Bhartrihari  (1877)  he  gave  a  skilful  render- 
ing into  English  verse  of  two  famous  collections  of  ethical 
and  philosophico-religious  stanzas.  But  his  magnum  opus, 
to  which  he  devoted  some  later  years  of  his  Indian  career, 
was  his  translation  of  Somadeva's  Katha  Sarit  Sdgara,  which 
was  published  by  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Bengal  in  their 
Bibliotheca  Indica  series  (two  volumes,  1880-1884).  Con- 
sidering the  date  of  the  appearance  of  this  great  translation 
it  was  well  annotated  by  most  useful  notes  drawn  from  a 
wide  reading  in  both  classical  and  modern  literature.  The 
extreme  variety  and  importance  of  the  work,  together  with 
the  recent  strides  made  in  the  study  of  comparative  folk- 
lore, religion  and  anthropology,  are  the  raison  d'etre  of  the 
present  edition. 

The  same  interests  which  prompted  Mr  Tawney  to  pro- 
duce his  magnum  opus  also  led  him,  during  his  official  life 
in  London,  to  the  study  of  the  rich  stores  of  narrative  con- 
nected with  the  Jain  doctrine,  resulting  in  his  translations 
of  the  Kathdkofa  (Oriental  Translation  Fund,  N.S.,  ii,  1895) 


CHARLES  HENRY  TAWNEY 


IX 


and  Merutunga's  Prabandhacintdmani  (Bibliotheca  Indica, 
1899-1901),  both  works  of  considerable  difficulty  and  interest. 
At  the  same  time  he  was  engaged  in  superintending  the 
preparation  and  printing  of  catalogues  issued  from  the  India 
Office  Library,  the  Catalogue  of  Sanskrit  Books  by  Dr  Rost 
(1897),  the  Supplement  to  the  Catalogue  of  European  Books 
(1895),  the  Catalogue  of  Sanskrit  MSS.  by  Professor  Eggeling, 
of  Persian  MSS.  by  Professor  Ethe,  of  Hindustani  books  by 
Professor  Blumhardt  (1900),  and  of  Hindi,  Punjabi,  Pushtu 
and  Sindhi  books  by  the  same  (1902),  of  the  Royal  Society's 
Collection  of  Persian  and  Arabic  MSS.  by  E.  D.  Ross  and 
E.  G.  Browne  (1902).  He  was  himself  joint-author  of  a 
catalogue  of  the  Sanskrit  MSS.  belonging  to  the  last-named 
collection  (1903). 

Mr  Tawney's  services  to  Sanskrit  scholarship  were  there- 
fore both  varied  and  extensive. 

Apart  from  Sanskrit  and  European  languages,  Mr  Tawney 
knew  Hindi,  Urdu  and  Persian. 

As  an  Anglo-Indian  he  was  a  worthy  successor  to  men 
like  Jones,  Wilson  and  Colebrook.  He  genuinely  loved  India 
through  its  learning  and  literature.  The  great  influence  that 
he  had  upon  his  Indian  students  was  amazing.  It  was  due, 
in  a  large  measure,  to  his  elevated  moral  character,  his  im- 
partiality, his  independence  of  judgment  and  his  keen  desire 
to  do  justice  to  all  who  came  into  contact  with  him. 

In  this  connection  it  is  interesting  to  read  the  opinion  of 
one  of  his  old  pupils. 

At  the  unveiling  of  his  portrait  at  the  Presidency  College, 
Calcutta,  Professor  Ganguli  speaks  of  his  wonderfully  sym- 
pathetic nature,  and  adds :  "  What  struck  me  most  in  my 
master  was  his  utter  indifference  to  popularity,  which,  un- 
fortunately, in  some  cases  magnifies  the  artful,  and  minimises 
the  genuine.  I  consider  him  to  be  an  ideal  teacher  who 
combined  in  himself  the  best  of  the  East  and  the  best  of 
the  West,  and  I  look  upon  him  as  a  never-failing  source  of 
inspiration  to  me." 

After  his  retirement  from  the  Education  service  at  the 
close  of  1892  he  was  made  Librarian  of  the  India  Office.  He 
held  this  post  till  1903,  when  he  was  superannuated. 


x  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

Mr  Tawney  married  in  1867  a  daughter  of  Charles  Fox, 
M.D.,  and  the  union  extended  over  fifty-three  years,  Mrs 
Tawney  dying  in  1920.     They  had  a  large  family. 

In  concluding  this  short  account  of  Mr  Tawney's  life, 
the  following  lines  from  his  own  translation  of  Bhartrihari 
seem  especially  relevant  :— 


Knowledge  is  Man's  highest  beauty, 
Knowledge  is  his  hidden  treasure, 
Chief  of  earthly  blessings,  bringing 
Calm  contentment,  fame  and  pleasure." 


FOREWORD 


I  HAVE  been  asked  by  Mr  Penzer  to  write  a  Foreword  to 
the  first  volume  of  his  great  work  on  the  Kathd  Sarit 
Sdgara,  but  when  I  observe  the  research  that  he  has 
bestowed  upon  it  and  read  the  lists  of  those  whose  assistance 
he  has  secured,  I  cannot  but  feel  much  diffidence  in  comply- 
ing with  his  request.    I  can,  however,  take  this  opportunity 
of  saying  what  it  has  long  been  in  my  mind  to  say  about 
the  books  and  papers  that  this  gigantic  collection  of  Indian 
folk-tales  has  from  time  to  time  called  forth.     I  am  also 
somewhat  encouraged  to  do  this  by  the  attitude  of  Mr  Penzer 
towards  his  own  important  efforts,  as  it  is  clear  that  he  does 
not  look  on  them  otherwise  than  as  a  continuation  of  the 
research  that  has  been  already  devoted  to  the  collections; 
for  despite  the  exhaustive  nature  of  his  Appendix  IV  to 
this  volume,  his  last  paragraph— the  very  last  of  the  whole 
volume— runs  thus  :    "  More  than  this  it  is   impossible  to 
say.     Much  research  still  remains  to  be  done  on  this  highly 
important  anthropological  problem."     It  is  in  this  spirit  that 
I,  too,  propose  to  approach  the  subject  of  the  Kathd  Sarit 
Sdgara— the  Ocean  of  Story— and  what  I  am  now  about  to 
say  points  to  further  research  being  necessary,  a  proposition 
Mr  Penzer  would,  I  take  it,  be  the  last  person  to  controvert. 
Nevertheless,  I  wish  to  say  at  once  that  Mr  Penzer's  notes 
to  the  text,  short  and  long,  and  the  four  fine  appendices  on 
folk-lore  to  this  volume — viz.  on  Mythical  Beings,  the  Use 
of  Collyrium  and  Kohl,  the  Cravings  of  Pregnant  Women  motif, 
and   Sacred  Prostitution — fulfil   to   my   mind   the  purpose 
for  which  they  are  written,  and  must  always  be  a  mine  into 
which  students  can  delve  with  profit.      They  are  a  good 
augury  for  the  value  of  the  information  he  has  in  store  for 
scholars  in  the  volumes  that  are  to  follow.    Anything  that 
I   may   remark,    therefore,    which    savours   of   criticism   is 
said  only  with  the  object  of  assisting  the  research  he  has  so 
gallantly  and  so  usefully  undertaken  to  promote. 


XI 


xii  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

On  page  268  Mr  Penzer  makes  a  series  of  remarks  to 
which  I  would  like  to  draw  attention,  as  they  exhibit  the 
spirit  in  which  his  researches  have  been  made,  and  to  my 
mind  they  show  generally  the  soundness  of  his  observation 
and  conclusions.     At  any  rate  I  for  one  can  heartily  endorse 
them.     He  says,  firstly :  "  I  feel  that  the  fact  is  often  over- 
looked that  the  origin   of  a  certain  custom  [speaking  for 
the  moment  of  sacred  prostitution]  in  one  part  of  the  world 
may  not  necessarily  be  the  same  as  that  of  a  similar  custom 
in  another  part  of  the  world."     And  then  he  follows  up  this 
excellent  sentiment  by  another  remark:   "We  must  also 
remember  that  the  religion,  ethics  and  philosophy  of  India 
have  been  ever  changing,  and  nothing  is  more  inapplicable 
than  to  speak  of  the  *  changeless  East '  in  this  respect "  :  to 
this  I  would  like  to  add,  "or  in  any  other  respect."     Later, 
on  the  same  page,  he  says  :   "  Our  knowledge  of  the  early 
Dravidian  religion  of  India  before  it  was  'taken  over'  by 
the  Aryan  invaders  is  so  slight  that  it  is  impossible  to  make 
any  definite  statement  with  regard  to  the   origin  of  any 
particular  custom  of  ritual  or  religious  observance."     Here, 
however,  it  seems  to  me  that  the  researches  of  Professor 
Krishnaswami  Aiyangar  and  others,  and  of  the  Anthropolog- 
ical Society  of  Bombay,  the  Mythical  Society  of  Bangalore 
and  other  such  bodies  in  India,  are  leading  us  to  a  closer 
knowledge  thereof.     Let  us  hope  they  will  enable  us  to  solve 
the  puzzle,  which,  after  all,  it  is  peculiarly  the  office  of  the 
native  of  India  to  solve. 

With  these  preliminary  remarks  let  me  start  upon  my 
own  observations  on  the  subject  of  Mr  Penzer's  great  work. 
I  judge  from  the  Invocation  that  Somadeva,  the  author  of 
the  original  book,  was  a  Saiva  Brahman  of  Kasmir.  His 
real  name  was  Soma,  deva  being  a  mere  suffix  to  the  names 
of  Brahmans,  royalties  and  the  like.  Mr  Penzer  shows  that 
he  must  have  composed  his  verses  about  a.d.  1070,  or  about 
two  hundred  and  fifty  years  after  Vasugupta  introduced  into 
Kasmir  the  Saiva  form  of  the  Hindu  religion  peculiar  to 
Kasmir,  which  was  subsequently  spread  widely  by  his  pupil 
Kallata  Bhatta.  Later  on,  but  still  one  hundred  years 
before  Somadeva,  it  was  further  spread  by  Bhaskara,  and 


FOREWORD 


xm 


then  in  Somadeva's  own  time  made  popular  by  Abhinava 
Gupta,  the  great  Saiva  writer,  and  his  pupils  Kshemaraja  and 
Yogaraja.  The  last  three,  who  must  have  been  Somadeva's 
contemporaries,  were  much  influenced  by  the  philosophic 
teaching  of  another  Soma— Somananda,  to  give  him  his 
full  name— who  with  his  pupil  Utpalacharya  created  the 
Advaita  (Monistic)  Saiva  Philosophy,  known  as  the  Trika, 
about  two  hundred  years  before  Somadeva.  Other  impor- 
tant Kasmiri  philosophic  writers  before  Somadeva's  date  were 
Utpala  Vaishnava  and  Rama-kantha.1  So  while  Somadeva 
was  composing  his  distichs  for  the  delectation  of  Suryavati, 
the  Queen  of  King  Ananta  of  Kasmir,  at  a  time  when  the 
political  situation  was  "  one  of  discontent,  intrigue,  bloodshed 
and  despair,"  it  was  also— as  has  often  happened  in  Eastern 
history— a  time  of  great  religious  activity.  The  religion  and 
its  philosophy  were  Aryan  in  form,  meaning  by  the  term 
"religion"  a  doctrine  claiming  to  be  revealed,  and  by 
"philosophy  "  a  doctrine  claiming  to  be  reasoned  out. 

There  is  plenty  of  evidence  of  the  Brahmanic  nature  of 
the  Kathd  Sarit  S  agar  a.  Here  is  a  strong  instance.  The 
story  of  the  birth  and  early  days  of  Vararuchi  (p.  11  ff.)  is 
not  only  Indian  but  also  typically  Brahmanical.  Inter  alia 
he  exhibits  his  wonderful  memory  to  Kanabhuti,  the  Yaksha, 
turned  Pisacha,  king  of  the  Vindhya  wilds,  telling  the  king 
how  his  mother  had  said  to  some  Brahmans  that  "this  boy 
will  remember  by  heart  everything  that  he  has  once  heard." 
And  then  he  relates  that  they  "recited  to  me  a  Prdtisdkhya" 
a  peculiarly  difficult  and  uninviting  grammatical  treatise, 
and  that  he  immediately  repeated  it  back  to  them.  The 
same  class  of  memory  is  claimed  by  Gunadhya  in  his  account 
(p.  75)  of  how  the  Kdtantra  or  Kdldpaka  grammar  was  re- 
vealed to  him  by  the  god  Skanda  (Karttikeya).  Now,  though 
the  claim  put  forward  by  Vararuchi  is  extravagant,  the 
extraordinary  accuracy  of  memory  cultivated  by  the  ancient 
Brahman  and  Bardic  classes  in  India  still  exists,  and  has 
been  taken  advantage  of  by  Sir  Aurel  Stein  and  Sir  George 

1  See  J.  C.  Chatterjee,  Kashmir  Shaivaism  (1914);  Grierson  and  Barnett, 
Lalla-vakyani  (1920),  and  a  forthcoming  work  on  the  last  by  myself,  The  Word 
ofLalla,the  Prophetess,  Cambridge  University  Press  (1924). 


xiv  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

Grierson  in  reproducing  from  word  of  many  mouths  the 
text  of  the  Lalld-vdkydni  six  centuries  after  the  date  of  the 
authoress  Lai  Ded  with  an  accuracy  which  the  written  word 
does  not  possess.  Accurate  memory  is  not  a  monopoly  of  the 
Brahmans  and  Bards  of  India,  but  it  is  no  doubt  specifically 
characteristic  of  them. 

The  point  of  the  Brahmanic  character  of  Somadeva's 
collection  of  tales  is  of  importance  to  the  present  argument. 
The  author  of  the  Kathd  Sarit  Sdgara  is  a  Brahman,  and  he 
gives  the  work  a  Brahmanic — i.e.  an  Aryan — form,1  giving 
rise,  'prima  facie,  to  the  assumption  that  the  origin  of  the 
tales  is  to  be  sought  in  the  land  whence  the  Aryans  came, 
somewhere  to  the  west  of  India  proper.  But  it  is  clear  that 
the  author  purported  to  make  a  general  collection  of  tales 
current  in  India  about  a.d.  1000,  or  rather  he  claims  to  have 
made  a  selection,  as  did  his  contemporary  Kasmiri  Brahman 
Kshemendra  in  his  Brihat  Kathd  Manjari  out  of  a  much  older, 
but  now  lost,  work,  Gunadhya's  Brihat  Kathd  or  Great  Tale. 
This  general  collection  contains  to  my  mind  certain  tales, 
customs  and  folk-lore  which  do  not  appear  to  be  Aryan  in 
origin.  The  writer  or  his  original  has  in  fact  drawn  on 
popular  Indian  folk-lore,  whether  Aryan  or  non- Aryan,  con- 
necting his  tales  by  rather  simple  literary  devices,  so  that 
they  are  all  made  to  run  together  as  parts  of  one  general 
story. 

The  Aryan  invasions  of  India  were  spread  over  a  long 
period  and  the  progress  about  the  country  was  very  slow. 
The  Aryans  came  across  at  least  one  race,  the  Dravidians, 
equal  to  themselves  in  mental  capacity,  and  across  many 
others  whose  minds  they  could  more  or  less  easily  dominate. 
Neither  the  Dravidians  nor  the  others  were  of  their  form  of 
civilisation  and  traditions,  but  they  all  mingled  with  them 
in  some  degree  or  other,  at  any  rate  to  the  extent  of  social 
contact,  generally  as  master  and  servant.     The  consequent 


1  I  take  the  story  of  The  Chanter  of  the  Sama  Veda  and  the  Courtesan 
(pp.  64-65)  as  good-natured  chaff,  showing  how  a  learned  Brahman  can  be 
a  fool  in  the  ways  of  the  world,  the  Chanter  of  the  Sama  Veda  being  a 
species  of  our  old  friend  Verdant  Green  of  Oxford. 


FOREWORD  xv 

development  was  on  the  recognised  lines  of  evolution  as  far 
as  the  author  of  the  Kathd  Sarit  Sdgara  and  his  hearers  were 
concerned.  That  is  to  say,  it  was  fundamentally  Aryan, 
with  accretions  from  every  race  with  which  the  Aryans  had 
come  in  close  contact  for,  say,  three  thousand  years  by  Soma- 
deva's  time.  These  races  were  Dravidians,  "  Kolarians  "  or, 
shall  we  say,  "  aborigines,"  and  people  across  the  Northern 
and  Eastern  frontiers— all  very  different  in  origin  from  the 
Aryans.  They  all  carried  their  religions,  folk- tales  and  folk- 
lore with  them,  and  cannot  but  have  infected  the  indigenous 
corresponding  nations  of  the  Aryans  of  India  with  alien 
ideas  and  folk-tales. 

Here  then  it  seems  that  we  have  a  line,  as  it  were, 
given  us  for  research :  whence  did  the  various  non- Aryan 
tales  and  ideas  come?  It  is  not  an  easy  line  to  follow,  as 
the  period  is  so  late  and  the  whole  matter  by  that  time 
already  so  complicated.  Suppose  a  custom  or  tale  is  non- 
Aryan  Indian — i.e.  Dra vidian  or  "  Kolarian  "— or  Farther 
Indian  (Mon,  Shan,  Tibeto-Burman)  by  origin:  by  Soma- 
deva's  date  it  had  plenty  of  time  to  be  assimilated  and 
take  on  an  Aryan  form.  Suppose  it  to  date  back  before  the 
Aryan  irruption  into  India :  its  existence  in  principle  now 
or  at  some  ancient  date  in  Western  Asia  or  Europe  would  not 
prove  that  it  arose  either  in  India  or  in  Europe  or  Western 
Asia.  Suppose  research  to  show  a  tale  or  idea  to  be  of 
general  occurrence  in  India,  Asia,  Europe,  Africa,  and  even 
in  America  and  the  Pacific  Islands  :  recent  works  show  so 
much  and  so  ancient  communication  all  the  world  over  as 
to  make  one  very  careful  as  to  asserting  origin.  Suppose  we 
find  a  story  in  Siam,  in  Indonesia,  in  Persia,  in  Europe,  in 
South  Africa,  as  well  as  in  India:  it  might  well  have  gone 
thence  out  of  India  or  gone  through  or  even  round  India  in 
either  direction.  To  show  how  this  kind  of  thing  can  happen 
I  printed  in  1901 x  a  tale  told  in  the  Nicobars  in  Nicobarese 
form  to  a  European  officer  who  was  a  Dane  by  nationality, 
Mr  A.  de  Roepstorff,  which  turned  out  to  be  a  Norse  tale  he 

1  Report  on  the  Census  of  India,  Part  I,  vol.  iii  ("Andaman  and  Nicobar 
Islands"),  p.  2S0. 


xvi  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

had  himself  told  the  people  some  years  before.  Wherever, 
then,  a  civilisation  or  a  people  travels,  there  go  also  folk-lore 
and  custom.  Take  as  an  example  the  recent  travel  west- 
wards in  Europe  of  the  Christmas  Tree  and  the  Easter  Egg. 
The  whole  question  is  very  difficult.  Even  if  we  trace  a 
tale  or  an  idea  to  the  Jdtakas,  to  the  earliest  part  of  the 
Mahdbhdrata  or  the  Rdmdyana,  to  the  oldest  Purdnas,  to  the 
Brdhmanas,  to  the  very  Vedas  themselves —that  does  not 
make  it  Indian  or  Aryan  in  origin. 

However,  I  do  not  personally  feel  inclined  to  despair. 
Work  like  that  of  Mr  Penzer  will,  I  feel  sure,  if  continued 
seriously,  go  far  to  solve  the  principles  of  the  puzzle— to 
help  to  unlock  the  secret  of  the  actual  line  that  the  progress 
of  civilisation  has  taken  in  the  past.  I  take  it  that  a  tale 
or  idea  in  the  Kathd  Sarit  Sdgara  may  be  found  to  be  by 
origin  : 

1.  Aryan,  with  analogies  among  Asiatic  and  European 
Aryan  peoples. 

2.  Semitic,  with  analogies  in  Western  Asiatic  countries 
and  elsewhere  among  Semitic  peoples. 

3.  Asiatic,  with  analogies  among  Mongolian  peoples. 

4.  Non-Aryan  Indian  with  analogies  among  Dravidian, 
"  Kolarian,"  Farther  Indian  or  other  Indian  peoples. 

5.  General,  with  analogies  spread  widely  over  the  world 
perhaps  from  an  ascertainable  source. 

6.  A  merely  literary  invention  of  Indian  Aryans,  such 
as  the  origin  of  the  town  name  Pataliputra,  or  of  the  personal 
name  of  Gunadhya,  Malyavan  and  other  celebrities  of  old. 
Folk  etymology  of  that  kind  has  never  died  down  in  India, 
as  the  (Revenue)  Settlement  Reports  of  the  middle  nineteenth 
century  show—  e.g.  one  such  Report  soberly  stated  that  "  the 
Malee  {mall,  gardener)  Caste  "  had  an  origin  in  a  river-borne 
boy  foundling  of  Rajput  descent,  taken  over  by  a  low-class 
woman  who  mothered  him  ;  so  he  afterwards  became  known 
as  the  ma  lee  (as  the  Report  spelt  it)  or  his  "mother  took 
him."  It  is  a  case  of  the  old  Indian  widely  and  persistently 
used  effort  to  raise  caste  status  by  an  etymological  legend. 
It  was  used  in  the  earliest  European  days  in  India  when  the 
Malayalam  washermen  claimed  to  Barbosa  a  Nayar  descent, 


FOREWORD  xvii 

which  an  ancestor  was  said  to  have  forfeited  "  by  a  mistake  " 
—and  there  are  signs  of  it  in  the  Kathd  Sarit  S  agar  a. 

I  must  not  unduly  spin  out  the  Foreword  by  examining 
all  the  stories  and  ideas  in  this  volume  in  the  light  of  the 
above  remarks,  and  I  will  therefore  confine  myself  to  a  few 
instances  where  further  examination  may  perhaps  be  usefully 
undertaken  on  such  evidence  as  may  be  available.  I  will 
take  first  those  that  seem  to  point  to  a  non- Aryan  origin  as 
the  most  important  for  the  present  purpose. 

Chapter  VIII  commences  with  a  remarkable  statement 
(p.  89) :  "  In  accordance  with  this  request  of  Gunadhya  that 
heavenly  tale  consisting  of  seven  stories  was  told  by  [King] 
The  Paimcha  Kanabhuti  in  his  own  language,  and  Gunadhya, 
Language  for  his  part,  using  the  same  Paisacha  language, 
threw  them  into  seven  hundred  thousand  couplets  in  seven 
years."  So  the  claim  is  that  the  original  of  the  Brihat  Kathd> 
the  Great  Tale,  was  composed  in  the  Paisacha  language. 
From  the  Great  Tale  came  Kshemendra's  BriJiat  Kathd 
Mafljari  and  Gunadhya's  Kathd  Sarit  Sdgara  ;  but  the  story 
goes  further.  Gunadhya's  two  pupils,  Gunadeva  and  Nandi- 
deva,  took  his  Kathd  Sarit  Sdgara  to  King  Satavahana 
(Salivahana),  who,  "  when  he  heard  that  Paisacha  language 
and  saw  that  they  had  the  appearance  of  Pisachas  .  .  .  said 
with  a  sneer  :  c .  .  .  the  Paisacha  language  is  barbarous  .  .  . 
Away  with  this  Paisacha  tale.'  "  So  Gunadhya  burnt  600,000 
couplets  and  reserved  only  100,000,  on  which  Kshemendra 
and  Somadeva  eventually  worked.  King  Satavahana  ob- 
tained possession  of  the  100,000  couplets  which  formed  the 
Brihat  Kathd  and  "  composed  the  book  named  Kathdpitha 
[Book  I  of  the  Kathd  Sarit  Sdgara]  in  order  to  show  how 
the  tale  came  first  to  be  known  in  Paisacha  language." 
Now  whether  the  home  of  this  "  Paisacha  language  "  was 
in  the  North- Western  Panjab  or  in  the  Vindhyas  of  Central 
India,  it  was  not  Sanskrit,  but  something  else,  and  the 
people  speaking  it  were  to  the  old  Indian  Aryans  a  demon 
race  (see  Appendix  I  to  this  volume,  pp.  204  ff.).  Are  we 
to  understand  then  from  the  Kathd  Sarit  Sdgara  itself  that 
the  tales  it  purports  to  recapitulate  were  of  foreign  origin, 
at  any  rate  in  the  majority  of  cases  ?  Some  are  obviously 
b 


xviii  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY     . 

Aryan,  but  what  of  the  rest  ?  Presently  we  shall  see  that 
probably  neither  Gunadhya  himself  nor  Kanabhuti,  from 
whom  Gunadhya  is  said  to  have  obtained  his  tales,  were 
Aryans. 

The  frequent  mention  of  the  gdndharva  form  of  marriage 
amongst  people  not  only  of  great  position,  but  held  in  high 
personal  esteem,  seems  to  be  a  result  of  a  ruling  class  pass- 
Gandharva  ing  into  a  foreign  country.  There  are  several 
Marriage  instances  in  this  volume  of  gdndharva  marriage, 
from  which  I  select  the  following : — 

1.  Page  61.— A  Naga  prince,  Kirtisena,  marries  a  Brah- 
man girl,  Srutartha,  clandestinely,  and  her  son  is  Gunadhya 
himself,  who  is  "of  the  Brahman  caste." 

2.  Page  83.— Devadatta,  a  Brahman,  with  the  interven- 
tion of  Siva  himself,  marries  Sri,  daughter  of  King  Susarman 
of  Pratisthana  (in  the  Deccan),  secretly  by  a  trick  on  her 
father. 

3.  Page  116.— Sridatta,  a  fighting  Malava  Brahman  of 
Pataliputra,  marries  secretly  Sundari,  daughter  of  a  Savara 
(wild  tribe)  chief,  whom  he  first  deserts  and  then  receives 
back,  having  already  a  princess,  Mrigankavati,  for  wife, 
married  apparently  irregularly,  whom  he  again  seemingly 
marries  regularly. 

It  will  be  observed  that  Gunadhya,  the  author  of  the 
Brihat  Kathd,  is  thus  said  to  be  himself  by  birth  a  Naga- 
Brahman  half-breed.  If  so,  he  could  imbibe  quite  as  many 
non- Aryan  as  Aryan  folk-tales  and  ideas  in  his  childhood. 
The  case  may  be  put  even  more  strongly.  It  is  possible  that 
the  story  in  the  Kathd  Sarit  Sdgara  has  arisen  on  the  same 
principle  as  that  of  the  mall  already  mentioned,  and  goes  to 
cover  the  fact  that  Gunadhya  was  not  a  Brahman,  nor  even 
an  Aryan,  and  it  was  inconvenient  for  the  Brahmans  of 
Somadeva's  date  to  allow  that  anyone  but  one  of  themselves 
had  originally  collected  the  Great  Tale. 

But  apart  from  such  general  inferences,  the  point  of  stories 
like  the  above  appears  to  be  that  in  the  earlier  Aryan  days 
in  India  illicit  unions  between  Aryans  and  non- Aryans 
among  classes  of  consequence,  which  for  reasons  of  policy 
could  not  be  set  aside,  were  recognised  as  regular,  and  that 


FOREWORD  xix 

when  the  girl  brought  forth  a  son  the  marriage  of  the 
parents  was  assumed,  the  convenient  fiction  of  supernatural 
Gandharvas  as  witnesses  being  brought  into  play.  The 
gdndharva  marriage  was  undoubtedly  recognised,  but  it  was 
seemingly  never  considered  reputable.  Was  the  custom,  how- 
ever, Aryan  or  non- Aryan  in  its  origin?  The  story  of  the 
Founding  of  the  City  of  Pataliputra  (Patna)  seems  to  give  it 
a  non- Aryan  origin  (p.  18  ff.).  Putraka,  a  Brahman  prince 
of  Southern  Indian  descent  (the  geography  is,  however, 
vague),  marries  "  Patali,  the  daughter  of  the  king,"  secretly, 
and  their  intrigue  is  discovered  by  a  woman  appointed  (p.  23) 
"  to  watch  secretly  the  seraglio  at  night."  She,  finding  the 
prince  asleep,  "  made  a  mark  with  red  lac  upon  his  garment 
to  facilitate  his  recognition."  Upon  discovery  Putraka 
then  flies  off  magically  with  Patali  through  the  air  to  the 
banks  of  the  Ganges  and  founds  Pataliputra.  A  not  un- 
common method  of  discovering  an  intrigue  between  a  man 
and  a  maid  among  the  Andamanese  is  for  the  elders  to  paint 
the  man  with  red  or  grey  matter  on  a  ceremonial  pretext 
and  to  await  the  result  on  the  following  morning.  If  the 
girl  shows  signs  of  the  paint  the  pair  are  formally  married. 
The  story  in  the  Kathd  Sarit  S  agar  a  infers  the  existence  of 
some  similar  custom  in  ancient  India.  Was  it  Aryan  or 
non- Aryan  ? 

On  page  5  of  this  volume  Siva  is  found  talking  to  Parvati, 
his  mountain  Himalayan  bride,  of  what  happened  to  them- 
selves in  a  former  life,  and  tells  her  that  because  he  wore 
The  Necklace  "  a  necklace  of  skulls  "  he  was  kept  away  from 
of  Skulls  her  father's  sacrifice.  The  whole  context  is  also 
remarkable,  as  it  seems  to  deal  with  the  rise  of  Siva  as  the 
Supreme  out  of  the  early  Vedic  gods.  As  I  understand  the 
situation,  Siva  was  originally  a  local  Himalayan  god,  who, 
with  Vishnu,  gradually  became  a  chief  among  the  whole 
Hindu  pantheon.  This  would  assume  that  he  was  a  non- 
Aryan  deity  who  grew  into  prominence — and  he  wore  a 
necklace  of  skulls.  Why  ?  Was  this  a  non- Aryan  aboriginal 
notion  ?  Among  the  Andamanese,  who  may  be  taken  to  be 
among  the  most  untouched  aborigines  in  existence,  it  is  still 
the  custom  to  wear  skulls  of  deceased  relatives.     At  page  132 


xx  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

of  A.  R.  Brown's  Andaman  Islanders,  Plate  XVIII,  there  is  a 
figure  of  a  girl  wearing  her  sister's  skull.  Similar  figures  have 
been  published  by  E.  H.  Man  and  M.  V.  Portman.  At  pages 
292  and  293  of  his  work  Brown  explains  the  custom  as  part 
of  his  general  Philosophy  of  Social  Values :  they  are  to  him 
"  visible  and  wearable  signs  of  past  dangers  overcome  through 
protective  action  of  the  Society  itself  and  are  therefore  a 
guarantee  of  similar  protection  in  the  future."  Without  in 
any  way  endorsing  an  explanation  of  savage  customs  which 
bids  fair  to  disturb  past  efforts  in  that  direction,  I  would 
suggest  that  it  is  worth  while  making  a  detailed  investiga- 
tion of  the  story  of  Siva  and  his  necklace  of  skulls,  on  the 
ground  that  we  may  have  here  something  definitely  non- 
Aryan  in  Indian  hagiology. 

This  idea  is  strengthened  on  considering  a  passage  on  page 
146.  Lohajangha,  a  Brahman,  plays  a  trick  upon  a  bawd, 
but  in  the  course  of  it  he  says  to  a  courtesan,  Rupinika,  her 
daughter  :  "  Thy  mother  is  a  wicked  woman,  it  would  not 
be  fitting  to  take  her  openly  to  paradise ;  but  on  the  morning 
of  the  eleventh  day  the  door  of  heaven  is  opened,  and  many 
of  the  Ganas,  Siva's  companions,  enter  into  it  before  anyone 
else  is  admitted.  Among  them  I  will  introduce  this  mother 
of  thine,  if  she  assume  their  appearance.  So  shave  her  head 
with  a  razor,  in  such  a  manner  that  five  locks  shall  be  left, 
put  a  necklace  of  skulls  round  her  neck,  and  stripping  off  her 
clothes,  paint  one  side  of  her  body  with  lamp-black  and  the 
other  with  red  lead,  for  when  she  has  in  this  way  been  made  to 
resemble  a  Gana,  I  shall  find  it  an  easy  matter  to  get  her  into 
heaven."  The  Ganas  were  (p.  202)  superhuman  attendants 
on  Siva  and  Parvati  under  Ganesa  and  Nandi  (Siva's  Bull  or 
Vehicle).  The  passage  presumes  that  they  wore  a  necklace 
of  skulls,  went  naked,  partially  shaved  their  heads  and 
painted  their  bodies  with  lamp-black  and  red  lead.  Here, 
again,  we  are  strongly  reminded  of  Andamanese  customs. 
Is  it  possible  that  the  Ganas  refer  back  to  an  actual  savage 
non- Aryan  tribe  of  very  ancient  India  whose  deities  were 
the  prototypes  of  Siva  and  Parvati  ? 

Here  is  another  instance  of  apparent  non-Aryanism. 
King  Chandamahasena  (p.  133)  "  had  made  a  large  artificial 


FOREWORD  xxi 

elephant  like  his  own,  and  after  filling  it  with  concealed 
warriors  he  placed  it  in  the  Vindhya  forest."  Mr  Penzer 
in  a  footnote  remarks  that  "  the  introduction  into  a  city  of 
Martaban  armed  men  hidden  in  jars  is  found  in  an  Egyptian 
Jars  papyrus    of   the    twentieth    dynasty,"    and    he 

refers  also  to  the  tale  of  Ali  Baba.  In  Burma  there  are  still 
made  very  large  jars  of  glazed  pottery  called  Pegu  or  Marta- 
ban (Mortivan)  jars  for  storage  purposes,  quite  large  enough 
to  hide  human  beings  in,  and  there  are  many  stories  of  their 
use  for  such  a  purpose.  There  was  an  old  and  considerable 
trade  in  them  Eastwards  and  Westwards,  and  their  existence 
would  well  account  for  such  a  story  as  that  of  Ali  Baba  and 
his  Forty  Thieves,  and  to  give  use  to  similar  tales  in  India, 
which  would  then  be  non- Aryan  in  origin.1 

In  some  instances  whether  the  origin  of  one  class  of 
Somadeva's  tales  is  Aryan  or  not  appears  to  be  very  doubtful, 
though  prolonged  research  may  still  reveal  the  real  source. 
Th  TV  d  '  o-  Sucn  are  tne  stories  of  the  Wandering  Soul,  and 
or  External  3  of  the  External  Soul  or  Life-index  or  Life-token, 
Soul :  the  Life  which  arc  common  in  Indian  folk-tales,  and  are  all 
found  in  the  Kathd  Sarit  Sdgara—e.g.  (pp.  37-38) : 
"  Indradatta,  who  was  an  adept  in  magic,  said  :  4 1  will  enter 
the  body  of  this  dead  [Nanda]  king,'  "  while  "  Vyadi  remained 
in  an  empty  temple  to  guard  the  body  of  Indradatta."  But 
(p.  39)  "the  body  of  Indradatta  was  burned  after  Vyadi 
had  been  hustled  out  of  the  temple."  Mr  Penzer  has  ex- 
cellent notes  on  these  ideas,  and  it  is  difficult  at  present  to 
conjecture  whether  they  indicate  an  Aryan  or  a  non- Aryan 
origin.  Later  on  in  the  volume  Chandamahasena  of  Ujjayini 
slays  the  Daitya  (demon)  Angaraka  by  (p.  127)  smiting 
"  him  with  an  arrow  in  that  hand  which  was  his  vital  part." 
Here,  again,  are  we  in  the  presence  of  Aryan  or  non- Aryan 
tradition  ? 

Once  again,  Mr  Penzer  has  a  story  and  a  valuable 
note  on  page  80  ff.  on  the  wide  spread  of  sign-language, 
commenting  on  the  statement  that  the  maiden  Sri,  daughter 
of  the  king,  made  Devadatta  a  sign.     She  "  took  with  her 

1  See  Indian  Antiquary,  vol.  xxii,  p.  364,  and  vol.  xxxiii,  p.  159. 


xxii  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

teeth  a  flower  and  threw  it  down  to  him,"  which  act  his 

preceptor  explained  to  him  meant  that  he  was  "to  go  to 

this  temple  rich  in  flowers,  called  Pushpadanta,  and  wait 

there."     Here  the  wide  distribution  of  the  idea 

ign-angnage  conveye(j  jn  tne  use  Qf  Sign-language  makes  it 

difficult  to  suggest  either  an  Aryan  or  a  non- Aryan  origin 
for  it. 

Yet,  again,  the  form  of  the  superhuman  bird,  Garuda 
(p.  141)  and  of  its  exploits  is  so  Indian  that  one  is  loath  to 
give  it  any  but  an  Indian  Aryan  origin,  but  the  nature  of  its 
The  Garuda  spread  is  such  that  for  the  present,  at  any  rate, 
Bird  it  seems  impossible  to  say  whence  it  came,  in  or 

out  of  India.  The  same  may  be  said  about  the  idea  of  Meta- 
Meta-  morphosis  by  means  of  a  charm  (pp.  136-137),  in 

morplwsis  order  to  forward  the  objects  of  the  hero  or  the 
actors  in  a  tale,  about  which  a  long  book  could  be  well 
written ! 

Also  the  notions  about  the  Longings  of  Pregnancy  and 
r      .       v.     the  Blood  Covenant  in  their  various  aspects  are 

Longings  of  »•■-*• 

Pregnancy  and  so  widely  spread  over  the  world  that  it  seems 
the  Blood        as  yet  difficult  to  assert  that  they  originated  in 

Covenant  tj*  j        •        j_j         j.  j 

India  and  migrated  outwards. 

So,  too,  the  spread  of  making  Phallic  Cakes  and  the  like 
at  festivals  is  such  that  it  seems  quite  as  likely  that  the  custom 
Pk  ir  r  h  ovigmsiMy  arose  in  Europe  as  in  India.  The  same 
remark  applies  to  Circumambulation  at  Hindu 
weddings  with  the  object  of  reverence  at  the  right  hand. 
Circumamba-  Mr  Penzer's  elaborate  note  (p.  190  ff.)  referring  to 
lahon  the  marriage  of  Vasavadatta  to  the  King  of  Vatsa 

(p.  184)  seems  to  make  the  idea  quite  as  old  in  Europe  as 
in  India  or  the  East  generally. 

Lastly,  in  the  course  of  the  story  of  the  founding  of 
Pataliputra  (p.  22)  occurs  the  incident  of  a  pair  of  shoes 
which  give  "  the  power  of  flying  through  the  air,"  and  of  a 
Magical  staff  with  which  whatever  is  written  "  turns  out 

Articles  to  be  true."     On  this  Mr  Penzer  has  (pp.  25-29) 

a  long  and  valuable  note:  the  "Magical  Articles  Motif  in 
Folk-lore."  He  thinks  that  "  there  is  no  doubt  that  it  did 
travel  from  the  East."     But  he  hesitates  as  to  this  opinion 


FOREWORD  xxiii 

and  finally  he  says  (p.  29)  :  "  It  seems  very  probable  that 
the  incident  of  the  fight  over  the  magical  articles  was  directly 
derived  from  the  East,  while  the  idea  of  the  magical  articles 
themselves  was,  in  some  form  or  other,  already  established 
in  Western  Marchen."  Does  this  account  for  its  world-wide 
existence  ?  May  it  not  be  that  the  idea  of  a  magical  article 
is  non-Aryan  and  the  particular  uses  to  which  it  is  put, 
in  the  folk-tales  so  far  collected,  are  Aryan  in  origin? 
But  even  if  they  are  the  uses  would  not  necessarily  have 
arisen  in  India.  There  are  clearly  many  questions  yet  to 
answer  here,  far  as  Mr  Penzer  has  driven  his  probe  into 
the  mystery. 

In  one  instance  of  a  common  folk-tale  motif  or  incident 1 
we  seem  to  be  on  the  border-line  between  Aryan  and  non- 
Aryan.  At  page  32  we  have  a  version  of  the  Entrapped 
The  En-  Suitor,  where  a  woman  holds  up  an  illicit  gallant 

trapped  Suitor  to  ridicule.  In  dealing  with  this  tale  and  its 
concomitants,  the  Test  of  Chastity,  the  Faith  Token  and  the 
Act  of  Truth,  Mr  Penzer  in  a  long  note  states  that  it  is  to  be 
found  throughout  both  Asia  and  Europe,  and  he  considers 
that  "it  forms  without  doubt  an  example  of  a  migratory 
tale,"  and  is  of  opinion  that  "the  original  form  of  the  story, 
and  origin  of  all  others,  is  that  in  the  Ocean  of  Story  "  (p.  42). 
That  is  to  say,  it  is  Indian  and  migrated  from  India  outwards. 
If  Indian,  is  it,  then,  Aryan  or  non- Aryan  ? 

This  type  of  story  in  all  its  forms  occurs  in  the  volume  at 
page  32  and  in  the  stories  of  Devasmita,  Siddhikhari  and 
Saktimati  (p.  153  jf.),  and  Mr  Penzer  has  some  illuminating 
The  Laughing  special  notes  thereon  (pp.  165-171).  But  some 
Frii  ,J/ier^  of  his  parallels  in  Europe  and  Western  Asia  are 

of  Half  a  Lite.  A,  -•.«,.-,  ,  «  .*  n 

the  Letter  of  very  old,  and  if  the  idea  at  the  root  ot  them  all 
Death  is  Indian  it  must  be  very  old  also — much  older 

than  the  Katha  Sarit  Sdgara  as  we  have  it.  Something  of 
the  same  kind  can  be  said  of  the  stories  of  the  Laughing  Fish 
(pp.  46-47)  and  the  Gift  of  Half  one's  own  Life  (p.  188),  and 
with  even  more  force  regarding  the  Letter  of  Death  (p.  52), 
widely  known  in  Europe  also. 

1  See  Mr  Penzer's  note  (p.  29)  on  the  use  of  the  term  motif  for  the 
incident,  theme,  trait  of  a  story. 


xxiv  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

At  page  84  is  the  well-known  tale  of  King  Sivi  offering 
his  flesh  and  finally  all  his  body  to  protect  a  dove  which  had 
flown  to  him  for  shelter.  This  is  believed  to  be  Buddhistic 
The  Pound  in  origin,  but  the  idea  is  very  old  both  in  the 
of  Flesh  East  and  in  Europe,  where  it  turns  up  in  many 
forms,  and  in  Shakespeare's  well-known  borrowed  tale  of 
the  Pound  of  Flesh.  It  is  difficult  to  believe  that  it  origin- 
ated in  India  on  the  evidence  at  present  available.  The 
Th  f  f  same  comment  is  applicable  to  the  story  of 
Terrible :  The  Balavinashtaka,  the  Enfant  Terrible  at  page  185, 
Wishing  Tree  and  to  the  Wishing  Tree  of  Paradise,  which  is 
of  Paradise      sgdd  ^p    1U^  tQ  exist  ^  Lankilj  clearly  from  the 

context  (p.  144)  meaning  Ceylon,  of  which  the  Rakshasa 
(non- Aryan)  Vibishana  was  king.  The  whole  story  is  inter- 
esting as  it  introduces  the  great  Garuda  bird  and  the 
Balakhilyas,  Elves  engaged  in  austerities,  as  well 
as  the  Wishing  Tree,  the  whole  of  which,  the 
great  bird,  the  elves  and  the  tree,  are  world-wide  in  the 
East  and  Europe. 

On  the  other  hand,  of  ideas  and  customs  which  seem  to 
be  of  Indian  Aryan  origin,  and  if  found  elsewhere  to  be  prima 
facie  attributable  to  an  Indian  derivation,  I  may  mention 
Murder  to  nostrums  for  procuring  the  birth  of  a  son.  The 
procure  a  story  of  Devasmita  starts  with  a  request  from  a 
Son  merchant  to  some  Brahmans  to  procure  him  a 

son,  which  they  do  by  means  of  ceremonies,  and  to  "  give  an 
instance  "  a  story  is  told  of  an  "  old-time  king  "  who  at  a 
Brahman  suggestion,  without  demur  kills  his  only  son,  over 
whom  he  had  made  a  tremendous  fuss  because  the  child  had 
been  stung  by  an  ant.  Nostrums  for  procuring  sons  are 
peculiarly  Indian,  because  of  the  Hindu's  necessity  for  an 
heir  to  perform  his  funeral  rites  in  a  manner  that  will  secure 
him  "  salvation."  Murder  of  another  person's  is  a  nostrum 
for  securing  an  heir  to  the  present  day,  as  many  cases  in  the 
Indian  law  courts  show  (see  Indian  Antiquary,  vol.  xxvii, 
p.  336).  Various  methods  and  customs  for  this  purpose  are 
very  common  in  Indian  folk-lore  and  seem  to  be  an  outcome 
of  the  Hindu  religion. 

I  will  now  wind  up  this  survey  of  the  Kaiha  Sarit  Sdgara 


FOREWORD  xxv 

by  the  presentation  of  what  appear  to  me,  prima  facie,  to  be 
instances  of  a  possible  folk-tale  migration  from  Europe  into 
India.  At  page  136  it  is  recounted  that  Yaugandharayana 
Vampire:  set  out  for  Kausambi  via  the  Vindhya  Forest 
vetala  and  arrived  at  "  the  burning  ground  of  Mahakala 

in  Ujjayini,  which  was  densely  tenanted  by  [vetdlas,  i.e.] 
vampires."  Here  we  have  in  thoroughly  Indian  form  a 
reference  to  the  well-known  modern  series  of  tales— the 
Baitdl  Pachisi— traced  to  the  Kathd  Sarit  Sdgara,  Book  XII. 
But,  as  Mr  Penzer  points  out  in  his  note  on  this  page,  the 
Indian  ideas  about  the  vetala  closely  resemble  those  of  the 
Slavs  about  the  vampire.  Now,  if  we  are  to  follow  the 
modern  researchers,  who  trace  the  Aryan  migrations  East 
and  West  from  the  South  Russian  plains,  it  is  quite  possible 
that  the  original  migrants  took  with  them  the  idea  of  the 
vampire— i.e.  of  the  superhuman  demoniacal  tenant  of  dead 
bodies — wherever  they  or  their  influence  wandered :  so  that 
in  the  vetala  we  thus  have  an  idea  that  wandered  Eastwards 
from  Southern  Russia  to  India  and  not  the  other  way  round. 
I  may  here  remark  that  the  likeness  of  many  Slavonic  super- 
stitions to  those  of  India  cannot  but  forcibly  strike  those 
who  study  the  races  of  both  Russia  and  India. 

Again,  in  the  story  of  Gunadhya  (pp.  76-78)  there 
is  a  passage  worth  quoting  in  full.  Kanabhuti  explains  to 
Gunadhya  that  Bhutivarman,  a  Rakshasa  possessed  of 
Demons  and  "  heavenly  insight  "  said  to  him  :  "  6  We  have 
the  Night  no  power  in  the  day;  wait,  and  I  will  tell  you 
at  night.'  I  consented,  and  when  night  came  on  I  asked 
him  earnestly  the  reason  why  goblins  delighted  in  disporting 
themselves,  as  they  were  doing.  Then  Bhutivarman  said  to 
me :  '  Listen ;  I  will  relate  what  I  heard  Siva  say  in  a  con- 
versation with  Brahma.  Rakshasas,  Yakshas  and  Pisachas 
have  no  power  in  the  day,  being  dazed  with  the  brightness 
of  the  sun,  therefore  they  delight  in  the  night.  And  where 
the  gods  are  not  worshipped,  and  the  Brahmans,  in  due  form, 
and  where  men  eat  contrary  to  the  holy  law,  there  also  they 
have  power.  Where  there  is  a  man  who  abstains  from  flesh, 
or  a  virtuous  woman,  there  they  do  not  go.  They  never 
attack  "chaste  men,  heroes,  or  men  awake.'  "     Taking  all  the 


XXVI 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


words  after  "they  delight  in  the  night"  as  a  Brahmanical 
addition,  the  other  notions  appear  to  me  to  be  originally 
European  and  not  Asiatic  or  Indian,  and  if  the  idea  is  right, 
the  Aryans  brought  them  and  their  forerunners  to  India 
with  them  in  their  early  wanderings.  Research  may  show 
the  truth.  At  any  rate  Mr  Penzer's  note  traces  the  notions 
in  Ancient  Egypt  and  China. 

And  here,  after  only  just  lifting  the  fringe  of  the  curtain 
hiding  the  mystery,  I  must  cease  trespassing  on  Mr  Penzer's 
good  nature  and  conclude  this  Foreword,  hoping  that  some- 
thing useful  has  been  said  towards  indicating  how  research 
can  be  beneficially  conducted  in  the  future,  and  saying  once 
again  how  greatly  students  of  folk-lore  have  reason  to  be 
thankful  to  Mr  Penzer  for  his  present  efforts. 

Richard  Carnac  Temple. 

Montreux,  March   1924 


CONTENTS 

BOOK  I:  KATHAPITHA 
CHAPTER  I 


Author's  Introduction    . 

.     xxxi 

Invocation 

1 

Summary  of  the  Work  . 

2 

MI. 

Introduction 

2 

The  Abode  of  Siva 

3 

Brahma  and  Narayana 

4 

Parvati's  Former  Births 

4 

The  Great  Tale  related 

6 

Parvati's  Curses 

7 

CHAPTER  II 

MI. 

Cont. 

9 

Pushpadanta  meets  Kanabhut] 

i              .           9 

The  Creation  and  Kuvera's  Cui 

rse         .         10 

1. 

Story  of  Vararuchi,  his  teacher  Varsha, 

and  his 

fellow-pupils  Vyadi  and  Indradatta 

11 

1a.  The  Two  Brahman  Brothers 

12 

Iaa.  Varsha  and  Upavarsha 

13 

1a.  Cont.    . 

16 

1. 

Cont.      . 

CHAPTER  III 

16 

ML 

Cont.      . 

18 

1. 

Cont.      . 

18 

1b.  The  Founding  of  Pataliputra    . 

18 

Ibb.  King  Brahmadatta 

20 

1b.  Cont.    . 

21 

1. 

Cont      • 

24 

xxvu 


XXV111 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 
CHAPTER  IV 


PAGl 

MI.  Cord.       ......         30 

1.  Cont       ....  .  .         30 

(This  portion  includes  the  incident  ofUpakoSd  and  her  four  lovers) 


CHAPTER  V 


MI.  Cont 
1.  Cont. 

1.  Cont 
MI.  Cont 


lc.  Sivavarman 


CHAPTER  VI 

MI.  Cont       .... 
2.  Story  of  Gunadhya 

2a.  The  Mouse  Merchant    . 
2b.  The  Chanter  of  the  Sama  Veda 
2.  Cont       .... 

2c.  The  Magic  Garden 
2.  Cont  , 

MI.  Cont       .... 

2d.  The  History  of  Satavahana 
MI.  Cont       .... 
2.  Cont 

CHAPTER  VII 

2.  Cowtf.        .... 

2e.  The  New  Grammar  revealed 

2.  CW. 
MI.  CcmJ. 

3.  Story  of  Pushpadanta     . 

3a.  Indra  and  King  Sivi 

3.  Cont. 

4.  Story  of  Malyavan 


45 
45 
51 
53 

58 


60 
60 
62 
64 
65 
66 
67 
67 
67 
68 
68 


74 
74 
76 
76 
78 
84 
85 
85 


MI.  Cont. 


CONTENTS 
CHAPTER  VIII 


PAGE 

89 


BOOK  II:  KATHAMUKHA 
CHAPTER  IX 


Invocation 
M(ain  story) 


CHAPTER  X 


M.  Cont.       .... 

5.  Story  of  Sridatta  and  Mrigankavati 
M.  Cont.       .... 

CHAPTER  XI 

M.  Cont.       .... 

6.  Story  of  King  Chandamahasena 
M.  Cont.       .... 

CHAPTER  XII 

M.  Cont.       .... 

7.  Story  of  Rupinika 

M.  Cont.       .... 

CHAPTER  XIII 
M.  Cont.       .... 

8.  Story  of  Devasmita 

8a.  The  Cunning  Siddhikari 
8.  Cont.        .... 

8b.  Saktimati 
8.  Cont.       .... 
M.  Cont.       .... 


94 
94 


106 
106 
120 


122 
124 
128 


133 
138 
149 


150 
153 
157 
158 
162 
163 
164 


XXX 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 
CHAPTER  XIV 


M.  Cord.       ..... 

PAGE 

182 

9.  Story  of  the  Clever  Deformed  Child 
M.  Cont.       ..... 

184 

187 

10.  Story  of  Ruru      .... 
M.  Cont.       ..... 

188 
189 

Mythical  Beings 


Collyrium  and  Kohl 


The  Dohada  Motif 


Sacred  Prostitution 


APPENDIX  I 


APPENDIX  II 


APPENDIX  III 


APPENDIX  IV 


195 


209 


219 


229 


Index  I— Sanskrit  Words  and  Proper  Names 
Index  II— General     .... 


281 

299 


INTRODUCTION 

THE  Ocean  of  Story,  or,  to  give  it  its  full  Sanskrit  title, 
the  Kathd  Sarit  Sagara,  is,  for  its  size,  the  earliest 
collection  of  stories  extant  in  the  world.  Its  author, 
or  rather  its  compiler,  was  a  Brahman  named  Somadeva. 
Unfortunately  we  know  nothing  of  him,  except  what  he 
himself  has  told  us  in  the  short  poem  at  the  end  of  his  work, 
and  what  we  may  gather  of  his  ideas  and  religious  beliefs 
from  the  work  itself. 

In  the  first  place  let  us  look  at  the  title  he  has  chosen  for 
his  collection.  He  felt  that  his  great  work  united  in  itself  all 
stories,  as  the  ocean  does  all  rivers.  Every  stream  of  myth 
and  mystery  flowing  down  from  the  snowy  heights  of  sacred 
Himalaya  would  sooner  or  later  reach  the  ocean,  other 
streams  from  other  mountains  would  do  likewise,  till  at 
last  fancy  would  create  an  ocean  full  of  stories  of  every  con- 
ceivable description— tales  of  wondrous  maidens  and  their 
fearless  lovers,  of  kings  and  cities,  of  statecraft  and  intrigue, 
of  magic  and  spells,  of  treachery,  trickery,  murder  and  war, 
tales  of  blood- sucking  vampires,  devils,  goblins  and  ghouls, 
stories  of  animals  in  fact  and  fable,  and  stories  too  of  beggars, 
ascetics,  drunkards,  gamblers,  prostitutes  and  bawds. 

This  is  the  Ocean  of  Story  ;  this  the  mirror  of  Indian 
imagination  that  Somadeva  has  left  as  a  legacy  to  posterity. 

Following  out  his  metaphor  he  has  divided  the  work  into 
one  hundred  and  twenty-four  chapters,  called  tarangas — 
"  waves  "  or  "  billows  "—while  a  further  (and  independent) 
division  into  eighteen  lambakas—"  surges  "  or  "  swells  "— 
was  made  by  Brockhaus,  whose  text  is  that  used  by  Tawney. 

The  whole  work  contains  22,000  distichs,  or  slokas,  which 
gives  some  idea  of  its  immense  size.  It  is  nearly  twice  as 
long  as  the  Iliad  and  Odyssey  put  together. 

The  short  poem  of  Somadeva  already  referred  to  was  not 
included  by  Brockhaus  in  his  text,  but  was  printed  later 
from  MS.  material  by  Buhler.     From  this  it  appears  that  the 

xxxi 


xxxii  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

name  of  our  author  was  Soma— i.e.  Somadeva.     He  was  th< 
son  of  a  virtuous  Brahman  named  Rama.     His  magnum  opui 
was  written  for  the  amusement  of  Suryavati,  wife  of  King 
Ananta  of  Kashmir,  at  whose  court  Somadeva  was  poet. 

The  history  of  Kashmir  at  this  period  is  one  of  discontent, 
intrigue,  bloodshed  and  despair.  The  story  of  Ananta's  two 
sons,  Kalasa  and  Harsha— the  worthless  degenerate  life  of 
the  former,  the  brilliant  but  ruthless  life  of  the  latter,  the 
suicide  of  Ananta  himself  and  resulting  chaos— is  all  to 
be  read  in  the  Raja-tarangini,  or  Chronicle  of  the  Kings  of 
Kashmir. 

This  tragic  history  forms  as  dark  and  grim  a  background 
for  the  setting  of  Somadeva's  tales  as  did  the  plague  of 
Florence  for  Boccaccio's  Cento  Novelle  nearly  three  hundred 
years  later. 

It  is,  however,  these  historical  events  in  the  history  of 
Kashmir  which  help  us  in  determining  our  author's  date 
with  any  degree  of  certainty. 

Ananta  surrendered  his  throne  in  1063  to  his  eldest  son 
Kalasa,  only  to  return  to  it  a  few  years  later.  In  1077  he 
again  retired.  This  time  Kalasa  attacked  his  father  openly 
and  seized  all  his  wealth.  Ananta  killed  himself  in  despair 
and  Suryavati  threw  herself  on  the  funeral  pyre.  This  was 
in  1081. 

It  was  between  the  first  and  second  retirements  of  Ananta 
from  the  throne  that  Somadeva  wrote— possibly  about  1070. 
One  can  almost  imagine  that  these  stories  were  compiled  in 
an  effort  to  take  the  mind  of  the  unhappy  queen  off  the 
troubles  and  trials  which  so  unremittingly  beset  her  and  her 
court. 

He  tells  us  that  the  Ocean  of  Story  is  not  his  original  work, 
but  is  taken  from  a  much  larger  collection  by  one  Gunadhya, 
known  as  the  Brihat  Kathd,  or  Great  Tale. 

The  MS.  of  this  Great  Tale  has  not  been  found.  In  his 
first  book  Somadeva  gives  us  the  legendary  history  of  it, 
showing  how  it  was  related  in  turn  by  Siva,  Pushpadanta, 
Kanabhuti,  Gunadhya  and  Satavahana;  the  latter  at  first 
rejected  it,  and  in  despair  Gunadhya  began  to  burn  it  leaf 
by  leaf— 600,000  distichs  are  thus  lost.    Satavahana  reappears 


INTRODUCTION  xxxiii 

and  saves  the  rest  (100,000  couplets),  which  became 
known  as  the  Brihat  Kathd.  He  added  to  it  a  lambaka,  or 
book,  explaining  its  marvellous  history.  This  book  Soma- 
deva  retains  in  full,  and  it  forms  about  half  of  our  first 
volume. 

The  Ocean  of  Story  is  not  the  only  rendition  of  the  Great 
Tale,  for  twenty  or  thirty  years  previously  Kshemendra 
had  written  his  Brihat  Kathd  Mafijari.  Compared  with 
Somadeva's  work  it  pales  into  insignificance,  lacking  the 
charm  of  language,  elegance  of  style,  masterly  arrangement 
and  metrical  skill  of  the  later  production.  Moreover, 
Kshemendra's  collection  is  only  a  third  the  length  of  the 
Ocean  of  Story. 

As  early  as  1871  Professor  Biihler  (Indian  Antiquary, 
p.  302  et  seq.)  proved  these  two  important  facts :  firstly,  that 
Somadeva  and  Kshemendra  used  the  same  text,  and  secondly, 
that  they  worked  entirely  independently  from  one  another. 

It  was,  however,  many  years  before  this  that  the  Ocean  of 
Story  became  known  to  European  scholars. 

In  1824  that  great  pioneer  of  Sanskrit  learning,  Professor 
H.  H.  Wilson,  gave  a  summary  of  the  first  five  chapters 
(or  lambakas)  in  the  Oriental  Quarterly  Magazine.  The  first 
edition  of  the  work  was  undertaken  by  Professor  Brockhaus. 
In  1839  he  issued  the  first  five  chapters  only,  and  it  was 
not  till  1862  that  the  remaining  thirteen  appeared.  Both 
publications  formed  part  of  the  Abhandlungen  der  Deutschen 
Morgenlandischen  Gesellschaft. 

It  was  this  text  which  Tawney  used  for  his  translation 
published  by  the  Asiatic  Society  of  Bengal  in  the  Bibliotheca 
Indica,  1880-1884  (the  index  not  appearing  till  1887). 

Brockhaus'  edition  was  based  primarily  on  six  MSS., 
though  in  the  second  part  of  the  work  he  apparently  had  not 
so  many  at  his  disposal.  Tawney  was  not  satisfied  with 
several  of  Brockhaus'  readings,  and  consequently  made 
numerous  fresh  renderings  or  suggestions  largely  taken  from 
MSS.  borrowed  from  the  Calcutta  College  and  from  three 
India  Office  MSS.  lent  him  by  Dr  Rost. 

In  1889  Durgaprasad  issued  the  Bombay  edition,  printed 
at    the    Nirnayasagara     Press,    which    was    produced    from 


xxxiv  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

Brockhaus'  edition  and  two  Bombay  MSS.  This  is  the  latest 
text  now  available  and  proves  the  correctness  of  many  of 
Tawney's  readings  where  he  felt  the  Brockhaus  text  was  in 
fault. 

Although  a  comparison  between  these  two  texts  would 
be  instructive,  its  place  is  not  in  a  general  introduction 
like  this. 

The  late  Professor  Speyer  of  the  Koninklijke  Akademie 
van  Wetenschappen  te  Amsterdam  has  written  in  a  most 
authoritative  manner  on  the  whole  subject,  and  has  made 
detailed  comparisons  and  criticisms  of  the  text  of  Brockhaus 
and  that  of  Durgaprasad.  The  Bureau  de  la  section  des 
Lettres  of  the  Amsterdam  Academy  has  very  kindly  given 
me  leave  to  incorporate  this  work  of  Professor  Speyer  in 
the  present  edition  of  the  Ocean  of  Story,  which  I  hope 
to  do  in  a  later  volume.  It  is  needless  to  emphasise  the 
value  this  addition  will  have  to  the  student  of  Sanskrit  and 
philology. 

Turning  now  to  the  actual  contents  of  the  Ocean  of  Story, 
the  general  reader  will  continually  recognise  stories  familiar 
to  him  from  childhood.  The  student  of  Indian  literature 
will  find  well-known  tales  from  the  Panchatantra  and  the 
Mahabhdrata,  as  well  as  strange  fantastic  myths  of  early 
Rig-Veda  days.  He  will  encounter  whole  series  of  stories, 
such  as  the  Vetalapanchavimsati  or  cycle  of  Demon  stories. 
But  apart  from  this  the  work  contains  much  original  matter, 
which  Somadeva  handles  with  the  ease  and  skill  of  a  master 
of  his  art.  The  appeal  of  his  stories  is  immediate  and  lasting, 
and  time  has  proved  incapable  of  robbing  them  of  their 
freshness  and  fascination. 

The  Ocean  of  Story,  therefore,  may  be  regarded  as  an 
attempt  to  present  as  a  single  whole  the  essence  of  that  rich 
Indian  imagination  which  had  found  expression  in  a  literature 
and  art  stretching  back  to  the  days  of  the  intermingling  of 
the  Aryan  and  Dravidian  stocks  nearly  two  thousand  years 
before  the  Christian  era. 

India  is  indeed  the  home  of  story-telling.  It  was  from 
here  that  the  Persians  learned  the  art,  and  passed  it  on  to 
the  Arabians.    From  the  Middle  East  the  tales  found  their  way 


INTRODUCTION  xxxv 

to  Constantinople  and  Venice,  and  finally  appeared  in  the 
pages  of  Boccaccio,  Chaucer  and  La  Fontaine. 

It  was  not  until  Benfey  wrote  his  famous  introduction  to 
the  Panchatantra  that  we  began  to  realise  what  a  great  debt 
the  Western  tales  owed  to  the  East. 

Although  it  is  well  known  to  students  of  folk-lore,  I  am 
still  hoping  to  see  the  great  work  of  Benfey  translated 
into  English  and  suitably  annotated  by  such  a  body  as  the 
Folk-Lore  Society. 

When  Galland  first  introduced  the  Arabian  Nights  into 
Europe  at  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century  the  chief 
attraction  was  the  originality  of  the  Oriental  settings  and 
the  strange  manners  and  customs,  now  for  the  first  time 
described.  It  was  thought  that  he  had  made  up  the  tales 
himself.  In  time  many  of  the  originals  were  found  and 
people  changed  their  opinions.  Even  in  Burton's  day  there 
still  remained  a  number  of  Galland 's  tales  of  which  no  text 
could  be  traced,  although  from  the  very  first  Burton  main- 
tained that  such  texts  did  exist.  The  original  "  Aladdin  " 
was  discovered  while  Burton's  edition  was  actually  coming 
out,  and  "  Ali  Baba  "  was  found  by  Dr  D.  B.  Macdonald  as 
recently  as  1908.  The  influence  of  the  Arabian  Nights  on 
European  contes  populaires  must  not  be  overlooked,  nor 
must  its  unde  derivator  be  forgotten.  It  is  only  in  quite 
recent  times  that  the  Indian  origin  of  much  of  the  Alf  Layla 
Wa  Layla  has  been  realised,  and  the  sifting  of  the  different 
recensions  been  commenced. 

The  great  advance  made  in  the  study  of  Sanskrit  has 
shown  that  incidents  in  stories  well  known  to  every  European 
child  existed  in  India  over  two  thousand  years  ago.  This 
does  not  necessarily  mean  that  the  story,  or  incident  in  the 
story,  travelled,  slowly  but  surely,  from  India  to  the  English 
nursery.  The  whole  question  is  most  fascinating,  and  I 
shall  have  occasion  to  discuss  the  migration  of  some  of  the 
tales  as  they  appear  ;  it  is  particularly  interesting  to  note 
that  some  of  the  early  stories  from  the  Egyptian  papyri  are 
so  similar  to  tales  in  the  Ocean  of  Story  that  one  is  led  at 
once  to  suspect  some  connection. 

Although  I  am  leaving  further  discussion  on  the  subject 


xxxvi  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

to  the  notes  and  appendices  which  appear  in  each  of  these 
ten  volumes,  yet  I  feel  I  must  mention  one  factor,  which 
we  must  not  forget— environment.  In  warm  latitudes  the 
temperature  has  naturally  produced  a  general  laxity  in  the 
habits  of  the  people,  and  in  Eastern  countries  the  often 
exaggerated  code  of  hospitality,  coupled  with  the  exclusion 
of  women  and  consequential  gatherings  of  men  in  the  cool 
of  the  evenings,  has  given  great  impetus  to  story-telling. 
So  much  so,  indeed,  that  it  has  produced  the  Rdwi,  or 
professional  story-teller — an  important  member  of  the  com- 
munity unknown  in  cooler  latitudes,  where  the  story-telling 
is  almost  entirely  confined  to  the  family  circle. 

Thus  the  migratory  possibilities  of  tales  in  the  East  are 
far  greater  than  those  in  the  West.  Added  to  this  is  the 
antiquity  of  Eastern  civilisation,  compared  with  which  that 
of  the  West  is  but  of  yesterday. 

A  study  of  the  movements  of  Asiatic  peoples,  their  early 
voyages  of  exploration  and  trade,  their  intermarrying,  and 
their  extensive  commerce  in  slaves  of  every  nationality  will 
help  to  show  how  not  only  their  stories,  but  also  the  customs, 
architecture,  religions  and  languages,  became  transplanted 
to  foreign  soil,  where  they  either  throve  and  influenced  their 
surroundings,  or  found  their  new  environment  too  strong  for 
them. 

Thus  in  this  great  storehouse  of  fiction,  the  Ocean  of 
Story,  we  shall  continually  come  upon  tales  in  the  earliest 
form  yet  known. 

It  is  here  that  I  intend  to  trace  the  literary  history  of 
the  incident,  trait,  or  motif  and,  by  such  evidence  as  I  can 
procure,  try  to  formulate  some  definite  ideas  as  to  its  true 
history.  In  many  cases  this  will  be  impossible,  in  others 
little  more  than  mere  conjecture.  Full  bibliographical 
details  will  be  given,  so  that  readers  can  form  their  own 
opinions  and  draw  their  own  conclusions  concerning  this 
most  fascinating  study. 

With  regard  to  the  method  of  transliteration  adopted 
throughout  the  work,  I  have  followed,  as  far  as  possible,  the 
system  approved  by  the  International  Oriental  Congress  of 
1894.     This  system  is  almost  identical  with  that  approved 


INTRODUCTION  xxxvii 

by  the  Committee  on  Transliteration  appointed  by  the  Council 
of  the  Royal  Asiatic  Society  in  January  1922. 

For  full  tables  of  the  Sanskrit  signs  and  their  English 
equivalents  reference  should  be  made  to  the  J  own.  Roy.  As. 
Soc,  July  1923,  pp.  525-531  ;  and  January  1924,  pp.  171- 
173.  In  the  case  of  the  long  quantity  of  a  vowel,  Tawney 
used  an  acute  accent.  This  has  now  been  changed  to  a 
macron,  or  horizontal  line.  It  is  interesting  to  mention 
that  Tawney  regretted  having  used  the  acute  accent  and 
specially  asked  me  to  change  it. 

Short  vowels  have  no  mark,  thus  the  i  in  Siva  should  not 
be  pronounced  long. 

Passing  on  to  the  translation  itself,  I  would  stress  the  fact 
that  Tawney  was  most  anxious  to  convey  in  his  English 
rendering  not  only  the  meaning,  but  also  the  atmosphere  of 
the  original.  In  this  he  has  succeeded,  and  the  ancient 
Hindu  environment  at  once  makes  itself  felt.  In  a  previous 
work,  Two  Centuries  of  Bhartrihari,  Tawney  alludes  to  this 
very  point.  "  I  am  sensible,"  he  says,  "  that,  in  the  present 
attempt,  I  have  retained  much  local  colouring.  For  instance, 
the  idea  of  worshipping  the  feet  of  a  god  or  great  man, 
though  it  frequently  occurs  in  Indian  literature,  will  un- 
doubtedly move  the  laughter  of  Englishmen  unacquainted 
with  Sanskrit,  especially  if  they  happen  to  belong  to  that 
class  of  readers  who  rivet  their  attention  on  the  accidental 
and  remain  blind  to  the  essential.  But  a  certain  measure 
of  fidelity  to  the  original,  even  at  the  risk  of  making  one- 
self ridiculous,  is  better  than  the  studied  dishonesty  which 
characterises  so  many  translations  of  Oriental  poets." 

Although  the  Ocean  of  Story  doubtless  contains  phrases, 
similes,  metaphors  and  constructions  which  may  at  first 
strike  the  "  Englishman  unacquainted  with  Sanskrit  "  as 
unusual  and  exaggerated,  yet  I  feel  that  as  he  reads  he 
will  find  that  it  is  those  very  "  peculiarities  "  which  are 
slowly  creating  an  un-English,  but  none  the  less  delightful, 
atmosphere,  and  which  give  the  whole  work  a  charm  all 
its  own. 

In  a  work  of  this  magnitude  it  is  necessary  to  say  some- 
thing of  the  arrangement  of  the  text,  the  numbering  of  the 


xxxviii  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

stories,  the  scope  of  the  fresh  annotation  and  the  system  of 
indexing  employed. 

The  text  is  left  entirely  as  translated  by  the  late  Charles 
Tawney  except  where  certain  omissions  have  been  adjusted 
or  more  literal  renderings  added.  In  one  or  two  cases  a 
short  story  left  out  by  Tawney  has  been  restored,  thus 
making  the  work  absolutely  complete  in  every  detail. 

These  fresh  translations  have  been  made  by  Dr  L.  D. 
Barnett,  Keeper  of  the  Department  of  Oriental  Printed 
Books  and  MSS.  in  the  British  Museum. 

In  Volume  I  no  fresh  translations  have  been  added 
except  where  the  text  of  Durgaprasad  seems  to  be  a  distinct 
improvement  on  that  of  Brockhaus.  In  these  cases  I  have 
simply  added  a  note  at  the  bottom  of  the  page  giving  the 
new  reading. 

The  system  of  numbering  the  stories  requires  a  detailed 
explanation.  In  order  that  the  reader  may  know  exactly 
what  story  he  is  reading  and  can  pick  up  the  thread  of  a  tale 
long  since  suspended,  each  story  will  have  a  distinct  number. 
It  will  be  numbered  by  an  Arabic  numeral ;  while  a  sub- 
story  will  have  the  addition  of  a  letter,  a,  b,  c,  etc.,  and  a 
sub-sub-story  will  have  the  letter  repeated.  It  often  happens 
that  a  story  is  broken  off  three  or  four  times  ;  each  time  we 
return  to  that  main  story  its  special  number  reappears  with 
it.  Thus  every  tale  will  be  kept  separate  and  facilities  for 
folk-lore  reference  will  be  afforded. 

Sometimes  in  a  long  story  numerous  incidents  occur 
which  cannot  be  numbered  separately.  These  are  shown  by 
side-headings,  which  can,  however,  easily  be  catalogued  or 
referred  to  by  the  help  of  the  number  of  the  story  in  which 
they  occur. 

Two  considerations  other  than  those  mentioned  need 
explanation.  There  is  one  main  story  which  runs  through- 
out the  entire  work,  though  towards  the  end  it  takes  a  very 
back  seat,  especially  where  a  large  collection  of  stories,  like 
the  Vikram  cycle,  appear.  This  main  story  is  numbered 
M,  without  any  Arabic  numeral. 

Secondly,  Book  I  is  all  introductory.  It  too  has  a  main 
story  running  through  it,  which  I  call  MI— i.e.  Main  (Intro- 


INTRODUCTION  xxxlx 

duction).  The  first  story  is  1,  the  first  sub-story  1a,  the  first 
sub-sub-story  Iaa,  and  so  on.  There  are  four  stories  in 
MI,  so  when  Book  II  commences  the  first  story  is  5,  as  the 
numbering  does  not  start  again,  but  runs  straight  on.  A 
glance  at  the  Contents  pages  at  the  very  beginning  of  this 
volume  will  explain  exactly  what  I  am  trying  to  convey. 

We  will  now  turn  to  the  question  of  the  fresh  annotations. 
So  great  have  been  our  strides  in  folk-lore,  anthropology  and 
their  kindred  subjects  since  Tawney's  day,  that  many  of 
the  original  notes  can  be  largely  supplemented,  corrected,  or 
entirely  rewritten  in  the  light  of  recent  research.  Further, 
in  some  cases  subjects  are  touched  on  that  in  Victorian 
days  would  be  passed  over  in  silence,  but  to-day  conven- 
tion allows  a  scholarly  treatment  of  them,  and  does  not 
demand  that  they  "  be  veiled  in  the  obscurity  of  a  learned 
tongue." 

If  notes  are  of  only  a  few  lines  they  appear  at  the  bottom 
of  the  page ;  if  longer,  and  there  are  few  other  notes  coming 
immediately  after,  the  note  goes  at  the  bottom  of  two  or 
three  consecutive  pages.  If,  however,  the  opposite  is  the 
case,  the  note  is  put  separately  at  the  end  of  the  chapter. 
Thus  in  some  instances  there  will  be  two  or  three  notes  at 
the  end  of  a  chapter. 

Sometimes  we  light  on  a  subject  on  which  no  compre- 
hensive article  has  been  written.  Such  a  note  may  run  to 
thirty  or  more  pages.  This,  then,  forms  an  appendix  at  the 
end  of  a  volume. 

Each  note  which  I  have  written  is  initialed  by  me,  so 
that  it  will  be  quite  clear  which  notes  are  mine  and  which 
those  of  Tawney.  Occasionally  a  note  may  be  written  by 
both  Tawney  and  myself.  In  these  cases  his  remarks  come 
first,  and  are  separated  from  mine  which  follow  by  a  rule, 

thus  :  .     In  some  of  these  notes  recent  research  may  have 

proved,  disproved,  or  amplified  Tawney's  original  note.  It 
is  therefore  considered  best  to  give  both  the  original  note 
and  the  fresh  one  following  it. 

It  often  happens  that  an  old  edition  of  a  work  quoted  by 
Tawney  has  been  completely  superseded  by  a  more  recent  one. 
In  these  cases  if  the  reference  is  more  detailed  and  up-to-date 


xl  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

in  the  new  edition,  the  original  one  is  disregarded.  English 
translations  of  many  works  can  now  be  quoted  which  in 
Tawney's  day  were  only  to  be  found  in  their  original  tongues, 
or  in  an  Italian  or  German  translation. 

These  fresh  references  have  accordingly  been  added. 

The  Terminal  Essay  and  all  appendices  are  entirely 
fresh,  as  is  also  the  system  of  numbering  the  stories,  and  the 
elaborate  indexing. 

At  the  end  of  each  volume  are  two  indices.  The  first 
contains  all  Sanskrit  words  and  names,  also  proper  names  of 
peoples,  towns,  etc.,  in  any  language.  The  second,  and  by 
far  the  larger  of  the  two,  is  the  General  Index.  Important 
references  may  be  cross-indexed  six  times.  Nothing  of  the 
least  possible  importance  is  omitted:  every  note,  appendix 
and  every  portion  of  the  text  is  fully  indexed. 

If  space  permits  I  shall  include  a  volume  containing  the 
two  accumulated  indices  of  the  entire  work,  together  with  a 
list  of  authors,  a  bibliography  of  the  Ocean  of  Story  iself, 
and  a  list  of  all  the  stories  in  alphabetical  order. 

In  conclusion  I  would  like  to  acknowledge  the  help  I 
have  received  from  so  many  private  individuals  and  learned 
institutions.  In  the  first  place  I  would  particularly  mention 
those  gentlemen  who  have  read  through  my  proofs,  or  some 
particular  portion  of  them,  and  given  me  most  valuable 
advice  :  Sir  Richard  Temple,  Dr  L.  D.  Barnett,  Professor 
R.  L.  Turner,  Mr  C.  Fenton  (who  has  also  drawn  my  attention 
to  important  Central  American  analogies)  and  Sir  Aurel 
Stein ;  while  Mr  R.  Campbell  Thompson  has  criticised  my 
Babylonian  and  Assyrian  notes,  and  Sir  Wallis  Budge, 
Dr  H.  R.  Hall,  and  Professor  G.  Eliot  Smith  have  helped  me 
in  points  connected  with  Egyptology. 

As  the  list  of  correspondents  giving  information  increases 
nearly  every  day,  it  is  impossible  to  include  them  all  in 
this  first  volume.  I  would,  however,  particularly  mention 
Mr  J.  Allen,  Professor  Maurice  Bloomfield,  Mr  F.  H.  Brown, 
Mr  A.  G.  Ellis,  Mr  R.  E.  Enthoven,  Dr  Lionel  Giles,  Mr  T.  A. 
Joyce,  Mr  W.  G.  Partington,  Brigadier-General  Sir  Percy 
Sykes,  Mr  Robert  Sewell,  Dr  F.  W.  Thomas  and  Mr  Edgar 
Thurston. 


INTRODUCTION  xli 

Of  the  following  institutions  and  learned  societies  I 
would  thank  the  librarians  and  their  assistants  for  the 
valuable  help  they  have  given  and  kindness  they  have 
always  shown  :— the  Royal  Asiatic  Society,  the  Royal  Geo- 
graphical Society,  the  Geological  Society,  the  Folk-Lore 
Society,  the  India  Office  Library,  School  of  Oriental  Studies 
Library,  the  British  Museum  Library,  the  Library  of  the 
Royal  College  of  Surgeons,  the  Wellcombe  Medical  Museum, 
the  Koninklijke  Akademie  van  Wetenschappen  te  Amsterdam, 
and  finally  I  owe  a  special  debt  of  gratitude  to  the  Asiatic 
Society  of  Bengal  for  their  permission  to  use  the  original 
edition  of  the  Kaiha  Sarit  Sdgara. 


THE 
OCEAN  OF  STORY 


BOOK  I:  KATHAPITHA 
CHAPTER  I 

INVOCATION  * 

MAY  the  dark  neck  of  Siva,2  which  the  God  of  Love 3 
has,  so  to  speak,  surrounded  with  nooses  in  the 
form  of  the  alluring  looks  of  Parvati  reclining  on 
his  bosom,  assign  to  you  prosperity. 

May  that  Victor  of  Obstacles,4  who,  after  sweeping  away 
the  stars  with  his  trunk  in  the  delirious  joy  of  the  evening 
dance,  seems  to  create  others  with  the  spray  issuing  from  his 
hissing 5  mouth,  protect  you. 

After  worshipping  the  Goddess  of  Speech,  the  lamp  that 
illuminates  countless  objects,6  I  compose  this  collection 
which  contains  the  pith  of  the  Brihat-Katha. 

1  Compare  with  the  introduction  to  The  Thousand  Nights  and  a  Night, 
where  Allah,  Mohammed  and  his  family  are  invoked. — n.m.p. 

2  His  neck  is  dark  because  at  the  Churning  of  the  Ocean  poison  came 
up  and  was  swallowed  by  Siva  to  save  creation  from  disaster.  The  poison 
was  held  in  his  throat,  hence  he  is  called  Nilakantha  (the  blue-throated  one). 
For  the  various  accounts  of  the  Churning  of  the  Ocean  see  Mahabharata, 
trans,  by  P.  C.  Roy,  new  edition,  1919,  etc.,  Calcutta,  vol.  i,  part  i,  pp.  55-57 
(Book  I,  Sects.  XVII,  XVIII);  Ramayana,  trans,  by  Carey  and  Marshman, 
Serampore,  1806,  vol.  1,  p.  41  et  seq.  (Book  I,  Sect.  XXXVI);  Vishnu  Purana, 
vol.  i,  H.  H.  Wilson's  Collected  Works,  1864,  p.  142  et  seq. — n.m.p. 

3  I.e.  Kama,  who  here  is  simply  the  Hindu  Cupid. — n.m.p. 

4  Dr  Brockhaus  explains  this  of  Ganesa :  he  is  often  associated  with 
Siva  in  the  dance.     So  the  poet  invokes  two  gods,  Siva  and  Ganesa,  and 

one  goddess,  SarasvatI,  the  goddess  of  speech  and  learning. It  is  in  his 

form   as   Vinayaka,  or  Vighnesa,  that   Ganesa  is  the   "Victor"   or,  better, 
"  Remover  of  Obstacles." — n.m.p. 

5  Sitkara :  a  sound  made  by  drawing  in  the  breath,  expressive  of  pleasure. 

6  There  is  a  double  meaning:  padartha  also  means  words  and  their 
meanings. 

A  1 


2  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

SUMMARY  OF  THE  WORK 

The  first  book  in  my  collection  is  called  Kathapitha, 
then  comes  Kathamukha,  then  the  third  book  named 
Lavanaka,  then  follows  Naravahanadattajanana,  and  then 
the  book  called  Chaturdarika,  and  then  Madanamanchuka, 
then  the  seventh  book  named  Ratnaprabha,  and  then  the 
eighth  book  named  Suryaprabha,  then  AlankaravatI,  then 
Saktiyasas,  and  then  the  eleventh  book  called  Vela,  then 
comes  Sasankavati,  and  then  Madiravati,  then  comes  the 
book  called  Pancha,  followed  by  Mahabhisheka,  and  then 
Suratamanjari,  then  Padmavati,  and  then  will  follow  the 
eighteenth  book  Vishamasila. 

This  book  is  precisely  on  the  model  of  that  from  which 
it  is  taken,  there  is  not  even  the  slightest  deviation,  only 
such  language  is  selected  as  tends  to  abridge  the  prolixity 
of  the  work ;  the  observance  of  propriety  and  natural  con- 
nection, and  the  joining  together  of  the  portions  of  the  poem 
so  as  not  to  interfere  with  the  spirit  of  the  stories,  are  as  far 
as  possible  kept  in  view  :  I  have  not  made  this  attempt 
through  a  desire  of  a  reputation  for  ingenuity,  but  in  order 
to  facilitate  the  recollection  of  a  multitude  of  various  tales. 

INTRODUCTION 

[MI1]  There  is  a  mountain  celebrated  under  the  name 
of  Himavat,2  haunted  by  Kinnaras,  Gandharvas,  and  Vidya- 
dharas,3  a  very  monarch  of  mighty  hills,  whose  glory  has 
attained  such  an  eminence  among  mountains  that  Bhavani, 

1  For  explanation  of  the  system  of  numbering  the  stories  adopted 
throughout  the  work  see  my  Introduction,  pp.  xxxviii  and  xxxix. — n.m.p. 

2  This  is  another  form  of  Himalaya,  "the  abode  of  snow."  Himagiri, 
Himadri,  Himakuta,  etc.,  are  also  found.  The  Greeks  converted  the  name 
into  Emodos  and  Imaos.  Mt  Kailasa  (the  modern  Kailas)  is  the  highest 
peak  of  that  portion  of  the  Tibetan  Himalayas  lying  to  the  north  of  Lake 
Manasarowar.  It  is  supposed  to  resemble  a  linga  in  shape,  thus  being  an 
appropriate  dwelling-place  for  Siva  and  Parvati,  who,  as  we  see,  appear 
under  a  variety  of  names.  It  is  naturally  a  very  sacred  spot,  and  one  to 
which  numerous  pilgrimages  are  made. — n.m.p. 

3  For  details  of  these  mythical  beings  see  Appendix  I  at  the  end  of  this 
volume,  pp.  197-207. — n.m.p. 


THE  ABODE  OF  SIVA  3 

the  mother  of  the  three  worlds,  deigned  to  become  his 
daughter ;  the  northernmost  summit  thereof  is  a  great  peak 
named  Kailasa,  which  towers  many  thousand  yojanas  in  the 
The,  Abode  air,1  and,  as  it  were,  laughs  forth  with  its  snowy 
of  Ska  gleams  this  boast :    "  Mount   Mandara  2   did  not 

become  white  as  mortar  even  when  the  ocean  was  churned 
with  it,  but  I  have  become  such  without  an  effort."  There 
dwells  Mahesvara  the  beloved  of  Parvati,  the  chief  of  things 
animate  and  inanimate,  attended  upon  by  Ganas,  Vidya- 
dharas  and  Siddhas.3  In  the  upstanding  yellow  tufts  of  his 
matted  hair  the  new  moon  enjoys  the  delight  of  touching 
the  eastern  mountain  yellow  in  the  evening  twilight.  When 
he  drove  his  trident  into  the  heart  of  Andhaka,  the  King  of 
the  Asuras,3  though  he  was  only  one,  the  dart  which  that 
monarch  had  infixed  in  the  heart  of  the  three  worlds  was, 
strange  to  say,  extracted.  The  image  of  his  toe-nails  being 
reflected  in  the  crest- jewels  of  the  gods  and  Asuras  made 
them  seem  as  if  they  had  been  presented  with  half  moons  by 
his  favour.4  Once  on  a  time  that  lord,  the  husband  of  Parvati, 
was  gratified  with  praises  by  his  wife,  having  gained  con- 
fidence as  she  sat  in  secret  with  him ;  the  moon  -  crested 
one,  attentive  to  her  praise  and  delighted,  placed  her  on  his 
lap,  and  said  :  "  What  can  I  do  to  please  thee  ?  "  Then  the 
daughter  of  the  mountain  spake :  "  My  lord,  if  thou  art 
satisfied  with  me,  then  tell  me  some  delightful  story  that  is 
quite  new."  And  Siva  said  to  her  :   "  What  can  there  be  in 

1  Possibly   the    meaning   is   that   the    mountain   covers   many  thousand 

yojanas. Either  would  be  applicable  (allowing,   of  course,  for  the  usual 

Oriental  exaggeration),  for  Kailasa  is  22,300  feet  high  and  pilgrims  take  three 
weeks  to  circumambulate  the  base,  prostrating  themselves  all  the  way.  It  is 
hard  to  say  what  distance  a  yojana  represents.  It  is  variously  given  as  equal 
to  four  krosas  {i.e.  nine  miles),  eighteen  miles  and  two  and  a  half  miles.  For 
references  see  Macdonell  and  Keith's  Vedic  Index,  vol.  ii,  pp.  195,  196,  and 
especially  J.  F.  Fleet,  "Imaginative  Yojanas,"  Journ.  Roy.  As.  Soc,  1912, 
pp.  229-239.— n.m.p. 

2  This  mountain  served  the  gods  and  Asuras  as  a  churning-stick  at  the 
Churning  of  the  Ocean  for  the  recovery  of  the  Amrita  and  fourteen  other 
precious  things  lost  during  the  Deluge. 

3  For  details  of  these  mythical  beings  see  Appendix  I  at  the  end  of 
this  volume. — n.m.p. 

4  Siva  himself  wears  a  moon's  crescent. 


4  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

the  world,  my  beloved,  present,  past,  or  future,  that  thou 
dost  not  know  ?  "  Then  that  goddess,  beloved  of  Siva, 
importuned  him  eagerly  because  she  was  proud  in  soul  on 
account  of  his  affection. 

Then  Siva,  wishing  to  flatter  her,  began  by  telling  her  a 
very  short  story,  referring  to  her  own  divine  power. 

"  Once  on  a  time *  Brahma  and  Narayana,2  roaming 
through  the  world  in  order  to  behold  me,  came  to  the  foot  of 
Himavat.  Then  they  beheld  there  in  front  of  them  a  great 
Brahma  and  flame-liriga 3 ;  in  order  to  discover  the  end  of  it, 
Narayana  one  0f  them  went  up,  and  the  other  down  ;  and 
when  they  could  not  find  the  end  of  it,  they  proceeded  to 
propitiate  me  by  means  of  austerities  :  and  I  appeared  to 
them  and  bade  them  ask  for  some  boon  :  hearing  that 
Brahma  asked  me  to  become  his  son ;  on  that  account 
he  has  ceased  to  be  worthy  of  worship,  disgraced  by  his 
overweening  presumption : 

"  Then  that  god  Narayana  craved  a  boon  of  me,  saying : 
O  revered  one,  may  I  become  devoted  to  thy  service  !  Then 
he  became  incarnate,  and  was  born  as  mine  in  thy  form  ; 
for  thou  art  the  same  as  Narayana,  the  power  of  me  all- 
powerful. 

"  Moreover  thou  wast  my  wife  in  a  former  birth."  When 
Siva  had  thus  spoken,  Parvati  asked  :  "  How  can  I  have 
been  thy  wife  in  a  former  birth  ?  "  Then  Siva  answered 
Parvati  s  her :  "  Long  ago  to  the  Prajapati  Daksha  were  born 
Former  Births  many  daughters,  and  amongst  them  thou,  O 
goddess  !  He  gave  thee  in  marriage  to  me,  and  the  others  to 
Dharma  and  the  rest  of  the  gods.  Once  on  a  time  he  invited 
all  his  sons-in-law  to  a  sacrifice.  But  I  alone  was  not  included 
in  the  invitation  ;  thereupon  thou  didst  ask  him  to  tell  thee 
why  thy  husband  was  not  invited.    Then  he  uttered  a  speech 

1  The  Sanskrit  word  asti,  meaning  "thus  it  is"  [lit.  "there  is"],  is  a 
common  introduction  to  a  tale. 

2  I.e.  Vishnu.  The  name  was  also  applied  both  to  Brahma  and 
GaneSa. — n.m.p. 

3  The   linga,  or  phallus,  is  a  favourite  emblem  of  Siva.     Flame  is  one 

of  his  eight  tanus,  or  forms the  others  being  ether,  air,  water,  earth,  sun, 

moon,  and  the  sacrificing  priest. — n.m.p. 


PARVATTS  FORMER  BIRTHS  5 

which  pierced  thy  ears  like  a  poisoned  needle  :  6  Thy  husband 
wears  a  necklace  of  skulls ;  how  can  he  be  invited  to  a 
sacrifice  ?  ' 

"  And  then  thou,  my  beloved,  didst  in  anger  abandon 
thy  body,  exclaiming :  '  This  father  of  mine  is  a  villain ; 
what  profit  have  I  then  in  this  carcass  sprung  from 
him?' 

"And  thereupon  in  wrath  I  destroyed  that  sacrifice  of 
Daksha.1 

"  Then  thou  wast  born  as  the  daughter  of  the  Mount 
of  Snow,  as  the  moon's  digit  springs  from  the  sea.  Then 
recall  how  I  came  to  the  Himalaya  in  order  to  perform 
austerities ;  and  thy  father  ordered  thee  to  do  me  service 
as  his  guest:  and  there  the  God  of  Love,  who  had  been 
sent  by  the  gods  in  order  that  they  might  obtain  from  me  a 
son  to  oppose  Taraka,  was  consumed,2  when  endeavouring 
to  pierce  me,  having  obtained  a  favourable  opportunity. 
Then  I  was  purchased  by  thee,3  the  enduring  one,  with 
severe  austerities,  and  I  accepted  this  proposal  of  thine, 
my  beloved,  in  order  that  I  might  add  this  merit  to  my 
stock.4  Thus  it  is  clear  that  thou  wast  my  wife  in  a  former 
birth. 

11  What  else  shall  I  tell  thee  ?  "  Thus  Siva  spake,  and 
when  he  had  ceased,  the  goddess,  transported  with  wrath, 
exclaimed :  "  Thou  art  a  deceiver ;  thou  wilt  not  tell  me 
a  pleasing  tale  even  though  I  ask  thee.  Do  I  not  know 
that  thou  worshippest  Sandhya,  and  bearest  Ganga  5  on  thy 
head  ?  "  Hearing  that,  Siva  proceeded  to  conciliate  her,  and 
promised  to  tell  her  a  wonderful  tale  :  then  she  dismissed 
her  anger.    She  herself  gave  the  order  that  no  one  was  to 

1  See  the  Bhagavata  Purana  for  details  of  this  story.  It  was  translated 
by  Burnouf,  4  vols.,  Paris,  1840-1847,  1884.— n.m.p. 

2  He  was  burnt  up  by  the  fire  of  Siva's  eye. 

3  Compare  Kalidasa's  Kumara  Sambhava,  Sarga  v,  line  86. 

4  Reading  tatsanchayaya  as  one  word.  Dr  Brockhaus  omits  the  line. 
Professor  E.  B.  Cowell  would  read  priyam  for  priye. 

5  I.e.  the  Ganges,  the  most  worshipped  river  in  the  world.  It  is  supposed 
to  have  its  origin  in  Siva's  head,  hence  one  of  his  many  names  is  Garigadhara, 
"  Ganges-supporter."  For  full  details  of  the  legend  see  R.  T.  H.  Griffith, 
Ramayana,  Benares,  1895,  p.  51  et  seq. — n.m.p. 


6  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

enter  where  they  were ;  Nandin  *  thereupon  kept  the  door, 
and  Siva  began  to  speak. 


"  The  gods  are  supremely  blessed,  men  are  ever  miserable, 
the  actions  of  demigods  are  exceedingly  charming,  therefore 
I  now  proceed  to  relate  to  thee  the  history  of  the  Vidya- 
m  ^     .■*»  i  dharas."     While  Siva  was  thus  speaking  to  his 

The  Great  I  ale  r  °  „ 

related,  but  consort,  there  arrived  a  favourite  dependent  01 
overheard  by  Siva's,  Pushpadanta,  best  of  Ganas,2  and  his 
usipa  ana  ent.rance  was  forbidden  by  Nandin,  who  was 
guarding  the  door.  Curious  to  know  why  even  he  had  been 
forbidden  to  enter  at  that  time  without  any  apparent  reason, 
Pushpadanta  immediately  entered,  making  use  of  his  magic 
power  attained  by  devotion  to  prevent  his  being  seen,  and 
when  he  had  thus  entered,  he  heard  ail  the  extraordinary 
and  wonderful  adventures  of  the  seven  Vidyadharas  being 
narrated  by  the  trident-bearing  god,  and  having  heard  them, 
he  in  turn  went  and  narrated  them  to  his  wife  Java  ;  for 
who  can  hide  wealth  or  a  secret  from  women  ?  Java,  the 
doorkeeper,  being  filled  with  wonder,  went  and  recited  it  in 
the  presence  of  Parvati.  How  can  women  be  expected  to 
restrain  their  speech  ?  And  then  the  daughter  of  the  moun- 
tain flew  into  a  passion,  and  said  to  her  husband  :  "  Thou 
didst  not  tell  me  any  extraordinary  tale,  for  Jaya  knows  it 
also."  Then  the  lord  of  Uma,  perceiving  the  truth  by  pro- 
found meditation,  thus  spake :  "  Pushpadanta,  employing 
the  magic  power  of  devotion,  entered  in  where  we  were,  and 
thus  managed  to  hear  it.  He  narrated  it  to  Jaya  ;  no  one  else 
knows  it,  my  beloved." 

Having  heard  this,  the  goddess,  exceedingly  enraged, 
caused  Pushpadanta  to  be  summoned,  and  cursed  him,  as  he 
stood  trembling  before  her,  saying  :    "  Become  a  mortal,  thou 

1  One  of  Siva's  favourite  attendants a  sacred  white  bull  on  which  he 

rides.     Most  of  the  paintings  and  statues  of  Siva  represent  him  in  company 
with  Nandin  and  Ganesa. — n.m.p. 

2  Attendants  of  Siva,  presided  over  by  Ganesa for  details  of  these 

mythical  beings  see  Appendix  I  at  the  end  of  this  volume. — n.m.p. 


PARVATl'S  CURSES  7 

disobedient  servant."  *  She  cursed  also  the  Gana  Malyavan 
who  presumed  to  intercede  on  his  behalf.  Then  the  two 
fell  at  her  feet  together  with  Jaya  and  entreated  her  to  say 
Pdrvatis  when  the  curse  would  end,  and  the  wife  of 
Curses  gjva  slowly  uttered  this   speech:    "A  Yaksha2 

named  Supratika,  who  has  been  made  a  Pisacha  2  by  the  curse 
of  Kuvera,  is  residing  in  the  Vindhya  forest  under  the  name 
of  Kanabhtiti.  When  thou  shalt  see  him,  and  calling  to  mind 
thy  origin,  tell  him  this  tale ;  then,  Pushpadanta,  thou  shalt 
be  released  from  this  curse.  And  when  Malyavan  shall  hear 
this  tale  from  Kanabhtiti,  then  Kanabhtiti  shall  be  released, 
and  thou,  Malyavan,  when  thou  hast  published  it  abroad, 
shalt  be  free  also."  Having  thus  spoken,  the  daughter  of  the 
mountain  ceased,  and  immediately  these  Ganas  disappeared 
instantaneously  like  flashes  of  lightning.  Then  it  came  to 
pass  in  the  course  of  time  that  Gauri,  full  of  pity,  asked 
Siva :  "  My  lord,  where  on  the  earth  have  those  excellent 
Pramathas,3  whom  I  cursed,  been  born  ?  "  And  the  moon- 
diademed  god  answered  :  "  My  beloved,  Pushpadanta  has  been 
born  under  the  name  of  Vararuchi  in  that  great  city  which  is 
called  Kausambi.4  Moreover  Malyavan  also  has  been  born 
in  the  splendid  city  called  Supratishthita  under  the  name  of 
Gunadhya.  This,  O  goddess,  is  what  has  befallen  them." 
Having  given   her  this   information,  with   grief  caused  by 


1  For  the  ativinita  of  Dr  Brockhaus'  text  I  read  avinita. 

2  For  details  of  these  mythical  beings  see  Appendix  I  at  the  end  of  this 
volume. — n.m.p. 

3  Pramatha,  an  attendant  on  Siva. 

4  Kausambi  succeeded  Hastinapura  as  the  capital  of  the  emperors  of 
India.  Its  precise  site  has  not  been  ascertained,  but  it  was  probably  some- 
where in  the  Doab,  or,  at  any  rate,  not  far  from  the  west  bank  of  the 
Yamuna,  as  it  bordered  upon  Magadha  and  was  not  far  from  the  Vindhya 
hills.  It  is  said  that  there  are  ruins  at  Karali,  or  Karari,  about  fourteen  miles 
from  Allahabad  on  the  western  road,  which  may  indicate  the  site  of  Kausambi. 
It  is  possible  also  that  the  mounds  of  rubbish  about  Karrah  may  conceal  some 
vestiges  of  the  ancient  capital — a  circumstance  rendered  more  probable  by 
the  inscription  found  there,  which  specifies  Kata  as  comprised  within  Kausambi 


mandala  or  the  district  of  Kausambi  (note  in  Wilson's  Essays,  p.  163).- 
As  will  be  seen  later  (Chapter  XXXII),  the  site  of  Kausambi  was  discovered 
by  General  Cunningham.  It  is  now  called  Kosam,  and  is  on  the  Jumna 
(Yamuna),  about  thirty  miles  above  Allahabad. — n.m.p. 


8 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


recalling  to  mind  the  degradation  of  the  servants  that  had 
always  been  obedient  to  him,  that  lord  continued  to  dwell 
with  his  beloved  in  pleasure-arbours  on  the  slopes  of  Mount 
Kailasa,  which  were  made  of  the  branches  of  the  Kalpa 
tree.1 

1  A  tree  of  Indra's  Paradise  that  grants  all  desires. 


CHAPTER  II 

THEN  Pushpadanta,  wandering  on  the  earth  in  the 
[MI]  form  of  a  man,  was  known  by  the  name  of 
Vararuchi  and  Katyayana.  Having  attained  perfec- 
tion in  the  sciences,  and  having  served  Nanda  as  minister, 
being  wearied  out  he  went  once  on  a  time  to  visit  the  shrine 
Pushpadanta  °^  Durga.1  And  that  goddess,  being  pleased  with 
at  last  meets  his  austerities,  ordered  him  in  a  dream  to  repair 
Kanabhuti  to  the  wilds  of  the  yindhya  to  behold  Kana- 
bhuti. And  as  he  wandered  about  there  in  a  waterless 
and  savage  wood,2  full  of  tigers  and  apes,  he  beheld  a  lofty 
Nyagrodha  tree.3  And  near  it  he  saw,  surrounded  by  hun- 
dreds of  Pisachas,  that  Pisacha  Kanabhuti,  in  stature  like  a 
Sdla  tree.  When  Kanabhuti  had  seen  him  and  respectfully 
clasped  his  feet,  Katyayana  sitting  down  immediately  spake 
to  him :  "  Thou  art  an  observer  of  the  good  custom,  how  hast 
thou  come  into  this  state  ?  "  Having  heard  this  Kanabhuti 
said  to  Katyayana,  who  had  shown  affection  towards  him: 
"  I  know  not  of  myself,  but  listen  to  what  I  heard  from  Siva 
at  Ujjayini  in  the  place  where  corpses  are  burnt ;  I  proceed 
to  tell  it  thee. 

"  The  adorable  god  was  asked  by  Durga :  '  Whence,  my 
lord,  comes  thy  delight  in  skulls  and  burning  places  ?  ' 

"  He  thereupon  gave  this  answer : 

" '  Long  ago,  when  all  things  had  been  destroyed  at  the 
end  of  a  Kalpa,  the  universe  became  water  :  I  then  cleft  my 
thigh  and  let  fall  a  drop  of  blood ;  that  drop  falling  into  the 
water  turned  into  an  egg,  from  that  sprang  the  Supreme 
Soul,4  the  Disposer;   from  him  proceeded  Nature,5  created 

1  More  literally,  the  goddess  that  dwells  in  the  Vindhya  hills.  Her 
shrine  is  near  Mirzapur. 

2  Dr  Brockhaus  makes  parusha  a  proper  name. 

3  Ficus  Indica.  4  Pitman  =puruska,  the  spirit. 
5  Prakriti,  the  original  source,  or  rather  passive  power,  of  creating  the 

material  world. 
9 


10  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

by  me  for  the  purpose  of  further  creation,  and  they 
created  the  other  lords  of  created  beings,1  and  those  in  turn, 
the  created  beings,  for  which  reason,  my  beloved,  the  Supreme 
The  Creation  Soul  is  called  in  the  world  the  grandfather.  Having 
and  Kuvera's  thus  created  the  world,  animate  and  inanimate, 
Curse  timt  Spirjt  became  arrogant 2  :  thereupon   I  cut 

off  his  head  :  then,  through  regret  for  what  I  had  done, 
I  undertook  a  difficult  vow.  So  thus  it  comes  to  pass  that  I 
carry  skulls  in  my  hand,  and  love  the  places  where  corpses 
are  burned.  Moreover,  this  world,  resembling  a  skull,  rests  in 
my  hand  ;  for  the  two  skull-shaped  halves  of  the  egg  before- 
mentioned  are  called  heaven  and  earth.' 3  When  Siva  had 
thus  spoken,  I,  being  full  of  curiosity,  determined  to  listen  ; 
and  ParvatI  again  said  to  her  husband :  '  After  how  long  a 
time  will  that  Pushpadanta  return  to  us  ?  '  Hearing  that, 
Mahesvara  spoke  to  the  goddess,  pointing  me  out  to  her: 
c  That  Pisacha,  whom  thou  beholdest  there,  was  once  a 
Yaksha,  a  servant  of  Kuvera,  the  God  of  Wealth,  and  he 
had  for  a  friend  a  Rakshasa  named  Sthtilasiras  ;  and  the  Lord 
of  Wealth,  perceiving  that  he  associated  with  that  evil  one, 
banished  him  to  the  wilds  of  the  Vindhya  mountains.  But 
his  brother  Dirghajangha  fell  at  the  feet  of  the  god,  and 
humbly  asked  when  the  curse  would  end.  Then  the  God  of 
Wealth  said:  "After  thy  brother  has  heard  the  great  tale 
from  Pushpadanta,  who  has  been  born  into  this  world  in 
consequence  of  a  curse,  and  after  he  has  in  turn  told  it  to 
Malyavan,  who  owing  to  a  curse  has  become  a  human  being, 
he  together  with  those  two  Ganas  shall  be  released  from  the 
effects  of  the  curse."  Such  were  the  terms  on  which  the 
God  of  Wealth  then  ordained  that  Malyavan  should  obtain 
remission  from  his  curse  here  below,  and  thou  didst  fix  the 
same  in  the  case  of  Pushpadanta  ;    recall  it  to   mind,  my 

1  Prqjapati. 

2  The  spirit  was,  of  course,  Brahma,  whose  head  Siva  cut  off. 

3  The  conception  of  the  world-egg  is  found  throughout  Indian  cosmology. 
Similar  legends  of  the  origin  of  the  world  appear  both  in  the  period  of  the 
Brahmanas  and  Upanishads  and  in  that  of  the  Epics  and  Puranas.  For  full 
details  see  the  article  "Cosmogony  and  Cosmology  (Indian),"  by  H.  Jacobi,  in 
Hastings'  Encyclopedia  of  Religion  and  Ethics,  vol.  iv,  p.  155  et  seq.—n.M.P. 


THE  STORY  OF  VARARUCHI 


11 


beloved.'  When  I  heard  that  speech  of  Siva,  I  came  here, 
overjoyed,  knowing  that  the  calamity  of  my  curse  would  be 
terminated  by  the  arrival  of  Pushpadanta." 

When  Kanabhuti  ceased  after  telling  this  story,  that 
moment  Vararuchi  remembered  his  origin,  and  exclaimed 
like  one  aroused  from  sleep :  "  I  am  that  very  Pushpadanta, 
hear  that  tale  from  me."  Thereupon  Katyayana  related  to 
him  the  seven  great  tales  in  seven  hundred  thousand  verses, 
and  then  Kanabhuti  said  to  him  :  "  My  lord,  thou  art  an 
incarnation  of  Siva,  who  else  knows  this  story  ?  Through 
thy  favour  that  curse  has  almost  left  my  body.  Therefore 
tell  me  thy  own  history  from  thy  birth,  thou  mighty  one, 
sanctify  me  yet  further,  if  the  narrative  may  be  revealed  to 
such  a  one  as  I  am."  Then  Vararuchi,  to  gratify  Kanabhuti, 
who  remained  prostrate  before  him,  told  all  his  history  from 
his  birth  at  full  length,  in  the  following  words  : — 


1.  Story  of  Vararuchi,  his  teacher  Varsha,  and  his  fellow- 
pupils  Vyadi  and  Indradatta 

In  the  city  of  Kausambi  there  lived  a  Brahman  called 
Somadatta,  who  had  also  the  title  of  Agnisikha,  and  his 
wife  was  called  Vasudatta.  She  was  the  daughter  of  a 
hermit,  and  was  born  into  the  world  in  this  position  in 
consequence  of  a  curse;  and  I  was  borne  by  her  to  this 
excellent  Brahman,  also  in  consequence  of  a  curse.  Now 
while  I  was  still  quite  a  child  my  father  died,  but  my 
mother  continued  to  support  me,  as  I  grew  up,  by  severe 
drudgery  ;  then  one  day  two  Brahmans  came  to  our  house 
to  stop  a  night,  exceedingly  dusty  with  a  long  journey; 
and  while  they  were  staying  in  our  house  there  arose  the 
noise  of  a  tabor ;  thereupon  my  mother  said  to  me,  sobbing 
as  she  called  to  mind  her  husband :  "  There,  my  son,  is  your 
father's  friend  Bhavananda,  giving  a  dramatic  entertain- 
ment." I  answered:  "  I  will  go  and  see  it,  and  will  exhibit 
the  whole  of  it  to  you,  with  a  recitation  of  all  the  speeches." 
On  hearing  that  speech  of  mine,  those  Brahmans  were  as- 
tonished, but  my  mother  said  to  them :  "  Come,  my  children, 
there  is  no  doubt  about  the  truth  of  what  he  says  ;  this  boy 


12  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

will  remember  by  heart  everything  that  he  has  heard  once."  * 
Then  they,  in  order  to  test  me,  recited  to  me  a  Pratisakhya 2 ; 
immediately  I  repeated  the  whole  in  their  presence,  then  I 
went  with  the  two  Brahmans  and  saw  that  play,  and  when 
I  came  home  I  went  through  the  whole  of  it  in  front  of  my 
mother :  then  one  of  the  Brahmans,  named  Vyadi,  having 
ascertained  that  I  was  able  to  recollect  a  thing  on  hearing  it 
once,  told  with  submissive  reverence  this  tale  to  my  mother. 

1a.  The  Two  Brahman  Brothers 

Mother,  in  the  city  of  Vetasa  there  were  two  Brahman 
brothers,  Deva-Svamin  and  Karambaka,  who  loved  one  an- 
other very  dearly ;  this  Indradatta  here  is  the  son  of  one  of 
them,  and  I  am  the  son  of  the  other,  and  my  name  is  Vyadi. 
It  came  to  pass  that  my  father  died.  Owing  to  grief  for  his 
loss,  the  father  of  Indradatta  went  on  the  long  journey,3 
and  then  the  hearts  of  our  two  mothers  broke  with  grief; 
thereupon,  being  orphans,  though  we  had  wealth,4  and 
desiring  to  acquire  learning,  we  went  to  the  southern  region 
to  supplicate  the  lord  Karttikeya.  And  while  we  were  engaged 
in  austerities  there,  the  god  gave  us  the  following  revelation 
in  a  dream.    "  There  is  a  city  called  Pataliputra,  the  capital 

1  It  appears  from  an  article  in  Melusine,  by  A.  Bart,  entitled  "  An  Ancient 
Manual  of  Sorcery,"  and  consisting  mainly  of  passages  translated  from 
Burnell's  Samavidhana  Brahmana,  that  this  power  can  be  acquired  in  the 
following  way : — "  After  a  fast  of  three  nights,  take  a  plant  of  soma  (Asclepias 
acida) ;  recite  a  certain  [formula  and  eat  of  the  plant  a  thousand  times,  you 
will  be  able  to  repeat  anything  after  hearing  it  once.  Or  bruise  the  flowers 
in  water,  and  drink  the  mixture  for  a  year.  Or  drink  soma,  that  is  to  say 
the  fermented  juice  of  the  plant,  for  a  month.  Or  do  it  always  "  (Melusine, 
1878,  p.  107;  11,7,4-7). 

In  the  Milinda  Panho  (Pali  Miscellany,  by  V.  Trenckner,  Part  I,  p.  14), 
the  child  Nagasena  learns  the  whole  of  the  three  Vedas  by  hearing  them 
repeated  once. 

2  A  grammatical  treatise  on  the  rules  regulating  the  euphonic  com- 
bination of  letters  and  their  pronunciation  peculiar  to  one  of  the  different 
Sakhas  or  branches  of  the  Vedas.  See  Monier  Williams,  Indian  Wisdom^ 
pp.  160,  161. 

3  I.e.  died. 

4  Here  we  have  a  pun  which  it  is  impossible  to  render  in  English. 
Anatha  means  without  natural  protectors  and  also  poor. 


VARSHA  AND  UPAVARSHA 


13 


of  King  Nanda,  and  in  it  there  is  a  Brahman,  named  Varsha, 
from  him  ye  shall  learn  all  knowledge,  therefore  go  there." 
Then  we  went  to  that  city,  and  when  we  made  inquiries 
there,  people  said  to  us  :  "  There  is  a  blockhead  of  a  Brahman, 
in  this  town,  of  the  name  of  Varsha."  Immediately  we  went 
on  with  minds  in  a  state  of  suspense,  and  we  saw  the  house 
of  Varsha  in  a  miserable  condition,  made  a  very  ant-hill 
by  mice,  dilapidated  by  the  cracking  of  the  walls,  untidy,1 
deprived  of  eaves,  looking  like  the  very  birthplace  of  misery. 
Then,  seeing  Varsha  plunged  in  meditation  within  the 
house,  we  approached  his  wife,  who  showed  us  all  proper 
hospitality ;  her  body  was  emaciated  and  begrimed,  her 
dress  tattered  and  dirty ;  she  looked  like  the  incarnation  of 
Poverty,  attracted  thither  by  admiration  for  the  Brahman's 
virtues.  Bending  humbly  before  her,  we  told  her  our  circum- 
stances, and  the  report  of  her  husband's  imbecility,  which 
we  had  heard  in  the  city.  She  exclaimed :  "  My  children,  I 
am  not  ashamed  to  tell  you  the  truth  :  listen  !  I  will  relate 
the  whole  story,"  and  then  she,  chaste  lady,  proceeded  to 
tell  us  the  tale  which  follows  : — 


Iaa.  Varsha  and  Upavarsha 

There  lived  in  this  city  an  excellent  Brahman,  named 
Sankara  Svamin,  and  he  had  two  sons,  my  husband  Varsha, 
and  Upavarsha  ;  my  husband  was  stupid  and  poor,  and  his 
younger  brother  was  just  the  opposite  :  and  Upavarsha 
appointed  his  own  wife  to  manage  his  elder  brother's  house.2 
Then  in  the  course  of  time  the  rainy  season  came  on,  and  at 
this  time  the  women  are  in  the  habit  of  making  a  cake  of 
flour  mixed  with  molasses,  of  an  unbecoming  and  disgusting 
shape,3  and  giving  it  to  any  Brahman  who  is  thought  to  be  a 

1  Taking  chhaya  in  the  sense  of  sobha.  It  might  mean  "affording  no 
shelter  to  the  inmates." 

2  Dr  Brockhaus  translates  the  line :  Von  diesem  wurde  ich  meinem  Manne 
vermahlt,  um  seinem  Hauswesen  vorzustehen. 

3  Like  the  Roman  fascinum  ;  guhya  =  linga  =  phallus.  Professor  E.  B.  Cowell 
has  referred  me  to  an  article  by  Dr  Liebrecht  in  the  Zeitschrift  der  Morgenlandis- 
chen  Gesellschaft.  It  was  reprinted  in  his  Zur  Volkskunde,  Heilbronn,  1879, 
p.  436  et  seq.,  under  the  title  of  "  Der  Aufgegessene  Gott."  He  connects  the 
custom  with  that  of  the  Jewish  women  mentioned  in  Jeremiah  vii.  18  :  "The 


14  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

blockhead,  and  if  they  act  thus,  this  cake  is  said  to  remove 
their  discomfort  caused  by  bathing  in  the  cold  season,  and 

women  knead  their  dough  to  make  cakes  to  the  Queen  of  Heaven/'  and  he 

quotes  a  curious  custom  practised  on  Palm  Sunday  in  the  town  of  Saintes. 

Dulaure  went  deeply  into  the  subject  in  his  Des  Divinites  Generatrices,  Paris, 
1805  (1st  edition);  2  vols.,  1825  (2nd  edition);  vol.  2  was  enlarged  and 
reprinted  in  1885 — the  last  edition  was  issued  in  Paris,  1905.  He  says  that 
in  his  time  the  festival  was  called  there  "  La  fete  des  Pinnes  "  ;  the  women  and 
children  carried  in  the  procession  a  phallus  made  of  bread,  which  they  called 
a  pinne,  at  the  end  of  their  palm  branches ;  these  pinnes  were  subsequently 
blessed  by  the  priest,  and  carefully  preserved  by  the  women  during  the  year. 
Liebrecht  gives  numerous  examples  of  the  making  and  eating  of  gods  for 
various  reasons.  They  are  usually  a  form  of  sympathetic  or  homoeopathic 
magic.  For  instance  in  the  time  of  famine  the  Hamfa  tribe  of  Arabia  make 
an  idol  of  hais  (dates,  butter  and  milk  kneaded  together),  which  they  eat, 
thus  hoping  to  obtain  food  supplies  and  a  speedy  termination  of  the  famine. 
See  Burton's  Nights,  vol.  vii,  p.  14,  where,  in  the  story  of  Gharib  and  his 
brother  Ajib,  Jamrkan  worships  a  god  of  'Agwah — i.e.  compressed  dates, 
butter  and  honey.  In  other  cases  we  see  customs  connected  with  the  corn 
goddess  which  involve  the  eating  of  a  cake  made  in  some  particular  shape. 

To  give  a  few  examples : 

At  Ulten,  in  the  Trentino  district  of  the  Tyrol,  the  women  make  a  god 
with  the  last  of  the  dough  which  they  have  been  kneading,  and  when  they 
begin  baking  the  god  is  thrown  into  the  oven. 

In  Germany  there  are  distinct  festivals  connected  with  such  cake  cere- 
monies. In  Upper  Germany  they  are  called  Manoggel,  Nikolause,  Klaus- 
manner;  in  Lower  Germany,  Sengterklas,  Klaskerchen,  etc.  They  are  all 
connected  with  St  Nicolaus. 

In  France,  in  La  Pallisse,  it  is  customary  to  hang  several  bottles  of  wine 
and  a  "  man  of  dough  "  on  a  fig-tree.  The  tree  and  its  offerings  are  carried  to 
the  Mairie  and  kept  till  the  end  of  the  grape-picking  season,  when  a  harvest 
festival  is  held,  at  which  the  Mayor  breaks  the  dough  figure  and  distributes  it 
among  the  people. 

In  Sweden  the  figure  of  a  girl  is  made  from  the  grain  of  the  last  sheaf, 
and  is  divided  up  among  the  household,  each  member  of  which  eats  his 
allotted  portion. 

In  England,  at  Nottingham,  it  was,  according  to  Liebrecht  (op.  cit.),  the 
custom  for  the  bakers  to  send  at  Christmas  to  all  their  customers  buns  in 
the  shape  of  a  lozenge,  upon  which  was  stamped  the  Cross,  or  more  often  the 
Virgin  and  Child.  The  distant  connection  with  the  "Queen  of  Heaven," 
mentioned  at  the  beginning  of  this  note,  will  be  recognised. 

In  the  above  examples  of  "cake  customs"  the  phallic  element  is  to  a 
large  extent  either  hidden  or  forgotten,  or  else  plays  but  a  minor  part  in  the 
ceremonies  described.  In  many  cases,  however,  the  opposite  is  the  case. 
In  his  Remains  of  the  Worship  of  Priapus,  R.  P.  Payne  Knight  states  that  in 
Saintonge,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  La  Rochelle,  small  cakes  baked  in  the 


VARSHA  AND  UPAVARSHA  15 

their  exhaustion  caused  by  bathing  in  the  hot  weather  1  ; 
but  when  it  is  given,  Brahmans  refuse  to  receive  it,  on  the 
ground  that  the  custom  is  a  disgusting  one.  This  cake  was 
presented  by  my  sister-in-law  to  my  husband,  together  with 
a  sacrificial  fee  ;  he  received  it,  and  brought  it  home  with 
him,  and  got  a  severe  scolding  from  me  ;  then  he  began  to  be 
inwardly  consumed  with  grief  at  his  own  stupidity,  and  went 
to  worship  the  sole  of  the  foot  of  the  god  Karttikeya :  the  god, 
pleased  with  his  austerities,  bestowed  on  him  the  knowledge 
of  all  the  sciences  ;  and  gave  him  this  order :  "  When  thou 
findest  a  Brahman  who  can  recollect  what  he  has  heard 
only  once,  then  thou  may  est  reveal  these  " — thereupon  my 
husband  returned  home  delighted,  and  when  he  had  reached 

shape  of  a  phallus  form  part  of  the  Easter  offering ;  they  are  subsequently 
distributed  at  all  the  houses.  A  similar  custom  existed  at  St  Jean  d'Angely. 
According  to  Dulaure  (op.  cit.),  in  1825  such  cakes  were  still  commonly  made 
at  certain  times,  the  male  being  symbolised  at  Brives  and  other  localities  of 
Lower  Limousin,  while  the  female  emblem  was  adopted  at  Clermont,  in 
Auvergne,  as  well  as  other  places. 

Turning  to  the  ancient  world  we  find  that  cakes  of  phallic  form  were 
among  the  sacred  objects  carried  about  in  Greece  during  the  Thesmophoria, 
and  in  the  kUvov,  or  baskets  of  first-fruits,  at  the  orphic  rite  of  the 
Liknophoria,  and  also  at  marriages.  They  were  included  in  the  mystic  food 
eaten  by  the  women  at  the  Hola,  and  in  all  probability  formed  part  of  the 
sacra  presented  to  the  /-ivo-r^s  in  the  Eleusinian  Mysteries  (J.  E.  Harrison, 
Prolegomena  to  the  Study  of  Greek  Religion,  Cambridge,  1908,  pp.  122,  518,  522, 
530  et  seq.  ;  cf.  Clem.  Alex.,  Protrept,  ii).  At  Syracuse,  on  the  day  of  the 
Thesmophoria,  cakes  of  sesame  and  honey,  representing  the  female  sex, 
and  known  by  the  name  of  [jlvWoi,  were  carried  about  and  offered  to  the 
goddesses — probably  Demeter  and  Kore  (Athenaeus,  xiv,  56;  Farnell,  Cults 
oj  the  Greek  States,  iii,  99,  and  the  authorities  there  cited).  The  Romans, 
according  to  Martial,  made  cakes  in  the  form  of  either  sex. 

For  further  details  on  customs  connected  with  the  making  of  cakes  as 
part  of  magical  or  religious  ceremony  reference  should  be  made  to  Hastings' 
Encycl.  Rel.  and  Eth.,  vol.  iii,  p.  57  et  seq.  (Art.  "Cakes  and  Loaves,"  by 
J.  A.  Macculloch)  ;  vol.  ix,  p.  818  et  seq.  (Art.  "  Phallism,"  by  E.  S.  Hartland, 
from  which  the  Greek  references  in  the  above  note  have  been  taken). — n.m.p. 

1  I  read  tat  for  tah  according  to  a  conjecture  of  Professor  E.  B.  Cowell. 
He  informs  me,  on  the  authority  of  Dr  Rost,  that  the  only  variants  are  sd 
for  tah  and  yoshiid  for  yoshitah.  Dr  Rost  would  take  evamkrite  as  the  dative  of 
evamkrit.  If  tah  be  retained,  it  may  be  taken  as  a  repetition — "  having  thus 
prepared  it,  I  say,  the  women  give  it,"  Professor  Cowell  would  translate 
(if  tah  be  retained) :  "  the  women  then  do  not  need  to  receive  anything  to 
relieve  their  fatigue  during  the  cold  and  hot  weather." 


16  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

home,  told  the  whole  story  to  me.  From  that  time  forth  he 
has  remained  continually  muttering  prayers  and  meditating : 
so  find  you  some  one  who  can  remember  anything  after 
hearing  it  once,  and  bring  him  here  :  if  you  do  that,  you  will 
both  of  you  undoubtedly  obtain  all  that  you  desire. 

1a.  The  Two  Brahman  Brothers 

Having  heard  this  from  the  wife  of  Varsha,  and  having 
immediately  given  her  a  hundred  gold  pieces  to  relieve  her 
poverty,  we  went  out  of  that  city  ;  then  we  wandered  through 
the  earth,  and  could  not  find  anywhere  a  person  who  could 
remember  what  he  had  heard  only  once ;  at  last  we  arrived 
tired  out  at  your  house  to-day,  and  have  found  here  this 
boy,  your  son,  who  can  recollect  anything  after  once  hearing 
it :  therefore  give  him  us  and  let  us  go  forth  to  acquire  the 
commodity  knowledge. 

1.  Story  of  Vararuchi  .  .  . 

Having  heard  this  speech  of  Vyadi,  my  mother  said  with 
respect :  "  All  this  tallies  completely :  I  repose  confidence 
in  your  tale :  for  long  ago  at  the  birth  of  this  my  only  son,  a 
distinct  spiritual  l  voice  was  heard  from  heaven.  *  A  boy  has 
been  born  who  shall  be  able  to  remember  what  he  has  heard 
once ;  he  shall  acquire  knowledge  from  Varsha,  and  shall 
make  the  science  of  grammar  famous  in  the  world,  and  he 
shall  be  called  Vararuchi  by  name,  because  whatever  is  ex- 
cellent2 shall  please  him.'  Having  uttered  this,  the  voice 
ceased.  Consequently,  ever  since  this  boy  has  grown  big,  I 
have  been  thinking,  day  and  night,  where  that  teacher  Varsha 
can  be,  and  to-day  I  have  been  exceedingly  gratified  at 
hearing  it  from  your  mouth.  Therefore  take  him  with  you  : 
what  harm  can  there  be  in  it,  he  is  your  brother  ?  "  When 
they  heard  this  speech  of  my  mother's,  those  two,  Vyadi  and 
Indradatta,  overflowing  with  joy,  thought  that  night  but  a 
moment  in  length.   Then  Vyadi  quickly  gave  his  own  wealth 

1  Literally  bodiless — she  heard  the  voice,  but  saw  no  man. It  is  the 

same  as  the  Hebrew  Bath  kol,  and  the  Arabic  Hdtif. — n.m.p. 

2  Vara  =  excellent ;  ruck  —  to  please. 


VARSHA  AND  UPAVARSHA  17 

to  my  mother  to  provide  a  feast,  and  desiring  that  I  should 
be  qualified  to  read  the  Vedas,  invested  me  with  the  Brah- 
manical  thread.1  Then  Vyadi  and  Indradatta  took  me,  who 
managed  by  my  own  fortitude  to  control  the  excessive  grief 
I  felt  at  parting,  while  my  mother  in  taking  leave  of  me 
could  with  difficulty  suppress  her  tears,  and  considering  that 
the  favour  of  Karttikeya  towards  them  had  now  put  forth 
blossom,  set  out  rapidly  from  that  city ;  then  in  course  of 
time  we  arrived  at  the  house  of  the  teacher  Varsha  :  he  too 
considered  that  I  was  the  favour  of  Karttikeya  arrived  in 
bodily  form.  The  next  day  he  placed  us  in  front  of  him, 
and  sitting  down  in  a  consecrated  spot  he  began  to  recite  the 
syllable  Om  1  with  heavenly  voice.  Immediately  the  Vedas 
with  the  six  supplementary  sciences  rushed  into  his  mind, 
and  then  he  began  to  teach  them  to  us  ;  then  I  retained  what 
the  teacher  told  us  after  hearing  it  once,  Vyadi  after  hearing 
it  twice,  and  Indradatta  after  hearing  it  three  times  :  then 
the  Brahmans  of  the  city,  hearing  of  a  sudden  that  divine 
sound,  came  at  once  from  all  quarters  with  wonder  stirring 
in  their  breasts  to  see  what  this  new  thing  might  be,  and 
with  their  reverend  mouths  loud  in  his  praises,  honoured 
Varsha  with  low  bows.  Then  beholding  that  wonderful 
miracle,  not  only  Upavarsha,  but  all  the  citizens  of  Patali- 
putra  2  kept  high  festival.  Moreover,  the  King  Nanda,  of 
exalted  fortune,  seeing  the  power  of  the  boon  of  the  son 
of  Siva,  was  delighted,  and  immediately  filled  the  house  of 
Varsha  with  wealth,  showing  him  every  mark  of  respect.3 

1  Explanatory  notes  will  occur  in  a  future  volume. — n.m.p. 

2  I.e.  Palibothra  of  the  Greek  historians.  See  note  in  Vol.  II,  Chapter 
XVII.— N.M.P. 

3  Wilson  remarks  {Essays  on  Sanskrit  Literature,  vol.  i,  p.  165):  "The 
contemporary  existence  of  Nanda  with  Vararuchi  and  Vyadi  is  a  circumstance 
of  considerable  interest  in  the  literary  history  of  the  Hindus,  as  the  two  latter 
are  writers  of  note  on  philological  topics.  Vararuchi  is  also  called  in  this 
work  Katyayana,  who  is  one  of  the  earliest  commentators  on  Panini.  Nanda 
is  the  predecessor,  or  one  of  the  predecessors,  of  Chandragupta  or  Sandrakottos  ; 
and  consequently  the  chief  institutes  of  Sanskrit  grammar  are  thus  dated 
from  the  fourth  century  before  the  Christian  era.  We  need  not  suppose 
that  Somadeva  took  the  pains  to  be  exact  here ;  but  it  is  satisfactory  to  be 
made  acquainted  with  the  general  impressions  of  a  writer  who  has  not  been 
biased  in  any  of  his  views  by  Pauranik  legends  and  preposterous  chronology." 

B 


H 


CHAPTER  III 

AVING  thus  spoken  while  Kanabhuti  was  listening 
[MI]  with  intent  mind,  Vararuchi  went  on  to  tell 
his  tale  in  the  wood : 


1.  Story  of  Vararuchi 


It  came  to  pass  in  the  course  of  time  that  one  day,  when 
the  reading  of  the  Vedas  was  finished,  the  teacher  Varsha,  who 
had  performed  his  daily  ceremonies,  was  asked  by  us :  "  How 
comes  it  that  such  a  city  as  this  has  become  the  home  of 
Sarasvati  and  Lakshmi1  ?  tell  us  that,  O  teacher."  Hearing 
this,  he  bade  us  listen,  for  that  he  was  about  to  tell  the  history 
of  the  city. 

1b.  The  Founding  of  the  City  of  Pdtaliputra 

There  is  a  sanctifying  place  of  pilgrimage,  named  Kana- 
khala,  at  the  point  where  the  Ganges  issues  from  the  hills,2 
where  the  sacred  stream  was  brought  down  from  the  table- 
land of  Mount  Usinara  by  Kanchanapata,  the  elephant  of 
the  gods,  having  cleft  it  asunder.3  In  that  place  lived  a  cer- 
tain Brahman  from  the  Deccan,  performing  austerities  in  the 
company  of  his  wife,  and  to  him  were  born  there  three  sons. 
In  the  course  of  time  he  and  his  wife  went  to  heaven,  and 
those  sons  of  his  went  to  a  place  named  Rajagriha,  for  the 
sake  of  acquiring  learning.  And  having  studied  the  sciences 
there,  the  three,  grieved  at  their  unprotected  condition,  went 
to  the  Deccan  in  order  to  visit  the  shrine  of  the  god  Kartti- 
keya.     Then  they  reached  a  city  named  Chinchini,  on  the 

1  I.e.  of  learning  and  material  prosperity. 

2  Literally  the  gate  of  the  Ganges  :  it  is  now  well  known  under  the  name 
of  Haridvar  (Hurdwar). 

3  Dr  Brockhaus  renders  the  passage  :  "  wo  Siva  die  Jahnavi  im  goldenen  Falle 
von  den  Gipjeln  des  Berges  Usinara  herabsandte." 

18 


THE  FOUNDING  OF  PATALIPUTRA  19 

shore  of  the  sea,  and  dwelt  in  the  house  of  a  Brahman  named 
Bhojika,  and  he  gave  them  his  three  daughters  in  marriage, 
and  bestowed  on  them  all  his  wealth,  and  having  no  other 
children,  went  to  the  Ganges  to  perform  austerities.  And 
while  they  were  living  there  in  the  house  of  their  father-in- 
law  a  terrible  famine  arose,  produced  by  drought.  Thereupon 
the  three  Brahmans  fled,  abandoning  their  virtuous  wives 
(since  no  care  for  their  families  touches  the  hearts  of  cruel 
men).  Then  the  middle  one  of  the  three  sisters  was  found 
to  be  pregnant ;  and  those  ladies  repaired  to  the  house  of 
Yajnadatta,  a  friend  of  their  father's ;  there  they  remained 
in  a  miserable  condition,  thinking  each  on  her  own  husband 
(for  even  in  calamity  women  of  good  family  do  not  forget 
the  duties  of  virtuous  wives).  Now  in  the  course  of  time  the 
middle  one  of  the  three  sisters  gave  birth  to  a  son,  and  they 
all  three  vied  with  one  another  in  love  towards  him.  So  it 
happened  once  upon  a  time  that,  as  Siva  was  roaming 
through  the  air,  the  mother  of  Skanda,1  who  was  reposing  on 
Siva's  breast,  moved  with  compassion  at  seeing  their  love 
for  their  child,  said  to  her  husband :  "  My  lord,  observe, 
these  three  women  feel  great  affection  for  this  boy,  and  place 
hope  in  him,  trusting  that  he  may  some  day  support  them  ; 
therefore  bring  it  about  that  he  may  be  able  to  maintain 
them,  even  in  his  infancy."  Having  been  thus  entreated  by 
his  beloved,  Siva,  the  giver  of  boons,  thus  answered  her  : 
"  I  adopt  him  as  my  protege,  for  in  a  previous  birth  he  and 
his  wife  propitiated  me,  therefore  he  has  been  born  on  the 
earth  to  reap  the  fruit  of  his  former  austerities ;  and  his 
former  wife  has  been  born  again  as  Patali,  the  daughter  of 
the  King  Mahendravarman,  and  she  shall  be  his  wife  in  this 
birth  also."  Having  said  this,  that  mighty  god  told  those 
three  virtuous  women  in  a  dream :  "  This  young  son  of 
yours  shall  be  called  Putraka ;  and  every  day  when  he 
awakes  from  sleep  a  hundred  thousand  gold  pieces  shall  be 
found  under  his  pillow,2  and  at  last  he  shall  become  a  king." 

1  Skanda  is  Karttikeya  and  his  mother  is,  of  course,  Durga,  or  Parvati,  the 
consort  of  Siva. 

2  This  may  be  compared  with  Grimm's  No.  60,  "  Die  zwei  Briider."     Each 
of  the  brothers  finds  every  day  a  gold  piece  under  his  pillow.     In  one  of 


20  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

Accordingly,  when  he  woke  up  from  sleep,  those  virtuous 
daughters  of  Yajnadatta  found  the  gold  and  rejoiced  that 
their  vows  and  prayers  had  brought  forth  fruit.  Then  by  means 
of  that  gold  Putraka,  having  in  a  short  time  accumulated 
great  treasure,  became  a  king,  for  good  fortune  is  the  result  of 
austerities.1  Once  upon  a  time  Yajnadatta  said  in  private  to 
Putraka :  "  King,  your  father  and  uncles  have  gone  away 
into  the  wide  world  on  account  of  a  famine,  therefore  give 
continually  to  Brahmans,  in  order  that  they  may  hear  of  it 
and  return :  and  now  listen,  I  will  tell  you  the  story  of 
Brahmadatta : 

Ibb.  King  Brahmadatta2 

There  lived  formerly  in  Benares  a  king  named  Brahma- 
datta. He  saw  a  pair  of  swans  flying  in  the  air  at  night.  They 
shone  with  the  lustre  of  gleaming  gold,  and  were  begirt  with 
hundreds  of  white  swans,  and  so  looked  like  a  sudden  flash 
of  lightning  surrounded  by  white  clouds.  And  his  desire  to 
behold  them  again  kept  increasing  so  mightily  that  he  took 

Waldau's  Bbhmische  Marchen,  "  Vogelkopf  und  Vogelherz,"  p.  90,  a  boy  named 
Fortunat  eats  the  heart  of  the  Gliicksvogel  and  under  his  pillow  every  day  are 
found  three  ducats.     See  also  "  Der  Vogel  Goldschweif,"  in  Gaal's  Marchen  der 

Magyaren,  p.  195. M.  H.  Busk  in  Folk-Lore  of  Rome,  London,  1894,  pp.  146- 

154,  tells  a  story  which  he  says  is  orally  current  among  the  common  people 
of  Rome.  The  heart  of  a  bird  swallowed  by  the  elder  of  two  brothers  has  the 
effect  of  producing  each  morning  a  box  full  of  sequins,  which  is  always  found 
under  his  head  on  awakening.  The  more  usual  method  of  enriching  poor 
people  in  folk-tales  is  by  means  of  a  gold-producing  article  or  animal.  The 
former  is  nearly  always  an  inexhaustible  purse,  while  the  latter  varies  con- 
siderably. In  the  Panchatantra  (iii,  5)  and  iEsop  the  gold-producing  animal 
is  a  goose ;  it  becomes  an  ass  in  Gonzenbach's  Sicilianische  Marchen  and  the 
Pentamerone  (1st  div.),  a  ram  or  bull  in  Norse  tales,  a  lion  in  Dozon's  Contes 
Albanais  (No.  17),  a  little  dog  in  La  Fontaine's  Contes  et  Nouvelles,  and  a  serpent 
in  the  Kalmuck  Relations  of  Siddhi  Kur.  In  the  Mahabharata  we  read  of  King 
Srinjaya,  who  obtained  as  a  boon  a  son  whose  nature  was  such  that  everything 
that  issued  from  his  body  was  pure  gold.  Cf.  also  the  well-known  story  of 
Midas,  King  of  Phrygia. — n.m.p. 

1  In  this  case  the  austerities  which  he  had  performed  in  a  former  birth 
to  propitiate  Siva. 

2  This  story  is,  according  to  Dr  Rajendra  Lai  Mitra,  found  in  a  MS. 
called  the  Bodhisattva  Avadana  (Account  of  the  Buddhist  Literature  of  Nepal, 
p.  53). 


KING  BRAHMADATTA  21 

no  pleasure  in  the  delights  of  royalty.  And  then,  having 
taken  counsel  with  his  ministers,  he  caused  a  fair  tank  to  be 
made  according  to  a  design  of  his  own,  and  gave  to  all  living 
creatures  security  from  injury.  In  a  short  time  he  perceived 
that  those  two  swans  had  settled  in  that  lake,  and  when  they 
had  become  tame  he  asked  them  the  reason  of  their  golden 
plumage.  And  then  those  swans  addressed  the  king  with  an 
articulate  voice :  "Ina  former  birth,  O  king,  we  were  born 
as  crows ;  and  when  we  were  fighting  for  the  remains  of  the 
daily  offering x  in  a  holy  empty  temple  of  Siva  we  fell  down 
and  died  within  a  sacred  vessel  belonging  to  that  sanctuary, 
and  consequently  we  have  been  born  as  golden  swans  with  a 
remembrance  of  our  former  birth."  Having  heard  this,  the 
king  gazed  on  them  to  his  heart's  content,  and  derived  great 
pleasure  from  watching  them. 

1b.  The  Founding  of  the  City  of  Pdtalijmtra 

"  Therefore  you  will  gain  back  your  father  and  uncles  by 
an  unparalleled  gift."  When  Yajnadatta  had  given  him  this 
advice,  Putraka  did  as  he  recommended ;  when  they  heard 
the  tidings  of  the  distribution,  those  Brahmans  arrived ; 
and  when  they  were  recognised  they  had  great  wealth  be- 
stowed on  them,  and  were  reunited  to  their  wives.  Strange 
to  say,  even  after  they  have  gone  through  calamities,  wicked 
men,  having  their  minds  blinded  by  want  of  discernment, 
are  unable  to  put  off  their  evil  nature.  After  a  time  they 
hankered  after  royal  power,  and  being  desirous  of  murdering 
Putraka,  they  enticed  him  under  pretext  of  a  pilgrimage  to 
the  temple  of  Durga  ;  and  having  stationed  assassins  in  the 
inner  sanctuary  of  the  temple,  they  said  to  him :  "  First  go 
and  visit  the  goddess  alone.  Step  inside."  Thereupon  he 
entered  boldly,  but  when  he  saw  those  assassins  preparing 
to  slay  him  he  asked  them  why  they  wished  to  kill  him. 
They  replied :  "  We  were  hired  for  gold  to  do  it  by  your  father 
and  uncles."  Then  the  discreet  Putraka  said  to  the  assassins, 

1  I.e.  ball,  a  portion  of  the  daily  meal  offered  to  creatures  of  every  de- 
scription, especially  the  household  spirits.  Practically  the  ball  generally  falls 
to  some  crow,  hence  that  bird  is  called  balibkuj. 


22  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

whose  senses  were  bewildered  by  the  goddess :  "  I  will  give 
you  this  priceless  jewelled  ornament  of  mine.  Spare  me.  I 
will  not  reveal  your  secret ;  I  will  go  to  a  distant  land." 
The  assassins  said,  "  So  be  it,"  and  taking  the  ornament 
they  departed,  and  falsely  informed  the  father  and  uncles  of 
Putraka  that  he  was  slain.  Then  those  Brahmans  returned 
and  endeavoured  to  get  possession  of  the  throne,  but  they 
were  put  to  death  by  the  ministers  as  traitors.  How  can  the 
ungrateful  prosper? 

In  the  meanwhile  that  King  Putraka,  faithful  to  his 
promise,  entered  the  impassable  wilds  of  the  Vindhya,  dis- 
gusted with  his  relations.  As  he  wandered  about  he  saw  two 
The  Magic  heroes  engaged  heart  and  soul  in  a  wrestling  match 
Articles  an(j  he  asked  them  who  they  were.    They  replied : 

"  We  are  the  two  sons  of  the  Asura  Maya,  and  his  wealth 
belongs  to  us,  this  vessel,  and  this  stick,  and  these  shoes  ;  it 
is  for  these  that  we  are  fighting,  and  whichever  of  us  proves 
the  mightier  is  to  take  them."  When  he  heard  this  speech  of 
theirs,  Putraka  said,  with  a  smile :  "  That  is  a  fine  inheritance 
for  a  man  !  "  Then  they  said :  "  By  putting  on  these  shoes 
one  gains  the  power  of  flying  through  the  air ;  whatever  is 
written  with  this  staff  turns  out  true ;  and  whatever  food  a 
man  wishes  to  have  in  the  vessel  is  found  there  immediately." 
When  he  heard  this,  Putraka  said :  "  WTiat  is  the  use  of 
fighting  ?  Make  this  agreement,  that  whoever  proves  the 
best  man  in  running  shall  possess  this  wealth."  Those 
simpletons  said,  "  Agreed,"  and  set  off  to  run,  while  the 
prince  put  on  the  shoes  and  flew  up  in  the  air,  taking  with 
him  the  staff  and  the  vessel.  Then  he  went  a  great  distance 
in  a  short  time  and  saw  beneath  him  a  beautiful  city  named 
Akarshika  and  descended  into  it  from  the  sky.  He  reflected 
with  himself :  "  Courtesans  are  prone  to  deceive,  Brahmans 
are  like  my  father  and  uncles,  and  merchants  are  greedy  of 
wealth ;  in  whose  house  shall  I  dwell  ?  "  Just  at  that 
moment  he  reached  a  lonely  dilapidated  house,  and  saw  a 
single  old  woman  in  it;  so  he  gratified  that  old  woman 
with  a  present,  and  lived  unobserved  in  that  broken-down 
old  house,  waited  upon  respectfully  by  the  old  woman. 

Once  upon  a  time  the  old  woman  in  an  affectionate  mood 


PRINCESS  PATALI  23 

said  to  Putraka :  "lam  grieved,  my  son,  that  you  have  not 
a  wife  meet  for  you.  But  here  there  is  a  maiden  named 
Patali,  the  daughter  of  the  king,  and  she  is  preserved  like 
Princess  a  jewel  in  the  upper  story  of  a  seraglio. "    While  he 

Patali  was  listening  to  this  speech  of  hers  with  open  ear 

the  God  of  Love  found  an  unguarded  point  and  entered  by 
that  very  path  into  his  heart.  He  made  up  his  mind  that  he 
must  see  that  damsel  that  very  day,  and  in  the  night  flew  up 
through  the  air  to  where  she  was,  by  the  help  of  his  magic 
shoes.  He  then  entered  by  a  window,  which  was  as  high 
above  the  ground  as  the  peak  of  a  mountain,  and  beheld  that 
Patali,  asleep  in  a  secret  place  in  the  seraglio,  continually 
bathed  in  the  moonlight  that  seemed  to  cling  to  her  limbs  : 
as  it  were  the  might  of  love  in  fleshly  form  reposing  after  the 
conquest  of  this  world.  While  he  was  thinking  how  he  should 
awake  her,  suddenly  outside  a  watchman  began  to  chant : 
"  Young  men  obtain  the  fruit  of  their  birth  when  they 
awake  the  sleeping  one,  embracing  her  as  she  sweetly  scolds, 
with  her  eyes  languidly  opening."  On  hearing  this  encourag- 
ing prelude,  he  embraced  that  fair  one  with  limbs  trembling 
with  excitement,  and  then  she  awoke.  When  she  beheld  that 
prince,  there  was  a  contest  between  shame  and  love  in  her  eye, 
which  was  alternately  fixed  on  his  face  and  averted.  When 
they  had  conversed  together,  and  gone  through  the  ceremony 
of  the  gdndharva  marriage,1  that  couple  found  their  love 
continually  increasing  as  the  night  waned  away.  Then 
Putraka  took  leave  of  his  sorrowing  wife,  and  with  his  mind 
dwelling  only  on  her,  went  in  the  last  watch  of  the  night  to 
the  old  woman's  house.  So  every  night  the  prince  kept 
going  backwards  and  forwards,  and  at  last  the  intrigue  was 
discovered  by  the  guards  of  the  seraglio.  Accordingly  they 
revealed  the  matter  to  the  lady's  father,  and  he  appointed  a 
woman  to  watch  secretly  in  the  seraglio  at  night.  She,  finding 
the  prince  asleep,  made  a  mark  with  red  lac  upon  his  garment 
to  facilitate  his  recognition.  In  the  morning  she  informed 
the  king  of  what  she  had  done,  and  he  sent  out  spies  in 
all  directions,  and  Putraka  was  discovered  by  the  mark  and 

1  For  a  description  of  this  form  of  marriage  see  my  note  on  pp.  87,  88  of 
this  volume. — n.m.p. 


24  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

dragged  out  from  the  dilapidated  house  into  the  presence  of 
the  king.  Seeing  that  the  king  was  enraged,  he  flew  up  into 
the  air  with  the  help  of  the  shoes,  and  entered  the  palace  of 
Patali.  He  said  to  her,  "  We  are  discovered,  therefore  rise 
up,  let  us  escape  with  the  help  of  the  shoes,"  and  so  taking 
Patali  in  his  arms  he  flew  away  from  that  place  through  the 
air.1  Then  descending  from  heaven  near  the  bank  of  the 
Ganges,  he  refreshed  his  weary  beloved  with  cakes  provided 
by  means  of  the  magic  vessel.  When  Patali  saw  the  power 
of  Putraka,  she  made  a  request  to  him,  in  accordance  with 
which  he  sketched  out  with  the  staff  a  city  furnished  with  a 
force  of  all  four  arms.2  In  that  city  he  established  himself  as 
king,  and  his  great  power  having  attained  full  development, 
he  subdued  that  father-in-law  of  his,  and  became  ruler  of  the 
sea-engirdled  earth.  This  is  that  same  divine  city,  produced 
by  magic,  together  with  its  citizens  ;  hence  it  bears  the 
name  of  Pataliputra,  and  is  the  home  of  wealth  and  learning. 

1.  Story  of  Vararuchi  .  .  . 

When  we  heard  from  the  mouth  of  Varsha  the  above 
strange  and  extraordinarily  marvellous  story,  our  minds,  O 
Kanabhuti,  were  for  a  long  time  delighted  with  thrilling 
wonder. 

1  Compare  the  way  in  which  Zauberer  Vergilius  carries  off  the  daughter 
of  the  Sultan  of  Babylon  and  founds  the  town  of  Naples,  which  he  makes 
over  to  her  and  her  children  (Simrock's  Deutsche  Folksbiicker,  vol.  vi,  pp.  354, 
355).  Dunlop  is  of  opinion  that  the  mediaeval  traditions  about  Vergil  are 
largely  derived  from  Oriental  sources. 

2  I.e.  infantry,  cavalry,  elephants  and  archers. 


"  MAGICAL  ARTICLES  "  MOTIF 


25 


NOTES  ON  THE  "MAGICAL  ARTICLES"  MOTIF  IN  FOLK-LORE 

A  similar  incident  to  that  in  our  text  is  found  in  Grimm's  Fairy  Tales, 
translated  by  Mrs  Paull,  p.  370.  The  hero  of  the  tale  called  "The  Crystal 
Ball "  finds  two  giants  fighting  for  a  little  hat.  On  his  expressing  his  wonder, 
"  Ah/'  they  replied,  "you  call  it  old,  you  do  not  know  its  value.  It  is  what 
is  called  a  wishing  hat,  and  whoever  puts  it  on  can  wish  himself  where  he 
will,  and  immediately  he  is  there."  "  Give  me  the  hat,"  replied  the  young 
man.  "  I  will  go  on  a  little  way  and  when  I  call  you  must  both  run  a  race 
to  overtake  me,  and  whoever  reaches  me  first,  to  him  the  hat  shall  belong." 
The  giants  agreed,  and  the  youth,  taking  the  hat,  put  it  on  and  went  away ; 
but  he  was  thinking  so  much  of  the  princess  that  he  forgot  the  giants  and 
the  hat,  and  continued  to  go  farther  and  farther  without  calling  them. 
Presently  he  sighed  deeply  and  said :  "  Ah,  if  I  were  only  at  the  Castle  of 
the  Golden  Sun." 

Wilson  (Collected  Works,  vol.  iii,  p.  169,  note)  observes  that  "the  story  is 
told  almost  in  the  same  words  in  the  [Persian]  Bahar-i-Ddnish,  a  purse  being 
substituted  for  the  rod ;  Jahiindar  obtains  possession  of  it,  as  well  as  the  cup, 
and  slippers  in  a  similar  manner.  Weber  [Eastern  Romances,  Introduction, 
p.  39]  has  noticed  the  analogy  which  the  slippers  bear  to  the  cap  of 
Fortunatus.  The  inexhaustible  purse,  although  not  mentioned  here,  is  of 
Hindu  origin  also,  and  a  fraudulent  representative  of  it  makes  a  great 
figure  in  one  of  the  stories  of  the  Dasa  Kumara  Charita  [ch.  ii  *  see  also 
L.  Deslongchamps,  Essai  sur  les  Fables  Indiennes,  Paris,  1838,  p.  35  et  seq.,  and 
Grasse,  Sagen  des  Mittelalters,  Leipzig,  1842,  p.  19  et  seq.]."  The  additions 
between  brackets  are  due  to  Dr  Reinholdt  Rost,  the  editor  of  WTilson's 
Essays. 

The  Mongolian  form  of  the  story  may  be  found  in  Sagas  from  the  Far 
East,  p.  24.  A  similar  incident  also  occurs  in  the  Swedish  story  in  Thorpe's 
Scandinavian  Tales,  entitled  "  The  Beautiful  Palace  East  of  the  Sun  and  North 
of  the  Earth."  A  youth  acquires  boots  by  means  of  which  he  can  go  a 
hundred  miles  at  every  step,  and  a  cloak  that  renders  him  invisible  in  a  very 
similar  way. 

I  find  that  in  the  notes  in  Grimm's  third  volume,  p.  168  (edition  of  1856), 
the  passage  in  Somadeva  is  referred  to,  and  other  parallels  given.  The  author 
of  these  notes  compares  a  Swedish  story  in  Cavallius,  p.  182,  and  Prohle, 
Kindermcirchen,  No.  22.  He  also  quotes  from  the  Siddhi  Kur,  the  story  to  which 
I  have  referred  in  Sagas  from  the  Far  East,  and  compares  a  Norwegian  story  in 
Ashbjornsen,  pp.  53,  171,  a  Hungarian  story  in  Mailath  and  Gaal,  No.  7,  and  an 
Arabian  tale  in  the  continuation  of  The  Thousand  Nights  and  a  Night  (see  later 
in  this  note).  See  also  Sicilianische  Mdrchen,  by  Laura  Gonzenbach,  part  i, 
story  31.  Here  we  have  a  tablecloth,  a  purse  and  a  pipe.  When  the  tablecloth 
is  spread  out  one  has  only  to  say :  "Dear  little  tablecloth,  give  macaroni" — or 
roast  meat  or  whatever  may  be  required — and  it  is  immediately  present.  The 
purse  will  supply  as  much  money  as  one  asks  it  for,  and  the  pipe  is  something 


26  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

like  that  of  the  Pied  Piper  of  Hamelin — everyone  who  hears  it  must  dance. 
Dr  Kohler,  in  his  notes  at  the  end  of  Laura  Gonzenbach's  collection,  compares 
(besides  the  story  of  Fortunatus,  and  Grimm,  iii,  202),  Zingerle,  Kinder  und 
Haus?ndrchen,  ii,  73  and  193;  Curze,  Popular  Traditions  from  Waldeck,  p.  34; 
Gesta  Romanorum,  ch.  cxx ;  Campbell's  Highland  Tales,  No.  10,  and  many 
others.  The  shoes  in  our  present  story  may  also  be  compared  with  the  bed 
in  the  ninth  novel  of  the  tenth  day  of  The  Decameron.  See  also  Ralston' s 
Russian  Folk-Tales,  p.  230;  Veckenstedt's  Wendische  Sagan,  p.  152;  and  the 
story  of  "Die  Kaiserin  Trebisonda"  in  a  collection  of  South  Italian  tales 
by  Woldemar  Kaden,  entitled  Unter  den  Olivenbaumen,  published  in  1880. 
The  hero  of  this  story  plays  the  same  trick  as  Putraka,  and  gains  thereby 
an  inexhaustible  purse,  a  pair  of  boots  which  enable  the  wearer  to  run  like 
the  wind,  and  a  mantle  of  invisibility.  See  also  "  Beutel,  Mantelchen, 
und  Wunderhorn,"  in  the  same  collection,  and  No.  22  in  Miss  Stokes'  Indian 
Fairy  Tales,  pp.  153-163.  The  story  is  found  in  the  Avadanas,  translated  by 
Stanislas  Julien  (Leveque,  Mythes  et  Legendes  de  I'Inde  et  de  la  Perse,  p.  570 ; 
Liebrecht,  Zur  Volkskunde,  p.  117).  M.  Leveque  thinks  that  La  Fontaine 
was  indebted  to  it  for  his  fable  of  L'Huitre  et  les  Plaideurs.  See  also  De 
Gubernatis,  Zoological  Mythology,  vol.  i,  pp.  126-127  and  162.  We  find  a 
magic  ring,  brooch  and  cloth  in  No.  44  of  the  English  Gesta.  See  also 
Syrische  Sagen  und  Marchen,  Von  Eugen  Prym  und  Albert  Socin,  p.  79,  where 
there  is  a  flying  carpet.  There  is  a  magic  tablecloth  in  the  Bohemian  "  Story 
of  Biismanda"  (Waldau,  p.  44),  and  a  magic  pot  on  p.  436  of  the  same  collec- 
tion; and  a  food-providing  mesa  in  the  Portuguese  story  "A  Cacheirinha" 
(Coelho,  Contos  Populares  Portuguezes,  No.  24,  pp.  58-60).  In  the  Pentamerone, 
No.  42  (see  Burton's  translation,  vol.  ii,  p.  491),  there  is  a  magic  chest.  Kuhn 
has  some  remarks  on  the  "  Tischchen  deck  dich "  of  German  tales  in  his 
Westfalische  Marchen,  vol.  i,  p.  369. 

For  a  similar  artifice  to  Putraka's,  see  the  story  entitled  "  Fischer  Marchen  " 
in  Gaal's  Marchen  der  Magyaren,  p.  168;  Waldau,  B'dhmische  Marchen,  pp.  260 
and  564  (at  this  point  Tawney's  notes  end  and  mine  begin — n.m.p.)  ;  Dasent's 
Popular  Tales  from  the  Norse,  2nd  edition,  p.  263 ;  and  A.  C.  Fryer's 
English  Fairy  Tales  from  the  North  Country.  See  also  (( Some  Italian  Folk- Lore," 
H.  C.  Coote  (Folk-Lore  Record,  1878,  vol.  i,  pp.  204-206).  In  the  first  story 
of  Basile's  Pentamerone  (Burton's  translation,  1893,  vol.  i,  pp.  11-19)  we  find 
the  hero,  after  receiving  two  magical  gifts  from  a  ghul,  has  them  stolen  by 
a  landlord.  A  third  gift,  a  magical  mace,  enables  him  to  recover  his  stolen 
property.  Similar  incidents  will  be  found  in  L.  Leger's  Contes  Populaires 
Slaves,  Paris,  1882;  E.  H.  Carnoy's  Contes  Francais,  Paris,  1885  ;  T.  F.  Crane's 
Italian  Popular  Tales,  London,  1885;  and  "The  Legend  of  Bottle  Hill"  in 
J.  C.  Croker's  Fairy  Legends  and  Traditions  of  the  South  of  Ireland.  The 
incident  of  an  attempt  to  steal  magic  articles,  usually  inherited  or  given  as 
a  reward  for  some  kindness,  is  common  in  folk-tales.  We  find  it  again  in 
Busk's  Folk-Lore  of  Rome,  1894,  p.  129,  where  three  sons  each  inherit  a 
magical  object — an  old  hat  (of  invisibility),  a  purse  (always  containing  money) 
and  a  horn  (which  summons  "One"  who  accedes  to  all  requests).  A  wicked 
queen  gets  hold  of  all  these  articles,  but  the  second  son  (who,  strange  to  say, 


MAGICAL  ARTICLES  "  MOTIF  27 


is  the  hero  of  the  story)  finds  magical  figs  which  produce  long  noses  and 
cherries  which  counteract  the  effect.  He  has  his  revenge  on  the  queen, 
takes  the  magic  articles,  and  leaves  her  with  a  nose  twelve  feet  long.  The 
story  also  occurs  in  Grimm's  Kinder  und  Hausmarchen.  See  also  the  fourteenth 
tale  of  Sagas  from  the  Far  East. 

The  lengthening  and  diminishing  noses  remind  us  of  the  "three  wishes" 
cycle  of  stories,  which  started  in  India  (Panchatantra),  went  through  Persia 
(see  Clouston's  Book  of  Sindibad,  1884,  pp.  71,  72,  190  and  253)  and  Arabia 
(see  Burton's  Nights,  vol.  vi,  p.  180,  and  Chauvin's  Bibliographic  des  Ovvrages 
Arabes,  1904,  viii,  pp.  51,  52),  and  via  Turkey  into  Europe,  where  it  appeared 
in  La  Fontaine's  Trois  Souhaits,  Prior's  Ladle  and  Les  Quatre  Souhaits  de 
Saint  Martin.  Apart  from  the  North  European  variants  of  the  "magical 
articles"  motif  already  mentioned,  we  find  the  shoes  of  swiftness  worn  by 
Loki  when  he  escaped  from  Hell.  It  is  not  often  one  finds  a  recipe  for 
making  magic  articles,  but  in  an  Icelandic  story  is  the  following: — "The 
giant  told  her  that  Hermodr  was  in  a  certain  desert  island,  which  he  named  to 
her ;  but  could  not  get  her  thither  unless  she  flayed  the  soles  of  her  feet  and  made 
shoes  for  herself  out  of  the  skin  ;  and  these  shoes,  when  made,  would  be  of  such 
a  nature  that  they  would  take  her  through  the  air,  or  over  the  water,  as  she 
liked"  {Icelandic  Legends,  translated  by  Powell  and  Magnusson,  2nd  series, 
p.  397).  The  invisible  coat  is  identical  with  the  Tarnhut,  or  hat  of  darkness, 
in  the  Nibelungenlied  and  in  the  Nifflunga  Saga,  and  with  the  Nebelkappe,  or 
cloud-cap,  of  King  Alberich,  a  dwarf  of  old  German  romance. 

In  the  Norse  tale  of  the  "Three  Princesses  of  Whiteland"  (Dasent, 
2nd  edition,  1859,  p-  209  et  seq.)  the  wandering  king  procures  a  hat,  cloak 
and  boots  from  three  fighting  brothers. 

In  the  Italian  tale  of  "Liar  Bruno"  the  articles  are  a  pair  of  boots,  a 
purse  and  a  cloak. 

In  a  Breton  version  (vol.  i  of  Melusine,  under  the  title  of  "  Voleur  A  vise  ") 
they  are  a  cloak  of  transportation,  an  invisible  hat,  and  gaiters  which  make 
the  wearer  walk  as  fast  as  the  wind  (cf  with  the  story  of  "Die  Kaiserin 
Trebisonda"  mentioned  on  p.  26). 

In  tale  21  of  Portuguese  Folk-Tales  (Folk- Lore  Society,  1883)  a  soldier 
comes  across  two  separate  couples  fighting.  From  the  first  couple  he  gets 
a  cap  of  invisibility  and  from  the  second  a  pair  of  magical  boots.  Similar 
caps  and  coats  occur  in  Mitford's  Tales  of  Old  Japan,  where  Little  Peachling 
is  given  these  articles  by  the  conquered  ogres. 

There  is  a  curious  Mongolian  legend  (Folk-Lore  Journal,  1886,  vol.  iv, 
pp.  23,  24)  in  which  a  man  obtains  a  gold-producing  stone  from  two  quarrelling 
strangers.  The  interest  in  the  tale  lies  in  the  fact  that  from  this  incident 
the  entire  Chinese  nation  can  trace  its  origin ! 

Returning  to  Arabia,  we  read  in  the  Nights  (Burton,  vol.  viii,  p.  120) 
that  Hasan  of  Bassorah  "came  upon  two  little  boys  of  the  sons  of  the 
sorcerers,  before  whom  lay  a  rod  of  copper  graven  with  talismans,  and  beside 
it  a  skull-cap  of  leather,  made  of  three  gores  and  wroughten  in  steel  with 
names  and  characters.  The  cap  and  rod  were  on  the  ground  and  the  boys 
were  disputing  and   beating  each   other,  till   the  blood   ran  down  between 


28  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

them;  whilst  each  cried,  'None  shall  take  the  wand  but  I.'  So  Hasan 
interposed  and  parted  them,  saying,  '  What  is  the  cause  of  your  contention  ?  ' 
and  they  replied,  'O  uncle,  be  thou  judge  of  our  case,  for  Allah  the  Most 
High  hath  surely  sent  thee  to  do  justice  between  us.'  Quoth  Hasan,  '  Tell 
me  your  case,  and  I  will  judge  between  you.' "  The  cap  made  the  wearer 
invisible  and  the  owner  of  the  rod  had  authority  over  seven  tribes  of  the 
Jinn.  For  numerous  references  to  incidents  similar  to  those  contained  in 
"  Hasan  of  Bassorah "  see  Chauvin's  Bibliographic  des  Ouvrages  Arabes,  vii, 
pp.  38,  39,  under  the  headings  of  "  Ruse  pour  s'emparer  d'un  objet  precieux" 
and  "  Invisible." 

There  is  another  story  in  the  Nights  (Burton,  vol.  iv,  p.  176),  called  "Abu 
Mohammed  hight  Lazybones,"  in  which  the  hero  is  presented  with  a  sword 
of  invisibility.  Burton  suggests  in  a  note  that  the  idea  of  using  a  sword 
for  this  purpose  probably  arose  from  the  venerable  practice  of  inscribing  the 
blades  with  sentences,  verses  and  magic  figures. 

Finally  to  get  back  to  our  starting-place — India.  In  Steel  and  Temple's 
Wide-Awake  Stories  from  the  Panjab  and  Kashmir  there  are  four  magical 
articles — a  wallet  with  two  magic  pockets,  a  staff  which  will  restore  to  life, 
a  brass  pot  providing  food,  and  a  pair  of  sandals  of  transportation. 

In  Lai  Behari  Day's  Folk-Tales  of  Bengal  (p.  53  et  seq.)  a  Brahman  receives 
from  Durga  an  earthen  pot  which  provides  sweetmeats.  It  is  stolen,  and  Durga 
gives  a  second  pot,  out  of  which  issues  Rakshasas  who  soon  help  to  recover 
the  original  gift.  A  similar  story  occurs  in  Freer's  Old  Deccan  Days  (No.  12. — 
"  The  Jackal,  the  Barber  and  the  Brahman  "),  where  a  food-producing  chattee 
is  recovered  by  another  containing  a  magical  stick  and  ropes  by  means  of 
which  the  offenders  are  punished  until  they  restore  the  stolen  property. 

In  a  manuscript  at  Le  Bibliotheque  Nationale  is  a  story  described  as  a 
"Conte  Hindoustani."  It  has  been  translated  into  French  by  Garcin  de 
Tassy  as  "  L'inexorable  Courtisane  et  les  Talismans "  (see  Revue  Orientale  et 
Americaine,  1865,  vol.  x,  pp.  14-9-157).  It  is  a  combination  of  two  motifs.  The 
first  is  that  of  the  "magical  articles."  The  king  finds  four  robbers  quarrelling 
over  a  sword  (capable  of  cutting  off  heads  of  enemies  at  any  distance), 
a  porcelain  cup  (providing  food),  a  carpet  (giving  money),  and  a  jewelled 
throne  (of  transportation).  The  king  gets  them  in  the  usual  way  and  arrives 
at  a  city  where  he  sees  a  palace  of  great  splendour.  He  is  told  it  belongs 
to  a  wealthy  courtesan  whose  fees  are  enormous.  The  king,  however,  falls  in 
love  with  the  girl  and  by  means  of  the  magic  carpet  gets  enough  money  for 
a  long  stay.  She  learns  the  king's  secret  and  awaits  her  opportunity,  until 
she  obtains  possession  of  the  four  magical  articles.  The  king  is  reduced 
to  beggary.  During  his  wanderings  while  in  this  state,  he  discovers  some 
magical  water  which  turns  those  who  touch  it  into  monkeys.  He  collects 
some,  and  has  his  revenge  on  the  courtesan,  finally  getting  back  his 
articles. 

This  second  part  of  the  tale  belongs  to  that  cycle  of  stories  where  a 
courtesan  tries  to  ruin  men  and  finally  meets  her  match.  The  original  of 
this  motif  is  "The  Story  of  the  Merchant's  Son,  the  Courtesan  and  the 
Wonderful  Ape,  Ala,"  which  occurs  in  Chapter  XVII  of  the  Ocean  of  Story. 


"  MAGICAL  ARTICLES  "  MOTIF  29 

I  shall  give  numerous  variants  of  the  motif  in  a  note  to  the  tale  when  we 
come  to  it. 

Apart  from  all  the  above  there  are  numerous  tales  in  which  single  magical 
articles  appear.  Several  have  been  mentioned,  but  only  as  far  as  they  have 
any  analogy  to  the  tale  in  the  Ocean  of  Story.  Further  details  will  be  found 
in  W.  A.  Clouston's  Popular  Tales  and  Fictions,  1887,  vol.  i,  pp.  72-122,  from 
which  some  of  the  above  references  have  been  derived. 

See  also  P.  Saintyves,  Les  Contes  de  Perrault,  Paris,  1923,  pp.  281-292. 

As  I  have  already  stated  in  the  Introduction,  it  is  the  incidents  in  a  story 
which  form  the  real  guide  to  its  history  and  migration.  The  plot  is  of  little 
consequence,  being  abbreviated  or  embroidered  according  to  the  environment 
of  its  fresh  surroundings.  Thus  we  find  a  distinct  theme,  trait,  or  motif,  as  we 
may  call  it,  appearing  again  and  again — not  only  in  Eastern  fiction,  but  also  in 
that  of  the  West.  If  the  motif  be  of  a  simple  nature  it  seems  much  more  prob- 
able that  it  forms  part  of  the  general  stock  of  ideas  common  to  every  nation. 
Certain  definite  fiction  motifs  would  naturally  suggest  themselves  to  most 
people,  such  as  letting  the  youngest  son  marry  the  princess  or  find  the  treasure, 
or  obtaining  magical  articles  or  help  from  supernatural  beings.  In  cases  like 
these  there  is  no  necessity  to  suspect  any  Eastern  origin,  although  the  Western 
tale  may  have  been  improved  or  enriched  from  the  East. 

In  the  "magical  articles"  motif 'we  notice  two  distinct  varieties  :  (1)  where 
the  articles  are  stolen  by  the  hero ;  (2)  where  they  are  stolen  from  the  hero. 
In  (1)  he  nearly  always  meets  two  or  more  people  fighting  and,  without  any 
scruples,  proceeds  to  trick  them  out  of  their  belongings — in  only  one  case  (the 
first  in  this  note)  are  the  articles  taken  through  absent-mindedness.  In  (2) 
the  hero  inherits  or  earns  the  articles ;  he  is  tricked  into  telling  their  secrets 
and  then  has  them  stolen,  only  to  recover  them  by  the  help  of  the  original 
donor. 

A  glance  through  the  above  references  to  the  numerous  variants  of  the 
"  magical  articles  "  tale  in  East  and  West  will  show  that  it  is  in  the  Eastern 
stories  in  which  the  hero  is  allowed  to  steal  with  impunity,  while  in  the 
Western  tales  he  comes  by  the  articles  honestly.  The  Easterns  have  a  highly 
developed  sense  of  humour,  and  any  successful  trick  played  off  against  a  Kazi, 
fakir,  or  in  fact  anyone,  is  sure  to  bring  a  round  of  applause.  I  therefore 
suggest  this  as  a  possible  explanation. 

In  conclusion,  then,  I  would  not  class  this  motif  as  migratory  to  the  same 
extent  as  is  the  story  of  M  Upakosa  and  her  Four  Lovers,"  which  is  to  be  dis- 
cussed shortly.  There  is  no  doubt  that  it  did  travel  from  the  East,  but  it  seems 
probable  that  it  found  more  or  less  the  same  ideas  already  in  common  circula- 
tion, for  the  simple  reason  that  the  particular  motif  happened  to  be  rather 
a  commonplace  one.  Perhaps  the  Eastern  imagination  could  add  a  more 
amusing  incident,  portion  of  an  incident,  or  a  more  striking  denouement  to 
a  tale  already  current  in  a  Western  land.  It  seems  very  probable  that  the 
incident  of  the  fight  over  the  magical  articles  was  directly  derived  from  the 
East,  while  the  idea  of  the  magical  articles  themselves  was,  in  some  form  or 
other,  already  established  in  Western  M'drchen. — n.m.p. 


H 


CHAPTER  IV 

AVING  related  this  episode  to  Kanabhuti  in  the 
[MI]  Vindhya  forest,  Vararuchi  again  resumed  the 
main  thread  of  his  narrative : 

1.  Story  of  Vararuchi  .  .  . 


While  thus  dwelling  there  with  Vyadi  and  Indradatta, 
I  gradually  attained  perfection  in  all  sciences,  and  emerged 
from  the  condition  of  childhood.  Once  on  a  time  when  we 
went  out  to  witness  the  festival  of  Indra  we  saw  a  maiden 
looking  like  some  weapon  of  Kama,  not  of  the  nature  of  an 
arrow.  Then  Indradatta,  on  my  asking  him  who  that  lady 
might  be,  replied  :  "  She  is  the  daughter  of  Upavarsha,  and 
her  name  is  Upakosa  " ;  and  she  found  out  by  means  of  her 
handmaids  who  I  was,  and  drawing  my  soul  after  her  with  a 
glance  made  tender  by  love,  she  with  difficulty  managed  to 
return  to  her  own  house.  She  had  a  face  like  a  full  moon,1 
and  eyes  like  a  blue  lotus;  she  had  arms  graceful  like  the 
stalk  of  a  lotus,  and  a  lovely  full 2  bosom  ;    she  had  a  neck 

1  This  hardly  seems  complimentary  from  an  English  point  of  view,  but 
the  simile  is  a  favourite  one,  not  only  in  India,  but  in  Turkey,  Persia,  Arabia 
and  Afghanistan.  Readers  who  have  seen  the  full  moon  in  the  East  will 
understand. — n.m.p. 

2  Literally,  "  she  was  splendid  with  a  full  bosom  .   .  .  glorious  with  coral 

lips."     For  uttama  in  the  first  half  of  sloka  6  I  read  upama. As  can  be  seen 

from  the  rock-carvings  of  ancient  India,  and  also  from  the  work  of  Court 
painters,  the  Hindus  always  admired  the  full  breast.  This  was  also  considered 
a  sine  qua  non  among  the  Samoans.  The  Arabs  insisted  on  firmness  rather 
than  size.  The  following  description  from  the  Nights  (Burton,  vol.  i,  p.  84) 
forms  an  interesting  comparison  to  that  in  our  text : — "  Her  forehead  was 
flower-white  ;  her  cheeks  like  the  anemone  ruddy  bright ;  her  eyes  were  those 
of  the  wild  heifer  or  the  gazelle,  with  eyebrows  like  the  crescent-moon  which 
ends  Sha'aban  and  begins  Ramazan ;  her  mouth  was  the  ring  of  Sulayman, 
her  lips  coral-red,  and  her  teeth  like  a  line  of  strung  pearls  or  of  camomile 
petals.     Her  throat  recalled  the  antelope's,  and  her  breasts,  like  two  pome- 

30 


VARARUCHI  AND  UPAKOSA  31 

marked  with  three  lines  like  a  shell,1  and  magnificent  coral 
lips ;  in  short,  she  was  a  second  Lakshmi,  so  to  speak,  the 
storehouse  of  the  beauty  of  King  Kama.  Then  my  heart  was 
cleft  by  the  stroke  of  love's  arrow,  and  I  could  not  sleep  that 
night  through  my  desire  to  kiss  her  bimba  2  lip.  Having  at 
last  with  difficulty  gone  off  to  sleep,  I  saw,  at  the  close  of 
night,  a  celestial  woman  in  white  garments  ;  she  said  to  me  : 
"  Upakosa  was  thy  wife  in  a  former  birth  ;  as  she  appreciated 
merit,  she  desires  no  one  but  thee;  therefore,  my  son,  thou 
oughtest  not  to  feel  anxious  about  this  matter.  I  am  Saras- 
vati 3  that  dwell  continually  in  thy  frame,  I  cannot  bear  to 
behold  thy  grief."  When  she  had  said  this  she  disappeared. 
Then  I  woke  up  and,  somewhat  encouraged,  I  went  slowly 
and  stood  under  a  young  mango- tree  near  the  house  of  my  be- 
loved ;  then  her  confidante  came  and  told  me  of  the  ardent 
attachment  of  Upakosa  to  me,  the  result  of  sudden  passion ; 
then  I,  with  my  pain  doubled,  said  to  her  :  "  How  can  I 
obtain  Upakosa  unless  her  natural  protectors  willingly  be- 
stow her  upon  me  ?  For  death  is  better  than  dishonour ; 
so  if  by  any  means  your  friend's  heart  became  known  to  her 
parents,  perhaps  the  end  might  be  prosperous. 

"  Therefore  bring  this  about,  my  good  woman :  save  the 
life  of  me  and  of  thy  friend."  When  she  heard  this  she  went 
and  told  all  to  her  friend's  mother,  she  immediately  told  it 
to  her  husband  Upavarsha,  he  to  Varsha  his  brother,  and 
Varsha  approved  of  the  match.  Then,  my  marriage  having 
been  determined  upon,  Vyadi,  by  the  order  of  my  tutor,  went 
and  brought  my  mother  from  Kausambi ;  so  Upakosa  was 
bestowed  upon  me  by  her  father  with  all  due  ceremonies,  and 
I  lived  happily  in  Pataliputra  with  my  mother  and  my  wife. 

Now  in  course  of  time  Varsha  got  a  great  number  of 

granates  of  even  size,  stood  at  bay  as  it  were ;  her  body  rose  and  fell  in  waves 
below  her  dress  like  the  rolls  of  a  piece  of  brocade,  and  her  navel  would  hold 
an  ounce  of  benzoin  ointment."  All  references  to  the  Nights  are  to  the 
original  edition. — n.m.p. 

1  Considered  to  be  indicative  of  exalted  fortune. — Monier  Williams. 

2  The  bimba  being  an  Indian  fruit,  this  expression  may  be  paralleled 
by  "currant  lip"  in  The  Two  Noble  Kinsmen,  \,  1,  21 6,  or  "cherry  lip"  in 
Richard  HI,  \,  1,  94. 

3  Goddess  of  eloquence  and  learning. 


32  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

pupils,  and  among  them  there  was  one  rather  stupid  pupil 
of  the  name  of  Panini ;  he,  being  wearied  out  with  service, 
was  sent  away  by  the  preceptor's  wife,  and  being  disgusted 
at  it,  and  longing  for  learning,  he  went  to  the  Himalaya  to 
perform  austerities  :  then  he  obtained  from  the  god  who 
wears  the  moon  as  a  crest,  propitiated  by  his  severe  austerities, 
a  new  grammar,  the  source  of  all  learning.  Thereupon  he 
came  and  challenged  me  to  a  disputation,  and  seven  days 
passed  away  in  the  course  of  our  disputation  ;  on  the  eighth 
day  he  had  been  fairly  conquered  by  me,  but  immediately 
afterwards  a  terrible  menacing  sound  was  uttered  by  Siva 
in  the  firmament ;  owing  to  that  our  Aindra  grammar  was 
exploded  in  the  world,1  and  all  of  us,  being  conquered  by 
Panini,  became  accounted  fools.  Accordingly  full  of  despond- 
ency I  deposited  in  the  hand  of  the  merchant  Hiranyadatta 
my  wealth  for  the  maintenance  of  my  house,  and  after  in- 
forming Upakosa  of  it,  I  went  fasting  to  Mount  Himalaya 
to  propitiate  Siva  with  austerities. 

Upakosa,  on  her  part  anxious  for  my  success,  remained 
in  her  own  house,  bathing  every  day  in  the  Ganges,  strictly 
observing  her  vow.  One  day,  when  spring  had  come,  she, 
Upakom  and  bein£  sti11  beautiful,  though  thin  and  slightly 
her  Four  pale,  and  charming  to  the  eyes  of  men,  like  the 
Lovers'2'  streak  of  the  new  moon,  was  seen  by  the  king's 

domestic  chaplain  while  going  to  bathe  in  the  Ganges,  and 
also  by  the  head  magistrate,  and  by  the  prince's  minister  ; 
and  immediately  they  all  of  them  became  a  target  for  the 
arrows  of  love.  It  happened  too,  somehow,  that  she  took  a 
long  time  bathing  that  day,  and  as  she  was  returning  in  the 
evening  the  prince's  minister  laid  violent  hands  on  her,  but 
she  with  great  presence  of  mind  said  to  him :  "  Dear  sir, 
I  desire  this  as  much  as  you,  but  I  am  of  respectable  family, 
and  my  husband  is  away  from  home.    How  can  I  act  thus  ? 

1  See  Dr  Burnell's  Aindra  Grammar  for  the  bearing  of  this  passage  on  the 
history  of  Sanskrit  literature. 

2  Tawney  writes  a  short  note  ot  eleven  lines  on  this  story,  but  in  order 
to  appreciate  the  importance  and  wide  distribution  of  the  tale  it  will  be 
necessary  to  rewrite  and  greatly  enlarge  the  note  in  view  of  more  recent 
research.     See  note  at  the  end  of  this  chapter. — n.m.p. 


UPAKOSA  AND  HER  LOVERS  33 

Someone  might  perhaps  see  us,  and  then  misfortune  would 
befall  you  as  well  as  me.  Therefore  you  must  come  without 
fail  to  my  house  in  the  first  watch  of  the  night  of  the  spring 
festival  when  the  citizens  are  all  excited."1  When  she  had 
said  this,  and  pledged  herself,  he  let  her  go,  but,  as  chance 
would  have  it,  she  had  not  gone  many  steps  farther  before 
she  was  stopped  by  the  king's  domestic  priest.  She  made 
a  similar  assignation  with  him  also  for  the  second  watch  of 
the  same  night;  and  so  he  too  was,  though  with  difficulty, 
induced  to  let  her  go  ;  but  after  she  had  gone  a  little  farther, 
up  comes  a  third  person,  the  head  magistrate,  and  detains 
the  trembling  lady.  Then  she  made  a  similar  assignation 
with  him  too  for  the  third  watch  of  the  same  night,  and 
having  by  great  good  fortune  got  him  to  release  her,  she  went 
home  all  trembling,  and  of  her  own  accord  told  her  hand- 
maids the  arrangements  she  had  made,  reflecting  :  "  Death 
is  better  for  a  woman  of  good  family,  when  her  husband  is 
away,  than  to  meet  the  eyes  of  people  who  lust  after  beauty." 
Full  of  these  thoughts,  and  regretting  me,  the  virtuous  lady 
spent  that  night  in  fasting,  lamenting  her  own  beauty. 
Early  the  next  morning  she  sent  a  maid-servant  to  the 
merchant  Hiranyagupta  to  ask  for  some  money  in  order  that 
she  might  honour  the  Brahmans  ;  then  that  merchant  also 
came  and  said  to  her  in  private  :  "  Show  me  love,  and  then 
I  will  give  you  what  your  husband  deposited."  When  she 
heard  that,  she  reflected  that  she  had  no  witness  to  prove 
the  deposit  of  her  husband's  wealth,  and  perceived  that  the 
merchant  was  a  villain,  and  so,  tortured  with  sorrow  and 
grief,  she  made  a  fourth  and  last  assignation  with  him  for 
the  last  watch  of  the  same  night ;  so  he  went  away.  In  the 
meanwhile  she  had  prepared  by  her  handmaids  in  a  large  vat 
lamp-black  mixed  with  oil  and  scented  with  musk  and  other 
perfumes,  and  she  made  ready  four  pieces  of  rag  anointed 
with  it,  and  she  caused  to  be  made  a  large  trunk  with  a 
fastening  outside.  So  on  that  day  of  the  spring  festival 
the  prince's  minister  came  in  the  first  watch  of  the  night 
in  gorgeous  array.  When  he  had  entered  without  being 
observed,  Upakosa  said  to  him  :    "I  will  not  receive  you 

1  And  will  not  observe  you. 


34  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

until  you  have  bathed,  so  go  in  and  bathe."  The  simpleton 
agreed  to  that,  and  was  taken  by  the  handmaids  into  a  secret 
dark  inner  apartment.  There  they  took  off  his  under- 
garments and  his  jewels,  and  gave  him  by  way  of  an  under- 
garment a  single  piece  of  rag,  and  they  smeared  the  rascal 
from  head  to  foot  with  a  thick  coating  of  that  lamp-black 
and  oil,  pretending  it  was  an  unguent,  without  his  detecting 
it.  While  they  continued  rubbing  it  into  every  limb  the 
second  watch  of  the  night  came  and  the  priest  arrived. 
The  handmaids  thereupon  said  to  the  minister  :  "  Here  is 
the  king's  priest  come,  a  great  friend  of  Vararuchi's,  so 
creep  into  this  box,"  and  they  bundled  him  into  the  trunk 
just  as  he  was,  all  naked,  with  the  utmost  precipitation ; 
and  then  they  fastened  it  outside  with  a  bolt.  The  priest  too 
was  brought  inside  into  the  dark  room  on  the  pretence  of  a 
bath,  and  was  in  the  same  way  stripped  of  his  garments  and 
ornaments,  and  made  a  fool  of  by  the  handmaids  by  being 
rubbed  with  lamp-black  and  oil,  with  nothing  but  the  piece 
of  rag  on  him,  until  in  the  third  watch  the  chief  magistrate 
arrived.  The  handmaids  immediately  terrified  the  priest 
with  the  news  of  his  arrival,  and  pushed  him  into  the  trunk 
like  his  predecessor.  After  they  had  bolted  him  in,  they 
brought  in  the  magistrate  on  the  pretext  of  giving  him  a 
bath,  and  so  he,  like  his  fellows,  with  a  piece  of  rag  for  his 
only  garment,  was  bamboozled  by  being  continually  anointed 
with  lamp-black,  until  in  the  last  watch  of  the  night  the 
merchant  arrived.  The  handmaids  made  use  of  his  arrival 
to  alarm  the  magistrate,  and  bundled  him  also  into  the  trunk 
and  fastened  it  on  the  outside.  So  those  three  being  shut  up 
inside  the  box,  as  if  they  were  bent  on  accustoming  them- 
selves to  live  in  the  hell  of  blind  darkness,  did  not  dare  to 
speak  on  account  of  fear,  though  they  touched  one  another. 
Then  Upakosa  brought  a  lamp  into  the  room,  and  making 
the  merchant  enter  it,  said  to  him  :  "  Give  me  that  money 
which  my  husband  deposited  with  you."  When  he  heard 
that,  the  rascal  said,  observing  that  the  room  was  empty  : 
" 1  told  you  that  I  would  give  you  the  money  your  husband 
deposited  with  me."  Upakosa,  calling  the  attention  of  the 
people  in  the  trunk,  said  :    "  Hear,  O  ye  gods,  this  speech 


UPAKOSA  AND  HER  LOVERS  85 

of  Hiranyagupta."  When  she  had  said  this  she  blew  out 
the  light,  and  the  merchant,  like  the  others,  on  the  pretext 
of  a  bath,  was  anointed  by  the  handmaids  for  a  long  time 
with  lamp-black.  Then  they  told  him  to  go,  for  the  dark- 
ness was  over,  and  at  the  close  of  the  night  they  took  him  by 
the  neck  and  pushed  him  out  of  the  door  sorely  against  his 
will.  Then  he  made  the  best  of  his  way  home,  with  only 
the  piece  of  rag  to  cover  his  nakedness,  and  smeared  with 
the  black  dye,  with  the  dogs  biting  him  at  every  step, 
thoroughly  ashamed  of  himself,  and  at  last  reached  his 
own  house;  and  when  he  got  there  he  did  not  dare  to  look 
his  slaves  in  the  face  while  they  were  washing  off  that  black 
dye.  The  path  of  vice  is  indeed  a  painful  one.  In  the 
early  morning  Upakosa,  accompanied  by  her  handmaids, 
went,  without  informing  her  parents,  to  the  palace  of  King 
Nanda,  and  there  she  herself  stated  to  the  king  that  the 
merchant  Hiranyagupta  was  endeavouring  to  deprive  her 
of  money  deposited  with  him  by  her  husband.  The  king, 
in  order  to  inquire  into  the  matter,  immediately  had  the 
merchant  summoned,  who  said  :  "I  have  nothing  in  my 
keeping  belonging  to  this  lady."  Upakosa  then  said  :  "I 
have  witnesses,  my  lord ;  before  he  went,  my  husband  put 
the  household  gods  into  a  box,  and  this  merchant  with  his 
own  lips  admitted  the  deposit  in  their  presence.  Let  the 
box  be  brought  here  and  ask  the  gods  yourself."  Having 
heard  this,  the  king  in  astonishment  ordered  the  box  to  be 
brought. 

Thereupon  in  a  moment  that  trunk  was  carried  in  by 
many  men.  Then  Upakosa  said  :  "  Relate  truly,  O  gods, 
what  that  merchant  said,  and  then  go  to  your  own  houses  ; 
if  you  do  not,  I  will  burn  you  or  open  the  box  in  court." 
Hearing  that,  the  men  in  the  box,  beside  themselves  with 
fear,  said  :  "  It  is  true,  the  merchant  admitted  the  deposit 
in  our  presence."  Then  the  merchant,  being  utterly  con- 
founded, confessed  all  his  guilt ;  but  the  king,  being  unable 
to  restrain  his  curiosity,  after  asking  permission  of  Upakosa, 
opened  the  chest  there  in  court  by  breaking  the  fastening, 
and  those  three  men  were  dragged  out,  looking  like  three 
lumps  of  solid  darkness,  and  were  with  difficulty  recognised 


36  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

by  the  king  and  his  ministers.  The  whole  assembly  then 
burst  out  laughing,  and  the  king  in  his  curiosity  asked 
Upakosa  what  was  the  meaning  of  all  this ;  so  the 
virtuous  lady  told  the  whole  story.  All  present  in  court 
expressed  their  approbation  of  Upakosa's  conduct,  observ- 
ing :  "  The  virtuous  behaviour  of  women  of  good  family 
who  are  protected  by  their  own  excellent  disposition  l  only, 
is  incredible." 

Then  all  those  coveters  of  their  neighbour's  wife  were 
deprived  of  all  their  living,  and  banished  from  the  country. 
Who  prospers  by  immorality  ?  Upakosa  was  dismissed  by 
the  king,  who  showed  his  great  regard  for  her  by  a  present 
of  much  wealth,  and  said  to  her  :  "  Henceforth  thou  art  my 
sister  " ;  and  so  she  returned  home.  Varsha  and  Upavarsha, 
when  they  heard  it,  congratulated  that  chaste  lady,  and 
there  was  a  smile  of  admiration  on  the  face  of  every  single 
person  in  that  city. 

In  the  meanwhile,  by  performing  a  very  severe  penance 
on  the  snowy  mountain,  I  propitiated  the  god,  the 
husband  of  Parvatl,  the  great  giver  of  all  good  things  ; 
he  revealed  to  me  that  same  treatise  of  Panini ;  and  in 
accordance  with  his  wish  I  completed  it :  then  I  returned 
home  without  feeling  the  fatigue  of  the  journey,  full  of 
the  nectar  of  the  favour  of  that  god  who  wears  on  his 
crest  a  digit  of  the  moon ;  then  I  worshipped  the  feet  of 
my  mother  and  of  my  spiritual  teachers,  and  heard  from 
them  the  wonderful  achievement  of  Upakosa;  thereupon 
joy  and  astonishment  swelled  to  the  upmost  height  in  my 
breast,  together  with  natural  affection  and  great  respect  for 
my  wife. 

Now  Varsha  expressed  a  desire  to  hear  from  my  lips  the 
new  grammar,  and  thereupon  the  god  Karttikeya  himself 
revealed  it  to  him.  And  it  came  to  pass  that  Vyadi  and 
The  New  Indradatta  asked  their  preceptor  Varsha  what 
Grammar  fee  they  should  give  him.  He  replied :  "  Give 
me  ten  millions  of  gold  pieces."  So  they,  consenting  to  the 
preceptor's  demand,  said  to  me  :  "  Come  with  us,  friend,  to 
ask  the  King  Nanda  to  give  us  the  sum  required  for  our 

1  Instead  of  the  walls  of  a  seraglio. 


THE  NEW  GRAMMAR  37 

teacher's  fee  ;  we  cannot  obtain  so  much  gold  from  any 
other  quarter  :  for  he  possesses  nine  hundred  and  ninety 
millions,  and  so  long  ago  he  declared  your  wife  Upakosa 
his  sister  in  the  faith,  therefore  you  are  his  brother-in-law ; 
we  shall  obtain  something  for  the  sake  of  your  virtues." 
Having  formed  this  resolution,  we  three  fellow-students 1 
went  to  the  camp  of  King  Nanda  in  Ayodhya,  and  the  very 
moment  we  arrived  the  king  died ;  accordingly  an  outburst 
of  lamentation  arose  in  the  kingdom,  and  we  were  reduced 
to  despair.  Immediately  Indradatta,  who  was  an  adept 
in  magic,  said  :    "I  will  enter  the  body  of  this  dead  king2; 

1  Dr  Brockhaus  translates  :  "  alle  drei  mit  unsern  Schiilern." 

2  This  forms  the  leading  event  of  the  story  of  Fadlallah  in  the  Persian 
tales.  The  dervish  there  avows  his  having  acquired  the  faculty  of  animating 
a  dead  body  from  an  aged  Brahman  in  the  Indies  (Wilson). 

The  same  story  as  that  in  our  text  occurs  in  Merutunga's  Prabandha- 
cintamani.  See  Tawney's  translation,  Bib.  Ind.,  1899,  p.  170.  On  p.  10  of 
the  same  work  the  king  enters  the  body  of  one  of  his  own  elephants,  besides 
that  of  various  other  animals. 

It  has  been  reported  from  Buddhist  sources  that  the  same  thing  actually 
happened  at  the  death  of  Chandragupta,  the  Maurya  monarch.  His  dead 
body  was  occupied  by  a  Yaksha  named  Devagarbha.  (See  Benfey,  Das 
PaJicatantra,  vol.  i,  p.  123.) 

The  idea  of  the  soul  leaving  the  body  and  going  on  its  travels  originates 
in  the  ancient  Egyptian  Ka,  or  "double."  In  the  "Adventure  of  Satni- 
Khamois  with  the  Mummies"  (Maspero's  Stories  of  Ancient  Egypt,  1915, 
pp.  119,  120)  we  read:  "And  Nenoferkephtah  was  not  alone  in  the  tomb, 
but  his  wife  Ahuri,  and  Maihet  his  son  were  with  him  j  for  though  their 
bodies  reposed  at  Coptos,  their  double  was  with  him  by  virtue  of  the  book 
of  Thoth."     This  story  dates  from  Ptolemaic  times. 

The  belief  in  a  "double"  is  world-wide,  as  will  be  seen  from  A.  E. 
Crawley's  article,  "  Doubles,"  in  vol.  iv,  p.  853  et  seq.,  of  Hastings'  Ency.  Bel. 
Eth.  Among  the  Hindus  there  is  a  wide  belief  that  when  a  man  is  asleep 
his  soul  leaves  him  and  goes  travelling,  or  whatever  else  it  has  a  mind  to  do. 
When  the  body  is  thus  left  empty  there  is  always  the  possibility  of  it  being 
tenanted  by  some  passing  stranger — hostile  or  friendly.  Hindus  are  very 
cautious  about  waking  up  a  sleeping  friend  lest  his  soul  be  absent.  Crooke 
says  {Folk-Lore  of  Northern  India,  vol.  i,  1896,  p.  232)  that  in  Bombay  it  is 
considered  most  reprehensible  to  play  jokes  on  a  sleeping  person,  such  as 
painting  the  face  in  fantastic  colours,  or  giving  moustaches  to  a  sleeping 
woman.  The  absent  soul  on  returning  would  never  be  able  to  recognise  its 
body,  and  depart  altogether,  leaving  the  body  a  corpse.  Cf  Frazer,  Taboo  and 
Perils  of  the  Soul,  pp.  37  and  49. 

The  ancient  idea  of  the  wandering  soul  has  given  rise  to  a  motif  in  Eastern 


38  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

let  Vararuchi  prefer  the  petition  to  me,  and  I  will  give  him 
the  gold,  and  let  Vyadi  guard  my  body  until  I  return." 
Saying  this,  Indradatta  entered  into  the  body  of  King  Nanda, 
and  when  the  king  came  to  life  again  there  was  great  re- 
joicing in  the  kingdom.  While  Vyadi  remained  in  an  empty 
temple  to  guard  the  body  of  Indradatta,  I  went  to  the 
king's  palace.  I  entered,  and,  after  making  the  usual  saluta- 
tion, I  asked  the  supposed  Nanda  for  ten  million  gold  pieces 
as   my  instructor's  fee.      Then  he  ordered   a  man  named 

fiction  called  by  various  names,  such  as  dehantara-avesa,  anya-deha-pravesako yogah, 
etc.,  which  we  may  translate  as  "entering  another's  body."  It  is  this  motif 
which  has  given  the  rawi  an  excellent  opportunity  of  introducing  all  kinds  of 
situations  and  exciting  incidents  into  his  tales.  Our  story  of  King  Nanda 
and  Indradatta  is  a  good  example  of  the  use  to  which  the  motif  can  be  put. 

As  the  "  entering  another's  body  "  motif  occurs  again  in  Chapter  XLV  of 
this  work,  I  shall  have  more  to  say  in  a  further  note,  especially  with  regard 
to  a  paper  by  Professor  Bloomfield,  entitled  "  On  the  Art  of  Entering  Another's 
Body,"  Proc.  Amer.  Philoso.  Soc.,  lvi,  1.  I  shall,  however,  conclude  this  note 
by  stressing  the  fact  that  there  are  two  distinct  motifs  in  connection  with 
the  "soul."  One  is  connected  with  the  possession  of  the  magical  power 
(yoga)  of  leaving  one's  own  body  and  entering  that  of  a  dead  person  or 
animal,  which  can  be  looked  upon  as  a  more  developed  form  of  the  idea 
of  the  "  wandering  soul." 

The  other  motif  is  recognised  by  the  fact  that  a  person  regularly  keeps 
his  "heart,"  "soul,"  or  "life"  in  an  extraneous  object.  This  is  the  "external 
soul"  or  "life-index  "  motif 

The  two  motifs  are  perfectly  clear  and  distinct,  but,  as  both  W.  Crooke 
and  E.  Sidney  Hartland  have  muddled  them  up  (see  below),  some  elucidation 
seems  necessary.  An  excellent  example  of  the  motif  with  which  we  are  here 
concerned — that  of  "entering  another's  body" — forms  the  ladies'  thirtieth 
story  in  Gibb's  History  of  the  Forty  Vezirs,  p.  313.  The  story  is  still  current 
in  Kashmir  and  was  told  with  only  slight  differences  to  Sir  Aurel  Stein  in 
1896  by  a  professional  story-teller  named  Hatim  Tilawonu,  of  Panzil  in  the 
Sind  Valley.  It  appears  as  "  The  Tale  of  a  Parrot "  in  Stein  and  Grierson's 
Hatim  s  Tales,  1923,  pp.  5-11.  On  pp.  xxxi  and  xxxii  of  the  same  work  both 
Crooke  and  Hartland  comment  on  the  story.  The  latter  quotes  Gibb's  tale 
and  wrongly  says  it  is  an  example  of  the  "  separable  soul "  cycle.  He  also 
makes  a  mistake  in  his  short  resume  of  the  story  itself,  as  the  king  is  not 
"  forced  to  enter  and  reanimate  a  dead  parrot,"  he  does  it  entirely  of  his 
own  free  will,  to  show  his  vezlr  how  clever  he  is.  The  forcing  comes  in  when 
he  finds  later  he  is  unable  to  re-enter  his  own  body  as  it  is  already  occupied — 
so  he  is  forced  to  await  his  opportunity  while  still  in  the  body  of  the  parrot. 
On  p.  xxxii  Crooke  says :  "  The  tale  under  consideration  is  what  has  been 
called  '  The  Life- Index '  of  the  king."     This  is  equally  wrong.     It  is  clearly  no 


THE  SUPPOSED  NANDA  39 

Sakatala,1  the  minister  of  the  real  Nanda,  to  give  me  ten 
million  of  gold  pieces.  That  minister,  when  he  saw  that  the 
dead  king  had  come  to  life,  and  that  the  petitioner  immedi- 
ately got  what  he  asked,  guessed  the  real  state  of  the  case. 
What  is  there  that  the  wise  cannot  understand  ?  That 
minister  said  :  "It  shall  be  given,  your  Highness,"  and 
reflected  with  himself  :  "  Nanda's  son  is  but  a  child,  and  our 
realm  is  menaced  by  many  enemies,  so  I  will  do  my  best  for 
the  present  to  keep  his  body  on  the  throne  even  in  its  present 
state."  Having  resolved  on  this,  he  immediately  took  steps 
to  have  all  dead  bodies  burned,  employing  spies  to  discover 
them,  and  among  them  was  found  the  body  of  Indradatta, 
which  was  burned  after  Vyadi  had  been  hustled  out  of  the 
temple.  In  the  meanwhile  the  king  was  pressing  for  the 
payment  of  the  money,  but  Sakatala,  who  was  still  in  doubt, 
said  to  him  :  "  All  the  servants  have  got  their  heads  turned 
by  the  public  rejoicing,  let  the  Brahman  wait  a  moment 
until  I  can  give  it."  Then  Vyadi  came  and  complained  aloud 
in  the  presence  of  the  supposed  Nanda  :  "  Help,  help ;  a 
Brahman  engaged  in  magic,  whose  life  had  not  yet  come 
to  an  end  in  a  natural  way,  has  been  burnt  by  force  on 
the  pretext  that  his  body  was  untenanted,  and  this  in  the 
very  moment  of  your  good  fortune."  2    On  hearing  this  the 

life-index  at  all,  and  it  is  hard  to  conceive  how  Crooke  could  consider  it  such. 
It  is  a  very  obvious  example  of  the  motif  of  "entering  another's  body." 

In  a  later  note  I  shall  discuss  the  "  life-index  "  or  "  external  soul  "  motif 
at  some  length,  so  that  the  difference  between  these  two  "soul"  or  "life" 
motifs  will  be  even  still  clearer. — n.m.p. 

1  So  also  in  the  Parisishtaparvan  (ed.  Jacobi),  but  in  the  Prabandha- 
cintamani  (Tawney,  p.  193)  it  appears  as  Sakadala,  and  in  two  MSS.  as 
Sakatali. — n.m.p. 

2  Compare  the  story  in  the  Panchatantra,  Benfey's  translation,  p.  124, 
of  the  king  who  lost  his  soul  but  eventually  recovered  it.  Benfey  in  vol.  i, 
p.  128,  refers  to  some  European  parellels.  Liebrecht  in  his  Zur  Folkskunde, 
p.  206,  mentions  a  story  found  in  Apollonius  (Historia  MiralriUwn)  which 
forms  a  striking  parellel  to  this.  According  to  Apollonius,  the  soul  of 
Hermotimos  of  Klazomenae  left  his  body  frequently,  resided  in  different 
places,  and  uttered  all  kinds  of  predictions,  returning  to  his  body  which 
remained  in  his  house.  At  last  some  spiteful  persons  burned  his  body  in 
the  absence  of  his  soul.  There  is  a  slight  resemblance  to  this  story  in 
Sagas  from  the  Far  East,  p.  222.     By  this  it  may  be  connected  with  a  cycle 


40  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

supposed  Nanda  was  in  an  indescribable  state  of  distraction 
from  grief;  but  as  soon  as  Indradatta  was  imprisoned  in 
the  body  of  Nanda,  beyond  the  possibility  of  escape,  by  the 
burning  of  his  body,  the  discreet  Sakatala  went  out  and  gave 
me  that  ten  millions. 

Then  the  supposed  Nanda,1  full  of  grief,  said  in  secret 
to  Vyadi :  "  Though  a  Brahman  by  birth,  I  have  become  a 
Sudra.  What  is  the  use  of  my  royal  fortune  to  me  though 
it  be  firmly  established  ?  "  When  he  heard  that,  Vyadi  com- 
forted him,2  and  gave  him  seasonable  advice  :  "  You  have 
been  discovered  by  Sakatala,  so  you  must  henceforth  be 
on  your  guard  against  him,  for  he  is  a  great  minister,  and 
in  a  short  time  he  will,  when  it  suits  his  purpose,  destroy 
you,  and  will  make  Chandragupta,  the  son  of  the  previous 
Nanda,  king.  Therefore  immediately  appoint  Vararuchi  your 
minister,  in  order  that  your  rule  may  be  firmly  established 
by  the  help  of  his  intellect,  which  is  of  god- like  acuteness." 
When  he  had  said  this,  Vyadi  departed  to  give  that  fee  to 
his  preceptor,  and  immediately  Yogananda  sent  for  me  and 
made  me  his  minister.  Then  I  said  to  the  king  :  "  Though 
your  estate  as  a  Brahman  has  been  taken  from  you,  I  do  not 
consider  your  throne  secure  as  long  as  Sakatala  remains 
in  office,  therefore  destroy  him  by  some  stratagem."  When 
I  had  given  him  this  advice,  Yogananda  threw  Sakatala 
into  a  dark  dungeon,3  and  his  hundred  sons  with  him,  pro- 
claiming as  his  crime  that  he  had  burnt  a  Brahman  alive. 
One  porringer  of  barley-meal  and  one  of  water  was  placed 
inside  the  dungeon  every  day  for  Sakatala  and  his  sons,  and 

of  European  tales  about  princes  with  ferine  skin,  etc.  Apparently  a  treatise 
has  been  written  on  this  story  by  Herr  Varnhagen.  It  is  mentioned  in  The 
Saturday  Review  of  22nd  July   1882    as  "Ein  indisches   Marchen  auf  seiner 

Wanderung  durch   die  asiatischen   und   europaischen    Litteraturen." See 

also  Tawney's  Kathakoca,  Royal  Asiatic  Society,  1895,  p.  38.  For  the  burning 
of  temporarily  abandoned  bodies  see  Benfey,  op.  cit.,  vol.  i,  p.  253,  and  vol.  ii, 
p.  147. — N.M.P. 

1  Or  Yogananda.     So  called  as  being  Nanda  by  yoga  or  magic. The 

name  Indradatta  is  now  dropped  and  hereafter  he  is  referred  to  only  as 
Yogananda. — n.m  .  p. 

2  I  read  ahasya. 

3  Compare  this  story  with  that  of  Ugolino  in  Dante's  Inferno. 


YOGANANDA  41 

thereupon  he  said  to  them  :  "  My  sons,  even  one  man  alone 
would  with  difficulty  subsist  on  this  barley-meal,  much  less 
can  a  number  of  people  do  so.  Therefore  let  that  one  of  us 
who  is  able  to  take  vengeance  on  Yogananda  consume  every 
day  the  barley-meal  and  the  water."  His  sons  answered  him  : 
"  You  alone  are  able  to  punish  him,  therefore  do  you  con- 
sume them."  For  vengeance  is  dearer  to  the  resolute  than 
life  itself.  So  Sakatala  alone  subsisted  on  that  meal  and 
water  every  day.  Alas  !  those  whose  souls  are  set  on  victory 
are  cruel.  Sakatala,  in  the  dark  dungeon,  beholding  the  death 
agonies  of  his  starving  sons,  thought  to  himself :  "A  man 
who  desires  his  own  welfare  should  not  act  in  an  arbitrary 
manner  towards  the  powerful  without  fathoming  their 
character  and  acquiring  their  confidence."  Accordingly  his 
hundred  sons  perished  before  his  eyes,  and  he  alone  remained 
alive,  surrounded  by  their  skeletons.  Then  Yogananda  took 
firm  root  in  his  kingdom.  And  Vyadi  approached  him  after 
giving  the  present  to  his  teacher,  and  after  coming  near  to 
him  said  :  "  May  thy  rule,  my  friend,  last  long  !  I  take  my 
leave  of  thee.  I  go  to  perform  austerities  somewhere."  Hear- 
ing that,  Yogananda,  with  his  voice  choked  with  tears,  said 
to  him:  "Stop  thou  and  enjoy  pleasure  in  my  kingdom; 
do  not  go  and  desert  me."  Vyadi  answered  :  "  King  !  life 
comes  to  an  end  in  a  moment.  What  wise  man,  I  pray  you, 
drowns  himself  in  these  hollow  and  fleeting  enjoyments  ? 
Prosperity,  a  desert  mirage,  does  not  turn  the  head  of  the 
wise  man."  Saying  this  he  went  away  that  moment,  resolved 
to  mortify  his  flesh  with  austerities.  Then  that  Yogananda 
went  to  his  metropolis,  Pataliputra,  for  the  purpose  of  enjoy- 
ment, accompanied  by  me,  and  surrounded  with  his  whole 
army.  So  I,  having  attained  prosperity,  lived  for  a  long 
time  in  that  state,  waited  upon  by  Upakosa,  and  bearing 
the  burden  of  the  office  of  prime  minister  to  that  king,  ac- 
companied by  my  mother  and  my  preceptors.  There  the 
Ganges,  propitiated  by  my  austerities,  gave  me  every  day 
much  wealth,  and  Sarasvati,  present  in  bodily  form,  told 
me  continually  what  measures  to  adopt. 


42  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


THE   "ENTRAPPED   SUITORS"   MOTIF 

The  "entrapped  suitors"  motif,  as  I  would  call  it,  is  to  be  found  through- 
out both  Asia  and  Europe.  I  consider  it  forms,  without  doubt,  an  example 
of  a  migratory  tale.  The  original  form  of  the  story,  and  origin  of  all 
the  others,  is  that  in  the  Ocean  of  Story.  The  incidents  in  it  are  of  such 
a  nature  that  the  theory  of  numerous  independent  origins  is  unfeasible. 
A  close  inspection  of  the  various  stories  I  shall  quote  shows  quite  clearly 
the  effects  of  local  environment,  and  two  distinct  variants  of  story  can  be 
perceived : 

1.  The  woman  entraps  three,  or  more,  suitors  and  holds  them  up  to 
ridicule  before  her  husband,  or  the  entire  city. 

2.  The  incident  of  a  test  article  of  chastity  is  added ;  accordingly  the 
gallants  try  to  cause  the  wife  to  be  unfaithful,  so  that  her  action  will  have  its 
effect  on  the  magic  article. 

In  both  variants  the  gallants  are  hidden  in  trunks  or  sacks,  and  come  out 
painted,  naked,  feathered,  and  so  forth. 

We  will  start  our  inquiry  in  India  and  move  slowly  westwards. 

General  Cunningham  states  on  p.  53  of  his  The  Stupa  of  Bharhut,  London, 
1879,  that  in  one  of  the  sculptures  he  thinks  he  can  clearly  detect  the 
denouement  of  our  story.  If  this  is  so,  it  proves  that  (1)  the  story  is  of 
Buddhist  origin  ;  (2)  it  dates  from  the  third  century  b.c.  Barhut  (or  Bharahut) 
is  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  south-west  of  Allahabad,  and  if  the 
story,  or  at  any  rate  some  part  of  it,  was  well  enough  known  to  be  represented 
in  a  bas-relief  of  an  edifice  raised  over  the  ashes  of  some  distinguished  person, 
it  seems  quite  possible  that  it  would  have  found  its  way  into  the  Brihat-Kathd, 
to  be  later  utilised  by  Somadeva.  Nevertheless  the  first  literary  appearance 
of  the  M  entrapped  suitors  "  story  is  undoubtedly  in  the  Ocean  of  Story.  In 
the  story  of  Devasmita  in  Chapter  XIII  of  this  volume  we  find  a  distinct 
resemblance  to  the  tale  of  Upakosa,  with  the  addition  of  the  two  red  lotuses, 
of  which  the  absent  husband  takes  one  and  the  wife  keeps  the  other.  Both 
remain  unfaded  while  chastity  lasts.  Devasmita  has  the  gallants  drugged, 
after  which  they  are  stripped,  branded  and  thrown  into  a  ditch  of  filth.  Both 
these  tales  of  Somadeva  are  strictly  moral — the  heroine  is  a  virtuous  married 
woman,  she  is  faithful  to  her  absent  husband  and  shames  the  would-be 
adulterers.  We  shall  see  shortly  how,  on  reaching  other  lands,  incidents  are 
altered  and  new  ones  of  a  distinctly  coarse  nature  added. 

In  the  Indian  Antiquary,  vol.  ix,  pp.  2,  3,  1873,  G.  A.  Damant  relates,  in 
a  story  called  "The  Touchstone,"  the  tricks  played  by  a  woman  on  four 
admirers.  The  first  arrival  is  smeared  over  with  molasses,  drenched  with 
water,  covered  with  cotton-wool  and  fastened  in  a  window.  The  woman 
pretends  to  the  other  men  that  he  is  a  Rakshasa,  which  is  sufficient  for  them 
to  flee  and  leave  her  in  peace.  It  is  described  in  detail  by  Clouston  in  his 
Popular  Tales  and  Fictions,  vol.  ii,  pp.  303-305.  In  the  chapter  in  which  this 
occurs,  headed  "  The  Lady  and  her  Suitors,"  will  be  found  many  extracts 


THE  "ENTRAPPED  SUITORS"  MOTIF         43 

or  detailed  descriptions  of  several  of  the  stories  mentioned  in  this  note.  In 
Miss  Stokes'  Indian  Fairy  Tales  (No.  28)  the  heroine  is  accosted  by  four 
men  when  selling  her  thread  in  the  market.  She  gets  them  all  in  separate 
chests,  which  she  sells  to  the  men's  sons.  The  shame  of  the  fathers  when 
their  sons  open  the  chests  can  be  imagined !  (See  also  the  note  at  the  end 
of  Miss  Stokes'  book.) 

There  is  a  slight  connection  in  one  of  the  exploits  of  the  Indian  jester 
Temal  Ramakistnan  (quoted  by  Clouston,  op.  cit.,  vol.  ii,  pp.  305-307).  He 
makes  the  raja  and  priest,  from  whom  he  wishes  to  obtain  an  oath  of  protec- 
tion, imagine  they  are  going  to  an  assignation  with  the  fair  wife  of  a  traveller ; 
he  then  locks  them  up  till  he  gets  what  he  wants. 

Proceeding  westward  from  India  we  find  a  similar  story  to  that  under  dis- 
cussion in  Thorburn's  Bannu,  or  Our  Afghan  Frontier  (see  Melusine,  p.  178). 

In  Persia  the  story  soon  became  popular.  It  occurs  in  the  Tuti-Nmna  of 
Nakhshabi ;  in  the  Thousand  and  One  Days,  by  the  Dervish  Makhlis  of  Ispahan, 
where  the  wife  is  still  virtuous  and  successfully  shames  her  would-be  lovers.  It 
also  appears  in  the  Bahar-i-Danish,  or  Spring  of  Knowledge,  by  'Inayatu-'llah. 
In  this  story  the  husband  is  in  the  hands  of  the  police.  His  wife,  Gohera  by 
name,  entraps  the  Kutwal  (police  magistrate)  in  a  big  jar  and  a  kazi  in  a  chest, 
and  finally  gets  her  husband  released.  There  is  another  Persian  story  worth 
mentioning — Gul-i-Bakawall,  or  The  Rose  of  Bakawall,  written  by  Shaykh  'Izzat 
Ullah  in  1712.  Four  brothers  get  enticed  into  the  house  of  a  courtesan, 
lose  everything  by  gambling,  become  her  slaves  and,  after  being  branded  on 
their  backs  as  a  mark  of  their  shame,  are  released  by  the  hero,  their  youngest 
brother.  (For  further  details  see  Clouston's  A  Group  of  Eastern  Romances  and 
Stories,  1889,  p.  240  et  seq.) 

We  now  pass  on  to  Arabia,  where  we  find  the  story  fully  developed,  with 
a  few  coarse  additions  inserted  by  the  rawi.  It  appears  twice  in  the  Nights 
(Burton,  vol.  vi,  p.  172  et  seq.,  and  Supp.,  vol.  v,  p.  253  et  seq.).  The  first  of 
these  is  the  tale  of  "The  Lady  and  her  Five  Suitors."  As  in  the  Persian 
Bahar-i-Danish,  so  here  the  woman's  action  is  caused  by  the  desire  to  free 
her  husband  from  prison.  She  dresses  the  men  in  comical  clothes  and  hides 
each  of  them  in  a  kind  of  tall-boy  which  she  has  had  specially  made  for  the 
purpose.  The  five  men  are  kept  locked  up  in  it  for  three  days,  and  it  is  here 
that  the  rawi  takes  care  not  to  lose  the  chance  of  getting  a  laugh  out  of  his 
audience  by  adding  a  few  unpleasant  details.  The  second  story  is  "The 
Goodwife  of  Cairo  and  her  Four  Gallants."  The  woman  makes  them  strip 
and  put  on  a  gaberdine  and  bonnet.  When  the  husband  returns  they  are 
let  out  of  the  chest  on  the  condition  that  they  will  first  dance  and  each  tell 
a  story,  which  they  do. 

In  The  Seven  Vazirs  an  almost  exact  story  to  the  first  one  mentioned  in 
the  Nights  appears  as  the  first  tale  of  the  sixth  vazlr.  It  is  entitled  "Story 
of  the  Merchant's  Wife  and  her  Suitors."  (See  p.  181  et  seq.  of  Clouston's 
Book  of  Sindibad.) 

In  the  Turkish  History  of  the  Forty  Vezirs,  the  twenty-first  vezir's  story 
bears  a  slight  resemblance  to  the  above,  but  there  is  only  one  man  and  he  is 
the  willing  lover  of  the  woman.     (See  Gibb's  translation,  p.  227  et  seq.)     In 


44  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

Europe  we  find  the  story  very  widely  spread.  One  of  the  most  complete 
and  oldest  versions  is  fabliau  entitled  "  De  la  dame  qui  attrapa  un  pretre, 
un  prevot,  et  un  forestier,"  or  "  Constant  du  Hamel."  See  Barbazan-Meon's 
Fabliaux  et  Contes  des  Poetes  Frangois  des  XIe-XVe  siecles,  4  vols.,  Paris,  1808, 
iii,  p.  296,  and  Montaiglon's  Recueil  general  et  complet  des  Fabliaux  des 
XIII"  et  XI Ve  siecles,  6  vols.,  Paris,  1877,  iv,  p.  166.  In  this  version  the 
gallants  strip,  bathe,  get  into  a  tub  of  feathers  and  are  finally  chased  by 
dogs  through  the  streets. 

In  Italy  it  forms,  with  variations,  the  eighth  novel  of  the  eighth  day  of 
The  Decameron ;  the  forty -third  of  the  third  deca  of  Bandello ;  the  eighth  novel 
of  the  ninth  day  of  Sansovino ;  the  fifth  tale  of  the  second  night  of  Straparola; 
the  eighth  novel  of  Forteguerri,  and  the  ninth  diversion  of  the  third  day  of  the 
Pentamerone.  There  is  also  a  faint  echo  in  Gonzenbach's  Sicilianische  Mcirchen, 
No.  55,  pp.  359-362.  Compare  also  No.  72  (6)  in  the  Novella?  Morlini 
(Liebrecht's  Dunlop,  p.  497).  Fuller  details  of  the  Italian  variants  can  be 
found  in  A.  C.  Lee's  The  Decameron,  its  Sources  and  Analogues,  1909,  pp.  261-266. 
No.  69  of  the  Continental  Gesta  Romanorum  begins  with  the  story  of  a  shirt 
of  chastity.  Three  soldiers  attempt  to  make  it  dirty,  thereby  showing  the 
man's  wife  has  been  untrue — with  the  usual  result.  In  the  English  Gesta 
(Herrtage  25)  three  knights  are  killed.  The  best  English  version,  how- 
ever, is  found  in  the  metrical  tale  of  "The  Wright's  Chaste  Wife,"  Adam 
of  Cobsam,  circa  1462.  (See  Furnivall,  English  Text  Society,  1865.)  In  this 
story  a  garland  is  the  article  of  chastity,  the  gallants  fall  through  a  trap-door 
and  are  made  to  spin  flax  until  the  husband  returns.  Massinger's  play  of 
1630,  The  Picture,  may  be  taken  from  the  above.  (See  Clouston,  Popular  Tales, 
vol.  ii,  p.  292.) 

In  the  story  of  the  "Mastermaid"  in  Dasent,  Tales  from  the  Norse 
(2nd  edition,  p.  81  et  seq.),  a  woman  with  magical  knowledge  consents  to 
receive  three  constables  on  consecutive  nights.  On  each  man  she  employs 
her  magic,  making  them  do  some  foolish  thing  from  which  they  are  unable 
to  get  free  till  the  dawn. 

An  Icelandic  variant  is  found  in  Powell  and  Magnusson's  (2nd  series) 
collection,  entitled  "Story  of  Geirlaug  and  Groedari." 

Finally  in  Portugal  there  is  a  variant  in  the  sixty-seventh  story  in  Coelho's 
Contos  Populares  Portugueses,  1879. — n.m.p. 


H 


CHAPTER  V 

AVING  said  this,  Vararuchi  continued  his  tale  as 
[MI]     follows:  — 

1.  Story  of  Vararuchi  .  .  . 


In  course  of  time  Yogananda  became  enslaved  by  his 
passions,  and  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  Sakatala  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  Sakatala  out  of  the  deep  dungeon.  Brahmans  are 
always  soft-hearted.  Now  the  discreet  Sakatala  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  showing  its  five  fingers  : 
*  What  cannot  five  men  united  effect  in  this  world  ?  '  Then 
I,  king,  showed  it  these  two  fingers,  wishing  to  indicate  that 
nothing  is  impossible  when  even  two  men  are  of  one  mind." 
45 


46  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

When  I  uttered  this  solution  of  the  riddle  the  king  was 
delighted,  and  Sakatala  was  despondent,  seeing  that  my 
intellect  would  be  difficult  to  circumvent.1 

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 
The  Fish  that  a  passion,  and  he  gave  orders  that  the  Brahman 
Laughed  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.2 

1  This  language  of  signs  occurs  two  or  three  times  in  the  present  work 
(see  Chapters  VII,  LXXV).  It  is  found  in  the  Nights  and  other  Eastern 
collections.     I  shall  have  more  to  say  on  the  subject  in  a  future  note. — n.m.p. 

2  Dr  Liebrecht  in  Orient  und  Occident,  vol.  i,  p.  341,  compares  with  this 
story  one  in  the  old  French  romance  of  Merlin.  There  Merlin  laughs 
because  the  wife  of  the  Emperor  Julius  Caesar  had  twelve  young  men  dis- 
guised as  ladies-in-waiting.  Benfey,  in  a  note  on  Dr  Liebrecht's  article, 
compares  with  the  story  of  Merlin  one  by  the  Countess  D'Aulnoy,  No.  36 
of  the  Pentamerone  of  Basile,  Straparola,  iv,  1,  and  a  story  in  the  Suka 
Saptati. 

In  the  tale  from  Straparola  (see  translation  by  W.  G.  Waters,  London, 
1894,  vol.  i,  p.  177)  it  is  a  wild  satyr,  named  Chiappino,  who  laughs — twice. 
First  because  the  hero  is  called  Constanzo,  when  really  she  is  a  woman 
disguised  and  should  be  called  Constanza.  The  second  laugh  was  for 
exactly  the  same  reason  as  in  our  story.  The  reference  to  the  Pentamerone 
story  of  "The  Three  Crowns"  (Burton,  vol.  ii,  p.  404  et  seq.)  by  Benfey  is 
quite  inappropriate,  as  it  merely  deals  with  a  case  of  a  woman's  love  scorned 
by  a  man  who,  when  accused  of  attempted  seduction,  proves  to  be  a  woman. 
The  version  in  Suka  Saptati  is  very  like  our  text,  and  the  laugh  is  even 
more  mysterious  and  ironical  than  that  in  the  Ocean  of  Story,  because  it 
shows  the  double  hypocrisy  of  the  queen,  and  the  fish  is  not  only  dead, 
but  cooked :  "  King  Vikramaditya  of  Ujjayini  dines  with  his  beloved  wife 
Kamalila.  He  offers  her  roast  fish,  and  she  declines :  '  My  lord,  I  am  unable 
to  look  at  these  men,  much  less  to  take  hold  of  them.'  When  the  fish 
heard  that  they,  fried  as  they  were,  broke  into  peals  of  laughter,  so 
that  the  people  of  the  city  heard  it."  In  this  case  the  final  exposure  of 
the  queen  is  brought  about  in  a  very  intricate  way  by  the  wise  maiden 
Balapandita.  The  same  story  appears,  even  more  elaborately,  in  Knowles' 
Folk-Tales  of  Kashmir,  1888,  p.  484  et  seq.  It  appears  in  Jacobi's  Indian 
Fairy  Tales,  1 892,  p.  1 86  et  seq. ;  and  also  in  Bompas'  Folk-Lore  of  the 
Santal  Parganas,  1909,  p.  70  et  seq.  In  the  former  the  "guessing  riddles" 
motif  is  introduced  into  the  story,  while  in  the  latter  there  are  two  laughing 
fish.     Professor  Bloomfield  (Journ.  Amer.  Orient.  Soc,  191 6,  vol.  xxxvi,  pp.  54-89), 


THE  LAUGHING  FISH  47 

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  thou  shalt 
without  doubt  hear  the  reason  why  the  fish  laughed."  Hear- 
ing this  I  went  at  night  to  that  very  place,  and  ensconced 

in  his  paper,  "Psychic  Motifs  in  Hindu  Fiction,  and  the  Laugh  and  Cry 
Motif,"  has  classified  the  various  kinds  of  laughs  occurring  in  Hindu  fiction. 
There  is  the  cry  and  laugh  together,  and  each  separately.  Of  laughter  by 
itself,  as  in  our  text,  there  is  the  laugh  of  joy,  of  irony,  malice,  trickery 
and  triumph.  Then  there  is  the  sardonic  laugh,  the  enigmatic,  fateful 
laugh  (sometimes  with  ironic  humour  in  it),  and  finally  there  is  the  laugh 
of  mystery,  as  in  the  case  of  the  fish  that  laughed.  Examples  from  Hindu 
fiction  of  all  these  varieties  will  be  found  in  Bloomfield's  article.  In 
England  we  have  the  expression,  "enough  to  make  a  cat  laugh/'  but 
imagine  anything  being  so  funny  or  curious  as  to  raise  a  laugh  from  the 
coldest-blooded  of  animals — a  fish,  and  that  a  dead  one  ! 

In  one  case,  however,  in  Prabandhacintamani  (see  Tawney's  fine  trans- 
lation, Bib.  Indica,  1899,  p.  15)  the  fish  is  not  dead,  but  has  just  been 
thrown  up  by  the  waves.  When  the  king  demands  an  explanation  it  is 
given  as  follows : — "  In  a  former  life,  as  a  poor  wood-carrier,  you  used  to 
come  to  eat  your  humble  meat  at  the  bank  of  this  very  river.  One  time 
you  saw  walking  in  front  of  you  a  Jaina  hermit  who  had  come  to  break  a 
month's  fast.  So  you  called  him  and  gave  him  the  ball  of  meat  that  you 
had  made.  From  the  surpassing  merit  of  that  act  you  have  become  King 
(^alivahana.  The  hermit  has  become  a  god.  That  god  entered  into  the 
fish  and  laughed  for  joy  at  beholding  the  soul  of  the  wood-carrier,  which 
is  none  other  than  yourself,  born  in  the  rank  of  a  king."  (See  Tawney's 
note  on  p.  208  of  his  translation,  where  he  refers  to  a  similar  tale  in  the 
Prabandhakosa. ) 

Smuggling  men  into  the  harem  is  a  favourite  motif  of  Eastern  tales. 
One  of  the  best-known  cases  occurs  at  the  beginning  of  the  Nights  (Burton, 
vol.  i,  pp.  6  and  9)  in  "The  Story  of  King  Shahryar  and  his  Brother," 
where  the  brother  sees  the  queen  enter  a  garden  with  twenty  slave-girls : 
"...  they  advanced  a  little  way  into  the  garden  till  they  came  to  a  jetting 
fountain  amiddlemost  a  great  basin  of  water;  then  they  stripped  off  their 
clothes  and  behold,  ten  of  them  were  women,  concubines  of  the  king,  and 
the  other  ten  were  white  slaves."  (See  also  "The  Reeve's  Tale"  on  p.  282  of 
the  same  volume.) 

In  ancient  India  the  smuggling  of  men  into  harems  seems  to  have 
been  brought  to    a  fine  art,    if  we   may  judge  from  the  sixth   chapter   of 


48  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

myself  on  the  top  of  the  palm-tree,  and  saw  a  terrible  female 
Rakshasa  x  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."  2 
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  todeath,'  and  this  tickled 

Part  V  of  Vatsyayana's  Kama  Sutra,  Instructions  are  given  as  to  the  best 
way  for  entrance  and  exit,  and  by  what  means  the  Palace  guards  can  be 
bribed  or  avoided.  It  is  suggested  that  besides  getting  into  the  harem 
in  women's  clothes  the  lover  can  sometimes  gain  entrance  disguised  as  a 
watchman,  or  may  be  taken  in  or  out  rolled  in  a  bed  or  curtain  cloth. 
After  showing  the  utter  depravity  of  both  the  women,  their  lovers  and 
guards,  Vatsyayana  ends  the  chapter  by  saying  the  information  given  is 
merely  for  the  good  of  men  to  enable  them  to  protect  their  own  wives 
against  any  such  deceits  ! — n.m.p. 

1  For  details  of  these  demons  see  Appendix  I  at  the  end  of  this 
volume. — n.m.p. 

2  Cf  the  following  passage  in  a  Danish  story  called  "  Svend's  Exploits,"  in 
Thorpe's  Yule-tide  Stories,  p.  341.  Just  as  he  was  going  to  sleep,  twelve  crows 
came  flying  and  perched  in  the  elder-trees  over  Svend's  head.  They  began 
to  converse  together,  and  the  one  told  the  other  what  had  happened  to  him 
that  day.  When  they  were  about  to  fly  away,  one  crow  said :  "  I  am  so 
hungry ;  where  shall  I  get  something  to  eat  ? "  "  We  shall  have  food  enough 
to-morrow  when  father  has  killed  Svend,"  answered  the  crow's  brother. 
"Dost  thou  think  then  that  such  a  miserable  fellow  dares  fight  with  our 
father?"  said  another.  "Yes,  it  is  probable  enough  that  he  will,  but  it  will 
not  profit  him  much,  as  our  father  cannot  be  overcome  but  with  the  Man  of 
the  Mount's  sword,  and  that  hangs  in  the  mound,  within  seven  locked  doors, 
before  each  of  which  are  two  fierce  dogs  that  never  sleep."  Svend  thus 
learns  that  he  should  only  be  sacrificing  his  strength  and  life  in  attempting 
a  combat  with  the  dragon  before  he  had  made  himself  master  of  the  Man  of 
the  Mount's  sword. 

So  Sigfrid  hears  two  birds  talking  above  his  head  in  Hagen's  Helden-Sagen, 

vol.  i,  p.  345. See  also  the  story  of  Lalitanga,  in  which  the  cunning  of 

Vararuchi  is  referred  to,  in  Tawney,  Kathakoqa,  p.  164,  and  Bloomfield,  Life 
and  Stories  of  Pargvanatha,  pp.  26,  31,  186  and  187.  I  shall  have  more  to  say 
on  this  motif  of  "overhearing"  in  a  note  in  Vol.  Ill,  Chapter  XXIX. — n.m.p. 


THE  QUEEN'S  MOLE  49 

the  fish  so  that  he  laughed.  For  demons  assume  these  dis- 
guises, 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  proceed- 
ings on  the  part  of  the  king,  and  while  I  was  in  this  frame 
of  mind  there  came  to  the  Court  a  new  painter.  He  painted 
The  Mole  on  on  a  sheet  of  canvas  the  principal  queen  and 
the  Queens  Yogananda,  and  that  picture  of  his  looked  as  if 
Body  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  apart- 
ments. 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  arrange- 
ment 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  the  queen  all  her  lucky  marks.  Then  Yogananda 
entered  and  saw  that  spot,  and  asked  his  chamberlains  who 
had  painted  it.  And  they  indicated  me  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  ?  x    No 

1  Compare  the  "mole  cinque-spotted"  in  Cymbeline. 

The  attraction  of  the  mole  has  always  been  fully  recognised  in  the  East. 
Indian,  Persian  and  Arabic  fiction  abound  in  beautiful  and  often  exaggerated 
similes.  The  mole  is  likened  to  a  crumb  of  ambergris,  a  spot  of  nut-brown 
musk,  or  to  an  ant  creeping  on  the  cheek  towards  the  honey  of  the  mouth.  It  is 
well  known  that  Hafiz  offered  (had  they  been  his)  to  give  away  both  Samarkand 
and  Bokhara  for  a  single  mole  on  his  beloved's  face. 

So  great  is  the  admiration  for  moles  that  professional  tattooists  do  a  large 

trade  in  artificially  producing  them.     In  India  it  is  usually  done  by  low-caste 

wandering  gypsies  or  members  of  the  Nai,  or  barber  caste.     They  insert  the 

point  of  a  needle  under  the  epidermis  and  introduce  the  juice  of  a  plant  which 

D 


50  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

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.1  Then  of  his  own  motion 
he  summoned  Sakatala,  and  gave  him  the  following  order  :— 
"  You  must  put  Vararuchi  to  death  for  seducing  the  queen." 
Sakatala  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  god-like 
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  resolu- 
tion, 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  someone  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  someone  else  put  to  death  at  night, 
in  order  that  the  report  of  my  death  might  be  spread.2 
When  he  had  in  this  way  displayed  his  statecraft,  I  said 
to  him  out  of  affection :  "  You  have  shown  yourself  an 
unrivalled  minister  in  that  you  did  not  attempt  to  put  me 
to  death ;  for  I  cannot  be  slain,  since  I  have  a  Rakshasa  to 
friend,  and  he  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  :  "  Show  me  the  Rakshasa."  Then  I  showed  him  that 
Rakshasa  who  came  with  a  thought ;  and  on  beholding 
him  Sakatala  was  astonished  and  terrified.  And  when  the 
Rakshasa  had  disappeared  Sakatala  again  asked  me  :  "  How 
did  the  Rakshasa   become  your  friend  ?  "      Then   I   said  : 

soon  dries  into  an  indelible  dark  spot.  The  usual  places  chosen  are  between 
the  eyebrows,  below  the  under  lip,  and  on  the  cheek,  breast  and  forearms. 
In  Bengal  the  process  is  called  Ulki  or  Godarii. — n.m.p. 

1  See  Sir  G.  Grierson's  article,  "Vararuchi  as  a  Guesser  of  Acrostics/' 
in  the  Indian  Antiquary,  1881,  vol.  x,  pp.  366-370.  He  gives  a  much  more 
elaborate  version  of  this  part  of  the  story,  which  he  heard  from  a  Tirhutifi 
Brahman.     It  was  known  as  "  The  Story  of  Sasemira." — n.m.p. 

2  Compare  Measure  for  Measure. 


SIVAVARMAN  51 

"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  con- 
sidered 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.'  Hear- 
ing my  answer,  he  said  :  6  You  are  the  only  man  that  has 
beaten  me.'  And  now  that  I  had  escaped  death  by  solving 
his  riddle,1  he  again  said  to  me  :  c  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,  Sakatala  made  a  second  request  to  me,  and 
I  showed  him  the  goddess  of  the  Ganges  in  human  form 
who  came  when  I  thought  of  her.  And  that  goddess  dis- 
appeared when  she  had  been  gratified  by  me  with  hymns 
of  praise.  But  Sakatala  became  from  henceforth  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  ?  2  In  proof  of  which  listen  to 
the  following  tale  :— 

lc.  6ivavarman 

There  reigned  here  long  ago  a  king  named  Adityavar- 
man,  and  he  had  a  very  wise  minister,  named  Sivavarman. 

1  Cf.  the  story  of  (Edipus  and  the  Mahabharata  (Vanaparva,  chap,  cccxii), 
where  Yudhishthira  is  questioned  by  a  Yaksha.  Benfey  compares  Mahabharata 
xiii  (iv,  206),  5883-5918,  where  a  Brahman  seized  by  a  Rakshasa  escaped  in 
the  same  way.  The  reader  will  find  similar  questioning  demons  described  in 
Veckenstedt's  Wendische  Sagen,  pp.  54-56,  and  109. 

2  Reading  chuddhis  for  the  chudis  of  Dr  Brockhaus'  text. 


52  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

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 
Sivavarman  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  Sivavarman  on  some 
pretext  to  Bhogavarman,  a  neighbouring   chief,1  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.2     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  Adityavarman  when  he  heard  of  it  was  filled  with 
remorse,  and  asked  himself  why  he  had  causelessly  brought 
about  the  death  of  so  excellent  a  minister.     In  the  mean- 
while Sivavarman  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  Sivavarman  in  secret  the  order  he  had  received  to 
put  him  to  death. 

The  excellent  minister  Sivavarman  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,  Bhogavar- 
man 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 

1  Samanta  seems  to  mean  a  feudatory  or  dependent  prince. 

2  Much  could  be  written  on  the  "  letter  of  death  "  motif  in  fiction.  I 
shall  have  more  to  say  in  Chapter  XLII,  where  such  a  letter  occurs  again. 
Widely  distributed  throughout  the  East,  the  "letter  of  death"  appeared  in 
Europe  about  the  twelfth  century. — n.m.p. 


HIRANYAGUPTA  AND  THE  BEAR 


53 


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  Sivavarman 
out  of  his  country  that  moment ;  so  that  minister  by  means 
of  his  wisdom  returned  alive,  and  his  innocence  was  estab- 
lished from  another  quarter,  for  righteousness  cannot  be 
undone.  In  the  same  way  your  innocence  will  be  made  clear, 
Katyayana 1 ;  remain  for  a  while  in  my  house  ;  this  king  too 
will  repent  of  what  he  has  done. 


1.  Story  of  Vararuchi  .  .  . 

When  Sakatala   said   this   to   me,    I    spent  those    days 
concealed  in  his  house. 

Then  it  came  to  pass  that  one  day,  O  Kanabhuti,  a  son 
of  that  Yogananda  named  Hiranyagupta  went  out  hunting, 
and  when  he  had  somehow  or  other  been  carried  to  a  great 
Hiranyagupta  distance  by  the  speed  of  his  horse,  while  he  was 
and  the  Bear  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 

1  Readers  should  not  forget  that  when  Pushpadanta  descended  to  earth 
by  Parvati's  curse  his  name  was  changed  to  Vararuchi  and  Katyayana. — n.m.p. 


54  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

friend,"  1  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  !  ?  Sakatala, 
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 :  "  O  King,  cease  from  despondency ;  Vararuchi 
remains  alive."  Then  Yogananda  said  :  "  Let  him  be  brought 
quickly."  Then  I  was  suddenly  brought  by  Sakatala  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  :  4i  King,  he  has  proved  a 
traitor  to  his  friend."  Then  I  was  praised  by  that  prince 
who  was  delivered  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,2  and  then  your 

1  Benfey  considers  that  this  story  was  originally  Buddhistic.  A  very 
similar  story  is  quoted  by  him  from  the  Karmasataka  (Panchatantra,  i,  p.  209) ; 
cf.  also  Chapter  LXV  of  this  work. 

2  This  is  the  well-known  suttee  (an  English  corruption  from  the  Sanskrit 
sati  =  "  good  woman").  It  dates  from  about  the  fourth  century  b.c.  By  the 
sixth  century  a.d.  it  grew  to  have  a  full  religious  sanction,  although  it  was 
not  universal  throughout  India.  In  about  the  tenth  to  fifteenth  centuries 
it  was  chiefly  a  Brahminic  rite.     The   manner  of  sacrifice  differs  in  various 


SAKATALA'S  REVENGE  55 

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  recog- 
nising me  told  me  in  sorrowful  accents  the  following  story  :— 

"  Hear  what  happened  to  Nanda  after  you  had  left  him. 
Sakatala,  after  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 

Sakatala  has  _      .        _to  J     1  °   ,  °  - 

kit  Revenge  on  killed,  he  happened  to  see  a  Brahman  named 
King  Nanda     Chanakya  digging  up  the  earth  in  his  path.     He 

(Yogananda)     ^    ^    ^  .      c  Why    ape    yQU    diggmg    up    the 

earth  ?  '  The  Brahman  whom  he  had  asked  said  :  '  I  am 
rooting  up  a  plant  of  darbha  grass  here  because  it  has  pricked 
my  foot.1    When  he  heard  that,  the  minister  thought  that 

districts.  Under  British  rule  suttee  became  illegal  in  1829.  I  shall  have  more 
to  say  on  the  subject  in  a  later  volume. — n.m.p. 

1  Probably  his  foot  bled,  and  so  he  contracted  defilement.  Darb/ia 
grass  is  the  most  sacred  of  the  various  kinds  of  grasses  (kusa,  durva,  etc.) 
held  in  special  veneration.  The  origin  of  darbha  grass  is  explained  in 
numerous  legends.  It  is  said  to  have  been  formed  from  the  hairs  of 
Vishnu  which  came  off  while,  in  his  tortoise  incarnation,  he  was  acting 
as  a  pivot  for  Mount  Mandara  at  the  Churning  of  the  Ocean.  Another  story 
relates  that  while  the  gods  were  drinking  the  Amrita  after  the  Churning 
a  few  drops  fell  on  the  grass  and  thus  made  it  sacred.  It  enters  into 
nearly  all  important  ceremonies  among  the  Hindus.  It  is  used  in  the 
famous  "sacred  thread"  (upanayana)  ceremony,  at  weddings,  in  offering 
up  prayers  or  invoking   deities,  at  funerals,  at   a  sraddha  (see  next  note), 


56  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

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  presiding  at  a  sraddha  *  on  the  thirteenth  day  of  the  lunar 

at  sacrifices,  and  at  numerous  other  ceremonies  connected  with  initiation, 
magic,  pregnancy,  menses,  and  different  forms  of  ordeals. 

With  regard  to  its  literary  history,  it  is  mentioned  in  the  Rig-Veda 
(i.  191,  3)  with  sara  and  kusara  grasses;  in  the  Atharva  Veda  (in  numerous 
places),  where  it  is  a  charm  against  anger,  baldness,  etc.  (See  Macdonell 
and  Keith,  Vedic  Index,  vol.  i,  p.  340.) 

In  appearance  darbha  grass  is  straight  and  pointed,  about  two  feet  in 
height,  very  rough  to  handle,  and  instantly  draws  blood  if  rubbed  the 
wrong  way  by  the  hand  or  foot  (as  in  our  text). — n.m.p. 

1  Sraddha  (Sanskrit,  sraddha,  =  faith,  trust,  belief)  is  the  most  important 
ceremony  connected  with  Hindu  ancestor-worship.  It  is  a  development  of  the 
ancient  custom  of  eating  at  funerals  and  providing  food  for  the  dead.  Manu 
{Institutes,  iii,  267-271)  gives  a  detailed  list  of  the  offerings  of  food  and  drink 
which  are  to  be  made,  with  regulations  for  the  correct  ritual  to  be  observed. 
The  modern  sraddha  is  most  intricate  and  elaborate.  It  has  been  described 
by  nearly  every  Indian  scholar  since  the  days  of  Dubois  and  Colebrooke.  The 
most  recent  and  comprehensive  account  is  in  Mrs  Sinclair  Stevenson's  The 
Rites  of  the  Twice-born,  1920,  pp.  158-192.  See  also  the  article,  "Ancestor- 
Worship  (Indian),"  by  W.  Crooke,  in  Hastings'  Ency.  Rel.  Eth.,  vol.  i,  p.  453,  and 
Sir  Charles  Eliot's  Hinduism  and  Buddhism,  3  vols.,  1921,  vol.  i,  pp.  338,  339. 

Space  will  not  permit  any  detailed  account  here  of  the  various  rites 
performed  on  the  different  days.  I  shall  merely  describe  shortly  the  rite 
of  feeding  the  spirit  which  extends  for  ten  days,  from  the  second  onwards, 
as  described  by  Crooke  (op.  cit.).  Grains  of  rice  (for  Brahmans)  or  barley- 
flour  (for  Kshatriyas  and  illegitimate  sons  of  Brahmans)  are  boiled  in  a 
copper  jar,  mixed  with  honey,  milk  and  sesamum.  The  mixture  is  made  into 
a  ball  (pinda),  which  is  offered  to  the  spirit  with  the  invocation  that  it 
may  obtain  liberation,  and  reach  the  abodes  of  the  blessed  after  crossing 
the  hell  called  Raurava  (Manu,  Institutes,  iv,  88).  By  this  rite  the  creation 
of  a  new  body  for  the  disembodied  soul  begins.  On  the  first  day  one  ball 
is  offered,  on  the  second  two,  and  so  on  until,  during  the  observances  of  the 
ten  days,  fifty-five  balls  have  been  offered.  Various  invocations  are  made, 
for  which  see  Muir,  Original  Sanskrit  Texts,  v,  297.  By  these  ten  days'  rites 
the  spirit  has  been  enabled  to  escape  from  the  same  number  of  different 
hells,  and  gradually  a  new  body  with  all  its  members  has  been  created. 
The  order  in  which  the  new  members  of  this  new  body  are  formed  is  some- 
times thus  defined.  On  the  first  day  the  dead  man  gains  his  head ;  on  the 
second  his  ears,  eyes  and  nose ;  on  the  third  his  hands,  breast  and  neck ; 
on  the  fourth  his  middle  parts;  on  the  fifth  his  legs  and  feet;  on  the 
sixth  his  vital  organs ;  on  the  seventh  his  bones,  marrow,  veins  and  arteries ; 
on  the  eighth  his  nails,  hair  and  teeth ;  on  the  ninth  all  remaining  limbs 
and  organs  and  his  manly  strength. — n.m.p. 


SAKATALA'S  REVENGE  57 

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,  Sakatala  took  that  Brahman  to  his 
house,  and  on  the  day  of  the  srdddha  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  srdddha,  but  a 
Brahman  named  Subandhu  desired  that  post  of  honour  for 
himself.     Then  Sakatala  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  Sakatala 
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.' 1    When  he  had  said 
this,  Yogananda  was   enraged  ;    so  Chanakya   escaped  un- 
observed and  Sakatala  gave  him  refuge  in  his  house.    Then, 
being  supplied  by  Sakatala  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  Sakatala,  having  slain  Nanda's  son  Hiranyagupta,  be- 
stowed the  royal  dignity  upon  Chandragupta,  a  son  of  the 
previous  Nanda.     And  after  he   had  requested  Chanakya, 
equal  in  ability  to  Brihaspati,2  to  be  Chandragupta's  prime 
minister  and  established  him  in  the  office,  that  minister,  con- 
sidering 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."  3 

1  The  innumerable  methods  recorded  of  swearing  an  oath  would  take  a 
volume  to  describe  in  detail.  The  most  comprehensive  account  I  know  is  that 
in  Hastings'  Ency.  Rel.  and  Eth.,  vol.  ix,  p.  430  et  seq.,  under  "Oath."  The 
article  is  by  Crawley,  Beet  and  Canney. — n.m.p. 

2  The  preceptor  of  the  gods. 

3  See  the  Mudra  Rakshasa  for  another  version  of  this  story  (Wilson, 
Hindu  Theatre,  vol.  ii).  Wilson  remarks  that  the  story  is  also  told  differently 
in  the  Puranas. 


58  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

After  I  had  heard  this,  O  Kanabhuti,  from  the  mouth 
of  that  Brahman,  I  became  exceedingly  afflicted,  seeing  that 
all  things  are  unstable  ;  and  on  account  of  my  affliction  I 
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,1 
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. 


[MI]  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  2  hermit,  and  while  he  was 
looking  on,  that  hermit's  hand  was  pricked  with  kusa  grass. 
Then  Vararuchi  turned  his  blood,  as  it  flowed  out,  into  sap  3 
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,  O  hermit,  you  have  not  abandoned 
egotism.  Egotism  is  in  truth  an  obstacle  in  the  road  to  know- 
ledge hard  to  overcome,  and  without  knowledge  liberation 

1  Sanskrit,  Prakrit  and  his  own  native  dialect. 

2  I    change    Dr    Brockhaus'    Sakdsana    into    Sdkasana. Durgaprasad's 

edition  of  the  text  now  proves  Tawney's  reading  correct. — n.m.p. 

3  As,  according  to  my  reading,  he  ate  vegetables,  his  blood  was  turned 
into  the  juice  of  vegetables.  Dr  Brockhaus  translates:  "machte,  dass  das 
herausstromende  Blut  zu  Krystallen  sick  bildete." 


VARARUCHI  RETURNS  HOME       59 

cannot  be  attained  even  by  a  hundred  vows.  But  the  perish- 
able 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  hermi- 
tage of  Badari.1  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  medi- 
tation, reached  his  own  heavenly  home ;  and  henceforth 
that  Kanabhuti  remained  in  the  Vindhya  forest,  eager  for 
his  desired  meeting  with  Gunadhya. 

1  A  celebrated  place  of  pilgrimage  near  the  source  of  the  Ganges,  the 
Bhadrinath  of  modern  travellers. — Monier  Williams,  s.v. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THEN  that  Malyavan  wandering  about  in  the  wood 
[MI]  in  human  form,  passing  under  the  name  of 
Gunadhya,  having  served  the  King  Satavahana,  and 
having,  in  accordance  with  a  vow,  abandoned  in  his  presence 
the  use  of  Sanskrit  and  two  other  languages,  with  sorrowful 
mind  came  to  pay  a  visit  to  Durga,  the  dweller  in  the  Vindhya 
hills  ;  and  by  her  orders  he  went  and  beheld  Kanabhuti. 
Then  he  remembered  his  origin  and  suddenly,  as  it  were, 
awoke  from  sleep  ;  and  making  use  of  the  Paisacha  language, 
which  was  different  from  the  three  languages  he  had  sworn 
to  forsake,  he  said  to  Kanabhuti,  after  telling  him  his  own 
name  :  "  Quickly  tell  me  that  tale  which  you  heard  from 
Pushpadanta,  in  order  that  you  and  I  together,  my  friend, 
may  escape  from  our  curse."  Hearing  that,  Kanabhuti 
bowed  before  him,  and  said  to  him  in  joyful  mood  :  "  I  will 
tell  you  the  story,  but  great  curiosity  possesses  me,  my  lord ; 
first  tell  me  all  your  adventures  from  your  birth;  do  me 
this  favour."  Thus  being  entreated  by  him,  Gunadhya 
proceeded  to  relate  as  follows  :— 

2.  Story  of  Gunadhya 

In  Pratishthana  *  there  is  a  city  named  Supratishthita  ; 
in  it  there  dwelt  once  upon  a  time  an  excellent  Brahman 
named  Somasarman,  and  he,  my  friend,  had  two  sons,  Vatsa 
and  Gulma,  and  he  had  also  born  to  him  a  third  child,  a 
daughter  named  Srutartha.     Now  in  course  of  time  that 

1  Pratishthana  [the  modern  Paithan]  is  celebrated  as  the  capital  of 
Salivahana  [a  late  form  of  Satavahana],  It  is  identifiable  with  Peytan  on  the 
Godavan,  the  Bathana  or  Paithana  of  Ptolemy,  the  capital  of  Siripolemaios. 
Wilson  identifies  this  name  with  Salivahana,  but  Dr  Rost  remarks  that  Lassen 
more  correctly  identifies  it  with  that  of  Sri  Puliman  [Pulumayi]  of  the  Andhra 
Dynasty,  who  reigned  at  Pratishthana  after  the  overthrow  of  the  house  of 
Salivahana  about  130  a.d. 

60 


THE  STORY  OF  GUNADHYA  61 

Brahman  and  his  wife  died,  and  those  two  sons  of  his  remained, 
taking  care  of  their  sister.  And  she  suddenly  became  preg- 
nant. Then  Vatsa  and  Gulma  began  to  suspect  one  another, 
because  no  other  man  came  in  their  sister's  way  :  thereupon 
Srutartha,  who  saw  what  was  in  their  minds,  said  to  those 
brothers  :  "Do  not  entertain  evil  suspicions :  listen,  I  will 
tell  you  the  truth.  There  is  a  prince  of  the  name  of  Kirtisena, 
brother's  son  to  Vasuki,  the  king  of  the  Nagas  x  ;  he  saw  me 
when  I  was  going  to  bathe,  thereupon  he  was  overcome  with 
love,  and  after  telling  me  his  lineage  and  his  name,  made 
me  his  wife  by  the  gdndharva  marriage  2 ;  he  belongs  to  the 
Brahman  race,  and  it  is  by  him  that  I  am  pregnant."  When 
they  heard  this  speech  of  their  sister's,  Vatsa  and  Gulma 
said  :  "  What  confidence  can  we  repose  in  all  this  ?  "  Then 
she  silently  called  to  mind  that  Naga  prince,  and  immediately 
he  was  thought  upon  he  came  and  said  to  Vatsa  and  Gulma  : 
"  In  truth  I  have  made  your  sister  my  wife.  She  is  a  glorious 
heavenly  nymph  fallen  down  to  earth  in  consequence  of  a 
curse,  and  you,  too,  have  descended  to  earth  for  the  same 
reason ;  but  a  son  shall  without  fail  be  born  to  your  sister 
here,  and  then  you  and  she  together  shall  be  freed  from  your 
curse."  Having  said  this,  he  disappeared,  and  in  a  few  days 
from  that  time  a  son  was  born  to  Srutartha.  Know  me,  my 
friend,  as  that  son.3  At  that  very  time  a  divine  voice  was 
heard  from  heaven  :  "  This  child  that  is  born  is  an  incarna- 
tion of  virtue,4  and  he  shall  be  called  Gunadhya,5  and  is  of 
the  Brahman  caste."  Thereupon  my  mother  and  uncles,  as 
their  curse  had  spent  its  force,  died,  and  I  for  my  part  be- 
came inconsolable.  Then  I  flung  aside  my  grief,  and  though 
a  child  I  went  in  the  strength  of  my  self-reliance  to  the 
Deccan  to  acquire  knowledge.  Then,  having  in  course  of 
time  learned  all  the  sciences,  and  become  famous,  I  returned 

1  For  details  of  these  serpent-demons  see  Appendix  I  at  the  end  of  this 
volume. — n.m.p. 

2  For  a  note  on  this  form  of  marriage  see  pp.  87,  88. — n.m.p. 

3  It  seems  to  me  that  tvam  in  Dr  Brockhaus'  text  must  be  a  misprint  for  tarn. 

4  Here  Brockhaus  has  confounded  guna  and  gana.  Durgaprasad's  text 
has  the  correct  word,  thus  the  translation  should  be:  "an  incarnation  of  one 
of  his  ganas." — n.m.p. 

5  I.e.  rich  in  virtues  and  good  qualities. 


62  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

to  my  native  land  to  exhibit  my  accomplishments  ;  and  when 
I  entered  after  a  long  absence  into  the  city  of  Supratish- 
thita,  surrounded  by  my  disciples,  I  saw  a  wonderfully 
splendid  scene.  In  one  place  chanters  were  intoning  accord- 
ing to  prescribed  custom  the  hymns  of  the  Sama  Veda;  in 
another  place  Brahmans  were  disputing  about  the  interpre- 
tation of  the  sacred  books ;  in  another  place  gamblers  were 
praising  gambling  in  these  deceitful  words :'  "  Whoever 
knows  the  art  of  gambling  has  a  treasure  in  his  grasp  " ;  and 
in  another  place,  in  the  midst  of  a  knot  of  merchants,  who 
were  talking  to  one  another  about  their  skill  in  the  art  of 
making  money,  a  certain  merchant  spoke  as  follows  :  — 

2a.  The  Mouse  Merchant1 

"  It  is  not  very  wonderful  that  a  thrifty  man  should  acquire 
wealth  by  wealth  ;  but  I  long  ago  achieved  prosperity  with- 
out any  wealth  to  start  with.  My  father  died  before  I  was 
born,  and  then  my  mother  was  deprived  by  wicked  relations 
of  all  she  possessed.  Then  she  fled  through  fear  of  them, 
watching  over  the  safety  of  her  unborn  child,  and  dwelt  in 
the  house  of  Kumaradatta,  a  friend  of  my  father's,  and  there 
the  virtuous  woman  gave  birth  to  me,  who  was  destined  to 
be  the  means  of  her  future  maintenance  ;  and  so  she  reared 
me  up  by  performing  menial  drudgery.  And  as  she  was  so 
poor,  she  persuaded  a  teacher  by  way  of  charity  to  give  me 
some  instruction  in  writing  and  ciphering.2  Then  she  said 
to  me :  '  You  are  the  son  of  a  merchant,  so  you  must  now 
engage  in  trade,  and  there  is  a  very  rich  merchant  in  this 
country  called  Visakhila ;  he  is  in  the  habit  of  lending 
capital  to  poor  men  of  good  family ;  go  and  entreat  him  to 
give  you  something  to  start  with.'  Then  I  went  to  his  house, 
and  he,  at  the  very  moment  I  entered,  said  in  a  rage  to  some 

1  For  comparison  see  the  Cullaka-Setthi-Jataka  (No.  4  Cambridge  Edition, 
vol.  i,  pp.  14-20),  also  Kalilah  and  Dimnah,  chap,  xviii  (Knatchbull, 
p.  358). — n.m.p. 

2  Durgaprasad's  text  takes  tayalcimcanyadinaya  in  one  word,  making  better 
sense :  u  she,  deserving  compassion  because  of  her  poverty,  persuaded  .  .  . 
etc." — N.M.P. 


THE  MOUSE  MERCHANT  63 

merchant's  son  :  •  You  see  this  dead  mouse  here  upon  the 
floor,  even  that  is  a  commodity  by  which  a  capable  man 
would  acquire  wealth,  but  I  gave  you,  you  good-for-nothing 
fellow,  many  dinars,1  and  so  far  from  increasing  them,  you 
have  not  even  been  able  to  preserve  what  you  got.'  When 
I  heard  that,  I  suddenly  said  to  that  Visakhila :  '  I  hereby 
take  from  you  that  mouse  as  capital  advanced.'  Saying  this 
I  took  the  mouse  up  in  my  hand,  and  wrote  him  a  receipt 
for  it,  which  he  put  in  his  strong-box,  and  off  I  went.  The 
merchant  for  his  part  burst  out  laughing.  Well,  I  sold  that 
mouse  to  a  certain  merchant  as  cat's-meat  for  two  handfuls 
of  gram,  then  I  ground  up  that  gram  and,  taking  a  pitcher 
of  water,  I  went  and  stood  on  the  cross-road  in  a  shady 
place,  outside  the  city  ;  there  I  offered  with  the  utmost 
civility  the  water  and  gram  to  a  band  of  wood-cutters  2 ; 
every  wood-cutter  gave  me  as  a  token  of  gratitude  two  pieces 
of  wood ;  and  I  took  those  pieces  of  wood  and  sold  them  in 
the  market ;  then  for  a  small  part  of  the  price  which  I  got 
for  them  I  bought  a  second  supply  of  gram,  and  in  the  same 
way  on  a  second  day  I  obtained  wood  from  the  wood- cutters. 
Doing  this  every  day  I  gradually  acquired  capital,  and  I 
bought  from  those  wood-cutters  all  their  wood  for  three  days. 
Then  suddenly  there  befell  a  dearth  of  wood  on  account  of 
heavy  rains,  and  I  sold  that  wood  for  many  hundred  panas ; 
with  that  wealth  I  set  up  a  shop  and,  engaging  in  traffic,  I 
have  become  a  very  wealthy  man  by  my  own  ability.  Then 
I  made  a  mouse  of  gold  and  gave  it  to  that  Visakhila ;  then 
he  gave  me  his  daughter ;  and  in  consequence  of  my  history  I 

1  From  the  Greek  Syjvdptov  =  denarius  (Monier  Williams,  *.».).     Dramma  = 
Greek  fy>axp)  is  used  in  the  Panchatantra.      See  Dr  Buhler's  Notes  to  Pan- 

chata?itra,  iv  and  v;  note  on  p.  40,  I,  3. The  complicated  and  extensive 

history  of  the  dinar  was  thoroughly  studied  by  the  late  Sir  Henry  Yule.  Full 
details  will  be  found  in  his  new  edition  of  Cathay  and  the  Way  Thither,  revised 
in  the  light  of  recent  research  by  Henri  Cordier,  Hakluyt  Society,  4  vols., 
1913-1916  (see  vol.  iv,  pp.  54-62,  and  pp.  112,  113).  In  India  the  value  of 
the  dinar  continually  changes  with  its  locality.  It  is  usually  given  as  con- 
sisting of  twenty-five  dirhems  and  being  worth  3s.  4*32d.,  or,  according  to 
another  reckoning,  3s.  l*44d.  Reference  should  also  be  made  to  Yule  and 
Cordier's  Marco  Polo,  2  vols.,  1903  (see  in  Index  under  "  Bezant"),  and  to  the 
long  note  in  Stein's  Rajatarangini,  vol.  ii,  pp.  308-328. — n.m.p. 

2  Literally  wood-carriers. 


64  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

am  known  in  the  world  by  the  name  of  Mouse.  So  with- 
out a  coin  in  the  world  I  acquired  this  prosperity."  All 
the  other  merchants  then,  when  they  heard  this  story, 
were  astonished.  How  can  the  mind  help  being  amazed  at 
pictures  without  walls  ?  x 

2b.  The  Chanter  of  the  Sama  Veda  and  the  Courtesan 

In  another  place  a  Brahman  who  had  got  eight  gold 
mdshas  2  as  a  present,  a  chanter  of  the  Sama  Veda,  received 
the  following  piece  of  advice  from  a  man  who  was  a  bit  of 
a  roue :— "  You  get  enough  to  live  upon  by  your  position  as 
a  Brahman,  so  you  ought  now  to  employ  this  gold  for  the 
purpose  of  learning  the  way  of  the  world  in  order  that  you 
may  become  a  knowing  fellow."  The  fool  said  :  "  Who  will 
teach  me  ?  "  Thereupon  the  roue  said  to  him  :  "  This  lady,3 
named  Chaturika;  go  to  her  house."  The  Brahman  said: 
"  What  am  I  to  do  there  ?  "  The  roue  replied  :  "  Give  her 
gold,  and  in  order  to  please  her  make  use  of  some  sama"  4 
When  he  heard  this,  the  chanter  went  quickly  to  the  house 
of  Chaturika  ;  when  he  entered,  the  lady  advanced  to  meet 
him  and  he  took  a  seat.  Then  that  Brahman  gave  her  the 
gold  and  faltered  out  the  request :  "  Teach  me  now  for  this 
fee  the  way  of  the  world."  Thereupon  the  people  who  were 
there  began  to  titter,  and  he,  after  reflecting  a  little,  putting 
his  hands  together  in  the  shape  of  a  cow's  ear,  so  that  they 
formed  a  kind  of  pipe,  began,  like  a  stupid  idiot,  to  chant 
with  a  shrill  sound  the  Sama  Veda,  so  that  all  the  roues 
in  the  house  came  together  to  see  the  fun ;  and  they  said  : 
"  Whence  has  this  jackal  blundered  in  here  ?    Come,  let  u& 

1  He  had  made  money  without  capital,  so  his  achievements  are  compared 
to  pictures  suspended  in  the  air. 

2  Both  masha  and  pana  (mentioned  above)  are  really  ancient  native 
Indian  weights:  16  mashas=l  pana.  As  the  pana  was  usually  of  copper  or 
silver,  it  seems  probable  that  the  gold  masha  only  exists  in  fiction.  See 
E.  J.  Rapson,  Catalogue  of  the  Indian  Coins  in  the  British  Museum  (Andhra 
Dynasty),  1908,  p.  clxxviii. — n.m.p. 

3  Courtesan. 

4  The  vita  or  roue  meant  "conciliation,"  but  the  chanter  of  the  Sama 
Veda  took  it  to  mean  "  hymn." 


GUNADHYA  65 

quickly  give  him  the  half-moon  x  on  his  throat."  Thereupon 
the  Brahman,  supposing  that  the  half-moon  meant  an  arrow 
with  a  head  of  that  shape,  and  afraid  of  having  his  head  cut 
off,  rushed  out  of  the  house,  bellowing  out :  "I  have  learnt 
the  way  of  the  world."  Then  he  went  to  the  man  who  had 
sent  him  and  told  him  the  whole  story.  He  replied  :  "  When 
I  told  you  to  use  soma  I  meant  coaxing  and  wheedling.  What 
is  the  propriety  of  introducing  the  Veda  in  a  matter  of  this 
kind  ?  The  fact  is,  I  suppose,  that  stupidity  is  engrained 
in  a  man  who  muddles  his  head  with  the  Vedas."  So  he 
spoke,  bursting  with  laughter  all  the  while,  and  went  off  to 
the  lady's  house  and  said  to  her  :  "  Give  back  to  that  two- 
legged  cow  his  gold-fodder."  So  she,  laughing,  gave  back  the 
money,  and  when  the  Brahman  got  it  he  went  back  to  his 
house  as  happy  as  if  he  had  been  born  again. 

2.  Story  of  Gunddhya 

Witnessing  strange  scenes  of  this  kind  at  every  step,  I 
reached  the  palace  of  the  king,  wrhich  was  like  the  Court  of 
Indra.  And  then  I  entered  it,  with  my  pupils  going  before 
to  herald  my  arrival,  and  saw  the  King  Satavahana  sitting 
in  his  hall  of  audience  upon  a  jewelled  throne,  surrounded 
by  his  ministers,  Sarvavarman  and  his  colleagues,  as  Indra  is 
by  the  gods.  After  I  had  blessed  him  and  had  taken  a  seat, 
and  had  been  honoured  by  the  king,  Sarvavarman  and  the 
other  ministers  praised  me  in  the  following  words  : — "  This 
man,  O  king,  is  famous  upon  the  earth  as  skilled  in  all  lore, 
and  therefore  his  name  Gunadhya  2  is  a  true  index  of  his 
nature."  Satavahana,  hearing  me  praised  in  this  style  by 
his  ministers,  was  pleased  with  me,  and  immediately  enter- 
tained me  honourably,  and  appointed  me  to  the  office  of 
Minister.  Then  I  married  a  wife,  and  lived  there  com- 
fortably, looking  after  the  king's  affairs  and  instructing  my 
pupils. 

Once,  as  I  was  roaming  about  at  leisure  on  the  banks 

1  I.e.  seize  him  with   curved  hand,  and  fling  him    out   neck   and  crop. 
The  precentor  supposed  them  to  mean  a  crescent-headed  arrow. 

2  I.e.  rich  in  accomplishments. 
E 


66  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

of  the  Godavari  out  of  curiosity,  I  beheld  a  garden  called 
Devikriti,  and  seeing  that  it  was  an  exceedingly  pleasant 
garden,  like  an  earthly  Nandana,1  I  asked  the  gardener 
how  it  came  there,  and  he  said  to  me  :  "  My  lord,  according 
to  the  story  which  we  hear  from  old  people,  long  ago  there 
came  here  a  certain  Brahman  who  observed  a  vow  of  silence 
and  abstained  from  food;  he  made  this  heavenly  garden 
with  a  temple  ;  then  all  the  Brahmans  assembled  here  out 
of  curiosity,  and  that  Brahman  being  persistently  asked  by 
them  told  his  history : 

2c.  The  Magic  Garden 

"  ■  There  is  in  this  land  a  province  called  Bakakachchha, 
on  the  banks  of  the  Narmada ;  in  that  district  I  was  born  as 
a  Brahman,  and  in  former  times  no  one  gave  me  alms,  as  I 
was  lazy  as  well  as  poor  ;  then  in  a  fit  of  annoyance  I  quitted 
my  house,  being  disgusted  with  life,  and  wandering  round 
the  holy  places  I  came  to  visit  the  shrine  of  Durga,  the  dweller 
in  the  Vindhya  hills,  and  having  beheld  that  goddess,  I  re- 
flected :  "  People  propitiate  with  animal  offerings  this  giver 
of  boons,  but  I  will  slay  myself  here,  stupid  beast  that  I 
am."  Having  formed  this  resolve,  I  took  in  hand  a  sword 
to  cut  off  my  head.  Immediately  that  goddess,  being  pro- 
pitious, herself  said  to  me  :  "  Son,  thou  art  perfected,  do  not 
slay  thyself,  remain  near  me."  Thus  I  obtained  a  boon  from 
the  goddess  and  attained  divine  nature.  From  that  day 
forth  my  hunger  and  thirst  disappeared  ;  then  once  on  a  time, 
as  I  was  remaining  there,  that  goddess  herself  said  to  me  : 
"  Go,  my  son,  and  plant  in  Pratishthana  a  glorious  garden." 
Thus  speaking,  she  gave  me,  with  her  own  hands,  heavenly 
seed  ;  thereupon  I  came  here  and  made  this  beautiful  garden 
by  means  of  her  power ;  and  this  garden  you  must  keep 
in  good  order.5    Having  said  this,  he  disappeared.    In  this 

1  Indra's  pleasure-ground  or  Elysium.  For  a  similar  Zaubergarten  see 
Liebrecht's  translation  of  Dunlop's  History  of  Fiction ,  p.  251,  and  note,  325  ; 
and  Gonzenbach's  Sicilianische  Marcken,  vol.  i,  p.  224.  To  this  latter  story 
there  is  a  very  close  parallel  in  Jataka,  No.  220  (Fausboll,  vol.  ii,  p.  188), 
where  Sakko  makes  a  garden  for  the  Bodhisattva,  who  is  threatened  with 
death  by  the  king  if  it  is  not  done. 


THE  YAKSHA-LION  67 

way  this  garden  was  made  by  the  goddess  long  ago,  my 
lord." 

2.  Story  of  Gunadhya 

When  I  had  heard  from  the  gardener  this  signal  manifest- 
ation of  the  favour  of  the  goddess,  I  went  home  penetrated 
with  wonder. 


[Ml]  When  Gunadhya  had  said  this,  Kanabhuti  asked  : 
"  Why,  my  lord,  was  the  king  called  Satavahana  ?  "  Then 
Gunadhya  said  :  "  Listen,  I  will  tell  you  the  reason. 

2d.  The  History  of  Satavahana 

There  was  a  king  of  great  power  named  Dvipikarni.  He 
had  a  wife  named  Saktimati,  whom  he  valued  more  then 
life,  and  once  upon  a  time  a  snake  bit  her  as  she  was  sleeping 
in  the  garden.  Thereupon  she  died,  and  that  king,  thinking 
only  of  her,  though  he  had  no  son,  took  a  vow  of  perpetual 
chastity.  Then  once  upon  a  time  the  god  of  the  moon- crest 
said  to  him  in  a  dream  :  "  While  wandering  in  the  forest 
thou  shalt  behold  a  boy  mounted  on  a  lion,  take  him  and 
go  home,  he  shall  be  thy  son."  Then  the  king  woke  up,  and 
rejoiced,  remembering  that  dream,  and  one  day  in  his  passion 
for  the  chase  he  went  to  a  distant  wood  ;  there  in  the  middle 
of  the  day  that  king  beheld  on  the  bank  of  a  lotus-lake  a  boy, 
splendid  as  the  sun,  riding  on  a  lion  x  ;  the  lion,  desiring  to 
drink  water,  set  down  the  boy,  and  then  the  king,  remembering 
his  dream,  slew  it  with  one  arrow.  The  creature  thereupon 
abandoned  the  form  of  a  lion,  and  suddenly  assumed  the 
shape  of  a  man.  The  king  exclaimed:  "Alas!  what  means 
this  ?  Tell  me."  And  then  the  man  answered  him  :  "  O  king, 
I  am  a  Yaksha  of  the  name  of  Sata,  an  attendant  upon  the 
God  of  Wealth ;  long  ago  I  beheld  the  daughter  of  a  Rishi 
bathing  in  the  Ganges  ;    she  too,  when  she  beheld  me,  felt 

1  Owing  to  the  scarcity  of  the  lion  in  India,  especially  in  the  north,  it 
appears  little  in  folk-lore.  There  are,  however,  various  references  to  the  lion 
in  the  Ocean  of  Story.  See  Crooke,  Folk-Lore  of  Northern  India,  vol.  ii,  p.  210. 
He  refers  to  Tawney,  but  misprints  p.  178  as  78. — n.m.p. 


68  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

love  arise  in  her  breast,  like  myself :  then  I  made  her  my 
wife  by  the  gdndharva  form  of  marriage  x  ;  and  her  relatives, 
finding  it  out,  in  their  anger  cursed  me  and  her,  saying  : 
'  You  two  wicked  ones,  doing  what  is  right  in  your  own  eyes, 
shall  become  lions.'  The  hermit- folk  appointed  that  her 
curse  should  end  when  she  gave  birth  to  offspring,  and  that 
mine  should  continue  longer,  until  I  was  slain  by  thee  with 
an  arrow.  So  we  became  a  pair  of  lions  ;  she  in  the  course 
of  time  became  pregnant,  and  then  died  after  this  boy  was 
born,  but  I  brought  him  up  on  the  milk  of  other  lionesses, 
and  lo  !  to-day  I  am  released  from  my  curse,  having  been 
smitten  by  thee  with  an  arrow.  Therefore  receive  this  noble 
son  which  I  give  thee,  for  this  thing  was  foretold  long  ago  by 
those  hermit- folk."  Having  said  this,  that  Guhyaka,  named 
Sata,  disappeared,2  and  the  king  taking  the  boy  went  home  ; 
and  because  he  had  ridden  upon  Sata  he  gave  the  boy  the  name 
of  Satavahana,  and  in  course  of  time  he  established  him  in 
his  kingdom.  Then,  when  that  King  Dvipikarni  went  to  the 
forest,  this  Satavahana  became  sovereign  of  the  whole  earth. 


[MI]  Having  said  this  in  the  middle  of  his  tale  in 
answer  to  Kanabhuti's  question,  the  wise  Gunadhya  again 
called  to  mind  and  went  on  with  the  main  thread  of  his 
narrative. 

2.  Story  of  Gunadhya 

Then  once  upon  a  time,  in  the  spring  festival,  that  King 
Satavahana  went  to  visit  the  garden  made  by  the  goddess, 
of  which  I  spake  before.  He  roamed  there  for  a  long  time 
The  King  ^ke  Indra  in  the  garden  of  Nandana,  and  de- 
ashamed  of      scended  into  the  water  of  the  lake  to  amuse  him- 

his  Ignorance     sdf  jn  company  with  his  wiyes     Thefe  he  sprinkled 

his  beloved  ones  sportively  with  water  flung  by  his  hands, 
and  was  sprinkled  by  them  in  return  like  an  elephant  by  its 
females.  His  wives,  with  faces,  the  eyes  of  which  were  slightly 

1  See  note  on  this  form  of  marriage  on  pp.  87,  88. — n.m.p. 

2  Guhyaka  here  synonymous  with  Yaksha. For  details  of  these  mythical 

beings  see  Appendix  I  at  the  end  of  this  volume. — n.m.p. 


THE  KING'S  IGNORANCE  69 

reddened  by  the  collyrium  x  washed  into  them,  and  which 
were  streaming  with  water,  and  with  bodies,  the  proportions 
of  which  were  revealed  by  their  clinging  garments,2  pelted 
him  vigorously  ;  and  as  the  wind  strips  the  creepers  in  the 
forest  of  leaves  and  flowers,  so  he  made  his  fair  ones,  who  fled 
into  the  adjoining  shrubbery,  lose  the  marks  on  their  fore- 
heads 3  and  their  ornaments.  Then  one  of  his  queens,  tardy 
with  the  weight  of  her  breasts,  with  body  tender  as  a  sirisha 
flower,  became  exhausted  with  the  amusement ;  she  not 
being  able  to  endure  more,  said  to  the  king,  who  was  sprink- 
ling her  with  water  :  "  Do  not  pelt  me  with  water-drops." 
On  hearing  that,  the  king  quickly  had  some  sweetmeats4 
brought.  Then  the  queen  burst  out  laughing  and  said  again : 
"  King,  what  do  we  want  with  sweetmeats  in  the  water  ? 
For  I  said  to  you,  do  not  sprinkle  me  with  water-drops.  Do 
you  not  even  understand  the  coalescence  of  the  words  ma  and 
udaka,  and  do  you  not  know  that  chapter  of  the  grammar  ? 
How  can  you  be  such  a  blockhead  ?  "  When  the  queen,  who 
knew  grammatical  treatises,  said  this  to  him,  and  the  attend- 
ants laughed,  the  king  was  at  once  overpowered  with  secret 
shame ;  he  left  off  romping  in  the  water  and  immediately 
entered  his  own  palace  unperceived,  crestfallen  and  full  of 
self-contempt.  Then  he  remained  lost  in  thought,  bewildered, 
averse  to  food  and  other  enjoyments,  and,  like  a  picture,  even 
when  asked  a  question,  he  answered  nothing.  Thinking  that 
his  only  resource  was  to  acquire  learning  or  die,  he  flung 
himself  down  on  a  couch,  and  remained  in  an  agony  of  grief. 
Then  all  the  king's  attendants,  seeing  that  he  had  suddenly 

1  For  a  detailed  note  on  the  history  and  uses  of  collyrium  and  kohl  see 
Appendix  II  at  the  end  of  this  volume. — n.m.p. 

2  Compare  with  the  sixth  story  of  the  tenth  day  of  The  Decameron,  in 
which  the  clinging  garments  of  Ginevra  and  Isotta  have  such  a  disturbing 
effect  on  King  Charles. — n.m.p. 

3  The  tilaka,  a  mark  made  upon  the  forehead  or  between  the  eyebrows 
with  coloured  earths,  sandal-wood,  etc.,  serving  as  an  ornament  or  a  sectarial 
distinction  (Monier  Williams,  s.v.). 

4  The  negative  particle  ma  coalesces  with  udakaih  (the  plural  instrumental 
case  of  udaka)  into  modakaih,  and  modakaih  (the  single  word)  means  "with 
sweetmeats."  The  incident  is  related  in  Taranatha's  Geschichte  des  Buddhismus 
in  Indien,  uebersetzt  von  Schiefner,  p.  74. 


70  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

fallen  into  such  a  state,  were  utterly  beside  themselves  to 
think  what  it  could  mean.  Then  I  and  Sarvavarman  came 
at  last  to  hear  of  the  king's  condition,  and  by  that  time  the 
day  was  almost  at  an  end.  So  perceiving  that  the  king  was 
still  in  an  unsatisfactory  condition,  we  immediately  sum- 
moned a  servant  of  the  king  named  Rajahansa.  And  he, 
when  asked  by  us  about  the  state  of  the  king's  health,  said 
this :  "  I  never  before  in  my  life  saw  the  king  in  such  a  state 
of  depression  :  and  the  other  queens  told  me  with  much 
indignation  that  he  had  been  humiliated  to-day  by  that 
superficial  blue- stocking,  the  daughter  of  Vishnusakti." 
When  Sarvavarman  and  I  had  heard  this  from  the  mouth 
of  the  king's  servant,  we  fell  into  a  state  of  despondency,  and 
thus  reflected  in  our  dilemma  :  "If  the  king  were  afflicted 
with  bodily  disease  we  might  introduce  the  physicians,  but 
if  his  disease  is  mental  it  is  impossible  to  find  the  cause  of  it. 
For  there  is  no  enemy  in  his  country  the  thorns  of  which  are 
destroyed,  and  these  subjects  are  attached  to  him  ;  no  dearth 
of  any  kind  is  to  be  seen  ;  so  how  can  this  sudden  melan- 
choly of  the  king's  have  arisen  ?  "  After  we  had  debated 
to  this  effect,  the  wise  Sarvavarman  said  as  follows  : — "  I 
know  the  cause :  this  king  is  distressed  by  sorrow  for  his 
own  ignorance,  for  he  is  always  expressing  a  desire  for  cul- 
ture, saying,  'I  am  a  blockhead.'  I  long  ago  detected  this 
desire  of  his,  and  we  have  heard  that  the  occasion  of  the 
present  fit  is  his  having  been  humiliated  by  the  queen." 
Thus  we  debated  with  one  another,  and  after  we  had  passed 
that  night,  in  the  morning  we  went  to  the  private  apart- 
ments of  the  sovereign.  There,  though  strict  orders  had  been 
given  that  no  one  was  to  enter,  I  managed  to  get  in  with 
difficulty,  and  after  me  Sarvavarman  slipped  in  quickly. 
I  then  sat  down  near  the  king  and  asked  him  this  question  : 
"  Why,  O  king,  art  thou  without  cause  thus  despondent  ?  ' 
Though  he  heard  this,  Satavahana  nevertheless  remained 
silent,  and  then  Sarvavarman  uttered  this  extraordinary 
speech :  "  King,  thou  didst  long  ago  say  to  me,  'Make  me  a 
learned  man.'  Thinking  upon  that,  I  employed  last  night  a 
charm  to  produce  a  dream.1     Then  I  saw  in  my  dream  a  lotus 

1  So  explained  by  Bohtlingk  and  Roth,  *.t?. ;  cf.  Taranga  72,  it.  103. 


THE  RIVAL  TEACHERS  71 

fallen  from  heaven,  and  it  was  opened  by  some  heavenly 
youth,  and  out  of  it  came  a  divine  woman  in  white  garments, 
and  immediately,  O  king,  she  entered  thy  mouth.  When  I 
had  seen  so  much  I  woke  up,  and  I  think  without  doubt  that 
the  woman  who  visibly  entered  thy  mouth  was  Sarasvati." 
As  soon  as  Sarvavarman  had  in  these  terms  described  his 
dream,  the  king  broke  his  silence  and  said  to  me  with  the 
utmost  earnestness  :  "In  how  short  a  time  can  a  man,  who 
is  diligently  taught,  acquire  learning  ?  Tell  me  this.  For 
without  learning  all  this  regal  splendour  has  no  charms  for 
me.  What  is  the  use  of  rank  and  power  to  a  blockhead  ? 
They  are  like  ornaments  on  a  log  of  wood."  Then  I  said  : 
The  Kings  "  King,  it  is  invariably  the  case  that  it  takes 
llival  Teachers  men  twelve  years  to  learn  grammar,  the  gate  to 
all  knowledge.  But  I,  my  sovereign,  will  teach  it  you  in 
six  years."  When  he  heard  that,  Sarvavarman  suddenly 
exclaimed,  in  a  fit  of  jealousy  :  "  How  can  a  man  accustomed 
to  enjoyment  endure  hardship  for  so  long  ?  So  I  will 
teach  you  grammar,  my  prince,  in  six  months."  When 
I  heard  this  promise,  which  it  seemed  impossible  to  make 
good,  I  said  to  him  in  a  rage  :  "If  you  teach  the  king 
in  six  months,  I  renounce  at  once  and  for  ever  Sanskrit, 
Prakrit  and  the  vernacular  dialect,  these  three  languages 
which  pass  current  among  men."  x  Then  Sarvavarman  said  : 
"  And  if  I  do  not  do  this,  I,  Sarvavarman,  will  carry  your 
shoes  on  my  head  for  twelve  years."  Having  said  this,  he 
went  out ;  I  too  went  home  ;  and  the  king  for  his  part 
was  comforted,  expecting  that  he  would  attain  his  object 
by  means  of  one  of  us  two.  Now  Sarvavarman  being  in 
a  dilemma,  seeing  that  his  promise  was  one  very  difficult 
to  perform,  and  regretting  what  he  had  done,  told  the 
whole  story  to  his  wife,  and  she,  grieved  to  hear  it,  said  to 
him  :  "  My  lord,  in  this  difficulty  there  is  no  way  of  escape 
for  you  except  the  favour  of  the  Lord  Karttikeya." 2  "  It 
is  so,"  said  Sarvavarman,  and  determined   to   implore  it. 

1  He  afterwards  learns  to  speak  in  the  language  of  the  Pisachas — goblins 
or  ogres.     For  details  of  this  language  see  pp.  91,  92  of  this  volume. — n.m.p. 

2  Called  also  Kumara.     This  was  no  doubt  indicated  by  the  Kumara,  or 
boy,  who  opened  the  lotus. 


72  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

Accordingly  in  the  last  watch  of  the  night  Sarvavarman  set 
out  fasting  for  the  shrine  of  the  god.  Now  I  came  to  hear  of 
it  by  means  of  my  secret  emissaries,  and  in  the  morning  I  told 
the  king  of  it ;  and  he,  when  he  heard  it,  wondered  what  would 
happen.  Then  a  trusty  Rajput  called  Sinhagupta  said  to  him  : 
"  When  I  heard,  O  king,  that  thou  wast  afflicted  I  was  seized 
with  great  despondency.  Then  I  went  out  of  this  city,  and 
was  preparing  to  cut  off  my  own  head  before  the  goddess 
Durga  in  order  to  ensure  thy  happiness.  Then  a  voice  from 
heaven  forbade  me,  saying:  'Do  not  so;  the  king's  wish 
shall  be  fulfilled.5  Therefore,  I  believe,  thou  art  sure  of 
success."  When  he  had  said  this,  that  Sinhagupta  took 
leave  of  the  king  and  rapidly  dispatched  two  emissaries  after 
Sarvavarman,  who,  feeding  only  on  air,  observing  a  vow  of 
silence,  steadfast  in  resolution,  reached  at  last  the  shrine 
of  the  Lord  Karttikeya.  There,  pleased  with  his  penance 
that  spared  not  the  body,  Karttikeya  favoured  him  according 
to  his  desire  ;  then  the  two  spies  sent  by  Sinhagupta  came 
into  the  king's  presence  and  reported  the  minister's  success. 
On  hearing  that  news  the  king  was  delighted  and  I  was 
despondent,  as  the  chdtaka  joys,  and  the  swan  grieves,  on 
seeing  the  cloud.1  Then  Sarvavarman  arrived,  successful 
by  the  favour  of  Karttikeya,  and  communicated  to  the  king 
all  the  sciences,  which  presented  themselves  to  him  on  his 
thinking  of  them.  And  immediately  they  were  revealed  to 
the  King  Satavahana.  For  what  cannot  the  grace  of  the 
Supreme  Lord  accomplish  ?  Then  the  kingdom  rejoiced  on 
hearing  that  the  king  had  thus  obtained  all  knowledge,  and 
there  was  high  festival  kept  throughout  it ;  and  that  moment 
banners  were  flaunted  from  every  house  and,  being  fanned 
by  the  wind,  seemed  to  dance.  Then  Sarvavarman  was 
honoured  with  abundance  of  jewels  fit  for  a  king  by  the 
sovereign,  who  bowed  humbly  before  him,  calling  him  his 
spiritual  preceptor ;  and  he  was  made  governor  of  the  terri- 
tory called  Bakakachchha,  which  lies  along  the  bank  of  the 
Narmada.    The  king  being  highly  pleased  with  that  Rajput 

1  The  chdtaka  lives  on  raindrops,  but  the  poor  swan  has  to  take  a  long 
journey  to  the  Manasa  lake  beyond  the  snowy  hills  at  the  approach  of  the 
rainy  season. 


THE  QUEEN  REWARDED  73 

Sinhagupta,  who  first  heard  by  the  mouth  of  his  spies  that 
the  boon  had  been  obtained  from  the  six-faced  god,1  made 
him  equal  to  himself  in  splendour  and  power.  And  that 
queen  too,  the  daughter  of  Vishnusakti,  who  was  the  cause 
of  his  acquiring  learning  he  exalted  at  one  bound  above 
all  the  queens,  through  affection  anointing 2  her  with  his 
own  hand. 

1  Karttikeya. 

2  More  literally,,  "  sprinkling  her  with  water." 


CHAPTER  VII 

2.  Story  of  Giinadhya 

THEN,  having  taken  a  vow  of  silence,  I  came  into  the 
presence  of  the  sovereign,  and  there  a  certain  Brah- 
man recited  a  sloka  he  had  composed,  and  the  king 
himself  addressed  him  correctly  in  the  Sanskrit  language  ; 
and  the  people  who  were  present  in  Court  were  delighted 
when  they  witnessed  that.  Then  the  king  said  deferentially 
to  Sarvavarman  :  "  Tell  me  thyself  after  what  fashion  the 
god  showed  thee  favour."  Hearing  that,  Sarvavarman  pro- 
ceeded to  relate  to  the  king  the  whole  story  of  Karttikeya's 
favourable  acceptance  of  him. 

2e.  The  New  Grammar  revealed 

I  went,  O  king,  on  that  occasion  fasting  and  silent  from 
this  place,  so  when  the  journey  came  to  an  end,1  being  very 
despondent,  and  emaciated  with  my  severe  austerities,  worn 
out,  I  fell  senseless  on  the  ground.  Then,  I  remember,  a  man 
with  a  spear  in  his  hand  came  and  said  to  me  in  distinct 
accents :  "  Rise  up,  my  son ;  everything  shall  turn  out 
favourably  for  thee."  By  that  speech  I  was,  as  it  were,  im- 
mediately bedewed  with  a  shower  of  nectar,  and  I  woke  up, 
and  seemed  free  from  hunger  and  thirst  and  in  good  case. 
Then  I  approached  the  neighbourhood  of  the  god's  temple, 
overpowered  with  the  weight  of  my  devotion,  and  after 
bathing  I  entered  the  inner  shrine  of  the  god  in  a  state  of 
agitated  suspense.  Then  that  Lord  Skanda  2  gave  me  a  sight 
of  himself  within,  and  thereupon  Sarasvati  in  visible  shape 
entered  my  mouth.    So  that  holy  god,  manifested  before  me, 

1  So  corrupt  was  the  text  at  this  point  that  Tawney  had  practically  to 
guess  at  its  meaning.     The  Durgaprasad  text  edits  tato  'dhvani  manakcheshe 

jate:  "when  there  was  (still)  little  remaining  of  the  way." — n.m.p. 

2  Skanda  is  another  name  of  Karttikeya. 

74 


THE  NEW  GRAMMAR  75 

recited  the  sutra  beginning,  "  the  traditional  doctrine  of 
letters."  On  hearing  that  I,  with  the  levity  which  is  so 
natural  to  mankind,  guessed  the  next  sutra  and  uttered  it 
myself.  Then  that  god  said  to  me  :  "If  thou  hadst  not 
uttered  it  thyself,  this  grammatical  treatise  would  have 
supplanted  that  of  Panini.  As  it  is,  on  account  of  its  concise- 
ness, it  shall  be  called  Katantra,  and  Kalapaka,  from  the  tail 
(kaldpa)  of  the  peacock  on  which  I  ride."  Having  said  this, 
that  god  himself  in  visible  form  revealed  to  me  that  new  and 
short  grammar,1  and  then  added  this  besides  :  "  That  king 
of  thine  in  a  former  birth  was  himself  a  holy  sage,  a  pupil  of 
the  hermit  Bharadvaja,  named  Krishna,  great  in  austerity, 
and  he,  having  beheld  a  hermit's  daughter  who  loved  him  in 
return,  suddenly  felt  the  smart  of  the  wound  which  the  shaft 
of  the  flowery-arrowed  god  inflicts.  So,  having  been  cursed 
by  the  hermits,  he  has  now  become  incarnate  here,  and  that 
hermit's  daughter  has  become  incarnate  as  his  queen.  So 
this  King  Satavahana,  being  an  incarnation  of  a  holy  sage,2 
when  he  beholds  thee  will  attain  a  knowledge  of  all  the 
sciences  according  to  thy  wish.  For  the  highest  matters  are 
easily  acquired  by  great- souled  ones,  having  been  learnt  in  a 
former  birth,  the  real  truth  of  them  being  recalled  by  their 
powerful  memories."  3  When  the  god  had  said  this  he  dis- 
appeared, and  I  went  out,  and  there  grains  of  rice  were  pre- 
sented me  by  the  god's  servants.  Then  I  proceeded  to  return, 
O  king,  and  wonderful  to  say,  though  I  consumed  those 
grains  on  my  journey  day  after  day,  they  remained  as 
numerous  as  ever. 

1  This  grammar  is  extensively  in  use  in  the  eastern  parts  of  Bengal. 
The  rules  are  attributed  to  Sarvavarman,  by  the  inspiration  of  Karttikeya,  as 
narrated  in  the  text.  The  vritti  (or  gloss)  is  the  work  of  Durga  Singh,  and  that, 
again,  is  commented  on  by  Trilochana  Dasa  and  Kaviraja.  Vararuchi  is  the 
supposed  author  of  an  illustration  of  the  Conjugations  and  Srlpati  Varma  of 
a  Supplement.  Other  commentaries  are  attributed  to  GopI  Natha,  Kula 
Chandra  and  Visvesvara.     (Note  in  Wilson's  Essays,  vol.  i,  p.  1 83.) 

2  Rishis. 

3  Sanskara  means  "tendency  produced  by  some  past  influence" — often 
"works  in  a  former  birth." 


76  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

2.  Story  of  Gunddhya 

When  he  had  related  his  adventure,  Sarvavarman  ceased 
speaking,  and  King  Satavahana  in  cheerful  mood  rose  up  and 
went  to  bathe. 

Then  I,  being  excluded  from  business  by  my  vow  of 
silence,  took  leave,  with  a  low  bow  only,  of  that  king,  who 
was  very  averse  to  part  with  me,  and  went  out  of  that  town, 
accompanied  by  only  two  disciples,  and,  with  my  mind  bent 
on  the  performance  of  austerities,  came  to  visit  the  shrine 
of  the  dweller  in  the  Vindhya  hills,  and  having  been  directed 
by  the  goddess  in  a  dream  to  visit  thee,  I  entered  for  that 
purpose  this  terrible  Vindhya  forest.  A  hint  given  by  a 
Pulinda  enabled  me  to  find  a  caravan,  and  so  somehow  or 
other,  by  the  special  favour  of  destiny,  I  managed  to  arrive 
here,  and  beheld  this  host  of  Pisachas,  and  by  hearing  from 
a  distance  their  conversation  with  one  another,  I  have  con- 
trived to  learn  this  Paisacha  language,1  which  has  enabled 
me  to  break  my  vow  of  silence.  I  then  made  use  of  it  to 
ask  after  you,  and  hearing  that  you  had  gone  to  Ujjayini,  I 
waited  here  until  your  return  ;  on  beholding  you  I  welcomed 
you  in  the  fourth  language  (the  speech  of  the  Pisachas),  and 
then  I  called  to  mind  my  origin.  This  is  the  story  of  my 
adventure  in  this  birth. 


[MI]  When  Gunadhya  had  said  this,  Kanabhuti  said 
to  him  :  "  Hear  how  your  arrival  was  made  known  to  me 
last  night.  I  have  a  friend,  a  Rakshasa  of  the  name  of 
Bhutivarman,  who  possesses  heavenly  insight,  and  I  went  to 
a  garden  in  Ujjayini,  where  he  resides.  On  my  asking  him 
when  my  own  curse  would  come  to  an  end,  he  said  :  '  We 
have  no  power  in  the  day ;  wait,  and  I  will  tell  you  at  night.' 
I  consented,  and  when  night  came  on  I  asked  him  earnestly 
the  reason  why  goblins  2  delighted  in  disporting  themselves, 

1  For  a  note  on  this  language,  called  Paisachi,  see  pp.  91,  92. — n.m.p. 

2  For  the  idea  cf.  Shakespeare,  Hamlet,  Act  I,  sc.  1  (towards  the  end),  and 
numerous  other  passages  in  the  same  author.  This  belief  seems  to  be  very 
general  in  Wales.  See  Wirt  Sikes,  British  Goblins,  p.  113.  See  also  Kuhn's  Her- 
abkunft  des  Feuers,  p.  93  ;  De  Gubernatis,  Zoological  Mythology,  vol.  ii,  p.  285. 


DEMONS  HATE  THE  SUN  77 

as  they  were  doing.   Then  Bhutivarman  said  to  me  :   '  Listen ; 

1  will  relate  what  I  heard  Siva  say  in  a  conversation  with 
Brahma.  Rakshasas,  Yakshas,  and  Pisachas  have  no  power 
in  the  day,  being  dazed  with  the  brightness  of  the  sun,  there- 
fore they  delight  in  the  night.1    And  where  the  gods  are  not 

1  Farmer,  commenting  on  Hamlet,  Act  I,  sc.  1,  150,  quotes  the  following 
lines  of  Prudentius'  Ad  Gallicinium : — "  Ferunt  vagantes  daemonas,  Lastos 
tenebris  noctium,  Gallo  canente  exterritos,  Sparsim  timere  et  cedere.  Hoc 
esse  signum  prsescii  Norunt  repromissse  spei,  Qua  nos  soporis  liberi  Speramus 
adventum  Dei."  Douce  quotes  from  another  hymn  said  to  have  been  com- 
posed by  Saint  Ambrose  and  formerly  used  in  the  Salisbury  service :  "  Prseco 
diei  jam  sonat,  Noctis  profundae  pervigil ;  Nocturna  lux  viantibus,  A  nocte 
noctem  segregans.  Hoc  excitatus  Lucifer  Solvit  polum  caligine  ;  Hoc  omnis 
errorum  cohors  Viam  nocendi  deserit.  Gallo  canente  spes  redit,  etc."  See 
also  Grossler's  Sagen  der  Grafschaft  Mansjeld,  pp.  58  and  59 ;  the  Pentamerone 
of  Basile,  ninth  diversion  of  second  day  (Burton's  translation,  vol.  i,  p.  215); 
Dasent's  Norse  Tales,  p.  347 — "  The  Troll  turned  round,  and,  of  course,  as  soon 
as  he  saw  the  sun,  he  burst"  ;  Grimm's  Irische  M'drchen,  p.  x;  Kuhn's  West- 
fdlische  M'drchen,  p.  63  ;  Schoppner's  Sagenbuch  der  Bayerischen  Lande,  vol.  i,  pp. 
123  and  228  ;  and  Bernhard  Schmidt's  Griechische  M'drchen,  p.  138.     He  quotes 

an  interesting  passage  from  Lucian's  ^iXoxj/evSyjs. The  Philopseudes,  or  The 

Liar,  is  a  satirical  essay  on  the  pseudo-science  and  superstition  of  antiquity.  A 
group  of  philosophers  are  relating  their  several  experiences.  One  of  them,  a 
Stoic,  said  he  knew  of  a  magician  who  could  fly  through  the  air,  raise  the  dead, 
call  up  spirits,  etc.  Once  he  performed  a  love  spell  for  a  young  man  named 
Glaucias.  First  of  all  he  raised  the  ghost  of  the  youth's  father  and  then 
summoned  Hecate,  Cerberus  and  the  Moon,  the  latter  appearing  in  three 
forms,  as  a  woman,  an  ox  and  a  puppy.  The  magician  then  constructed  a 
clay  image  of  the  God  of  Love,  which  he  sent  to  fetch  the  girl.  "  Off  went 
the  image,  and  before  long  there  was  a  knock  at  the  door,  and  there  stood 
Chrysis.  She  came  in  and  threw  her  arms  about  Glaucias'  neck ;  you  would 
have  said  she  was  dying  for  love  of  him ;  and  she  stayed  on  till  at  last  we 
heard  the  cocks  crowing.  Away  flew  the  moon  into  heaven,  Hecate  dis- 
appeared underground,  all  the  apparitions  vanished,  and  we  saw  Chrysis  out 
of  the  house  just  about  dawn  "  (trans,  by  H.  and  F.  Fowler,  vol.  iii,  p.  238). 
The  idea  of  the  night  being  evil  and  the  time  when  ghosts  walk  abroad  owing 
to  their  not  having  to  fear  the  light  dates  from  the  very  earliest  times. 
Maspero  notes  (Stories  from  Ancient  Egypt,  p.  liv)  that  all  the  lucky  or  unlucky 
diversions  of  the  day  were  named  and  described  in  detail,  while  no  notice 
was  taken  of  the  night,  since  it  was  all  unlucky  and  unsafe  to  go  abroad. 

See  also  A  History  of  Magic  and  Experimental  Science,  Lynn.  Thorndyke, 

2  vols.,  1923  (vol.  i,  p.  280).  In  Giles'  Strange  Stories  from  a  Chinese  Studio  (vol.  i, 
p.  177)  Miss  Li,  a  female  devil,  disappears  as  soon  as  she  hears  the  cock  crow. 

For  details  of  the  Rakshasas,  Yakshas,  etc.,  see  the  notes  in  Appendix  I 
at  the  end  of  this  volume. — n.m.p. 


78  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

worshipped,  and  the  Brahmans,  in  due  form,  and  where  men 
eat  contrary  to  the  holy  law,  there  also  they  have  power. 
Where  there  is  a  man  who  abstains  from  flesh,  or  a  virtuous 
woman,  there  they  do  not  go.  They  never  attack  chaste 
men,  heroes,  and  men  awake.' x  When  he  said  this  on  that 
occasion  Bhutivarman  continued  :  '  Go,  for  Gunadhya  has 
arrived,  the  destined  means  of  thy  release  from  the  curse.5 
So  hearing  this,  I  have  come,  and  I  have  seen  thee,  my  lord. 
Now  I  will  relate  to  thee  that  tale  which  Pushpadanta  told ; 
but  I  feel  curiosity  on  one  point  :  tell  me  why  he  was 
called  Pushpadanta  and  thou  Malyavan."  Hearing  this 
question  from  Kanabhuti,  Gunadhya  said  to  him  : 

3.  Story  of  Pushpadanta 

On  the  bank  of  the  Ganges  there  is  a  royal  district  granted 
to  Brahmans  by  royal  charter,  named  Bahusuvarnaka,  and 
there  lived  there  a  very  learned  Brahman  named  Govinda- 
datta,  and  he  had  a  wife,  Agnidatta,  who  was  devoted  to  her 
husband.  In  course  of  time  that  Brahman  had  five  sons  by 
her.  And  they,  being  handsome  but  stupid,  grew  up  insolent 
fellows.  Then  a  guest  came  to  the  house  of  Govindadatta,  a 
Brahman,  Vaisvanara  by  name,  like  a  second  god  of  fire.2 
As  Govindadatta  was  away  from  home  when  he  arrived,  he 
came  and  saluted  his  sons,  and  they  only  responded  to  his 
salute  with  a  laugh  ;  then  that  Brahman  in  a  rage  prepared 
to  depart  from  his  house.  While  he  was  in  this  state  of  wrath 
Govindadatta  came,  and  asked  the  cause,  and  did  his  best  to 
appease  him ;  but  the  excellent  Brahman  nevertheless  spoke 
as  follows  : — "  Your  sons  have  become  outcasts,  as  being 
blockheads,  and  you  have  lost  caste  by  associating  with  them, 
therefore  I  will  not  eat  in  your  house ;  if  I  did  so  I  should 
not  be  able  to  purify  myself  by  any  expiatory  ceremony.'* 
Then  Govindadatta  said  to  him  with  an  oath  :  "I  will  never 
even  touch  these  wicked  sons  of  mine."  His  hospitable  wife 
also  came  and  said  the  same  to  her  guest ;  then  Vaisvanara 
was  with  difficulty  induced  to  accept  their  hospitality.    One 

1  Brockhaus  renders  it:  " Fromme,  Helden  und  Weise." 

2  Vaisvanara  is  an  epithet  of  Agni,  or  Fire. 


DEVADATTA'S  AUSTERITIES  79 

of  Govindadatta's  sons,  named  Devadatta,  when  he  saw  that, 
was  grieved  at  his  father's  sternness,  and,  thinking  a  life  of 
no  value  which  was  thus  branded  by  his  parents,  went  in  a 
state  of  despondency  to  the  hermitage  of  Badarika  to  per- 
form penance ;  there  he  first  ate  leaves,  and  afterwards  he 
fed  only  on  smoke,  persevering  in  a  long  course  of  austerities  1 
in  order  to  propitiate  the  husband  of  Uma.2  So  Sambhu,2 
won  over  by  his  severe  austerities,  manifested  himself  to 
him,  and  he  craved  a  boon  from  the  god,  that  he  might  ever 
attend  upon  him.  Sambhu  thus  commanded  him  :  "  Acquire 
learning,  and  enjoy  pleasures  on  the  earth,  and  after  that 
thou  shalt  attain  all  thy  desire."  Then  he,  eager  for  learning, 
went  to  the  city  of  Pataliputra,  and  according  to  custom 
waited  on  an  instructor  named  Vedakumbha.  When  he  was 
there,  the  wife  of  his  preceptor,  distracted  by  passion,  which 
had  arisen  in  her  heart,  made  violent  love  to  him.  Alas !  the 
fancies  of  women  are  ever  inconstant.  Accordingly  Deva- 
datta left  that  place,  as  his  studies  had  been  thus  interfered 
with  by  the  God  of  Love,  and  went  to  Pratishthana  with  un- 
wearied zeal.  There  he  repaired  to  an  old  preceptor  named 
Mantrasvamin,  with  an  old  wife,  and  acquired  a  perfect  know- 
ledge of  the  sciences.    And  after  he  had  acquired  learning 

1  The  amazing  austerities  of  Hindu  ascetics  have  been  witnessed  by 
nearly  every  traveller  in  India.  The  term  tapas  is  applied  to  such  penance, 
while  sadhu  is  the  usual  word  for  an  ascetic.  The  history  of  asceticism  is 
interesting  and  may  be  looked  upon  as  a  revolt  from  the  tyranny  of  caste. 
The  forms  of  mortification  vary.  They  include  mutilations  of  all  kinds,  and  in 
every  part  of  the  body — lying  on  a  bed  of  spikes  (Monier  Williams  mentions  a 
Brahman  who  lay  naked  on  one  of  these  beds  for  thirty-five  years) ;  totally 
renouncing  washing,  cutting  the  hair,  etc. ;  fasting  for  great  lengths  of  time  ; 
lying  surrounded  by  fires,  with  the  burning  sun  overhead ;  hanging  upside  down 
from  a  tree  or  remaining  standing  on  the  head  for  long  periods ;  lying  in  a 
bath  of  red-hot  coals ;  remaining  in  a  position  with  hands  raised,  so  that  they 
become  atrophied ;  clenching  the  fists  for  so  long  that  the  nails  grow  through 
the  palms  of  the  hands ;  eating  hot  coals ;  being  buried  alive ;  remaining  in 
water  for  long  periods ;  keeping  silent  till  the  power  of  speech  is  lost ;  and 
many  other  such  astounding  austerities.  For  fuller  details  reference  should 
be  made  to  The  Mystics,  Ascetics  and  Saints  of  India,  J.  C.  Oman ;  the  article 
"  Asceticism,"  by  F.  C.  Conybeare,  in  the  Ency.  Brit.  (vol.  ii,  p.  717  et  seq.), 
and  that  on  "  Asceticism  (Hindu),"  by  A.  S.  Geden,  in  Hastings'  Ency.  Rel.  Eth., 
vol.  ii,  p.  87  et  seq. — n.m.p. 

2  Siva. 


80  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

the  daughter  of  the  King  Susarman,  Sri  by  name,  cast 
eyes  upon  the  handsome  youth,  as  the  goddess  Sri  upon 
Vishnu.  He  also  beheld  that  maiden  at  a  window,  looking 
like  the  presiding  goddess  of  the  moon,  roaming  through  the 
air  in  a  magic  chariot.  Those  two  were,  as  it  were,  fastened 
together  by  that  look  which  was  the  chain  of  love,  and  were 
unable  to  separate.  The  king's  daughter  made  him  a  sign  to 
come  near  with  one  finger,  looking  like  love's  command  in 
fleshly  form.  Then  he  came  near  her,  and  she  came  out  of  the 
women's  apartments,  and  took  with  her  teeth  a  flower  and 
threw  it  down  to  him.  He,  not  understanding  this  mysterious 
sign1  made  by  the  princess,  puzzled  as  to  what  he  ought 

1  The  method  of  communicating  by  signs  made  with  objects  is  widely 
distributed  through  the  East,  and  has  also  been  noticed  in  different  parts  of 
Africa  and  America.  The  seclusion  of  women  in  the  East,  their  ignorance  of 
writing  and  the  risk  of  conveying  a  letter  to  an  admirer  was  quite  sufficient 
to  create  a  necessity  for  the  language  of  signs,  so  that  the  maiden  peeping 
through  her  lattice  of  meshrebiya  could  convey  messages  quickly  and  discreetly 
to  her  lover  or  the  passing  stranger. 

Consequently  we  find  the  language  of  signs  largely  introduced  into 
Eastern  fiction.  A  curious  fact  is  that  the  man  to  whom  the  signs  are  made 
never  understands  them,  but  has  them  interpreted  by  a  friend  or  teacher. 
This  is  the  case  in  our  story  of  Devadatta,  and  also  in  two  stories  in  the  Nights 
(see  Burton,  vol.  ii,  p.  302  et  seq.,  and  vol.  ix,  p.  269).  In  the  first  of  these 
stories,  that  of  "  Aziz  and  Azizah,"  are  numerous  examples  of  the  sign  language. 
The  following  may  be  quoted : — The  woman  appears  at  the  window  with  a 
mirror  and  a  red  kerchief.  She  then  "  bared  her  forearms  and  opened  her 
five  fingers  and  smote  her  breast  with  palms  and  digits ;  and  after  this  she 
raised  her  hands  and,  holding  the  mirror  outside  the  wicket,  she  took  the  red 
kerchief  and  retired  into  the  room  with  it,  but  presently  returned  and  putting 
out  her  hand  with  the  kerchief,  let  it  down  towards  the  lane  three  several 
times,  dipping  it  and  raising  it  as  often.  Then  she  wrung  it  out  and  folded  it 
in  her  hands,  bending  down  her  head  the  while ;  after  which  she  drew  it  in 
from  the  lattice  and,  shutting  the  wicket-shutter,  went  away  without  a  single 
word."  The  explanation  is,  the  sign  with  her  palm  and  five  fingers  :  "  Return 
after  five  days ;  and  the  putting  forth  of  her  head  out  of  the  window,  and  her 
gestures  with  the  mirror  and  the  letting  down  and  raising  up  and  wringing 
out  of  the  red  kerchief,  signify,  Sit  in  the  dyer's  shop  till  my  messenger  come 
to  thee."  After  similar  other  messages  our  hero  meets  the  lady,  but  always 
goes  to  sleep  while  waiting  for  her.  Each  time  on  awakening  he  finds  she  has 
been,  and  deposited  objects  on  his  body  while  asleep.  On  one  occasion  he 
finds  lying  on  his  stomach  a  cube  of  bone,  a  single  tip-cat  stick,  the  stone  of  a 
green  date  and  a  carob-pod.     The  meaning  of  these  articles  is  :  M  By  the  single 


THE  SIGN  LANGUAGE  81 

to  do,  went  home  to  his  preceptor.  There  he  rolled  on  the 
ground  unable  to  utter  a  word,  being  consumed  within  with 
burning  pain,  like  one  dumb  and  distracted ;  his  wise  pre- 
ceptor guessing  what  was  the  matter  by  these  love  symptoms, 
artfully  questioned  him,  and  at  last  he  was  with  difficulty 
persuaded  to  tell  the  whole  story.    Then  the  clever  preceptor 

tip-cat  stick  and  the  cube  of  bone  which  she  placed  upon  thy  stomach  she  saith 
to  thee,  Thy  body  is  present  but  thy  heart  is  absent ;  and  she  meaneth,  Love 
is  not  thus  :  so  do  not  reckon  thyself  among  lovers.  As  for  the  date-stone,  it 
is  as  if  she  said  to  thee,  An  thou  wert  in  love  thy  heart  would  be  burning  with 
passion  and  thou  wouldst  not  taste  the  delight  of  sleep ;  for  the  sweet  of  love 
is  like  a  green  date  which  kindleth  a  coal  of  fire  in  the  vitals.  As  for  the 
carob-pod,  it  signifies  to  thee,  The  lover's  heart  is  wearied ;  and  thereby  she 
saith,  Be  patient  under  our  separation  with  the  patience  of  Job." 

Lane  (Arabian  Nights,  i,  608,  and  Arabian  Society  in  the  Middle  Ages,  p.  130} 
says  that  the  art  of  sign  language  was  first  "  made  known  to  Europeans  by  ai 
Frenchman,  M.  du  Vigneau,  in  a  work  entitled  Secretaire  Turc,  contenant  VArt 
d'exprimer  ses  pensees  sans  se  voir,  sans  se  parler,  et  sans  s'ecrire :  Paris,  1688  : 
in-12.  Von  Hammer  has  also  given  an  interesting  paper  on  this  subject  in 
the  Mines  de  l' Orient,  No.  1  :  Vienna,  1809  (note  to  Marcel's  Contes  du  Cheykh 
El-Mohdy,  iii,  327,  328:  Paris,  1833)."  He  gives  an  example  of  messages 
answered  in  the  same  manner.  It  is  well  worth  quoting :  i(  An  Arab  lover 
sent  to  his  mistress  a  fan,  a  bunch  of  flowers,  a  silk  tassel,  some  sugar-candy, 
and  a  piece  of  cord  of  a  musical  instrument ;  and  she  returned  for  answer  a 
piece  of  an  aloe-plant,  three  black  cumin-seeds,  and  a  piece  of  plant  used  in 
washing.  His  communication  is  thus  interpreted.  The  fan,  being  called 
mirwahah,  a  word  derived  from  a  root  which  has  among  its  meanings  that  of 
( going  to  any  place  in  the  evening,'  signified  his  wish  to  pay  her  an  evening 
visit :  the  flowers,  that  the  interview  should  be  in  her  garden :  the  tassel, 
being  called  shurrabeh,  that  they  should  have  sharab  (or  wine) :  the  sugar-candy, 
being  termed  sukkar  nebat,  and  nebat  also  signifying  ( we  will  pass  the  night/ 
denoted  his  desire  to  remain  in  her  company  until  the  morning :  and  the 
piece  of  cord,  that  they  should  be  entertained  by  music.  The  interpretation 
of  her  answer  is  as  follows.  The  piece  of  an  aloe-plant,  which  is  called 
sabbarah  (from  sabr,  which  signifies  patience — because  it  will  live  for  many 
months  together  without  water),  implied  that  he  must  wait :  the  three  black 
cumin-seeds  explained  to  him  that  the  period  of  delay  should  be  three 
nights :  and  the  plant  used  in  washing  informed  him  that  she  should  then 
have  gone  to  the  bath,  and  would  meet  him." 

Similar  sign  language  occurs  in  Swynnerton,  Indian  Nights'  Entertainments, 
p.  167  et  seq.  See  also  Stein  and  Grierson,  Hatims  Tales,  1923,  pp.  21,  22, 
where  in  the  story  of  the  goldsmith  the  lady  turns  her  back,  shows  a  mirror, 
throws  some  water,  a  posy  of  flowers  and  a  hair  out  of  the  window.  Finally 
she  scratches  the  sill  of  the  window  with  an  iron  stiletto.  All  this  means  that 
someone  else  was  in  the  room,  but  that  he  can  meet  her  by  the  water-drain  in 


82  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

guessed  the  riddle,  and  said  to  him  2  :  "  By  letting  drop  a 
flower  with  her  tooth  she  made  a  sign  to  you  that  you  were 
to  go  to  this  temple  rich  in  flowers,  called  Pushpadanta,  and 
wait  there  ;  so  you  had  better  go  now."  When  he  heard  this 
and  knew  the  meaning  of  the  sign,  the  youth  forgot  his  grief. 
Then  he  went  into  that  temple  and  remained  there.  The 
princess  on  her  part  also  went  there,  giving  as  an  excuse 
that  it  was  the  eighth  day  of  the  month,  and  then  entered  the 
inner  shrine  in  order  to  present  herself  alone  before  the  god  ; 
then  she  touched  her  lover,  who  was  behind  the  panel  of  the 
door,  and  he  suddenly  springing  up  threw  his  arms  round  her 
neck.  She  exclaimed  :  "  This  is  strange  ;  how  did  you  guess 
the  meaning  of  that  sign  of  mine  ?  J'    He  replied  :    "It  was 

the  garden  and  must  be  prepared  to  file  through  iron  railings.  At  the  moment 
she  was  combing  her  hair. 

The  ancient  Peruvians  used  knotted  strings,  called  quipus,  in  a  most 
elaborate  manner,  the  colour  chosen  usually  denoting  objects  and  the  knots 
numbers,  The  system  is  still  found  in  the  north  of  South  America.  For 
full  details  and  excellent  illustrations  see  J.  L.  Locke,  The  Ancient  Quipu, 
Amer.  Mus.  Nat.  Hist,  New  York,  1923. 

The  Australian  message-stick  is  merely  an  aid  to  memory  when  conveying 
a  message.  In  China  chopsticks  are  sometimes  used  as  a  means  of  giving 
instructions  in  code,  but  here  we  are  nearly  touching  on  signalling  in  the 
modern  sense  of  the  word,  which  is  outside  our  note. 

The  language  of  signs  has  a  distinct  connection  with  the  British  rule 
in  India,  for  it  was  employed  by  the  natives  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Indian 
Mutiny.  In  1856  mysterious  chupattees,  or  griddle-cakes,  were  circulated  from 
village  to  village,  while  among  the  regiments  a  lotus-flower  was  passed  round. 
Each  man  took  it,  looked  at  it  and  passed  it  on.  The  exact  meaning  of  these 
symbols  has  never  been  explained.  See  "  Secret  Messages  and  Symbols  used 
in  India,"  Journ.  Bihar  and  Orissa  Research  Soc,  1919*  vol.  v,  pp.  451,  452. 
W.  Crooke,  the  author  of  this  article,  gives  instances  of  the  use  of  sticks,  twigs, 
spears,  arrows,  etc.,  used  symbolically.  After  referring  to  the  Nights  he  says 
that  in  India  a  leaf  of  pawn  with  betel  and  sweet  spices  inside,  accompanied 
by  a  certain  flower,  means,  "  I  love  you."  If  much  spice  is  put  inside  the  leaf 
and  one  corner  turned  down  in  a  peculiar  way,  it  signifies  "  Come."  If  turmeric 
is  added  it  means,  "  I  cannot  come,"  while  the  addition  of  a  piece  of  charcoal 
means,  "  Go,  I  have  done  with  you."  (See  T.  H.  Lewin,  The  Wild  Races  of 
South-Eastern  India,  p.  123.) — n.m.p. 

1  Cf.  the  first  story  in  the  Vetala  Panchavimsati,  Chapter  LXXV  of  this 
work.  See  also  Ralston's  Russian  Folk-Tales,  p.  241,  where  Prince  Ivan  by 
the  help  of  his  tutor  Katoma  propounds  to  the  Princess  Anna  the  fair  a 
riddle  which  enables  him  to  win  her  as  his  wife. 


DEVADATTA  WINS  HIS  WISH  83 

my  preceptor  that  found  it  out,  not  I."  Then  the  princess 
flew  into  a  passion  and  said,  "  Let  me  go ;  you  are  a  dolt," 
and  immediately  rushed  out  of  the  temple,  fearing  her  secret 
would  be  discovered.  Devadatta  on  his  part  went  away,  and 
thinking  in  solitude  on  his  beloved,  who  was  no  sooner  seen 
than  lost  to  his  eyes,  was  in  such  a  state  that  the  taper  of  his 
life  was  well-nigh  melted  away  in  the  fire  of  bereavement. 
Siva,  who  had  been  before  propitiated  by  him,  commanded 
an  attendant  of  his,  of  the  name  of  Panchasikha,  to  procure 
for  him  the  desire  of  his  heart.  That  excellent  Gana  thereupon 
came  and  consoled  him,  and  caused  him  to  assume  the  dress 
of  a  woman,  and  he  himself  wore  the  semblance  of  an  aged 
Brahman.  Then  that  worthy  Gana  went  with  him  to  King 
Susarman,  the  father  of  that  bright- eyed  one,  and  said  to 
him :  "  My  son  has  been  sent  away  somewhere,1  I  go  to  seek 
him ;  accordingly  I  deposit  with  thee  this  daughter-in-law 
of  mine;  keep  her  safely,  O  king."  Hearing  that,  King 
Susarman,  afraid  of  a  Brahman's  curse,  took  the  young  man 
and  placed  him  in  his  daughter's  guarded  seraglio,  supposing 
him  to  be  a  woman.  Then  after  the  departure  of  Panchasikha 
the  Brahman  dwelt  in  woman's  clothes  in  the  seraglio  of  his 
beloved,  and  became  her  trusted  confidant.  Once  on  a  time 
the  princess  was  full  of  regretful  longing  at  night,  so  he 
discovered  himself  to  her  and  secretly  married  her  by  the 
gdndharva  form  of  marriage.2  And  when  she  became  preg- 
nant that  excellent  Gana  came  on  his  thinking  of  him  only, 
and  carried  him  away  at  night  without  its  being  perceived. 
Then  he  quickly  rent  off  from  the  young  man  his  woman's 
dress,  and  in  the  morning  Panchasikha  resumed  the  sem- 
blance of  a  Brahman  ;  and  going  with  the  young  man  to  the 
King  Susarman  he  said  :  "  O  king,  I  have  this  day  found  my 
son ;  so  give  me  back  my  daughter-in-law."  Then  the  king, 
supposing  that  she  had  fled  somewhere  at  night,  alarmed  at 
the  prospect  of  being  cursed  by  the  Brahman,  said  this  to  his 
ministers :  "  This  is  no  Brahman ;  this  is  some  god  come  to 
deceive  me,  for  such  things  often  happen  in  this  world. 

1  The  Durgaprasad  text  reads  prositak,  thus  making  a  better  reading: 
"my  son  is  abroad  somewhere." — n.m.p. 

2  See  note  at  the  end  of  this  chapter. — n.m.p. 


84  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

3a.  Indra  and  King  &ivi 

"So  in  former  times  there  was  a  king  named  Sivi,  self- 
denying,  compassionate,  generous,  resolute,  the  protector  of 
all  creatures  ;  and  in  order  to  beguile  him  Indra  assumed 
the  shape  of  a  hawk,  and  swiftly  pursued  Dharma,1  who  by 
magic  had  transformed  himself  into  a  dove.  The  dove  in 
terror  went  and  took  refuge  in  the  bosom  of  Sivi.  Then  the 
hawk  addressed  the  king  with  a  human  voice :  '  O  king,  this 
is  my  natural  food;  surrender  the  dove  to  me,  for  I  am 
hungry.  Know  that  my  death  will  immediately  follow  if  you 
refuse  my  prayer  ;  in  that  case  where  will  be  your  righteous- 
ness ?  '  Then  Sivi  said  to  the  god  :  '  This  creature  has  fled 
to  me  for  protection,  and  I  cannot  abandon  it,  therefore  I 
will  give  you  an  equal  weight  of  some  other  kind  of  flesh.' 
The  hawk  said  :  '  If  this  be  so,  then  give  me  your  own  flesh.' 
The  king,  delighted,  consented  to  do  so.  But  as  fast  as  he  cut 
off  his  flesh  and  threw  it  on  the  scale,  the  dove  seemed  to 
weigh  more  and  more  in  the  balance.  Then  the  king  threw 
his  whole  body  on  to  the  scale,  and  thereupon  a  celestial 
voice  was  heard :  '  Well  done  !  This  is  equal  in  weight  to  the 
dove.'  Then  Indra  and  Dharma  abandoned  the  form  of 
hawk  and  dove  and,  being  highly  pleased,  restored  the  body 
of  King  Sivi  whole  as  before,  and  after  bestowing  on  him 
many  other  blessings  they  both  disappeared.  In  the  same 
way  this  Brahman  is  some  god  that  has  come  to  prove  me."  2 

1  The  god  of  justice. 

2  Benfey  considers  this  story  as  Buddhistic  in  its  origin.  In  the  Memoires 
sur  les  Contrees  Occidentales  traduits  du  Sanscrit  par  Hiouen  Tlisang  et  du  Chinois 
par  Stanislas  Julien  we  are  expressly  told  that  Gautama  Buddha  gave  his  flesh 
to  the  hawk  as  Sivi  in  a  former  state  of  existence.  It  is  told  of  many  other 
persons  (see  Benfey's  Panchatantra,  vol.  i,  p.  388 ;  cf.  also  Campbell's  West 
Highland  Tales,  vol.  i,  tale  xvi,  p.  239).  M.  Leveque  (Les  Mythes  el  Legendes 
de  L'Inde,  p.  327)  connects  this  story  with  that  of  Philemon  and  Baucis. 
He  lays  particular  stress  upon  the  following  lines  of  Ovid : — 

"  Unicus  anser  erat,  minimee  custodia  villae, 
Quern  Dls  hospitibus  domini  mactare  parabant  : 
Ille  celer  penna  tardos  aetate  fatigat, 
Eluditque  diu,  tandemque  est  visus  ad  ipsos 
Confugisse  deos.     Superi  vetuere  necari." 

See  also  Gubernatis,  Zoological  Mythology,  vol.  ii,  pp.  187,  297  and  414 


MALYAVAN'S  AUSTERITIES  85 

3.  Story  of  Pushpadanta 

Having  said  this  to  his  ministers,  that  King  Susarman 
of  his  own  motion  said  to  that  excellent  Gana  that  had 
assumed  the  form  of  a  Brahman,  prostrating  himself  before 
him  in  fear :   "  Spare  me.    That  daughter-in-law  of  thine  was 
carried  off  last  night.   She  has  been  taken  somewhere  or  other 
by  magic  arts,  though  guarded  night  and  day."    Then  the 
Gana,  who  had  assumed  the  Brahman's  semblance,  pretend- 
ing to  be  with  difficulty  won  over  to  pity  him,  said  :    "  If 
this  be  so,  king,  give  thy  daughter  in  marriage  to  my  son." 
When  he  heard  this,  the  king,  afraid  of  being  cursed,  gave 
his  own  daughter  to  Devadatta ;  then  Panchasikha  departed. 
Then  Devadatta  having  recovered  his  beloved,  and  that  in 
an  open  manner,  flourished  in  the  power  and  splendour  of 
his  father-in-law,  who  had  no  son  but  him.    And  in  course 
of  time   Susarman   anointed   the   son   of  his   daughter  by 
Devadatta,  Mahidhara  by  name,  as  successor  in  his  room, 
and  retired  to  the  forest.    Then  having  seen  the  prosperity 
of  his  son,  Devadatta  considered  that   he  had  attained  all 
his  objects,  and  he  too,  with  the  princess,  retired  to  the  forest. 
There  he  again  propitiated  Siva,  and  having  laid  aside  his 
mortal  body,  by  the  special  favour  of  the  god  he  attained 
the  position  of  a  Gana.    Because  he  did  not  understand  the 
sign  given  by  the  flower  dropped  from  the  tooth  of  his  be- 
loved, therefore  he  became  known  by  the  name  of  Pushpa- 
danta in  the  assembly  of  the  Ganas.    And  his  wife  became  a 
doorkeeper  in  the  house  of  the  goddess,  under  the  name  of 
Java.    This  is  how  he  came  to  be  called  Pushpadanta.    Now 
hear  the  origin  of  my  name. 

4.  Story  of  Mdlyavdn 

Long  ago  I  was   a   son   of  that  same  Brahman  called 
Govindadatta,  the  father  of  Devadatta,  and  my  name  was 

and  compare  how  the  Persian  hero  Hatim  Tai  cuts  a  slice  of  flesh  from  his 
own  thigh  to  feed  a  wolf  who  was  in  pursuit  of  a  milch-doe.  See  Clouston's 
Popular  Tales  and  Fictions,  vol.  i,  pp.  241,  242,  and  especially  the  article 
by  Dames  and  Joyce  in  Man,  Feb.  1913,  pp.  17-19- — n.m.p. 


86  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

Somadatta.  I  left  my  home  indignant  for  the  same  reason 
as  Devadatta,  and  I  performed  austerities  on  the  Himalaya, 
continually  striving  to  propitiate  Siva  with  offerings  of  many 
garlands.  The  god  of  the  moony  crest,  being  pleased,  revealed 
himself  to  me  in  the  same  way  as  he  did  to  my  brother,  and 
I  chose  the  privilege  of  attending  upon  him  as  a  Gana,  not 
being  desirous  of  lower  pleasures.  The  husband  of  the  daughter 
of  the  mountain,  that  mighty  god,  thus  addressed  me  : 
"  Because  I  have  been  worshipped  by  thee  with  garlands  of 
flowers  growing  in  trackless  forest  regions,  brought  with 
thy  own  hand,  therefore  thou  shalt  be  one  of  my  Ganas,  and 
shalt  bear  the  name  of  Malyavan."  Then  I  cast  off  my  mortal 
frame  and  immediately  attained  the  holy  state  of  an  attend- 
ant on  the  god.  And  so  my  name  of  Malyavan  was  bestowed 
upon  me  by  him  who  wears  the  burden  of  the  matted  locks,1 
as  a  mark  of  his  special  favour.  And  I,  that  very  Malyavan, 
have  once  more,  O  Kanabhuti,  been  degraded  to  the  state  of 
a  mortal,  as  thou  seest,  owing  to  the  curse  of  the  daughter 
of  the  mountain ;  therefore  do  thou  now  tell  me  the  tale  told 
by  Siva,  in  order  that  the  state  of  curse  of  both  of  us  may 
cease. 

1  I.e.  Siva. 


THE  GANDHARVA  MARRIAGE  87 


NOTE   ON   THE   GANDHARVA    FORM   OF   MARRIAGE 

This  form  of  marriage  occurs  in  the  Ocean  of  Story  more  frequently  than 
any  other.  This  may  be  due  to  the  fact  that  our  heroes  are  usually  warriors 
and  belong,  therefore,  to  the  Kshatriya  caste,  and  it  is  for  this  caste  that 
the  gandharva  form  of  marriage  is  particularly  recommended. 

The  name  of  the  marriage  is  taken  from  the  Gandharvas,  who  are  spirits 
of  the  air,  and  are,  moreover,  very  fond  of  beautiful  women.  Thus  the 
nature  of  the  marriage  is  explained — the  only  witnesses  are  the  spirits  of 
the  air,  and  the  marriage  itself  is  due  to  sexual  attraction,  sometimes  quite 
sudden  and  unpremeditated. 

In  the  course  of  the  present  work  the  gandharva  form  of  marriage  occurs 
about  a  dozen  times,  and  the  context  usually  shows  that  those  who  parti- 
cipated realised  a  certain  irregularity  in  their  action,  although  they  knew 
that  they  were  "within  the  law." 

Thus  we  read  "...  and  secretly  married  her  by  the  ...";"...  and 
secretly  made  her  his  wife  by  the  ...";"...  then  they  both  became 
eager  for  the  .  .  . " ;  "...  made  the  fair  one  forget  her  modesty,  and 
married  her  by  the  ..." 

Manu  {Sacred  Books  of  the  East,  vol.  xxv,  by  Biihler,  1886)  first  refers 
to  this  form  of  marriage  in  iii,  21-26,  pp.  79-80.  Speaking  of  the  four 
original  castes,  or  varnas  (Brahmans,  Kshatriyas,  Vaisyas  and  Sudras),  he 
says  that  they  use  eight  marriage  rites — viz.  brahma,  daiva,  arsha,  prajapatya, 
asura,  gandharva,  rakshasa  and  paisacha;  and  (23)  that  the  first  six  are 
lawful  for  a  Brahman,  and  the  last  four  for  a  Kshatriya,  and  the  same 
four,  excepting  the  rakshasa  rite,  for  a  Vaisya  and  a  Sudra.  Each  rite  is 
briefly  described,  and  (in  32)  we  read :  "  The  voluntary  union  of  a  maiden 
and  her  lover  one  must  know  (to  be)  the  gandharva  rite,  which  springs 
from  desire  and  has  sexual  intercourse  for  its  purpose."  Later  we  learn 
that  of  the  eight  rites  the  first  four  are  blameless  and  the  last  four  blamable, 
and  that  (41)  from  the  latter  spring  sons  who  are  cruel  and  speakers  of 
untruth,  who  hate  the  Veda  and  the  sacred  law. 

In  the  introduction  to  Sir  R.  F.  Burton's  Vikram  and  the  Vampire,  1870, 
the  dancing-girl  Vasantasena  marries  the  devotee  by  the  gandharva  rite. 
Burton  adds  the  following  note  (p.  28): — "This  form  of  matrimony  was 
recognised  by  the  ancient  Hindus,  and  is  frequent  in  books.  It  is  a  kind 
of  Scotch  wedding — ultra-Caledonian  —  taking  place  by  mutual  consent, 
without  any  form  or  ceremony.  The  Gandharvas  are  heavenly  minstrels  of 
Indra's  court,  who  are  supposed  to  be  witnesses." 

In  his  Principles  of  Hindu  and  Mohammedan  Law,  I860,  Sir  W.  H. 
Macnaghten  (p.  6*3)  states  that  the  gandharva  form  of  marriage  is  "  peculiar 
to  the  military  tribe"  (i.e.  Kshatriyas),  and  suggests  that  the  indulgence 
may  have  originated  in  principles  similar  to  those  by  which,  according  both 
to  the  civil  and  English  laws,  soldiers  are  permitted  to   make   nuncupative 


88  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

wills,  and  to  dispose  of  their  property  without  those  forms  which  the  law 
requires  in  other  cases. 

John  D.  Mayne,  dealing  with  the  question  in  his  Treatise  on  Hindu  Law 
and  Usage,  1878,  compares  the  rakshasa  and  gandharva  forms  of  marriage. 
He  considers  the  latter  is  better  than  the  former  in  that  it  assumes  a  state 
of  society  in  which  a  friendly,  though  perhaps  stealthy,  intercourse  was 
possible  between  man  and  woman  before  their  union,  and  in  which  the 
inclinations  of  the  female  were  consulted.  He  points  out  that  in  neither 
form  of  marriage  was  there  anything  to  show  that  permanence  was  a 
necessary  element  in  either  transaction  (pp.  66,  67).  Speaking  further 
on  the  subject  Mayne  says  (p.  70)  that  the  validity  of  a  gandharva  marriage 
was  established  in  court  in  1817,  but  that  the  definition  seems  to  imply 
nothing  more  or  less  than  fornication. 

Sripati  Roy  in  his  Customs  and  Customary  Law  in  British  India.  Tagore  Law 
Lectures,  1908,  1911,  deals  with  the  subject  on  pp.  288,  289- 

He  states  that  the  form  of  marriage  is  still  prevalent  among  rajahs 
and  chiefs,  and  that  the  ceremony  consists  in  an  exchange  of  garlands  and 
flowers  between  the  bride  and  bridegroom,  without  a  nuptial  tie,  homam, 
and  without  the  customary  token  of  legal  marriage,  called  pustelu,  being 
tied  round  the  neck  of  the  bride.  This  form  seems  very  similar  to  the 
svayamvara  mentioned  twice  in  the  Ocean  of  Story,  in  which  a  garland  is 
thrown  on  the  neck  of  the  favoured  suitor.  Readers  will  also  remember 
the  incident  in  the  story  of  u  Nala  and  Damayanti." 

In  conclusion  I  would  quote  the  classical  example  of  the  gandharva  form 
of  marriage  which  occurs  in  the  Mahdbharata  (section  lxxiii,  "Adiparva"), 
where  King  Dushyanta  tries  to  persuade  Princess  Sakuntala  with  these 
words :  u  Let  the  whole  of  my  kingdom  be  thine  to-day,  O  beautiful  one ! 
Come  to  me,  O  timid  one,  wedding  me,  O  beautiful  one,  according  to  the 
gandharva  form!  O  thou  of  tapering  thighs!  of  all  forms  of  marriage,  the 
gandharva  one  is  regarded  as  the  first." 

Sakuntala  demurs  and  speaks  of  fetching  her  father;  whereupon  King 
Dushyanta  quotes  Manu  on  the  eight  forms  of  marriage  and  shows  she 
need  have  no  apprehensions  on  the  step  he  wants  her  to  take  as  it  is 
sanctioned  by  religion.  She  is  persuaded,  but  stipulates  that  her  son 
shall  become  the  heir-apparent.  This  being  agreed  upon,  the  marriage 
takes  place  there  and  then.  The  king  departs  with  a  promise  to  send 
for  Sakuntala  later. 

Her  father,  Kanva,  returns,  and  Sakuntala,  filled  with  a  sense  of  shame, 
does  not  go  out  to  meet  him.  Her  father,  however,  by  his  spiritual  know- 
ledge, already  knows  all  that  has  happened,  and  addresses  her:  "Amiable 
one,  what  hath  been  done  by  thee  to-day  in  secret,  without  having  waited 
for  me — viz.  intercourse  with  man — hath  not  been  destructive  of  thy  virtue. 
Indeed,  union  according  to  the  gandharva  form  of  a  wishful  woman  with 
a  man  of  sexual  desire,  without  mantras  of  any  kind,  it  is  said,  is  the  best 
for  Kshatriyas  .  .  ."  (translated  by  P.  C.  Roy,  new  edition,  191 9,  etc., 
part  ii,  pp.  150,  151,  152). 

The  Gandharvas  are  described  in  Appendix  I  of  this  volume. — n.m.p. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

IN  accordance  with  this  request  of  Gunadhya  that  heavenly 
[MI]  tale  consisting  of  seven  stories  was  told  by  Kanabhuti 
in  his  own  language,  and  Gunadhya  for  his  part  using 
the  same  Paisacha  language  threw  them  into  seven  hundred 
thousand  couplets  in  seven  years  ;  and  that  great  poet,  for 
fear  that  the  Vidyadharas  should  steal  his  composition, 
wrote  it  with  his  own  blood  in  the  forest,  not  possessing  ink. 
And  so  the  Vidyadharas,  Siddhas  and  other  demigods  came 
to  hear  it,  and  the  heaven  above  where  Kanabhuti  was  recit- 
ing was,  as  it  were,  continually  covered  with  a  canopy.  And 
Kanabhuti,  when  he  had  seen  that  great  tale  composed 
by  Gunadhya,  was  released  from  his  curse  and  went  to  his 
own  place.  There  were  also  other  Pisachas  that  accompanied 
him  in  his  wanderings  :  they  too,  all  of  them,  attained  heaven, 
having  heard  that  heavenly  tale.  Then  that  great  poet 
Gunadhya  began  to  reflect :  u  I  must  make  this  Great  Tale 1 
of  mine  current  on  the  earth,  for  that  is  the  condition  that 
the  goddess  mentioned  when  she  revealed  how  my  course 
would  end.  Then  how  shall  I  make  it  current  ?  To  whom 
shall  I  give  it  ?  "  Then  his  two  disciples  who  had  followed 
him,  one  of  whom  was  called  Gunadeva,  and  the  other 
Nandideva,  said  to  him  :  "  The  glorious  Satavahana  alone 
is  a  fit  person  to  give  this  poem  to,  for,  being  a  man  of  taste, 
he  will  diffuse  the  poem  far  and  wide,  as  the  wind  diffuses  the 
perfume  of  the  flower."  "  So  be  it,"  said  Gunadhya,  and 
gave  the  book  to  those  two  accomplished  disciples  and  sent 
them  to  that  king  with  it ;  and  went  himself  to  that  same 
Pratishthana,  but  remained  outside  the  city  in  the  garden 
planted  by  the  goddess,  where  he  arranged  that  they  should 
meet  him.  And  his  disciples  went  and  showed  the  poem  to 
King  Satavahana,  telling  him  at  the  same  time  that  it  was 
the  work  of  Gunadhya.      When   he   heard   that   Paisacha 

1  Brihat-Katha. 


90  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

language  and  saw  that  they  had  the  appearance  of  Pisachas, 
that  king,  led  astray  by  pride  of  learning,  said  with  a  sneer  : 
"  The  seven  hundred  thousand  couplets  are  a  weighty 
authority,  but  the  Paisacha  language  is  barbarous,  and  the 
letters  are  written  in  blood.  Away  with  this  Paisacha  tale." 
Then  the  two  pupils  took  the  book  and  returned  by  the 
way  which  they  had  come,  and  told  the  whole  circumstance 
to  Gunadhya.  Gunadhya  for  his  part,  when  he  heard  it,  was 
immediately  overcome  with  sorrow.  Who  indeed  is  not  inly 
grieved  when  scorned  by  a  competent  authority  ?  Then  he 
went  with  his  disciples  to  a  craggy  hill  at  no  great  distance, 
in  an  unfrequented  but  pleasant  spot,  and  first  prepared  a 
consecrated  fire  cavity.  Then  he  took  the  leaves  one  by  one, 
and  after  he  had  read  them  aloud  to  the  beasts  and  birds, 
he  flung  them  into  the  fire,  while  his  disciples  looked  on 
with  tearful  eyes.  But  he  reserved  one  story,  consisting  of 
one  hundred  thousand  couplets,  containing  the  history  of 
Naravahanadatta,  for  the  sake  of  his  two  disciples,  as  they 
particularly  fancied  it.  And  while  he  was  reading  out  and 
burning  that  heavenly  tale,  all  the  deer,  boars,  buffaloes 
and  other  wild  animals  came  there,  leaving  their  pasturage, 
and  formed  a  circle  round  him,  listening  with  tears  in  their 
eyes,  unable  to  quit  the  spot.1 

In  the  meanwhile  King  Satavahana  fell  sick.  And  the 
physicians  said  that  his  illness  was  due  to  eating  meat  want- 
ing in  nutritive  qualities.  And  when  the  cooks  were  scolded 
for  it  they  said  :  "  The  hunters  bring  in  to  us  flesh  of  this 
kind."  And  when  the  hunters  were  taken  to  task  they  said  : 
"Ona  hill  not  very  far  from  here  there  is  a  Brahman  reading, 
who  throws  into  a  fire  every  leaf  as  soon  as  he  has  read  it ;  so 
all  the  animals  go  there  and  listen,  without  ever  grazing ;  they 
never  wander  anywhere  else ;  consequently  this  flesh  of  theirs 
is  wanting  in  nutritive  properties  on  account  of  their  going 
without  food."  When  he  heard  this  speech  of  the  hunters 
he  made  them  show  him  the  way,  and  out  of  curiosity  went 
in  person  to  see  Gunadhya,  and  he  beheld  him,  owing  to  his 
forest  life,  overspread  with  matted  locks  that  looked  like  the 
smoke  of  the  fire  of  his  curse,  that  was  almost  extinguished. 

1  Compare  the  story  of  Orpheus. 


ONLY  ONE  TALE  SAVED  91 

Then  the  king  recognised  him  as  he  stood  in  the  midst 
of  the  weeping  animals,  and  after  he  had  respectfully  saluted 
him,  he  asked  him  for  an  explanation  of  all  the  circum- 
stances. That  wise  Brahman  then  related  to  the  king  in  the 
language  of  the  demons  his  own  history  as  Pushpadanta, 
giving  an  account  of  the  curse  and  all  the  circumstances 
which  originated  the  descent  of  the  tale  to  earth.  Then  the 
king,  discovering  that  he  was  an  incarnation  of  a  Gana, 
bowed  at  his  feet,  and  asked  him  for  that  celestial  tale  that 
had  issued  from  the  mouth  of  Siva.  Then  Gunadhya  said 
to  that  King  Satavahana  :  tcO  king !  I  have  burnt  six  tales 
containing  six  hundred  thousand  couplets ;  but  there  is  one 
tale  consisting  of  a  hundred  thousand  couplets,  take  that,1 
and  these  two  pupils  of  mine  shall  explain  it  to  you."  So 
spake  Gunadhya  and  took  leave  of  the  king,  and  then  by 
strength  of  devotion  laid  aside  his  earthly  body  and,  released 
from  the  curse,  ascended  to  his  own  heavenly  home.  Then  the 
king  took  that  tale  which  Gunadhya  had  given,  called  Brihat 
Kathd,  containing  the  adventures  of  Naravahanadatta,  and 
went  to  his  own  city.  And  there  he  bestowed  on  Gunadeva 
and  Nandideva,  the  pupils  of  the  poet  who  composed  that  tale, 
lands,  gold,  garments,  beasts  of  burden,  palaces  and  treasures. 
And  having  recovered  the  sense  of  that  tale  with  their  help, 
Satavahana  composed  the  book  named  Kathapitha,  in  order 
to  show  how  the  tale  came  to  be  first  made  known  in  the 
Paisacha  language.  Now  that  tale  was  so  full  of  various 
interest  that  men  were  so  taken  with  it  as  to  forget  the  tales 
of  the  gods,  and  after  producing  that  effect  in  the  city  it 
attained  uninterrupted  renown  in  the  three  worlds. 

1  It  is  unnecessary  to  remind  the  reader  of  the  story  of  the  Sibyl. 


92  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


NOTE   ON   THE   PAISACHI  LANGUAGE 

As  the  Pisachas  are  dealt  with  in  Appendix  I  at  the  end  of  this  volume 
(see  p.  205),  it  is  only  the  so-called  "  Paisachi,"  or  language  of  the  Pisachas, 
with  which  we  are  here  concerned. 

The  language  of  the  Pisachas  is  described  as  a  kind  of  gibberish,  and 
hence  natives  call  the  English  language  pisacha-bhasha,  or  "goblin  language," 
as  to  them  it  appears  only  as  gibberish. 

In  the  Mahabharata  the  Pisachas  are  described  as  a  human  race  inhabiting 
N.W.  India,  the  Himalaya  and  Central  Asia.  Moreover,  Kashmir  tradition 
connects  their  original  home  with  an  oasis  in  the  Central  Asian  desert. 
There  are  two  distinct  streams  of  tradition  concerning  the  language  spoken 
by  this  tribe.  The  first  is  that  in  our  text,  while  the  other  is  derived  from 
the  works  of  Indian  grammarians. 

The  first  of  these,  Vararuchi  {circa  sixth  century  a.d.),  familiar  to  us  from 
the  Ocean  of  Story,  speaks  of  only  one  Paisachi  dialect,  but  by  the  time  of 
Markandeya  (seventeenth  century)  the  number  had  increased  to  thirteen. 
This,  however,  includes  many  dialects  which  had  no  connection  with  Paisachi. 
Accordingly  Sir  George  Grierson  (see  article  "  Pisachas,"  Hastings'  Ency. 
Bel.  Eth.,  vol.  x,  pp.  43-45)  considers  it  safest  to  accept  the  statement  of 
Hemachandra  (thirteenth  century),  who  states  that  there  were  at  most 
three  varieties.  Although  the  later  grammarians  assign  different  localities 
all  over  India  as  to  where  the  language  was  spoken,  there  is  only  one 
locality  on  which  they  are  all  agreed — namely,  Kekaya,  a  country  on  the  east 
bank  of  the  Indus,  in  the  N.W.  Panjab. 

Markandeya  considers  the  Kekaya  Paisachi  to  be  without  doubt  the 
language  of  the  Brihat-Katha,  and  consequently  of  the  Ocean  of  Story,  and 
makes  quotations  in  support  of  his  theory.  As  the  forms  of  the  dialect  as 
described  by  Vararuchi  closely  agree  with  the  Kekaya  Paisachi,  we  may 
conclude  that  the  language  in  our  text  belonged  to  the  extreme  N.W.  corner 
of  modern  India.     All  scholars,  however,  are  not  agreed  on  this  point. 

From  a  passage  in  Rajasekhara's  (see  No.  7  in  list  given  below) 
Kavyamlmamsa  Konow  infers  that  in  the  ninth  century  the  country  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  Vindhya  range  was  considered  as  the  home  of  the 
old  dialect  of  the  Brihat-Katha.  Grierson  (see  notes  below),  however,  shows 
that  there  were  two  distinct  schools,  an  eastern  and  a  western  one,  and  it 
is  of  the  greatest  importance  to  keep  these  strictly  apart  when  attempting 
to  determine  the  home  of  Paisachi. 

Readers  wishing  to  study  the  different  theories  and  to  obtain  further 
general  information  on  the  subject  should  see  the  following: — 

1.  G.  A.  Grierson,  "Pisaca  =  '12/xo<£ayos,"  in  Journ.  Roy.  As.  Soc,  1905, 
p.  285  et  seq. 

2.  S.  Konow,  "The  Home  of  Paisaci,"  Zeitschrift  der  deutschen  morgen- 
Idndischen  Gesellschaft,  1910,  lxiv,  p.  95  et  seq. 


THE  PAISACHI  LANGUAGE  93 

3.  G.  A.  Grierson,  "  Pisacas  in  the  Mahabharata,"  in  Festschrift  fir  Vilhelm 
Thomsen,  Leipzig,  1912,  p.  138  et  seq. 

4.  G.  A.  Grierson,  "  PaisacI,  Pisacas,  and  ■  Modern  Pisacha,'  "  in  Zeit.  der 
deuts.  morg.  Gesell.,  1912,  lxvi,  p.  68. 

5.  A.  A.  Macdonell  and  A.  B.  Keith,  Fedic  Index  of  Names  and  Subjects, 
London,  1912,  vol.  i,  p.  533. 

6.  G.    A.  Grierson,    Linguistic   Survey   of    India :    the   Dardic   or  Pisacha 
Languages,  Calcutta  Government  Press,  1919- 

7.  S.  Konow,  "Rajasekhara  and  the    Home  of  PaisacI,"  in  Journ.  Roy. 
As.  Soc,  April  1921,  pp.  244-246. 

8.  G.  A.  Grierson,  "Rajasekhara  and  the  Home  of  PaisacI,"  in  Journ.  Roy. 
As.  Soc,  July  1921,  pp.  424-428. 

9.  A.  B.  Keith,  Classical  Sanskrit  Literature,  Heritage  of  India  Series,  ]  923, 
pp.  90,  91.  (Keith  considers  Grierson's  reply  to  Konow  ineffective.)— n.m.p. 


BOOK  II:  KATHAMUKHA 

This  nectarous  tale  sprang  in  old  time  from  the  mouth  of  Siva, 
set  in  motion  by  his  love  for  the  daughter  of  the  Himalaya,  as 
the  nectar  of  immortality  sprang  from  the  sea  when  churned  by 
the  mountain  Mandara.  Those  who  drink  eagerly  the  nectar 
of  this  tale  have  all  impediments  removed  and  gain  prosperity, 
and  by  the  favour  of  Siva  attain,  while  living  upon  earth,  the 
high  rank  of  gods. 

CHAPTER  IX 

INVOCATION 

MAY  the  water  of  Siva's  sweat,  fresh  from  the  em- 
brace of  Gaurl,1  which  the  God  of  Love  when  afraid 
of  the  fire  of  Siva's  eye  employs  as  his  aqueous 
weapon,  protect  you. 

Listen  to  the  following  tale  of  the  Vidyadharas,  which  the 
excellent  Gana  Pushpadanta  heard  on  Mount  Kailasa  from 
the  god  of  the  matted  locks,  and  which  Kanabhiiti  heard  on 
the  earth  from  the  same  Pushpadanta  after  he  had  become 
Vararuchi,  and  which  Gunadhya  heard  from  Kanabhuti,  and 
Satavahana  heard  from  Gunadhya. 

Story  of  Udayana,  King  of  Vatsa 

[M]  There  is  a  land2  famous  under  the  name  of  Vatsa, 
that  appears  as  if  it  had  been  made  by  the  Creator  as  an 
earthly  rival  to  dash  the  pride  of  heaven.  In  the  centre  of  it 
is  a  great  city  named  Kausambi,  the  favourite  dwelling-place 
of  the  Goddess  of  Prosperity ;  the  ear-ornament,  so  to  speak, 

1  I.e.  Durga. 

2  At  last  the  Ocean  of  Story  really  commences. — n.m.p. 

94 


SATANIKA  AND  HIS  SON  95 

of  the  earth.  In  it  dwelt  a  king  named  Satanika,  sprung  from 
the  Pandava  family ;  he  was  the  son  of  Janamejaya,  and  the 
grandson  of  King  Parikshit,  who  was  the  great-grandson  of 
Abhimanyu.  The  first  progenitor  of  his  race  was  Arjuna, 
the  might  of  whose  strong  arm  was  tested  in  a  struggle  with 
the  mighty  arms  of  Siva x ;  his  wife  was  the  earth,  and  also 
Vishnumati  his  queen  :  the  first  produced  jewels,  but  the 
second  did  not  produce  a  son.  Once  on  a  time,  as  that  king 
was  roaming  about  in  his  passion  for  the  chase,  he  made 
acquaintance  in  the  forest  with  the  hermit  Sandilya.  That 
worthy  sage,  finding  out  that  the  king  desired  a  son,  came 
to  Kausambi  and  administered  to  his  queen  an  artfully 
prepared  oblation 2  consecrated  with  mystic  verses.  Then  he 
had  a  son  born  to  him  called  Sahasranika.  And  his  father 
was  adorned  by  him  as  excellence  is  by  modesty.  Then  in 
course  of  time  Satanika  made  that  son  crown  prince  and, 
though  he  still  enjoyed  kingly  pleasures,  ceased  to  trouble 
himself  about  the  cares  of  government.  Then  a  war  arose 
between  the  gods  and  Asuras,  and  Indra  sent  Matali  as  a 
messenger  to  that  king  begging  for  aid.  Then  he  committed 
his  son  and  his  kingdom  to  the  care  of  his  principal  minister, 
who  was  called  Yogandhara,  and  his  commander-in-chief, 
whose  name  was  Supratlka,  and  went  to  Indra  with  Matali 
to  slay  the  Asuras  in  fight.  That  king,  having  slain  many 
Asuras,  of  whom  Yamadamshtra  was  the  chief,  under  the 
eyes  of  Indra,  met  death  in  that  very  battle.  The  king's  body 
was  brought  back  by  Matali,  and  the  queen  burnt  herself  with 
it,  and  the  royal  dignity  descended  to  his  son  Sahasranika. 
Wonderful  to  say,  when  that  king  ascended  his  father's 
throne  the  heads  of  the  kings  on  every  side  of  his  dominions 
were  bent  down  with  the  weight.  Then  Indra  sent  Matali, 
and  brought  to  heaven  that  Sahasranika,  as  being  the  son 
of  his  friend,  that  he  might  be  present  at  the  great  feast  which 

1  I  believe  this  refers  to  Arjuna's  combat  with  the  god  when  he  had 
assumed  the  form  of  a  Kirata,  or  mountaineer.  Siva  is  here  called  Tripurari, 
the  enemy  or  destroyer  of  Tripura.     Dr  Brockhaus  renders  it  quite  differently. 

2  Composed  of  rice,  milk,  sugar  and  spices. For  similar  child-giving 

drinks  see  L.  B.  Day's  Folk-Tales  of  Bengal,  p.  187,  and  Knowles'  Folk-Tales 
of  Kashmir,  pp.  131  and  41 6.  Cf  also  the  child-giving  mango  in  Freer's  Old 
Deccafi  Bays,  p.  254. — n.m.p. 


96  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

he  was  holding  to  celebrate  his  victory  over  his  foes.  There 
the  king  saw  the  gods,  attended  by  their  fair  ones,  sporting 
in  the  garden  of  Nandana,  and  desiring  for  himself  a  suitable 
wife,  fell  into  low  spirits.  Then  Indra,  perceiving  this  desire 
of  his,  said  to  him  :  "  King,  away  with  despondency ;  this 
desire  of  thine  shall  be  accomplished.  For  there  has  been 
born  upon  the  earth  one  who  was  long  ago  ordained  a  suitable 
match  for  thee.  For  listen  to  the  following  history,  which  I 
now  proceed  to  relate  to  thee  : — 

"Long  ago  I  went  to  the  Court  of  Brahma  in  order  to 
visit  him,  and  a  certain  Vasu  named  Vidhuma  followed  me. 
While  we  were  there  an  Apsaras  named  Alambusha  came  to 
Udayanas  see  Brahma,  and  her  robe  was  blown  aside  by 
Parents  the  wind.      And  the  Vasu  when  he  beheld  her 

was  overpowered  by  love,  and  the  Apsaras  too  had  her  eyes 
immediately  attracted  by  his  form.  The  lotus-sprung  god1 
when  he  beheld  that  looked  me  full  in  the  face,  and  I,  know- 
ing his  meaning,  in  wrath  cursed  those  two  :  '  Be  born,  you 
two  shameless  creatures,  into  the  world  of  mortals,  and 
there  become  man  and  wife.'  That  Vasu  has  been  born  as 
thou,  Sahasranika,  the  son  of  Satanlka,  an  ornament  to  the 
race  of  the  moon.  And  that  Apsaras  too  has  been  born  in 
Ayodhya,  as  the  daughter  of  King  Kritavarman,  Mrigavati 
by  name,  she  shall  be  thy  wife." 

By  these  words  of  Indra  the  flame  of  love  was  fanned  in 
the  passionate  2  heart  of  the  king  and  burst  out  into  full 
blaze  ;  as  a  fire  when  fanned  by  the  wind.  Indra  then  dis- 
missed the  king  from  heaven  with  all  due  honour  in  his  own 
chariot,  and  he  set  out  with  Matali 3  for  his  capital.  But  as 
he  was  starting  the  Apsaras  Tilottama  said  to  him  out  of 
affection  :  "  King,  I  have  somewhat  to  say  to  thee ;  wait  a 
moment."  But  he,  thinking  on  Mrigavati,  went  off  without 
hearing  what  she  said ;  then  Tilottama  in  her  rage  cursed  him  : 
"  King,  thou  shalt  be  separated  for  fourteen  years  from  her 
who  has  so  engrossed  thy  mind  that  thou  dost  not  hear  my 

1  Brahma.     He  emerges  from  a  lotus  growing  from  the  navel  of  Vishnu. 

2  In  the  word  sasnehe  there  is  probably  a  pun,  sneha  meaning  "love/' 
and  also  "oil." 

3  The  charioteer  of  Indra. 


TILOTTAMA'S  CURSE  FULFILLED  97 

speech."  Now  Matali  heard  that  curse,  but  the  king,  yearning 
for  his  beloved,  did  not.  In  the  chariot  he  went  to  Kausambi, 
but  in  spirit  he  went  to  Ayodhya.  Then  the  king  told  with 
longing  heart  all  that  he  had  heard  from  Indra  with  reference 
to  Mrigavati  to  his  ministers,  Yogandhara  and  the  others ; 
and  not  being  able  to  endure  delay,  he  sent  an  ambassador 
to  Ayodhya  to  ask  her  father  Kritavarman  for  the  hand 
of  that  maiden.  And  Kritavarman  having  heard  from  the 
ambassador  his  commission,  told  in  his  joy  the  Queen 
Kalavati,  and  then  she  said  to  him :  "  King,  we  ought  cer- 
tainly to  give  Mrigavati  to  Sahasranika,  and,  I  remember, 
a  certain  Brahman  told  me  this  very  thing  in  a  dream." 
Then  in  his  delight  the  king  showed  to  the  ambassador 
Mrigavati 's  wonderful  skill  in  dancing,  singing  and  other 
accomplishments,  and  her  matchless  beauty  ;  so  the  King 
Kritavarman  gave  to  Sahasranika  that  daughter  of  his  who 
was  unequalled  as  a  mine  of  graceful  arts,  and  who  shone  like 
an  incarnation  of  the  moon.  That  marriage  of  Sahasranika 
and  Mrigavati  was  one  in  which  the  good  qualities  of  either 
party  supplemented  those  of  the  other,  and  might  be 
compared  to  the  union  of  learning  and  intelligence. 

Not  long  after  sons  were  born  to  the  king's  ministers ; 
Yogandhara  had  a  son  born  to  him  named  Yaugandharayana  ; 
and  Supratika  had  a  son  born  to  him  named  Human  vat. 
Tilottamas  And  to  the  king's  master  of  the  revels  was  born 
Curse  fulfilled  a  son  named  Vasantaka.  Then  in  a  few  days 
Mrigavati  became  slightly  pale  and  promised  to  bear 
a  child  to  King  Sahasranika.  And  then  she  asked  the 
king,  who  was  never  tired  of  looking  at  her,  to  gratify  her 
longing x  by  filling  a  tank  of  blood  for  her  to  bathe  in.2 

1  On  the  curious  motif  of  the  longings  of  pregnancy  see  Appendix  III 
at  the  end  of  the  volume. — n.m.p. 

2  For  illustrations  of  this  bath  of  blood  see  Dunlop's  Liebrecht,  p.  135, 
and  the  note  at  the  end  of  the  book.  The  story  of  "Der  arme  Heinrich," 
to  which  Liebrecht  refers,  is  to   be  found  in  the  sixth  volume  of  Simrock's 

Deutsche  VolksbUcher. Compare  also  the  story  of  "  Amys  and  Amylion,"  Ellis' 

Early  English  Romances,  pp.  597,  598  ;  the  Pentamerone  of  Basile  (ninth  diversion, 
third  day  ;  Burton,  vol.  ii,  p.  318);  Prym  and  Socin's  Syrische  Marchen,  p.  IS  ; 
Grohmann's  Sagen  aus  Bohmen,  p.  268 ;  Gonzenbach's  Sicilianische  Marchen, 
p.   354,  with  Dr  Kohler's  notes ;  and  Schiefner  and  Ralston's  Tibetan  Tales, 

G 


98  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

Accordingly  the  king,  who  was  a  righteous  man,  in  order  to 
gratify  her  desire,  had  a  tank  filled  with  the  juice  of  lac  and 
other  red  extracts,  so  that  it  seemed  to  be  full  of  blood.  And 
while  she  was  bathing  in  that  lake,  and  covered  with  red  dye, 
a  bird  of  the  race  of  Garuda  1  suddenly  pounced  upon  her 
and  carried  her  off,  thinking  she  was  raw  flesh.  As  soon  as 
she  was  carried  away  in  some  unknown  direction  by  the  bird 
the  king  became  distracted,  and  his  self-command  forsook 
him  as  if  in  order  to  go  in  search  of  her.  His  heart  was  so 
attached  to  his  beloved  that  it  was  in  very  truth  carried  off 
by  that  bird,  and  thus  he  fell  senseless  upon  the  earth.  As 
soon  as  he  had  recovered  his  senses,  Matali,  who  had  dis- 
covered all  by  his  divine  power,  descended  through  the  air 
and  came  where  the  king  was.  He  consoled  the  king,  and  told 
him  the  curse  of  Tilottama  with  its  destined  end,  as  he  had 
heard  it  long  ago,  and  then  he  took  his  departure.  Then  the 
king,  tormented  with  grief,  lamented  on  this  wise :   "  Alas,  my 

p.  60 ;  Trumbull,  in  The  Blood  Covenant,  p.  116  et  seq.y  notes  that  the  blood- 
bath was  considered  a  cure  for  leprosy  from  ancient  Egypt  to  the  Middle 
Ages.  For  numerous  strange  examples  see  Strack,  Das  Blut  im  Glauben  und 
Aberglauben  der  Menschheit,  Miinchen,  1900. 

The  belief  in  the  magical  properties  and  general  potency  of  blood,  both 
human  and  animal,  is  nearly  universal.  Besides  the  blood-covenant,  the  power 
contained  in  blood  is  acquired  by  drinking,  external  application,  and  being 
baptized  in  blood.  In  China  charms  against  disease  are  written  in  blood. 
For  full  details  see  H.  W.  Robinson's  article,  "  Blood,"  in  Hastings'  Ency.  Rel. 
Eth,  vol.  ii,  p.  714  et  seq. 

In  German  folk-tales  (Grimm,  Household  Tales,  i,  396)  leprosy  is  cured 
by  bathing  in  the  blood  of  innocent  maidens.  The  blood  of  virgins  appears 
to  have  been  especially  potent,  for  Constantine  the  Great  was  advised  to  bathe 
in  children's  blood  to  cure  a  certain  complaint,  but  owing  to  the  parents'  cries 
he  decided  not  to  do  it,  with  the  result  that  he  was  miraculously  cured. 
Crooke  (Folk-Lore  of  Northern  India,  vol.  ii,  pp.  172,  173)  relates  actual  facts 
to  show  how  largely  such  beliefs  prevail  in  India:  "In  1870  a  Musalman 
butcher  losing  his  child  was  told  by  a  Hindu  conjurer  that  if  he  washed  his 
wife  in  the  blood  of  a  boy  his  next  infant  would  be  healthy.  To  ensure  this 
result  a  child  was  murdered.  A  similar  case  occurred  in  MuzafFarnagar,  where 
a  child  was  killed  and  the  blood  drunk  by  a  barren  woman."  About  1896  at 
the  same  locality  "  a  childless  Jat  woman  was  told  that  she  would  attain  her 
desire  if  she  bathed  in  water  mixed  with  the  blood  of  a  Brahman  child.  A 
Hindu  coolie  at  Mauritius  bathed  in  and  drank  the  blood  of  a  girl,  thinking 
that  thereby  he  would  be  gifted  with  supernatural  powers." — n.m.p. 

1  See  note  at  the  end  of  this  chapter. — n.m.p. 


THE  BIRTH  OF  UDAYANA  99 

beloved,  that  wicked  Tilottama  has  accomplished  her  desire." 
But  having  learned  the  facts  about  the  curse,  and  having 
received  advice  from  his  ministers,  he  managed,  though  with 
difficulty,  to  retain  his  life  through  hope  of  a  future  reunion. 

But  that  bird  which  had  carried  off  Mrigavati,  as  soon 
as  it  found  out  that  she  was  alive,  abandoned  her,  and,  as  fate 
would  have  it,  left  her  on  the  mountain  where  the  sun  rises. 
And  when  the  bird  let  her  drop  and  departed,  the  queen, 
distracted  with  grief  and  fear,  saw  that  she  was  left  un- 
protected on  the  slope  of  a  trackless  mountain.  While  she  was 
weeping  in  the  forest,  alone,  with  only  one  garment  to  cover 
her,  an  enormous  serpent  rose  up  and  prepared  to  swallow 
her.  Then  she  for  whom  prosperity  was  reserved  in  the  future 
was  delivered  by  some  heavenly  hero  who  came  down  and 
slew  the  serpent  and  disappeared  almost  as  soon  as  he  was 
seen.  Thereupon  she,  longing  for  death,  flung  herself  down 
in  front  of  a  wild  elephant,  but  even  he  spared  her  as  if  out 
of  compassion.  Wonderful  was  it  that  even  a  wild  beast  did 
not  slay  her  when  she  fell  in  his  way  !  Or  rather  it  was  not 
to  be  wondered  at.    What  cannot  the  will  of  Siva  effect  ? 

Then  the  girl,  tardy  with  the  weight  of  her  womb,  desiring 
to  hurl  herself  down  from  a  precipice,  and  thinking  upon 
that  lord  of  hers,  wept  aloud ;  and  a  hermit's  son,  who 
The  Birth  of  had  wandered  there  in  search  of  roots  and  fruits, 
Udayana  hearing  that,  came  up,  and  found  her  looking  like 
the  incarnation  of  sorrow.  And  he,  after  questioning  the 
queen  about  her  adventures,  and  comforting  her  as  well  as 
he  could,  with  a  heart  melted  with  compassion  led  her  off  to 
the  hermitage  of  Jamadagni.  There  she  beheld  Jamadagni, 
looking  like  the  incarnation  of  comfort,  whose  brightness  so 
illumined  the  eastern  mountain  that  it  seemed  as  if  the 
rising  sun  ever  rested  on  it.  When  she  fell  at  his  feet,  that 
hermit  who  was  kind  to  all  who  came  to  him  for  help,  and 
possessed  heavenly  insight,  said  to  her  who  was  tortured  with 
the  pain  of  separation  :  "  Here  there  shall  be  born  to  thee, 
my  daughter,  a  son  who  shall  uphold  the  family  of  his  father, 
and  thou  shalt  be  reunited  to  thy  husband;  therefore  weep 
not."  When  that  virtuous  woman  heard  that  speech  of  the 
hermit's   she   took   up   her   abode   in   that   hermitage,    and 


100  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

entertained  hope  of  a  reunion  with  her  beloved.  And  some  days 
after  the  blameless  one  gave  birth  to  a  charmingly  beautiful 
son,  as  association  with  the  good  produces  good  manners. 
At  that  moment  a  voice  was  heard  from  heaven  :  "  An 
august  king  of  great  renown  has  been  born,  Udayana  by 
name,  and  his  son  shall  be  monarch  of  all  the  Vidyadharas." 
That  voice  restored  to  the  heart  of  Mrigavati  joy  which  she 
had  long  forgotten.  Gradually  that  boy  grew  up  to  size  and 
strength  in  that  grove  of  asceticism,  accompanied  by  his  own 
excellent  qualities  as  playmates.  And  the  heroic  child  had 
the  sacraments  appropriate  to  a  member  of  the  warrior  caste 
performed  for  him  by  Jamadagni,  and  was  instructed  by  him 
in  the  sciences  and  the  practice  of  archery.  And  out  of  love 
for  him  Mrigavati  drew  off  from  her  own  wrist,  and  placed 
on  his,  a  bracelet  marked  with  the  name  of  Sahasranika. 

Then  that  Udayana,  roaming  about  once  upon  a  time  in 
pursuit  of  deer,  beheld  in  the  forest  a  snake  that  had  been 
forcibly  captured  by  a  Savara.1  And  he,  feeling  pity  for  the 
Savara  and  beautiful  snake,  said  to  that  Savara :  "  Let  go 
the  Snake  this  snake  to  please  me."  Then  that  Savara  said  : 
"  My  lord,  this  is  my  livelihood,  for  I  am  a  poor  man,  and  I 
always  maintain  myself  by  exhibiting  dancing  snakes.  The 
snake  I  previously  had  having  died,  I  searched  through  the 
great  wood,  and  finding  this  one,  overpowered  him  by  charms 
and  captured  him."  When  he  heard  this,  the  generous  Udayana 
gave  that  Savara  the  bracelet  which  his  mother  had  bestowed 
on  him,  and  persuaded  him  to  set  the  snake  at  liberty.  The 
Savara  took  the  bracelet  and  departed,  and  then  the  snake, 
being  pleased  with  Udayana,  bowed  before  him  and  said  as 
follows : — "  I  am  the  eldest  brother  of  Vasuki,2  called  Vasu- 
nemi :  receive  from  me,  whom  thou  hast  preserved,  this 
lute,  sweet  in  the  sounding  of  its  strings,  divided  according 
to  the  division  of  the  quarter-tones,  and  betel  leaf,  together 
with  the  art  of  weaving  unfading  garlands  and  adorning 
the  forehead  with  marks  that  never  become  indistinct." 
Then  Udayana,  furnished  with  all  these,  and  dismissed  by 

1  A  wild  mountaineer.  Dr  Buhler  observes  that  the  names  of  these 
tribes  are  used  very  vaguely  in  Sanskrit  story-books. 

2  Sovereign  of  the  snakes. 


THE  GRATEFUL  SNAKE 


101 


the  snake,  returned  to  the  hermitage  of  Jamadagni,  raining 
nectar,  so  to  speak,  into  the  eyes  of  his  mother.1 

In  the  meantime  that  Savara  who  had  lighted  on  this 
forest,  and  while  roaming  about  in  it  had  obtained  the 
bracelet  from  Udayana  by  the  will  of  fate,  was  caught 
attempting  to  sell  this  ornament,  marked  with  the  king's 
name,  in  the  market,  and  was  arrested  by  the  police,  and 

1  Eastern  fiction  abounds  in  stories  of  grateful  and  ungrateful  snakes 
We  shall  come  across  more  such  stories  in  later  volumes  of  this  work. 
They  are  usually  of  Buddhist  origin,  and  we  find  numerous  snake  stories 
in  the  Jatakas  {e.g.  "The  Saccarhkira,"  No.  73,  which  is  found  in  vol.  i,  p.  177 
et  seq.,  of  the  Cambridge  edition).  In  this  story  the  snake  is  one  of  a 
trio  of  grateful  animals,  and  presents  the  hermit  with  forty  crores  of  gold. 
See  the  story  of  Aramacobha  and  the  grateful  snake  in  the  Kathakoca 
(Tawney's  translation,  p.  85  et  seq.).  In  Kaden's  Unter  den  Olivenb'dumen  there 
is  a  similar  snake  in  the  story  of  "Lichtmess."  Compare  the  tale  of  the 
goldsmith's  adventure  with  the  tiger,  the  ape  and  the  snake  in  Katila  wa 
Dimna,  and  the  Pali  variant  from  the  "  Rasavahini  Jambudlpa "  story  in  The 
Orientalist  for  November  1884.  In  some  cases  after  the  man  has  helped 
the  snake,  the  latter  attempts  to  bite  him,  or  forces  from  him  some  promise 
of  self-sacrifice  at  a  later  date. 

For  examples  of  such  stories  see  Clouston's  Eastern  Romances,  p.  231, 
where  in  the  Tamil  Alakesa  Katha  is  the  story  of  the  "Brahman  and  the 
Rescued  Snake."  In  this  case  the  snake  gives  the  jewel  from  its  head, 
which  he  is  bidden  to  give  his  wife  and  then  return  to  be  devoured.  On 
the  honest  man's  returning  the  snake  repents  of  its  ingratitude  and  gives 
a  second  jewel.  Compare  the  famous  story  of  the  snake  in  "Nala  and 
Damayanti."  See  also  J.  Jacob's  JEsop,  Ro.  ii,  10,  p.  40,  and  his  Indian  Fairy 
Tales,  pp.  246  and  247. 

In  the  second  story  of  Old  Deccan  Days  (p.  21)  a  grateful  cobra  creates  a 
palace  twenty-four  miles  square. 

In  Arabian  fiction  we  find  the  grateful  snake  in  the  Nights  (Burton, 
vol.  i,  p.  173;  vol.  ix,  p.  330).  In  both  these  stories  the  snake  is  rescued 
from  a  pursuing  dragon.     See  also  Chauvin  (op.  cit.,  v,  p.  5). 

In  Europe  we  find  many  stories  of  the  grateful  snake.  In  the  Bohemian 
version  of  M.  Leger's  Slav  Tales,  No.  15,  the  youngest  son  befriends  a  dog, 
cat  and  serpent.  The  latter  gives  him  a  magic  watch  resembling  Aladdin's 
lamp.  In  the  ninth  of  M.  Dozon's  Contes  Albanais  the  reward  is  a  stone 
which,  when  rubbed,  summons  a  black  man  who  grants  all  desires.  In  a 
popular  Greek  tale  in  Holin's  collection  the  reward  is  a  seal  ring  which,  when 
licked,  summons  a  black  man,  as  in  the  Albanian  story.  (See  Clouston,  Popular 
Tales  and  Fictions,  vol.  i,  pp.  226,  227,  228,  231,  321-325.) 

Finally  compare  the  tale  of  Guido  and  the  Seneschal,  entitled  "Of 
Ingratitude,"  in  the  Gesta  Romanorum  (Swan's  edition,  vol.  ii,  p.  141, 
No.  39). — n.m.p. 


102  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

brought  up  in  court  before  the  King.  Then  King  Sahasra- 
nika  himself  asked  him  in  sorrow  whence  he  had  obtained 
the  bracelet.  Then  that  Savara  told  him  the  whole  story  of 
his  obtaining  possession  of  the  bracelet,  beginning  with  his 
capture  of  the  snake  upon  the  eastern  mountain.  Hearing 
that  from  the  Savara,  and  beholding  that  bracelet  of  his 
beloved,  King  Sahasranika  ascended  the  swing  of  doubt. 

Then  a  divine  voice  from  heaven  delighted  the  king,  who 
was  tortured  with  the  fire  of  separation,  as  do  the  raindrops  the 
peacock  when  afflicted  with  the  heat,  uttering  these  words  : 
"  Thy  curse  is  at  an  end,  O  king,  and  that  wife  of  thine, 
Mrigavati,  is  residing  in  the  hermitage  of  Jamadagni  together 
with  thy  son."  Then  that  day  at  last  came  to  an  end,  though 
being  made  long  by  anxious  expectation,  and  on  the  morrow 
that  King  Sahasranika,  making  the  Savara  show  him  the 
way,  set  out  with  his  army  for  that  hermitage  on  the  eastern 
mountain,  in  order  quickly  to  recover  his  beloved  wife. 


THE  GARUDA  BIRD  103 


NOTE  ON  THE  GARUDA  BIRD 

The  Garuda  bird  is  the  vehicle  of  Vishnu.  It  is  described  as  half-man 
and  half-bird,  having  the  head,  wings,  beak  and  talons  of  an  eagle,  and  human 
body  and  limbs,  its  face  being  white,  its  wings  red  and  its  body  golden. 

Garuda  is  the  son  of  one  of  the  daughters  of  Daksha.  The  account  of 
its  miraculous  birth  and  how  it  became  the  vehicle  of  Vishnu  is  given  at  the 
beginning  of  the  Mahabharata  (I,  xvi).  Other  adventures  in  its  life,  such  as 
the  attempt  to  stop  Ravana  from  abducting  Sita,  are  described  in  the  Ramdyana 
and  the  Vishnu  Purana. 

As  we  shall  see  in  Appendix  I,  Garuda  is  an  enemy  of  the  Nagas  (snakes), 
and  in  this  connection  it  is  interesting  to  note  that  in  the  well-known  story 
of  "Sindbad  the  Sailor"  the  roc  is  represented  as  attacking  gigantic  snakes. 
From  Rig-Veda  days  it  is  obvious  that  the  sun  is  meant  when  reference  is 
made  to  Garuda,  and  the  myth  in  the  Mahabharata  confirms  this.  Garuda  also 
bears  the  name  of  Suparna,  which  is  a  word  used  for  the  bird-genii  appearing 
in  rock-carvings,  etc. 

Gigantic  birds  that  feed  on  raw  flesh  are  mentioned  by  the  Pseudo- 
Callisthenes,  Book  II,  chapter  xli.  Alexander  gets  on  the  back  of  one  of 
them  and  is  carried  into  the  air,  guiding  his  bird  by  holding  a  piece  of  liver 
in  front  of  it.  He  is  warned  by  a  winged  creature  in  human  shape  to  proceed 
no  farther,  and  descends  again  to  earth.  See  also  Liebrecht's  Dunlop,  p.  143 
and  note.  See  also  Birlinger,  Aus  Schivaben,  pp.  5,  6,  7.  He  compares 
Pacolet's  horse  in  the  story  of  Valentine  and  Orson.  A  Wundervogel  is  found 
among  nearly  every  nation.  It  is  best  known  to  Europeans  under  the  form 
roc,  or  more  correctly  rukh,  owing  to  its  appearance  as  such  in  the  second 
voyage  of  Sindbad  (see  Burton's  Nights,  vol.  vi,  pp.  16,  17  and  49).  See 
Ad-Damiri's  Hay  at  al-Hayaivan  (zoological  lexicon),  trans,  by  A.  Jayakar, 
1906,  vol.  i,  pp.  856,  857. 

In  Persia  we  find  the  bird  was  originally  known  as  amru,  or  (in  the  Minoi- 
Khiradh)  sinamru,  which  shakes  the  fruit  from  the  tree  bearing  the  seed  of 
all  things  useful  to  mankind.  In  later  Persian  times  it  is  called  simurgh  and 
becomes  the  foster-father  of  Zal,  whose  son  was  the  Persian  hero  Rustam 
(see  Sykes'  History  of  Persia,  2nd  edition,  1921,  vol.  i,  p.  136).  The  word  roc 
is  also  Persian  and  has  many  meanings,  including  "cheek  "  (e.g.  Lalla  Rookh), 
"  hero  "  or  "  soldier,"  u  tower  "  or  ( '  castle  "  (hence  the  piece  "  rook  "  in  chess), 
a  "rhinoceros,"  etc. 

In  Arabia  the  bird  is  called  'anqa  ("  long-necked  "),  and  has  borrowed  some 
of  its  features  from  the  phoenix,  that  curious  bird  which  Herodotus  describes 
(ii,  73)  as  coming  to  Egypt  from  Arabia  every  five  hundred  years.  (See 
Ad-Damiri,  op.  cit.,  vol.  ii,  part  i,  p.  401,  and  the  Ency.  of  Islam,  under 
"'anka.")  Other  curious  myths  connected  with  the  phoenix  (which  has  been 
identified  with  the  stork,  heron  or  egret,  called  benu  by  the  ancient 
Egyptians)  will  be    found   in  Pliny  (Nat.  Hist.,  x,  2),  Tacitus  (Ann.,  vi,  28) 


104  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

and  Physiologus  (q.v.).  The  benu  has  been  found  to  be  merely  a  symbol 
of  the  rising  sun,  but  it  hardly  seems  sufficient  to  account  for  the  very  rare 
visits  of  the  phoenix  to  Egypt  (see  article  "  Phoenix,"  Ency.  Brit.,  vol.  xxi, 
pp.  457,  458). 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  not  only  the  Indian  Garuda,  but  also  the  other 
great  bird  (half-eagle  and  half-lion)  of  classical  antiquity,  the  griffin,  was 
connected  with  the  sun,  and  furthermore  was  a  guardian  of  precious  stones, 
which  reminds  us  of  the  tales  of  the  rukh  whose  resting-place  is  covered  with 
diamonds. 

Tracing  the  huge-bird  myth  in  other  lands,  we  find  it  as  the  hatthilinga  in 
Buddhaghosa's  Fables,  where  it  has  the  strength  of  five  elephants.  In  a  trans- 
lation of  these  parables  from  the  Burmese  by  T.  Rogers,  which  is  really  a 
commentary  on  the  Dhammapada,  or  "  Path  of  Virtue,"  we  find  a  story  very 
similar  to  that  in  the  Ocean  of  Story.  Queen  Samavati  is  pregnant,  and  her 
husband,  King  Parantapa,  gives  her  a  large  red  cloak  to  wear.  She  goes  out 
wearing  this  cloak,  and  just  at  that  moment  a  hatthilinga  flies  down  from  the 
sky,  and  mistaking  the  queen  for  a  piece  of  raw  meat  snatches  her  up  and 
disappears  in  the  sky  again. 

This  fabulous  bird  becomes  the  eorosh  of  the  Zend,  the  bar  yuchre  of  the 
Rabbinical  legends,  the  kargas  or  kerkes  of  the  Turks,  the  gryps  of  the  Greeks, 
and  the  norlca  of  the  Russians  (see  Ralston's  Russian  Folk-Tales,  p.  73,  with 
the  numerous  bibliographical  references  on  p.  80). 

In  Japan  there  is  the  pheng  or  kirni,  while  in  China  most  writers  cite  the 
sacred  dragon.  This,  however,  seems  to  me  to  be  quite  incongruous.  I  think 
the  an-si-tsio  or  Parthian  bird  is  much  more  likely  to  be  the  origin  of  Chinese 
bird  myths.  It  is  simply  the  ostrich,  which  was  introduced  to  the  Court  of 
China  from  Parthia  in  the  second  century  a.d.  (see  H6u-Han-shu,  88,  and 
Hirth,  China  and  Roman  Orient,  39).  The  Chinese  traveller  Chau  Ju-Kua  in  his 
Chu-fan-ch'i,  a  work  on  Chinese  and  Arab  trade  of  the  twelfth  and  thirteenth 
centuries,  speaks  of  Pi-p'a-lo  (i.e.  Berbera)  as  producing  the  "camel-crane," 
"which  measures  from  the  ground  to  its  crown  from  six  to  seven  feet.  It  has 
wings  and  can  fly,  but  not  to  any  great  height."  For  other  references  to  the 
"camel-bird"  see  Henri  Cordier's  Notes  and  Addenda  to  the  Book  ofSer  Marco 
Polo,  1920,  pp.  122,  123. 

Many  of  the  encounters  with  these  enormous  birds  are  reported  to  have 
been  made  at  sea,  usually  during  a  terrific  storm,  but  sometimes  in  a  dead 
calm.  Ibn  Batuta  gives  a  description  of  such  an  encounter  (see  Yule  and 
Cordier's  Cathay  and  the  Way  Thither,  vol.  iv,  p.  146).  All  of  these  stories  are 
now  put  down  to  the  well-known  effects  of  mirage,  abnormal  reflection,  or 
water-spouts. 

So  much  for  the  mythological  side  of  the  rukh. 

We  now  turn  to  the  other  side — namely,  the  possibility  of  the  stories  of 
huge  birds  being  founded  on  fact. 

Attention  was  first  drawn  to  Madagascar  as  being  the  possible  home  of 
the  rukh  after  the  discovery  of  the  great  fossil  JEpyornis  maximus  and  its 
enormous  egg,  a  model  of  which  can  be  seen  in  the  British  Museum.  The 
chief  investigations  were  made  by  Professor  G.  G.  Bianconi    of   Bologna,  a 


THE  GARUDA  BIRD 


105 


friend  of  Sir  Richard  Burton  (see  the  Nights,  vol.  vi,  p.  49).  More  recently 
bones  of  the  Harpagornis  have  been  discovered  by  Dr  Haast  in  New  Zealand. 
This  bird  must  have  been  of  enormous  size,  as  it  preyed  upon  the  extinct  moa, 
which  itself  was  at  least  ten  feet  high.  The  work  of  Professor  Owen  and 
H.  G.  Seeley  (who  has  recently  died)  has  proved  beyond  doubt  the  existence 
of  gigantic  birds  in  comparatively  recent  times  (see  Seeley,  Dragons  of  ike  Air, 
London,  1901,  which  contains  descriptions  of  various  large  pterodactyls). 

It  is  impossible  to  state  with  any  certainty  whether  a  particular  species 
of  bird  has  died  out  through  the  agency  of  man  or  through  natural  causes, 
except  in  those  few  cases  where  the  age  of  the  beds  in  which  the  bones 
have  been  found  is  accurately  known. 

In  the  last  few  years  a  fine  specimen  of  the  Diatryma  has  been  described 
by  Matthew  and  Granger  (1917)  quite  seven  feet  in  height. 

In  northern  Siberia  the  bones  of  great  pachyderms  have  implanted  a 
firm  belief  in  the  minds  of  the  people  of  the  former  existence  of  birds  of 
colossal  size. 

Marco  Polo  describes  Madagascar  as  the  home  of  the  rukh,  and  it  was 
the  discovery  of  the  JEpyornis  remains  in  the  island  which  has  made  the 
story  more  credulous.  Yule  (Marco  Polo,  vol.  ii,  pp.  415-421)  gives  a 
comprehensive  account  of  the  rukh,  with  a  note  on  "  Rue's  quills,"  on 
pp.  596,  597.  See  also  the  article  in  the  Dictionary  of  Birds,  1893,  by  Professor 
Newton.  By  far  the  best  bibliography  on  the  whole  question  of  these 
gigantic  birds  is  to  be  found  in  Victor  Chauvin's  Bibliographic  des  ouvrages 
Arabes  (a  truly  marvellous  work),  Part  V,  p.  228,  under  "Le  Garouda," 
and  Part  VII,  pp.  10-14,  where  the  subject  is  treated  under  the  headings, 
"Rokh,"  "Garouda,"  "'Anqa,"  "Simourg,"  "Griffon,"  with  a  list  of  general 
works,  including  those  by  Bianconi,  on  the  JEpyornis  of  Madagascar.  For 
further  details  concerning  the  mythical  history  of  Garuda  see  Jarl  Charpentier, 
Die  Suparnasage,  Upsala,  p.  220  et  seq. — n.m.p. 


CHAPTER  X 

A  FTER  he  had  gone  a  long  distance,  the  king  en- 
/%  [M]  camped  that  day  in  a  certain  forest  on  the  border 
JL  JL^of  a  lake.  He  went  to  bed  weary,  and  in  the  evening 
he  said  to  Sangataka,  a  story-teller  who  had  come  to  him 
on  account  of  the  pleasure  he  took  in  his  service  :  "  Tell  me 
some  tale  that  will  gladden  my  heart,  for  I  am  longing  for  the 
joy  of  beholding  the  lotus-face  of  Mrigavati."  Then  Sangataka 
said  :  "  King,  why  do  you  grieve  without  cause  ?  The  union 
with  your  queen,  which  will  mark  the  termination  of  your 
curse,  is  nigh  at  hand.  Human  beings  experience  many 
unions  and  separations ;  and  I  will  tell  you  a  story  to  illustrate 
this.     Listen,  my  lord. 

5.  Story  of  &ridatta  and  Mrigdnkavatl 

Once  on  a  time  there  lived  in  the  country  of  Malava  a 
Brahman  named  Yajnasoma.  And  that  good  man  had  two 
sons  born  to  him,  beloved  by  men.  One  of  them  was  known 
as  Kalanemi  and  the  second  was  named  Vigatabhaya.  Now 
when  then*  father  had  gone  to  heaven,  those  two  brothers, 
having  passed  through  the  age  of  childhood,  went  to  the 
city  of  Pataliputra  to  acquire  learning.  And  when  they 
had  completed  their  studies  their  teacher  Devasarman  gave 
them  his  own  two  daughters,  like  another  couple  of  sciences 
incarnate  in  bodily  form. 

Then  seeing  that  the  householders  around  him  were 
rich,  Kalanemi  through  envy  made  a  vow  and  propitiated  the 
Goddess  of  Fortune  with  burnt- offerings.  And  the  goddess  being 
satisfied  appeared  in  bodily  form  and  said  to  him :  "  Thou 
shalt  obtain  great  wealth  and  a  son  who  shall  rule  the  earth ; 
but  at  last  thou  shalt  be  put  to  death  like  a  robber,  because 
thou  hast  offered  flesh  in  the  fire  with  impure  motives."  ■ 

1  The  Durgaprasad  text  reads  amarsha  instead  of  amisharrij  which  seems  to 
make  better  sense.  Thus  the  translation  would  be :  ■  because  thou  hast  offered 
libations  with  a  mind  troubled  by  anger." — x.m.p. 

106 


SRIDATTA  AND  VIKRAMASAKTI 


10-: 


When  she  had  said  this,  the  goddess  disappeared ;  and 
Kalanemi  in  course  of  time  became  very  rich  ;  moreover, 
after  some  days  a  son  was  born  to  him.  So  the  father, 
whose  desires  were  now  accomplished,  called  that  son 
Sridatta,1  because  he  had  been  obtained  by  the  favour  of  the 
Goddess  of  Fortune.  In  course  of  time  Sridatta  grew  up,  and 
though  a  Brahman,  became  matchless  upon  earth  in  the  use 
of  weapons,  and  in  boxing  and  wrestling. 

Then  Kalanemi's  brother  Vigatabhaya  went  to  a 
foreign  land,  having  become  desirous  of  visiting  places  of 
pilgrimage,  through  sorrow  for  his  wife,  who  had  died  of  the 
bite  of  a  snake. 

Moreover,  the  king  of  the  land,  Vallabhasakti,  who 
appreciated  good  qualities,  made  Sridatta  the  companion 
of  his  son  Vikramasakti.  So  he  had  to  live  with  a  haughty 
prince,  as  the  impetuous  Bhima  lived  in  his  youth  with 
Duryodhana.  Then  two  Kshatriyas,  natives  of  Avanti, 
Bahusalin  and  Vajramushti,  became  friends  of  that  Brah- 
man. And  some  other  men  from  the  Deccan,  sons  of 
ministers,  having  been  conquered  by  him  in  wrestling,  re- 
sorted to  him  out  of  spontaneous  friendship,  as  they  knew 
how  to  value  merit.  Mahabala  and  Vyaghrabhata,  and  also 
Upendrabala  and  a  man  named  Nishthuraka,  became  his 
friends.  One  day,  as  years  rolled  on,  Sridatta,  being  in  attend- 
ance on  the  prince,  went  with  him  and  those  friends  to  sport  on 
the  bank  of  the  Ganges ;  then  the  prince's  own  servants  made 
him  king,  and  at  the  same  time  Sridatta  was  chosen  king  by 
his  friends.  This  made  the  prince  angry,  and  in  overweening 
confidence  he  at  once  challenged  that  Brahman  hero  to  fight. 
Then  being  conquered  by  him  in  wrestling,  and  so  disgraced,  he 
made  up  his  mind  that  this  rising  hero  should  be  put  to  death. 
But  Sridatta  found  out  that  intention  of  the  prince's,  and 
withdrew  in  alarm  with  those  friends  of  his  from  his  presence. 

And  as  he  was  going  along  he  saw  in  the  middle  of 
the  Ganges  a  woman  being  dragged  under  by  the  stream, 
looking  like  the  Goddess  of  Fortune  in  the  middle  of  the 
sea.  And  then  he  plunged  in  to  pull  her  out  of  the  water, 
leaving  Bahusalin  and  his  five  other  friends  on  the  bank. 

1  I.e.  given  by  Fortune. 


108  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

Then  that  woman,  though  he  seized  her  by  the  hair,  sank 
deep  in  the  water  ;  and  he  dived  as  deep  in  order  to  follow 
her.  And  after  he  had  dived  a  long  way  he  suddenly  saw 
The  Asura  a  splendid  temple  of  Siva,  but  no  water  and  no 
Maid  and  the  woman.1  After  beholding  that  wonderful  sight, 
being  wearied  out,  he  paid  his  adorations  to  the 
god  whose  emblem  is  a  bull,  and  spent  that  night  in  a 
beautiful  garden  attached  to  the  temple.  And  in  the  morning 
that  lady  was  seen  by  him,  having  come  to  worship  the  god 
Siva,  like  the  incarnate  splendour  of  beauty  attended  by  all 
womanly  perfections.  And  after  she  had  worshipped  the  god, 
the  moon-faced  one  departed  to  her  own  house,  and  Sridatta 
for  his  part  followed  her.  And  he  saw  that  palace  of  hers 
resembling  the  city  of  the  gods,  which  the  haughty  beauty 
entered  hurriedly  in  a  contemptuous  manner.  And  without 
deigning  to  address  him,  the  graceful  lady  sat  down  on  a 
sofa  in  the  inner  part  of  the  house,  waited  upon  by  thousands 
of  women.  And  Sridatta  also  took  a  seat  near  her.  Then 
suddenly  that  virtuous  lady  began  to  weep.  The  teardrops 
fell  in  an  unceasing  shower  on  her  bosom,  and  that  moment 
pity  entered  into  the  heart  of  Sridatta.  And  then  he  said  to 
her  :  "  Who  art  thou,  and  what  is  thy  sorrow  ?  Tell  me,  fair 
one,  for  I  am  able  to  remove  it."  Then  she  said  reluctantly  : 
"  We  are  the  thousand  granddaughters  of  Bali,2  the  king  of 
the  Daityas,  and  I  am  the  eldest  of  all,  and  my  name  is 
Vidyutprabha.  That  grandfather  of  ours  was  carried  off  by 
Vishnu  to  long  imprisonment,  and  the  same  hero  slew  our 
father  in  a  wrestling  match.  And  after  he  had  slain  him  he 
excluded  us  from  our  own  city,  and  he  placed  a  lion  in  it  to 
prevent  us  from  entering.3    The  lion  occupies  that  place,  and 

1  Cf.  the  story  of  Sattvasila,  which  is  the  seventh  tale  in  the  Vetdla 
Panchavimsati,  and  will  be  found  in  Chapter  LXXXI  of  this  work.  Cf.  also 
the  story  of  Saktideva  in  Book  V,  chap,  xxvi,  and  Ralston's  remarks  on  it  in 
his  Russian  Folk-Tales,  p.  99. 

2  Vishnu  assumed  the  form  of  a  dwarf  and  appeared  before  Bali,  and 
asked  for  as  much  land  as  he  could  step  over.  On  Bali  granting  it,  Vishnu, 
dilating  himself,  in  two  steps  deprived  him  of  heaven  and  earth,  but  left  the 
lower  regions  still  in  his  dominion. 

3  This  incident  may  be  compared  with  one  described  in  Veckenstedt's 
Wendische  Sagen,  p.  82. 


THE  LION  OVERCOME  109 

grief  our  hearts.  It  is  a  Yaksha  that  was  made  a  lion  by 
the  curse  of  Kuvera,  and  long  ago  it  was  predicted  that  the 
Yaksha's  curse  should  end  when  he  was  conquered  by  some 
mortal ;  so  Vishnu  deigned  to  inform  us  on  our  humbly  asking 
him  how  we  might  be  enabled  to  enter  our  city.  Therefore 
subdue  that  lion,  our  enemy  :  it  was  for  that  reason,  O  hero, 
that  I  enticed  you  hither.  And  when  you  have  overcome 
him  you  will  obtain  from  him  a  sword  named  Mriganka,1  by 
the  virtue  of  which  you  shall  conquer  the  world  and  become 
a  king."  When  he  heard  that,  Sridatta  agreed  to  undertake 
the  adventure,  and  after  that  day  had  passed,  on  the  morrow 
he  took  those  Daitya  maidens  with  him  as  guides,  and  went 
to  that  city,  and  there  he  overcame  in  wrestling  that  haughty 
lion.  He  being  freed  from  his  curse  assumed  a  human  form, 
and  out  of  gratitude  gave  his  sword  to  the  man  who  had  put 
an  end  to  his  curse,  and  then  disappeared  together  with  the 
burden  of  the  sorrow  of  the  great  Asura's  daughter.  Then 
that  Sridatta,  together  with  the  Daitya's  daughter,  who  was 
accompanied  by  her  younger  sisters,  entered  that  splendid 
city,  which  looked  like  the  serpent  Ananta  2  having  emerged 
from  the  earth.    And  that  Daitya  maiden  gave  him  a  ring 

1  I.e.  "  the  moon  " — bright  and  shining — literally,  "  the  hare-marked,"  as 
the  Hindus  see  a  hare  in  the  moon  instead  of  a  "man."  The  custom  of  giving 
names  to  swords  is  very  widely  spread  and  dates  from  the  earliest  times. 
Sword-making  has  always  been  a  highly  specialised  craft  with  many  well- 
guarded  secrets,  and  consequently  magic  has  been  continually  connected 
with  it.  Many  were  actually  made  by  sorcerers,  while  others  took  years  to 
fashion.  Sometimes  the  name  of  the  sword  gives  its  history,  as  in  Arthur's 
Excalibar  =  Ex  cal  (ce)  liber  (are)  =  "to  free  from  the  stone."  In  most  cases, 
however,  a  name  was  given  to  it  which  would  inspire  confidence  to  the 
wielder  and  terror  to  the  foe.  Thus  Caesar's  sword  was  called  Crocea  Mors, 
the  u yellow  death";  Edward  the  Confessor's  was  Curta'na,  the  "cutter"; 
Mohammed  had  many — the  " beater,"  the  "keen,"  the  "deadly";  Hieme's 
was  the  "  blood-fetcher,"  and  so  forth. 

A  long  list  will  be  found  in  Brewer's  Dictionary  of  Phrase  and  Fable, 
pp.  1196,  1197.  See  also  Oppert's  On  the  Weapons,  etc.,  of  the  Ancient  Hindus, 
1880;  Burton's  Book  of  the  Sword,  pp.  214-219;  J.  A.  Macculloch's  Childhood 
of  Fiction,  pp.   203,  204,  and  my  Selected  Papers  of  Sir  Richard  Burton,  1923, 

p.   51. N.M.P. 

2  Ananta  (endless,  or  infinite)  is  the  name  of  the  thousand-headed  serpent 

Sesha. A   coiled  snake  in    Maya  (Central    America)  was  the   symbol    of 

eternity. — n.m.p. 


110  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

that  destroyed  the  effect  of  poison.1  Then  that  young  man, 
remaining  there,  fell  in  love  with  her.  And  she  cunningly  said 
to  him  :  "  Bathe  in  this  tank,  and  when  you  dive  in  take 
with  you  this  sword  2  to  keep  off  the  danger  of  crocodiles." 
He  consented,  and  diving  into  the  tank  rose  upon  that  very 
bank  of  the  Ganges  from  which  he  first  plunged  in.  Then  he, 
seeing  the  ring  and  the  sword,  felt  astonishment  at  having 
emerged  from  the  lower  regions,  and  despondency  at  having 
been  tricked  by  the  Asura  maid.  Then  he  went  towards  his 
own  house  to  look  for  his  friends,  and  as  he  was  going  he  saw 
on  the  way  his  friend  Nishthuraka.  Nishthuraka  came  up  to 
him  and  saluted  him,  and  quickly  took  him  aside  into  a 
lonely  place,  and  when  asked  by  him  for  news  of  his  relations 
gave  him  this  answer :  "  On  that  occasion  when  you  plunged 
into  the  Ganges  we  searched  for  you  for  many  days,  and  out 
of  grief  we  were  preparing  to  cut  off  our  heads,  but  a  voice 
from  heaven  forbade  that  attempt  of  ours,  saying  :  '  My 
sons,  do  no  rash  act,  your  friend  shall  return  alive.'  And 
then  we  were  returning  into  the  presence  of  your  father 
when  on  the  way  a  man  hurriedly  advanced  to  meet  us  and 
said  this  :  '  You  must  not  enter  this  city  at  present,  for  the 
king  of  it,  Vallabhasakti,  is  dead,  and  the  ministers  have  with 
one  accord   conferred   the   royal   dignity  on   Vikramasakti. 

1  Poison  detectors  are  of  various  kinds.  Sometimes  they  were  objects 
which  could  be  worn,  as  in  the  text,  but  more  often  the  presence  of  poison 
would  cause  some  noticeable  effect  on  an  adjacent  object. 

Thus  peacocks'  feathers  become  ruffled,  opals  turn  pale  and  Venetian 
glass  shivers  at  the  approach  of  poison.  Cups  of  rhinoceros  horn  cause  the 
drink  to  effervesce,  if  it  contains  poison. 

The  German  abbess  and  mystic  St  Hildegard  of  Bingen  (1098-1179)  says 
(Subtleties,  vi,  7)  that  the  heart  of  a  vulture  split  in  two,  dried  before  a  slow 
fire  and  in  the  sun,  and  worn  sewn  up  in  a  belt  of  doeskin  makes  the  wearer 
tremble  in  the  presence  of  poison. 

In  describing  his  palace,  Prester  John  says  the  gates  are  of  sardonyx 
mixed  with  cornu  cerastis  (horn  of  the  horned  serpents),  and  so  prevent  the 
secret  introduction  of  poison. 

Thomas  of  Cantimpre  tells  us  that  a  stone  from  the  head  of  a  toad  is  an 
amulet  against  poison. 

Finally  in  the  Middle  Ages  the  sign  of  the  cross  was  supposed  to  detect 
poison. — n.m.p. 

2  Reading  khadgam  for  the  khadge  of  Dr  Brockhaus'  text. 


SRIDATTA  AND  THE  RAKSHASl  111 

Now  the  day  after  he  was  made  king  he  went  to  the  house 
of  Kalanemi  and,  full  of  wrath,  asked  where  his  son  Sridatta 
was,  and  he  replied  :  "  I  do  not  know."  Then  the  king  in 
a  rage,  supposing  he  had  concealed  his  son,  had  him  put  to 
death  by  impalement  as  a  thief.  When  his  wife  saw  that, 
her  heart  broke.  Men  of  cruel  deeds  must  always  pile  one 
evil  upon  another  in  long  succession ;  and  so  Vikramasakti  is 
searching  for  Sridatta  to  slay  him,  and  you  are  his  friends, 
therefore  leave  this  place.'  When  the  man  had  given  us 
this  warning,  Bahusalin  and  his  four  companions,  being 
grieved,  went  by  common  consent  to  their  own  home  in 
Ujjayini.  And  they  left  me  here  in  concealment,  my  friend, 
for  your  sake.  So  come,  let  us  go  to  that  very  place  to  meet 
our  friends."  Having  heard  this  from  Nishthuraka,  and 
having  bewailed  his  parents,  Sridatta  cast  many  a  look  at 
his  sword,  as  if  reposing  in  that  his  hope  of  vengeance  ; 
then  the  hero,  biding  his  time,  set  out,  accompanied  by 
Nishthuraka,  for  that  city  of  Ujjayini  in  order  to  meet  his 
friends. 

And  as  he  was  relating  to  his  friend  his  adventures  from 
the  time  of  his  plunging  into  the  stream,  Sridatta  beheld 
a  woman  weeping  in  the  road ;  when  she  said,  "  I  am  a 
woman  going  to  Ujjayini  and  I  have  lost  my  way,"  Sridatta 
out  of  pity  made  her  journey  along  with  him.  He  and  Nish- 
thuraka, together  with  that  woman,  whom  he  kept  with  him 
out  of  compassion,  halted  that  day  in  a  certain  deserted  town. 
There  he  suddenly  woke  up  in  the  night  and  beheld  that  the 
woman  had  slain  Nishthuraka  and  was  devouring  his  flesh 
with  the  utmost  delight.  Then  he  rose  up,  drawing  his  sword 
Mriganka,  and  that  woman  assumed  her  own  terrible  form, 
that  of  a  Rakshasi,1  and  he  seized  that  night-wanderer  by 
her  hair,  to  slay  her.  That  moment  she  assumed  a  heavenly 
shape  and  said  to  him  :  "  Slay  me  not,  mighty  hero,  let  me 
go;  I  am  not  a  Rakshasi;  the  hermit  Visvamitra  imposed 
this  condition  on  me  by  a  curse.  For  once,  when  he  was  per- 
forming austerities  from  a  desire  to  attain  the  position  of  the 
God  of  Wealth,  I  was  sent  by  the  god  to  impede  him.     Then 

1  Female  demon.    The  Rakshasas  are  often  called  "  night- wanderers." 

See  Appendix  I  at  the  end  of  this  volume. — n.m.p. 


112  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

finding  that  I  was  not  able  to  seduce  him  with  my  alluring 
form,  being  abashed,  I  assumed,  in  order  to  terrify  him,  a  for- 
midable shape.  When  he  saw  this,  that  hermit  laid  on  me 
a  curse  suitable  to  my  offence,  exclaiming :  '  Wicked  one, 
become  a  Rakshasi  and  slay  men.'  And  he  appointed  my 
curse  should  end  when  you  took  hold  of  my  hair ;  accord- 
ingly I  assumed  this  detestable  condition  of  a  Rakshasi,  and  I 
have  devoured  all  the  inhabitants  of  this  town.  Now  to-day, 
after  a  long  time,  you  have  brought  my  curse  to  an  end 
in  the  manner  foretold,  therefore  receive  now  some  boon." 
When  he  heard  that  speech  of  hers,  Sridatta  said  respectfully  : 
"  Mother,  grant  that  my  friend  may  be  restored  to  life. 
What  need  have  I  of  any  other  boon  ?  "  "  So  be  it,"  she  said, 
and  after  granting  the  boon  disappeared.  And  Nishthuraka 
rose  up  again  alive  without  a  scratch  on  his  body.  Then 
Sridatta  set  out  the  next  morning  with  him  delighted  and 
astonished  and  at  last  reached  Ujjayini.  There  he  revived  by 
his  appearance  the  spirits  of  his  friends,  who  were  anxiously 
expecting  him,  as  the  arrival  of  the  cloud  revives  the  pea- 
cocks. And  after  he  had  told  all  the  wonders  of  his  ad- 
ventures Bahusalin  went  through  the  usual  formalities  of 
hospitality,  taking  him  to  his  own  home.  There  Sridatta 
was  taken  care  of  by  the  parents  of  Bahusalin,  and  lived  with 
his  friends  as  comfortably  as  if  he  were  in  his  own  house. 

Once  on  a  time,  when  the  great  feast  of  springtide 1  had 
arrived,  he  went  with  his  friends  to  behold  some  festal  re- 
joicings in  a  garden.  There  he  beheld  a  maiden,  the  daughter 
The  Princess  of  King  Bimbaki,  who  had  come  to  see  the  show, 
Mrigankavati  looking  like  the  Goddess  of  the  Splendour  of 
Spring  present  in  bodily  form.  She,  by  name  Mrigankavati, 
that  moment  penetrated  into  his  heart,  as  if  through  the 
openings  left  by  the  expansion  of  his  e}^e.  Her  passionate 
look,  too,  indicative  of  the  beginning  of  love,  fixed  on  him, 
went  and  returned  like  a  confidante.  When  she  entered 
a  thicket  of  trees,  Sridatta,  not  beholding  her,  suddenly  felt 
his  heart  so  empty  that  he  did  not  know  where  he  was. 
His  friend  Bahusalin,  who  thoroughly  understood  the 
language  of  gestures,  said  to  him  :   "  My  friend,  I  know  your 

1  Or,  more  literally,  of  the  month  Chaitra — i.e.  March-April. 


THE  PRINCESS  CURED  113 

heart,  do  not  deny  your  passion,  therefore  come,  let  us  go 
to  that  part  of  the  garden  where  the  king's  daughter  is." 
He  consented  and  went  near  her,  accompanied  by  his  friend. 
That  moment  a  cry  was  heard  there  which  gave  great  pain 
to  the  heart  of  Sridatta  :    "  Alas,  the  princess  has  been  bitten 
by  a  snake !  "    Bahusalin  then  went  and  said  to  the  chamber- 
lain :    "  My  friend  here  possesses   a  ring  that  counteracts 
the  effects  of  poison,  and  also  healing  spells."     Immediately 
the  chamberlain  came  and,  bowing  at  his  feet,  quickly  led 
Sridatta  to  the  princess.     He  placed  the  ring  on  her  finger 
and  then  muttered  his  spells,  so  that  she  revived.    Then  all 
the  attendants  were  delighted,  and  loud  in  praise  of  Sridatta, 
and  the  King  Bimbaki  hearing  the  circumstances  came  to  the 
place.    Accordingly  Sridatta  returned  with  his  friends  to  the 
house  of  Bahusalin  without  taking  back  the  ring.     And  all 
the  gold  and  other  presents  which  the  delighted  king  sent  to 
him  there  he  handed  over  to  the  father  of  Bahusalin.    Then, 
thinking  upon  that  fair  one,  he  was  so  much  afflicted  that 
his  friends  became  utterly  bewildered  as  to  what  to  do  with 
him.    Then  a  dear  friend  of  the  princess,  Bhavanika  by  name, 
came  to  him  on  pretence  of  returning  the  ring,  and  said  to 
him  :    "  That  friend  of  mine,  illustrious  sir,  has  made  up  her 
mind  that  either  you  must  save  her  life  by  becoming  her 
husband,  or  she  will  be  married  to  her  grave."    When  Bha- 
vanika had  said  this  Sridatta  and  Bahusalin  and  the  others 
quickly  put  their  heads  together  and  came  to  the  following 
resolution: — "We  will  carry  off  this  princess  secretly  by  a 
stratagem,  and  will  go  unperceived  from  here  to  Mathura 
and  live  there."     The  plan  having  been  thoroughly  talked 
over,  and  the  conspirators  having  agreed  with  one  another 
what  each  was  to  do  in  order  to  carry  it  out,  Bhavanika  then 
departed.     And  the  next  day  Bahusalin,  accompanied  by 
three  of  his  friends,  went  to  Mathura  on  pretext  of  traffick- 
ing, and  as  he  went  he  posted  in  concealment  at  intervals 
swift  horses  for  the  conveyance  of  the  princess.   But  Sridatta 
then  brought  at  eventide  a  woman  with  her  daughter  into 
the  palace  of  the  princess,  after  making  them  both  drink 
spirits,  and  then  Bhavanika,  on  pretence  of  lighting  up  the 
palace,  set  fire  to  it,   and  secretly  conveyed  the  princess 


114  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

out  of  it ;  and  that  moment  Srldatta,  who  was  remaining 
outside,  received  her,  and  sent  her  on  to  Bahusalin,  who  had 
started  in  the  morning,  and  directed  two  of  his  friends  to 
attend  on  her  and  also  Bhavanika.  Now  that  drunken  woman 
and  her  daughter  were  burnt  in  the  palace  of  the  princess, 
and  people  supposed  that  the  princess  had  been  burnt  with 
her  friend.  But  Srldatta  took  care  to  show  himself  in  the 
morning,  as  before,  in  the  city ;  then  on  the  second  night, 
taking  with  him  his  sword  Mriganka,  he  started  to  follow  his 
beloved,  who  had  set  out  before  him.  And  in  his  eagerness 
he  accomplished  a  great  distance  that  night,  and  when  the 
morning  watch  *  had  passed  he  reached  the  Vindhya  forest. 
There  he  first  beheld  unlucky  omens,  and  afterwards  he  saw 
all  those  friends  of  his,  together  with  Bhavanika,  lying  in 
the  road  gashed  with  wounds.  And  when  he  came  up  all 
distracted  they  said  to  him :  "  We  were  robbed  to-day  by  a 
large  troop  of  horsemen  that  set  upon  us.  And  after  we  were 
reduced  to  this  state  one  of  the  horsemen  threw  the  terrified 
princess  on  his  horse  and  carried  her  off.  So  before  she  has 
been  carried  a  great  distance,  go  in  this  direction;  do  not 
remain  near  us,  she  is  certainly  of  more  importance  than  we." 
Being  urged  on  with  these  words  by  his  friends,  Srldatta 
rapidly  followed  after  the  princess,  but  could  not  help  fre- 
quently turning  round  to  look  at  them.  And  after  he  had 
gone  a  considerable  distance  he  caught  up  that  troop  of 
cavalry,  and  he  saw  a  young  man  of  the  warrior  caste  in  the 
midst  of  it.  And  he  beheld  that  princess  held  by  him  upon  his 
horse.  So  he  slowly  approached  that  young  warrior ;  and 
when  soft  words  would  not  induce  him  to  let  the  princess  go, 
he  hurled  him  from  his  horse  with  a  blow  of  his  foot  and 
dashed  him  to  pieces  on  a  rock.  And  after  he  had  slain  him 
he  mounted  on  his  horse  and  slew  a  great  number  of  the  other 
horsemen  who  charged  him  in  anger.  And  then  those  who 
remained  alive,  seeing  that  the  might  which  the  hero  dis- 
played was  more  than  human,  fled  away  in  terror ;  and 
Srldatta  mounted  on  the  horse  with  the  Princess  Mrigan- 
kavati  and  set  out  to  find  those  friends  of  his.  And  after  he 
had  gone  a  little  way  he  and  his  wife  got  off  the  horse,  which 

1  At  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning. 


SRIDATTA  IS  CAPTURED  115 

had  been  severely  wounded  in  the  fight,  and  soon  after  it  fell 
down  and  died.  And  then  his  beloved  Mrigankavati,  ex- 
hausted with  fear  and  exertion,  became  very  thirsty.  And 
leaving  her  there,  he  roamed  a  long  distance  hither  and 
thither,  and  while  he  was  looking  for  water  the  sun  set. 
Then  he  discovered  that  though  he  had  found  water  he  had 
lost  his  way,  and  he  passed  that  night  in  the  wood  roaming 
about,  moaning  aloud  like  a  Chakravaka.1  And  in  the  morn- 
ing he  reached  that  place,  which  was  easy  to  recognise  by  the 
carcase  of  the  horse.  And  nowhere  there  did  he  behold  his 
beloved  princess.  Then  in  his  distraction  he  placed  his  sword 
Mriganka  on  the  ground  and  climbed  to  the  top  of  a  tree, 
in  order  to  cast  his  eye  in  all  directions  for  her.  That  very 
moment  a  certain  Savara  chieftain  passed  that  way,  and  he 
came  up  and  took  the  sword  from  the  foot  of  the  tree.  Be- 
holding that  Savara  chieftain,  Sridatta  came  down  from  the 
top  of  the  tree  and  in  great  grief  asked  him  for  news  of 
his  beloved.  The  Savara  chieftain  said  :  "  Leave  this  place 
and  come  to  my  village  ;  I  have  no  doubt  she  whom  you 
seek  has  gone  there ;  and  I  shall  come  there  and  return 
you  this  sword."  When  the  Savara  chieftain  urged  him  to 
go  with  these  words,  Sridatta,  being  himself  all  eagerness, 
went  to  that  village  with  the  chief's  men.  And  there  those 
men  said  to  him:  "Sleep  off  your  fatigue."  And  when 
he  reached  the  house  of  the  chief  of  the  village,  being 
tired,  he  went  to  sleep  in  an  instant.  And  when  he  woke 
up  he  saw  his  two  feet  fastened  with  fetters,  like  the  two 
efforts  he  had  made  in  order  to  obtain  his  beloved,  which 
failed  to  reach  their  object.  Then  he  remained  there  weep- 
ing for  his  darling,  who,  like  the  course  of  destiny,  had  for 
a  moment  brought  him  joy,  and  the  next  moment  blasted 
his  hopes. 

One  day  a  serving-maid  of  the  name  of  Mochanika  came 
to  him  and  said :  "  Illustrious  sir,  unwittingly  you  have  come 
hither  to  your  death.  For  the  Savara  chieftain  has  gone  some- 
whither to  accomplish  certain  weighty  affairs,  and  when  he 

1  Anas  Casarca,  commonly  called  the  Brahmany  duck.  The  male  has  to 
pass  the  night  separated  from  its  female — if  we  are  to  trust  the  unanimous 
testimony  of  Hindu  poets. 


116  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

returns  he  will  offer  you  to  Chandika.1  For  with  that  object 
he  decoyed  you  here  by  a  stratagem  from  this  slope  of 
the  wild  Vindhya  hill,  and  immediately  threw  you  into  the 
Sridatta  chains  in  which  you  now  are.    And  it  is  because 

marries  Sundari  vou  are  intended  to  be  offered  as  a  victim  to  the 
goddess  that  you  are  continually  served  with  garments  and 
food.  But  I  know  of  only  one  expedient  for  delivering  you,  if 
you  agree  to  it.  This  Savara  chieftain  has  a  daughter  named 
Sundari,  and  she  having  seen  you  is  becoming  exceedingly  love- 
sick ;  marry  her  who  is  my  friend,  then  you  will  obtain  deliver- 
ance." 2  When  she  said  this  to  him  Sridatta  consented,  desiring 
to  be  set  at  liberty,  and  secretly  made  that  Sundari  his  wife  by 
the  gdndharva  form  of  marriage.  And  every  night  she  removed 
his  chains,  and  in  a  short  time  Sundari  became  pregnant. 
Then  her  mother,  having  heard  the  whole  story  from  the 
mouth  of  Mochanika,  out  of  love  for  her  son-in-law  Sridatta, 
went  and  of  her  own  accord  said  to  him :  "  My  son,  Srichanda, 
the  father  of  Sundari,  is  a  wrathful  man,  and  will  show  thee  no 
mercy ;  therefore  depart ;  but  thou  must  not  forget  Sundari." 
When  his  mother-in-law  had  said  this,  she  set  him  at  liberty, 
and  Sridatta  departed,  after  telling  Sundari  that  the  sword 
which  was  in  her  father's  possession  really  belonged  to  himself. 
So  he  again  entered,  full  of  anxiety,  that  forest  in  which 
he  had  before  wandered  about,  in  order  again  to  search  for 
traces  of  Mrigankavati.  And  having  seen  an  auspicious  omen 
he  came  to  that  same  place  where  that  horse  of  his  died 
before,  and  whence  his  wife  was  carried  off.  And  there  he 
saw  near  him  3  a  hunter  coming  towards  him,  and  when  he 
saw  him  he  asked  him  for  news  of  that  gazelle-eyed  lady* 
Then  the  hunter  asked  him  :  "  Are  you  Sridatta  ?  "  and  he, 
sighing,  replied  :  "lam  that  unfortunate  man."  Then  that 
hunter  said :  "  Listen,  friend,  I  have  somewhat  to  tell  you.  I 
saw  that  wife  of  yours  wandering  hither  and  thither  lamenting 

1  A  name  of  Durga.     Cf  Prescott's  account  of  the  human  sacrifices  in 

The  History  of  the  Conquest  of  Mexico,  vol.  i,  pp.  62,  63. See  Rai  Bahadur 

Hira  Lai's  article  on  "  Human  Sacrifice  in  Central  India  "  in  Man  in  India, 
vol.  i,  pp.  57-66 ;  also  E.  A.  Gait's  article  on  "  Human  Sacrifice  (Indian)  "in 
Hastings'  Ency.  Bel.  Eth.f  vol.  vi,  pp.  849-853. — n.m.p. 

2  This  incident  reminds  us  of  the  fifth  tale  in  Wright's  Gesta  Romanorum. 

3  Or  it  may  mean  "  from  a  distance,"  as  Dr  Brockhaus  takes  it. 


THE  STOLEN  NECKLACE  117 

your  absence,  and  having  asked  her  her  story,  and  consoled 
her,  moved  with  compassion  I  took  her  out  of  this  wood  to 
my  own  village.  But  when  I  saw  the  young  Pulindas  1  there 
I  was  afraid,  and  I  took  her  to  a  village  named  Nagasthala, 
near  Mathura.2  And  then  I  placed  her  in  the  house  of  an  old 
Brahman  named  Visvadatta,  commending  her  with  all  due 
respect  to  his  care.  And  thence  I  came  here,  having  learnt 
your  name  from  her  lips.  Therefore  you  had  better  go  quickly 
to  Nagasthala  to  search  for  her."  When  the  hunter  had  told 
him  this  Sridatta  quickly  set  out,  and  he  reached  Nagasthala 
in  the  evening  of  the  second  day.  Then  he  entered  the  house 
of  Visvadatta  and  when  he  saw  him  said :  "  Give  me  my 
wife,  who  was  placed  here  by  the  hunter."  Visvadatta  when 
he  heard  that  answered  him :  "  I  have  a  friend  in  Mathura, 
a  Brahman,  dear  to  all  virtuous  men,  the  spiritual  preceptor 
and  minister  of  the  King  Surasena ;  in  his  care  I  placed  your 
wife;  for  this  village  is  an  out-of-the-way  place  and  would 
not  afford  her  protection.  So  go  to  that  city  to-morrow 
morning,  but  to-day  rest  here."  When  Visvadatta  said  this, 
he  spent  that  night  there,  and  the  next  morning  he  set  off, 
and  reached  Mathura  on  the  second  day.  Being  weary  and 
dusty  with  the  long  journey,  he  bathed  outside  that  city  in 
the  pellucid  water  of  a  lake.  And  he  drew  out  of  the  middle 
of  the  lake  a  garment  placed  there  by  some  robbers,  not  sus- 
pecting any  harm.  But  in  one  corner  of  the  garment,  which 
was  knotted  up,  a  necklace  was  concealed.3  Then  Sridatta 
took  that  garment,  and  in  his  eagerness  to  meet  his  wife  did 
not  notice  the  necklace,  and  so  entered  the  city  of  Mathura. 
Then  the  city  police  recognised  the  garment,  and  finding  the 
necklace,  arrested  Sridatta  as  a  thief,  and  carried  him  off, 
and  brought  him  before  the  chief  magistrate  exactly  as  he 

1  Pulinda  is  the  name  of  a  savage  tribe. 

2  Mr  Growse  remarks  :  "  In  Hindi  the  word  Nagasthala  would  assume  the 
form  Nagal ;  and  there  is  a  village  of  that  name  to  this  day  in  the  Mahaban 
Pargana  of  the  Mathura  district." 

3  A  common  way  of  carrying  money  in  India  at  the  present  day. In 

Arabia  it  is  often  carried  in  the  turban,  while  in  Morocco  it  is  kept  with  the 
hashish  pipe,  knife,  etc.,  in  the  large  yellow  leather  bag  slung  underneath  the 
haik  or  jellaba.  I  brought  back  several  beautifully  worked  specimens  of  these 
bags  when  last  in  Morocco. — n.m.p. 


118  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

was  found  with  the  garment  in  his  possession ;  by  him  he 
was  handed  up  to  the  king,  and  the  king  ordered  him  to  be 
put  to  death.1 

Then  as  he  was  being  led  off  to  the  place  of  execution, 
with  the  drum  being  beaten  behind  him,2  his  wife  Mrigan- 
kavati  saw  him  in  the  distance.  She  went  in  a  state  of  the 
Sndatta  meets  utmost  distraction  and  said  to  the  chief  minister, 
Ms  Uncle  m  whose  house  she  was  residing :  "  Yonder  is  my 
husband  being  led  off  to  execution."  Then  that  minister 
went  and  ordered  the  executioners  to  desist,  and  by  mak- 
ing a  representation  to  the  king  got  Sridatta  pardoned, 
and  had  him  brought  to  his  house.  And  when  Sridatta 
reached  his  house,  and  saw  that  minister,  he  recognised 
him  and  fell  at  his  feet,  exclaiming :  "  What !  is  this 
my  uncle  Vigatabhaya,  who  long  ago  went  to  a  foreign 
country,  and  do  I  now  by  good  luck  find  him  established 
in  the  position  of  a  minister  ?  "  He  too  recognised,  to  his 
astonishment,  Sridatta  as  his  brother's  son,  and  embraced 
him,  and  questioned  him  about  all  his  adventures.  Then 
Sridatta  related  to  his  uncle  his  whole  history,  beginning 
with  the  execution  of  his  father.  And  he,  after  weeping,  said 
to  his  nephew  in  private  :  "  Do  not  despond,  my  son,  for  I 
once  brought  a  female  Yaksha  into  subjection  by  means  of 
magic ;  and  she  gave  me,  though  I  have  no  son,  five  thou- 
sand horses  and  seventy  millions  of  gold  pieces ;  and  all  that 
wealth  is  at  your  disposal."  After  telling  him  this,  his  uncle 
brought  him  his  beloved,  and  he,  having  obtained  wealth, 
married  her  on  the  spot.   And  then  he  remained  there  in  joy, 

1  Cf.  Samaradityasainkshepa  4,  p.  104  et  seq.  We  shall  come  across  a  similar 
incident  in  Chaper  LIV,  where  I  shall  add  a  further  note. — n.m.p. 

2  Cf  the  last  scene  of  "The  Toy  Cart"  in  the  first  volume  of  Wilson's 

Hindu  Theatre. See  also  Ryder's  edition,  1905,  p.  155.     In  the  Kanavera 

Jataka  (318)  the  thief  is  made  to  wear  a  wreath  of  flowers  symbolic  of  death, 
is  scourged  with  whips  and  led  to  execution  to  the  beat  of  the  harsh-sounding 
drum.  For  further  references  see  Bloomfield,  "The  Art  of  Stealing,"  Am. 
Journ.  Phil,  vol.  xliv,  3,  pp.  227,  228.  On  the  ceremonial  uses  of  the  drum 
see  A.  E.  Crawley's  article,  "Drums  and  Cymbals,"  in  Hastings'  Ency.  Rel.  Eth., 
vol.  v,  p.  93  et  seq.  For  the  use  of  the  drum  for  proclamation  and  obtain- 
ing a  royal  audience  see  Bloomfield,  Life  and  Stories  of  Parcvanathd  and  the 
references  there  given. — n.m.p. 


SRIDATTA'S  WIVES  119 

united  with  that  beloved  Mrigankavati  as  a  bed  of  white 
lotuses  x  with  the  night.  But  even  when  his  happiness  was 
at  its  full,  anxiety  for  Bahusalin  and  his  companions  clouded 
his  heart,  as  a  spot  of  darkness  does  the  full  moon.  Now  one 
day  his  uncle  said  secretly  to  Sridatta  :  u  My  son,  the  King 
Surasena  has  a  maiden  daughter,  and  in  accordance  with  his 
orders  I  have  to  take  her  to  the  land  of  Avanti  to  give  her 
away  in  marriage  ;  so  I  will  take  her  away  on  that  very  pre- 
text, and  marry  her  to  you.  Then,  when  you  have  got 
possession  of  the  force  that  follows  her,  with  mine  already 
at  your  disposal,  you  will  soon  gain  the  kingdom  that  was 
promised  you  by  the  goddess  Sri."  Having  resolved  on  this, 
and  having  taken  that  maiden,  Sridatta  and  his  uncle  set  out 
with  their  army  and  their  attendants.  But  as  soon  as  they 
had  reached  the  Vindhya  forest,  before  they  were  aware  of  the 
danger,  a  large  army  of  brigands  set  upon  them  showering 
arrows.  After  routing  Sridatta's  force  and  seizing  all  the 
wealth,  they  bound  Sridatta  himself,  who  had  fainted  from 
his  wounds,  and  carried  him  off  to  their  village.  And  they 
took  him  to  the  awful  temple  of  Durga,  in  order  to  offer  him 
And  recovers  UP  m  sacrifice,  and,  as  it  were,  summoned  Death 
his  Wife  and  with  the  sound  of  their  gongs.  There  Sundari 
Sword  saw  k*^  one  Qf  j^g  wives>  the  daughter  of  the 

chief  of  the  village,  who  had  come  with  her  young  son  to  visit 
the  shrine  of  the  goddess.  Full  of  joy  she  ordered  the  brigands 
who  were  between  her  and  her  husband  to  stand  aside,  and 
then  Sridatta  entered  her  palace  with  her.  Immediately 
Sridatta  obtained  the  sovereignty  of  that  village,  which 
Sundari 's  father,  having  no  son,  bequeathed  to  her  when  he 
went  to  heaven.  So  Sridatta  recovered  his  wife  and  his  sword 
Mriganka,  and  also  his  uncle  and  his  followers,  who  had  been 
overpowered  by  the  robbers.  And  while  he  was  in  that  town 
he  married  the  daughter  of  Surasena,  and  became  a  great 
king  there.  And  from  that  place  he  sent  ambassadors  to  his 
two  fathers-in-law,  to  Bimbaki  and  King  Surasena.  And 
they,  being  very  fond  of  their  daughters,  gladly  recognised 
him  as  a  connection,  and  came  to  him  accompanied  by  the 

1  The  esculent  white  lotus  (Sanskrit,  kumuda)  expands  its  petals  at  night 
and  closes  them  in  the  daytime. 


120  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

whole  of  their  armies.  And  his  friends  Bahusalin  and  the 
others,  who  had  been  separated  from  him,  when  they  heard 
what  had  happened,  came  to  him  with  their  wounds  healed 
and  in  good  health.  Then  the  hero  marched,  united  with  his 
fathers-in-law,  and  made  that  Vikramasakti,  who  had  put 
his  father  to  death,  a  burnt- offering  in  the  flame  of  his 
wrath.  And  then  Sridatta,  having  gained  dominion  over 
the  sea-encircled  earth,  and  deliverance  from  the  sorrow  of 
separation,  joyed  in  the  society  of  Mrigankavati.  Even  so, 
my  king,  do  men  of  firm  resolution  cross  the  calamitous  sea 
of  separation  and  obtain  prosperity. 


[M]  After  hearing  this  tale  from  Sangataka,  the  King 
Sahasranika,  though  longing  for  the  sight  of  his  beloved  one, 
managed  to  get  through  that  night  on  the  journey.  Then, 
engrossed  with  his  desire,  sending  his  thoughts  on  before,  in 
the  morning  Sahasranika  set  out  to  meet  his  darling.  And  in 
a  few  days  he  reached  that  peaceful  hermitage  of  Jamadagni, 
in  wrhich  even  the  deer  laid  aside  their  wantonness.  And 
there  he  beheld  with  reverence  that  Jamadagni,  the  sight  of 
whom  was  sanctifying,  like  the  incarnate  form  of  penance, 
who  received  him  hospitably.  And  the  hermit  handed  over 
to  him  that  Queen  Mrigavati  with  her  son,  regained  by  the 
king  after  long  separation,  like  tranquillity  with  joy.  And 
that  sight  which  the  husband  and  wife  obtained  of  one 
another,  now  that  the  curse  had  ceased,  rained,  as  it  were, 
nectar  into  their  eyes,  which  were  filled  with  tears  of  joy. 
And  the  king  embracing  that  son  Udayana,  whom  he  now 
beheld  for  the  first  time,  could  with  difficulty  let  him  go,  as 
he  was,  so  to  speak,  riveted  to  his  body  with  his  own  hairs 
that  stood  erect  from  joy.1     Then  King  Sahasranika  took 

1  In  Sanskrit  poetry  horripilation  is  often  said  to  be  produced  by  joy. 
I  have  here  inserted  the  words  "  from  joy "  in  order  to  make  the  meaning 

clear. It  is  the  same  as  the   Arabic  kusJiarlrah  and  the  pclo  arriciato  of 

Boccaccio.  In  the  Nights,  however,  horripilation  is  usually  produced  by  anger ; 
thus  we  read  (Burton,  vol.  ii,  p.  88) :  "  She  raged  with  exceeding  rage,  and 
her  body-hair  stood  on  end  like  the  bristles  of  a  fretful  hedgehog." — n.m.p. 


THE  TRIUMPHANT  RETURN  121 

his  Queen  Mrigavati  with  Udayana,  and,  bidding  adieu  to 
Jamadagni,  set  out  from  that  tranquil  hermitage  for  his  own 
city,  and  even  the  deer  followed  him  as  far  as  the  border  of 
the  hermitage  with  tearful  eyes.  Beguiling  the  way  by  listen- 
ing to  the  adventures  of  his  beloved  wife  during  the  period  of 
separation,  and  by  relating  his  own,  he  at  length  reached  the 
city  of  Kausambi,  in  which  triumphal  arches  were  erected 
and  banners  displayed.  And  he  entered  that  city  in  company 
with  his  wife  and  child,  being,  so  to  speak,  devoured  l  by  the 
eyes  of  the  citizens,  that  had  the  fringe  of  their  lashes  elevated. 
And  immediately  the  king  appointed  his  son  Udayana  crown 
prince,  being  incited  to  it  by  his  excellent  qualities.  And  he 
assigned  to  him  as  advisers  the  sons  of  his  own  ministers, 
Vasantaka  and  Rumanvat  and  Yaugandharayana.  Then  a 
rain  of  flowers  fell,  and  a  celestial  voice  was  heard :  "By 
the  help  of  these  excellent  ministers,  the  prince  shall  obtain 
dominion  over  the  whole  earth."  Then  the  king  devolved  on 
his  son  the  cares  of  empire,  and  enjoyed  in  the  society  of 
Mrigavati  the  long-desired  pleasures  of  the  world.  At  last 
the  desire  of  earthly  enjoyment,  beholding  suddenly  that  old 
age,  the  harbinger  of  composure,  had  reached  the  root  of  the 
king's  ear,2  became  enraged  and  fled  far  from  him.  Then  that 
King  Sahasranika  established  in  his  throne  his  excellent  son 
Udayana,3  whom  the  subjects  loved  so  well,  to  ensure  the 
world's  prosperity,  and,  accompanied  by  his  ministers  and 
his  beloved  wife,  ascended  the  Himalaya  to  prepare  for  the 
last  great  journey. 

1  Literally,  drunk  in. 

2  Alluding  to  his  grey  hairs.  In  all  Eastern  stories  the  appearance  of 
the  first  grey  hair  is  a  momentous  epoch.  The  point  of  the  whole  passage 
consists  in  the  fact  that  jara  (old  age)  is  feminine  in  form.  Cf  the  per- 
turbation of  King  Samson  in  Hagen's  Helden-Sagen,  vol.  i,  p.  26,  and  Spence 

Hardy's  Manual  of  Buddhism,  I860,  pp.   129  and  130. See   also   Jatakas, 

Nos.  9,  411  and  541  ;  Tawney's  Kathakoca,  pp.  125,  146;  Jacobi's  preface  to 
his  edition  of  the  Parisishtaparvan,  p.   14,  note  2. 

Bloomfield  (Journ.  Amer.  Orient.  Soc,  vol.  xxxvi,  Part  I)  has  written 
briefly  on  the  "  Grey  Hair  "  motif  in  Sanskrit  literature.  See  op.  cit.,  p.  57, 
where  he  gives  a  few  further  references  to  those  already  mentioned — n.m.p. 

3  There  is  a  pun  between  the  name  of  the  King  Udayana  and  prosperity 
(udaya). 


CHAPTER  XI 

THEN  Udayana  took  the  kingdom  of  Vatsa,  which  his 
[M]  father  had  bequeathed  to  him,  and,  establishing 
himself  in  Kausambi,  ruled  his  subjects  well.  But 
gradually  he  began  to  devolve  the  cares  of  empire  upon  his 
ministers,  Yaugandharayana  and  others,  and  gave  himself 
up  entirely  to  pleasures.  He  was  continually  engaged  in  the 
chase,  and  day  and  night  he  played  on  the  melodious  lute 
which  Vasuki *  gave  him  long  ago ;  and  he  subdued  ever- 
more infuriated  wild  elephants,  overpowered  by  the  fascin- 
ating spell  of  its  strings'  dulcet  sound,  and,  taming  them, 
brought  them  home.2 

That  King  of  Vatsa  drank  wine  adorned  by  the  reflection 
of  the  moon- faces  of  fair  women,  and  at  the  same  time  robbed 
his  ministers'  faces  of  their  cheerful  hue.3  Only  one  anxiety 
had  he  to  bear ;  he  kept  thinking :  "  Nowhere  is  a  wife  found 
equal  to  me  in  birth  and  personal  appearance;  the  maiden 
named  Vasavadatta  alone  has  a  liking  for  me,4  but  how  is 
she  to  be  obtained  ?  " 

Chandamahasena  also,  in  Ujjayini,  thought :  "  There 
is  no  suitable  husband  to  be  found  for  my  daughter  in  the 

1  Not  Vasuki,  but  his  eldest  brother. 

2  Cf.  the  Vidhurapandita-Jataka  (Cambridge  edition,  vol.  vi,  p.  127),  where 
the  chief  minister  bewitched  his  hearers  by  his  discourses  on  law  "as 
elephants  are  fascinated  by  a  favourite  lute." — n.m.p. 

3  Chhaya  means  "colour"  ;  he  drank  their  colour — i.e.  made  them  pale. 
It  also  means  "  reflection  in  the  wine." 

4  As  Speyer  remarks  in  his  Studies  about  the  Kathasaritsagara,  p.  96 
(in  all  probability  to  be  embodied  in  a  later  volume),  Brockhaus'  reading 
purports  an  impossibility,  as  Udayana  could  at  the  most  have  heard  of  her 
only  by  name.  Moreover,  we  find  later  that  it  is  not  for  a  long  time 
that  Vasavadatta  falls  in  love  with  Udayana,  which  is  actually  brought 
about  by  a  plan  of  Udayana  himself.  The  Durgaprasad  text  reads,  kanyaka 
sruyate  param,  etc.,  instead  of  kanya  kamayate  param,  etc.,  meaning,  "there  is 
but  one  maiden,  they  say  (that  suits  me  as  a  wife),"  thus  making  much 
better  sense. — n.m.p. 


DIPLOMATIC  NEGOTIATIONS  123 

world,  except  one  Udayana  by  name,  and  he  has  ever  been 
my  enemy.  Then  how  can  I  make  him  my  son-in-law  and 
my  submissive  ally  ?  There  is  only  one  device  which  can 
effect  it.  He  wanders  about  alone  in  the  forest  capturing 
elephants,  for  he  is  a  king  addicted  to  the  vice  of  hunting ; 
I  will  make  use  of  this  failing  of  his  to  entrap  him  and  bring 
him  here  by  a  stratagem  ;  and,  as  he  is  acquainted  with 
music,  I  will  make  this  daughter  of  mine  his  pupil,  and  then 
his  eye  will  without  doubt  be  charmed  with  her,  and  he  will 
certainly  become  my  son-in-law,  and  my  obedient  ally.  No 
other  artifice  seems  applicable  in  this  case  for  making  him 
submissive  to  my  will." 

Having  thus  reflected,  he  went  to  the  temple  of  Durga, 
in  order  that  his  scheme  might  be  blessed  with  success,  and, 
after  worship  and  praise,  offered  a  prayer  to  the  goddess. 
And  there  he  heard  a  bodiless  voice  saying  :  "  This  desire 
of  thine,  O  king,  shall  shortly  be  accomplished."  Then  he 
returned  satisfied,  and  deliberated  over  that  very  matter  with 
the  minister  Buddhadatta,1  saying :  "  That  prince  is  elated 
with  pride,  he  is  free  from  avarice,  his  subjects  are  attached 
to  him,  and  he  is  of  great  power,  therefore  he  cannot  be 
reached  by  any  of  the  four  usual  expedients  beginning  with 
negotiation,  nevertheless  let  negotiation  be  tried  first."2 
Having  thus  deliberated,  the  king  gave  this  order  to  an 
ambassador  :  "  Go  and  give  the  King  of  Vatsa  this  message 
from  me  :  6  My  daughter  desires  to  be  thy  •  pupil  in  music ; 
if  thou  love  us,  come  here  and  teach  her.'  " 

When  sent  off  by  the  king  with  this  message,  the 
ambassador  went  and  repeated  it  to  the  King  of  Vatsa  in 
Kausambi  exactly  as  it  was  delivered ;  and  the  King  of 
Vatsa,  after  hearing  this  uncourteous  message  from  the 
ambassador,  repeated  it  in  private  to  the  minister  Yaugand- 
harayana,  saying  :    "  Why  did  that  monarch  send  me  that 

1  I.e.  given  by  Buddha. 

2  The  four  upayas,  or  means  of  success,  are :  saman  (negotiation),  which 
his  pride  would  render  futile ;  dana  (giving),  which  appeals  to  avarice ;  bheda 
(sowing  dissension),  which  would  be  useless  where  a  king  is  beloved  by  his 
subjects ;  and  danda  (open  force),  of  no  use  in  the  case  of  a  powerful  king 
like  Udayana. 


124  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

insolent  message  ?  What  can  be  the  villain's  object  in  making 
such  a  proposal  ?  " 

When  the  king  asked  him  this  question,  the  great  minister 
Yaugandharayana,  who  was  stern  to  his  master  for  his  good, 
thus  answered  him  :  "  Your  reputation  for  vice  x  has  shot 
up  in  the  earth  like  a  creeper,  and  this,  O  king,  is  its  biting 
bitter  fruit.  For  that  King  Chandamahasena,  thinking  that 
you  are  the  slave  of  your  passions,  intends  to  ensnare  you  by 
means  of  his  beautiful  daughter,  throw  you  into  prison,  and 
so  make  you  his  unresisting  instrument.  Therefore  abandon 
kingly  vices,  for  kings  that  fall  into  them  are  easily  captured 
by  their  enemies,  even  as  elephants  are  taken  in  pits." 

When  his  minister  had  said  this  to  him,  the  resolute  King 
of  Vatsa  sent  in  return  an  ambassador  to  Chandamahasena 
with  the  following  reply  :  — "  If  thy  daughter  desires  to 
become  my  pupil,  then  send  her  here."  When  he  had  sent 
this  reply,  that  King  of  Vatsa  said  to  his  ministers  :  "  I  will 
march  and  bring  Chandamahasena  here  in  chains."  When 
he  heard  that,  the  head  minister  Yaugandharayana  said  : 
"  That  is  not  a  fitting  thing  to  do,  my  king,  nor  is  it  in  thy 
power  to  do  it.  For  Chandamahasena  is  a  mighty  monarch, 
and  not  to  be  subdued  by  thee.  And  in  proof  of  this  hear  his 
whole  history,  which  I  now  proceed  to  relate  to  thee : 

6.  Story  of  King  Chandamahasena 

There  is  in  this  land  a  city  named  Ujjayini,  the  ornament 
of  the  earth,  that,  so  to  speak,  laughs  to  scorn  with  its  palaces 

1  The  chief  vices  of  kings  denounced  by  Hindu  writers  on  statecraft 
are :  hunting,  gambling,  sleeping  in  the  day,  calumny,  addiction  to  women, 
drinking  spirits,  dancing,  singing,  playing  instrumental  music  and  idle  roaming. 
These  proceed  from  the  love  of  pleasure.  Others  proceed  from  anger — viz. 
tale-bearing,   violence,   insidious   injury,  envy,  detraction,  unjust   seizure  of 

property,   abuse,   assault.     See    Monier   Williams,   s.v.   vyasana. Speaking 

of  the  vices  of  caliphs  in  the  Nights  (vol.  i,  p.  190),  Burton  has  the  following 
note : — "  Injustice,  Arab  Zulm,  the  deadliest  of  monarchs'  sins.  One  of  the 
sayings  of  Mohammed,  popularly  quoted,  is,  '  Kingdom  endureth  with  Kufr 
or  infidelity  {i.e.  without  accepting  Al-Islam)  but  endureth  not  with  Zulm 
or  injustice.'  Hence  the  good  Moslem  will  not  complain  of  the  rule  of 
Kafirs  or  Unbelievers,  like  the  English,  so  long  as  they  rule  him  righteously 
and  according  to  his  own  law." — n.m.p. 


CHANDAMAHASENA  OBTAINS  A  MAGIC  SWORD  125 

of  enamelled  whiteness 1  Amaravati,  the  city  of  the  gods.  In 
that  city  dwells  Siva  himself,  the  lord  of  existence,  under  the 
form  of  Mahakala,2  when  he  desists  from  the  kingly  vice  of 
absenting  himself  on  the  heights  of  Mount  Kailasa.  In  that 
city  lived  a  king  named  Mahendravarman,  best  of  monarchs, 
and  he  had  a  son  like  himself,  named  Jayasena.  Then  to  that 
Jayasena  was  born  a  son  named  Mahasena,  matchless  in 
strength  of  arm,  an  elephant  among  monarchs.  And  that 
king,  while  cherishing  his  realm,  reflected  :  "  I  have  not  a 
sword  worthy  of  me,3  nor  a  wife  of  good  family." 

Thus  reflecting,  that  monarch  went  to  the  temple  of 
Durga,  and  there  he  remained  without  food,  propitiating 
for  a  long  time  the  goddess.  Then  he  cut  off  pieces  of  his 
own  flesh  and  offered  a  burnt- offering  with  them,  where- 
upon the  goddess  Durga,  being  pleased,  appeared  in  visible 
shape  and  said  to  him :  "  I  am  pleased  with  thee ;  receive 
from  me  this  excellent  sword ;  by  means  of  its  magic  power 
thou  shalt  be  invincible  to  all  thy  enemies.  Moreover,  thou 
shalt  soon  obtain  as  a  wife  Angaravati,  the  daughter  of  the 
Asura  Angaraka,  the  most  beautiful  maiden  in  the  three 
worlds.  And  since  thou  didst  here  perform  this  very  cruel 
penance,  therefore  thy  name  shall  be  Chandamahasena." 

Having  said  this  and  given  him  the  sword,  the  goddess 
disappeared.  But  in  the  king  there  appeared  joy  at  the 
fulfilment  of  his  desire.  He  now  possessed,  O  king,  two 
jewels,  his  sword  and  a  furious  elephant  named  Nadagiri, 

1  Sudhadhauta  may  mean  "white  as  plaster,"  but  more  probably  here 
"whitened  with  plaster,"   like  the   houses  in  the  European  quarter  of  the 

"City  of  Palaces." The  real  Amaravati  could  also  be  described  as  "of 

enamelled  whiteness"  owing  to  its  numerous  white  sculptures.  They  date 
from  about  200  b.c,  and  were  nearly  all  destroyed  at  the  end  of  the  eighteenth 
and  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  centuries.  To  give  some  idea  of  the  enormous 
extent  of  these  white  marble  sculptures,  it  is  estimated  that  the  carved  figures 
in  just  the  outer  rail  of  the  stupa  must  number  about  14,000.  The  remain- 
ing bas-reliefs  are  now  on  the  walls  of  the  chief  stairway  of  the  British 
Museum. — n.m.p. 

2  A  linga  of  Siva  in  Ujjayinl.  Siva  is  here  compared  to  an  earthly 
monarch  subject  to  the  vyasana  of  roaming.  I  take  it  the  poet  means 
Ujjayinl  is  a  better  place  than  Kailasa. 

3  Cf.  the  way  in  which  Kandar  goes  in  search  of  a  sword  in  Prym  and 
Socin's  Syrische  Marchen,  p.  205. 


126  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

which  were  to  him  what  the  thunderbolt  and  Airavata 
are  to  Indra.  Then  that  king,  delighting  in  the  power  of 
these  two,  one  day  went  to  a  great  forest  to  hunt ;  and 
there  he  beheld  an  enormous  and  terrible  wild  boar ;  like 
the  darkness  of  the  night  suddenly  condensed  into  a  solid 
mass  in  the  daytime.  That  boar  was  not  wounded  by  the 
king's  arrows,  in  spite  of  their  sharpness,  but  after  breaking 
the  king's  chariot l  fled  and  entered  a  cavern.  The  king, 
leaving  that  car  of  his,  in  revengeful  pursuit  of  the  boar, 
entered  into  that  cavern  with  only  his  bow  to  aid  him. 
And  after  he  had  gone  a  long  distance  he  beheld  a  great  and 
splendid  capital,  and  astonished  he  sat  down  inside  the  city 
on  the  bank  of  a  lake.  While  there  he  beheld  a  maiden  mov- 
ing along,  surrounded  by  hundreds  of  women,  like  the  arrow 
of  love  that  cleaves  the  armour  of  self-restraint.  She  slowly 
approached  the  king,  bathing  him,  so  to  speak,  again  and 
again  in  a  look  that  rained  in  showers  the  nectar  of  love.2 
She  said :  "  Who  art  thou,  illustrious  sir,  and  for  what  reason 
hast  thou  entered  our  home  on  this  occasion  ?  "  The  king, 
being  thus  questioned  by  her,  told  her  the  whole  truth  ;  hear- 
ing which,  she  let  fall  from  her  eyes  a  passionate  flood  of 
tears,  and  from  her  heart  all  self-control.  The  king  said  : 
"  Who  art  thou,  and  why  dost  thou  weep  ?  "  When  he  asked 
her  this  question  she,  being  a  prisoner  to  love  at  his  will, 
answered  him :  "  The  boar  that  entered  here  is  the  Daitya 
Angaraka  by  name.  And  I  am  his  daughter,  O  king,  and  my 
name  is  Angaravati.  And  he  is  of  adamantine  frame,  and  has 
carried  off  these  hundred  princesses  from  the  palaces  of  kings 
and  appointed  them  to  attend  on  me.  Moreover,  this  great 
Asura  has  become  a  Rakshasa  owing  to  a  curse,  but  to-day, 
as  he  was  exhausted  with  thirst  and  fatigue,  even  when  he 
found  you,  he  spared  you.  At  present  he  has  put  off  the  form 
of  a  boar  and  is  resting  in  his  proper  shape,  but  when  he  wakes 
up  from  his  sleep  he  will  without  fail  do  you  an  injury.    It  is 

1  Dr  Brockhaus  translates  it:  " Stiirzte  den  Wagen  des  K'dnigs  um."  Can 
Syandana  mean  "  horses,"  like  magni  currus  A  chilli  ?  If  so,  ahatya  would  mean 
"having  killed." 

2  Rasa  means  "nectar,"  and  indeed  any  liquid,  and  also  "emotion," 
"passion."     The  pun  is,  of  course,  most  intentional  in  the  original. 


THE  DEATH  OF  THE  DAITYA 


127 


for  this  reason  that  I 


hope  of  a  happy 


for 


see  no  nope  or  a  nappy  issue  lor  you, 
and  so  these  teardrops  fall  from  my  eyes  like  my  vital  spirits 
boiled  with  the  fire  of  grief." 

When  he  heard  this  speech  of  Angaravati's  the  king  said 
to  her:  "  If  you  love  me,  do  this  which  I  ask  you.  When 
your  father  awakes,  go  and  weep  in  front  of  him,  and  then 
he  will  certainly  ask  you  the  cause  of  your  agitation ;  then 
you  must  say  :  4  If  someone  were  to  slay  thee,  what  would 
become  of  me  ?  x  This  is  the  cause  of  my  grief.'  If  you  do 
this  there  will  be  a  happy  issue  both  for  you  and  me." 

When  the  king  said  this  to  her  she  promised  him  that 
she  would  do  what  he  wished.  And  that  Asura  maiden, 
apprehending  misfortune,  placed  the  king  in  concealment 
and  went  near  her  sleeping  father.  Then  the  Daitya  woke  up, 
and  she  began  to  weep.  And  then  he  said  to  her:  "Why 
do  you  weep,  my  daughter  ?  "  She,  with  affected  grief,  said 
to  him :  "If  someone  were  to  slay  thee,  what  would  become 
of  me  ?  "  Then  he  burst  out  laughing  and  said  :  "  Who  could 
possibly  slay  me,  my  daughter  ? — for  I  am  cased  in  adamant 
all  over ;  only  in  my  left  hand  is  there  an  unguarded  place, 
but  that  is  protected  by  the  bow." 

In  these  words  the  Daitya  consoled  his  daughter,  and  all 
this  was  heard  by  the  king  in  his  concealment.  Immediately 
afterwards  the  Danava  rose  up  and  took  his  bath,  and  pro- 
ceeded in  devout  silence  to  worship  the  god  Siva.  At  that 
moment  the  king  appeared  with  his  bow  bent,  and  rushing 
up  impetuously  towards  the  Daitya,  challenged  him  to  fight. 
He,  without  interrupting  his  devout  silence,  lifted  his  left  hand 
towards  the  king  and  made  a  sign  that  he  must  wait  for  a 
moment.  The  king  for  his  part,  being  very  quick,  immediately 
smote  him  with  an  arrow  in  that  hand  which  was  his  vital 
part.  And  that  great  Asura  Angaraka,  being  pierced  in  the 
vital  spot,  immediately  uttered  a  terrible  cry  and  fell  on  the 
ground,  and  exclaimed,  as  his  life  departed :  "If  that  man 
who  has  slain  me  when  thirsty  does  not  offer  water  to  my 
manes  every  year,  then  his  five  ministers  shall  perish."  After 
he  had  said  this  that  Daitya  died,  and  the  king,  taking  his 
daughter  Angaravati  as  a  prize,  returned  to  Ujjayini. 

1  See  note  at  the  end  of  this  chapter. - 


-N.M.P. 


128  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

There  the  king  Chandamahasena  married  that  Daitya 
maiden,  and  two  sons  were  born  to  him,  the  first  named 
Gopalaka  and  the  second  Palaka ;  and  when  they  were  born 
he  held  a  feast  in  honour  of  Indra  on  their  account.  Then 
Indra,  being  pleased,  said  to  that  king  in  a  dream:  "By 
my  favour  thou  shalt  obtain  a  matchless  daughter."  Then  in 
course  of  time  a  graceful  daughter  was  born  to  that  king, 
like  a  second  and  more  wonderful  shape  of  the  moon  made  by 
the  Creator.  And  on  that  occasion  a  voice  was  heard  from 
heaven  :  "  She  shall  give  birth  to  a  son,  who  shall  be  a  very 
incarnation  of  the  God  of  Love,  and  king  of  the  Vidyadharas." 
Then  the  king  gave  that  daughter  the  name  of  Vasavadatta, 
because  she  was  given  by  Indra  being  pleased  with  him. 


[M]  And  that  maiden  still  remains  unmarried  in  the 
house  of  her  father,  like  the  Goddess  of  Prosperity  in  the 
hollow  cavity  of  the  ocean  before  it  was  churned.  That  King 
Chandamahasena  cannot  indeed  be  conquered  by  you,  O 
king ;  in  the  first  place,  because  he  is  so  powerful,  and,  in  the 
next  place,  because  his  realm  is  situated  in  a  difficult  country. 
Moreover,  he  is  ever  longing  to  give  you  that  daughter  of 
his  in  marriage,  but,  being  a  proud  monarch,  he  desires  the 
triumph  of  himself  and  his  adherents.  But  I  think  you  must 
certainly  marry  that  Vasavadatta."  When  he  heard  this  that 
king  immediately  lost  his  heart  to  Vasavadatta.1 

1  For  the  idea  of  falling  in  love  by  a  mere  mention  or  description  see 
Chauvin,  Bibliographie  des  Ouvrages  Arabes,  vol.  v,  p.  132,  where  numerous- 
references  are  given. — n.m.p. 


THE  "EXTERNAL  SOUL"  MOTIF  129 


NOTE  ON  THE  "EXTERNAL  SOUL"  MOTIF 

Cf  the  story  of  Ohime  in  the  Sicilianische  M'drchen,  collected  by  Laura 
Gonzenbach,  where  Maruzza  asks  Ohime  how  it  would  be  possible  to 
kill  him.  So  in  Indian  Fairy  Tales,  collected  by  Miss  Stokes,  Hiralal  Basa 
persuades  Sonahri  Rani  to  ask  his  father  where  he  keeps  his  soul.  Some 
interesting  remarks  on  this  subject  will  be  found  in  the  notes  to  this  tale 
(Indian  Fairy  Tales ,  p.  260).  See  also  No.  1  in  Campbell's  Tales  of  the  Western 
Highlands,  and  Dr  Reinhold  Kohler's  remarks  in  Orient  und  Occident,  vol.  ii, 
p.  100.  Cf.  also  Ralston' s  Russian  Folk-Tales,  pp.  80,  81  and  136,  and 
Veckenstedt's   Wendische  Sagen,  p.  72. 

In  the  "Gehornte  Siegfried"  (Simrock's  Deutsche  Volksbucher,  vol.  iii, 
pp.  368  and  41 6)  the  hero  is  made  invulnerable  everywhere  but  between  the 
shoulders  by  being  smeared  with  the  melted  fat  of  a  dragon.  Cf  also  the 
story  of  Achilles.  For  the  .transformation  of  Chandamahasena  into  a  boar 
cf  Bartsch's  Sagen,  Mdrchen  und  gebr'duche  aus  Mehlenburg,  vol.  ii,  pp.  144,  145, 
and  Gubernatis,  Zoological  Mythology,  vol.  ii,  p.  14.  See  also  Schoppner's 
Geschichte  der  Bayerischen  Lande,  vol.  i,  p.  258. 

The  idea  of  life  depending  on  some  extraneous  object  dates  from  the 
earliest  times.  It  first  appears  on  a  papyrus  of  the  nineteenth  dynasty  sold 
by  Madame  Elizabeth  d'Orbiney  to  the  British  Museum  in  1857.  The  tale 
which  is  known  as  "The  Story  of  the  Two  Brothers"  contains  many  in- 
teresting incidents  to  which  we  shall  have  to  refer  in  a  later  volume.  Among 
them  is  a  clear  account  of  an  external  soul.  We  read  (Maspero,  Popular 
Stories  of  Ancient  Egypt,  p.  10):  "I  shall  take  out  my  heart  by  magic  to  place 
it  on  the  top  of  the  flower  of  the  acacia;  and  when  the  acacia  is  cut  down 
and  my  heart  falls  to  the  ground  thou  shalt  come  to  seek  for  it.  When  thou 
shalt  have  passed  seven  years  in  seeking  for  it,  be  not  disheartened,  but  when 
once  thou  hast  found  it  place  it  in  a  vase  of  fresh  water;  without  doubt  I 
shall  live  anew,  and  recompense  the  evil  that  shall  have  been  done  to  me." 

In  the  "Adventure  of  Satni-Khamois  with  the  Mummies,"  which  appears 
on  a  papyrus  of  Ptolemaic  age,  we  find  the  first  example  of  concealing  an 
article  in  numerous  boxes  for  the  sake  of  safety.  In  later  days  this  motif -was 
applied  to  the  external  soul,  and,  as  we  shall  see  shortly,  it  is  this  form  of 
the  story  which  has  spread  through  so  many  nations.  In  the  Egyptian  tale 
of  Satni-Khamois  the  hidden  article  is  the  famous  book  of  Thoth,  which  gave 
the  possessor  superhuman  knowledge  of  every  kind.  It  was  naturally  very 
hard  to  obtain,  and  is  described  as  being  "  in  the  midst  of  the  sea  of  Coptos  in 
an  iron  coffer.  The  iron  coffer  contains  a  bronze  coffer;  the  bronze  coffer 
contains  a  coffer  of  cinnamon  wood ;  the  coffer  of  cinnamon  wood  contains  a 
coffer  of  ivory  and  ebony ;  the  coffer  of  ivory  and  ebony  contains  a  coffer  of 
silver ;  the  coffer  of  silver  contains  a  coffer  of  gold,  and  the  book  is  in  that. 
And  there  is  a  schene  (12,000  royal  cubits  of  52  centimetres  each)  of  reptiles 
round  the  coffer  in  which  is  the  book,  and  there  is  an  immortal  serpent  rolled 
round  the  coffer  in  question"  (Maspero,  op.  cit.,  pp.  124,  125). 
I 


130  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

The  scientific  study  of  the  "external  soul,"  or  "life-index/'  has  occupied 
the  attention  of  several  scholars.  See,  for  instance,  Cox,  Aryan  Mythology, 
vol.  ii,  pp.  36,  330;  De  Gubernatis,  op.  cit,  vol.  i,  p.  168;  Edward  Clodd  on 
the  "  Philosophy  of  Punchkin"  in  the  Folk-Lore  Journal,  1884,  vol.  ii,  p.  302  ; 
Steel  and  Temple's  Wide-Awake  Stories,  pp.  404,  405 ;  Clouston,  Popular  Tales 
and  Fictions,  vol.  i,  pp.  347-351  ;  Macculloch,  The  Childhood  of  Fiction,  p.  118 
et  seq. ;  Frazer,  The  Golden  Bough,  vol.  ix,  p.  95  et  seq. ;  Sidney  Hartland, 
Legend  of  Perseus,  vol.  ii,  pp.  1-54,  and  his  article,  "Life-Token,"  in 
Hastings'  Ency.  Rel.  Eth.,  vol.  viii,  pp.  44-47 ;  and  Ruth  Norton  in  her 
article,  "  The  Life-Index :  A  Hindu  Fiction  Motif,"  in  Studies  in  Honor  of 
Maurice  Bloomjield,  1920,  pp.  211-224. 

The  subject  divides  itself  into  two  main  headings : 

1.  The  life  of  a  person  is  dependent  on  some  external  object. 

2.  The  condition  of  a  certain  object  shows  to  his  friends  or  relations 
the  state  of  a  person's  health  or  chastity. 

It  is  only  the  first  division  with  which  we  are  concerned  in  this  note. 
The  other  will  be  discussed  later  when  the  text  warrants  it.  There  is,  how- 
ever, the  same  original  idea  running  through  both  varieties  of  "life-index." 
As  Hartland  has  shown  in  his  article,  "Life-Token"  (see  above),  there  is 
a  widespread  belief  of  a  distinct  organic  connection  between  the  life-token 
and  the  person  whose  condition  it  exhibits.  The  life -token  is  derived 
from  the  doctrine  of  sympathetic  magic,  according  to  which  any  portion  of 
a  living  being,  though  severed,  remains  in  mystic  union  with  the  butk,  and 
is  affected  by  whatever  affects  the  bulk.  This  belief  being  so  general,  we 
find  that  it  has  entered  not  only  into  the  folk-tales,  but  into  the  custom 
and  superstition  of  a  very  wide  variety  of  countries.  Examples  are  given 
by  Hartland  from  different  parts  of  all  five  continents. 

I  have  already  shown  in  a  note  on  p.  37  how  it  is  commonly  supposed 
that  the  soul  wanders  about  in  sleep,  etc.  We  must,  however,  use  the  word 
"soul"  with  care.  It  is  sometimes  referred  to  in  stories  as  "heart"  or 
"  life,"  or  perhaps  there  is  no  direct  reference  except  the  information  that  if 
a  certain  object  or  animal  is  destroyed  the  person  with  whom  it  is  mystically 
connected  will  die.  In  the  ancient  Egyptian  "Story  of  the  Two  Brothers" 
we  saw  it  was  a  "heart"  which  was  put  in  the  acacia-tree,  not  in  any  way 
hidden,  but  merely  awaiting  its  fate,  as  the  owner  knew  that  in  time  the 
tree  would  be  cut  down  and  his  heart  would  fall  and  so  he  would  die. 
This  idea,  with  certain  alterations  of  details,  occurs  in  numerous  folk-tales 
and  in  the  customs  of  savage  peoples.  The  Eastern  story-teller,  always 
ready  to  exaggerate  and  embroider,  introduced  the  idea  of  making  the 
"soul"  as  hard  to  find  as  possible,  thus  he  encases  it  in  a  series  of  various 
articles  or  animals  and  puts  it  in  some  apparently  inaccessible  place,  which, 
as  we  have  already  seen,  was  first  employed  by  the  ancient  Egyptians  with 
regard  to  the  magic  book  of  Thoth. 

It  is  this  form  of  life-index  motif  that  has  spread  all  over  India  and 
slowly  migrated  to  Europe  via  Persia,  Arabia  and  the  Mediterranean.  We 
shall  first  of  all  consider  briefly  the  occurrence  of  this  motif  in  Hindu 
fiction. 


THE  "  EXTERNAL  SOUL  "  MOTIF  131 

In  Freer's  Old  Deccan  Days,  in  the  "Story  of  Punchkin"  (p.  13),  the 
magician's  life  ends  when  a  little  green  parrot  is  killed.  The  bird  is  in  a 
cage,  in  the  sixth  of  six  chattees  of  water,  in  a  circle  of  palm-trees  in  a 
thick  jungle,  in  a  desolate  country  hundreds  of  thousands  of  miles  away, 
guarded  by  thousands  of  genii.  In  Miss  Stokes'  Indian  Fairy  Tales  the 
demon's  life  depends  on  a  maina  (hill-starling),  in  a  nest,  on  a  tree,  on  the 
other  side  of  a  great  sea. 

Compare  D'Penha,  "Folk-Lore  of  Salsette,"  Ind.  Ant.,  xxii,  p.  249, 
and  Damant,  "Bengali  Folk-Lore,"  Ind.  Ant.,  i,  171.  In  L.  B.  Day's 
Folk-Tales  of  Bengal,  No.  1,  the  "soul"  is  in  a  necklace,  in  a  box,  in  the 
heart  of  a  boal  fish,  in  a  tank.  Again  in  No.  4  of  the  same  collection 
of  tales  the  princess  is  told  by  the  Rakshasa  that  "  in  a  tank  close  by,  deep 
down  in  the  water,  is  a  crystal  pillar,  on  the  top  of  which  are  two  bees. 
If  any  human  being  can  dive  into  the  water  and  bring  up  these  two  bees 
in  one  breath,  and  destroy  them  so  that  not  a  drop  of  blood  falls  to  the 
ground,  then  we  rakshasas  shall  certainly  die;  but  if  a  single  drop  of 
their  blood  falls  to  the  ground,  then  from  it  will  start  a  thousand  rakshasas." 
In  Knowles,  Folk-Tales  of  Kashmir,  p.  383,  and  Ind.  Ant,  Sept.  1885,  p.  250, 
the  ogre's  life  depends  on  that  of  a  queen  bee  who  lives  in  a  honey-comb 
on  a  certain  tree  guarded  by  myriads  of  savage  bees.  Compare-  Steel 
and  Temple's  Wide-Awake  Stories,  p.  59,  and  Damant's  article  mentioned 
above,  p.   117. 

In  a  story  appearing  in  H.  H.  Wilson's  Descriptive  Catalogue  of  the 
Mackenzie  MSS.,  i,  p.  329,  the  life  of  Mairavana  is  divided  up  into  five 
vital  airs,  which  are  secured  in  the  bodies  of  five  black  bees  living  on  a 
mountain  60,000  kos  distant.     (See  also  p.   218  of  the  same  work.) 

The  bird  appears  to  be  the  most  popular  index  in  Indian  tales.  Norton 
(op.  cit.,  p.  217)  gives  numerous  references.  For  more  usual  indexes  see 
Chilli's  Folk-Tales  of  Hindustan,  p.  114;  Wadia's  "Folk-Lore  in  Western 
India,"  Ind.  Ant.,  xxii,  p.  318  ;  Bompas'  Folk-Lore  of  the  Santal  Parganas,  p.  224  ; 
and  Ramaswami  Raju's  Tales  of  the  Sixty  Mandarins,  p.  182.  In  O'Connor's 
Folk-Tales  of  Tibet,  p.  113  et  seq.,  is  the  unique  example  of  one  mortal  being 
the  index  of  another  mortal.  Thus  the  boy  in  whose  keeping  is  the  giant's 
soul  is  hidden  in  a  subterranean  chamber. 

In  the  great  majority  of  the  above  tales  there  is  a  captive  princess,  or 
an  ogre's  daughter,  who  falls  in  love  with  the  hero  and  tells  him  the  way 
in  which  the  obstacles  to  the  destruction  of  the  demon,  or  Rakshasa,  may 
be  overcome. 

We  now  turn  to  Persia  and  Arabia,  where  we  find  the  "life-index" 
occurring  in  the  "  History  of  Nassar,"  from  the  Persian  Mahbub  ul-Qulub, 
reproduced  in  Clouston's  Group  of  Eastern  Romances  (see  p.  30) ;  while  in 
Arabian  literature  it  appears  in  the  "Story  of  Sayf  al-Muluk  and  Badi'a 
al-Jamal"  (Burton,  Nights,  vol.  vii,  p.  350).  Here  the  form  of  the  motif 
is  unusual,  as  the  king  of  the  Jann  was  told  at  his  birth  that  he  would  be 
killed  by  the  son  of  a  king  of  mankind.  Accordingly,  he  says,  "I  took  it 
[the  soul]  and  set  it  in  the  crop  of  a  sparrow,  and  shut  up  the  bird  in  a 
box.     The  box  I  set  in  a  casket,  and  enclosing  this  in  seven  other  caskets 


132  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

and  seven  chests,  laid  the  whole  in  an  alabastrine  coffer,  which  I  buried 
within  the  marge  of  yon  earth -circling  sea ;  for  that  these  parts  are  far 
from  the  world  of  men  and  none  of  them  can  win  thither.  So  now  see,  I 
have  told  thee  what  thou  would'st  know,  so  do  thou  tell  none  thereof,  for  it 
is  a  matter  between  me  and  thee." 

In  Europe  we  still  have  the  "soul"  hidden  in  numerous  "wrappings" 
which  differ  with  the  locality  of  the  story.  In  Rome  ("Story  of  Cajusse," 
Busk,  Folk-Lore  of  Rome)  it  is  in  a  stone,  in  the  head  of  a  bird,  in  the  head 
of  a  leveret,  in  the  middle  head  of  a  seven-headed  hydra.  Miss  Busk 
cites  a  Hungarian  tale  where  the  dwarfs  life  is  finally  discovered  to  be 
in  a  golden  cockchafer,  inside  a  golden  cock,  inside  a  golden  sheep,  inside 
a  golden  stag,  in  the  ninety-ninth  island. 

In  Russia  (Ralston's  Russian  Folk-Tales,  p.  103  el  seq.)  the  life  is  in  an 
egg,  in  a  duck,  in  a  casket,  in  an  oak.  In  Serbia  (Mijatovich's  Servian 
Folk-Lore,  p.  172)  it  is  in  a  board,  in  the  heart  of  a  fox,  in  a  mountain. 
Similar  "  wrappings  "  of  the  u  soul "  will  be  found  in  Albania  (Dozon,  p.  1 32), 
South  Slavonia  (Wratislaw,  p.  225),  Schleswig-Holstein  (Mullenhoff,  p.  404), 
Norway  (Asbjornsen,  No.  36;  Dasent,  p.  69)  and  the  Hebrides  (Campbell, 
p.   10).     See  J.  Jacob's  Indian  Fairy  Tales,  p.  238,  239- 

We  have  thus  seen  that  the  idea  of  the  "  external  soul "  is  of  very  old 
conception  and  is  widely  embedded  in  the  customs  and  superstitions  of 
numerous  peoples  of  the  world.  This  idea  arose  independently  to  a  large 
extent,  and  no  one  nation  can  be  definitely  said  to  have  "created"  the 
idea,  as  is  proved  by  its  existence  in  remote  corners  of  the  globe — such  as 
New  Zealand. 

The  idea  of  using  the  "  external  soul "  as  an  attractive  story  motif  by 
casing  it  in  numerous  articles,  etc.,  arose  in  India  (although  it  was  originally 
used  in  Egypt  to  hide  a  magical  book),  whence  the  idea  has  migrated,  with 
very  little  alteration,  to  other  Eastern  countries  and  to  nearly  every  part 
of  Europe. — n.m.p. 


CHAPTER  XII 


IN  the  meanwhile  the  ambassador  sent  by  the  King  of 
[M]  Vatsa  in  answer  to  Chandamahasena's  embassy 
went  and  told  that  monarch  his  master's  reply.  Chanda- 
mahasena  for  his  part,  on  hearing  it,  began  to  reflect :  "It 
is  certain  that  that  proud  King  of  Vatsa  will  not  come  here. 
And  I  cannot  send  my  daughter  to  his  Court ;  such  conduct 
would  be  unbecoming ;  so  I  must  capture  him  by  some 
stratagem  and  bring  him  here  as  a  prisoner."  Having  thus 
reflected  and  deliberated  with  his  ministers,  the  king  had 
made  a  large  artificial  elephant  like  his  own,  and,  after  filling 
it  with  concealed  warriors,  he  placed  it  in  the  Vindhya  forest. 
There  the  scouts  kept  in  his  pay  by  the  King  of  Vatsa,  who 
was  passionately  fond  of  the  sport  of  elephant- catching, 
discerned  it  from  a  distance  x  ;  and  they  came  with  speed 
and  informed  the  King  of  Vatsa  in  these  words  :  "  O  king, 
we  have  seen  a  single  elephant  roaming  in  the  Vindhya 
forest,  such  that  nowhere  else  in  this  wide  world  is  his  equal 
to  be  found,  filling  the  sky  with  his  stature,  like  a  moving 
peak  of  the  Vindhya  range." 

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  Nadagiri, 
then  that  Chandamahasena  will  certainly  be  in  my  power, 

1  They  would  not  go  near  for  fear  of  disturbing  it.  Wild  elephants  are 
timid,  so  there  is  more  probability  in  this  story  than  in  that  of  the  Trojan 
horse.     Even  now  scouts  who  mark  down  a  wild  beast  in  India  almost  lose 

their  heads  with  excitement. The  hiding  of  men  in  imitation  animals  is 

rare  in  literature,  but  the  introduction  into  a  city  of  armed  men,  hidden  in  jars, 
is  found  in  an  Egyptian  papyrus  of  the  twentieth  dynasty.  The  incident  occurs 
in  the  story,  "  How  Thutiyi  took  the  City  of  Joppa."  It  has  been  translated, 
and  well  annotated,  by  Maspero,  Stories  of  Ancient  Egypt,  pp.  108-144.  The 
same  idea,  which  will  at  once  occur  to  readers,  was  used  in  the  story  of  AH 
Baba  in  the  Nights.  Maspero  refers  to  this  story,  but  makes  the  usual  mistake 
of  calling  the  jars  earthenware  instead  of  leather  or  sewed  skins. — n.m.p. 
133 


134  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

and  then  he  will  of  his  own  accord  give  me  his  daughter 
Vasavadatta."  So  in  the  morning  he  started  for  the  Vindhya 
forest,  making  these  scouts  show  him  the  way,  disregard- 
The  Artificial  ing,  in  his  ardent  desire  to  capture  the  elephant, 
Elephant  fl^  advice  of  his  ministers.  He  did  not  pay  any 
attention  to  the  fact  that  the  astrologers  said  that  the  posi- 
tion of  the  heavenly  bodies  at  the  moment  of  his  departure 
portended  the  acquisition  of  a  maiden  together  with  im- 
prisonment. 

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  elephant  was  an  artificial  one.  The  elephant,1 
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  Chanda- 
mahasena.  Chandamahasena  for  his  part  came  out  to  meet 
him  with  the  utmost  respect,  and  entered  with  him  the  city 
of  Ujjayini. 

Then  the  newly  arrived  King  of  Vatsa  was  beheld  by  the 
citizens,  like  the  moon,  pleasing  to  the  eyes,  though  spotted 

1  For  the  part  played  by  elephants  in  folk-tales  see  W.  Crooke,  Folk-Lore 
of  Northern  India,  vol.  ii,  pp.  238-241,  and  F.  W.  Thomas'  article, "  Animals,"  in 
Hastings'  Ency.  Rel.  Eth.3  vol.  i,  p.  514. — n.m.p. 


THE  KING  OF  VATSA  CAPTURED 


135 


with  humiliation.  Then  all  the  citizens,  suspecting  that  he 
was  to  be  put  to  death,  through  regard  for  his  virtues  as- 
sembled and  determined  to  commit  suicide.1  Then  the  King 
Chandamahasena  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  Vasavadatta  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  sight  his  anger ;  and  her  heart  and  mind 
turned  towards  him  together ;  her  eye  was  then  averted 
through  modesty,  but  her  mind  not  at  all.  So  the  King 
of  Vatsa  dwelt  in  the  concert-room  of  Chandamahasena's 
palace,  teaching  Vasavadatta  to  sing,  with  his  eyes  fixed  ever 
on  her.  In  his  lap  was  his  lute,  in  his  throat  the  quarter- 
tone  of  vocal  music,  and  in  front  of  him  stood  Vasavadatta, 
delighting  his  heart.  And  that  princess  was  devoted  in  her 
attentions  to  him,  resembling  the  Goddess  of  Fortune  in 
that  she  was  firmly  attached  to  him,  and  did  not  leave  him 
though  he  was  a  captive. 

In  the  meanwhile  the  men  who  had  accompanied  the 
king  returned  to  Kausambi,  and  the  country,  hearing  of  the 
captivity  of  the  monarch,  was  thrown  into  a  state  of  great 
excitement.  Then  the  enraged  subjects,  out  of  love  for  the 
King  of  Vatsa,  wanted  to  make  a  general 2  assault  on  Uj  jayini. 
But  Rumanvat  checked  the  impetuous  fury  of  the  subjects 
by  telling  them  that  Chandamahasena  was  not  to  be  over- 
come by  force,  for  he  was  a  mighty  monarch,  and  besides 
that  an  assault  was  not  advisable,  for  it  might  endanger  the 
safety  of  the  King  of  Vatsa;  but  their  object  must  be  at- 
tained by  policy.  The  calm  and  resolute  Yaugandharayana, 
seeing  that  the  country  was  loyal,  and  would  not  swerve 
from  its  allegiance,  said  to  Rumanvat  and  the  others  : 
"  All  of  you  must  remain  here,  ever  on  the  alert ;  you  must 
guard  this  country,  and  when  a  fit  occasion  comes  you  must 

1  I.e.  they  sat  in  Dharna  outside  the  door  of  the  palace. 

2  Perhaps  we  should  read  samantatah  one  word. 


136  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

display  your  prowess ;  but  I  will  go,  accompanied  by  Vasan- 
taka  only,  and  will  without  fail  accomplish  by  my  wisdom 
the  deliverance  of  the  king  and  bring  him  home.  For  he  is 
a  truly  firm  and  resolute  man,  whose  wisdom  shines  forth  in 
adversity,  as  the  lightning  flash  is  especially  brilliant  during 
pelting  rain.  I  know  spells  for  breaking  through  walls,  and 
for  rending  fetters,  and  receipts  for  becoming  invisible, 
serviceable  at  need." 

Having  said  this,  and  entrusted  to  Rumanvat  the  care 
of  the  subjects,  Yaugandharayana  set  out  for  Kausambi 
with  Vasantaka.  And  with  him  he  entered  the  Vindhya 
forest,  full  of  life,1  like  his  wisdom,  intricate  and  trackless 
as  his  policy.  Then  he  visited  the  palace  of  the  King  of 
the  Pulindas,  Pulindaka  by  name,  who  dwelt  on  a  peak  of 
the  Vindhya  range,  and  was  an  ally  of  the  King  of  Vatsa. 
He  first  placed  him,  with  a  large  force  at  his  heels,  in  readi- 
ness to  protect  the  King  of  Vatsa  when  he  returned  that 
way,  and  then  he  went  on,  accompanied  by  Vasantaka, 
and  at  last  arrived  at  the  burning-ground  of  Mahakala  in 
Ujjayini,  which  was  densely  tenanted  by  vampires  2  that 
smelt  of  carrion,  and  hovered  hither  and  thither,  black  as 
night,  rivalling  the  smoke-wreaths  of  the  funeral  pyres. 
And  there  a  Brahman-Rakshasa 3  of  the  name  of  Yogesvara 
immediately  came  up  to  him,  delighted  to  see  him,  and 
admitted  him  into  his  friendship ;  then  Yaugandharayana 
by  means  of  a  charm,  which  he  taught  him,  suddenly  altered 
his  shape.  That  charm  immediately  made  him  deformed, 
hunchbacked  and  old,  and  besides  gave  him  the  appearance 
of  a  madman,  so  that  he  produced  loud  laughter  in  those 

1  Sattva,  when  applied  to  the  forest,  means  "  animal " ;  when  applied  to 
wisdom  it  means  "  excellence." 

2  Vetala  is  especially  used  of  a  goblin  that  tenants  dead  bodies.  See 
Captain  R.  F.  Burton's  Vikram  and  the  Vampire.  The  tales  will  be  found  in  the 
twelfth  book  of  this  work.  In  the  fifth  chapter  of  Ralston's  Russian  Folk-Tales 
will  be  found  much  interesting  information  with  regard  to  the  Slavonic 
superstitions  about  vampires.  They  resemble  very  closely  those  of  the 
Hindus.  See  especially  p.  311  :  "At  cross-roads,  or  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
cemeteries,  an  animated  corpse  of  this  description  often  lurks,  watching  for 
some  unwary  traveller  whom  it  may  be  able  to  slay  and  eat." 

8  We  shall  meet  this  gentleman  again  in  Chapter  XXXII. — n.m.p. 


THE  MAGICAL  TRANSFORMATION  137 

who  beheld  him.1  And  in  the  same  way  Yaugandharayana, 
by  means  of  that  very  charm,  gave  Vasantaka  a  body  full 
of  outstanding  veins,  with  a  large  stomach,  and  an  ugly 
mouth  with  projecting  teeth ;  then  he  sent  Vasantaka  on  in 
front  to  the  gate  of  the  king's  palace,  and  entered  Ujjayini 
with  such  an  appearance  as  I  have  described.  There  he, 
singing  and  dancing,  surrounded  by  Brahman  boys,  beheld 
with  curiosity  by  all,  made  his  way  to  the  king's  palace. 
And  there  he  excited  by  that  behaviour  the  curiosity  of 
the  king's  wives,  and  was  at  last  heard  of  by  Vasavadatta. 
She  quickly  sent  a  maid  and  had  him  brought  to  the 
concert-room.  For  youth  is  twin  brother  to  mirth.2  And 
when  Yaugandharayana  came  there  and  beheld  the  King 
of  Vatsa  in  fetters,  though  he  had  assumed  the  appearance 
of  a  madman,  he  could  not  help  shedding  tears.  And  he 
made  a  sign  to  the  King  of  Vatsa,  who  quickly  recognised 
him,  though  he  had  come  in  disguise.  Then  Yaugandhara- 
yana by  means  of  his  magic  power  made  himself  invisible  to 
Vasavadatta  and  her  maids.  So  the  king  alone  saw  him, 
and  they  all  said  with  astonishment :  "  That  maniac  has 
suddenly  escaped  somewhere  or  other."  Then  the  King  of 
Vatsa  hearing  them  say  that,  and  seeing  Yaugandharayana 
in  front  of  him,  understood  that  this  was  due  to  magic,  and 
cunningly  said  to  Vasavadatta :  "  Go,  my  good  girl,  and 
bring  the  requisites  for  the  worship  of  Sarasvati."  When 
she  heard  that  she  said,  "So  I  will,"  and  went  out  with 
her  companions. 

Then  Yaugandharayana  approached  the  king  and  com- 
municated to  him,  according  to  the  prescribed  form,  spells 
for  breaking  chains  ;  and  at  the  same  time  he  furnished  him 

1  Cf.  the  way  in  which  the  Ritter  Malegis  transmutes  Reinhold  in 
the  story  of  "Die  Heimonskinder"  (Simrock's  Deutsche  Volksbiicher,  vol.  ii, 
p.  86) :  w  He  changed  him  into  an  old  man,  a  hundred  years  of  age,  with  a 
decrepit  and  misshaped  body,  and  long  hair."  See  also  p.  114.  So  Merlin 
assumes  the  form  of  an  old  man  and  disguises  Uther  and  Ulfin  (Dunlop's 

History  of  Fiction,  translated  by  Liebrecht,  p.  66). In  Durgilprasad's  text 

we  read  that  Yogesvara  "chose  him"  as  a  friend,  and  he  is  also  described  as 
bald  in  addition  to  his  other  attractions  ! — n.m.p. 

2  The  Eastern  equivalent  of  the  mediaeval  court  jester  was  nearly  always 
a  deformed  dwarf. — n.m.p. 


138  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

with  other  charms  for  winning  the  heart  of  Vasavadatta, 
which  were  attached  to  the  strings  of  the  lute ;  and  informed 
him  that  Vasantaka  had  come  there  and  was  standing  out- 
side the  door  in  a  changed  form,  and  recommended  him  to 
have  that  Brahman  summoned  to  him.  At  the  same  time 
he  said  :  "  When  this  lady  Vasavadatta  shall  come  to  repose 
confidence  in  you,  then  you  must  do  what  I  tell  you ;  at  the 
present  remain  quiet."  Having  said  this,  Yaugandharayana 
quickly  went  out,  and  immediately  Vasavadatta  entered  with 
the  requisites  for  the  worship  of  Sarasvati.  Then  the  king 
said  to  her  :  "  There  is  a  Brahman  standing  outside  the  door, 
let  him  be  brought  in  to  celebrate  this  ceremony  in  honour 
of  Sarasvati,  in  order  that  he  may  obtain  a  sacrificial  fee." 
Vasavadatta  consented,  and  had  Vasantaka,  who  wore  a  de- 
formed shape,  summoned  from  the  door  into  the  music-hall. 
And  when  he  was  brought  and  saw  the  King  of  Vatsa,  he 
wept  for  sorrow;  and  then  the  king  said  to  him,  in  order 
that  the  secret  might  not  be  discovered :  "  O  Brahman,  I 
will  remove  all  this  deformity  of  thine  produced  by  sickness ; 
do  not  weep,  remain  here  near  me."  And  then  Vasantaka 
said :  "  It  is  a  great  condescension  on  thy  part,  O  king." 
And  the  king  seeing  how  he  was  deformed  could  not  keep 
his  countenance.  And  when  he  saw  that,  Vasantaka  guessed 
what  was  in  the  king's  mind,  and  laughed  so  that  the 
deformity  of  his  distorted  face  was  increased ;  and  there- 
upon Vasavadatta,  beholding  him  grinning  like  a  doll,  burst 
out  laughing  also,  and  was  much  delighted.  Then  the 
young  lady  asked  Vasantaka  in  fun  the  following  ques- 
tion:— " Brahman,  what  science  are  you  familiar  with? 
Tell  us."  So  he  said :  "  Princess,  I  am  an  adept  at 
telling  tales."  Then  she  said :  "  Come,  tell  me  a  tale." 
Then,  in  order  to  please  that  princess,  Vasantaka  told  the 
following  tale,  which  was  charming  by  its  comic  humour 
and  variety. 


7.  Story  of  Rupinikd 

There  is  in  this  country  a  city  named  Mathura,  the  birth- 
place of  Krishna ;  in  it  there  was  a  courtesan  known  by  the 


RtJPINIKA  FALLS  IN  LOVE 


139 


name  of  Riipinika  ;  she  had  for  a  mother  an  old  bawd  named 
Makaradanshtra,  who  seemed  a  lump  of  poison  in  the  eyes 
of  the  young  men  attracted  by  her  daughter's  charms.  One 
day  Rupinika  went  at  the  time  of  worship  to  the  temple  to 
perform  her  duty,1  and  beheld  from  a  distance  a  young  man. 
When  she  saw  that  handsome  young  fellow,  he  made  such  an 
impression  upon  her  heart  that  all  her  mother's  instructions 
vanished  from  it.  Then  she  said  to  her  maid :  "  Go  and  tell 
this  man  from  me  that  he  is  to  come  to  my  house  to-day." 
The  maid  said,  "  So  I  will,"  and  immediately  went  and 
told  him.  Then  the  man  thought  a  little  and  said  to  her  : 
"  I  am  a  Brahman  named  Lohajangha 2 ;  I  have  no  wealth ; 
then  what  business  have  I  in  the  house  of  Rupinika, 
which  is  only  to  be  entered  by  the  rich  ?  "  The  maid  said : 
"  My  mistress  does  not  desire  wealth  from  you."  Whereupon 
Lohajangha  consented  to  do  as  she  wished.  When  she  heard 
that  from  the  maid,  Rupinika  went  home  in  a  state  of  excite- 
ment, and  remained  with  her  eyes  fixed  on  the  path  by  which 
he  would  come.  And  soon  Lohajangha  came  to  her  house, 
while  the  bawd  Makaradanshtra  looked  at  him,  and  wondered 
where  he  came  from.  Rupinika  for  her  part,  when  she  saw 
him,  rose  up  to  meet  him  herself  with  the  utmost  respect,  and 
clinging  to  his  neck  in  her  joy  led  him  to  her  own  private 
apartments.  Then  she  was  captivated  with  Lohajangha's 
wealth  of  accomplishments,  and  considered  that  she  had 
been  only  born  to  love  him.  So  she  avoided  the  society  of 
other  men,  and  that  young  fellow  lived  with  her  in  her  house 
in  great  comfort. 


1  Tawney  merely  says  naively,  "  Such  people  dance  in  temples,  I  believe," 
but  we  touch  here  upon  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  interesting  customs 
of  religion,  that  of  sacred  prostitution.  Recent  research  has  thrown  much 
light  on  this  strange  custom,  which  found  its  way  all  over  the  (then)  civilised 
world.  Its  importance  warrants  more  than  a  mere  note,  so  I  shall  discuss  the 
subject  in  detail  in  Appendix  IV  at  the  end  of  this  volume. — n.m.p. 

2  Mr  Growse  writes  to  me  with  reference  to  the  name  Lohajangha  : 
"  This  name  still  exists  on  the  spot,  though  probably  not  to  be  found  else- 
where. The  original  bearer  of  the  title  is  said  to  have  been  one  of  the 
demons  whom  Krishna  slew,  and  a  village  is  called  Lohaban  after  him, 
where  an  ancient  red  sandstone  image  is  supposed  to  represent  him,  and 
has  offerings  of  iron  made  to  it  at  the  annual  festival." 


140  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

Rupinika's  mother  Makaradanshtra,  who  had  trained  up 
many  courtesans,  was  annoyed  when  she  saw  this,  and  said 
to  her  in  private :  "  My  daughter,  why  do  you  associate  with 
a  poor  man  ?  Courtesans  of  good  taste  embrace  a  corpse  in 
preference  to  a  poor  man.  What  business  has  a  courtesan 
like  you  with  affection  ?  *  How  have  you  come  to  forget 
that  great  principle  ?  The  light  of  a  red  2  sunset  lasts  but 
a  short  time,  and  so  does  the  splendour  of  a  courtesan 
who  gives  way  to  affection.  A  courtesan,  like  an  actress, 
should  exhibit  an  assumed  affection  in  order  to  get  wealth  ; 
so  forsake  this  pauper,  do  not  ruin  yourself."  When  she 
heard  this  speech  of  her  mother's,  Rupinika  said  in  a  rage  : 
"Do  not  talk  in  this  way,  for  I  love  him  more  than  my  life. 
And  as  for  wealth,  I  have  plenty,  what  do  I  want  with  more  ? 
So  you  must  not  speak  to  me  again,  mother,  in  this  way." 
When  she  heard  this,  Makaradanshtra  was  in  a  rage,  and 
she  remained  thinking  over  some  device  for  getting  rid  of  this 
Lohajangha.  Then  she  saw  coming  along  the  road  a  certain 
Rajput,  who  had  spent  all  his  wealth,  surrounded  by  re- 
tainers with  swords  in  their  hands.  So  she  went  up  to  him 
quickly  and,  taking  him  aside,  said :  "  My  house  is  beset 
by  a  certain  poor  lover.  So  come  there  yourself  to-day,  and 
take  such  order  with  him  that  he  shall  depart  from  my 
house,  and  do  you  possess  my  daughter."  "Agreed,"  said 
the  Rajput,  and  entered  that  house. 

At  that  precise  moment  Rupinika  was  in  the  temple, 
and  Lohajangha  meanwhile  was  absent  somewhere,  and, 
suspecting  nothing,  he  returned  to  the  house  a  moment 
afterwards.  Immediately  the  retainers  of  the  Rajput  ran 
upon  him,  and  gave  him  severe  kicks  and  blows  on  all  his 
limbs,  and  then  they  threw  him  into  a  ditch  full  of  all  kinds 
of  impurities,  and  Lohajangha  with  difficulty  escaped  from 

1  Compare  the  seventh  of  Lucian's'ETou/atKoi  SiaAoyot,  where  the  mother 
blames  Musarium  for  favouring  good  looks  rather  than  wealth.  "You  see 
how  much  this  boy  brings  in ;  not  an  obol,  not  a  dress,  not  a  pair  of  shoes, 
not   a   box    of  ointment,  has  he   ever  given   you ;  it  is  all   professions   and 

promises  and  distant  prospects;  always  if  my  father  should ,  and  I  should 

inherit,  everything  would  be  yours "  (Fowler,  iv,  p.  60). — n.m.p. 

2  Ragini  means  "affection"  and  also  "red." 


THE  GARUDA  BIRD  141 

it.  Then  Rupinika  returned  to  the  house,  and  when  she 
heard  what  had  taken  place  she  was  distracted  with  grief, 
so  the  Rajput,  seeing  that,  returned  as  he  came. 

Lohajangha,  after  suffering  this  brutal  outrage  by  the 
machinations  of  the  bawd,  set  out  for  some  holy  place  of 
pilgrimage,  in  order  to  leave  his  life  there,  now  that  he  was 
Lohajangha  is  separated  from  his  beloved.  As  he  was  going  along 
camed  off by  a  in  the  wild  country,1  with  his  heart  burning  with 
Ganida  Bird  anger  against  the  bawd,  and  his  skin  with  the 
heat  of  the  summer,  he  longed  for  shade.  Not  being  able  to 
find  a  tree,  he  lighted  on  the  body  of  an  elephant  which  had 
been  stripped  of  all  its  flesh  2  by  jackals  making  their  way 
into  it  by  the  hind-quarters ;  accordingly  Lohajangha,  being 
worn  out,  crept  into  this  carcass,  which  was  a  mere  shell,  as 
only  the  skin  remained,  and  went  to  sleep  in  it,  as  it  was  kept 
cool  by  the  breeze  which  freely  entered.  Then  suddenly  clouds 
arose  from  all  sides  and  began  to  pour  down  a  pelting  shower 
of  rain  ;   that  rain  made  the  elephant's  skin  contract  so  that 

1  Atavl  is  generally  translated  "forest."  I  believe  the  English  word 
" forest"    does   not   necessarily   imply   trees,   but    it    is    perhaps    better    to 

avoid  it  here. "Forest"  comes  from  the  Latin  forts,  "out  of  doors,"  and 

its  connection  with  trees  came  later. — n.m.p. 

2  For  the  vritam  of  the  text  I  read  kritam.  Cf  this  incident  with 
Joseph's  adventure  in  the  sixth  story  of  the  Sicilianische  M'drchen.  He  is 
sewn  up  in  a  horse's  skin  and  carried  by  ravens  to  fhe  top  of  a  high 
mountain.  There  he  stamps  and  finds  a  wooden  trap-door  under  his  feet. 
In  the  notes  Dr  Kohler  refers  to  this  passage,  Campbell,  No.  44 ;  the  story 
of  Sindbad  and  other  parallels.  Cf.  also  Veckenstedt's  Wendische  Sagen,  p.  124. 
See  also  the  story  of  "  Heinrich  der  Lowe,"  Simrock's  Deutsche  Volksbiicher, 
vol.  i,  p.  8.  Dr  Kohler  refers  to  the  story  of  "  Herzog  Ernst."  The  incident 
will  be  found  in  Simrock's  version  of  the  story,  at  p.  308  of  the  third  volume 

of  his  Deutsche  Volksbiicher. An  incident  very  similar  to  that  in  our  text 

occurs  in  the  "Story  of  Janshah  "  (Burton,  Nights,  vol.  v,  pp.  341,  342):  "So 
Janshah  slit  the  mule's  belly  and  crept  into  it,  whereupon  the  merchant 
sewed  it  up  on  him  and,  withdrawing  to  a  distance,  hid  himself  in  the  skirts 
of  the  mountain.  After  a  while  a  huge  bird  swooped  down  on  the  dead 
mule  and,  snatching  it  up,  flew  with  it  to  the  top  of  the  mountain.  .  .  ." 

In  the  Travels  of  Rabbi  Benjamin  of  Tudela  it  is  related  that  when 
sailors  were  in  danger  of  being  lost  in  the  stormy  sea  that  led  to  China, 
they  sewed  themselves  in  hides  and,  cast  on  the  surface  of  the  waters,  were 
snatched  up  by  "great  eagles  called  Gryphons,"  which  carried  their  supposed 
prey  ashore.     (See  Yule's  Marco  Polo,  vol.  ii,  p.  418.) — n.m.p. 


142  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

no  aperture  was  left,1  and  immediately  a  copious  inundation 
came  that  way,  and  carrying  off  the  elephant's  hide  swept 
it  into  the  Ganges,  so  that  eventually  the  inundation  bore  it 
into  the  sea.  And  there  a  bird  of  the  race  of  Garuda  saw  that 
hide  and,  supposing  it  to  be  carrion,  took  it  to  the  other  side 
of  the  sea ;  there  it  tore  open  the  elephant's  hide  with  its 
claws  and,  seeing  that  there  was  a  man  inside  it,  fled  away. 
But  Lohajangha  was  awaked  by  the  bird's  pecking  and 
scratching,  and  came  out  through  the  aperture  made  by  its 
beak.  And  finding  that  he  was  on  the  other  side  of  the  sea, 
he  was  astonished,  and  looked  upon  the  whole  thing  as  a 
daydream ;  then  he  saw  there  to  his  terror  two  horrible  Rak- 
shasas,  and  those  two  for  their  part  contemplated  him  from  a 
distance  with  feelings  of  fear.  Remembering  how  they  were 
defeated  by  Rama,  and  seeing  that  Lohajangha  was  also  a 
man  who  had  crossed  the  sea,2  they  were  once  more  alarmed 
in  their  hearts.  So,  after  they  had  deliberated  together,  one 
of  them  went  off  immediately  and  told  the  whole  occurrence 
to  King  Vibhishana.  King  Vibhishana,  too,  as  he  had  seen 
the  prowess  of  Rama,  being  terrified  at  the  arrival  of  a  man, 
said  to  that  Rakshasa  :  "  Go,  my  good  friend,  and  tell  that 
man  from  me,  in  a  friendly  manner,  that  he  is  to  do  me  the 
favour  of  coming  to  my  palace."  The  Rakshasa  said,  "I 
will  do  so,"  and  timidly  approached  Lohajangha,  and  told 
him  that  request  of  his  sovereign's.  Lohajangha  for  his  part 
accepted  that  invitation  with  unruffled  calm,  and  went  to 
Lanka  with  that  Rakshasa  as  his  companion.  And  when  he 
arrived  in  Lanka,  he  was  astonished  at  beholding  numerous 
splendid  edifices  of  gold,  and  entering  the  king's  palace  he 
saw  Vibhishana. 

The  king  welcomed  the  Brahman,  who  blessed  him  in 
return,  and  then  Vibhishana  said :  "  Brahman,  how  did  you 
manage  to  reach  this  country  ?  "  Then  the  cunning  Loha- 
jangha said  to  Vibhishana  :  "I  am  a  Brahman  of  the  name 
of  Lohajangha  residing  in  Mathura;  and  I,  Lohajangha, 
being  afflicted  at  my  poverty,  went  to  the  temple  of  the  god, 

1  Cf.  Freer' s  Old  Deccan  Days,  p.  164. — n.m.p. 

2  Referring,  of  course,  to  Rama's  defeat  of  Ravana  and  his  army  of 
Rakshasas  in  Lanka  (Ceylon). — n.m.p. 


WHY  LANKA  WAS  MADE  OF  WOOD  143 

and  remaining  fasting,  for  a  long  time  performed  austerities 
in  the  presence  of  Narayana.1  Then  the  adorable  Hari x  com- 
manded me  in  a  dream,  saying  :  c  Go  thou  to  Vibhishana,  for 
he  is  a  faithful  worshipper  of  mine,  and  he  will  give  thee 
wrealth.'  Then  I  said  :  '  Vibhishana  is  where  I  cannot  reach 
him.'  But  the  lord  continued  :  c  To-day  shalt  thou  see  that 
Vibhishana.'  So  the  lord  spake  to  me,  and  immediately  I 
woke  up  and  found  myself  upon  this  side  of  the  sea.  I  know 
no  more."  When  Vibhishana  heard  this  from  Lohajangha, 
reflecting  that  Lanka  was  a  difficult  place  to  reach,  he  thought 
to  himself:  "Of  a  truth  this  man  possesses  divine  power." 
And  he  said  to  that  Brahman:  "Remain  here;  I  will  give 
you  wealth."  Then  he  committed  him  to  the  care  of  the 
man-slaying  Rakshasas  as  an  inviolable  deposit,  and  sent  some 
of  his  subjects  to  a  mountain  in  his  kingdom  called  Swarna- 
mula,  who  brought  from  it  a  young  bird  belonging  to  the  race 
of  Garuda ;  and  he  gave  it  to  that  Lohajangha  (who  had  to 
take  a  long  journey  to  Mathura)  to  ride  upon,  in  order  that 
he  might  in  the  meanwhile  break  it  in.  Lohajangha  for  his 
part  mounted  on  its  back,  and  riding  about  on  it  in  Larika, 
rested  there  for  some  time,  being  hospitably  entertained  by 
Vibhishana. 

One  day  he  asked  the  King  of  the  Rakshasas,  feeling 
curiosity  on  the  point,  why  the  whole  ground  of  Lanka  was 
made  of  wood ;  and  Vibhishana,  when  he  heard  that,  explained 
Whuthe Ground  tne  circumstance  to  him,  saying:  "Brahman,  if 
of  Lanka  was  you  take  any  interest  in  this  matter,  listen,  I  will 
made  of  Wood  eXplain  it  to  you.  Long  ago  Garuda,  the  son  of 
Kasyapa,  wishing  to  redeem  his  mother  from  her  slavery  to 
the  snakes,  to  whom  she  had  been  subjected  in  accordance 
with  an  agreement,2  and  preparing  to  obtain  from  the  gods 
the  nectar  which  was  the  price  of  her  ransom,  wanted  to  eat 
something  which  would  increase  his  strength,  and  so  he  went 

1  Names  of  Vishnu,  who  became  incarnate  in  the  hero  Krishna. 

2  See  chap,  xx,  //.  181  et  seq.  KaSyapa's  two  wives  disputed  about  the 
colour  of  the  sun's  horses.  They  agreed  that  whichever  was  in  the  wrong 
should  become  a  slave  to  the  other.  Kadru,  the  mother  of  the  snakes,  won 
by  getting  her  children  to  darken  the  horses.     So  Garuda' s  mother,  Vinata, 

became  a  slave. See  Charpentier,  Die  Suparnasage,  Upsala,  1922,  p.  220 

et  seq. — n.m.p. 


144  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

to  his  father,  who,  being  importuned,  said  to  him  :  c  My  son, 
in  the  sea  there  is  a  huge  elephant  and  a  huge  tortoise.  They 
have  assumed  their  present  form  in  consequence  of  a  curse  : 
go  and  eat  them.'  Then  Garuda  went  and  brought  them  both 
to  eat,  and  then  perched  on  a  bough  of  the  great  wishing- tree 
of  paradise.1  And  when  that  bough  suddenly  broke  with  his 
weight,  he  held  it  up  with  his  beak,  out  of  regard  to  the 
Balakhilyas  2  who  were  engaged  in  austerities  underneath  it. 
Then  Garuda,  afraid  that  the  bough  would  crush  mankind  if 
he  let  it  fall  at  random,  by  the  advice  of  his  father  brought 
the  bough  to  this  uninhabited  part  of  the  earth  and  let  it 
drop.  Lanka  was  built  on  the  top  of  that  bough,  therefore 
the  ground  here  is  of  wood."  When  he  heard  this  from 
Vibhishana,  Lohajangha  was  perfectly  satisfied. 

Then  Vibhishana  gave  to  Lohajangha  many  valuable 
jewels,  as  he  desired  to  set  out  for  Mathura.  And  out  of  his 
devotion  to  the  god  Vishnu,  who  dwells  at  Mathura,  he  en- 
Lohamncriia  trusted  to  the  care  of  Lohajangha  a  lotus,  a  club, 
disguised  as  a  shell  and  a  discus  all  of  gold,  to  be  offered  to 
Vishnu  f-ke  god.    Lohajangha  took  all  these  and  mounted 

the  bird  given  to  him  by  Vibhishana,  that  could  accomplish 
a  hundred  thousand  yojanas*  and  rising  up  into  the  air  in 
Lanka,  he  crossed  the  sea  and  without  any  difficulty  arrived  at 

1  The  wishing-tree  of  paradise  is  found  in  all  Eastern  religions,  including 
Christianity.  In  a  note  on  the  Arabian  variety  Burton  says  [Nights,  vol.  v, 
p.  237) :  *  The  paradiseal  tree  which  supplied  every  want.  Mohammed 
borrowed  it  from  the  Christians  (Rev.  xxi,  10-21,  and  xxii,  1-2)  who  placed 
in  their  paradise  the  Tree  of  Life  which  bears  twelve  sorts  of  fruits  and 
leaves  of  healing  virtue.  (See  also  the  third  book  of  Hermas,  his  Similitudes.) 
The  Hebrews  borrowed  it  from  the  Persians.  Amongst  the  Hindus  it  appears 
as  Kalpavriksha ;  amongst  the  Scandinavians  as  Yggdrasil.  The  curious  reader 
will  consult  Mr  James  Fergusson's  learned  work,  Tree  and  Serpent  Worship, 
London,  1873."  Reference  should  also  be  made  to  the  article  on  "Tree- 
Worship,"  by  S.  A.  Cook,  in  the  Ency.  Brit.,  vol.  xxvii,  p.  448  et  seq.,  and  to 
that  on  "Trees  and  Plants,"  by  T.  Barnes,  in  Hastings'  Ency.  Rel.  Eth., 
vol.  xii,  p.  235  et  seq.,  and  to  the  general  index  to  Frazer's  Golden  Bough, 
p.  501. — N.M.P. 

2  Divine  personages  of  the  size  of  a  thumb.  Sixty  thousand  were  pro- 
duced from  Brahma's  body  and  surrounded  the  chariot  of  the  sun.  The 
legend  of  Garuda  and  the  Balakhilyas  is  found  in  the  Mahabharata  (see  De 
Gubernatis,  Zoological  Mythology,  p.  95). 

3  See  note  on  p.  3. — n.m.p. 


LOHAJANGHA  DISGUISED  AS  VISHNU        145 

Mathura.  And  there  he  descended  from  the  air  into  an  empty 
convent  outside  the  town,  and  deposited  there  his  abundant 
treasure,  and  tied  up  that  bird.  And  then  he  went  into  the 
market  and  sold  one  of  his  jewels,  and  bought  garments 
and  scented  unguents,  and  also  food.  And  he  ate  the  food  in 
that  convent  where  he  was,  and  gave  some  to  his  bird ;  and 
he  adorned  himself  with  the  garments,  unguents,  flowers  and 
other  decorations.  And  when  night  came  he  mounted  that 
same  bird  and  went  to  the  house  of  Rupinika,  bearing  in  his 
hand  the  shell,  discus  and  mace ;  then  he  hovered  over  it  in 
the  air,  knowing  the  place  well,  and  made  a  low,  deep  sound 
to  attract  the  attention  of  his  beloved,  who  was  alone.  But 
Rupinika,  as  soon  as  she  heard  that  sound,  came  out,  and 
saw  hovering  in  the  air  by  night  a  being  like  Narayana, 
gleaming  with  jewels.  He  said  to  her  :  "I  am  Hari  come 
hither  for  thy  sake  " ;  whereupon  she  bowed  with  her  face 
to  the  earth  and  said  :  "  May  the  god  have  mercy  upon 
me  !  "  Then  Lohajangha  descended  and  tied  up  his  bird,  and 
entered  the  private  apartments  of  his  beloved  hand  in  hand 
with  her.  And  after  remaining  there  a  short  time  he  came  out 
and,  mounting  the  bird  as  before,  went  off  through  the  air.1 

In  the  morning  Rupinika  remained  observing  an  obstinate 
silence,  thinking  to  herself  :  "  I  am  the  wife  of  the  god  Vishnu, 
I  must  cease  to  converse  with  mortals."  And  then  her  mother 
Makaradanshtra  said  to  her  :  "  Why  do  you  behave  in  this 
way,  my  daughter  ?  "  And  after  she  had  been  perseveringly 
questioned  by  her  mother,  she  caused  to  be  put  up  a  curtain 

1  Compare  the  fifth  story  in  the  first  book  of  the  Panchatantra,  in  Benfey's 
translation.  He  shows  that  this  story  found  its  way  into  Mohammedan 
collections,  such  as  The  Thousand  and  One  Nights,  and  The  Thousand  and  One 
Days,  as  also  into  The  Decameron  of  Boccaccio,  and  other  European  story- 
books, vol.  i,  p.  159  et  seq.  The  story,  as  given  in  the  Panchatantra,  reminds 
us  of  the  "  Squire's  Tale  "  in  Chaucer.  But  Josephus  in  Ant.  Jud.,  xviii,  3, 
tells  it  of  a  Roman  knight  named  Mundus,  who  fell  in  love  with  Paulina, 
the  wife  of  Saturninus,  and,  by  corrupting  the  priestess  of  Isis,  was  enabled 
to  pass  himself  off  as  Anubis.  On  the  matter  coming  to  the  ears  of  Tiberius, 
he  had  the  temple  of  Isis  destroyed  and  the  priests  crucified.  (Dunlop's 
History  of  Fiction,  vol.  ii,  p.  27 ;  Liebrecht's  German  translation,  p.  232.) 
A  similar  story  is  told  by  the  Pseudo-Callisthenes  of  Nectanebos  and  Olympias. 
Cf.  Coelho's  Contos  Popular es  Portugueses,  No.  71,  p.  155. 
K 


146  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

between  herself  and  her  parent,  and  told  her  what  had  taken 
place  in  the  night,  which  was  the  cause  of  her  silence.  When 
the  bawd  heard  that,  she  felt  doubt  on  the  subject,  but  soon 
Has  his  Re-  a^er>  at  night,  she  saw  that  very  Lohajangha 
venge  on  the  mounted  on  the  bird,  and  in  the  morning  Maka- 
Bawd  radanshtra  came  secretly  to  Rupinika,  who  still 

remained  behind  the  curtain,  and  inclining  herself  humbly, 
preferred  to  her  this  request  :  "  Through  the  favour  of  the 
god,  thou,  my  daughter,  hast  obtained  here  on  earth  the  rank 
of  a  goddess,  and  I  am  thy  mother  in  this  world,  therefore 
grant  me  a  reward  for  giving  thee  birth  :  entreat  the  god 
that,  old  as  I  am,  with  this  very  body  I  may  enter  paradise. 
Do  me  this  favour." 

Rupinika  consented,  and  requested  that  very  boon  from 
Lohajangha,  who  came  again  at  night  disguised  as  Vishnu. 
Then  Lohajangha,  who  was  personating  the  god,  said  to  that 
beloved  of  his  :  "  Thy  mother  is  a  wicked  woman,  it  would 
not  be  fitting  to  take  her  openly  to  paradise;  but  on  the 
morning  of  the  eleventh  day  the  door  of  heaven  is  opened, 
and  many  of  the  Ganas,  Siva's  companions,  enter  into  it 
before  anyone  else  is  admitted.  Among  them  I  will  intro- 
duce this  mother  of  thine,  if  she  assume  their  appearance. 
So  shave  her  head  with  a  razor,  in  such  a  manner  that  five 
locks *  shall  be  left,  put  a  necklace  of  skulls  round  her  neck, 
and  stripping  off  her  clothes,  paint  one  side  of  her  body  with 
lamp-black  and  the  other  with  red  lead,2  for  wThen  she  has  in 
this  way  been  made  to  resemble  a  Gana,  I  shall  find  it  an  easy 
matter  to  get  her  into  heaven."  When  he  had  said  this,  Loha- 
jangha remained  a  short  time  and  then  departed.  And  in  the 
morning  Rupinika  attired  her  mother  as  he  had  directed  ; 
and  then  she  remained  with  her  mind  entirely  fixed  on  para- 
dise. So  when  night  came  Lohajangha  appeared  again,  and 
Rupinika  handed  over  her  mother  to  him.   Then  he  mounted 

1  Compare  Mahabodhi-Jataka  (No.  528,  Cambridge  edition,  vol.  v,  pp.  125, 
1 26),  where  the  king  as  a  punishment  to  the  five  princes  u  stript  them  of  all 
their  property  and  disgracing  them  in  various  ways,  by  fastening  their  hair 
into  five  locks,  by  putting  them  into  fetters  and  chains  and  by  sprinkling 
cow-dung  over  them,  he  drove  them  out  of  his  kingdom." — n.m.p. 

2  Thus  she  represented  the  Ardha-nari^vara,  or  Siva  half-male  and 
half-female,  which  compound  figure  is  to  be  painted  in  this  manner. 


LOHAJANGHA'S  REVENGE  147 

on  the  bird,  and  took  the  bawd  with  him  naked,  and  trans- 
formed as  he  had  directed,  and  he  flew  up  rapidly  with  her 
into  the  air.  While  he  was  in  the  air,  he  beheld  a  lofty  stone 
pillar  in  front  of  a  temple,  with  a  discus  on  its  summit.  So  he 
placed  her  on  the  top  of  the  pillar,  with  the  discus  as  her  only 
support,1  and  there  she  hung  like  a  banner  to  blazon  forth 
his  revenge  for  his  ill  usage.  He  said  to  her  :  "  Remain  here 
a  moment  while  I  bless  the  earth  with  my  approach,"  and 
vanished  from  her  sight.  Then  beholding  a  number  of  people 
in  front  of  the  temple,  who  had  come  there  to  spend  the  night 
in  devout  vigils  before  the  festive  procession,  he  called  aloud 
from  the  air  :  "  Hear,  ye  people,  this  very  day  there  shall  fall 
upon  you  here  the  all- destroying  Goddess  of  Pestilence,  there- 
fore fly  to  Hari  for  protection."  When  they  heard  this  voice 
from  the  air  all  the  inhabitants  of  Mathura  who  were  there, 
being  terrified,  implored  the  protection  of  the  god,  and  re- 
mained devoutly  muttering  prayers  to  ward  off  the  calamity. 
Lohajangha  for  his  part  descended  from  the  air  and  en- 
couraged them  to  pray,  and  after  changing  that  dress  of  his 
came  and  stood  among  the  people,  without  being  observed. 
The  bawd  thought  as  she  sat  upon  the  top  of  the  pillar  : 
"  The  god  has  not  come  as  yet,  and  I  have  not  reached 
heaven."  At  last,  feeling  it  impossible  to  remain  up  there 
any  longer,  she  cried  out  in  her  fear,  so  that  the  people  below 
heard:  "Alas!  I  am  falling,  I  am  falling."  Hearing  that, 
the  people  in  front  of  the  god's  temple  were  beside  them- 
selves, fearing  that  the  destroying  goddess  was  falling  upon 
them,  even  as  had  been  foretold,  and  said  :  "  O  goddess,  do 
not  fall,  do  not  fall."  So  those  people  of  Mathura,  young  and 
old,  spent  that  night  in  perpetual  dread  that  the  destroying 
goddess  would  fall  upon  them,  but  at  last  it  came  to  an  end  ; 
and  then  beholding  that  bawd  upon  the  pillar  in  the  state 
described,2  the  citizens  and  the  king  recognised  her  at  once. 

1  She  held  on  to  it  by  her  hands. 

2  Wilson  remarks  that  this  presents  some  analogy  to  the  story  in  The 
Decameron  (No.  7,  Gior.  8)  of  the  scholar  and  the  widow,  u  la  quale  egli  con 
un  suo  consiglio,  di  mezzo  Luglio,  ignuda,  tutto  un  di  fa  stare  in  su  una  torre." 
It  also  bears  some  resemblance  to  the  story  of  "  The  Master  Thief"  in  Thorpe's 
Yule-tide  Stories,  p.  272.     The  master  thief  persuades  the  priest  that  he  will 


148  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

All  the  people  thereupon  forgot  their  alarm  and  burst  out 
laughing,  and  Rtipinika  herself  at  last  arrived,  having  heard 
of  the  occurrence.  And  when  she  saw  it  she  was  abashed, 
and  with  the  help  of  the  people  who  were  there  she  managed 
to  get  that  mother  of  hers  down  from  the  top  of  the  pillar 
immediately.  Then  that  bawd  was  asked  by  all  the  people 
there,  who  were  filled  with  curiosity,  to  tell  them  the  whole 
story,  and  she  did  so.  Thereupon  the  king,  the  Brahmans 
and  the  merchants,  thinking  that  that  laughable  incident 
must  have  been  brought  about  by  a  sorcerer  or  some  person 
of  that  description,  made  a  proclamation,  that  whoever  had 
made  a  fool  of  the  bawd,  who  had  deceived  innumerable 
lovers,  was  to  show  himself,  and  he  would  receive  a  turban 
of  honour  on  the  spot.  When  he  heard  that,  Lohajangha 
made  himself  known  to  those  present,  and,  being  questioned, 
he  related  the  whole  story  from  its  commencement.  And  he 
offered  to  the  god  the  discus,  shell,  club  and  lotus  of  gold,  the 
present  which  Vibhishana  had  sent,  and  which  aroused  the 
astonishment  of  the  people.  Then  all  the  people  of  Mathura, 
being  pleased,  immediately  invested  him  with  a  turban 
of  honour,  and  by  the  command  of  the  king  made  that 
Rupinika   a  free  woman.      And  then  Lohajangha,   having 

take  him  to  heaven.  He  thus  induces  him  to  get  into  a  sack,  and  then  he 
throws  him  into  the  goose-house,  and  when  the  geese  peck  him,  tells  him 
that  he  is  in  purgatory.     The  story  is  Norwegian.     See  also  Sir  G.  W.  Cox's 

Mythology  of  the  Aryan  Nations,  vol.  i,  p.  127. The  story  in  The  Decameron 

(see  Rigg's  translation,  1906,  vol.  ii,  p.  209  et  seq.)  can  be  sufficiently  explained 
by  the  rubric — a  scholar  loves  a  widow  lady,  who,  being  enamoured  of  another, 
causes  him  to  spend  a  winter's  night  awaiting  her  in  the  snow.  He  afterwards 
by  a  stratagem  causes  her  to  stand  for  a  whole  day  in  July,  naked,  upon  a 
tower,  exposed  to  the  flies,  the  gadflies  and  the  sun. 

It  is  interesting  to  notice  that  scholars  contend  that  in  this  tale  of  revenge 
Boccaccio  introduces  himself. 

A.  C.  Lee  (The  Decameron,  its  Sources  and  Analogues,  pp.  259,  260)  gives 
various  examples  of  tricks  played  on  lovers  by  a  basket  being  drawn  half-way 
up  to  the  lady's  window  and  there  left  till  a  crowd  assembles.  For  full 
details  reference  should  be  made  to  Comparetti,  Virgilio  nel  medio  evo,  Firenze, 
2nd  edition,  vol.  ii,  p.  1 1 1  et  seq. 

Cf.  also  chap,  viii  of  Le  Sage's  Le  Diahle  Boiteux,  where  Patrice  is  made 
to  wait  outside  the  door  of  two  women  under  the  pretext  that  the  brother  of 
one  is  within. — n.m.p. 


LOHAJANGHA'S  REVENGE  149 

wreaked  upon  the  bawd  his  wrrath  caused  by  her  ill  usage  of 
him,  lived  in  great  comfort  in  Mathura  with  that  beloved  of 
his,  being  very  well  off  by  means  of  the  large  stock  of  jewels 
which  he  had  brought  from  Lanka. 


[M]  Hearing  this  tale  from  the  mouth  of  the  transformed 
Vasantaka,  Vasavadatta,  who  was  sitting  at  the  side  of  the 
fettered  King  of  Vatsa,  felt  extreme  delight  in  her  heart. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

AS  time  went  on  Vasavadatta  began  to  feel  a  great 
[M]  affection  for  the  King  of  Vatsa,  and  to  take  part 
with  him  against  her  father.  Then  Yaugandharayana 
again  came  in  to  see  the  King  of  Vatsa,  making  himself 
invisible  to  all  the  others  who  were  there.  And  he  gave 
him  the  following  information  in  private  in  the  presence  of 
Vasantaka  only  :  "  King,  you  were  made  captive  by  King 
Chandamahasena  by  means  of  an  artifice.  And  he  wishes  to 
give  you  his  daughter,  and  set  you  at  liberty,  treating  you 
with  all  honour ;  so  let  us  carry  off  his  daughter  and  escape. 
For  in  this  way  we  shall  have  revenged  ourselves  upon  the 
haughty  monarch,  and  we  shall  not  be  thought  lightly  of  in 
the  world  for  want  of  prowess.  Now  the  king  has  given 
that  daughter  of  his,  Vasavadatta,  a  female  elephant  called 
Bhadravati.  And  no  other  elephant  but  Nadagiri  is  swift 
enough  to  catch  her  up,  and  he  will  not  fight  when  he  sees  her. 
The  driver  of  this  elephant  is  a  man  called  Ashadhaka,  and 
him  I  have  won  over  to  our  side  by  giving  him  much  wealth. 
So  you  must  mount  that  elephant  with  Vasavadatta,  fully 
armed,  and  start  from  this  place  secretly  by  night.  And  you 
must  have  the  superintendent  of  the  royal  elephants  here 
made  drunk  with  wine,  in  order  that  he  may  not  perceive 
what  is  about  to  take  place,1  for  he  understands  every  sign 
that  elephants  give.  I  for  my  part  will  first  repair  to  your 
ally  Pulindaka  in  order  that  he  may  be  prepared  to  guard 
the  road  by  which  you  escape."  When  he  had  said  this, 
Yaugandharayana  departed. 

So  the  King  of  Vatsa  stored  up  all  his  instructions  in 
his  heart ;  and  soon  Vasavadatta  came  to  him.  Then  he 
made  all  kinds  of  confidential  speeches  to  her,  and  at  last 
told  her  what   Yaugandharayana  had    said  to    him.     She 

1  Cf.  the  way  in  which  Riidigar  carries  off  the  daughter  of  King  Osantrix, 
Hagen's  Helden-Sagen,  vol.  i,  p.  227. 

150 


THE  BEWITCHED  ELEPHANT  151 

consented  to  the  proposal,  and  made  up  her  mind  to  start, 
and  causing  the  elephant- driver  Ashadhaka  to  be  summoned, 
she  prepared  his  mind  for  the  attempt,  and,  on  the  pretext 
of  worshipping  the  gods,  she  gave  the  superintendent  of  the 
elephants,  with  all  the  elephant- drivers,  a  supply  of  spirits 
and  made  them  drunk.  Then  in  the  evening,  which  was  dis- 
turbed with  the  echoing  roar  of  clouds,1  Ashadhaka  brought 
that  female  elephant  ready  harnessed,  but  she.  while  she  was 
being  harnessed,  uttered  a  cry,  which  was  heard  by  the  super- 
intendent of  the  elephants,  who  was  skilled  in  elephant's 
language  ;  and  he  faltered  out  in  a  voice  indistinct  from  ex- 
cessive intoxication :  "  The  female  elephant  says  she  is  going 
sixty- three  yojanas  to-day."  But  his  mind  in  his  drunken 
state  was  not  capable  of  reasoning,  and  the  elephant-drivers, 
who  were  also  intoxicated,  did  not  even  hear  what  he  said. 
Then  the  King  of  Vatsa  broke  his  chains  by  means  of  the 
charms  which  Yaugandharayana  had  given  him,  and  took 
that  lute  of  his,  and  Vasavadatta  of  her  own  accord  brought 
him  his  weapons,  and  then  he  mounted  the  female  elephant 
with  Vasantaka.  And  then  Vasavadatta  mounted  the  same 
elephant  with  her  friend  and  confidante  Kanchanamala  ;  then 
the  King  of  Vatsa  went  out  from  Ujjayini  with  five  persons 
in  all,  including  himself  and  the  elephant- driver,  by  a  path 
which  the  infuriated  elephant  clove  through  the  rampart. 

And  the  king  attacked  and  slew  the  two  warriors  who 
guarded  that  point,  the  Rajputs  Virabahu  and  Talabhata. 
Then  the  monarch  set  out  rapidly  on  his  journey  in  high 
spirits,  mounted  on  the  female  elephant,  together  with  his 
beloved,  Ashadhaka  holding  the  elephant-hook.  In  the 
meanwhile  in  Ujjayini  the  city  patrol  beheld  those  guards 
of  the  rampart  lying  dead,  and  in  consternation  reported  the 
news  to  the  king  at  night.  Chandamahasena  inquired  into 
the  matter,  and  found  out  at  last  that  the  King  of  Vatsa  had 
escaped,  taking  Vasavadatta  with  him.  Then  the  alarm  spread 
through  the  city,  and  one  of  his  sons  named  Palaka  mounted 
Nadagiri  and  pursued  the  King  of  Vatsa.  The  King  of  Vatsa 
for  his  part  combated  him  with  arrows  as  he  advanced,  and 

1  TrjprjO-avTes    vvktol    yei^kpiov    v&an     kcu    aVe/xw    /cat     ap  a<7 k\i)vov    e^rjevav, 
Thucyd.,  iii,  22. 


152  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

Nadagiri,  seeing  that  female  elephant,  would  not  attack  her. 
Then  Palaka,  who  was  ready  to  listen  to  reason,  was  induced 
to  desist  from  the  pursuit  by  his  brother  Gopalaka,  who  had 
his  father's  interests  at  heart. 

Then  the  King  of  Vatsa  boldly  continued  his  journey,  and 
as  he  journeyed  the  night  gradually  came  to  an  end.  So  by  the 
middle  of  the  day  the  king  had  reached  the  Vindhya  forest, 
and  his  elephant,  having  journeyed  sixty- three  yojanas,  was 
thirsty.  So  the  king  and  his  wife  dismounted,  and  the  female 
elephant  having  drunk  water,  owing  to  its  being  bad,  fell 
dead  on  the  spot.  Then  the  King  of  Vatsa  and  Vasavadatta, 
in  their  despair,  heard  this  voice  coming  from  the  air  :  "I, 
O  king,  am  a  female  Vidyadhara  named  Mayavati,  and  for 
this  long  time  I  have  been  a  female  elephant  in  consequence 
of  a  curse  ;  and  to-day,  O  lord  of  Vatsa,  I  have  done  you  a 
good  turn,  and  I  will  do  another  to  your  son  that  is  to  be : 
and  this  queen  of  yours,  Vasavadatta,  is  not  a  mere  mortal ; 
she  is  a  goddess  for  a  certain  cause  incarnate  on  the  earth." 
Then  the  king  regained  his  spirits,  and  sent  on  Vasantaka  to 
the  plateau  of  the  Vindhya  hills  to  announce  his  arrival  to 
his  ally  Pulindaka  ;  and  as  he  was  himself  journeying  along 
slowly  on  foot  with  his  beloved  he  was  surrounded  by  brigands, 
who  sprang  out  from  an  ambuscade.  And  the  king,  with 
only  his  bow  to  help  him,  slew  one  hundred  and  five  of  them 
before  the  eyes  of  Vasavadatta.  And  immediately  the  king's 
ally  Pulindaka  came  up,  together  with  Yaugandharayana, 
Vasantaka  showing  them  the  way.  The  King  of  the  Bheels 
ordered  the  surviving  brigands  *  to  desist,  and  after  prostrat- 
ing himself  before  the  King  of  Vatsa,  conducted  him  with  his 
beloved  to  his  own  village. 

The  king  rested  there  that  night  with  Vasavadatta,  whose 
foot  had  been  cut  with  a  blade  of  forest  grass,  and  early  in 
the  morning  the  General  Rumanvat  reached  him,  who  had 
before  been  summoned  by  Yaugandharayana,  who  sent  a 

1  The  word  dasyu  here  means  "savage,"  "barbarian."  These  wild 
mountain  tribes,  called  indiscriminately  Savaras,  Pulindas,  Bhillas,  etc.,  seem 
to  have  been  addicted  to  cattle-lifting  and  brigandage.  So  the  word  dasyu 
comes  to  mean  "robber."  Even  the  virtuous  Savara  prince  described  in  the 
story  of  Jimutavahana  plunders  a  caravan. 


THE  KING  CONSENTS  TO  THE  MARRIAGE    153 

messenger  to  him.  And  the  whole  army  came  with  him, 
filling  the  land  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  so  that  the 
Vindhya  forest  appeared  to  be  besieged.  So  that  King  of 
Vatsa  entered  into  the  encampment  of  his  army,  and  re- 
mained in  that  wild  region  to  wait  for  news  from  Ujjayini. 
And  while  he  was  there  a  merchant  came  from  Ujjayini,  a 
friend  of  Yaugandharayana's,  and  when  he  had  arrived  re- 
ported these  tidings  :  "  The  King  Chandamahasena  is  pleased 
to  have  thee  for  a  son-in-law,  and  he  has  sent  his  warder  to 
thee.  The  warder  is  on  the  way,  but  he  has  stopped  short 
of  this  place ;  however,  I  came  secretly  on  in  front  of  him, 
as  fast  as  I  could,  to  bring  your  Highness  information." 

When  he  heard  this  the  King  of  Vatsa  rejoiced,  and  told 
it  all  to  Vasavadatta,  and  she  was  exceedingly  delighted. 
Then  Vasavadatta,  having  abandoned  her  own  relations,  and 
being  anxious  for  the  ceremony  of  marriage,  was  at  the  same 
time  bashful  and  impatient :  then  she  said,  in  order  to  divert 
her  thoughts,  to  Vasantaka,  who  was  in  attendance  :  "  Tell 
me  some  story."  Then  the  sagacious  Vasantaka  told  that 
fair-eyed  one  the  following  tale  in  order  to  increase  her 
affection  for  her  husband. 


8.  Story  of  Devasmitd 

There  is  a  city  in  the  world  famous  under  the  name  of 
Tamralipta,  and  in  that  city  there  was  a  very  rich  merchant 
named  Dhanadatta.  And  he,  being  childless,  assembled  many 
Brahmans  and  said  to  them  with  due  respect :  "  Take  such 
steps  as  will  procure  me  a  son  soon."  Then  those  Brahmans 
said  to  him  :  "  This  is  not  at  all  difficult,  for  Brahmans  can 
accomplish  all  things  in  this  world  by  means  of  ceremonies 
in  accordance  with  the  scriptures.  To  give  you  an  instance, 
there  was  in  old  time  a  king  who  had  no  sons,  and  he  had 
a  hundred  and  five  wives  in  his  harem.  And  by  means  of  a 
sacrifice  to  procure  a  son  there  was  born  to  him  a  son  named 
Jantu,  who  was  like  the  rising  of  the  new  moon  to  the  eyes  of 
his  wives.  Once  on  a  time  an  ant  bit  the  boy  on  the  thigh  as 
he  was  crawling  about  on  his  knees,  so  that  he  was  very  un- 
happy and  sobbed  loudly.    Thereupon  the  whole  harem  was 


154  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

full  of  confused  lamentation,  and  the  king  himself  shrieked 
out,  '  My  son !  my  son ! '  like  a  common  man.  The  boy  was 
soon  comforted,  the  ant  having  been  removed,  and  the  king 
blamed  the  misfortune  of  his  only  having  one  son  as  the  cause 
of  all  his  grief.  And  he  asked  the  Brahmans  in  his  affliction 
if  there  was  any  expedient  by  which  he  might  obtain  a  large 
number  of  children.  They  answered  him  :  '  O  king,  there  is 
one  expedient  open  to  you  :  you  must  slay  this  son  and  offer 
up  all  his  flesh  in  the  fire.1  By  smelling  the  smell  of  that 
sacrifice  all  thy  wives  will  obtain  sons.'  When  he  heard  that, 
the  king  had  the  whole  ceremony  performed  as  they  directed  ; 
and  he  obtained  as  many  sons  as  he  had  wives.  So  we  can 
obtain  a  son  for  you  also  by  a  burnt- offering."  When  they 
had  said  this  to  Dhanadatta,  the  Brahmans,  after  a  sacrificial 
fee  had  been  promised  them,  performed  a  sacrifice  :  then  a  son 
was  born  to  that  merchant.  That  son  was  called  Guhasena, 
and  he  gradually  grew  up  to  man's  estate.  Then  his  father 
Dhanadatta  began  to  look  out  for  a  wife  for  him. 

Then  his  father  went  with  that  son  of  his  to  another 
country,  on  the  pretence  of  traffic,  but  really  to  get  a 
daughter-in-law;  there  he  asked  an  excellent  merchant  of 
the  name  of  Dharmagupta  to  give  him  his  daughter  named 
Devasmita  for  his  son  Guhasena.  But  Dharmagupta,  who 
was  tenderly  attached  to  his  daughter,  did  not  approve  of 
that  connection,  reflecting  that  the  city  of  Tamralipta  was 
very  far  off.  But  when  Devasmita  beheld  that  Guhasena,  her 
mind  was  immediately  attracted  by  his  virtues,  and  she  was 
set  on  abandoning  her  relations,  and  so  she  made  an  assigna- 
tion with  him  by  means  of  a  confidante,  and  went  away  from 
that  country  at  night  with  her  beloved  and  his  father.  When 
they  reached  Tamralipta  they  were  married,  and  the  minds 
of  the  young  couple  were  firmly  knit  together  by  the  bond  of 
mutual  love.     Then  Guhasena's  father  died,  and  he  himself 

1  I  have  already  (p.  98)  given  cases  of  child  murder  with  the  hopes  of 
obtaining  offspring.  I  would  also  draw  attention  to  an  article  in  the  Indian 
Antiquary  for  May  1923,  "Ritual  Murder  as  a  Means  of  Producing  Children." 
It  consists  of  cases  which  came  under  the  personal  notice  of  Sir  Richard 
Temple  when  he  was  Superintendent  of  the  Penal  Settlement  at  Port  Blair, 
Andaman  Islands,  between  1893-1896. — n.m.p. 


GUHASENA  AND  DEVASMITA  155 

was  urged  by  his  relations  to  go  to  the  country  of  Kataha * 
for  the  purpose  of  trafficking ;  but  his  wife  Devasmita  was 
too  jealous  to  approve  of  that  expedition,  fearing  exceedingly 
that  he  would  be  attracted  by  some  other  lady.  Then,  as  his 
wife  did  not  approve  of  it,  and  his  relations  kept  inciting  him 
to  it,  Guhasena,  whose  mind  was  firmly  set  on  doing  his  duty, 
was  bewildered.    Then  he  went  and  performed  a  vow  in  the 

1  Tawney  suggested  that  Kataha  might  possibly  be  identified  with  Cathay, 
the  mediaeval  name  of  China.  His  surmise,  however,  has  been  proved 
incorrect.  It  has  now  been  traced  to  Kedah,  one  of  the  unfederated  Malay 
States,  which  was  apparently  known  in  Southern  India  as  Kadaram,  or 
Kataha.     The  data  for  arriving  at  this  conclusion  is  interesting. 

The  Chola  monarch,  Rajendra  Chola  I  (a.d.  1012-1052),  dispatched  several 
expeditions  over  the  water  to  the  East  probably  in  defence  of  Tamil  or 
Telugu  settlements  on  the  east  coast  of  Sumatra  and  on  the  west  coast  of 
southernmost  Burma,  the  isthmus  of  Kra,  and  Malaya.  Among  the  inscrip- 
tions recording  such  events  is  one  which  tells  of  an  expedition  to  Kadaram  via 
Ma-Nakkavaram — i.e.  the  Nicobar  Islands.  For  full  details  of  the  evidence 
derived  from  this  inscription  reference  should  be  made  to  Hultzsch,  South 
Indian  Inscriptions,  vol.  iii,  Part.  II,  Arch.  Surv.  Ind.,  New  Imp.  Series,  vol.  xxix, 
1903,  pp.  194-195;  Hultzsch,  Epigraphia  Indica,  vol.  ix,  No.  31,  1907-1908, 
p.  231;  and  especially  pp.  19-22  of  Coedes'  "  Le  Royaume  de  £rivijaya "  in 
Bull,  de  Vicole  Franqaise  d' extreme  Orient,  Tome  XVIII,  1918.  R.  Sewell,  in 
a  letter  to  me  on  the  subject,  would  trace  the  phonetic  changes  of  Kedah 
as  follows : — 

Granted  that  Kedah  was  so  spelt  in  ancient  times,  and  that  it  came 
to  be  called  Kadaram  in  South  India,  we  can  delete  the  "m"  as  a  South 
Indian  dialect  suffix  {e.g.  pattana  becomes  pattanam,  mandala  is  mandalam,  etc.). 
Then  the  transformation  is  natural  enough  : 


ke 

da 

h  1 

ka 

ta 

ha 

kal 
or    ki  / 

da 

ra 

Sewell  considers  that  the  phonetic  change  from  ha  to  ra  is  not  too  forced. 

It  should  be  noted  that  the  Southern  Hindus  knew  of  a  Kadaram  in  their 
own  country,  and  it  is  natural  for  people,  hearing  of  a  foreign  place  with  a  name 
like  that  of  one  of  their  own  towns,  to  call  the  foreign  place  after  their  own. 

There  is,  however,  a  little  further  evidence  of  considerable  interest.  In 
the  Kanyakumari  (Cape  Cormorin)  inscription  of  Virarajendra,  verse  72  reads  : 
"  With  (the  help  of)  his  forces,  which  crossed  the  seas,  which  were  excessively 
powerful  in  arms  and  which  had  scattered  away  the  armies  of  all  his  enemies, 
he  burnt  Kataha,  that  could  not  be  set  on  fire  by  others.  What  is  (there  that 
is)  impossible  for  this  Rajendra-Chola  !  " 

This  burning  of  Kataha  is  considered  by  K.  V.  S.  Aiyar  to  refer  to  the 
conquest  of  Burma.  See  Travancore  Archaeological  Series,  vol.  iii,  Part  I,  1922, 
pp.  120,  159,  from  which  the  above  translation  has  been  taken. — n.m.p. 


156  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

temple  of  the  god,  observing  a  rigid  fast,  trusting  that  the 
god  would  show  him  some  way  out  of  his  difficulty.  And  his 
wife  Devasmita  also  performed  a  vow  with  him.  Then  Siva 
was  pleased  to  appear  to  that  couple  in  a  dream ;  and  giving 
them  two  red  lotuses,  the  god  said  to  them  :  "  Take  each 
of  you  one  of  these  lotuses  in  your  hand.  And  if  either  of 
you  shall  be  unfaithful  during  your  separation  the  lotus  in 
the  hand  of  the  other  shall  fade,  but  not  otherwise."  x 

After  hearing  this  the  two  woke  up,  and  each  beheld  in 
the  hand  of  the  other  a  red  lotus,  and  it  seemed  as  if  they 
had  got  one  another's  hearts.  Then  Guhasena  set  out,  lotus 
in  hand,  but  Devasmita  remained  in  the  house  with  her  eyes 
fixed  upon  her  flower.  Guhasena  for  his  part  quickly  reached 
the  country  of  Kataha,  and  began  to  buy  and  sell  jewels 
there.  And  four  young  merchants  in  that  country,  seeing 
that  that  unfading  lotus  was  ever  in  his  hand,  were  greatly 
astonished.  Accordingly  they  got  him  to  their  house  by 
an  artifice,  and  made  him  drink  a  great  deal  of  wine,  and 
then  asked  him  the  history  of  the  lotus,  and  he  being  in- 
toxicated told  them  the  whole  story.  Then  those  four  young 
merchants,  knowing  that  Guhasena  would  take  a  long  time 
to  complete  his  sales  and  purchases  of  jewels  and  other  wares, 
planned  together,  like  rascals  as  they  were,  the  seduction 
of  his  wife  out  of  curiosity,  and  eager  to  accomplish  it, 
set  out  quickly  for  Tamralipta  without  their  departure  being 
noticed. 

There  they  cast  about  for  some  instrument,  and  at  last  had 
recourse  to  a  female  ascetic  of  the  name  of  Yogakarandika, 
who  lived  in  a  sanctuary  of  Buddha  ;  and  they  said  to  her  in 
an  affectionate  manner  :  "  Reverend  madam,  if  our  object  is 
accomplished  by  your  help  we  will  give  you  much  wealth." 
She  answered  them  :  "  No  doubt  you  young  men  desire  some 
woman  in  this  city,  so  tell  me  all  about  it,  I  will  procure  you 
the  object  of  your  desire ;  but  I  have  no  wish  for  money.  I 
have  a  pupil  of  distinguished  ability  named  Siddhikari ;  owing 
to  her  kindness  I  have  obtained  untold  wealth."  The  young 
merchants  asked  :  "  How  have  you  obtained  untold  wealth 
by  the  assistance  of  a  pupil  ?  "     Being  asked  this  question, 

1  See  the  first  note  at  the  end  of  this  chapter. — n.m.p. 


SIDDHIKARI  AND  THE  DOMBA  157 

the  female  ascetic  said  :  "  If  you  feel  any  curiosity  about  the 
matter,  listen,  my  sons,  I  will  tell  you  the  whole  story : 

8a.  The  Cunning  Siddhikari 

Long  ago  a  certain  merchant  came  here  from  the  north ; 
while  he  was  dwelling  here  my  pupil  went  and  obtained,  with 
a  treacherous  object,  the  position  of  a  serving-maid  in  his 
house,  having  first  altered  her  appearance ;  and  after  she  had 
gained  the  confidence  of  that  merchant  she  stole  all  his  hoard 
of  gold  from  his  house  and  went  off  secretly  in  the  morning 
twilight.  And  as  she  went  out  from  the  city,  moving  rapidly 
through  fear,  a  certain  Domba,1  with  his  drum  in  his  hand, 
saw  her,  and  pursued  her  at  full  speed  with  the  intention  of 
robbing  her.  When  she  had  reached  the  foot  of  a  Nyagrodha 
tree  she  saw  that  he  had  come  up  with  her,  and  so  the  cunning 
Siddhikari  said  this  to  him  in  a  plaintive  manner :  "I  have 
had  a  jealous  quarrel  with  my  husband,  and  I  have  left  his 
house  to  die,  therefore,  my  good  man,  make  a  noose  for  me 
to  hang  myself  with."  Then  the  Domba  thought :  "  Let  her 
hang  herself.  Why  should  I  be  guilty  of  her  death,  especially 
as  she  is  a  woman  ?  "  and  so  he  fastened  a  noose  for  her  to  the 
tree.  Then  Siddhikari,  feigning  ignorance,  said  to  the  Domba  : 
"  How  is  the  noose  slipped  round  the  neck  ?  Show  me,  I 
entreat  you."  Then  the  Domba  placed  the  drum  under  his 
feet,  and  saying,  "  This  is  the  way  we  do  the  trick,"  he 
fastened  the  noose  round  his  own  throat.  Siddhikari  for  her 
part  smashed  the  drum  to  atoms  with  a  kick,  and  that 
Domba  hung  till  he  was  dead.2  At  that  moment  the  merchant 
arrived  in  search  of  her,  and  beheld  from  a  distance  Siddhi- 
kari, who  had  stolen  from  him  untold  treasures,  at  the  foot  of 
the  tree.  She  too  saw  him  coming,  and  climbed  up  the  tree 
without  being  noticed,  and  remained  there  on  a  bough,  having 
her  body  concealed  by  the  dense  foliage. 

When  the  merchant  came  up  with  his  servants  he  saw  the 

1  A  man  of  low  caste,  now  called  Dom.     They  officiate  as  executioners. 

2  Cf.  the  way  in  which  the  widow's  son,  the  shifty  lad,  treats  Black  Rogue 
in  Campbell's  Tales  of  the  Western  Highlands.     (Tale  xvii  a1.,  Orient  und  Occident, 

vol.  ii,  p.  303.) Cf.  Parker's  Village  Folk-Tales  of  Ceylon,  vol.  iii,  p.  346  et 

seq.9  and  Benfey,  PaTichatantra,  i,  p.  609. — n.m.p. 


158  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

Domba  hanging  by  his  neck,  but  Siddhikari  was  nowhere  to 
be  seen.  Immediately  one  of  his  servants  said,  "  I  wonder 
whether  she  has  got  up  this  tree,"  and  proceeded  to  ascend 
it  himself.  Then  Siddhikari  said  :  "I  have  always  loved 
you,  and  now  you  have  climbed  up  where  I  am,  so  all  this 
wealth  is  at  your  disposal,  handsome  man ;  come  and  embrace 
me."  So  she  embraced  the  merchant's  servant,  and  as  she 
was  kissing  his  mouth  she  bit  off  the  fool's  tongue.  He,  over- 
come with  pain,  fell  from  that  tree,  spitting  blood  from  his 
mouth,  uttering  some  indistinct  syllables,  which  sounded  like 
"  Lalalla."  When  he  saw  that,  the  merchant  was  terrified, 
and  supposing  that  his  servant  had  been  seized  by  a  demon, 
he  fled  from  that  place,  and  went  to  his  own  house  with  his 
attendants.  Then  Siddhikari,  the  female  ascetic,  equally 
frightened,  descended  from  the  top  of  the  tree,  and  brought 
home  with  her  all  that  wealth.  Such  a  person  is  my  pupil, 
distinguished  for  her  great  discernment,  and  it  is  in  this  way, 
my  sons,  that  I  have  obtained  wealth  by  her  kindness. 

8.  Story  of  Devasmitd 

When  she  had  said  this  to  the  young  merchants  the 
female  ascetic  showed  to  them  her  pupil,  who  happened  to 
come  in  at  that  moment,  and  said  to  them  :  "  Now,  my 
sons,  tell  me  the  real  state  of  affairs — what  woman  do  you 
desire  ?  I  will  quickly  procure  her  for  you."  When  they 
heard  that  they  said  :  "  Procure  us  an  interview  with  the 
wife  of  the  merchant  Guhasena  named  Devasmita."  When 
she  heard  that,  the  ascetic  undertook  to  manage  that  business 
for  them,  and  she  gave  those  young  merchants  her  own  house 
to  reside  in.  Then  she  gratified  the  servants  at  Guhasena's 
house  with  gifts  of  sweetmeats  and  other  things,  and  after- 
wards entered  it  with  her  pupil.  Then,  as  she  approached 
the  private  rooms  of  Devasmita,  a  bitch,  that  was  fastened 
there  with  a  chain,  would  not  let  her  come  near,  but  opposed 
her  entrance  in  the  most  determined  way.  Then  Devasmita 
seeing  her,  of  her  own  accord  sent  a  maid,  and  had  her 
brought  in,  thinking  to  herself:  "  What  can  this  person  be 
come  for  ?  "      After  she  had  entered,  the  wicked  ascetic  gave 


THE  WEEPING  BITCH  159 

Devasmita  her  blessing,  and,  treating  the  virtuous  woman  with 
affected  respect,  said  to  her  :  u  I  have  always  had  a  desire  to 
see  you,  but  to-day  I  saw  you  in  a  dream,  therefore  I  have 
come  to  visit  you  with  impatient  eagerness ;  and  my  mind  is 
afflicted  at  beholding  you  separated  from  your  husband,  for 
beauty  and  youth  are  wasted  when  one  is  deprived  of  the 
society  of  one's  beloved."  With  this  and  many  other  speeches 
of  the  same  kind  she  tried  to  gain  the  confidence  of  the  virtu- 
ous woman  in  a  short  interview,  and  then  taking  leave  of  her 
she  returned  to  her  own  house. 

On  the  second  day  she  took  with  her  a  piece  of  meat  full 
of  pepper  dust,  and  went  again  to  the  house  of  Devasmita, 
and  there  she  gave  that  piece  of  meat  to  the  bitch  at  the 
door,  and  the  bitch  gobbled  it  up,  pepper  and  all.  Then 
owing  to  the  pepper  dust  the  tears  flowed  in  profusion 
from  the  animal's  eyes,  and  her  nose  began  to  run.  And 
the  cunning  ascetic  immediately  went  into  the  apartment  of 
Devasmita,  who  received  her  hospitably,  and  began  to  cry. 
When  Devasmita  asked  her  why  she  shed  tears  she  said  with 
affected  reluctance  :  "  My  friend,  look  at  this  bitch  weeping 
outside  here.1  This  creature  recognised  me  to-day  as  having 
been  its  companion  in  a  former  birth,  and  began  to  weep  ; 
for  that  reason  my  tears  gushed  through  pity."  When  she 
heard  that,  and  saw  that  bitch  outside  apparently  weeping, 
Devasmita  thought  for  a  moment  to  herself :  "  What  can  be 
the  meaning  of  this  wonderful  sight  ?  "  Then  the  ascetic  said 
to  her  :  "  My  daughter,  in  a  former  birth  I  and  that  bitch 
were  the  two  wives  of  a  certain  Brahman.  And  our  husband 
frequently  went  about  to  other  countries  on  embassies  by 
order  of  the  king.  Now  while  he  was  away  from  home  I 
lived  with  other  men  at  my  pleasure,  and  so  did  not  cheat 
the  elements,  of  which  I  was  composed,  and  my  senses,  of 
their  lawful  enjoyment.  For  considerate  treatment  of  the 
elements  and  senses  is  held  to  be  the  highest  duty.  There- 
fore I  have  been  born  in  this  birth  with  a  recollection  of 
my  former  existence.  But  she  in  her  former  life,  through 
ignorance,  confined  all  her  attention  to  the  preservation  of  her 
character,  therefore  she  has  been  degraded  and  born  again 

1  See  the  second  note  at  the  end  of  this  chapter. — n.m.p. 


160  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

as  one  of  the  canine  race ;  however,  she  too  remembers  her 
former  birth." 

The  wise  Devasmita  said  to  herself:  "  This  is  a  novel  con- 
ception of  duty  ;  no  doubt  this  woman  has  laid  a  treacherous 
snare  for  me  "  ;  and  so  she  said  to  her  :  "  Reverend  lady,  for 
this  long  time  I  have  been  ignorant  of  this  duty,  so  procure 
me  an  interview  with  some  charming  man."  Then  the  ascetic 
said  :  "  There  are  residing  here  some  young  merchants  that 
have  come  from  another  country,  so  I  will  bring  them  to  you." 
When  she  had  said  this  the  ascetic  returned  home  delighted, 
and  Devasmita  of  her  own  accord  said  to  her  maids  :  "  No 
doubt  those  scoundrelly  young  merchants,  whoever  they  may 
be,  have  seen  that  unfading  lotus  in  the  hand  of  my  husband, 
and  have  on  some  occasion  or  other,  when  he  was  drinking 
wine,  asked  him  out  of  curiosity  to  tell  the  whole  story  of  it, 
and  have  now  come  here  from  that  island  to  seduce  me,  and 
this  wicked  ascetic  is  employed  by  them.  So  bring  quickly 
some  wine  mixed  with  Datura,1  and  when  you  have  brought 
it,  have  a  dog's  foot  of  iron  made  as  quickly  as  possible." 

When  Devasmita  had  given  these  orders,  the  maids  exe- 
cuted them  faithfully,  and  one  of  the  maids,  by  her  orders, 
dressed  herself  up  to  resemble  her  mistress.  The  ascetic  for  her 
part  chose  out  of  the  party  of  four  merchants  (each  of  whom 
in  his  eagerness  said  :  "  Let  me  go  first  ")  one  individual,  and 
brought  him  with  her.  And  concealing  him  in  the  dress  of 
her  pupil,  she  introduced  him  in  the  evening  into  the  house 
of  Devasmita,  and  coming  out,  disappeared.  Then  that  maid 
who  was  disguised  as  Devasmita  courteously  persuaded  the 
young  merchant  to  drink  some  of  that  wine  drugged  with 
Datura.  That  liquor,2  like  his  own  immodesty,  robbed  him 
of  his  senses,  and  then  the  maids  took  away  his  clothes 
and  other  equipments  and  left  him  stark  naked;  then  they 
branded  him  on  the  forehead  with  the  mark  of  a  dog's  foot,3 

1  Datura  is  still  employed,  I  believe,  to  stupefy  people  whom  it  is  thought 
desirable  to  rob. 

2  I  read  iva  for  the  eva  of  Dr  Brockhaus'  text. 

3  Cf.  the  incident  in  the  Persian  story  of  the  u  Gul-i-Bakawall,"  or  the 
u  Rose  of  Bakawall"  (Clouston,  A  Group  of  Eastern  Romances  and  Stories,  1889, 
pp.  269  and  287),  where  the  courtesan  Dilbar  brands  the  four  wicked  brothers 
of  Taj  ul-Muluk  in  the  same  way  as  in  our  text. — n.m.p. 


THE  FOUR  MERCHANTS  HUMILIATED       161 

and  during  the  night  took  him  and  pushed  him  into  a  ditch 
full  of  filth.  Then  he  recovered  consciousness  in  the  last 
watch  of  the  night,  and  found  himself  plunged  in  a  ditch,  as 
it  were  the  hell  Avichi  assigned  to  him  by  his  sins.  Then  he 
got  up  and  washed  himself  and  went  to  the  house  of  the  female 
ascetic,  in  a  state  of  nature,  feeling  with  his  fingers  the  mark 
on  his  forehead.  And  when  he  got  there  he  told  his  friends 
that  he  had  been  robbed  on  the  way,  in  order  that  he  might 
not  be  the  only  person  made  ridiculous.  And  the  next  morn- 
ing he  sat  with  a  cloth  wrapped  round  his  branded  forehead, 
giving  as  an  excuse  that  he  had  a  headache  from  keeping 
awake  so  long  and  drinking  too  much.  In  the  same  way 
the  next  young  merchant  was  maltreated  when  he  got  to  the 
house  of  Devasmita,  and  when  he  returned  home  naked  he 
said  :  "  I  put  on  my  ornaments  there,  and  as  I  was  coming 
out  I  was  plundered  by  robbers."  In  the  morning  he  also,  on 
the  plea  of  a  headache,  put  a  wrapper  on  to  cover  his  branded 
forehead. 

In  the  same  way  all  the  four  young  merchants  suffered 
in  turns  branding  and  other  humiliating  treatment,  though 
they  concealed  the  fact.  And  they  went  away  from  the 
place  without  revealing  to  the  female  Buddhist  ascetic  the 
ill  treatment  they  had  experienced,  hoping  that  she  would 
suffer  in  a  similar  way. 

On  the  next  day  the  ascetic  went  with  her  disciple  to 
the  house  of  Devasmita,  much  delighted  at  having  accom- 
plished what  she  undertook  to  do.  Then  Devasmita  received 
her  courteously,  and  made  her  drink  wine  drugged  with 
Datura,  offered  as  a  sign  of  gratitude.  When  she  and  her 
disciple  were  intoxicated  with  it,  that  chaste  wife  cut  off 
their  ears  and  noses  and  flung  them  also  into  a  filthy  pool. 
And  being  distressed  by  the  thought  that  perhaps  these 
young  merchants  might  go  and  slay  her  husband,  she  told 
the  whole  circumstance  to  her  mother-in-law.  Then  her 
mother-in-law  said  to  her:  "My  daughter,  you  have  acted 
nobly,  but  possibly  some  misfortune  may  happen  to  my  son 
in  consequence  of  what  you  have  done."  Then  Devasmita 
said:  "I  will  deliver  him  even  as  Saktimati  in  old  time 
delivered  her  husband  by  her  wisdom."    Her  mother-in-law 


162  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

asked  :   "  How  did  Saktimati  deliver  her  husband  ?    Tell  me, 
my  daughter."   Then  Devasmita  related  the  following  story  : 

8b.  Saktimati  and  her  Husband 

In  our  country,  within  the  city,  there  is  the  shrine  of 
a  powerful  Yaksha  named  Manibhadra,  established  by  our 
ancestors.  The  people  there  come  and  make  petitions  at  this 
shrine,  offering  various  gifts,  in  order  to  obtain  various  bless- 
ings. Whenever  a  man  is  found  at  night  with  another  man's 
wife,  he  is  placed  with  her  within  the  inner  chamber  of  the 
Yaksha's  temple.  And  in  the  morning  he  is  taken  away  from 
thence  with  the  woman  to  the  king's  court,  and  his  behaviour 
being  made  known,  he  is  punished.  Such  is  the  custom. 
Once  on  a  time  in  that  city  a  merchant,  of  the  name  of  Samu- 
dradatta,  was  found  by  a  city  guard  in  the  company  of 
another  man's  wife.  So  he  took  him  and  placed  him  with 
the  woman  in  that  temple  of  the  Yaksha,  fastening  the  door 
firmly.  And  immediately  the  wise  and  devoted  wife  of  that 
merchant,  whose  name  was  Saktimati,  came  to  hear  of  the 
occurrence ;  then  that  resolute  woman,  disguising  herself, 
went  confidently  at  night  to  the  temple  of  the  Yaksha, 
accompanied  by  her  friends,  taking  with  her  offerings  for  the 
god.  When  she  arrived  there  the  priest  whose  business  it 
was  to  eat  the  offerings,  through  desire  for  a  fee,  opened  the 
door  to  let  her  enter,  informing  the  magistrate  of  what  he 
had  done.  And  she,  when  she  got  inside,  saw  her  husband 
looking  sheepish,  with  a  woman,  and  she  made  the  woman 
put  on  her  own  dress,  and  told  her  to  go  out.  So  that  woman 
went  out  in  her  dress  by  night,  and  got  off,  but  Saktimati 
remained  in  the  temple  with  her  husband.  And  when  the 
king's  officers  came  in  the  morning  to  examine  the  merchant, 
he  was  seen  by  all  to  be  in  the  company  of  his  own  wife.1 

1  A  precisely  similar  story  occurs  in  the  Bahdr-i-Bdnish.  The  turn  of 
the  chief  incident,  although  not  the  same,  is  similar  to  that  of  nov.  vii, 
part  iv,  of  Bandello's  Novelle,  or  the  Accorio  Avvedimento  di  una  Fantesca  a 
liberate  la  padrona  e  I'innamorato  di  quella  de  la  morte.  (Wilson's  Essays,  vol.  i, 
p.  224.)  Cf.  also  the  Mongolian  version  of  the  story  in  Sagas  from  the  Far  East, 
p.  320.  The  story  of  Saktimati  is  the  nineteenth  in  the  Suka  Saptati.  I  have 
been  presented  by  Professor  Nilmani  Mukhopadhyaya  with  a  copy  of  a  MS.  of 


DEVASMITA'S  REVENGE  163 

When  he  heard  that,  the  king  dismissed  the  merchant  from 
the  temple  of  the  Yaksha,  as  it  were  from  the  mouth  of  death, 
and  punished  the  chief  magistrate.  So  Saktimati  in  old  time 
delivered  her  husband  by  her  wisdom,  and  in  the  same  way  I 
will  go  and  save  my  husband  by  my  discretion. 


8.  Story  of  Devasmitd 

So  the  wise  Devasmita  said  in  secret  to  her  mother-in- 
law,  and,  in  company  with  her  maids,  she  put  on  the  dress  of 
a  merchant.  Then  she  embarked  on  a  ship,  on  the  pretence 
of  a  mercantile  expedition,  and  came  to  the  country  of 
Kataha  where  her  husband  was.  And  when  she  arrived  there 
she  saw  that  husband  of  hers,  Guhasena,  in  the  midst  of  a 
circle  of  merchants,  like  consolation  in  external  bodily  form. 
He  seeing  her  afar  off  in  the  dress  of  a  man,1  as  it  were,  drank 
her  in  with  his  eyes,  and  thought  to  himself :  "  Who  may 
this  merchant  be  that  looks  so  like  my  beloved  wife  ?  "  So 
Devasmita  went  and  represented  to  the  king  that  she  had  a 
petition  to  make,  and  asked  him  to  assemble  all  his  subjects. 
Then  the  king,  full  of  curiosity,  assembled  all  the  citizens,  and 
said  to  that  lady  disguised  as  a  merchant :  "  What  is  your 
petition  ?  "  Then  Devasmita  said  :  "  There  are  residing  here 
in  your  midst  four  slaves  of  mine  who  have  escaped,  let  the 
king  make  them  over  to  me."  Then  the  king  said  to  her  : 
"  All  the  citizens  are  present  here,  so  look  at  every  one  in 
order  to  recognise  him,  and  take  those  slaves  of  yours."  Then 
she  seized  upon  the  four  young  merchants,  whom  she  had 
before  treated  in  such  a  humiliating  way  in  her  house,  and 
who  had  wrappers  bound  round  their  heads.  Then  the 
merchants,  who  were  there,  flew  in  a  passion,  and  said  to  her  : 
"  These  are  the  sons  of  distinguished  merchants,  how  then 
can  they  be  your  slaves  ?  "    Then  she  answered  them  :    "If 

this  work  made  by  Babu  Umesa  Chandra  Gupta. See  also  the  "  Tale  of  the 

Goldsmith"  in  Hatirris  Tales,  Stein  and  Grierson,  1923,  p.  27,  with  Crooke's 
notes  on  p.  xxxiv.  A  good  variant  occurs  in  the  Nights  (Burton,  Supp.,  vol.  v, 
p.  335  et  seq.). — n.m.p. 

1  Cf.  the  "  Story  of  the  Chest "  in  Campbell's  Stories  from  the  Western 
Highlands.  It  is  the  first  story  in  the  second  volume  and  contains  one  or 
two  incidents  which  remind  us  of  this  story. 


164  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

you  do  not  believe  what  I  say,  examine  their  foreheads,  which 
I  marked  with  a  dog's  foot."  They  consented,  and  removing 
the  head- wrappers  of  these  four,  they  all  beheld  the  dog's  foot 
on  their  foreheads.  Then  all  the  merchants  were  abashed, 
and  the  king,  being  astonished,  himself  asked  Devasmita  what 
all  this  meant.  She  told  the  whole  story,  and  all  the  people 
burst  out  laughing,  and  the  king  said  to  the  lady  :  "  They  are 
your  slaves  by  the  best  of  titles."  Then  the  other  merchants 
paid  a  large  sum  of  money  to  that  chaste  wife  to  redeem 
those  four  from  slavery,  and  a  fine  to  the  king's  treasury. 
Devasmita  received  that  money,  and  recovered  her  husband, 
and  being  honoured  by  all  good  men,  returned  to  her  own 
city  Tamralipta,  and  she  was  never  afterwards  separated 
from  her  beloved. 


[M]  "  Thus,  O  queen,  women  of  good  family  ever  worship 
their  husbands  with  chaste  and  resolute  behaviour,7  and 
never  think  of  any  other  man,  for  to  virtuous  wives  the 
husband  is  the  highest  deity."  When  Vasavadatta  on  the 
journey  heard  this  noble  story  from  the  mouth  of  Vasantaka 
she  got  over  the  feeling  of  shame  at  having  recently  left  her 
father's  house,  and  her  mind,  which  was  previously  attached 
by  strong  affection  to  her  husband,  became  so  fixed  upon  him 
as  to  be  entirely  devoted  to  his  service. 

1  I  read  mahakulodgatah. 


THE  "  CHASTITY  INDEX  "  MOTIF  165 


1.  NOTE  ON  THE  "CHASTITY  INDEX"  MOTIF 

Compare  the  rose  garland  in  the  story  of  "The  Wright's  Chaste  Wife," 
edited  for  the  Early  English  Text  Society  by  Frederick  J.  Furnivall,  especially 
lines  58  et  seq  : 

"  Wete  thou  wele  withowtyn  fable 

Alle  the  whyle  thy  wife  is  stable 

The  chaplett  wolle  holde  hewe  ; 

And  yf  thy  wyfe  use  putry 

Or  tolle  eny  man  to  lye  her  by 

Then  wolle  yt  change  hewe, 

And  by  the  garland  thou  may  see, 

Fekylle  or  fals  yf  that  sche  be, 

Or  elles  yf  she  be  true." 

See  also  note  in  Wilson's  Essags  on  Sanskrit  Literature,  vol.  i,  p.  218.  He 
tells  us  that  in  Perceforest  the  lily  of  the  Kathd  Sarit  Sagara  is  represented  by 
a  rose.  In  Amadis  de  Gaula  it  is  a  garland  which  blooms  on  the  head  of  her 
that  is  faithful,  and  fades  on  the  brow  of  the  inconstant.  In  Les  Contes  a  Rire 
it  is  also  a  flower.  In  Ariosto  the  test  applied  to  both  male  and  female  is 
a  cup,  the  wine  of  which  is  spilled  by  the  unfaithful  lover.  This  fiction  also 
occurs  in  the  romances  of  Tristan,  Perceval  and  La  Morte  d'  Arthur ,  and  is  well 
known  by  La  Fontaine's  version,  La  Coupe  Enchantee.  In  La  Lai  du  Corn  it  is 
a  drinking-horn.  Spenser  has  derived  his  girdle  of  Florimel  from  these  sources, 
or  more  immediately  from  the  Fabliau,  "  Le  Manteau  mal  taille  "  or  "  Le  Court 
Mantel,"  an  English  version  of  which  is  published  in  Percy's  Reliques,  u  The 
Boy  and  the  Mantle  "  (Book  III),  where  in  the  case  of  Sir  Kay's  lady  we  read  : 

"  When  she  had  tane  the  mantle 
with  purpose  for  to  wear, 
It  shrunk  up  to  her  shoulder 
and  left  her  backside  bare." 

In  the  Gesta  Romanorum  (chap,  lxix)  the  test  is  the  whimsical  one  of  a 
shirt,  which  will  neither  require  washing  nor  mending  as  long  as  the  wearer 
is  constant  (not  the  wearer  only,  but  the  wearer  and  his  wife).  Davenant  has 
substituted  an  emerald  for  a  flower  : 

"  The  bridal  stone, 
And  much  renowned,  because  it  chasteness  loves, 
And  will,  when  worn  by  the  neglected  wife, 
Shew  when  her  absent  lord  disloyal  proves 
By  faintness  and  a  pale  decay  of  life." 

I  may  remark  that  there  is  a  certain  resemblance  in  this  story  to  that  of 
Shakespeare's  Cymbeline,  which  is  founded  on  the  ninth  story  of  the  second 
day  in  The  Decameron,  and  to  the  seventh  story  in  Gonzenbach's  Sicilianische 


166  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

Marchen.  See  also  "  The  King  of  Spain  and  his  Queen  "  in  Thorpe's  Yule-tide 
Stories,  pp.  452-455.  Thorpe  remarks  that  the  tale  agrees  in  substance  with 
the  ballad  of  the  "  Graf  Von  Rom"  in  Uhland,  ii,  784 ;  and  with  the  Flemish 
story  of  "Ritter  Alexander  aus  Metz  und  seine  Frau  Florentina."  In  the 
twenty-first  of  Bandello's  novels  the  test  is  a  mirror  (Liebrecht's  Dunlop, 
p.  287).  See  also  pp.  85  and  86  of  Liebrecht's  Dunlop,  with  the  notes  at  the 
end  of  the  volume. 

In  considering  the  "Tests  of  Chastity,"  or  "Faith  Token"  motif,  as 
E.  S.  Hartland  prefers  to  call  it,  we  should  be  careful  to  differentiate 
from  other  motifs  which  are  rather  similar.  In  the  motif  with  which  we  are 
here  concerned  the  usual  details  are :  The  husband  is  going  abroad,  leav- 
ing behind  a  beautiful  wife.  Both  are  in  love  with  each  other,  but  are  not 
unmindful  of  the  adage,  "Out  of  sight,  out  of  mind,"  so  they  arrange  that  one 
of  them  (or  both)  should  have  a  magical  article  to  serve  as  an  index  to  their 
actions. 

Closely  allied  to  this  idea  is  that  where  the  services  of  a  chaste  woman 
or  a  virgin  are  required.  Thus  in  Chapter  XXXVI  of  the  Ocean  of  Story  only 
a  chaste  woman  could  raise  up  the  fallen  elephant.  As  we  shall  see  later  in  a 
note  to  that  story,  there  are  many  variants  of  this  motif 

Finally  there  is  the  "Act  of  Truth"  motif  (ably  discussed  by  Burlingame 
in  the  Journ.  Roy.  Asiat.  Soc.,  July  1917,  p.  429  et  seq.),  which  at  times  practically 
coincides  with  that  mentioned  immediately  above.  An  "act  of  truth"  is  a 
declaration  of  fact  accompanied  by  a  desire  for  a  certain  thing  to  happen  in 
proof  of  the  declaration  being  true.  Thus  in  making  the  elephant  rise  up 
(see  above)  the  chaste  woman  says :  "  If  I  have  not  ever  thought  in  my  mind  of 
any  other  man  than  my  husband,  may  it  rise  up."  As  the  declaration  is  the 
absolute  truth,  the  elephant  rises  immediately.  But  the  "act  of  truth"  need 
not  necessarily  have  any  connection  with  chastity,  as  numerous  examples  (to 
be  quoted  in  Chapter  XXXVI)  will  show.  Thus  the  elephant  incident  is  both 
a  "  test  of  chastity  "  and  "act  of  truth  "  motif 

In  the  method  of  leaving  behind  flowers  (or  other  articles)  which  show  the 
chastity  of  the  absentee,  or  of  the  lady  left  at  home,  I  would,  therefore,  not 
call  the  motif  "  Test  of  Chastity,"  as  there  is  really  no  test  used  at  all.  The  test 
is  used  in  the  "  Act  of  Truth  "  motif  where,  as  explained  above,  it  may  be  a 
chastity  test  or  any  other  sort  of  test. 

The  name  "  Faith  Token "  is  an  improvement,  but  I  think  "  Chastity 
Index  "  is  the  most  suitable. 

Thus  the  three  varieties  would  be  : 

1.  Chastity  Index.  Where  an  object  by  some  mystical  power  records  the 
chastity  of  an  absent  person. 

2.  Test  of  Chastity.  Where  a  person  is  ready  to  put  his  or  her  chastity 
to  the  test,  thereby  achieving  some  wish  or  rendering  some  help  in  an 
emergency. 

3.  Act  of  Truth.  Where  the  power  of  a  simple  truthful  declaration  (of 
whatever  nature)  causes  the  accomplishment  of  some  wish  or  resolution. 

In  several  cases  a  person  before  setting  out  on  a  dangerous  journey  will 
leave  an  object  which  will  show  if  that  person  is  hurt  or  killed.     This  idea 


THE  "CHASTITY  INDEX"  MOTIF  167 

dates  from  Ptolemaic  times,  where,  in  the  "  Veritable  History  of  Satni-Khamois," 
Tnahsit  has  to  go  to  Egypt,  and  says  to  his  mother  :  "  If  I  am  vanquished,  when 
thou  drinkest  or  when  thou  eatest,  the  water  will  become  the  colour  of  blood 
before  thee,  the  provisions  will  become  the  colour  of  blood  before  thee,  the 
sky  will  become  the  colour  of  blood  before  thee."  While  even  earlier,  in  the 
nineteenth  dynasty,  the  misfortune  of  an  absent  brother  will  be  shown  to 
the  one  at  home  by  his  beer  throwing  up  froth  and  his  wine  becoming  thick. 
This  motif  is  clearly  the  passive  side  of  the  "  Life  Index "  motif  (see  my 
note  on  p.  129)  and  has  been  classified  as  such  by  Dr  Ruth  Norton  (Studies  in 
Honor  of  Maurice  Bloomfield,  p.  220). 

In  view  of  the  above  classification  we  find  that  certain  incidents  which 
at  first  sight  seem  to  be  variants  of  the  motif  in  our  text  come  under  "Tests 
of  Chastity"  and  are  not  examples  of  the  "Chastity  Index."  Thus  Zayn 
al-Asnam  (Burton,  Nights,  Supp.,  vol.  iii,  p.  23)  has  a  mirror  which  tests  the 
virtue  of  women  who  look  into  it,  remaining  clear  if  they  are  pure,  and  be- 
coming dull  if  they  are  not  (rather  like  "  Le  Court  Mantel"  already  mentioned). 
Similarly,  the  cup  which  Oberon,  King  of  the  Fairies,  gave  to  the  Duke  Huon 
of  Bordeaux  immediately  filled  itself  with  wine  when  held  in  the  hand  of  a 
man  of  noble  character,  but  remained  empty  when  in  that  of  a  sinner.  Both 
of  these  are  examples  of  the  "  Tests  of  Chastity "  motif  and  not  of  the 
u  Chastity  Index." 

Apart  from  the  examples  of  the  "Chastity  Index"  motif  already  given  at 
the  beginning  of  this  note  a  few  more  can  be  added. 

As  both  Clouston  and  Hartland  have  noticed,  it  is  quite  possible  that 
"The  Wright's  Chaste  Wife"  suggested  to  Massinger  the  idea  of  the  plot  of 
his  comedy  of  The  Picture  (printed  in  1630),  where  a  Bohemian  knight, 
Mathias  by  name,  is  given  a  picture  by  his  friend  Baptista,  which  will  serve  as 
an  index  to  his  (the  knight's)  wife's  behaviour  while  away  at  the  wars.  The 
picture  is  of  the  wife  herself,  and  Baptista  explains  its  properties,  saying  : 

"  Carry  it  still  about  you,  and  as  oft 
As  you  desire  to  know  how  she's  affected, 
With  curious  eyes  peruse  it.     While  it  keeps 
The  figure  it  has  now  entire  and  perfect, 
She  is  not  only  innocent  in  fact 
But  unattempted  ;  but  if  once  it  vary 
From  the  true  form,  and  what's  now  white  and  red 
Incline  to  yellow,  rest  most  confident 
She's  with  all  violence  courted,  but  unconquered ; 
But  if  it  turn  all  black,  'tis  an  assurance 
The  fort  by  composition  or  surprise 
Is  forced,  or  with  her  free  consent  surrendered." 

As  readers  will  have  noticed,  it  often  happens  that  a  story  combines  the 
"  Entrapped  Suitors"  motif  and  that  of  the  "Chastity  Index."  Thus  several 
of  the  tales  mentioned  in  my  note  to  the  story  of  "  Upakosa.  and  her  Four 
Lovers"    (pp.   42-44)   occur   again  here.     Moreover,  the  second  part  of  the 


168  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

present  story  may  be  looked  upon  as  a  variant  of  the  "Entrapped  Suitors" 
motif.     It  will  be  discussed  in  the  next  note. 

An  example  of  a  story  embodying  both  motifs  is  found  in  the  Persian 
Tutl-Nama  (fourth  night  of  the  India  Office  MS.,  No.  2573).  It  bears  quite 
a  strong  resemblance  to  the  tale  of  Devasmita.  A  soldier  receives  a  nosegay 
from  his  wife  on  parting  which  is  an  index  of  her  chastity.  The  husband 
enters  the  service  of  a  nobleman,  who  learns  the  history  of  the  unfading 
flowers.  For  a  joke  he  sends  one  of  his  servants  to  tempt  the  wife  to  be 
unfaithful.  He  fails,  so  a  second  servant  is  sent,  who  likewise  fails — both 
being  entrapped  by  the  wife.  Finally  the  nobleman  himself,  in  company 
with  many  retainers,  including  the  husband,  visit  the  wife.  She  receives  them 
most  courteously  and  his  own  servants  are  made  to  wait  upon  him  at  supper. 
The  nobleman  apologises  for  his  behaviour  and  all  is  well. 

For  a  detailed  list  of  chastity  articles  see  Chauvin,  Bibliographie  des 
Ouvrages  Arabes,  vii,  pp.  167-1 69.  See  also  Swynnerton,  Indian  Nights 
Entertainments ,  p.  335. 

Both  Burton  and  Clouston  mention  an  incident  in  the  Pentamerone  where 
a  fairy  gives  each  of  a  king's  three  daughters  a  ring,  which  would  break  if 
they  became  immoral.  I  have  failed  to  find  this,  but  suspect  a  mistake,  as  in 
the  third  diversion  of  the  fourth  day  Queen  Grazolla  gives  a  ring  to  each  of 
her  three  daughters,  saying  that  if  parted  from  each  other,  on  meeting  again, 
or  meeting  any  of  their  relations  at  any  time,  they  would  always  be  able  to 
recognise  them  (however  changed  or  altered)  by  the  virtue  of  the  rings. 
Thus  it  has  no  bearing  on  our  note  at  all. 

The  mystic  connection  between  the  absent  person  and  an  object  left 
behind  is  fully  believed  in  by  certain  peoples.  Thus  in  Peru  the  husband 
knots  a  branch  of  Euphorbia  before  leaving  home.  If  on  his  return  the 
knots  are  withered  it  is  a  sign  that  his  wife  has  been  unfaithful  (Zeitschrift  fur 
Ethnologie,  vol.  xxxvii,  p.  439). 

In  the  course  of  his  researches  among  the  Indians  in  the  Vera  Paz, 
Guatemala,  Mr  Fenton  was  told  that  when  a  husband  goes  into  the  bush 
to  trap  animals  the  wife  is  not  expected  to  leave  her  hut  to  greet  a  visitor, 
but  to  coax  him  to  come  into  the  room  in  the  same  way  as  she  hopes  the 
animals  are  being  coaxed  into  her  husband's  trap. 

If,  however,  the  husband  is  away  shooting  (pursuing),  the  wife  on  seeing 
her  visitor  will  leave  her  hut  and  go  after  him  to  greet  him. 

Should  the  absent  husband  see  two  monkeys  making  love,  he  goes 
straight  home  and  beats  his  wife,  taking  it  for  granted  that  she  has  been 
unfaithful  to  him. 

At  Siena  formerly  (says  Hartland)  a  maiden  who  wished  to  know  how 
her  love  progressed  kept  and  tended  a  plant  of  rue.  If  it  withered  it  was  a 
sign  that  her  lover  had  deceived  her  (Archivio,  1891,  vol.  x,  p.  30). 

Various  methods  of  finding  by  means  of  different  articles  whether  lovers 
are  true  exist  everywhere  and  many  examples  will  occur  to  readers. — n.m.p. 


THE  "  BITCH  AND  PEPPER  "  INCIDENT      169 


2.  NOTE  ON  THE  SECOND  PART  OF  THE  STORY 
OF   DEVASMITA 

With  regard  to  the  incident  of  the  bitch  and  the  pepper  in  the  story 
of  Devasmita  see  the  note  in  the  first  volume  of  Wilson's  Essays  on  Sanskrit 
Literature.  He  says:  "This  incident  with  a  very  different  and  much  less 
moral  denouement  is  one  of  the  stories  in  the  Disciplina  Clericalis,  a  collection 
of  stories  professedly  derived  from  the  Arabian  fabulists  and  compiled  by 
Petrus  Alfonsus,  a  converted  Jew,  who  flourished  about  1106  and  was  godson 
to  Alfonso  I,  King  of  Aragon.  In  the  Analysis  prepared  by  Mr  Douce, 
this  story  is  the  twelfth,  and  is  entitled  'Stratagem  of  an  Old  Woman  in 
Favour  of  a  Young  Gallant.'  She  persuades  his  mistress,  who  had  rejected 
his  addresses,  that  her  little  dog  was  formerly  a  woman,  and  so  transformed 
in  consequence  of  her  cruelty  to  her  lover.  (Ellis'  Metrical  Romances,  i,  130.) 
This  story  was  introduced  into  Europe,  therefore,  much  about  the  time  at 
which  it  was  enrolled  among  the  contents  of  the  Brihat-Katha  in  Kashmir. 
The  metempsychosis  is  so  much  more  obvious  an  explanation  of  the  change 
of  forms  that  it  renders  it  probable  the  story  was  originally  Hindu.  It  was 
soon  copied  in  Europe,  and  occurs  in  Le  Grande  as  La  vieille  qui  seduisit  la 
jeune  Jille,  iii,  148  [ed.  Ill,  vol.  iv,  50].  The  parallel  is  very  close  and 
the  old  woman  gives  une  chienne  a  manger  des  choses  fortemcnt  saupoudrees  de 
seneve  qid  lid  picotait  le  palais  et  les  narines  et  F animal  larmoyait  beaucoup.  She 
then  shows  her  to  a  young  woman  and  tells  her  the  bitch  was  her  daughter. 
Son  malheur  fut  d 'avoir  le  cceur  dur ;  un  jeune  homme  Vawiait,  elle  le  rebuta.  Le 
malheureux  apres  avoir  tout  tente  pour  Uattendrir,  desespere  de  sa  durete  en  prit 
tant  de  chagrin  qu'il  tomba  malade  et  mound.  Dieu  I' a  bien  venge  ;  voyez  en  quel 
etat  pour  la  punir  il  a  reduit  ma  pauvrefllle,  et  comment  elle  pleure  sa  faute.  The 
lesson  was  not  thrown  away. 

"  The  story  occurs  also  in  the  Gesta  llomanorum  as  '  The  Old  Woman  and 
her  Dog'  [in  Bonn's  edition  it  is  tale  xxviii],  and  it  also  finds  a  place 
where  we  should  little  have  expected  to  find  it,  in  the  Promptuarium  of 
John  Herolt  of  Basil,  an  ample  repository  of  examples  for  composing  sermons  : 
the  compiler,  a  Dominican  friar,  professing  to  imitate  his  patron  saint,  who 
always  abundabat  exemplis  in  his  discourses."  (In  Bonn's  edition  we  are  told 
that  it  appears  in  an  English  garb  amongst  a  translation  of  iEsop's  Fables 
published  in  1658.)  Dr  Rost  refers  us  to  Th.  Wright,  Latin  Stories,  London, 
1842,  p.  218;  Loiseleur  Deslongchamps,  Essai  sur  les  Fables  Indiennes, 
Paris,  1838,  p.  106  et  seq. ;  F.  H.  Von  der  Hagen,  Gesammtabenteuer,  1850, 
I,  cxii  et  seq. ;  and  Griisse,  I,  i,  374  et  seq.  In  Gonzenbach's  Sicilianische 
Mdrchen,  No.  55,  vol.  i,  p.  359,  Epomata  plays  some  young  men  much  the 
same  trick  as  Devasmita,  and  they  try  in  much  the  same  way  to  conceal 
their  disgrace.     The  story  is  the  second  in  my  copy  of  the  Suka  Saptati. 

As  the  story  in  our  text  is  not  only  an  excellent  example  of  a  migratory 
tale,  but  one  on  which  the  effects  of  new  environment  are  plainly  discernible, 
I  shall  treat  the  second  part  of  the  story  of  Devasmita  at  some  length. 


170  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

The  incident  of  the  bitch  and  the  pepper  became  at  an  early  date  a 
common  motif  throughout  Eastern  collections  of  stories.  It  enters  into  every 
cycle  of  tales  dealing  with  the  deceits  and  tricks  of  women — such  a  favourite 
theme  in  the  East.  In  its  original  form  (in  the  Ocean  of  Story)  we  see  that 
the  denouement  is  much  more  moral  than  in  its  numerous  variants,  where  the 
wife  is  persuaded  by  the  wiles  of  the  bawd  and  grants  her  favours  to  the 
lover  who  is  introduced  into  her  house. 

In  the  Persian  Sindibad  Nama,  the  Syriac  Si?idban,  the  Greek  Syntipas  and 
the  Libro  de  los  Enganos  it  forms  the  fourth  vazir's  story,  but  in  the  Hebrew 
Sandabar  it  becomes  the  second  vazir's  story. 

In  the  Sindibad  Nama  the  third  vazir's  story  is  "  The  Libertine  Husband," 
in  which  an  old  man  is  married  to  a  young  and  beautiful  wife.  He  often 
goes  away  to  a  farm  outside  the  city,  when  his  wife  takes  advantage  of  his 
absence  and  meets  many  lovers.  One  day  the  old  husband,  instead  of  going 
straight  home,  calls  on  a  bawd  in  order  to  be  introduced  to  a  mistress.  The 
bawd  says  she  knows  the  very  woman,  and  leads  the  husband  to  his  own  wife. 
Being  a  very  clever  woman,  she  hides  her  own  confusion  and  makes  him 
believe  the  whole  thing  was  a  trick  to  expose  his  infidelity,  which  she  had 
long  suspected. 

Now  we  find  in  the  Arabic  versions  of  the  "bitch  and  pepper"  incident 
that  the  Persian  "  Libertine  Husband  "  story  has  been  worked  in  as  well,  with 
certain  slight  alterations.  Thus  in  the  Nights  (Burton,  vol.  vi,  pp.  152-156)  it 
appears  as  "  The  Wife's  Device  to  Cheat  her  Husband."  Here  both  husband  and 
wife  are  young  and  good-looking.  For  some  time  past  "  a  certain  lewd  youth 
and  an  obscene  "  has  been  casting  loving  glances  at  her,  and  accordingly  employs 
a  go-between  on  his  behalf.  The  husband  is  away  from  home  on  business  ;  the 
bawd  plays  the  "  bitch  and  pepper "  trick  with  such  success  that  she  agrees 
to  accept  the  attentions  of  the  youth.  All  is  arranged,  but  apparently  some 
accident  happens  to  the  youth,  as  he  fails  to  turn  up  at  the  appointed  time. 
The  bawd  has  been  promised  ten  dinars,  so  she  must  produce  some  young  man. 
She  is  in  despair  when  suddenly  "  her  eyes  fell  on  a  pretty  fellow,  young  and 
distinguished-looking."  She  approaches  him  and  asks  if  he  has  a  mind  to 
meat  and  drink  and  a  girl  adorned  and  ready.  He  is  accordingly  taken  to  the 
house  and  is  amazed  to  find  it  is  his  own.  The  wife  then  avoids  trouble  by 
pretending  the  whole  thing  is  a  trick. 

The  above  version  is  found  practically  unchanged  in  Nefzaoui's  Perfumed 
Garden,  p.  207  et  seq. 

In  the  TTdi-Nama  and  the  Suka  Saptati  the  "bitch  and  pepper"  incident 
is  absent,  only  the  u  libertine  husband  "  part  occurring.  In  another  tale  from 
the  Suka  Saptati  (ii,  p.  23  of  the  translation  by  R.  Schmidt,  1899)  we  have  a 
variant  of  the  "  bitch  and  pepper  "  story  alone.  Here  the  lady  is  the  wife  of 
a  prince ;  a  youth  becomes  enamoured  of  her,  and  his  mother,  seeing  the  ill 
effect  his  love  has  on  his  health,  manages  by  the  "  bitch  and  pepper  "  trick  to 
win  the  lady's  love  for  her  son. 

For  further  details  concerning  these  different  forms  of  this  motif  in  the 
various  Eastern  versions  reference  should  be  made  to  Comparetti's  Researches 
respecting  the  Book  of  Sindibad ,  pp.  47-49,  Folk- Lore  Society,  1882;  Clouston's 


THE  "  BITCH  AND  PEPPER  "  INCIDENT         171 

Book  of  Sindibad,  pp.  58,  6l  and  224?  et  seq. ;  and  Chauvin's  Bibliographie  des 
Outrages  Arabes,  viii,  pp.  45,  46,  where  under  "La  Chienne  qui  Pleure"  will 
be  found  numerous  references. 

In  the  old  German  poem  by  Konrad  of  Wiirtzburg  (Hagen,  Gesammtabenteuer, 
vol.  i,  No.  9)  called  "  The  Old  Wife's  Deception  "  is  an  almost  exact  imitation  of 
"  The  Libertine  Husband,"  except  that  it  is  the  old  bawd  who  entirely  on  her 
own  account  gets  the  two  chief  people  in  the  story  anxious  to  have  a  rendez- 
vous. Details  will  be  found  in  Lee,  The  Decameron,  its  Sources  and  Analogues, 
p.  81.  (He  also  gives  numerous  instances  of  the  wife  taking  the  place  of  the 
mistress.) 

The  idea  of  inducing  a  lady  to  take  a  lover  by  showing  her  the  unhappy 
results,  which  were  brought  about  in  the  case  of  another  woman  who  was 
too  particular  in  this  respect,  is  well  known  from  the  story  of  u  Nastagio  and 
the  Spectre  Horseman,"  which  forms  the  eighth  novel  of  the  fifth  day  of  The 
Decameron.  Here  Nastagio  fails  to  gain  the  love  of  a  damsel  of  the  Traversari 
family.  One  day  he  wanders  through  a  pine  wood  and  suddenly  hears  the 
cries  of  a  woman  in  distress.  He  looks  up  and  sees  a  nude  woman  being 
chased  by  two  huge  mastiffs  and  a  knight  in  armour  with  rapier  in  hand.  On 
attempting  to  defend  the  woman  he  is  told  that  when  alive  the  woman  had 
scorned  his  love  and  he  had  killed  himself.  When  the  woman  died  it  was 
decreed  that  she  would  be  ever  fleeing  before  him  and  his  love  would  be 
changed  to  hatred.  Two  dogs  would  help  in  the  pursuit,  who  would  bite  her 
in  pieces  and  tear  out  and  eat  her  cold  heart.  As  soon  as  this  is  done  the 
woman  becomes  whole  again  and  the  chase  goes  on.  Nastagio,  on  discovering 
the  phantom  horseman  will  be  in  the  pine  wood  again  on  the  following  Friday, 
arranges  for  the  Traversari  damsel  and  her  kinsfolk  to  breakfast  in  the  wood. 
In  the  middle  of  the  meal,  however,  the  company  is  thrown  into  confusion  by 
the  sudden  appearance  of  the  naked  woman,  the  dogs  and  the  knight.  The 
whole  scene  is  enacted  again.  Nastagio  explains  that  it  is  merely  a  case  of 
Heaven  fulfilling  its  decree.  The  maiden,  afraid  of  a  similar  fate,  looks 
favourably  on  Nastagio' s  suit. 

For  further  details  of  this  part  of  our  story  reference  should  be  made 
to  Lee,  op  cit.,  p.  169;  Keller,  Li  Romans  des  Sept  Sages,  Tubingen,  1836, 
p.  cxlvi ;  Gesla  Romanorum,  Oesterley,  p.  499,  No.  228  ;  and  Jacob's  Msop's 
Fables,  vol.  i,  p.  266. — n.m.p. 


172  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


S.  A  METRICAL  VERSION  OF  THE  "STORY  OF  DEVASMITA" 

The  following  metrical  version  of  the  "Story  of  Devasmita"  was  translated 
by  the  Rev.  B.  Hale  Wortham  and  printed  in  the  Journ.  Roy.  As.  Soc.t 
vol.  xvi,  N.S.,  1884,  pp.  1-12.  It  is  reproduced  here  in  full  by  kind 
permission  of  the  Royal  Asiatic  Society,  and  affords  an  interesting 
comparison  with  our  text. 

Upon  this  earth  a  famous  city  stands 

Called  Tamralipta ;  once  a  merchant  dwelt 

Within  that  town,  possessed  of  endless  wealth, 

Named  Dhanadatta.     Now  he  had  no  son. 

Therefore  with  all  due  reverence  he  called 

The  priests  together  ;  and  he  spoke  and  said  : — 

"  I  have  no  son  :  perform,  most  holy  Sirs  ! 

Such  rites  as  may  procure  for  me  a  son, 

Without  delay."     The  Brahmans  answering 

Said  :  "  This  indeed  is  easy  :  there  is  naught 

Impossible  to  Brahmans  by  the  means 

Of  sacred  rites  ordained  by  Holy  Writ. 

This  be  a  proof  to  you.     In  times  gone  by 

There  lived  a  king,  and  though  his  wives  surpassed 

By  five  a  hundred,  yet  he  had  no  son. 

At  last  a  son — the  fruit  of  sacrifice — 

Was  born  to  him  :  to  whom  they  gave  the  name 

Of  Santu  :  and  the  prince's  wives  were  filled 

With  joy  as  if  the  newly  risen  moon 

First  broke  upon  their  eyes.     It  happened  once 

The  child  was  crawling  on  the  ground, — an  ant 

Bit  him  upon  the  thigh ;  and  at  the  smart 

He  sobbed  and  cried.     Immediately  there  rose 

The  sound  of  woe,  and  lamentation  filled 

The  royal  palace,  while  the  king  himself 

Forgot  his  royal  state,  and  cried  aloud, 

'  My  son  !  my  son  ! '     Ere  long  the  child's  lament 

Was  pacified — the  ant  removed.     The  king, 

Reflecting  thus  upon  the  cause  which  led 

To  all  his  sorrow,  thought ;  '  My  heart  is  filled 

With  pain  because  I  have,  alas !  but  one, 

One  only  son.     Is  there,'  he  asked,  in  grief, 

'  Most  holy  Brahmans, — is  there  any  means 

By  which  innumerable  sons  may  be 

My  lot  ? '     They  answered  him,  '  There  is,  O  king, 

But  one  expedient.     Slay  this  thy  son, 

And  offer  up  his  flesh  a  sacrifice. 


THE  STORY  OF  DEVASMITA  173 

Thy  wives  shall  smell  the  savour  of  his  flesh 

Burnt  by  the  fire  :  so  shall  they  bear  thee  sons.' 

The  King,  obedient  to  the  Brahmans'  word, 

Strengthened  with  all  due  pomp  and  ritual, 

Offered  the  sacrifice  :  and  thus  ere  long 

Each  wife  bore  him  a  son.     So  too  will  we 

By  sacrifice  and  offering  procure 

A  son  for  you."     When  Dhanadatta  heard 

The  Brahmans,  then  the  sacrificial  fee 

He  gave,  and  they  performed  the  sacrifice  ; 

So  through  that  sacrifice  the  merchant  gained 

A  son,  named  Guhasena.     Time  went  on, 

The  boy  grew  up  and  Dhanadatta  sought 

A  wife  for  him.     So  then  the  father  went 

To  some  far  distant  country  with  his  son, 

On  the  pretence  of  traffic  :  but  in  truth 

To  get  his  son  a  bride.     And  there  he  begged 

One  Dharmagupta — held  in  high  repute 

Among  his  fellow-citizens — to  give 

His  daughter  Devasmita  as  a  bride 

To  Guhasena.     But  the  father  loved 

His  child,  nor  cared  that  she  should  be  allied 

With  one  whose  home  was  in  a  distant  land. 

But  Devasmita  saw  the  merchant's  son, 

And  at  the  sight  of  him,  so  richly  graced 

With  virtues,  lo !  her  heart  fled  from  her  grasp, 

Nor  thought  she  more  of  sire  or  home,  but  sent 

A  trusty  friend  to  tell  him  of  her  love. 

And  then,  leaving  her  native  land,  she  fled 

By  night  with  her  beloved.     So  they  came 

To  Tamralipta  :  and  the  youthful  pair 

Were  joined  in  wedlock,  while  their  hearts  were  knit 

Together  in  the  bonds  of  mutual  love. 

Then  Guhasena' s  father  passed  away 
From  earth  to  heaven :  and  kinsmen  urged  on  him 
A  journey  to  Kataha,  for  the  sake 
Of  merchandise.     But  Devasmita,  filled 
With  doubt, — fearing  her  husband's  constancy 
Might  fail,  attracted  by  another's  charms, 
Refused  to  listen  to  him  when  he  spoke 
Of  his  departure.     Guhasena's  mind 
Was  filled  with  doubt,  on  one  side  urged  by  friends 
To  go,  while  on  the  other  side  his  wife 
Was  hostile  to  his  journey.     Thus  what  course 
He  should  pursue — his  heart  intent  on  right — 
He  knew  not.     Therefore  to  the  god  he  went 
With  rigid  fast,  and  now,  hoping  to  find 


174  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

His  way  made  plain  before  him,  through  the  aid 

Of  the  Divinity  ;  and  with  him  went 

His  wife.     Then  in  a  dream  the  god  appeared 

With  two  red  lotuses  :  and  Siva  said — 

Placing  a  lotus  in  the  hand  of  each  : — 

"  Take  each  of  you  this  lotus  in  your  hand  ; 

If  in  your  separation  one  shall  be 

Unfaithful,  then  the  lotus  flower  shall  fade 

The  other  holds."     The  pair  awaking  saw 

The  lotus  blossom  in  each  other's  hand. 

And  as  they  gazed  it  seemed  as  though  each  held 

The  other's  heart.     Then  Guhasena  went 

Forth  on  his  journey,  bearing  in  his  hand 

The  crimson  lotus  :  while,  with  eyes  fast  fixed 

Upon  her  flower,  Devasmita  stayed 

At  home.     No  long  time  passed — in  Kataha 

Arrived  her  husband, — making  merchandise 

Of  jewels.     Now  it  happened  that  there  dwelt 

Four  merchants  in  that  country  :  when  they  saw 

The  unfading  lotus  ever  in  his  hand, 

Wonder  possessed  them.     So  by  stratagem 

They  brought  him  home,  and  put  before  him  wine 

In  measure  plentiful.     And  he,  deprived 

Of  mastery  o'er  his  sense,  through  drunkenness, 

Told  them  the  whole.     Then  those  four  merchants  planned, 

Like  rascals  as  they  were,  to  lead  astray 

The  merchant's  wife  through  curiosity. 

For  well  they  knew  that  Guhasena's  trade 

Would  keep  him  long  in  Kataha  engaged 

On  merchandise.     Therefore  they  left  in  haste 

And  secrecy — to  carry  out  their  plan, 

And  entered  Tamralipta.     There  they  sought 

Some  one  to  help  them,  and  at  last  they  found 

A  female  devotee,  dwelling  within 

The  sanctuary  of  Buddha  :  "  Honoured  dame  !  " 

They  said,  addressing  her  with  reverence, 

u  Wealth  shall  be  thine  in  plenty,  if  in  this 

Our  object  thou  wilt  grant  to  us  thy  help." 

"Doubtless,"  she  said,  "  some  woman  in  this  town 

Is  your  desire  :  tell  me  and  you  shall  gain 

Your  wish.     I  want  no  money  :  for  enough 

I  have,  through  Siddhikari's  care, — 

My  pupil  of  distinguished  cleverness, 

By  whose  beneficence  I  have  obtained 

Riches  untold."     "  We  pray  thee,  tell  us  now," 

Exclaimed  the  merchants,  "  how  these  riches  came 

To  thee  through  Siddhikarl."     "  Listen  then  ! " 


THE  STORY  OF  DEVASMITA  175 

Replied  the  devotee.     "  If  you,  my  sons, 

Desire  to  hear  it,  I  will  tell  the  tale : — 

Some  time  ago  a  certain  merchant  came 

Here  from  the  north,  and  while  within  this  town 

He  dwelt,  my  pupil,  meaning  treachery, 

Begged,  in  disguise,  the  post  of  serving  maid 

In  his  abode :  and  after  having  gained 

The  merchant's  confidence,  she  stole  away 

At  early  dawn,  and  carried  off  with  her 

The  merchant's  hoard  of  gold.     And  as  she  went 

Out  from  the  city,  flying  rapidly 

Through  fear,  a  certain  Domba  followed  her 

Bearing  his  drum,  on  plunder  bent.     At  length 

In  headlong  flight,  a  Nyagrodha  tree 

She  reached,  and  seeing  that  her  foe  was  close 

Behind  her,  putting  on  a  look  of  woe 

The  crafty  Siddhikari  said,  '  Alas  ! 

A  grievous  strife  of  jealousy  has  come 

Between  my  spouse  and  me,  therefore  my  home 

Have  I  forsaken,  and  I  fain  would  end 

My  life ;  therefore  I  pray  thee  make  a  noose 

That  I  may  hang  myself.'     The  Domba  thought, 

'  Nay  !  why  should  I  be  guilty  of  her  death  ? 

Nought  is  she  but  a  woman  !  let  her  hang 

Herself.'     And  therefore  tying  up  the  knot, 

He  fixed  it  firmly  for  her  to  the  tree. 

Then  said  she,  feigning  ignorance, ( This  noose — 

Where  do  you  place  it  ?     I  entreat  of  you 

To  show  me.'     Then  the  Domba  put  the  drum 

Upon  the  ground,  and  mounting  on  it,  tied 

Round  his  ov/n  neck  the  noose  ;  (  This  is  the  way, 

He  said,  '  we  do  the  job  ! '     Then,  with  a  kick, 

The  crafty  Siddhikari  smashed  the  drum 

To  atoms  :  and  the  thievish  Domba  hung 

Till  he  was  dead.     Just  then  in  view  there  came 

The  merchant,  seeking  for  his  stolen  gold. 

Standing  beneath  the  tree,  not  far  ahead, 

He  saw  his  servant  maid.     She  saw  him  too — 

Into  the  tree  she  climbed,  unseen  by  him, 

And  hid  among  the  leaves.     The  merchant  soon 

Arrived,  attended  by  his  serving  men. 

He  found  the  Domba  hanging  by  a  rope, 

But  as  for  Siddhikari,  nought  of  her 

Could  he  perceive.     One  of  his  servants  said  : 

f  What  think  you  ?     Has  she  climbed  into  this  tree  ? ' 

And  straightway  clambered  up.     Then  seeing  him, 

*  Ah  !  sir,'  said  Siddhikari,  f  now  indeed 


176  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

I  am  rejoiced  :  for  you  have  ever  been 

My  choice.     Take  all  this  wealth,  my  charming  friend, 

And  come  !  embrace  me  ! '     So  the  fool  was  caught 

By  Siddhikari' s  flattery  ;  and  she, 

Kissing  him  on  the  lips,  bit  off  his  tongue. 

Then  uttering  spluttering  sounds  of  pain,  the  man 

Fell  from  the  tree,  spitting  from  out  his  mouth 

The  blood.     The  merchant  seeing  this,  in  fear  and  haste 

Ran  homewards,  thinking  that  his  serving  man 

Had  been  the  victim  of  some  demon  foul. 

Then  Siddhikari,  too,  not  less  alarmed, 

Descended  from  the  tree,  and  got  clear  off 

With  all  the  plunder.     In  this  way,  my  sons, 

Through  her  ability  I  have  obtained 

The  wealth,  which  through  her  kindness  I  enjoy." 

Just  as  she  finished,  Siddhikari  came 

Into  the  house  :  and  to  the  merchant's  sons 

The  devotee  presented  her.     "  My  sons !  " 

Said  the  ascetic,  u  tell  me  openly 

Your  business :  say  what  woman  do  you  seek — 

She  shall  be  yours."     They  said,  "  Procure  for  us 

An  interview  with  Devasmita,  wife 

To  Guhasena."     Said  the  devotee, 

"It  shall  be  done  for  you,"  and  gave  these  men 

A  lodging  in  her  house.     Then  she  assailed 

With  bribes  and  sweetmeats  all  the  slaves  who  dwelt 

In  Guhasena's  house  :  and  afterwards 

Went  there  with  Siddhikari.     When  she  came 

To  Devasmita' s  dwelling  and  would  go 

Within,  a  bitch  chained  up  before  the  door 

Kept  her  from  entering.     Devasmita  then 

Sent  out  a  maid  to  bring  the  stranger  in, 

Thinking  within  herself,  "  Who  can  this  be  ? " 

The  vile  ascetic,  entering  the  house, 

Treated  the  merchant's  wife  with  feigned  respect, 

And  blessed  her,  saying :  u  Long  have  I  desired 

Exceedingly  to  see  you  :  in  a  dream 

To-day  you  passed  before  me :  therefore  now 

I  come  with  eagerness :  affliction  fills 

My  mind  when  I  behold  you  from  your  spouse 

Thus  torn  asunder.     What  avails  your  youth, 

Or  what  your  beauty,  since  you  live  deprived 

Of  your  beloved  ?  "     Thus,  with  flattering  words, 

The  ascetic  tried  to  gain  the  confidence 

Of  virtuous  Devasmita.     No  long  time 

She  stayed,  but  soon,  bidding  farewell,  returned 

To  her  own  house.     Ere  long  she  came  again, 


THE  STORY  OF  DEVASMITA  177 

This  time  bringing  a  piece  of  meat  well  strewed 
With  pepper  dust :  before  the  door  she  threw 
The  peppered  meat ;  the  bitch  with  greediness 
Gobbled  the  morsel  up,  pepper  and  all. 
The  bitch's  eyes  began  to  flow  with  tears 
Profusely,  through  the  pepper,  and  her  nose 
To  run.     Then  went  the  crafty  devotee 
Within,  to  Devasmita  :  and  she  wept, 
Although  received  with  hospitality. 
Then  said  the  merchant's  wife  :  "  Why  do  you  weep  ?  " 
Feigning  reluctance,  the  ascetic  said  : 
"  My  friend  !  you  see  this  bitch  weeping  outside  ; — 
Know  then  !  this  creature  in  a  former  state 
Was  my  companion  :  seeing  me  again 
She  knew  me,  and  she  wept :  my  tears  gush  forth 
In  sympathy."     When  Devasmita  saw 
The  bitch  outside  seeming  to  weep,  she  thought, 
w  What  may  this  wonder  be  ? "     "  The  bitch  and  I  " — 
Continuing  her  tale,  the  ascetic  said — 
"  Were  in  a  former  birth  a  Brahman's  wives. 
Our  husband  often  was  from  home,  engaged 
On  embassies  by  order  of  the  king. 
Meanwhile  I  spent  my  time  with  other  men, 
Living  a  life  of  pleasure,  nor  did  I 
Defraud  my  senses  of  enjoyment  due 
To  them.     For  this  is  said  to  be,  my  child, 
The  highest  duty — to  indulge  one's  sense, 
And  give  the  rein  to  pleasure.     Therefore  I 
Have  come  to  earth  again,  as  you  behold 
Me  now,  remembering  my  former  self. 
But  she  thought  not  of  this,  setting  her  mind 
To  keep  her  fame  unsullied  :  therefore  born 
Into  this  world  again,  she  holds  a  place 
Contemptible  and  mean  :  her  former  birth 
Still  in  her  memory."     The  merchant's  wife — 
Prudent  and  thoughtful,  said  within  herself — 
"  This  doctrine  is  both  new  and  strange  :  no  doubt 
The  woman  has  some  treacherous  snare  for  me." 
"  Most  reverend  Dame !  "  she  said,  "  too  much,  alas  ! 
I  fear,  have  I  neglected  hitherto 
This  duty.     So,  I  pray  you,  gain  for  me 
An  interview  with  some  delightful  man." 
The  ascetic  answered,  "  There  are  living  here 
Some  merchants,  young  and  charming,  who  have  come 
From  afar  ;  them  will  I  bring  you."     Filled  with  joy 
She  homeward  turned  :  while  Devasmita  said — 
Her  natural  prudence  coming  to  her  aid  : 
M 


178  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

"  These  scoundrelly  young  merchants,  whosoe'er 
They  be,  I  know  not,  must  have  seen  the  flow'r 
Unfading,  carried  in  my  husband's  hand. 
It  may  be  that  they  asked  him,  over  wine, 
And  learnt  its  history.     Now  they  intend 
To  lead  me  from  my  duty :  and  for  this 
They  use  the  vile  ascetic.     Therefore  bring" 
(She  bid  her  maids)  "  as  quickly  as  you  may, 
Some  wine  mixed  with  Datura  :  and  procure 
An  iron  brand,  bearing  the  sign  impressed 
Of  a  dog's  foot  upon  it."     These  commands 
The  servants  carried  out :  one  of  the  maids, 
By  Devasmita's  orders,  dressed  herself 
To  personate  her  mistress.     Then  the  men, 
All  eagerness,  each  wished  to  be  the  first 
To  visit  Devasmita  :  but  the  dame 
Chose  one  of  them  :  in  Siddhikari's  dress 
Disguising  him,  she  left  him  at  the  house. 
The  maid,  clothed  in  her  mistress's  attire, 
Addressed  the  merchant's  son  with  courtesy, 
Politely  offering  him  the  wine  to  drink 
Drugged  with  Datura.     Then  the  liquor  stole 
His  senses  from  him,  like  his  shamelessness, 
Depriving  him  of  reason  ;  and  the  maid 
Stripped  him  of  all  his  clothes,  and  ornaments, 
Leaving  him  naked.     When  the  night  had  come, 
They  cast  him  out  into  a  filthy  ditch, 
Marking  his  forehead  with  the  iron  brand. 
The  night  passed  by,  and  consciousness  returned 
In  the  last  watch  to  him,  and  waking  up 
He  thought  himself  in  hell,  the  place  assigned 
To  him  for  his  offences.     Then  he  rose 
From  out  the  ditch,  and  went  in  nakedness 
Home  to  the  devotee,  the  mark  impressed 
Upon  his  forehead.     Fearing  ridicule, 
He  said  that  he  had  been  beset  by  thieves 
Upon  the  way,  and  all  day  long  at  home 
He  sat,  a  cloth  bound  round  his  head  to  hide 
The  brand,  saying  that  sleeplessness  and  wine 
Had  made  his  head  ache.     In  the  self-same  way 
They  served  the  second  merchant.     He  returned 
Home  naked  ;  and  he  said,  "  While  on  the  road 
From  Devasmita's  house,  I  was  attacked 
By  robbers,  and  they  stripped  me  of  my  clothes, 
And  ornaments."     He  sat  with  bandaged  head 
To  hide  the  brand,  and  made  the  same  excuse. 
Thus  all  the  four  suffered  the  same  disgrace, 


THE  STORY  OF  DEVASMITA  179 

And  all  concealed  their  shame  ;  nor  did  they  tell 

Their  ills  to  the  ascetic  when  they  left 

Her  dwelling  :  for  they  trusted  that  a  plight 

Like  theirs  would  be  her  lot.     Next  day  she  went, 

Followed  by  her  disciple,  to  the  house 

Of  Devasmita  ;  and  her  mind  was  filled 

Full  of  delight,  because  she  had  achieved 

Her  end  so  happily.     With  reverence 

The  merchant's  wife  received  the  devotee, 

And  feigning  gratitude,  with  courteous  speech 

Offered  her  wine  mixed  with  the  harmful  drug. 

The  ascetic  drank  :  and  her  disciple :  both 

Were  overcome.     Then  helpless  as  they  were 

By  Devasmita  s  orders  they  were  cast, 

With  ears  and  noses  slit,  into  a  pool 

Of  filthy  mud.     Then  Devasmita  thought, 

"  Perchance  these  merchants  may  revenge  themselves 

And  slay  my  husband."     So  she  told  the  tale 

To  Guhasena's  mother.     "  Well,  my  child," 

Answered  her  husband's  mother,  "  have  you  done 

Your  duty  !     Still  misfortune  may  befall 

My  son  through  this."     "  I  will  deliver  him," 

Said  Devasmita,  "  as  in  times  gone  by 

By  wisdom  Saktimati  saved  her  spouse." 

"  My  daughter,  how  was  this  !  tell  me,  I  pray." 

Then  answered  Devasmita,  "  In  our  land 

Within  this  city  stands  an  ancient  fane, 

The  dwelling  of  a  Yaksha :  and  his  name 

Is  Munibhadra.     There  the  people  come 

And  offer  up  their  prayers,  and  make  their  gifts, 

To  gain  from  heaven  the  blessings  they  desire. 

If  it  so  happen  that  a  man  is  caught 

At  night  with  someone  else's  wife,  the  pair 

Are  placed  within  the  temple's  inmost  shrine. 

Next  morning  they  are  brought  before  the  king, 

Sentence  is  passed  on  them,  and  punishment 

Decreed.     Now  in  that  town  the  city  guards 

Once  found  a  merchant  with  another's  wife ; 

And  therefore  by  the  law  the  two  were  seized 

And  placed  within  the  temple :  while  the  door 

Was  firmly  shut  and  barred.     The  merchant's  wife, 

Whose  name  was  Saktimati,  came  to  learn 

Her  husband's  trouble  ;  and  she  boldly  went 

By  night  with  her  companions  to  the  shrine, 

Bearing  her  off  rings  for  the  god.     The  priest, 

Whose  duty  was  to  eat  the  offering, 

Beheld  her  come  :  desirous  of  the  fee, 


180  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

He  let  her  in,  telling  the  magistrate 

What  he  had  done.     Then  Saktimati  saw 

Her  husband  looking  like  a  fool,  within 

The  inner  room,  in  company  with  him 

The  woman.     So  she  took  her  own  disguise 

And  putting  it  upon  the  woman,  bade 

Her  flee  with  haste.     But  Saktimati  stayed 

Within  the  shrine.     Day  broke  ;  the  officers 

Came  to  investigate  the  merchant's  crime, 

And  lo !  within  the  temple's  inner  room 

They  found  the  merchant  and — his  wife.     The  king, 

Hearing  the  tale,  punished  the  city  guard 

But  set  the  merchant  free.     So  he  escaped, 

As  if  held  in  the  very  jaws  of  death, 

Out  of  the  Yaksha's  temple.     So  will  I, 

As  Saktimati  did,  in  bygone  times, 

By  wisdom  and  discretion  save  my  spouse." 

Thus  Devasmita  spoke  :  and  putting  on 

A  merchant's  dress,  she  started  with  her  maids 

Under  pretence  of  merchandise  to  join 

Her  husband  at  Kataha.     When  she  came 

To  that  fair  country,  she  beheld  him  sit, 

Like  comfort  come  to  earth  in  human  form, 

Amid  the  merchants.     He  beholding  her 

Afar,  clothed  in  a  merchant's  dress,  then  thought ; — 

"  Who  can  this  merchant  be,  so  like  my  wife 

In  form  and  feature  ?  "     Earnestly  he  gazed 

Upon  her  face.     Then  Devasmita  went 

And  begged  the  king  to  send  throughout  his  realm 

And  summon  all  his  subjects ;  for  she  had 

A  boon  she  fain  would  ask  of  him.     The  king 

Convoking,  full  of  curiosity, 

His  citizens,  addressed  that  lady  clothed 

In  man's  attire,  and  said,  "  What  do  you  ask  ?  " 

Then  answered  Devasmita,  "  In  your  town 

Four  slaves  of  mine  are  living,  who  have  run 

Away.     I  pray  you,  noble  king,  restore 

My  slaves."     "  The  citizens,"  replied  the  king, 

ei  Are  all  before  you,  therefore  recognise 

And  take  your  slaves."     Then  Devasmita  seized 

The  four  young  merchants,  whom  she  had  disgraced 

And  treated  so  disdainfully :  their  heads 

Still  bound  about  with  wrappers.     Then  enraged, 

The  merchants  of  the  city  said,  "  Why,  these 

Are  sons  of  honourable  men  :  then  how 

Can  they  be  slaves  to  you  ?  "     She  answered  them  : 

"  If  you  believe  me  not,  here  is  the  proof: — 


THE  STORY  OF  DEVASMITA  181 

Take  from  their  heads  the  bandage ;  you  will  see 

A  dog's  foot  on  their  forehead  :  with  this  brand 

I  marked  them."     Then  the  wrappers  were  removed 

And  on  their  foreheads  all  beheld  the  mark — 

The  dog's  foot  brand.     Then  were  the  merchants  filled 

With  shame  :  the  king  himself  in  wonder  said  : 

"  Pray,  what  means  this  ?  "  Then  Devasmita  told 

The  story.     Laughter  filled  the  crowd :  the  king 

Turned  to  the  merchant's  wife  :  "  There  are  your  slaves/' 

He  said;  "your  claim  indeed  none  may  dispute." 

Then  all  the  merchants  in  the  city  gave 

Vast  sums  of  money  to  the  prudent  wife 

Of  Guhasena,  to  redeem  the  four 

Young  men  from  slavery  :  and  to  the  king 

They  paid  a  fine.     Thus  Devasmita  gained 

Money,  and  honour  too,  from  all  good  men. 

Then  to  her  native  city  she  returned, 

Even  to  Tamralipta,  never  more 

To  be  disjoined  from  her  beloved  lord. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

ACCORDINGLY  while  the  King  of  Vatsa  was  remain- 
[M]  ing  in  that  Vindhya  forest  the  warder  of  King 
Chandamahasena  came  to  him.  And  when  he  arrived 
he  did  obeisance  to  the  king,  and  spoke  as  follows : — "  The 
King  Chandamahasena  sends  you  this  message  :  '  You  did 
rightly  in  carrying  off  Vasavadatta  yourself,  for  I  had  brought 
you  to  my  Court  with  this  very  object ;  and  the  reason  I  did 
not  myself  give  her  to  you  while  you  were  a  prisoner  was 
that  I  feared,  if  I  did  so,  you  might  not  be  well  disposed  to- 
wards me.  Now,  O  king,  I  ask  you  to  wait  a  little,  in  order 
that  the  marriage  of  my  daughter  may  not  be  performed 
without  due  ceremonies.  For  my  son  Gopalaka  will  soon 
arrive  in  your  Court,  and  he  will  celebrate  with  appropriate 
ceremonies  the  marriage  of  that  sister  of  his.'"  This  message 
the  warder  brought  to  the  King  of  Vatsa,  and  said  various 
things  to  Vasavadatta. 

Then  the  King  of  Vatsa,  being  pleased,  determined  on 
going  to  Kausambi  with  Vasavadatta,  who  was  also  in  high 
spirits.  He  told  his  ally  Pulindaka  and  that  warder  in  the 
service  of  his  father-in-law  to  await,  where  they  were,  the 
arrival  of  Gopalaka,  and  then  to  come  with  him  to  Kausambi. 
Then  the  great  king  set  out  early  the  next  day  for  his 
own  city  with  that  Queen  Vasavadatta,  followed  by  huge 
elephants  raining  streams  of  ichor  that  seemed  like  moving 
peaks  of  the  Vindhya  range  accompanying  him  out  of  affec- 
tion ;  he  was,  as  it  were,  praised  by  the  earth,  that  outdid 
the  compositions  of  his  minstrels,  while  it  rang  with  the 
hoofs  of  his  horses  and  the  tramplings  of  his  soldiers;  and 
by  means  of  the  towering  clouds  of  dust  from  his  army,  that 
ascended  to  heaven,  he  made  Indra  fear  that  the  mountains 
were  sporting  with  unshorn  wings.1 

1  Alluding  to  Indra's  having  cut  the  wings  of  the  mountains. This 

fine  exaggeration  was   borrowed   by  the   Persians  and  appears   in   Firdausi, 
where  the  trampling  of  men  and  horses  raises  such  a  dust  that  it  takes  one 


THE  RETURN  OF  THE  KING  OF  VATSA     183 

Then  the  king  reached  his  country  in  two  or  three  days, 
and  rested  one  night  in  a  palace  belonging  to  Rumanvat ; 
and  on  the  next  day,  accompanied  by  his  beloved,  he  enjoyed, 
after  a  long  absence,  the  great  delight  of  entering  Kausambi, 
the  people  of  which  were  eagerly  looking  with  uplifted  faces 
for  his  approach.  And  then  that  city  was  resplendent  as  a 
wife,  her  lord  having  returned  after  a  long  absence,  beginning 
her  adornment  and  auspicious  bathing  vicariously  by  means 
of  her  women;  and  there  the  citizens,  their  sorrow  now  at 
an  end,  beheld  the  King  of  Vatsa  accompanied  by  his  bride, 
as  peacocks  behold  a  cloud  accompanied  by  lightning 1 ;  and 
the  wives  of  the  citizens,  standing  on  the  tops  of  the  palaces, 
filled  the  heaven  with  their  faces,  that  had  the  appearance 
of  golden  lotuses  blooming  in  the  heavenly  Ganges.  Then 
the  King  of  Vatsa  entered  his  royal  palace  with  Vasavadatta, 
who  seemed  like  a  second  goddess  of  royal  fortune  ;  and  that 
palace  then  shone  as  if  it  had  just  awaked  from  sleep,  full  of 
kings  who  had  come  to  show  their  devotion,  festive  with  songs 
of  minstrels.2  Not  long  after  came  Gopalaka,  the  brother  of 
Vasavadatta,  bringing  with  him  the  warder  and  Pulindaka. 
The  king  went  to  meet  him,  and  Vasavadatta  received  him 
with  her  eyes  expanded  with  delight,  as  if  he  were  a  second 
spirit  of  joy.  While  she  was  looking  at  this  brother  a  tear 
dimmed  her  eyes  lest  she  should  be  ashamed ;  and  then  she, 
being  encouraged  by  him  with  the  words  of  her  father's 
message,  considered  that  her  object  in  life  was  attained,  now 
that  she  was  reunited  to  her  own  relations. 

Then  on  the  next  day  Gopalaka,  with  the  utmost  eager- 
ness, set  about  the  high  festival  of  her  marriage  with  the 
King  of  Vatsa,  carefully  observing  all  prescribed  ceremonies. 
Then  the  King  of  Vatsa  received  the  hand  of  Vasavadatta, 

layer  (of  the  seven)  from  earth  and  adds  it  to  the  (seven  of  the)  heavens. 
In  the  Nights  (Burton,  vol.  Hi,  p.  83)  we  read: 

"  The  courser  chargeth  on  battling  foe, 
Mixing  heaven  on  high  with  the  earth  down  low." — n.m.p. 

1  The  peafowl  are  delighted  at  the  approach  of  the  rainy  season,  when 
"  their  sorrow"  comes  to  an  end. 

2  It  is  often  the  duty  of  these  minstrels  to  wake  the  king  with 
their  songs. 


184  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

like  a  beautiful  shoot  lately  budded  on  the  creeper  of  love. 
She  too,  with  her  eyes  closed  through  the  great  joy  of 
touching  her  beloved's  hand,  having  her  limbs  bathed  in 
perspiration  accompanied  with  trembling,  covered  all  over 
with  extreme  horripilation,1  appeared  at  that  moment  as  if 
struck  by  the  god  of  the  flowery  bow  with  the  arrow 
of  bewilderment,  the  weapon  of  wind  and  the  water 
weapon  in  quick  succession2;  when  she  walked  round  the 
fire,  keeping  it  to  the  right,3  her  eyes  being  red  with 
the  smoke,  she  had  her  first  taste,  so  to  speak,  of  the 
sweetness  of  honey  and  wine.4  Then  by  means  of  the 
jewels  brought  by  Gopalaka,  and  the  gifts  of  the  kings, 
the  monarch  of  Vatsa  became  a  real  king  of  kings.5 

That  bride  and  bridegroom,  after  their  marriage  had 
been  celebrated,  first  exhibited  themselves  to  the  eyes  of  the 
people  and  then  entered  their  private  apartments.  Then  the 
King  of  Vatsa,  on  the  day  so  auspicious  to  himself,  invested 
Gopalaka  and  Pulindaka  with  turbans  of  honour  and  other 
distinctions,  and  he  commissioned  Yaugandharayana  and 
Rumanvat  to  confer  appropriate  distinctions  on  the  kings 
who  had  come  to  visit  him,  and  on  the  citizens.  Then 
Yaugandharayana  said  to  Rumanvat :  "  The  king  has 
given  us  a  difficult  commission,  for  men's  feelings  are  hard 
to  discover.  And  even  a  child  will  certainly  do  mischief  if 
not  pleased.  To  illustrate  this  point,  listen  to  the  tale  of 
the  child  Vinashtaka,  my  friend : 

9.  Story  of  the  Clever  Deformed  Child 

Once  on  a  time  there  was  a  certain  Brahman  named 
Rudrasarman,  and  he,  when  he  became  a  householder,  had 
two  wives,  and  one  of  his  wives  gave  birth  to  a  son  and  died ; 

1  See  note  on  p.  120. — n.m.p. 

2  Weapons  well  known  in  Hindu  mythology.  See  the  sixth  act  of  the 
Uttara  Rama  Charita. 

3  See  note  at  the  end  of  the  chapter. — n.m.p. 

4  Sutrapdta?n  akarot  =  she  tested,  so  to  speak.  Cf.  Taranga  24>,  SI,  93. 
The  fact  is,  the  smoke  made  her  eyes  as  red  as  if  she  had  been  drinking. 

5  Or  "like  Kuvera."     There  is  a  pun  here. 


THE  CLEVER  DEFORMED  CHILD  185 

and  then  the  Brahman  entrusted  that  son  to  the  care  of  his 
stepmother ;  and  when  he  grew  to  a  tolerable  stature  she 
gave  him  coarse  food  ;  the  consequence  was,  the  boy  became 
pale  and  got  a  swollen  stomach.  Then  Rudrasarman  said 
to  that  second  wife  :  "  How  comes  it  that  you  have  neglected 
this  child  of  mine  that  has  lost  its  mother  ?  "  She  said  to 
her  husband:  "Though  I  take  affectionate  care  of  him,  he 
is  nevertheless  the  strange  object  you  see.  What  am  I  to 
do  with  him  ?  "  Whereupon  the  Brahman  thought :  "  No 
doubt  it  is  the  child's  nature  to  be  like  this."  For  who  sees 
through  the  deceitfulness  of  the  speeches  of  women  uttered 
with  affected  simplicity  ? 

Then  that  child  began  to  go  by  the  name  of  Balavinash- 
taka x  in  his  father's  house,  because  they  said  this  child  (bdla) 
is  deformed  (vinashta). 

Then  Balavinashtaka  thought  to  himself:  "This  step- 
mother of  mine  is  always  ill-treating  me,  therefore  I  had 
better  be  revenged  upon  her  in  some  way  " — for  though  the 
boy  was  only  a  little  more  than  five  years  old  he  was  clever 
enough.  Then  he  said  secretly  to  his  father  when  he  returned 
from  the  king's  Court,  with  half-suppressed  voice2:  "Papa, 
I  have  two  papas." 

So  the  boy  said  every  day,  and  his  father,  suspecting  that 
his  wife  had  a  paramour,  would  not  even  touch  her.  She  for 
her  part  thought :  "  Why  is  my  husband  angry  without  my 
being  guilty  ?  I  wonder  whether  Balavinashtaka  has  been 
at  any  tricks."  So  she  washed  Balavinashtaka  with  careful 
kindness,  and  gave  him  dainty  food,  and,  taking  him  on 
her  lap,  asked  him  the  following  question: — "My  son,  why 
have  you  incensed  your  father  Rudrasarman  against  me?" 
When  he  heard  that,  the  boy  said  to  his  stepmother :  "I  will 
do  more  harm  to  you  than  that,  if  you  do  not  immediately 
cease  ill-treating  me.  You  take  good  care  of  your  own  children ; 
why  do  you  perpetually  torment  me?" 

When  she  heard   that,  she  bowed  before  him,  and  said 

1  Young  deformed. 

2  Durgaprasad's  text  reads  avispastayd  gird  (instead  of  ardhdvistayd  gird), 
meaning  "with  his  inarticulate  voice/'  which  is  perhaps  more  suitable 
here. — n.m.p. 


186  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

with  solemn  oath :  "I  will  not  do  so  any  more ;  so  reconcile 
my  husband  to  me."  Then  the  child  said  to  her:  "Well, 
when  my  father  comes  home,  let  one  of  your  maids  show  him 
a  mirror,  and  leave  the  rest  to  me."  She  said,  "Very  well," 
and  by  her  orders  a  maid  showed  a  mirror  to  her  husband 
as  soon  as  he  returned  home. 

Thereupon  the  child,  pointing  out  the  reflection  of  his 
father  in  the  mirror,  said  :  "  There  is  my  second  father." 
When  he  heard  that,  Rudrasarman  dismissed  his  suspicions 
and  was  immediately  reconciled  to  his  wife,  whom  he  had 
blamed  without  cause.1 

1  Tales  of  precocious  children  are  widely  spread  both  in  the  East  and 
West.  In  the  Simhdsana-dvatrimsika  (or  Thirty-two  Tales  of  a  Throne)  the 
sagacity  of  a  young  boy  brings  a  jewel  thief  and  his  accomplices  to  justice. 
There  is  one  Enfant  Terrible  story  which  is  found  in  several  Persian  and  Arabic 
collections. 

It  appears  as  one  of  the  Prince's  stories  in  the  Sindibad  Nama,  and  relates 
how  a  child  of  three,  speaking  from  its  cradle,  rebuked  an  adulterous  king 
about  to  gratify  an  unlawful  passion,  on  whom  its  words  made  such  an 
impression  that  the  king  abandoned  his  intention  and  became  a  paragon  of 
virtue.  It  appears  in  Sindban  and  Syntipas,  and  also  in  the  Nights  (Burton, 
vol.  vi,  p.  208),  as  "The  Debauchee  and  the  Three-year-old  Child." 

Another  famous  story  of  a  clever  child  is  that  of  "The  Stolen  Purse." 
The  outline  of  the  story  is  as  follows : — Three  (sometimes  four)  people 
enter  into  partnership.  They  amass  money  and  deposit  it  with  a  trusted 
woman,  telling  her  she  is  not  to  give  it  up  unless  all  partners  are  present. 
One  day  they  are  all  together  and  one  of  the  men  calls  in  at  the  old 
woman's  house  ostensibly  for  a  comb  (or  other  articles  for  the  bath)  and 
says:  "Give  me  the  purse."  "No,"  says  the  woman;  "you  are  alone."  He 
explains  the  others  are  just  outside,  and  calls  out:  "She  is  to  give  it  me, 
isn't  she?"  They  (thinking  he  refers  to  the  comb)  say:  "Yes."  He  gets 
the  purse  and  escapes  out  of  the  town.  The  others  refuse  to  believe  the 
woman's  explanations  and  take  her  to  the  judge.  She  is  about  to  lose 
her  case  when  a  child  of  five,  hearing  the  details,  tells  her  to  say  to  the 
Kazi  that  she  intends  to  keep  strictly  to  her  original  agreement  and  will 
give  up  the  purse  when  all  the  partners  are  present.  This  could  certainly 
not  be  done  as  one  had  run  away,  and  so  the  woman  is  saved. 

This  story  with  minor  differences  occurs  in  Persian,  Arabic,  Turkish, 
Hebrew,  Greek  and  Italian  collections.  It  is  also  found  in  numerous 
English  jest-books.  Burton  (Nights,  vol.  vi,  pp.  210,  211)  gives  a  long  note 
on  the  subject. 

Further  references  should  be  made  to  both  Clouston  and  Comparetti's 
works  on  the  Book  of  Sindibad,  and  also  to  Chauvin,  Bibliographie  des  Ouvrages 
Arabes,  viii,  pp.  62-64. — n.m.p. 


THE  KING'S  FICKLENESS 


187 


[M]  "  Thus  even  a  child  may  do  mischief  if  it  is  annoyed, 
and  therefore  we  must  carefully  conciliate  all  this  retinue." 
Saying  this,  Yaugandharayana,  with  the  help  of  Rumanvat, 
carefully  honoured  all  the  people  on  this  the  King  of  Vatsa's 
great  day  of  rejoicing.  And  they  gratified  1  all  the  kings  so 
successfully  that  each  one  of  them  thought :  "  These  two  men 
are  devoted  to  me  alone."  And  the  king  honoured  those 
two  ministers  and  Vasantaka  with  garments,  unguents  and 
ornaments  bestowed  with  his  own  hand,  and  he  also  gave 
them  grants  of  villages.  Then  the  King  of  Vatsa,  having 
celebrated  the  great  festival  of  his  marriage,  considered  all 
his  wishes  gratified,  now  that  he  was  linked  to  Vasavadatta. 
Their  mutual  love,  having  blossomed  after  a  long  time  of 
expectation,  was  so  great,  owing  to  the  strength  of  their 
passion,  that  their  hearts  continually  resembled  those  of  the 
sorrowing  Chakravakas  when  the  night,  during  which  they 
are  separated,  comes  to  an  end.  And  as  the  familiarity  of 
the  couple  increased,  their  love  seemed  to  be  ever  renewed. 
Then  Gopalaka,  being  ordered  by  his  father  to  return  to  get 
married  himself,  went  away,  after  having  been  entreated  by 
the  King  of  Vatsa  to  return  quickly. 

In  the  course  of  time  the  King  of  Vatsa  became  faithless, 
and  secretly  loved  an  attendant  of  the  harem  named  Vira- 
chita,  with  whom  he  had  previously  had  an  intrigue.  One 
day  he  made  a  mistake  and  addressed  the  queen  by  her 
name ;  thereupon  he  had  to  conciliate  her  by  clinging  to  her 
feet,  and  bathed  in  her  tears  he  was  anointed  2  a  fortunate 
king.  Moreover,  he  married  a  princess  of  the  name  of  Bandh- 
umati,  whom  Gopalaka  had  captured  by  the  might  of  his 
arm  and  sent  as  a  present  to  the  queen ;  and  whom  she 
concealed,  changing  her  name  to  Manjulika ;  who  seemed 
like  another  Lakshmi  issuing  from  the  sea  of  beauty.  Her 
the  king  saw  when  he  was  in  the  company  of  Vasantaka, 
and  secretly  married  her  by  the  gdndharva  ceremony  in  a 
summer-house.     And  that  proceeding  of  his  was  beheld  by 

1  Cf.  the  distribution  of  presents  on  the  occasion  of  King  Etzel's 
marriage  in  the  Nibelungenlied. 

2  It  must  be  remembered  that  a  king  among  the  Hindus  was  inaugurated 
with  water,  not  oil. 


188  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

Vasavadatta,  who  was  in  concealment,  and  she  was  angry, 
and  had  Vasantaka  put  in  fetters.  Then  the  king  had  re- 
course to  the  good  offices  of  a  female  ascetic,  a  friend  of  the 
queen's,  who  had  come  with  her  from  her  father's  Court,  of 
the  name  of  Sankrityanam.  She  appeased  the  queen's  anger, 
and  got  Bandhumati  presented  to  the  king  by  the  obedient 
queen,  for  tender  is  the  heart  of  virtuous  wives.  Then  the 
queen  released  Vasantaka  from  imprisonment;  he  came 
into  the  presence  of  the  queen  and  said  to  her  with  a  laugh : 
"  Bandhumati  did  you  an  injury,  but  what  did  I  do  to  you  ? 
You  are  angry  with  adders1  and  you  kill  water- snakes." 
Then  the  queen,  out  of  curiosity,  asked  him  to  explain  that 
metaphor,  and  he  continued  as  follows  : — 

10.  Story  of  Ruru 

Once  on  a  time  a  hermit's  son  of  the  name  of  Ruru, 
wandering  about  at  will,  saw  a  maiden  of  wonderful  beauty, 
the  daughter  of  a  heavenly  nymph  named  Menaka  by  a 
Vidyadhara,  and  brought  up  by  a  hermit  of  the  name  of 
Sthulakesa  in  his  hermitage.  That  lady,  whose  name  was 
Prishadvara,  so  captivated  the  mind  of  that  Ruru  when  he 
saw  her,  that  he  went  and  begged  the  hermit  to  give  her 
to  him  in  marriage.  Sthulakesa  for  his  part  betrothed  the 
maiden  to  him,  and  when  the  wedding  was  nigh  at  hand 
suddenly  an  adder  bit  her.  Then  the  heart  of  Ruru  was  full 
of  despair ;  but  he  heard  this  voice  in  the  heaven :  '  O 
Brahman,  raise  to  life  with  the  gift  of  half  thy  own  life 2  this 

1  The  word  "adders"  must  here  do  duty  for  all  venomous  kinds  of 
serpents. 

2  A  similar  story  is  found  in  the  fourth  book  of  the  Pauchatantra,  fable  5, 
where  Benfey  compares  the  story  of  Yayati  and  his  son  Puru  (Benfey, 
Panchatantra,  i,  436). 

Bernhard  Schmidt  in  his  Griechische  M'drchen,  p.  37,  mentions  a  very 
similar  story,  which  he  connects  with  that  of  Admetos  and  Alkestis.  In  a 
popular  ballad  of  Trebisond  a  young  man  named  Jannis,  the  only  son  of 
his  parents,  is  about  to  be  married  when  Charon  comes  to  fetch  him.  He 
supplicates  St  George,  who  obtains  for  him  the  concession,  that  his  life 
may  be  spared,  in  case  his  father  will  give  him  half  the  period  of  life  still 
remaining  to  him.  His  father  refuses,  and  in  the  same  way  his  mother. 
At  last   his  betrothed  gives  him  half  her  allotted  period  of  life,  and  the 


ADDERS   AND   WATER-SNAKES 


189 


maiden,  whose  allotted  term  is  at  an  end."  When  he  heard 
that,  Rum  gave  her  half  of  his  own  life,  as  he  had  been 
directed ;  by  means  of  that  she  revived,  and  Ruru  married 
her.  Thenceforward  he  was  incensed  with  the  whole  race  of 
serpents,  and  whenever  he  saw  a  serpent  he  killed  it,  thinking 
to  himself  as  he  killed  each  one  :  "  This  may  have  bitten  my 
wife."  One  day  a  water-snake  said  to  him  with  human  voice 
as  he  was  about  to  slay  it :  "  You  are  incensed  against 
adders,  Brahman,  but  why  do  you  slay  water- snakes  ?  An 
adder  bit  your  wife,  and  adders  are  a  distinct  species  from 
water-snakes  ;  all  adders  are  venomous,  water-snakes  are 
not  venomous."  When  he  heard  that,  he  said  in  answer  to 
the  water-snake  :  "  My  friend,  who  are  you  ?  "  The  water- 
snake  said  :  "  Brahman,  I  am  a  hermit  fallen  from  my  high 
estate  by  a  curse,  and  this  curse  was  appointed  to  last  till  I 
held  converse  with  you."  When  he  said  that  he  disappeared, 
and  after  that  Ruru  did  not  kill  water-snakes. 


[M]  "  So  I  said  this  to  you  metaphorically :  '  My  queen, 
you  are  angry  with  adders  and  you  kill  water-snakes.' " 
When  he  had  uttered  this  speech,  full  of  pleasing  wit,  Vasan- 
taka  ceased,  and  Vasavadatta,  sitting  at  the  side  of  her 
husband,  was  pleased  with  him.  Such  soft  and  sweet  tales  in 
which  Vasantaka  displayed  various  ingenuity,  did  the  loving 
Udayana,  King  of  Vatsa,  continually  make  use  of  to  con- 
ciliate his  angry  wife,  while  he  sat  at  her  feet.  That  happy 
king's  tongue  was  ever  exclusively  employed  in  tasting  the 
flavour  of  wine,  and  his  ear  was  ever  delighting  in  the  sweet 
sounds  of  the  lute,  and  his  eye  was  ever  riveted  on  the  face  of 
his  beloved. 

marriage  takes  place.     The  story  of  Ruru  is  found  in  the  Adiparva  of  the 

Mahabharata  (see  Lev&me,  Mythes  et  Legendes  de  VInde,  pp.  278  and  374). 

See  also  Benfey,  op.  cit.,  ii,  545,  and  Chauvin,  Bibliographie  des  Ouvrages  Arabes, 
viii,  p.  119. — n.m.p. 


190  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


NOTE  ON  DEISUL  OR  CIRCUMAMBULATION 

The  practice  of  walking  round  an  object  of  reverence  with  the  right  hand 
towards  it  (which  is  one  of  the  ceremonies  mentioned  in  our  author's  account 
of  Vasavadatta's  marriage)  has  been  exhaustively  discussed  by  Dr  Samuel 
Fergusson  in  his  paper,  "  On  the  Ceremonial  Turn  called  Deisul,"  published 
in  the  Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Irish  Academy  for  March  1877  (vol.  i,  Ser.  II., 
No.  12).  He  shows  it  to  have  existed  among  the  ancient  Romans  as  well 
as  the  Celts.  One  of  the  most  striking  of  his  quotations  is  from  the  Curculio 
of  Plautus  (I,  i,  69).  Phaedromus  says:  "Quo  me  vortam  jiescio."  Palinurus 
jestingly  replies  :  "  Si  deos  salutas  dextrovorsum  ce?iseo."  Cf.  also  the  following 
passage  of  Valerius  Flaccus  {Argon,  viii,  243) : — 

"  hide  ubi  sacrificas  cum  conjuge  venit  ad  aras 
JEsonides,  unaque  adeunt  pariterque  precari 
Incipiunt.     Ignem  Pollux  undamque  jugalem 
Prcetulit  ut  dextrum  pariter  vertantur  in  orbem." 

The  above  passage  forms  a  striking  comment  upon  our  text.  Cf.  also 
Plutarch  in  his  Life  of  Camillus :  "  Tavra  cinw,  KadaTrtp  cori  'Pw/zouois  edos, 
€7r€v£aju,€vots  /cat  7rpoo-Kvvr}<ra(riv  errt  Se^ca  i^eXtTTetv,  ea^dXr]  7repLO-Tp€<f>6p.£vos. 
It  is  possible  that  the  following  passage  in  Lucretius  alludes  to  the  same 
practice : — 

"  Nee  pietas  ulla  est  velatum  scepe  videri 
Vertier  ad  lapidem  atque  omnes  accedere  ad  aras" 

Dr  Fergusson  is  of  opinion  that  this  movement  was  a  symbol  of  the 
cosmical  rotation,  an  imitation  of  the  apparent  course  of  the  sun  in  the 
heavens.  Cf.  Hyginus,  Fable  CCV  :  "  Arge  venatrix,  cum  cervum  sequeretur,  cervo 
dixisse  fertur  :  Tu  licet  Solis  cursum  sequaris,  tamen  te  consequar.  Sol,  iratus,  in 
cervam  earn  convertit."  He  quotes,  to  prove  that  the  practice  existed  among 
the  ancient  Celts,  Athenceus,  IV,  par.  36,  who  adduces  from  Posidonius  the 
following  statement : — **  Tovs  deovs  TrpocrKVvovcriv  kirl  Septet  o~Tpe<f>6pi€VOL."  The 
above  quotations  are  but  a  few  scraps  from  the  full  feast  of  Dr  Fergusson's 
paper.  See  also  the  remarks  of  the  Rev.  S.  Beal  in  the  Indian  Antiquary  for 
March  1880,  p.  67. 

See  also  Henderson's  Folk-Lore  of  the  Northern  Counties,  p.  45  :  "The  vicar 
of  Stranton  (Hartlepool)  was  standing  at  the  churchyard  gate,  awaiting  the 
arrival  of  a  funeral  party,  when  to  his  astonishment  the  whole  group,  who  had 
arrived  within  a  few  yards  of  him,  suddenly  wheeled  and  made  the  circuit  of 
the  churchyard  wall,  thus  traversing  its  west,  north  and  east  boundaries,  and 
making  the  distance  some  five  or  six  times  greater  than  was  necessary.  The 
vicar,  astonished  at  this  proceeding,  asked  the  sexton  the  reason  of  so  extra- 
ordinary a  movement.  The  reply  was  as  follows : — '  Why,  ye  wad  no  hae  them 
carry  the  dead  again  the  sun;  the  dead  maun  aye  go  with  the  sun.'"  This 
custom  is  no  doubt  an  ancient  British  or  Celtic  custom,  and  corresponds  to 


DEISUL  OR  CIRCUMAMBULATION  191 

the  Highland  usage  of  making  the  deazil,  or  walking  three  times  round  a  person 
according  to  the  course  of  the  sun.  Old  Highlanders  will  still  make  the  deazil 
round  those  whom  they  wish  well.  To  go  round  the  person  in  the  opposite 
direction,  or  "  withershins,"  is  an  evil  incantation  and  brings  ill  fortune.  Hunt 
in  his  Romances  and  Drolls  of  the  West  of  England,  p.  418,  says:  "If  an  invalid 
goes  out  for  the  first  time  and  makes  a  circuit,  the  circuit  must  be  with  the 
sun,  if  against  the  sun,  there  will  be  a  relapse."  Liebrecht,  Zur  Volkskunde, 
p.  322,  quotes  from  the  Statistical  Account  of  Scotland,  vol.  v,  p.  88,  the  following 
statement  of  a  Scottish  minister,  with  reference  to  a  marriage  ceremony : — 
"After  leaving  the  church,  the  whole  company  walk  round  it,  keeping  the 
church  walls  always  on  the  right  hand." 

Thiselton  Dyer,  in  his  English  Folk-Lore,  p.  171,  mentions  a  similar  custom 
as  existing  in  the  west  of  England.  In  Devonshire  blackheads  or  pinsoles 
are  cured  by  creeping  on  one's  hands  and  knees  under  or  through  a  bramble 
three  times  with  the  sun — that  is,  from  east  to  west.  See  also  Ralston's  Songs 
of  the  Russian  People,  p.  299. 

See  also  the  extract  from  Sinclair's  Statistical  Account  of  Scotland  in  Brand's 
Popular  Antiquities,  vol.  i,  p.  225  :  "  When  a  Highlander  goes  to  bathe  or  to 
drink  out  of  a  consecrated  fountain,  he  must  always  approach  by  going  round 
the  place  from  east  to  west  on  the  south  side,  in  imitation  of  the  apparent 
diurnal  motion  of  the  sun.  This  is  called  in  Gaelic  going  round  the  right,  or 
the  lucky  way.  The  opposite  course  is  the  wrong,  or  the  unlucky  way.  And 
if  a  person's  meat  or  drink  were  to  affect  the  wind-pipe,  or  come  against 
his  breath,  they  would  instantly  cry  out,  '  Desheal,'  which  is  an  ejaculation 
praying  it  may  go  by  the  right  way."  Cf  the  note  in  Munro's  Lucretius  on 
v,  1199,  and  Burton's  Narratives  from  Criminal  Trials  in  Scotland,  vol.  i,  p.  278. 

Here  Tawney's  note  ends.     As  it  deals  almost  entirely  with  circum- 

ambulation  in  the  West,  I  will  confine  my  remarks  chiefly  to  the  East. 

In  India  the  custom  of  walking  round  objects  as  part  of  sacred  or  secular 
ritual  is  known  by  the  name  of  pradakshina.  In  our  text  Vasavadatta  walks 
round  the  fire  keeping  it  on  her  right — i.e.  sunwise  or  clockwise.  This  in 
accordance  with  the  Laws  of  Manu,  where  the  bride  is  told  to  walk  three 
times  round  the  domestic  hearth.  Sometimes  both  bride  and  bridegroom  do 
it,  or  else  they  walk  round  the  central  pole  of  the  marriage-shed.  Similarly 
in  the  Grihya  STdras  Brahmans  on  initiation  are  to  drive  three  times  round  a 
tree  or  sacred  pool. 

Before  building  a  new  house  it  is  necessary  to  walk  three  times  round 
the  site  sprinkling  water  on  the  ground,  accompanying  the  action  with  the 
repetition  of  the  verse,  u  O  waters, ye  are  wholesome,"  from  the  Rig-Veda.  (See 
Sacred  Books  of  the  East,  vol.  xxix,  p.  213.)  Pradakshina  is  also  performed 
round  sacrifices  and  sacred  buildings  or  tombs.  In  the  Satapatha  Brahmana 
it  is  set  down  that  when  walking  round  the  sacrifice  a  burning  coal  is  to 
be  held  in  the  hand.  When  sacrifices  are  offered  to  ancestors,  the 
officiating  Brahman  first  walks  three  times  round  the  sacrifice  with  his 
left  shoulder  towards  it,  after  which  he  turns  round  and  walks  three  times 
to  the  right,  or  sunwise.  This  is  explained  in  the  Satapatha  Brahmana  as 
follows : — "  The  reason  why  he  again  moves  thrice  round  from  left  to  right  is 


192  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

that,  while  the  first  time  he  went  away  from  here  after  those  three  ancestors 
of  his,  he  now  comes  back  again  from  them  to  this,  his  own  world  ;  that  is 
why  he  again  moves  thrice  from  left  to  right."  This  anti-sunwise  movement 
is  called  prasavya  in  Sanskrit,  and  corresponds  to  the  Celtic  cartuasul,  or 
withershins. 

The  movement  from  left  to  right  is  almost  universally  considered  unlucky 
and  ill-omened,  and  the  English  words  "sinister"  and  "dexterous"  show  how 
the  meaning  has  come  to  us  unaltered  from  the  Latin. 

In  his  excellent  work,  The  Migration  of  Symbols,  1 894,  Count  D'Alviella  has 
shown  in  his  study  of  the  swastika  or  gammadion  that  the  "right-handed" 
variety  is  always  the  lucky  one.  Sir  George  Birdwood  mentions  that  among 
the  Hindus  the  "  right-handed  "  swastika  represents  the  male  principle  and 
is  the  emblem  of  Ganesa,  while  the  sauwastika  (or  "left-handed")  repre- 
sents the  female  principle  and  is  sacred  to  Kali,  and  typifies  the  course  of 
the  sun  in  the  subterranean  world  from  west  to  east,  symbolising  darkness, 
death  and  destruction. 

The  magical  effect  on  objects  repeatedly  circumambulated  is  exemplified 
in  the  Maha  Parinibbdna  Sutta.  We  read  that  after  the  pyre  on  which  lay  the 
body  of  Buddha  had  been  walked  round  three  times  by  the  five  hundred 
disciples  it  took  fire  on  its  own  account.  Readers  will  naturally  think  of 
Joshua  and  the  walls  of  Jericho. 

The  pradakshina  rite  was  also  performed  by  the  ancient  Buddhists,  and 
still  is,  by  the  modern  Hindus  for  the  purpose  of  purification.  In  India,  Tibet, 
China  and  Japan  we  find  galleries,  or  walls  round  stupas  or  shrines  for  circum- 
ambulation  of  pilgrims.  The  same  idea  is,  of  course,  connected  with  the 
Ka'bah  at  Mecca  (which  we  shall  discuss  shortly)  and  the  Holy  Sepulchre 
at  Jerusalem. 

It  has  often  been  suggested  by  Indian  students  that  the  reason  for  walking 
round  an  object  three  times  is  connected  with  the  traditional  "three  steps"  of 
Vishnu,  as  God  of  the  Sun.  Evidence  does  not,  however,  seem  sufficient  to 
attempt  any  decisive  statement  on  that  point. 

Three  is  considered  a  lucky  number  among  the  Hindus,  and  with  seven 
forms  the  two  most  lucky  numbers  throughout  the  world. 

Turning  to  the  Moslem  world  we  find  that  in  circumambulating  the 
Ka'bah  at  Mecca,  the  pilgrims  walk  from  left  to  right,  which  is  nearly 
always  considered  unlucky.  The  "  Tawaf,"  as  it  is  called,  has  been  described 
by  Burton  {Pilgrimage,  1st  edition,  1855-1856,  vol.  iii,  pp.  204,  205,  234-236). 
He  gives  full  details  of  the  seven  circuits  with  all  the  elaborate  sunnats,  or 
practices,  involved.  In  a  note  we  read  the  following: — "Moslem  moralists 
have  not  failed  to  draw  spiritual  food  from  this  mass  of  materialism.  fTo 
circuit  the  Bait  Ullah,'  said  the  Pir  Raukhan  (As.  Soc,  vol.  xi,  and  Dabistan, 
vol.  iii, '  Miyan  Bayezid '),  '  and  to  be  free  from  wickedness,  and  crimes,  and 
quarrels,  is  the  duty  enjoined  by  religion.  But  to  circuit  the  house  of  the 
friend  of  Allah  (i.e.  the  heart),  to  combat  bodily  propensities,  and  to  worship 
the  angels,  is  the  business  of  the  (mystic)  path.'  Thus  Saadi,  in  his  sermons, 
— which  remind  the  Englishman  of  'poor  Yorick,'  'He  who  travels  to  the 
Kaabah  on  foot  makes  a  circuit  of  the   Kaabah,  but  he  who  performs  the 


DEISUL  OR  CIRCUMAMBULATION  193 

pilgrimage  of  the  Kaabah  in  his  heart  is  encircled  by  the  Kaabah.'  And 
the  greatest  Moslem  divines  sanction  this  visible  representation  of  an  invisible 
and  heavenly  shrine,  by  declaring  that,  without  a  material  medium,  it  is 
impossible  for  man  to  worship  the  Eternal  Spirit." 

Further  references  to  the  deiseil,  deasil  or  deisul  in  Greece,  Rome  and 
Egypt,  among  the  Celts  and  Teutons,  in  England,  Scotland  and  Ireland, 
and  among  savage  tribes  will  be  found  in  D'Alviella's  article,  "  Circum- 
ambulation,"  in  Hastings'  Ency.  Rel.  Etk.,  vol.  iii,  pp.  657-659,  from  which 
several  of  the  above  references  have  been  taken. — n.m.p. 


N 


APPENDIX  I 


APPENDIX   I 

MYTHICAL  BEINGS 

The  mythical  beings  mentioned  in  the  Ocean  of  Story  are  : 

x\psaras  Gana  Naga 

Asura  Gandharva  Pisacha 

Bhuta  Guhyaka  Rakshasa 

Daitya  Kinnara  Siddha 

Danava  Kumbhanda  Vetala 

Dasyus  Kushmanda  Vidyadhara 

Yaksha 

Of  the  above  the  great  majority  are  mentioned  in  Book  I, 
but  Apsaras,  Daitya  and  Danava  occur  for  the  first  time  in 
Book  II,  Vetala  in  Book  V,  Kumbhanda  in  Book  VIII, 
Dasyus  in  Book  IX,  Bhtita  in  Book  XII,  and  Kushmanda  in 
Book  XVII. 

It  is  possible  to  classify  them  under  four  headings  as 
follows  :  — 

1.  Enemies  of  the  gods,  very  rarely  visiting  the  earth  : 
Asura,  Daitya,  Danava. 

2.  Servants  of  the  gods,  frequently  connected  with 
mortals :  Gandharva,  Apsaras,  Gana,  Kinnara,  Guhyaka 
and  Yaksha. 

3.  Independent  superhumans,  often  mixing  with  mortals : 
Naga,  Siddha  and  Vidyadhara. 

4.  Demons,  hostile  to  mankind :  Rakshasa,  Pisacha, 
Vetala,  Bhtita,  Dasyus,  Kumbhanda,  Kushmanda. 

1.  Enemies  of  the  Gods 

The  origin  of  the  terms  Asura,  Daitya  and  Danava  is  of 
the  greatest  importance  in  attempting  to  ascertain  the  exact 
position  they  hold  in  Indian  mythology.  It  is  not  sufficient 
merely  to  say  they  are  usually  applied  to  the  enemies  of  the 
gods. 

Although  many  derivations  of  the  word  asura  have  been 
suggested,  it  seems  very  probable  that  the  simplest  is  the 
197 


198  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

most  correct— namely,  that  it  comes  from  am,  spirit,  life- 
breath.  (See  Brugmann,  Vergl.  Gramm.,  ii,  p.  189.)  It 
means,  therefore,  spiritual  being,"  and,  as  such,  is  applied 
to  nearly  all  the  greater  Vedic  gods. 

Among  the  suggested  derivations,  however,  mention 
may  be  made  of  that  which  is  looked  for  in  Mesopotamia. 
Attempts  have  been  made  to  trace  it  thence  to  India.  As 
the  theory  is  attractive  I  will  attempt  to  give  the  main  lines 
of  argument. 

In  the  early  Vedas,  including  the  older  hymns  of  the 
l$ig-Veda9  the  word  asura  is  an  alternative  designation  for 
"  deity,"  or  "  friendly  gods,"  besides  being  used  as  an  epithet 
of  the  most  important  gods,  such  as  Varuna,  Rudra,  etc.  In 
the  later  Vedas,  and  especially  in  the  Purdnas,  asura  is  used 
to  denote  a  formidable  enemy  of  the  gods  (Devas).  It  is  this 
strange  contradiction  of  meanings  that  has  led  scholars  to 
suspect  some  foreign  origin  of  the  word,  and  to  attempt  to 
trace  its  etymology. 

Assur,  Asur,  Ashir,  or  Ashur  was  the  national  god  of 
Assyria  from  whom  both  the  country  and  its  primitive  capital 
took  their  names.  The  exact  meaning  of  the  word  is  not 
known  ;  it  has  been  interpreted  as  "  arbiter,"  "  overseer,"  or 
"  lord,"  but  its  original  meaning  is  wrapped  in  mystery. 
The  Persians  borrowed  the  word,  which  became  ahura,  mean- 
ing "  lord  "  or  "  god."  The  Vedic  Hindus  did  likewise,  but 
gradually  altered  the  meaning  to  the  exact  opposite.  Various 
suggestions  are  put  forward  to  account  for  this. 

The  discovery  of  a  treaty  in  Asia  Minor  between  the 
King  of  the  Hittites  and  the  King  of  Mitani  (see  Journ.  Roy. 
Asiatic  Soc.,  1909,  p.  721  et  seq.)  shows  that  the  Vedic  Aryans 
were  neighbours  of  the  Assyrians,  so  it  may  be  that  the 
progress  of  these  Aryans  into  India  was  contested  by  their 
neighbours,  the  Asuras,  just  in  the  same  way  as  later  it  was 
contested  by  the  Dasyus  in  India  itself. 

Thus  in  time,  when  the  religious  system  began  to  be 
fully  developed,  reminiscences  of  the  human  Asuras  and  their 
fights  with  the  Aryans  would  be  transformed  into  a  myth  of 
the  enmity  between  the  Devas  (gods)  and  Asuras.  (For 
details  of  this  theory  see  Bhandarkar's  "  The  Aryans  in  the 
Land  of  the  Assurs,"  Journ.  Bombay  Br.  Roy.  As.  Soc, 
vol.  xxv,  1918,  p.  76  et  seq.) 

We  may,  however,  find  further  possibilities  from 
Assyria's  other  neighbours,  the  Iranians.    As  I  have  already 


APPENDIX  I-MYTHICAL  BEINGS  199 

mentioned,  they  used  the  word  ahura  to  mean  "  lord  "  or 
"  god,"  but  it  is  significant  to  note  that  daeva  denoted  evil 
spirits.  The  various  nations  of  the  Mesopotamian  area  had 
many  gods  in  common,  but  their  different  interpretations  of 
the  speculative  philosophy  of  life  soon  led  them  into  differ- 
ent paths  of  religious  thought  and  application.  Zoroaster's 
doctrine  helped  to  widen  this  breach  when  he  made  the  evil 
spirits  appear  in  the  Avesta  as  daevas.  In  India  the  con- 
ception of  asura  gradually  became  a  god  of  reverence  and 
fear  with  an  awful  divine  character,  while  deva  became  more 
friendly  in  its  meaning  and  kinder  to  humans.  Zoroaster, 
however,  looking  upon  the  daevas  as  upstarts  who  were 
gradually  ousting  the  original  position  of  the  Asuras,  elevated 
the  latter  and  added  the  epithet  Mazdao,  the  "  wise,"  to  their 
name.  Thus  arose  the  Persian  Ahuro  Mazdao,  which  in  time 
became  Ormazd,  the  "  Wise  Lord,"  the  "  All-father."  The 
daevas,  in  inverse  ratio,  became  enemies  of  the  gods.  In 
India,  as  we  have  seen,  the  exact  opposite  had  taken  place, 
and  thus  the  curious  difference  of  meaning  is  brought  about. 

It  is  often  said  that  the  word  asura  means  "  not-god,"  the 
negative  "  a  "  being  prefixed  to  sura,  which  means  "  god." 
This,  however,  is  incorrect,  the  exact  opposite  being  the 
case.  When  the  Asuras  had  become  the  enemies  of  the  gods, 
the  word  sura  was  formed  as  meaning  the  opposite  of  asura. 

Turning  now  to  the  terms  Daitya  and  Danava,  we  find 
that  Daitya  means  "  descendant  of  Diti."  Diti  is  a  female 
deity  mentioned  in  the  Big-Veda  and  Atharva-Veda,  whose 
particular  nature  was  apparently  little  known.  She  is  usually 
regarded  as  the  sister  of  Aditya,  to  whom  she  probably  owes 
her  existence  (cf.  the  way  in  which  sura  was  formed  from 
asura).  The  name  Aditya  is  used  as  a  metronymic  from  Aditi 
to  denote  some  of  the  most  important  deities;  thus  their 
enemies  were  named  Daityas  after  Diti. 

According  to  the  Mahdbharata  (i,  65)  the  Asura  race 
was  derived  from  five  daughters  of  Daksha,  son  of  Brahma. 
Of  these  daughters  two  were  Aditi  and  Diti.  A  third  was 
Danu,  from  whom  the  name  Danava  is  derived.  Thus  the 
close  relationship  of  the  three  terms  will  be  realised,  although 
it  is  only  the  word  asura  that  may  have  an  ancient  extraneous 
history. 

In  the  Ocean  of  Story  the  Asuras,  Daityas  and  Danavas 
are,  with  few  exceptions,  represented  as  the  enemies  of  the 
gods.    In  Book  VIII,  however,  where  the  terms  asura  and 


200  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

danava  are  used  synonymously,  we  find  one  called  Maya 
who  comes  to  earth  in  order  to  teach  the  hero  the  magic 
sciences.  To  do  this  he  takes  the  prince  back  to  Patala, 
which  is  the  usual  dwelling-place  not  only  of  the  Asuras,  but 
also  of  the  Nagas,  or  snake-gods.  Patala  is  described  as  a 
place  of  great  beauty,  with  magnificent  castles  and  abundance 
of  every  kind  of  wealth.  Some  of  the  Asuras  prefer  to  dwell 
outside  Patala,  either  in  the  air,  in  heaven,  or  even  on  earth 
itself. 

The  widely  different  legendary  accounts  of  the  history 
of  the  Asuras  are  to  be  found  in  the  Mahdbhdrata  and  the 
Pur  etnas.   (See  Wilson's  Vishnu  Pur ana ;,  i,  97  ;  ii,  69.) 

The  power  that  Asuras  can  obtain  is  shown  by  the  story 
of  Jalandhara,  an  Asura  who  actually  conquered  Vishnu,  and 
whom  neither  Siva  nor  Indra  could  destroy* 

In  the  Churning  of  the  Ocean  the  gods  found  they  could 
not  get  on  without  the  help  of  the  Asuras.  Occasionally  they 
have  actually  been  held  in  respect  and  worshipped.  In  the 
Vdyu  Purdna  is  the  history  of  Gaya,  an  Asura  who  was  so 
devout  in  the  worship  of  Vishnu  that  his  accumulated  merit 
alarmed  the  gods.  (This  legend  is  given  in  a  note  in  Chapter 
XCIII  of  this  work,  when  Gaya  is  actually  referred  to.) 

Rahu  should  also  be  mentioned,  who  is  the  Asura  causing 
the  eclipses  of  the  sun  and  moon. 

Further  details  will  be  found  in  H.  Jacobi's  article, 
under  "  Daitya,"  in  Hastings'  Ency.  Eel.  Eth.,  vol.  iv,  p.  390 
et  seq. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  term  asura  is  applied  to 
marriage  by  capture.  It  forms  with  the  paisdcha  variety  the 
two  kinds  of  marriage  condemned  by  Manu  as  altogether 
improper.  In  modern  days,  however,  the  asura  form  is 
recognised  even  for  the  Vaisya  and  Stidra  castes. 

2.  Servants  (or  Attendants)  of  the  Gods 

Foremost  among  these  are  the  Gandharvas  and  Apsa- 
rases. 

In  the  early  Vedas  the  Gandharvas  occupy  a  minor  posi- 
tion, which  in  later  days  became  more  prominent.  They  are 
trusted  servants  of  the  gods,  having  guard  of  the  celestial  soma, 
and  so  become  heavenly  physicians,  as  soma  is  a  panacea. 
They  also  direct  the  sun's  horses  and  act  as  servants  to  Agni, 
God  of  Fire  and  Light,  and  to  Varuna,  the  divine  judge.   They 


APPENDIX  I-MYTHICAL  BEINGS  201 

dwell  in  the  fathomless  spaces  of  the  air,  and  stand  erect  on 
the  vault  of  heaven.  They  are  also  (especially  in  the  Avesta) 
connected  with  the  waters,  and  in  the  later  Vedas  have  the 
Apsarases,  who  were  originally  water-nymphs,  as  wives  or 
mistresses.  It  is  at  this  period,  too,  that  they  become  especi- 
ally fond  of  and  dangerous  to  women,  but  at  the  same  time 
they  are  the  tutelary  deities  of  women  and  marriage.  They 
are  always  represented  as  being  gorgeously  clad  and  carrying 
shining  weapons. 

In  post-Vedic  times  they  are  the  celestial  singers  and 
musicians  at  Indra's  Court,  where  they  live  in  company  with 
the  Apsarases.  They  wander  about  the  great  spaces  of  air  at 
random.  Thus  the  term  gandharvanagara  means  "  mirage  "  — 
literally,  the  "  city  of  the  Gandharvas." 

They  often  visit  humans,  being  attracted  by  beautiful 
women. 

In  number  they  vary  greatly  in  different  accounts.  They 
are  twelve,  twenty-seven,  or  innumerable. 

The  Vishnu  Parana  says  they  are  the  offspring  of  Brahma, 
and  recounts  how  60,000,000  of  them  warred  against  the 
Nagas,  or  snake-gods,  but  they  were  destroyed  with  Vishnu's 
help. 

Finally,  they  lend  their  name  to  a  form  of  marriage. 
When  two  people  desire  mutual  intercourse  the  resulting 
marriage  is  called  gdndharva,  because  these  spirits  of  the 
air  are  the  only  witnesses.  Full  details  of  the  gdndharva 
marriage  have  already  been  given  in  this  volume  (pp.  87,  88). 

We  now  pass  on  to  the  Apsarases,  who,  as  we  have 
already  seen,  were  originally  water-nymphs.  (Their  very 
name  means  "  moving  in  the  waters.")  They  are  seldom 
mentioned  in  the  Vedas,  Urvasi,  who  became  the  wife  of 
King  Pururavas,  being  one  of  the  most  famous.  (fiig-Veda, 
x,  95,  and  Ocean  of  Story,  Chapter  XVIII.) 

In  the  later  Vedas  they  frequent  trees,  which  continually 
resound  with  the  music  of  their  lutes  and  cymbals. 

In  the  Epics  they  become  the  wives  of  the  Gandharvas, 
whom  they  join  as  singers,  dancers  and  musicians  in  Indra's 
Court.  They  serve  the  gods  in  other  capacities ;  for  instance, 
if  a  pious  devotee  has  acquired  so  much  power  by  his 
austerities  that  the  gods  themselves  are  in  danger  of  being 
subservient  to  him,  a  beautiful  Apsaras  is  at  once  dispatched 
to  distract  him  from  his  devotions  (e.g.  Menaka  seduced 
Visvamitra  and  became  the  mother  of  Sakuntala). 


202  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

The  beauty  and  voluptuous  nature  of  the  Apsarases  is 
always  emphasised,  and  they  are  held  out  as  the  reward  for 
fallen  heroes  in  Indra's  paradise.  In  this  they  resemble  the 
Mohammedan  houris. 

According  to  the  Rdmdyana  and  the  Vishnu  Purdna  they 
were  produced  at  the  Churning  of  the  Ocean.  When  they 
first  appeared  in  this  way,  neither  the  gods  nor  the  Asuras 
would  have  them  as  their  wives ;  consequently  they  became 
promiscuous  in  their  affections.  They  have  the  power  of 
changing  their  forms,  and  are  most  helpful  and  affectionate 
to  mortals  whom  they  favour. 

They  preside  over  the  fortunes  of  the  gaming-table,  and 
it  is  here  that  their  friendship  is  most  desirable. 

The  estimate  of  their  number  varies,  but  it  is  usually  put 
at  35,000,000,  of  which  1060  are  the  chief. 

In  the  Ocean  of  Story  they  often  fall  in  love  with  mortals, 
but  are  usually  under  some  curse  for  past  misbehaviour.  In 
Chapter  XXVIII  King  Sushena  recognises  his  future  Apsaras 
wife  as  divine,  "  since  her  feet  do  not  touch  the  dust,  and  her 
eye  does  not  wink."  As  soon  as  she  bears  him  a  child  she  is 
forced  to  return  to  her  abode  in  the  heavens. 

Gana  is  the  name  given  to  an  attendant  of  Siva  and 
Parvati.  The  chief  is  Ganesa  ("  Lord  of  Ganas  "),  who  is  a 
son  of  Siva  and  Parvati.  He  it  was  who  ranked  as  chief  of 
the  followers  of  Siva,  hence  all  the  others  are  termed  Ganas. 
The  position  seems,  however,  to  have  been  an  honorary  one 
as  far  as  Ganesa  was  concerned,  for  we  find  in  actual  practice 
that  Nandi,  Siva's  bull,  was  leader  of  the  Ganas.  As  we  have 
seen  in  the  Introduction  to  the  Ocean  of  Story,  both  Siva  and 
Parvati  kept  strict  control  over  their  Ganas,  and  any  breach 
of  discipline  was  punished  by  banishment  from  Kailasa— 
usually  to  the  world  of  mortals,  where  they  had  to  serve  their 
time  till  some  event  or  other  brought  the  curse  to  an  end. 

Kinnaras,  Guhyakas  and  Yakshas  are  all  subjects  to 
Kuvera,  or  Vaisravana,  the  God  of  Wealth  and  Lord  of 
Treasures. 

Kinnaras  sing  and  play  before  Kuvera,  and  have  human 
bodies  and  horses'  heads.  The  Kimpurushas,  who  have 
horses'  bodies  and  human  heads  (like  the  centaurs),  are  also 
servants  of  Kuvera,  but  are  not  mentioned  in  the  Ocean  of 
Story. 


APPENDIX  I-MYTHICAL  BEINGS  203 

The  Guhyakas  help  to  guard  Kuvera's  treasure  and  dwell 
in  caves.  They  are  often  (as  in  Chapter  VI  of  the  Ocean  of 
Story)  synonymous  with  Yakshas.  The  beings  who  assisted 
Kuvera  in  guarding  treasures  were  originally  called  Rakshas, 
but  the  name  savoured  too  much  of  the  demons,  the  Rakshasas, 
who  were  subject  to  Ravana,  the  half-brother  of  Kuvera— 
so  the  name  Yakshas  was  adopted.  The  word  yaksha  means 
'  being  possessed  of  magical  powers,"  which,  as  we  shall  see 
later,  is  practically  the  same  meaning  as  vidyddhara. 

It  appears  that  both  Yakshas  and  Rakshasas  come  under 
the  heading  of  Rakshas,  the  former  being  friendly  to  man 
and  servants  of  Kuvera,  the  latter  being  demons  and  hostile 
to  man. 


3.  Independent  Superhumans 

The  Nagas  are  snake-gods  dwelling  in  Patala,  the  under- 
world, in  a  city  called  Bhogavati.  Although  snake-worship 
dates  from  the  earliest  times  in  India,  there  is  but  little 
mention  of  Nagas  in  the  Vedas.  In  the  Epics,  however,  they 
attain  full  recognition  and  figure  largely  in  the  Mahabhdrata. 
Here  their  origin  is  traced  to  Kadru  and  Kasyapa,  and  their 
destruction  through  the  sacrifice  of  Janamejaya  is  related. 

In  some  stories  they  retain  their  reptilian  character 
throughout;  in  others  they  possess  human  heads,  or  are 
human  as  far  as  the  waist.  They  are  usually  friendly  to  man 
unless  ill-treated,  when  they  have  their  revenge  if  not  duly 
propitiated. 

Garuda,  the  sun-god,  is  their  enemy  (see  the  Ocean  of 
Story,  Chapter  LXI),  from  whom  they  fly.  As  the  snake  is 
sometimes  looked  upon  as  representative  of  darkness,  the 
idea  has  arisen  that  they  are  eaten  by  Garuda,  or  the  dawn, 
each  morning  (see  pp.  103-105  of  this  volume). 

The  extent  of  serpent- worship  in  India  can  be  imagined 
when  we  read  in  Crooke's  Folk-Lore  of  Northern  India  (vol.  ii, 
p.  122)  that  in  the  North-West  Provinces  there  are  over 
25,000  Naga- worshippers,  and  in  the  census-returns  123  people 
recorded  themselves  as  votaries  of  Guga,  the  snake-god. 

It  would  be  out  of  place  here  to  give  details  of  the  cere- 
monies, superstitions  and  archaeological  remains  of  snake- 
worship  throughout  India.  I  would  merely  refer  readers 
to  Cook's  article,  "  Serpent- Worship,"  in  the  Ency.  Brit., 
vol.  xxiv,  pp.  676-682,  and  that  by  Macculloch,  Crooke  and 


204  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

Welsford  in  Hastings'  Ency.  Rel  Eth.,  vol.  xi,  pp.  399-423. 
Both  contain  full  bibliographical  references. 

Readers  will  remember  the  amazing  story  in  the  Nights 
(Burton,  vol.  v,  p.  298  to  the  end  of  the  volume)  of 
"The  Queen  of  the  Serpents,"  whose  head  alone  is  human, 
and  the  sub-story,  "  The  Adventures  of  Bulukiya,"  where 
Solomon  and  his  ring  are  guarded  by  fiery  serpents.  The 
relationship  of  the  Nagas  to  the  Pisachas  is  discussed  below, 
in  section  4.  Their  origin,  like  that  of  the  Pisachas,  was 
probably  a  primitive  hill  tribe  of  North  India. 

Siddhas  play  a  very  unimportant  part  in  Hindu  myth- 
ology. They  are  described  as  kindly  ghosts  who  always  be- 
have in  a  most  friendly  manner  to  mankind.  They  are  usually 
mentioned  in  company  with  Ganas  and  Vidyadharas,  as  at 
the  commencement  of  the  Ocean  of  Story.  In  the  earlier 
mythology  they  were  called  Sadhyas  (Manu,  i,  22),  where 
their  great  purity  is  emphasised. 

Vidyadharas  play  a  very  important  part  in  the  Ocean  of 
Story  and  require  little  explanation  here,  as  their  habits,  abode 
and  relations  with  mortals  are  fullv  detailed  in  the  work  itself. 

Their  government  is  similar  to  that  in  the  great  cities  on 
earth ;  they  have  their  kings,  viziers,  wives  and  families.  They 
possess  very  great  knowledge,  especially  in  magical  sciences, 
and  can  assume  any  form  they  wish.  Their  name  means 
"  possessing  spells  or  witchcraft." 

4.  Demons 

The  Rakshasas  are  the  most  prominent  among  malicious 
superhumans.  From  the  Rig-Veda  days  they  have  delighted 
in  disturbing  sacrifices,  worrying  devout  men  when  engaged 
in  prayer,  animating  dead  bodies  and  generally  living  up  to 
the  meaning  of  their  name,  "  the  harmers  "  or  "  destroyers." 

In  appearance  they  are  terrifying  and  monstrous.  In  the 
Atharva-Veda  they  are  deformed,  and  blue,  green  or  yellow  in 
colour.  Their  eyes,  like  those  of  the  Arabian  jinn,  are  long 
slits  up  and  down,  their  finger-nails  are  poisonous,  and  their 
touch  most  dangerous.  They  eat  human  flesh  and  also  that 
of  horses.  Parvati  gave  them  power  to  arrive  at  maturity  at 
birth. 

It  is  at  night  that  their  power  is  at  its  height,  and  it  is 


APPENDIX  I— MYTHICAL  BEINGS  205 

then  that  they  prowl  about  the  burning-grounds  in  search 
of  corpses  or  humans.  They  are,  moreover,  possessors  of 
remarkable  riches,  which  they  bestow  on  those  they  favour. 

Chief  among  Rakshasas  is  Havana,  the  great  enemy  of 
Rama.  Reference  should  be  made  to  Crooke's  Folk-Lore  of 
Northern  India,  vol.  i,  p.  246  et  seq. 

They  have  also  given  the  name  to  one  of  the  eight  forms 
of  marriage  which  Manu  says  is  lawful  only  for  men  of  the 
Kshatriya  caste. 

The  Pisachas  are  rather  similar  to  the  Rakshasas,  their 
chief  activities  being  in  leading  people  out  of  their  way, 
haunting  cemeteries,  eating  human  flesh  and  indulging  in 
every  kind  of  wickedness.  In  Chapter  XXVIII  of  the  Ocean 
of  Story  they  appear  to  possess  healing  power,  and,  after  being 
duly  propitiated,  cure  disease. 

In  the  Vedas  they  are  described  as  kravydd,  "  eaters  of 
raw  flesh,"  which  is  perhaps  the  etymological  sense  of  the 
word  Pisacha  itself.  In  the  Rdmaydna  they  appear  occasion- 
ally as  ghouls,  but  in  the  Mahdbhdrata  besides  being  ghouls 
they  are  continually  represented  as  human  beings  living  in 
the  north-west  of  India,  the  Himalayas  and  Central  Asia. 
This  is  one  of  the  points  which  has  led  Sir  George  Grierson  to 
believe  in  the  human  origin  of  the  Pisachas.  (See  the  numer- 
ous references  given  in  my  note  on  Paisachi,  the  Pisacha 's 
language,  on  pp.  92,  93.) 

Macdonell  and  Keith  (Vedic  Index,  vol.  i,  p.  533)  con- 
sider that  when  they  appeared  as  human  tribes,  they  were 
presumably  thus  designated  in  scorn.  A  science  called 
Pisacha-veda  or  Pisacha-vidya  is  known  in  the  later  Vedic 
period.  (See  Gopatha  Brdhmana,  i,  1,  10,  and  Asvaldyana 
Srauta  Sutra,  x,  7,  6.) 

There  is  a  form  of  marriage  named  paisdcha,  after  the 
Pisachas,  which  consists  of  embracing  a  woman  who  is  drugged, 
insane  or  asleep.  This  is  mentioned  by  Manu  as  the  last  and 
most  condemned  form  of  marriage.  It  was,  however,  permis- 
sible to  all  castes  except  Brahmans.  (See  Manu,  Sacred  Books 
of  the  East,  Buhler,  vol.  xxv,  pp.  79-81  and  83.) 

Finally  there  are  the  Purana  legends  to  be  considered. 
They  state  that  the  valley  of  Kashmir  was  once  a  lake.  Siva 
drained  off  the  water  and  it  was  peopled  by  the  Prajapati 
Kasyapa.  He  had  numerous  wives,  but  three  in  particular, 
from  whom  were  born  the  Nagas,  the  Pisachas,  the  Yakshas 


206  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

and  the  Rakshasas.  Thus  the  relationship  of  these  various 
demons  is  understood. 

Both  Buddhist  and  non-Buddhist  literature  continually 
refers  to  them  synonymously,  and  in  modern  Kashmiri  the 
word  yachh,  for  yaksha,  has  taken  the  place  of  the  old 
pisacha. 

There  is  also  a  rather  similar  legend  in  the  Nilamata,  a 
legendary  account  of  Kashmir  dating  (so  Grierson  says)  from 
perhaps  the  sixth  or  seventh  century.  According  to  it 
Kasyapa  first  peopled  the  dried  valley  of  Kashmir  only  with 
the  Nagas.  He  then  wished  to  introduce  men,  but  the  Nagas 
objected.  Kasyapa  cursed  them,  and  for  every  six  months 
of  the  year  his  other  sons,  the  Pisachas,  who  came  from  an 
island  in  the  sand  ocean  (an  oasis  in  Central  Asia,  probably 
Khotan),  dwelt  there. 

Many  similar  stories  are  found  in  the  Dard  country, 
north  and  west  of  Kashmir. 

Vetalas  are  also  closely  related  to  the  above  demons. 
They  are  almost  entirely  confined  to  cemeteries  and  burning- 
grounds,  where  they  specialise  in  animating  dead  bodies. 

The  twenty-five  tales  of  a  Vetala  are  included  in  the 
Ocean  of  Story,  where  their  nature  is  fully  described. 

Bhuta  is  really  a  generic  name  given  to  ghosts  of  many 
kinds.  They  are  often  synonymous  with  both  Rakshasas  and 
Pisachas.    (See  E.  Arbman,  Rudra,  p.  165  et  seq.) 

The  Bhuta  proper  is  the  spirit  of  a  man  who  has  met 
a  violent  death,  in  consequence  of  which  it  assumes  great 
malignity  against  the  living. 

The  three  tests  of  recognising  a  Bhuta  are  :  (1)  it  has  no 
shadow;  (2)  it  cannot  stand  burning  turmeric;  (3)  it  always 
speaks  with  a  nasal  twang.  It  plays  a  very  minor  part  in  the 
Ocean  of  Story,  being  mentioned  only  once. 

Crooke  (op.  cit.,  vol.  i,  p.  234  et  seq.)  has  given  very  full 
details  of  the  modern  Bhuta,  its  veneration  and  the  numerous 
superstitious  rites  connected  with  it. 

Dasyus  (or  Dasas)  was  originally  the  name  given  to  the 
aboriginal  tribes  of  India  who  resisted  the  gradual  advance 
of  the  Aryans  from  the  west.  Owing  to  the  legends  which 
naturally  sprang  up  about  the  bloody  battles  with  these 
early  foes,  they  have  been  introduced  into  fiction  as  demons 


APPENDIX  I -MYTHICAL  BEINGS  207 

of  terrible  and  hideous  appearance  and  are  classed  with 
Rakshasas  and  Pisachas. 

They  are  described  as  having  a  black  skin,  being  snub- 
nosed,  god-hating,  devoid  of  rites,  addicted  to  strange  vows, 
and  so  forth. 

They  are  mentioned  only  once  in  the  Ocean  of  Story,  and 
then  in  company  with  Rakshasas. 

Kumbhandas  and  Kushmandas  are  also  mentioned  only 
once,  and  are  merely  a  variety  of  demon,  and  of  little  im- 
portance. 

The  two  words  are  probably  synonymous,  one  being 
Sanskrit  and  the  other  Prakrit. 


APPENDIX  II 


APPENDIX  II 

NOTE  ON  THE  USE  OF  COLLYRIUM  AND  KOHL 

The  word  collyrium  has  an  interesting  etymological  history. 

It  is  a  Latin  word  (icoWvpiov,  in  Greek)  meaning  "  a  mass 

(or  article)  similar  to  the  collyra- dough."    Collyra  is  a  kind  of 

pastry,  round  in  shape,  closely  resembling  vermicelli.     Thus 

collyrium   came  to   mean   (1)  a  pessary,    suppository,   etc., 

when  used  in  a  medical  sense,  (2)  a  liquid  eye-wash,  applied 

in  a  long  thin  line  above  the  eye,  and  (3)  kohl,  for  beautifying 

the  eyes. 

The  word  collyrium  is  often  used  (as  in  our  text)  to  mean 

kohl,  whereas  its  strict  use  in  connection  with  the  eye  should 

•  * 
be  only  in  a  medical  sense.      Kohl  is  from  the  Arabic  j^$, 

kuhl,  kohl,  which  means  a  "  stain,"  from  kahala,  "to  stain." 
In  English  the  word  is  applied  in  chemistry  to  any  fine 
impalpable  powder  produced  by  trituration,  or  especially  by 
sublimation,  and  by  further  extension  to  fluids  of  the  idea  of 
sublimation — an  essence,  quintessence,  or  spirit  obtained  by 
distillation  or  "  rectification,"  as  alcohol  of  wine.  Thus  our 
own  word  "  alcohol  "  really  means  "  a  thing  (produced)  by 
staining."  Kohl  consists  of  powdered  antimony  ore,  stibnite, 
antimony  trisulphide  (-rrXarvocpOoXjuLov  o-r/^^f),  galena  or  lead  ore. 

The  custom  of  applying  kohl  to  the  eyes  dates  from  the 
dawn  of  history  and  is  still  practised  in  some  form  or  other 
in  almost  every  race  of  the  world.  After  shortly  considering 
its  use  in  India,  it  will  be  interesting  to  give  some  account 
of  the  custom  in  other  countries— chiefly  in  ancient  Egypt 
and  the  Moslem  East. 

From  a  study  of  the  Ajanta  cave  paintings  and  the  work 
of  the  Indian  court  artists  of  the  various  schools,  it  is  at  once 
noticeable  how  exaggerated  are  the  eyes  of  the  women.  They 
are  very  large  and  stretch  in  almond  shape  almost  to  the  ears. 
This  is  considered  a  great  attraction,  and  the  painting  of  the 
eye  is  as  important  as  the  application  of  henna  to  the  hands 
and  feet.  The  kohl  (surma)  is  used  both  as  a  means  of  producing 
large  and  lustrous  eyes  and  as  a  collyrium  (anjana). 

In  ancient  India  the  recipes  for  making  various  anjanas 
are  strange  and  numerous.  In  the  Susruta  Samhitd  of  the  first 
211 


212  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

century  either  b.c.  or  a.d.  (Bhishagratna's  trans.,  Calcutta) 
there  are  many,  of  which  the  following  is  an  example  : — 

"  Eight  parts  of  Rasdnjana  (antimony)  having  the  hue  of 
a  (full-blown)  blue  lotus  flower,  as  well  as  one  part  each  of 
(dead)  copper,  gold  and  silver,  should  be  taken  together  and 
placed  inside  an  earthen  crucible.  It  should  then  be  burnt 
by  being  covered  with  the  burning  charcoal  of  catechu  or 
asmantaka  wood,  or  in  the  fire  of  dried  cakes  of  cow- dung 
and  blown  (with  a  blow-pipe  till  they  would  glow  with  a 
blood-red  effulgence),  after  which  the  expressed  juice  (rasa) 
of  cow-dung,  cow's  urine,  milk-curd,  clarified  butter,  honey, 
oil,  lard,  marrow,  infusion  of  the  drugs  of  the  sarva-gandhd 
group,  grape  juice,  sugar-cane  juice,  the  expressed  juice  of 
triphald  and  the  completely  cooled  decoctions  of  the  drugs 
of  the  sdrivddi  and  the  utpalddi  groups,  should  be  separately 
sprinkled  over  it  in  succession  alternately  each  time  with  the 
heating  thereof.  After  that  the  preparation  should  be  kept 
suspended  in  the  air  for  a  week,  so  as  to  be  fully  washed  by 
the  rains.  The  compound  should  then  be  dried,  pounded  and 
mixed  together  with  proportionate  parts  (quarter  part)  of 
powdered  pearls,  crystals,  corals  and  kdlanu  sdrivd.  The  com- 
pound thus  prepared  is  a  very  good  anjana  and  should  be 
kept  in  a  pure  vessel  made  of  ivory,  crystal,  vaidurya,  sankha 
(conch-shell),  stone,  gold,  silver  or  of  asand  wood.  It  should 
then  be  purified  (lit,  worshipped)  in  the  manner  of  the  purifi- 
cation of  the  Sahasra-Paka-Taila  described  before.  It  may 
then  be  prescribed  even  for  a  king.  Applied  along  the  eye- 
lids as  a  collyrium,  it  enables  a  king  to  become  favourite  with 
his  subjects  and  to  continue  invincible  to  the  last  day  of  his 
life  free  from  ocular  affections." 

In  more  recent  days  we  find  surma  used  by  both  sexes  of 
the  Musulmans  of  India.  It  is  put  on  the  inside  of  the  eye- 
lids with  a  stick  called  mikhal.  Surma  is  variously  powdered 
antimony,  iron  ore,  galena,  and  Iceland  spar  from  Kabul. 
The  jars  or  toilet-boxes  (surma- dan)  resemble  those  to  be 
described  later  in  modern  Egypt. 

The  eyelashes  and  outer  lids  are  stained,  or  rather 
smudged,  with  kdjal  or  lamp-black,  which  is  collected  on  a 
plate  held  over  a  lamp.  The  box  where  it  is  stored  is  called 
Kajalanti. 

As  black  is  one  of  the  colours  spirits  fear,  surma  and 
kdjal  are  used  as  a  guard  against  the  evil  eye  at  marriages., 
deaths,  etc. 


APPENDIX  II-COLLYRIUM  AND  KOHL        213 

Herklots  in  his  Qanun-i-Islam  (by  Ja'far  Sharif,  with 
notes  by  Crooke,  new  edition,  1920)  refers  to  a  legend  current 
in  the  Pan  jab.  It  is  said  that  a  fakir  from  Kashmir  "  came 
to  Mount  Karangli  in  the  Jhilam  district  and  turned  it  into 
gold.  The  people  fearing  that  in  time  of  war  it  would  be 
plundered,  by  means  of  a  spell  turned  the  gold  into  antimony, 
which  is  now  washed  down  by  the  rain  from  the  mountain. 
It  is  said  that  if  it  is  used  for  eight  days  it  will  restore  the  sight 
of  those  who  have  become  blind  by  disease  or  by  accident, 
but  not  of  those  born  blind." 

One  of  the  chief  attractions  of  surma,  especially  in  hot 
countries,  is  the  coolness  it  imparts  to  the  eyes.  It  is  this 
attribute,  coupled  with  its  beautifying  effects,  which  makes 
it  so  popular  in  India  among  both  Mohammedans  and 
Hindus. 

When  obtained  in  the  crude  ore  it  is  laboriously  pounded 
in  a  stone  mortar,  the  process  sometimes  taking  over  a  week. 
If  the  family  can  afford  it,  a  few  drops  of  attar  of  roses  is 
occasionally  added,  thus  giving  a  pleasant  perfume  to  the 
preparation. 

The  amount  of  antimony-sulphide  produced  in  India  is 
very  small,  the  chief  localities  being  the  Jhelum  and  Kangra 
districts  of  the  Panjab ;  the  Bellary,  Cuddapah  and  Viza- 
gapatam  districts  of  Madras ;  and  the  Chitaldroog  and  Kadur 
districts  of  Mysore. 

The  galena  found  in  some  of  the  above  districts,  par- 
ticularly Jhelum,  is  sometimes  sold  in  the  Indian  bazaars  as 
surma. 

As  we  proceed  westwards  from  India,  we  find  everywhere 
that  the  practice  of  painting  the  eyes  is  a  firmly  established 
custom. 

In  Persia  the  preparation  used  for  the  eyes  was  known  as 
tutia.  Marco  Polo,  in  describing  the  town  of  Cobinam,  which 
has  been  identified  as  Kuh-Banan  in  Kerman,  says  that 
tutia  is  prepared  there  by  putting  a  certain  earth  into  a 
furnace  over  which  is  placed  an  iron  grating.  The  smoke  and 
moisture  expelled  from  the  earth  adheres  to  the  grating.  This 
is  carefully  collected  and  is  "  a  thing  very  good  for  the  eyes." 
In  commenting  upon  this  passage  Yule  says  (Marco  Polo, 
vol.  i,  p.  126)  that  Polo's  description  closely  resembles  Galen's 
account  of  Pompholyx  and  Spodos  (see  his  Be  Simpl.  Medic, 
p.  ix,  in  Latin  edition,  Venice,  1576). 


214  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

Writing  about  four  hundred  years  later  (1670)  the  Portu- 
guese traveller  Teixeira  (Relaciones  .  .  .  de  Persia,  y  de 
Harmuz  .  .  .)  also  refers  to  the  tutia  of  Kerman,  and  says 
the  ore  was  kneaded  with  water  and  baked  in  crucibles  in  a 
potter's  kiln.  The  tutia  was  subsequently  packed  in  boxes 
and  sent  for  sale  to  Hormuz.  The  importation  into  India  of 
moulded  cakes  of  tutia  from  the  Persian  Gulf  was  mentioned 
by  Milburn  in  1813  (Oriental  Commerce,  vol.  i,  p.  139). 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  in  The  History  of  the  Sung 
Dynasty  an  Arab  junk-master  brought  to  Canton  in  a.d.  990, 
and  sent  thence  to  the  Chinese  Emperor  in  Ho  Nan,  "  one 
vitreous  bottle  of  tutia."  (E.  H.  Parker,  Asiatic  Quarterly 
Review,  January  1904,  p.  135.) 

Writing  in  1881  Gen.  A.  Houtum-Schindler  (Journ.  Roy. 
As.  Soc,  N.S.,  vol.  xiii,  p.  497)  says  that  the  term  tutia  is  not 
now  used  in  Kerman  to  denote  a  collyrium,  being  applied  to 
numerous  other  minerals.  "  The  lamp-black  used  as  collyrium 
is  always  called  Surmah.  This  at  Kerman  itself  is  the  soot 
produced  by  the  flame  of  wicks,  steeped  in  castor  oil  or  goat's 
fat,  upon  earthenware  saucers.  In  the  high  mountainous 
districts  of  the  province,  Kiibenan,  Pariz,  and  others,  Surmah 
is  the  soot  of  the  Gavan  plant  (Garcia's  goan).  This  plant,  a 
species  of  Astragalus,  is  on  those  mountains  very  fat  and 
succulent ;  from  it  also  exudes  the  Tragacanth  gum.  The 
soot  is  used  dry  as  an  eye-powder,  or,  mixed  with  tallow,  as 
an  eye-salve.    It  is  occasionally  collected  on  iron  gratings." 

In  Persia  to-day  surmah  forms  a  very  important  part  of  a 
lady's  toilet.  She  uses  it  from  early  childhood,  and  the  more 
she  puts  on  the  more  she  honours  her  husband  and  her  guests. 
It  is  considered  to  serve  the  twofold  purpose  of  beautifying 
the  eyes  and  preventing  ophthalmia.  It  is  also  applied  in  a 
long  thick  line  right  across  both  eyebrows. 

In  all  Mohammedan  countries  the  meeting  eyebrows  are 
looked  upon  as  beautiful,  while  in  India  the  opposite  is  the 
case.  Morier  in  his  immortal  Hajji  Baba  of  Ispahan  tells  us 
that  when  Hajji  had  become  a  promoter  of  matrimony,  among 
the  charms  enumerated  by  Zeenab  her  most  alluring  were  her 
"  two  eyebrows  that  looked  like  one." 

In  his  edition  of  1897,  Dr  Wills  gives  an  illustration  on 
page  428  of  the  surmah  and  tattoo  marks  on  the  chin  and 
forehead. 

Sir  Percy  Sykes  recently  reminded  me  of  a  Persian  saying 
which  shows  the  esteem  in  which  surmah  is  held : 


APPENDIX  II-COLLYRIUM  AND  KOHL       215 

"  The  dust  of  a  flock  of  sheep  is  surmah  to  the  eyes  of  a 
hungry  wolf." 

Before  considering  the  custom  in  ancient  and  modern 
Egypt  it  will  be  interesting  to  say  a  word  on  its  great  antiquity. 

Mr  Campbell  Thompson,  one  of  our  leading  Assyriolo- 
gists,  tells  me  that  it  seems  certainly  to  have  been  in  use  by 
the  Sumerian  women  (5000  B.C.)  and  in  after  years  by  the 
Babylonians  and  Assyrians.  In  one  of  the  historical  texts 
kohl  (kilhla)  is  mentioned  as  among  the  tribute  paid  by 
Hezekiah  to  the  conquering  Sennacherib  (700  B.C.). 

Even  at  this  early  date  it  was  used  as  a  collyrium  as  well 
as  a  "  make-up  "  for  the  eyes. 

In  ancient  Egypt  the  custom  of  applying  kohl  to  the 
lashes,  eyelids,  the  part  immediately  below  the  lower  lashes, 
and  the  eyebrows  dates  from  the  earliest  dynasties.  It  seems 
to  have  been  of  numerous  varieties  and  colours.  Sesqui- 
sulphuret  of  antimony,  sulphide  of  lead,  oxide  of  copper  and 
black  oxide  of  manganese  are  among  the  chief  substances 
used  in  powdered  form.  Miniature  marble  mortars  were  used 
for  pounding  the  mineral  into  powder.  The  Egyptian  name 
for  any  such  powder  was  mestem,  while  the  act  of  applying 
the  powder  was  called  semtet,  and  the  part  painted  was  semti. 
The  mestem  was  kept  in  tubes  made  of  alabaster,  steatite, 
glass,  ivory,  bone,  wood,  etc.  These  were  single,  or  in  clusters 
of  two,  three,  four  or  five.  In  many  cases  the  single  tube  was 
formed  by  a  hole  being  bored  into  a  solid  jar  of  alabaster, 
granite,  faience,  steatite  or  porphyry.  Such  jars  had  lids, 
edges  and  sometimes  stands  for  them  to  rest  on.  The  stick  for 
applying  the  mestem  was  usually  of  the  same  materials  as  the 
jars.  One  end  was  slightly  bulbous.  It  was  this  end  which, 
after  being  moistened  and  dipped  in  the  mestem,  was  used  in 
the  application  on  the  eyelids  and  eyebrows.  The  tubes  and 
jars,  from  three  to  six  inches  in  height,  were  often  of  the  most 
beautiful  workmanship,  as  an  inspection  of  the  numerous 
specimens  at  the  British  Museum  will  show.  Several  have 
been  reproduced  in  Wilkinson's  Manners  and  Customs  of  the 
Ancient  Egyptians,  3  vols.,  1878  (vol.  ii,  p.  348).  Some  have 
a  separate  receptacle  for  the  mestem  stick,  otherwise  it  re- 
mained in  the  bottle,  after  the  manner  of  the  small  "  drop  " 
perfume  bottles  of  to-day.  Of  particular  interest  are  the  in- 
scriptions found  on  some  of  the  boxes.  Pierret  (Die.  cTArchcel. 
£gypt>  P-    I39)   gives   examples  :    "  To  lay  on  the  lids  or 


216  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

lashes";  "Good  for  the  sight";  "To  stop  bleeding"; 
"Best  stibium";  "To  cause  tears,"  etc.  One  of  the  most 
interesting  specimens  of  an  inscribed  kohl-  or  stibium-holder 
is  one  which  belonged  to  Lord  Grenfell  and  is  now  in  Case  316 
of  the  Wellcome  Historical  Medical  Museum  in  Wigmore 
Street,  London.  It  is  made  of  a  brown  wood  and  consists  of 
a  cluster  of  five  tubes,  one  in  the  centre  and  the  others  sur- 
rounding it.  The  central  cylinder  holds  the  kohl-stick.  On 
one  side  is  a  full  face  of  Bes,  who  says  he  "  does  battle  every 
day  on  behalf  of  the  followers  of  nis  lord,  the  Scribe  Atef, 
renewing  life."  On  the  other  side  is  the  figure  of  an  ape, 
Nephrit,  who  "  anoints  the  eyes  of  the  deceased  with  mestem" 
Each  of  the  four  remaining  tubes  held  a  mestem  of  a  differ- 
ent tint,  with  instruction  as  to  when  they  were  to  be  used : 
(1)  "To  be  put  on  daily";  (2)  "For  hot,  dry  weather"; 
(3)  "  For  use  in  winter  " ;  (4)  "  For  the  spring."  This  interest- 
ing specimen  was  found  in  the  temple  of  Queen  Hatshepset 
at  Deir  el  Bahari. 

Thus  the  great  importance  of  the  use  of  kohl  in  ancient 
Egypt  is  undoubted,  for  the  inscriptions  show  that  besides 
its  use  for  purposes  of  adornment  it  was  recognised  to  have 
medicinal  properties  and  to  act  as  a  charm  ;  the  application 
was,  moreover,  regulated  by  seasonal  changes.  I  have  in  my 
collection  examples  of  Egyptian  heavily  kohled  eyes  with  sus- 
pension eyelets.  The  mystic  "  Eye  of  Osiris  "  was  worn  as  a 
protection  against  magic,  and  was  of  as  great  necessity  to  the 
dead  as  to  the  living,  as  can  be  seen  by  the  large  numbers 
found  in  mummy- wrappings,  etc.  Full  details  on  this  branch 
of  the  subject  will  be  found  in  Elworthy's  Evil  Eye,  1895. 

We  now  turn  to  the  Old  Testament,  where  we  find 
several  references  to  the  practice  of  kohling  the  eyes.  The 
most  famous  is  the  reference  to  Jezebel,  in  2  Kings  ix,  30, 
where  the  correct  translation  of  the  Hebrew  is,  "  she  painted 
her  eyes,"  or  "  set  her  eyes  in  kohl"  and  looked  out  of  the 
window.  In  Jeremiah  iv,  30  we  read  :  "  though  thou  rent- 
est  thy  eyes  [not  face]  with  painting,  in  vain  shalt  thou  make 
thyself  fair  "  ;  and  in  Ezekiel  xxiii,  40  :  "  and  lo,  they  came  : 
for  whom  thou  didst  wash  thyself,  paintedst  thy  eyes,  and 
deckedst  thyself  with  ornaments." 

The  custom  was,  and  still  is,  universal  throughout  Islam, 
and  the  kohled  eye  has  always  been  prominent  in  the  poetry 
and  tales  of  Egypt,  Arabia  and  Persia.  The  kohl  (mirwad)  is 
of  many  kinds,  but  is  commonly  composed  of  the  smoke-black 


APPENDIX  II-COLLYRIUM  AND  KOHL      217 

produced  by  burning  a  cheap  variety  of  frankincense.  Almond- 
shells  are  also  used  in  the  same  manner.  These  two  kinds  have 
no  medicinal  value,  but  kohl  produced  from  the  grey  powder 
of  antimony  and  lead  ores  is,  as  Burton  discovered,  a  pre- 
ventive of  ophthalmia.  The  origin  of  the  use  of  powdered 
antimony  for  the  eyes  among  Mohammedans  is,  that,  when 
Allah  showed  himself  to  Moses  on  Sinai  through  the  opening 
the  size  of  a  needle,  the  prophet  fainted  and  the  mount  took 
fire  :  thereupon  Allah  said  :  "  Henceforth  shalt  thou  and  thy 
seed  grind  the  earth  of  this  mountain  and  apply  it  to  your 
eyes."  (See  Burton's  Nights,  vol.  i,  p.  59.)  The  powdered  ores 
are  often  mixed  with  sarcocolla,  long  pepper,  sugar- candy, 
the  fine  dust  of  a  Venetian  sequin,  and  sometimes  with 
powdered  pearls,  as  in  India. 

The  mirwad  is  usually  kept  in  a  glass  vessel  called  muk- 
hulah,  and  similar  varieties  are  found  as  in  ancient  Egypt. 
(For  illustrations  see  Lane's  Modern  Egyptians,  5th  edition, 
1860,  p.  37.)  The  mirwad  is  applied  with  a  probe  wetted  in 
the  mouth  or  with  rose-water.  Both  eyelids  are  blackened, 
but  no  long  line  is  drawn  out  at  the  corners  towards  the  ears 
as  was  the  custom  in  ancient  Egypt. 

It  is  common  to  see  children  in  Egypt  with  blackened  eyes. 
This  is  merely  a  charm  against  the  evil  eye,  as  black  is  one 
of  the  colours  feared  by  evil  spirits.  Kohl  has  entered  into 
many  proverbs,  and  a  popular  exaggeration  for  an  expert  thief 
is  to  say,  "  he  would  take  the  very  kohl  off  your  eyelids." 

Mohammedans  of  both  sexes  use  antimony  for  the  eyes, 
and  Mohammed  himself  did  not  disdain  its  use,  as  well  as  dye 
for  the  beard  and  oil  for  the  hair.  (See  my  Selected  Papers  of 
Sir  Richard  Burton,  1923,  p.  37.) 

In  his  Arabia  Deserta  (vol.  i,  p.  237)  Doughty  speaks  of 
the  fondness  of  every  Arabian  man  and  woman,  townsfolk 
and  bedouins,  to  paint  the  whites  of  their  eyes  with  kohl. 

In  Morocco  the  custom  enters  largely  into  marriage- 
ceremonies,  where  in  addition  the  lips  are  painted  with 
walnut  juice.  (For  numerous  references  see  the  index  of 
Westermarck's  Marriage  Ceremonies  in  Morocco,  1914.) 

In  Central  and  Eastern  Africa  the  Moslem  natives  apply 
kohl  to  both  outer  lids  by  fixing  it  on  with  some  greasy  sub- 
stance. (Burton,  op.  cit,  i,  63.)  I  have  in  my  collection  little 
leather  bags  for  holding  kohl  from  Zanzibar  and  kohl-sticks 
of  glass.  Livingstone,  in  his  Journal,  says  that  the  natives  of 
Central  Africa  used  powdered  malachite  as  an  eye  paint. 


218  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

In  Europe  kohl  was  used  by  women  in  classical  Greece 
and  Rome.  In  his  second  Satire  (85)  Juvenal,  in  speaking  of 
effeminate  men  who  have  copied  the  tricks  of  the  women's 
toilet,  savs  : 

"  One  with  needle  held  oblique  adds  length  to  his  eyebrows 
touched  with  moistened  kohl, 
And  raising  his  lids  paints  his  quivering  eyes." 

In  modern  days  kohl  is  in  great  demand  among  both  the 
social  and  theatrical  world  throughout  Europe.  Although 
some  Parisian  "  houses  "  still  sell  small  flasks  of  powdered 
antimony,  the  usual  forms  are  as  an  eyebrow-pencil,  a  black 
powder  and  a  solidified  block  which  is  rubbed  with  a 
moistened  brush  and  applied  to  the  lashes,  as  described  so 
clearly  by  Juvenal. 

The  composition  of  these  cosmetics  varies.  Some  are 
made  by  simply  dissolving  Chinese  or  Indian  ink  in  a  mixture 
of  glycerine  and  water.  In  other  cases  the  "  black  "  is  lamp- 
black or  fine  carbon  black. 

The  following  is  a  recipe  from  Poucher's  Perfumes  and 
Cosmetics,  1923:  — 

Ivory  black,  or  vegetable  black  .  .     100  grm. 

Tragacanth  in  powder  .  .  .15  grm. 

Alcohol,  58  o.p.  .  .  .  .135  cub.  cm. 

Orange-flower  water  .  .  .     750  cub.  cm. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  the  use  of  tragacanth  gum> 
which,  as  we  have  already  seen,  appears  in  the  Persian  surmah. 
Directions  for  making  the  kohl  from  the  above  ingredients  are 
as  follows  .— 

Place  the  alcohol  in  a  bottle,  add  the  tragacanth  and 
shake  until  evenly  distributed,  pour  in  the  orange-flower 
water  and  shake  until  a  creamy  mucilage  is  obtained.  Rub 
down  the  pigment  and  gradually  add  this  mucilage  to  it. 
Pass  through  muslin  and  transfer  to  bottles,  which  should 
be  corked  immediately. 

The  kohl  sold  in  paste  form  often  consists  of  ivory  black, 
soft  yellow  paraffin  and  a  few  drops  of  ionone  (synthetic 
violet)  or  attar  to  give  it  a  perfume. 


APPENDIX  III 


APPENDIX  III 

ON  THE  DOHADA,  OR  CRAVING  OF  THE  PREGNANT 
WOMAN,  AS  A  MOTIF  IN  HINDU  FICTION 

The  scientific  study  and  cataloguing  of  the  numerous  inci- 
dents which  continually  recur  throughout  the  literature  of 
a  country  has  scarcely  been  commenced,  much  less  the  com- 
parison of  such  motifs  with  similar  ones  in  the  folk-lore  of 
other  nations. 

Professor  Bloomfield  of  Chicago  has,  however,  issued  a 
number  of  papers  treating  of  various  traits  or  motifs  which 
occur  in  Hindu  fiction,  but  unfortunately  neither  he  nor 
his  friends  who  have  helped  by  papers  for  his  proposed 
Encyclopedia  of  Hindu  Fiction  have  carried  their  inquiries 
outside  the  realms  of  Sanskrit.  The  papers  are  none  the  less 
of  the  utmost  interest  and  value.  One  of  them  (Journ.  Amer. 
Orient  Soc,  vol.  lx,  Part  I,  1920,  pp.  1-24)  treats  of  "  The 
Dohada  or  Craving  of  Pregnant  Women."  With  certain  modi- 
fications I  have  used  this  as  the  chief  source  of  the  following 
note. 

There  are,  however,  certain  points  in  which  I  beg  to  differ 
from  Professor  Bloomfield.  For  instance,  the  incident  in  the 
Ocean  of  Story  seems  clearly  an  example  of  dohada  prompting 
a  husband  to  shrewdness,  and  does  not  come  under  the  heading 
of  dohadas  which  injure  the  husband. 

The  craving  or  whim  of  a  pregnant  woman  is  an  incident 
which  to  the  Western  mind  appears  merely  as  an  intimate  event 
in  a  woman's  life,  any  discussion  of  which  should  be  confined 
to  the  pages  of  a  medical  treatise.  Not  so  among  the  Hindus. 
It  forms  a  distinct  motif  in  folk-lore  and  is,  moreover,  one  from 
which  most  unexpected  situations  arise. 

The  Hindu  name  given  to  such  a  longing  is  dohada.  The 
word  means  "two-  heartedness,"  and  is  self-explanatory 
when  we  remember  that  the  pregnant  woman  has  two  hearts 
and  two  wills  in  her  body.  Any  wish  which  the  woman  may 
have  is  merely  the  will  of  the  embryo  asserting  itself  and 
causing  the  mother  to  ask  for  what  it  knows  is  necessary  for 
its  auspicious  birth. 

The  dohada  in  Hindu  literature  forms  a  motif  which  is 
221 


222  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

not  only  absolutely  free  from  any  suspicion  of  obscenity  or  gross- 
ness,  but  in  some  of  its  aspects  is  beautiful  and  highly  poetical. 

Let  us  take  the  poetical  dohada  first.  It  is  not  only  human 
beings  who  have  a  dohada  that  the  husband  knows  it  is  his 
bounden  duty  to  satisfy.  The  vegetable  kingdom  also  has 
its  dohadas.  Thus  if  a  certain  tree  is  known  to  blossom  only 
after  heavy  rains  heralded  by  thunder,  its  dohada  is  thunder, 
and  until  it  is  satisfied  the  pregnant  tree  cannot  blossom. 

More  fanciful  customs  have  arisen  with  regard  to  the 
dohadas :  some  must  be  touched  by  the  feet  of  women ;  others 
must  have  wine  sprinkled  over  them  from  the  mouths  of 
beauteous  maidens.  Hindu  poetry  abounds  in  such  extra- 
vagant ideas.  To  give  an  example  from  the  Pdrsvanatha 
Charitra  (vi,  796,  797) : 

"  (Came  spring)  when  the  kuruvaka  trees  bloom,  as  they 
are  embraced  by  young  maids  ;  when  the  asoka  trees  burst 
into  bloom,  as  they  are  struck  by  the  feet  of  young  women ; 
when  the  bakula  trees  bloom,  if  sprayed  with  wine  from  the 
mouths  of  gazelle- eyed  maidens ;  when  the  campaka  trees 
burst,  as  they  are  sprinkled  with  perfumed  water." 

Compare  Pliny,  Nat  Hist,  xvi,  242,  where  a  noble  Roman 
pours  wine  on  a  beautiful  beech-tree  in  a  sacred  grove  of  Diana 
in  the  Alban  hills.  For  the  significance  of  this  see  Frazer, 
Golden  Bough,  vol.  i,  p.  40 ;  cf.  also  vol.  ii,  pp.  28  and  29. 

It  is,  however,  the  human  and  animal  dohadas  that  enter 
so  largely  into  Hindu  fiction  and  serve  some  particular 
purpose  in  the  narrative.  Sometimes  it  is  merely  used  as  a 
start-motif  for  a  story,  but  at  other  times  it  acts  as  a  means 
of  introducing  some  incident  which,  but  for  the  strange  long- 
ing of  the  woman,  would  have  been  quite  out  of  place.  Thus 
the  water  of  life,  the  Garuda  bird,  magic  chariots,  etc.,  can 
be  suddenly  and  unexpectedly  introduced. 

Then,  again,  a  tale  may  be  quite  devoid  of  incidents  until 
the  dohada  gives  it  a  sudden  jerk  by  creating  a  demand  for 
the  husband's  entrails,  or  some  equally  disturbing  request. 
It  is  surprising  to  what  varied  use  the  dohada  has  been  put 
and  what  an  important  part  it  plays  in  Hindu  fiction. 

Professor  Bloomfield  divides  the  use  of  the  dohada  motif 
under  the  following  six  headings  : — 

1 .  Dohada  either  directly  injures  the  husband,  or  impels  some 

act  on  his  part  which  involves  danger  or  contumely. 

2.  Dohada  prompts   the   husband  to   deeds   of  heroism, 

superior  skill,  wisdom  or  shrewdness. 


APPENDIX  III  —DOH ADA    MOTIF  223 

3.  Dohada  takes  the  form  of  pious  acts  or  pious  aspira- 

tions. 

4.  Dohada  is   used  as  an  ornamental  incident,   not  in- 

fluencing the  main  events  of  a  story. 

5.  Dohada  is  feigned  by  the  woman  in  order  that  she  may 

accomplish  some  purpose,  or  satisfy  some  desire. 

6.  Dohada  is  obviated  by  tricking  the  woman  into  the 

belief  that  her  desire  is  being  fulfilled. 

1.  Dohada  either  directly  injures  the  husband,  or  impels  some  act 
on  his  part  which  involves  danger  or  contumely 

Under  this  heading  are  classed  those  forms  of  dohada 
which  injure. 

It  is  seldom  that  the  woman  herself  is  injured  as  the  result 
of  her  whim.  There  is,  however,  such  a  case  in  Parker,  Village 
Folk-Tales  of  Ceylon,  vol.  ii,  p.  388  et  seq.  Here  the  disaster 
is  brought  about  by  her  dohada  being  unsatisfied,  and  may 
consequently  be  regarded  as  a  lesson  to  husbands  on  their 
moral  duties.  It  is  the  husband  who  nearly  always  is  the  in- 
jured party.  In  Thusa-Jdtaka  (338)  King  Bimbisara  gives  his 
wife  blood  from  his  right  knee;  in  Schiefner  and  Ralston's 
Tibetan  Tales,  p.  84,  Queen  Vasavi  wishes  to  eat  flesh  from 
her  husband's  back.  The  king  in  order  to  satisfy  his  wife's 
cravings  conceals  some  raw  meat  under  a  cotton  garment 
and  so  the  queen  is  freed  from  her  dohada.  She  has,  however, 
a  second  dohada — this  time  for  the  king's  blood.  Accordingly 
he  opens  various  veins,  and  so  satisfies  the  queen.  The  first  of 
these  dohadas  more  properly  belongs  to  the  sixth  heading,  as 
it  shows  trickery  on  the  part  of  the  husband,  but  the  dohada 
was  intended  to  injure  the  king.  Compare  also  Tawney's 
Kathakofa,  p.  177,  and  Niraydvaliyd  Sutta,  Warren,  Amster- 
dam Academy,  1879.  In  Samarddityasamkshepa,  ii,  p.  356 
et.  seq.,  Queen  Kusumavall  wishes  to  eat  her  husband's  en- 
trails. The  difficulty  is  overcome  by  the  king  hiding  the 
entrails  of  a  hare  in  his  clothes  and  bringing  them  out  as  his 
own.  Matters,  however,  became  complicated  and  finally  the 
queen  turns  nun  and  the  son  slays  his  father. 

Some  of  the  best  stories  containing  dohada  motifs  are 
animal  stories.  In  Suvannakakkata  -  J ataka  (No.  389, 
Cambridge  edition,  vol.  iii,  p.  185)  the  longing  of  a  she-crow 
for  a  Brahman's  eyes  causes  not  only  her  husband's  death, 
but  also  that  of  her  friend,  the  cobra. 


224  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

In  the  "Story  of  the  Couple  of  Parrots"  (Tawney's 
Kathdkofa,  p.  42  el  seq.  (the  hen-parrot  longs  for  heads  of 
rice  from  the  king's  rice-field.  This  is  procured  by  the  loving 
husband  till  the  depredation  is  noticed.  Snares  are  laid  and 
the  bird  is  taken  before  the  king.  The  hen-parrot  begs  his 
life  and,  after  the  usual  interloped  stories,  the  couple  are  set 
at  liberty,  with  leave  to  have  unlimited  rice.  To  show  her 
satisfaction  at  having  her  dohada  satisfied  the  hen-parrot 
promptly  lays  two  eggs  ! 

Compare  with  the  above  Supatta-Jdtaka  (No.  292,  Cambridge 
edition,  vol.  ii,  p.  295). 

In  Jacobi's  Ausgewdhlte  Erzdhlungen  in  Mdhdrdshtri, 
p.  34,  line  25  el  seq.,  Queen  Paumavai  longs  to  ride  through 
the  parks  and  groves  on  an  elephant's  back.  The  dutiful  king 
accompanies  her.  The  elephant  gallops  out  of  the  path  to 
the  woods.  The  king  and  queen  decide  to  catch  hold  of  the 
branches  of  a  fig-tree  and  so  escape,  but  the  queen  fails  to  do 
this  and  is  carried  off  by  the  elephant. 

The  best  of  these  dohada  stories  can  be  treated  under  this 
first  heading,  as  it  deals  with  the  intended  harm  to  a  third 
party  caused  by  the  dohada  of  the  female  which  the  husband, 
usually  reluctantly,  attempts  to  satisfy.  The  story  is  Bud- 
dhist in  origin  and  appears  in  two  distinct  variants,  both  of 
which  (as  Bloomfield  says)  are  distinguished  by  inventiveness 
and  perfect  Hindu  setting. 

It  originally  occurs  as  Sumsumara-Jataka  (No.  208, 
Cambridge  edition,  vol.  ii,  p.  110),  with  a  shorter  form  as 
V anara-J ataka  (No.  342,  op.  cit.,  vol.  hi,  p.  87). 

Briefly,  the  story  is  that  of  a  sturdy  monkey  who  lived 
by  a  certain  curve  of  the  Ganges.  A  crocodile's  mate  con- 
ceives a  longing  to  eat  its  heart.  Accordingly  the  crocodile 
approaches  the  monkey  with  a  story  about  the  fine  fruits  on 
the  other  side  of  the  river,  and  offers  to  convey  him  across 
on  his  back.  All  is  arranged,  but  when  half-way  across  the 
crocodile  plunges  the  monkey  into  the  water  and  explains 
the  action  by  telling  him  of  his  wife's  whim. 

"Friend,"  said  the  monkey,  "it  is  nice  of  you  to  tell 
me.  Why,  if  our  hearts  were  inside  us  when  we  go  jump- 
ing among  the  tree-tops,  they  would  be  all  knocked  to 
pieces  ! " 

"  Well,  where  do  you  keep  them  ?  "  asked  the  other. 

The  monkey  points  to  a  fig-tree  laden  with  ripe  fruit. 
"  There  are  our  hearts  hanging  on  that  tree." 


APPENDIX  III— DOHADA  MOTIF  225 

Accordingly  he  is  taken  back  to  fetch  his  heart,  and  so 
escapes. 

Variants  of  this  story  are  found  on  p.  110  of  vol.  ii  (op, 
cit,  supp.).  In  the  Ocean  of  Story  it  appears  as  the  "  Story 
of  the  Monkey  and  the  Porpoise,"  in  Chapter  LXIII,  where 
I  shall  add  a  further  note. 

The  other  variant  of  this  story  appears  as  the  Vanarinda- 
Jdtaka  (No.  57,  Cambridge  edition,  vol.  i,  pp.  142-143),  of 
which  Bloomfield  gives  numerous  similar  tales  under  the 
"  Cave-Call  Motif "  heading  (Journ.  Amer.  Orient  Soc.9  vol. 
xxxvi,  June  1916,  p.  59).  It  starts  as  the  above  story,  except 
that  the  monkey  gets  his  food  from  an  island  in  the  river, 
which  he  reaches  by  using  a  large  rock  as  a  stepping-stone. 
The  crocodile,  in  order  to  get  the  monkey's  heart  for  his  mate, 
lies  flat  on  the  rock  in  the  dark  of  the  evening.  The  monkey, 
however,  when  about  to  return  from  the  island,  noticing  that 
it  seems  a  bit  larger  than  usual,  calls  out  "  Hi !  Rock !  " 
repeatedly.  As  no  answer  comes  he  continues  :  "  How  comes 
it,  friend  rock,  that  you  won't  answer  me  to-day  ?  "  At  this 
the  crocodile  thinks  the  rock  is  accustomed  to  answer,  so  he 
answers  for  it,  and  thus  not  only  betrays  his  presence,  but  tells 
his  intentions.  The  monkey  concedes,  and  tells  the  crocodile 
to  open  his  jaws  and  he'll  jump  in.  But  (according  to  the 
story)  the  eyes  of  a  crocodile  shut  when  he  opens  his  jaws. 
The  monkey  realises  this  and,  using  his  enemy's  back  as  a 
stepping-stone,  reaches  his  own  home  in  safety. 

2.  Dohada  prompts  the  husband  to  deeds  of  heroism,  superior 
skill,  wisdom  or  shrewdness 

It  often  happens  that  in  order  to  satisfy  his  wife's  dohada 
the  husband  resorts  to  clever  tricks  or  heroic  deeds.  Thus 
in  Bhadda-Sdla-  Jdtaka  (No.  465,  Cambridge  edition,  vol.  iv, 
pp.  91-98)  the  king's  commander-in-chief  was  a  man  named 
Bandhula,  whose  wTife  Mallika  had  a  dohada  to  bathe  in  and 
drink  the  water  of  the  sacred  tank  in  Vesali  city.  The  tank 
was  closely  guarded  and  covered  with  a  strong  wire  net,  but 
Bandhula  heroically  scatters  the  guards,  breaks  the  net  and 
plunges  with  his  wife  into  the  sacred  tank,  where  after  bath- 
ing and  drinking  they  jump  into  their  chariot  and  go  back 
whence  they  had  come.  They  are,  however,  pursued  by  five 
hundred  men  in  chariots.  Bandhula,  in  no  way  perturbed, 
asks  Mallika  to  tell  him   when  all   the  five   hundred  men 


226  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

are  in  one  straight  line.  She  does  so,  and  holds  the  reins 
while  the  king  speeds  a  shaft  which  pierces  the  bodies  of 
all  the  five  hundred  men  "  in  the  place  where  the  girdle  is 
fastened." 

Then  Bandhula  shouts  to  them  to  stop  as  they  are  all 
dead  men.  They  refuse  to  believe  this.  "  Loose  the  girdle  of 
the  first  man,"  shouts  Bandhula.  They  do  so  and  he  falls 
dead — and  so  with  all  the  five  hundred.  This  great  feat  had 
its  full  effect,  for  Mallika  bore  him  twin  sons  sixteen  times 
in  succession  ! 

In  the  Chavaka-Jdtaka  (No.  309,  op.  cit,  vol.  iii,  p.  18)  the 
husband  has  to  obtain  a  mango  from  the  king's  garden,  and 
only  saves  himself  by  his  great  power  of  oratory  and  know- 
ledge of  the  law.  Compare  with  this  Parker's  Village  Folk- 
Tales  of  Ceylon,  vol.  i?  p.  362  et  seq.  In  Dabbhapuppha-Jdtaka 
(No.  400,  op.  cit,  vol.  iii,  p.  205)  a  jackal's  mate  longs  to  eat 
fresh  rohita  fish.  The  husband  finds  two  otters  quarrelling 
over  such  a  fish.  He  is  invited  to  arbitrate  in  their  dispute, 
and  does  so  by  giving  the  head  piece  to  one,  the  tail  piece  to 
the  other  and  "taking  the  centre  as  his  fee.  Cf.  Schiefner  and 
Ralston's  Tibetan  Tales,  p.  332  et  seq. 

3.  Dohada  takes  the  form  of  pious  acts  or  pious  aspirations 

In  some  cases  instead  of  dohada  prompting  the  wife  to 
cruel  or  extravagant  acts  it  works  in  the  very  opposite  direc- 
tion and  produces  longings  to  do  pious  acts  or  visit  some 
famous  hermitage  or  shrine,  etc.  This  form  of  the  motif  ap- 
pears almost  entirely  in  Buddhist  and  Jaina  edificatory  texts. 
Accordingly  in  Dhammapada  Commentary  (v,  156,  and  vi, 
5632)  the  mother  longs  to  entertain  monks;  in  the  "Story 
of  Nami,"  Jacobi,  Ausgewdhlte  Erzdhlungen  in  Mdhdrdshtri 
(p.  41,  line  25  et  seq.),  the  longing  is  to  reverence  the  Jinas 
and  the  Sages,  and  to  continually  hear  the  teachings  of  the 
titthayaras. 

Again  in  the  Kathdkofa  (Tawney,  p.  19)  Madanarekha 
has  a  longing  to  bestow  a  gift  for  the  purpose  of  divine  wor- 
ship ;  on  page  53  Queen  Srutimati  has  a  dohada  to  worship 
the  gods  in  the  holy  place  on  the  Ashtapada  mountain  ;  and 
on  page  64  the  pregnant  Queen  Jaya  felt  a  desire  to  worship 
gods  and  holy  men,  and  to  give  gifts  to  the  poor  and 
wretched.  In  the  "  Dumb  Cripple  "  story  in  Schiefner  and 
Ralston's  Tibetan  Tales,  p.  247,  Queen  Brahmavati  begs  her 


APPENDIX  III—  BOH  ABA  MOTIF  227 

husband  to  order  presents  to  be  given  away  at  all  the  gates 
of  the  city. 

4.  Bohada  is  used  as  an  ornamental  incident,  not  influencing 

the  main  events  of  a  story 

In  certain  cases  the  dohada  motif  is  subordinate  to  the 
main  events  of  a  story,  being  in  itself  merely  an  ornamental 
and  attractive  incident  introduced  to  give  impetus  to  the 
narrative.  In  religious  Sanskrit  literature  this  use  of  dohada 
is  scarce,  but  it  enters  largely  into  secular  works,  such  as  the 
Ocean  of  Story.  Thus  in  Chapter  XXII  Vasavadatta  wishes 
for  stories  of  great  magicians  and  to  fly  in  a  magic  chariot. 
Similarly  in  Chapter  XXXV  Queen  Alankaraprabha  roams 
about  the  sky  in  a  magic  chariot  in  the  shape  of  a  beautiful 
lotus,  "  since  her  pregnant  longing  assumed  that  form." 

5.  Bohada  is  feigned  by  the  woman  in  order  that  she  may 

accomplish  some  purpose,  or  satisfy  some  desire 

The  idea  of  pretending  to  have  a  certain  dohada  in  order 
to  get  a  husband  out  of  the  way  is  common  in  Indian  stories. 
It  is  frequent  in  the  Jdtakas  (see  Nos.  159,  491,  501,  534,  545). 
In  the  Nigrodha-Jataka  (No.  445,  op.  cit.,  vol.  iv,  pp.  22-27) 
the  trick  dohada  is  used,  not  to  send  the  husband  away  on 
some  dangerous  and  nearly  impossible  task,  but  to  please  her 
husband  by  making  him  believe  she  is  pregnant.  As  she  is 
barren  she  is  treated  disrespectfully  by  her  husband's  relations. 
In  her  trouble  she  consults  her  old  nurse,  who  teaches  her 
the  behaviour  of  pregnant  women  and  what  kind  of  strange 
things  she  must  long  for.  By  clever  working  all  goes  well,  and 
as  part  of  her  pretended  dohada  she  wanders  into  a  wood, 
where,  as  luck  will  have  it,  she  finds  a  babe  abandoned  by 
some  passing  caravan. 

See  also  Julg's  Kalmukische  Mdrchen,  p.  31,  where  a  trick 
to  eat  the  heart  of  a  stepson  fails.  The  most  extraordinary 
story  of  a  feigned  dohada  is  "  The  Nikini  Story  "  in  Parker's 
Village  Folk-Tales  of  Ceylon,  vol.  i,  p.  284  et  seq.  Here  the 
woman  has  a  weakness  for  continually  remarrying.  This  she 
does  by  pretending  dohada  for  some  object  so  hard  to  obtain 
that  in  the  effort  to  satisfy  her  the  husband  always  dies.  The 
first  whim  is  for  some  stars  from  the  sky,  the  second  for  a  bed 
of  sand  from  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  the  third  for  Nikini.  After 


228  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

long  and  weary  wandering  the  husband  is  told  that  his  wife 
must  have  a  lover  and  merely  wanted  him  to  get  killed.  By  a 
supposed  magical  cage  they  finally  get  into  the  Nikini  man's 
house,  who  proves  to  be  his  wife's  paramour.  The  husband, 
hidden  in  the  cage,  leaps  out  and  beats  the  Nikini  to  death. 

6.  Dohada  is  obviated  by  tricking  the  woman  into  the  belief  that 
her  desire  is  being  fulfilled 

An  excellent  example  of  this  form  of  dohada  is  that  in  our 
present  text,  when  Queen  Mrigavati  thinks  she  is  bathing  in  a 
bath  of  blood,  whereas  in  reality  it  is  water  dyed  by  the  juice 
of  lac  and  other  red  extracts. 

In  Parisishtaparvan  (viii,  225  et  seq.)  the  chief's  daughter 
wishes  to  drink  the  moon.  Accordingly  a  shed  is  constructed 
the  thatch  of  which  has  an  opening.  At  night  a  bowl  of  milk 
is  placed  on  the  floor  so  that  the  ray  of  moonlight  falls  directly 
on  it.  The  girl  is  told  to  drink,  and  as  she  drinks  a  man  posted 
on  the  roof  gradually  covers  the  hole  in  the  thatch,  so  she 
is  convinced  she  has  drunk  the  moon.  Bloomfield  gives  a 
number  of  references  to  works  citing  tricks  played  by  the 
moon  and  other  things  reflected  in  water,  milk,  etc.  (op.  cit., 
p.  24).  He  does  not,  however,  refer  to  the  most  interesting 
side  of  the  question — the  extent  to  which  such  ideas  are 
actually  embedded  in  the  customs  of  the  Hindus.  "  The 
Doctrine  of  Lunar  Sympathy  "  has  been  discussed  by  Frazer 
(Golden  Bough,  Adonis,  Attis  and  Osiris,  vol.  ii,  chap,  ix, 
pp.  140-150).  The  belief  that  the  moon  has  a  sympathetic 
influence  over  vegetation  is  well  known  throughout  litera- 
ture, and  on  the  same  principle  the  custom  of  drinking  the 
moon  is  found  in  different  parts  of  India.  See  Crooked 
Folk-Lore  of  Northern  India,  vol.  i,  pp.  14-15. 

Tricks  used  for  satisfying  dohadas,  by  the  husband 
pretending  he  is  giving  his  wife  his  own  entrails,  etc.,  have 
already  been  mentioned  under  section  1. 

In  conclusion  I  would  mention  a  curious  case  of  dohada 
from  Java,  quoted  by  Frazer  (Golden  Bough,  vol.  ii,  p.  23). 
A  woman  sometimes  craves  for  a  certain  pungent  fruit 
usually  only  eaten  by  pigs.  The  husband,  on  approaching 
the  plant,  pretends  to  be  a  pig  and  grunts  loudly,  so  that 
the  plant,  taking  him  for  a  pig,  will  mitigate  the  flavour  of 
the  fruit. 


APPENDIX  IV 


APPENDIX  IV 

SACRED  PROSTITUTION 

The  story  of  Rupinika  (p.  138  et  seq.)  is  laid  in  "  a  city  named 
Mathura,  the  birthplace  of  Krishna."  The  lady  herself  is 
described  as  a  courtesan  who  at  the  time  of  worship  went 
into  the  temple  to  perform  her  duty. 

From  this  passage  it  is  quite  clear  that  Rupinika  combined 
the  professions  of  prostitution  and  temple  servant,  which 
latter  consisted  chiefly  in  dancing,  fanning  the  idol  and 
keeping  the  temple  clean.  She  was,  in  fact,  a  deva-ddsi,  or 
"  handmaid  of  the  god."  As  we  shall  see  in  the  course  of 
this  appendix,  the  name  applied  to  these  so-called  "  sacred 
women  "  varied  at  different  times  and  in  different  parts  of 
India. 

Mathura  is  the  modern  Muttra,  situated  on  the  right  bank 
of  the  Jumna,  thirty  miles  above  Agra.  From  at  least  300  B.C. 
(when  Megasthenes  wrote)  it  had  been  sacred  to  Krishna,  and 
we  hear  from  reliable  Chinese  travellers  that  in  a.d.  400  and 
650  it  was  an  important  centre  of  Buddhism  and  at  a  later 
date  again  became  specially  associated  with  the  worship  of 
Krishna,  owing  to  the  fact  that  Mathura  was  the  scene  of 
the  adventures  and  miracles  of  his  childhood  as  described 
in  the  Vishnu  Pur  ana.  Thus  Mathura  has  always  been  one 
of  the  most  sacred  spots  in  Hindu  mythology.1 

It  has  suffered  from  the  Mohammedan  invaders  more 
than  any  city  of  Northern  India,  or  nearly  so,  for  it  was  first 
of  all  sacked*  in  1017-1018  by  the  Sultan  Mahmud  of  Ghazni, 
and  again  in  1500  by  Sikander  Lodi,  in  1636  by  Shah  Jahan, 
in  1669-1670  by  Aurangzeb,  by  whose  commands  the  magnifi- 
cent temple  of  Kesavadeva  was  levelled  to  the  ground,  and  by 
Atimad  Shah  in  1756.  By  this  time  every  temple,  image  and 
shrine  had  been  destroyed  and  a  large  part  of  the  population 
had  embraced  Mohammedanism.  The  history  of  Mathura  is 
typical  of  what  has  occurred  in  many  cities  of  Northern  India, 
and  I  consider  it  is  an  important  factor  in  the  explanation  of 

1  See  F.  S.  Growse,  Mathura:  A  District  Memoir,  2nd  edition,  1880. 
Published  by  the  N.W.  Provinces  &  Oudh  Government  Press. 

231 


232  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

why  sacred  prostitution  is  much  more  developed  in  Southern 
India. 

At  the  date  when  Somadeva  wrote  the  city  must  have  re- 
covered from  its  first  sacking  and  the  religious  life  have  been 
assuming  its  normal  course.  It  was  after  our  author's  day  that 
the  systematic  and  thorough  destruction  began,  and  in  conse- 
quence we  hear  less  about  Hindu  temples  of  Northern  India. 

In  view  of  the  anthropological  importance  of  the  connec- 
tion of  religion  and  prostitution,  and  of  the  interesting  ritual, 
customs  and  ceremonies  which  it  embodies,  I  shall  endeavour 
to  lay  before  my  readers  what  data  I  have  been  able  to  collect, 
with  a  few  suggestions  as  to  the  possible  explanation  of  the 
curious  institution  of  the  deva-ddsis. 

Ancient  India 

Owing  to  the  lack  of  early  historical  evidence  it  is  im- 
possible to  say  to  what  extent  sacred  prostitution  existed  in 
ancient  India. 

Even  in  modern  times  it  is  often  hard  to  differentiate 
between  secular  and  sacred  prostitution,  while,  through  the 
clouds  of  myth  and  mystery  which  cover  the  dawn  of  Indian 
history,  any  distinction  must  be  looked  upon  as  little  more 
than  conjecture.  In  common  with  so  many  other  parts  of  the 
world  secular  prostitution  in  India  dates  from  the  earliest 
times  and  is  mentioned  in  the  Rig-Veda,  where  terms  meaning 
"harlot,"  "son  of  a  maiden,"  "son  of  an  unmarried  girl," 
etc.,  occur.  In  the  Vdjasaneyi  Samhitd  it  seems  to  be  recog- 
nised as  a  profession,1  while  in  the  law-books  the  prostitute  is 
regarded  with  disfavour.  (Manu,  ix,  259  ;  iv,  209,  211,  219, 
220 ;  v,  90.)  In  the  Buddhist  age  Brahmans  were  forbidden 
to  be  present  at  displays  of  dancing  or  music,  owing  to  their 
inseparable  connection  with  prostitution;  yet  on  the  other 
hand  we  see  in  the  Jatakas  (tales  of  the  previous  births  of  the 
Buddha)  that  prostitutes  were  not  only  tolerated,  but  held  in 
a  certain  amount  of  respect.2 

We  also  hear  of  the  great  wealth  of  some  of  the  women 
and  the  valuable  gifts  made  to  the  temples,  which  reminds  us  of 

1  See  R.  Pischel  and  K.  F.  Geldner,  Vedische  Studien,  Stuttgart,  1888- 
1889,  I,  xxv,  pp.  196,  275,  309  et  seq. ;  ii,  p.  120;  also  A.  A.  Macdonell  and 
A.  B.  Keith,  A  Vedic  Index  of  Names  and  Subjects,  London,  1912,  i,  p.  395; 
ii,  p.  480  et  seq. 

2  See  index  volume  to  the  English  translation  of  the  Jataka  stories  under 
the  word  "courtesan."     Cambridge,  1913. 


APPENDIX  IV -SACRED  PROSTITUTION      233 

similar  donations  among  the  eratpcu  of  ancient  Greece.  In  his 
article  on  "Indian  Prostitution"  in  Hastings'  Encyclopaedia 
of  Religion  and  Ethics  (vol.  x,  p.  407)  W.  Crooke  quotes 
Somadeva  as  saying  that  prostitutes  are  occasionally  of  noble 
character  and  in  some  cases  acquire  enormous  wealth.  He 
also  gives  other  references  apart  from  those  already  quoted. 

As  literary  historical  evidence  on  the  subject  under  dis- 
cussion is  so  scarce,  the  discovery  in  1905  of  a  work  on  Hindu 
polity  was  of  the  utmost  importance.  It  is  known  as  the 
Arthasdstra,  and  gives  full  details  of  the  social,  administra- 
tive, fiscal  and  land  systems  of  the  Maurya  age.  The 
author  is  Kautilya  (Chanakya,  or  Vishnugupta),  who  wrote 
about  300  B.C.1  Book  II,  chap,  xxvii,  deals  with  the  duties 
of  the  superintendent  of  prostitutes  (ganikds),  who  held  a 
highly  paid  post  at  the  Court  of  Chandragupta.  The  women 
enjoyed  a  privileged  position  and  held  the  royal  umbrella, 
fan  and  golden  pitcher.  They  were,  however,  subject  to  strict 
official  control,  and  Kautilya  gives  a  long  list  of  penalties  for 
any  breach  of  the  regulations — for  instance,  a  ganikd  who 
refused  her  favours  to  anyone  whom  the  king  might  choose 
received  a  thousand  lashes  with  a  whip  or  else  had  to  pay  five 
thousand  panas.  A  further  clause  states  that  all  the  rules 
prescribed  for  the  ganikds  are  also  to  apply  to  dancers, 
actors,  singers,  musicians,  pimps,  etc.  There  is  no  mention 
of  temples,  but  the  fact  that  the  dancer,  musician  and 
prostitute  are  all  put  on  the  same  basis  is  important  in 
attempting  to  trace  the  history  of  sacred  prostitution. 

The  corruption  of  the  Court  at  this  period  is  partly  shown 
by  the  fact  that  every  ganikd  had  to  pay  to  the  govern- 
ment each  month  the  amount  of  two  days'  earnings.  They 
were,  moreover,  sometimes  used  as  secret  service  agents  and 
acquired  position  and  wealth. 

We  shall  see  later  that  a  similar  state  of  affairs  existed  at 
the  great  city  of  Vijayanagar  in  the  sixteenth  century. 

The  Christian  Era  (First  Eleven  Centuries) 

In  the  first  eleven  centuries  of  the  Christian  era  more 
attention  seems  to  have  been  paid  to  what  we  may  politely 

1  See  the  English  translation  by  R.  Shama  Sastri  in  Mysore  Review,  1906- 
1909,  Books  I-IV,  and  Indian  Antiquary,  1909-1910,  Books' V-XV;  also  list  of 
modern  articles,  etc.,  on  the  Arthasdstra  on  pp.  679, 680  of  vol.  i  of  the  Cambridge 
History  of  India,  1922.     Both  author  and  date  are,  however,  still  doubtful. 


234  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

call  the  Science  of  Erotics,  and  many  such  works  were 
written.1  Very  few,  however,  are  now  extant,  and  it  is  of 
interest  to  note  that  those  which  do  exist  usually  mention 
numerous  other  similar  writings  from  which  they  have  largely 
drawn.  In  most  cases  they  deal  in  all  seriousness  with  some 
quite  trivial  point  (such  as  the  best  way  for  a  courtesan  to 
rid  herself  of  a  lover  whose  wealth  is  nearly  spent)  by  listing 
the  various  opinions  of  previous  writers  and  then  giving  their 
own  opinion  as  the  most  acceptable. 

It  was  a  method  used  in  300  b.c.  by  Kautilya,  and  again 
by  Vatsyayana,  who  was  the  earliest  and  most  important 
erotic  writer  of  the  Christian  era.  His  work,  the  Kama  Sutra, 
dates  from  about  a.d.  250,  and  has  been  translated  into  most 
European  languages,  including  English.2  Although  Vatsyayana 
devotes  a  whole  book  (six  chapters)  to  courtesans,  there  is 
no  direct  reference  to  sacred  prostitution.  He  mentions, 
however,  dancing,  singing  and  the  playing  of  musical  in- 
struments as  among  the  chief  requirements  not  only  for  a 
Erostitute,  but  also  for  any  married  woman  wishing  to  keep 
er  husband's  affections.  He  divides  prostitutes  into  nine 
classes,3  the  most  honourable  of  which  is  the  ganikd,  which, 
as  we  have  already  seen,  was  the  name  used  by  Kautilya. 
"  Such  a  woman,"  says  Vatsyayana,  "  will  always  be  rewarded 
by  kings  and  praised  by  gifted  persons,  and  her  connection 
will  be  sought  by  many  people." 

The  next  work  of  importance  was  by  Dandin,  who  ranks 
among  the  greatest  poets  of  India.  He  flourished  in  the  sixth 
century.  Two  of  his  works  give  a  vivid,  though  perhaps  rather 
exaggerated,  picture  of  the  luxury  and  depravity  of  his  day. 
The  first  is  the  Dasa  Kumara  Charita,*  or  Adventures  of  the 
Ten  Princes,  while  the  second  (whose  authorship  is  doubtful, 

1  See  J.  J.Meyer,  Kavyasamgraha  :  erotische  und  exoterische  Lieder.  Metrische 
Dbersetzungen  aus  indischen  und  anderen  Sprachen.  Leipzig  [1903].  Das 
Weib  im  altindischen  Epos.  Ein  Beitrag  zur  indischen  und  zur  vergleichenden 
Kulturgeschichte.  Leipzig,  1915.  Also  R.  Schmidt,  Beitrage  zur  Indischen 
Erotik ;  das  Liebesleben  des  Sanskritvolkes  nach  den  Quellen  dargestellt.  Leipzig, 
1902;  Berlin,  1911. 

2  See  Kama  Shastra  Society  (R.  F.  Burton  and  F.  F.  Arbuthnot)  edition, 
1883,  and  that  by  K.  R.  Iyengar,  Mysore,  1921.  Details  of  various  articles  on 
the  Kama  STdra  and  its  author  will  be  found  in  my  Bibliography  of  Sir  Richard 
F.  Burton,  London,  1923,  pp.  166-171. 

3  Thurston  in  his  Castes  and  Tribes  of  Southern  India,  vol.  ii,  p.  125,  says 
that  old  Hindu  works  give  seven  classes  of  deva-dasz,  but  gives  no  reference. 

4  Edited  by  H.  H.  Wilson,  G.  Buhler  and  P.  Peterson,  and  freely 
translated  by  P.  W.  Jacob. 


APPENDIX  IV— SACRED  PROSTITUTION      235 

though  sometimes  ascribed  to  Dandin)  is  the  Mrichchhakatika,1 
or  Clay  Cart,  which  treats  of  the  courtship  and  marriage  of  a 
poor  Brahman  and  a  wealthy  and  generous  prostitute.  Both 
works  are  important  in  our  discussion  as  giving  some  idea 
of  the  social  condition  of  middle  and  low  class  life  of  the 
sixth  century. 

A  certain  passage  in  the  Dasa  Kumar  a  Charita  is  of  special 
interest  as  showing  how  all  female  accomplishments  were  to 
be  found  in  the  courtesan,  whose  education  and  conversa- 
tional powers  would  certainly  be  more  attractive  than  the 
uneducated  and  paltry  household  chatter  of  the  wife. 

The  story  goes  that  a  famous  dancer,  who  was,  of  course, 
also  a  prostitute,  suddenly  pretended  to  feel  the  desire  to 
become  a  devotee.  She  accordingly  went  to  the  abode  of  an 
ascetic  to  carry  out  her  purpose.  Soon,  however,  her  mother 
follows  to  dissuade  her  from  her  intention,  and  addresses  the 
holy  man  as  follows  :  — 

"  Worthy  sir,  this  daughter  of  mine  would  make  it  appear 
that  I  am  to  blame,  but,  indeed,  I  have  done  my  duty,  and 
have  carefully  prepared  her  for  that  profession  for  which  by 
birth  she  was  intended.  From  earliest  childhood  I  have  be- 
stowed the  greatest  care  upon  her,  doing  everything  in  my 
power  to  promote  her  health  and  beauty.  As  soon  as  she 
was  old  enough  I  had  her  carefully  instructed  in  the  arts 
of  dancing,  acting,  playing  on  musical  instruments,  singing, 
painting,  preparing  perfumes  and  flowers,  in  writing  and  con- 
versation, and  even  to  some  extent  in  grammar,  logic  and 
philosophy.  She  was  taught  to  play  various  games  with  skill 
and  dexterity,  how  to  dress  well,  and  show  herself  off  to  the 
greatest  advantage  in  public  ;  I  hired  persons  to  go  about 
praising  her  skill  and  her  beauty,  and  to  applaud  her  when 
she  performed  in  public,  and  I  did  many  other  things  to  pro- 
mote her  success  and  to  secure  for  her  liberal  remuneration  ; 
yet  after  all  the  time,  trouble  and  money  which  I  have  spent 
upon  her,  just  when  I  was  beginning  to  reap  the  fruit  of  my 
labours,  the  ungrateful  girl  has  fallen  in  love  with  a  stranger, 
a  young  Brahman,  without  property,  and  wishes  to  marry 
him  and  give  up  her  profession,  notwithstanding  all  my 
entreaties  and  representations  of  the  poverty  and  distress 
to  which  all  her  family  will  be  reduced,  if  she  persists  in  her 

1  Apart  from  the  earlier  European  translations  see  that  by  A.  W.  Ryder, 
issued  in  1905  by  the  Harvard  University.  It  forms  vol.  ix  of  the  Harvard 
Oriental  Series. 


236  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

purpose ;  and  because  I  oppose  this  marriage  she  declares 
that  she  will  renounce  the  world  and  become  a  devotee."  *  It 
transpires  in  the  course  of  the  tale  that  the  dancing-girl  stays 
wTith  the  ascetic,  who  falls  madly  in  love  with  her.  She  leads 
him  to  her  home  and  finally  to  the  palace  of  the  king,  where 
he  learns  to  his  great  consternation  that  the  whole  thing  was 
merely  the  result  of  a  wager  between  two  court  beauties. 
The  participation  of  the  king  in  the  joke  and  his  rewarding 
the  winner  clearly  shows  the  importance  of  the  courtesan  in 
this  age. 

Passing  on  to  the  eighth  century  we  have  Damodara- 
gupta's  Kuttanimatam,  which  resembles  Vatsyayana's  Kama 
Sutra.  Besides  a  German  translation,  it  has  also  been  trans- 
lated into  French.2 

This  was  followed  in  the  tenth  or  eleventh  centuries  by 
Kalyana  Malla's  Ananga-Ranga,  which  is  a  general  guide  to 
ars  amoris  indica.  It  is  very  well  known  in  India  and  has  been 
translated  into  numerous  European  languages.3 

The  only  other  work  worthy  of  mention  is  Kshemendra's 
Samayamdtrikd.  It  can  best  be  described  as  a  guide  or  hand- 
book for  the  courtesan,  but  its  chief  value  lies  in  the  fact  that 
the  author  was  a  contemporary  of  Somadeva.  His  work  has 
been  translated  into  German 4  and  French.5 

The  connection  between  Kshemendra  and  Somadeva  is 
strengthened  by  the  fact  that,  besides  being  contemporary 
Kashmirian  court  poets,  they  both  wrote  a  great  collection 
of  stories  from  a  common  source — the  Brihat-Kathd.  Soma- 
deva's  collection  was  the  Kathd  Sarit  Sdgara,  while  that  by 
Kshemendra  was  the  Brihat-Kathd-  Manjari.  The  latter  work 
was,  however,  only  a  third  as  long  as  the  former  and  cannot 
compare  in  any  way  with  the  Ocean  of  Story  as  regards  its 
style,  metrical  skill  and  masterly  arrangement  and  handling 

1  The  extract  is  from  p.  76  of  Early  Ideas :  A  Group  of  Hindoo  Stories, 
1881,  by  "  Anaryan" — that  is  to  say,  by  F.  F.  Arbuthnot.  He  was  helped  in 
his  translations  by  Edward  Rehatsek,  who  assisted  both  Burton  and  Arbuthnot 
in  the  Kama  Shastra  Society  publications. 

2  See  the  German  translation  by  J.  J.  Meyer,  1903  [Altindische  Schelmen- 
b'ucher,  ii],  and  Les  Lecons  de  V  Entremetteuse,  by  Louis  de  Langle,  Bibliotlieque 
des  Curieux,  Paris,  1920,  p.  127  to  end. 

3  For  the  English  translation  see  the  edition  of  the  Kama  Shastra  Society 
(Burton  and  Arbuthnot),  1885.  Further  details  will  be  found  in  my  Burton 
Bibliography,  1923,  pp.  171-173. 

4  Translated  by  J.  J.  Meyer,  1903  [Altindische  Schelmenb'iicher,  i]. 

5  he  Breviaire  de  la  Courtisane,  Louis  de  Langle,  Bibliotheque  des  Curieux, 
Paris,  1920,  pp.  1-126. 


APPENDIX  IV— SACRED  PROSTITUTION      237 

of  the  stories.    I  shall  have  more  to  say  about  Kshemendra  in 
Vol.  X  of  the  present  work. 

It  is  practically  impossible  to  say  to  what  extent  the 
above-mentioned  works  have  bearing  on  sacred  prostitution. 
I  have  merely  endeavoured  to  acquaint  the  reader  with  such 
literature  as  exists  dealing  with  the  social  life  of  women  of 
these  early  times.  It  seems,  however,  quite  safe  to  assert 
that  from  Buddhist  times  onwards  the  prostitute,  especially 
the  more  learned  classes,  was  held  in  a  certain  amount  of 
esteem.  She  was  an  important  factor  in  the  palace  and  often 
acquired  great  wealth.  Dancing  and  singing  were  among  her 
accomplishments,  but  to  what  extent  she  was  connected  with 
temples  we  are  not  told.  Soon  after  the  twelfth  century 
historical  and  literary  evidence  increases  and  it  becomes 
possible  to  examine  our  data  under  definite  geographical 
headings.  Although  Southern  India  yields  by  far  the  most 
material  for  our  discussion,  we  will  begin  in  the  north,  and 
work  slowly  southwards. 

Northern  India 

In  the  introductory  remarks  to  this  appendix  it  has  been 
shown  to  what  extent  Mathura  suffered  from  Mohammedan 
invasion.  The  whole  of  Northern  India  was  similarly  affected, 
and  the  bloody  battles,  enforced  slavery,  terrible  tortures 
and  complete  destruction  of  Hindu  temples  and  other  public 
buildings  during  the  Mohammedan  Sultanate  of  Delhi  (1175- 
1340)  clearly  show  that  the  great  upheavals  so  caused  made 
any  continual  religious  practices  of  the  Hindus  an  impossi- 
bility. By  1340  the  Sultanate  of  Delhi  was  breaking  up  and 
in  the  south  Vijayanagar  was  already  a  powerful  kingdom. 
I  shall  have  more  to  say  about  Vijayanagar  in  the  section  on 
Southern  India. 

The  destruction  of  the  Hindu  temples  was  continued  with 
unabated  zeal  in  the  Mogul  Empire.  In  the  reign  of  Akbar 
(1556-1605)  we  are  told  by  his  most  intimate  friend,  Abu-1 
Fazl,1  that  the  prostitutes  of  the  realm  (who  had  collected  at 
the  capital,  and  could  scarcely  be  counted,  so  large  was  their 
number)  had  a  separate  quarter  of  the  town  assigned  to  them, 
which  was  called  Shaitanpurah,  or  Devilsville.  A  Ddroghah 
(superintendent)  and  a  clerk  were  also  appointed  for  it,  who 

1  A'in  -  i  -  Akbafi,  Abu  - 1  -  Fazl,  Blochmann  and  Jarrett,  Biblio.  Indica. 
Calcutta,  1873,  1891,   1894  (3  vols.). 


238  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

registered  the  names  of  such  as  went  to  prostitutes,  or  wanted 
to  take  some  of  them  to  their  houses.  People  might  indulge 
in  such  connections  provided  the  toll- collectors  heard  of  it. 
But,  without  permission,  no  one  was  allowed  to  take  dancing- 
girls  to  his  house. 

The  celebrated  musician  Tansen,  who  was  attached  to 
Akbar's  Court,  became  a  kind  of  patron  saint  of  dancing-girls. 
It  is  believed  that  chewing  the  leaves  of  the  tree  above 
Tansen's  grave  at  Gwalior  imparts  a  wonderful  melody  to  the 
voice,  and  consequently  girls  make  pilgrimages  there  for  that 
purpose.1 

In  the  reigns  of  the  next  two  Emperors,  Jahangir  (1605- 
1627)  and  Shah  Jahan  (1628-1658),  the  luxury,  ostentation, 
extravagance  and  depravity  increased,2  and  it  was  not  till  the 
reign  of  Aurangzeb  (1659-1707)  that  any  attempt  was  made 
to  check  the  ruthless  waste  which  was  slowly  draining  the 
resources  of  the  country.  Aurangzeb  was  a  Mohammedan 
Puritan  who  lived  and  died  an  ascetic.  During  his  long  reign 
thousands  of  Hindu  temples  were  demolished  by  his  orders, 
and  every  effort  was  made  to  wipe  out  prostitution  and 
everything  pertaining  thereto. 

Khafi  Khan,3  the  historian,  tells  rather  a  pathetic  story. 
It  appears  that  Aurangzeb  issued  public  proclamations  pro- 
hibiting singing  and  dancing,  and  at  the  same  time  ordered 
all  the  dancing-girls  to  marry  or  be  banished  from  the 
kingdom.  They  did  not,  however,  submit  to  this  treatment 
without  a  protest.  One  Friday  as  the  Emperor  was  going 
to  the  mosque  (another  account  says  he  was  sitting  at  his 
audience  window)  he  suddenly  saw  about  a  thousand  women 
carrying  over  twenty  highly  ornamented  biers.  Their  pierc- 
ing cries  and  lamentations  filled  the  air.  The  Emperor,  sur- 
prised at  such  a  display  of  grief,  asked  the  cause  of  so  great 
sorrow.  He  was  told  that  Music,  the  mother  of  the  dancing- 
girls,  was  now  dead,  and  they  were  burying  her.  "  Bury  her 
deep,"  cried  the  unmoved  Emperor;  "she  must  never  rise 
again." 

After  the  death  of  Aurangzeb  there  followed  an  anarchical 

1  Bholanath  Chandra,  Travels,  ii,  68  et  seq.  W.  H.  Sleeman,  Rambles  and 
Recollections  of  an  Indian  Official,  ii,  333  et  seq.  1844.  A.  Cunningham, 
Archaeological  Reports,  ii,  370;    xxi,  110. 

2  Manucci,  Storia  do  Mogor,  edited  by  W.  Irvine.  Indian  Text  Series. 
London,  1907.     See  vol.  ii,  p.  9. 

3  Muntakhabu-l-lubab  (H.  Elliot,  History  of  India,  London,  1867-1877, 
vol.  vii,  p.  283). 


APPENDIX  IV— SACRED  PROSTITUTION      239 

period  which  lasted  till  the  advent  of  the  British.  During 
this  time  the  standard  of  morality  among  the  princes  and 
public  men  sank  lower  and  lower.  Their  lives  were  vicious 
and  cruel  in  the  extreme,  and  their  gross  sensuality  natur- 
ally affected  their  courts  and,  through  them,  the  populace. 
Prostitution  had  increased  to  huge  dimensions,  and  appears 
to  have  been  entirely  secular.  Thus  we  see  how,  partly 
owing  to  foreign  conquest  and  partly  to  the  general  spread  of 
immorality,  the  "  religious  "  element  in  the  temple  dancers 
dropped  out  and  they  became  ordinary  prostitutes,  who 
danced  when  occasion  demanded.  They  would  naturally  be 
called  upon  if  any  dancing  was  wanted  for  a  wedding  feast 
or  other  private  entertainment,  for  dancing  and  prostitution 
had  been  inseparable  in  India  from  the  earliest  times. 

In  modern  accounts  of  the  tribes  and  castes  of  Northern 
India  (which  are  few  enough)  we  find,  therefore,  practically 
no  mention  of  temples  or  sacred  prostitution. 

Certain  castes  such  as  the  tawdif  and  gandharb  consist 
entirely  of  dancers,  singers  and  prostitutes,  but  their  sub- 
castes  are  so  numerous  that  it  is  quite  impossible  to  distin- 
guish or  describe  them  by  any  definite  principle.  Details  of 
the  tawdif  and  similar  castes  were  given  by  Crooke *  in  1896, 
and  when  writing  on  the  same  subject  in  1918  2  he  apparently 
had  nothing  further  to  add.  The  following  details  are  taken 
from  his  former  work. 

The  term  tawdif  is  a  general  one,  but  is  chiefly  used  for 
Mohammedan  girls,  while  the  Hindu  branch  is  usually  called 
pdtar,  pdtu?\  pdturiyd  (from  the  Sanskrit  pdtra,  an  actor). 
When  they  are  nubile,  the  pdtar  girls  marry  a  plpal  tree  and 
then  commence  their  career  of  prostitution.  One  of  the 
numerous  sub-castes  is  known  as  rdjkanya,  which  appears  to 
be  the  only  one  whose  members  actually  dance  in  the  Hindu 
temples.  Prostitution  is  said  to  be  rare  among  them.  The 
pdtars  have  Krishna  as  their  personal  god  and  Siva,  in 
the  form  of  Mahadeva,  as  their  guardian  deity.  Among  the 
tawdif s  the  rites  are  interesting.  The  girl  is  taught  to  dance 
and  sing  when  about  seven  or  eight  years  old.  At  the  com- 
mencement of  her  training  sweets  are  offered  at  a  mosque 

1  W.  Crooke,  The  Tribes  and  Castes  of  the  North-  Western  Provinces  and  Oudh, 
4  vols.,  Calcutta,  1896.  See  vol.  i,  p.  245  ;  vol.  ii,  p.  379  et  seq. ;  and  vol.  iv, 
p.  364  et  seq. 

2  Hastings'  Encyclopaedia  of  Religion  and  Ethics,  vol,  x,  1918.  See  article 
on  "  Prostitution,"  by  W.  Crooke,  p.  406  et  seq. 


240  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

and  then  distributed  among  Mohammedan  faqirs.  At  the 
first  lesson  the  master  receives  a  present  of  sweetmeats  be- 
sides his  pay.  When  the  girl  reaches  puberty  and  her  breasts 
begin  to  develop  the  rite  of  angiya,  or  "  the  assumption  of  the 
bodice,"  is  performed.  Certain  of  the  brethren  are  feasted 
and  the  girl  is  ready  for  her  first  paramour.  After  the  price 
is  fixed  she  goes  to  him,  which  rite  is  known  as  sir  dhankdi, 
or  "  the  covering  of  the  head."  When  she  returns  after  the 
first  visit,  the  brethren  are  again  given  sweetmeats,  after 
which  follows  the  rite  of  missi,  or  "  blackening  of  the  teeth." 
She  is  dressed  like  a  bride  and  paraded  through  the  streets, 
afterwards  attending  a  party  with  singing  and  dancing.  The 
teeth  cannot  be  stained  until  this  feast  is  held,  but  Crooke 
says  that  at  Lucknow  the  rule  was  relaxed.  After  the  rite  of 
missi  the  girl  ceases  to  wear  the  nose-ring,  and  hence  the 
ceremony  is  sometimes  known  as  naihni  utdrnd,  or  "  the 
taking-off  of  the  nose-ring." 

Somewhat  similar  ceremonies  exist  among  the  gandharbs, 
or  gandharvs,  who  take  their  name  from  the  heavenly 
musicians  who  attend  the  gods  at  Indra's  Court.  In  Northern 
India  they  are  found  only  in  Benares,  Allahabad  and  Ghazi- 
pur.  They  are  Hindus  of  the  Vaishnava  sect.  Ganesa  is  the 
patron  of  the  dancing-girls  since  he  is  regarded  by  them  as 
the  author  of  music.  They  offer  him  wreaths  of  flowers  and 
a  sweetmeat  made  of  sesamum  and  sugar  every  Wednesday. 
There  are  also  certain  gypsy  tribes,  such  as  the  bediyds  and 
nats,  who  are  dancers,  acrobats  and  prostitutes.  They  are 
divided  into  a  large  number  of  clans  whose  occupation  is, 
nevertheless,  the  same.  As  they  have  no  connection  with 
temple  worship,  further  details  here  would  be  superfluous. 
They  have  been  fully  described  by  B.  R.  Mitra1  and  W. 
Crooke.2 

Central  India 

As  the  ancient  kingdoms  of  India  were  confined  either  to 
the  North  or  South,  early  travellers  were  naturally  drawn  to 
the  most  important  cities,  and  tell  us  but  little  of  Central 
India,  especially  as  regards  the  religious  practices  and  social 
conditions  of  the  towns. 

1  "  The  Gypsies  of  Bengal,"  Memoirs  read  before  the  Anthropological  Society 
of  London 3  vol.  iii,  pp.  120-133. 

2  The  Tribes  and  Castes  of  the  North-Western  Provinces  and  Oudh,  vol.  i,. 
p.  245  ;  vol.  iv,  pp.  56-80. 


APPENDIX  IV -SACRED  PROSTITUTION      241 

The  earliest  direct  reference  to  the  dancing-girls  of  Central 
India  which  I  can  find  is  made  by  the  Chinese  traveller  Chau 
Ju-Kwa  in  his  work,  Chu-fan-chi,  dealing  with  the  Chinese 
and  Arab  trade  of  the  twelfth  and  thirteenth  centuries.1 
Speaking  of  Guzerat  (p.  92)  he  mentions  "  four  thousand 
Buddhist  temple  buildings,  in  which  live  over  twenty  thou- 
sand dancing-girls  who  sing  twice  daily  while  offering  food 
to  the  Buddha  (i.e.  the  idols)  and  while  offering  flowers." 
He  also  speaks  of  similar  customs  in  Cambodia  (p.  53).  They 
are  here  called  a-nan,  derived  from  the  Sanskrit  word  dnanda, 
meaning  "  joy  "  or  "  happiness."  2 

We  hear  little  more  on  the  subject  till  the  seventeenth 
century,  when  the  French  traveller  Jean  Baptiste  Tavernier  a 
made  his  second  journey  to  the  East  (1638-1643).  In  describ- 
ing Golconda  (five  miles  west  of  the  modern  city  of  Hydera- 
bad) he  says  there  are  over  20,000  public  women  entered  in 
the  Daroglia's  [sic]  register.  They  danced  before  the  kingv 
every  Friday.  In  the  evenings  they  stood  before  the  doors  of 
their  houses  and  as  soon  as  they  lighted  a  lamp  or  candle  all 
the  drinking-places  were  opened.  No  tax  was  levied  on  the 
women,  for  they  were  looked  upon  as  the  chief  cause  of  the 
large  consumption  of  tari,  which  was  a  Government  mon- 
opoly. No  mention  is  made  of  the  women  dancing  in  the 
temples,  but  from  the  evidence  of  other  writers  it  seems  very 
probable  they  did  this  in  their  spare  time  ! 

We  shall  return  to  Hyderabad  (Nizam's  dominions)  later 
when  giving  the  most  recent  information,  but  we  now  pass 
on  to  the  east  coast  and  examine  the  evidence  given  by 
W.  Ward,  the  Baptist  missionary,  who  wrote  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  nineteenth  century.4  He  is  speaking  of  the 
temple  of  Jagannatha  (usually  called  Puri),  in  Orissa.  "  It 
is  a  well-authenticated  fact,"  he  says,  "  that  at  this  place  a 
number  of  females  of  infamous  character  are  employed  to 
dance  and  sing  before  the  god.  They  live  in  separate  nouses, 
not  in  the  temple.  Persons  going  to  see  Jugunnat'hu  [sic] 
are  often  guilty   of  criminal  actions   with  these  females." 

1  Translated  from  the  Chinese  and  annotated  by  Hirth  and  Rockhill, 
St  Petersburg  Printing  Office  of  the  Imperial  Academy  of  Sciences,  1911. 

2  See  Henri  Cordier's  Marco  Polo,  Notes  and  Addenda,  1920,  pp.  115,  11 6. 

3  Travels  oj  Tavernier,  translated  by  V.  Ball,  2  vols.,  1889.  See  vol.  i, 
pp.  157,  158. 

4  A  View  of  the  History,  Literature  and  Religion  of  the  Hindoos,  2nd  edition, 
Serampore,  1815-1818.     See  vol.  ii,  p.  327. 

Q 


242  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

Then  in  a  note  he  adds  :    "  The  officiating  Brahmans  there 
continually  live  in  adulterous  connection  with  them." 

Puri  is  to-day  one  of  the  most  sacred  spots  in  India.  The 
name  Juggernaut,  the  anglicised  corruption  of  Jagannatha 
(Lord  of  the  World),  is  that  given  to  the  form  of  Vishnu 
worshipped  there.  The  legend  of  the  sacred  blue-stone  image, 
details  of  the  famous  Car  Festival  and  the  truth  about  the 
suicides  under  its  great  wooden  wheels  have  been  told  by 
Hunter.1  The  present  temple  is  built  in  the  shape  of  a 
pyramid,  and  is  surmounted  with  the  mystic  wheel  and  flag 
of  Vishnu.  The  annual  rent-roll  of  the  temple  was  put  at  no 
less  than  £68,000.  Since  Ward's  days  little  has  been  written 
on  the  deva-ddsi  of  Central  India.  Anything  of  importance 
was  reproduced  by  R.  V.  Russell  in  his  work  on  the  tribes 
and  castes  of  the  Central  Provinces.2   He  says  : 

"When  a  dancing-girl  attains  adolescence,  her  mother 
makes  a  bargain  with  some  rich  man  to  be  her  first  consort. 
Oil  and  turmeric  are  rubbed  on  her  body  for  five  days  as  in  the 
case  of  a  bride.  A  feast  is  given  to  the  caste  and  the  girl  is 
married  to  a  dagger,  walking  seven  times  round  the  sacred 
post  with  it.  Her  human  consort  then  marks  her  forehead 
with  vermilion  and  covers  her  head  with  her  head- cloth  seven 
times.  In  the  evening  she  goes  to  live  with  him  for  as  long  as 
he  likes  to  maintain  her,  and  afterwards  takes  up  the  practice 
of  her  profession.  In  this  case  it  is  necessary  that  the  man 
should  be  an  outsider  and  not  a  member  of  the  kasbi  caste, 
because  the  quasi-marriage  is  the  formal  commencement  on 
the  part  of  the  woman  of  her  hereditary  trade.  ...  In  the 
fifth  or  seventh  month  of  the  first  pregnancy  of  a  kasbi 
woman  108  3  fried  wafers  of  flour  and  sugar,  known  as  gujaha, 
are  prepared,  and  are  eaten  by  her  as  well  as  distributed  to 
friends  and  relatives  who  are  invited  to  the  house.  After  this 
they,  in  return,  prepare  similar  wafers  and  send  them  to  the 
pregnant  woman.  Some  little  time  before  the  birth  the  mother 

1  Orissa,  2  vols.,  1872,  and  District  Gazetteer  of  Puri,  1908.  See  also 
p.  355  et  seq.  of  Yule  and  Burnell's  Hobson  Jobsoti,  London,  1 886. 

2  R.  V.  Russell,  The  Tribes  and  Castes  of  the  Central  Provinces  of  India, 
4  vols.,  London,  191 6.     See  under  the  word  "  Kasbi,"  vol.  iii,  p.  373. 

3  The  number  108  is  mystical  among  both  Brahmans  and  Buddhists. 
Thus  at  Gautama's  birth  the  number  of  Brahmans  summoned  to  foretell 
his  destiny  was  108  ;  there  are  108  shrines  of  special  sanctity  in  India  ;  there 
are  108  Upanishads  ;  108  rupees  is  a  usual  sum  for  a  generous  temple  or 
other  donation.  In  Tibet  and  China  we  also  find  108  occurring  as  a  sacred 
or  mystic  number  in  connection  with  architecture,  ritual  and  literature. 
See  Yule's  Marco  Polo,  vol.  ii,  p.  347,  London,  1903. 


APPENDIX  IV -SACRED  PROSTITUTION      243 

washes  her  head  with  gram  flour,  puts  on  new  clothes,  and 
jewels,  and  invites  all  her  friends  to  the  house,  feasting  them 
with  rice  boiled  in  milk,  cakes  and  sweetmeats." 

The  term  kasbi,  derived  from  the  Arabic  kasab= prostitu- 
tion, denotes  rather  a  profession  than  a  caste.  The  term  is 
only  used  for  Hindus,  as  is  also  gdyan.  The  Mohammedan 
dancing-girls  are  known,  as  in  Northern  India,  by  the  name 
of  tawdif. 

In  Bengal  this  class  of  women  become  so-called  religious 
mendicants,  who  join  the  Vaishnavi  or  Bairagi  community. 
They  wander  about  the  country,  and,  under  the  cloak  of 
religion,  carry  on  a  large  trade  in  kidnapping.  They  are 
notoriously  licentious,  and  infanticide  is  apparently  common.1 

The  following  description  of  the  dress  and  dancing  of  the 
better  class  of  kasbi  women  is  given  by  Russell.2 

They  "  are  conspicuous  by  their  wealth  of  jewellery  and 
their  shoes  of  patent  leather  or  other  good  material.  Women 
of  other  castes  do  not  commonly  wear  shoes  in  the  streets. 
The  kasbis  are  always  well  and  completely  clothed,  and  it 
has  been  noticed  elsewhere  that  the  Indian  courtesan  is  more 
modestly  dressed  than  most  women.  No  doubt  in  this  matter 
she  knows  her  business.  A  well-to-do  dancing-girl  has  a  dress 
of  coloured  muslin  or  gauze  trimmed  with  tinsel  lace,  with 
a  short  waist,  long  straight  sleeves,  and  skirts  which  reach  a 
little  below  the  knee,  a  shawl  falling  from  the  head  over  the 
shoulders  and  wrapped  round  the  body,  and  a  pair  of  tight 
satin  trousers,  reaching  to  the  ankles.  The  feet  are  bare,  and 
strings  of  small  bells  are  tied  round  them.  They  usually  dance 
and  sing  to  the  accompaniment  of  the  tabla,  sdrangi  and 
majira.  The  labia  or  drum  is  made  of  two  half-bowls— one 
brass  or  clay  for  the  bass,  and  the  other  of  wood  for  the  treble. 
They  are  covered  with  goat-skin  and  played  together.  The 
sdrangi  is  a  fiddle.  The  majira  (cymbals)  consist  of  two 
metallic  cups  slung  together  and  used  for  beating  time. 
Before  a  dancing-girl  begins  her  performance  she  often  in- 
vokes the  aid  of  Sarasvati,  the  Goddess  of  Music.  She  then 
pulls  her  ear  as  a  sign  of  remembrance  of  Tansen,  India's 
greatest  musician,  and  a  confession  to  his  spirit  of  the  im- 
perfection of  her  own  sense  of  music.  The  movements  of  the 
feet  are  accompanied  by  a  continual  opening  and  closing  of 
henna- dyed  hands  ;    and  at  intervals  the  girl  kneels  at  the 

1  Sir  H.  Risley,  Tribes  and  Castes  of  Bengal,  art.  "Vaishnava,"  Calcutta,  1891. 

2  Op.  cit.,  vol.  iii,  p.  383. 


244  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

feet  of  one  or  other  of  the  audience.  On  the  festival  of  Basant 
Panchmi,  or  the  commencement  of  spring,  these  girls  worship 
their  dancing-dress  and  musical  instruments  with  offerings  of 
rice,  flowers  and  a  cocoanut." 

Proceeding  southwards  we  find  that  in  Hyderabad 
(Nizam's  dominions)  the  usual  term  used  for  Telugu  dancing- 
girls  is  bogam,  although  several  others,  including  those  with 
which  we  are  already  acquainted,  are  found.  The  bogams  are 
divided  into  two  classes,  according  as  to  whether  they  are 
Hindus  or  Mohammedans.  If  they  are  the  former,  the  titles 
sdni  or  ndyaka  are  attached  to  their  names ;  if  the  latter,  they 
are  called  jdn  or  ndyakan.  Siraj  Ul  Hassan x  describes  them 
as  having  been  originally  attached  to  the  temples  of  Siva  and 
Vishnu  as  "  servants  of  the  gods,"  most  of  whom  now  earn 
their  living  by  dancing,  singing  and  prostitution.  The  initia- 
tion ceremonies  of  a  bogam  sdni  include  the  marriage  of  the 
girl  to  an  idol  of  Krishna,  and  those  of  a  bogam  jdn  to  a 
dagger.  In  the  former  case  a  marriage-booth  of  sixteen  pillars- 
is  put  up  at  the  girl's  house,  whither  the  idol  is  brought  on  an 
auspicious  day. 

The  girl  is  made  to  stand  before  the  idol  as  if  it  were  the 
bridegroom,  a  curtain  is  held  between  them  and  the  officiat- 
ing Brahman,  reciting  the  Mangalashtaka,  or  marriage  stanzas,, 
weds  them  in  the  orthodox  fashion.  The  ceremonies  that 
follow  correspond  in  every  particular  to  those  of  a  Kapu  or 
Munnur  marriage.  On  the  Nagveli  day  the  girl  is  seated  by 
the  side  of  the  idol  and  made  to  offer  puja  to  Gauri,  the 
consort  of  Siva.  Betel  leaves,  areca  nuts  and  kunkum  (red 
powder)  are  distributed  to  the  assembly  of  dancing-girls, 
who  sing  songs,  and,  after  blessing  the  bride,  retire  to  their 
houses." 

In  the  case  of  a  bogam  jdn  when  a  girl  is  married  to  a 
dagger  the  ceremony  resembles  that  above  described,  with 
the  addition  that  the  rite  of  missi  is  also  performed.  It  in- 
cludes not  only  the  blackening  of  the  teeth,  as  among  the 
tawdif  of  Northern  India,  but  also  the  tying  of  a  string  of 
glass  beads  round  the  neck.  Girls  thus  married  are  to  a 
certain  extent  envied,  for,  as  their  husband  is  immortal,  they 
can  never  become  widows— a  thing  to  be  avoided  at  any  cost! 
The  bogams  belong  to  both  the  Vaishnava  and  Saiva  sects. 
Their  chief  gods  are  Krishna  and  Ganesa,  and  in  the  light 

1  Syed  Siraj  Ul  Hassan,  The  Tribes  and  Castes  of  H.E.H.  the  Nizam's 
Dominions  [Hyderabad],  Bombay,  1920.     See  vol.  i,  p.  91  et  seq. 


APPENDIX  IV -SACRED  PROSTITUTION      245 

tenth  of  As  win  (October)  they  worship  their  dancing  dresses, 
instruments,  etc.1  Their  ranks  are  recruited  to  a  certain 
extent  from  girls  who  have  been  vowed  to  temple  service 
by  their  parents  on  their  recovery  from  sickness,  or  on  some 
other  similar  occasion  when  they  wish  to  show  gratitude  to 
their  gods.  The  training  of  the  bogams  is  most  thorough  and 
complete.  "  Commencing  their  studies  at  the  early  age  of  seven 
or  eight,  they  are  able  to  perform  at  twelve  or  thirteen  years 
of  age  and  continue  dancing  till  they  are  thirty  or  forty  years 
old.  Dancing-girls  attached  to  temples  are  required  to  dance 
daily  before  the  idols,  while  the  priests  are  officiating  and 
offering  puja  to  them  :  but  the  majority  of  these  are  trained 
to  appear  in  public,  when  they  are  profusely  ornamented 
with  gold  and  jewels  and  sumptuously  dressed  in  silk  and 
muslin."  2  Their  dress,  mode  of  dancing  and  details  of  accom- 
panying instruments  are  the  same  as  already  described  by 
Russell.  Most  of  their  songs  are  lewd  in  character,  usually 
relating  to  the  amorous  life  of  Krishna. 

Turning  westwards  to  Bombay  there  is  in  the  Ratnagiri 
and  Kanara  districts  and  in  the  Savantvadi  State  a  Sudra 
caste  in  which  the  men  are  known  as  devlis  or  ndiks,  and  the 
women  as  bhdvins  or  ndikins.  The  majority  trace  their  descent 
from  the  female  servants  of  the  Savantvadi  or  Malvan  chiefs 
who  were  regularly  dedicated  to  the  service  of  the  local  gods. 
Women  from  other  Sudra  castes  can  become  bhdvins  by 
simply  pouring  oil  on  their  heads  from  the  god's  lamp  in  the 
temple.  When  a  bhdvin  girl  attains  puberty  she  has  to  under- 
go a  form  of  marriage  known  as  the  sesha.  The  bridegroom 
is  represented  by  a  god  from  the  temple.  On  an  auspicious 
day  Ganapati  is  worshipped  and  the  ceremony  of  Punydha- 
vdchana  (holy-day  blessing)  is  performed  at  the  girl's  house, 
and  also  in  a  temple,  by  the  Gurav  or  Raul  of  the  temple. 
The  Gurav  and  other  servants  of  the  temple  then  go  in  pro- 
cession to  the  girl's  house,  taking  with  them  a  dagger  and  the 
mask  of  the  god.  The  marriage  ceremony  is  performed  with 
the  same  details  as  an  ordinary  marriage,  the  mask  taking 
the  place  of  the  bridegroom.  The  homa,  or  marriage  sacrifice, 
is  also  performed.  The  ceremony  ends  with  a  feast  to  those 
assembled,  but  is  frequently  dispensed  with  owing  to  the 
expenditure  involved.    In  such  cases  the  young  girl  performs 

1  In  the  Central  Provinces  we  saw  that  this  worship  was  made  in  the 
spring,  not  the  autumn. 

2  Siraj  Ul  Hassan,  op.  cit.,  p.  94. 


246  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

the  worship  of  Ganapati,  and  dressing  herself  in  her  best 
attire  goes  to  a  temple  to  the  beating  of  drums,  accompanied 
by  a  party  of  bhdvins  and  temple  servants,  taking  in  her  hands 
a  cocoanut  and  a  packet  of  sugar.  She  places  the  cocoanut 
and  sugar  before  the  image  of  the  god  and  bows  to  him.  The 
Gurav  and  other  temple  servants  then  invoke  on  her  the 
blessings  of  the  god,  and  the  ceremony  ends.  Her  temple 
duties  are  confined  to  sweeping  the  floor,  sprinkling  it  with 
fresh  cow-dung,  and  waving  the  fly- whisk  before  the  god.  She 
practises  prostitution  promiscuously,  and  only  differs  from 
the  secular  variety  by  her  being  a  deva-ddsi. 

It  is,  however,  interesting  to  note  that  the  bhdvin  is  not 
allowed  to  dance  or  sing  in  public.  The  devlis  also  serve  in 
the  temples,  their  chief  duties  being  the  blowing  of  horns  and 
trumpets  morning  and  evening.  The  daughters  of  bhdvins 
usually  follow  their  mothers'  calling ;  if  not,  they  are  married 
to  the  sons  of  other  bhdvins — i.e.  to  the  devlis.1 

In  the  Karnatak,  Kolhapur  and  the  States  of  the 
Southern  Mahratha  country  the  ddsa  caste  dedicate  their 
men  to  the  temple,  and  their  women  only  in  a  lesser  degree. 
Contrary  to  the  usual  rule  the  women  so  dedicated  are  not 
allowed  in  the  temple  at  all,  their  duties  being  only  to  sweep 
the  temple  yard.     They  live  by  prostitution. 


Southern  India 

As  has  already  been  mentioned,  it  is  in  Southern  India 
that  the  tenets  of  the  Hindu  faith  have  suffered  less  from 
the  devastating  hand  of  the  invader.  Consequently  details  of 
ritual  have  become  deeply  rooted  in  the  minds  of  the  people, 
so  that  in  many  cases  we  may  expect  to  find  earlier  and 
more  original  forms  of  any  particular  custom  or  ceremony. 
Furthermore,  the  love  of  building  innumerable  temples  and 
constantly  increasing  the  Hindu  pantheon  always  appears  to 
have  been  greater  in  the  South.  It  is  here,  therefore,  that  we 
get  much  fuller  accounts  of  sacred  prostitution,  and  nearly 
all  the  writings  of  missionaries  and  travellers  have  something 
to  say  of  the  deva-ddsis  of  Madras,  Mysore  or  Travancore. 

1  See  the  Ethnographical  Survey  of  Bombay,  monograph  60,  Bhdvins  and 
Devlis,  1909  ;  and  monograph  92,  Dasa,  1907.  Reference  should  also  be  made 
to  Kennedy's  Criminal  Classes  of  Bombay,  1908,  pp.  13,  122,  274  and  283,  and 
to  It.  E.  Enthoven's  Tribes  and  Castes  of  Bombay,  3  vols.,  1920. 


APPENDIX  IV -SACRED  PROSTITUTION      247 

The  earliest  direct  reference  to  the  subject  I  can  find 
appears  in  certain  Tamil  inscriptions  dating  back  to  the  time 
of  Rajaraja  the  Great,  the  most  prominent  of  the  Chola 
monarchs.  He  came  to  the  throne  in  a.d.  985  and,  like  all  the 
Choja  kings,  was  a  votary  of  Siva.  One  inscription  x  shows 
that  in  a.d.  1004  the  chief  temple  at  Tanjore  had  four  hundred 
tali-cheri-pendugal,  or  "  women  of  the  temple,"  attached  to 
it.  They  lived  in  the  streets  surrounding  the  temple  and  in 
return  for  their  service  received  one  or  more  shares,  each  of 
which  consisted  of  the  produce  of  one  veli  2  of  land,  calculated 
at  100  kalam  of  paddy.  The  whole  Chola  country  was  full  of 
temples  with  deva-ddsis  in  attendance,  as  is  clear  from  this 
inscription,  which  gives  a  long  list  of  the  dancing-girls  who 
had  been  transferred  to  the  Tanjavur  (Tanjore)  temple.  After 
each  name  details  are  added  showing  from  what  temple  the 
girl  originally  came,  and  the  number  of  shares  she  was  now 
to  receive.  Finally  the  names  and  shares  of  the  eunuchs, 
musicians,  dancing-masters,  singers,  parasol-bearers,  barbers 
and  other  men  connected  with  the  temple  are  given.  It  is 
interesting  to  note  that  although  Rajaraja  was  a  Saiva,  the 
temple  girls  imported  came  from  both  Saiva  and  Vaishnava 
temples. 

The  next  mention  of  the  deva-ddsis  is  made  by  the  greatest 
of  mediaeval  travellers,  Marco  Polo.  About  1290  he  was  on  the 
Coromandel  coast,  and  in  describing  the  inhabitants  of  the 
"Province  of  Maabar"  (i.e.  Tanjore)  he  says3:  "They  have 
certain  abbeys  in  which  are  gods  and  goddesses  to  whom 
many  young  girls  are  consecrated  ;  their  fathers  and  mothers 
presenting  them  to  that  idol  for  which  they  entertain  the 
greatest  devotion.  And  when  the  [monks]  of  a  convent  desire 
to  make  a  feast  to  their  god,  they  send  for  all  those  con- 
secrated damsels  and  make  them  sing  and  dance  before  the 
idol  with  great  festivity.  They  also  bring  meats  to  feed  their 
idol  withal;  that  is  to  say,  the  damsels  prepare  dishes  of 
meat  and  leave  it  there  a  good  while,  and  then  the  damsels 
all  go  to  their  dancing  and  singing  and  festivity  for  about  as 
long  as  a  great  Baron  might  require  to  eat  his  dinner.  By 
that  time  they  say  the  spirit  of  the  idols  has  consumed  the 


1  E.   Hultzsch,  South  Indian  Inscriptions,  vol.  ii,  Part   III,  pp.   259-303, 
Archaeological  Sw°vey  of  India,  Madras,  1895. 

2  26,755  square  metres. 

3  Yule  and  Cordier,  The  Book  of  Ser  Marco  Polo,  1903,  vol.  ii,  pp.  34>5-34>6. 
See  also  p.  335  for  identification  of  the  places  visited  by  Polo. 


248 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


substance  of  the  food,  so  they  remove  the  viands  to  be  eaten 
by  themselves  with  great  jollity.  This  is  performed  by  these 
damsels  several  times  every  year  until  they  are  married. 

"  The  reason  assigned  for  summoning  the  damsels  to  these 
feasts  is,  as  the  monks  say,  that  the  god  is  vexed  and  angry 
with  the  goddess,  and  will  hold  no  communication  with  her  ; 
and  they  say  that  if  peace  be  not  established  between  them 
things  will  go  from  bad  to  worse,  and  they  never  will  bestow 
their  grace  and  benediction.  So  they  make  those  girls  come 
in  the  way  described,  to  dance  and  sing,  all  but  naked, 
before  the  god  and  the  goddess.  And  those  people  believe 
that  the  god  often  solaces  himself  with  the  society  of  the 
goddess." 

As  Yule  says  in  a  note  on  this  passage  (p.  351),  Polo  does 
not  seem  to  have  quite  understood  the  nature  of  the  institu- 
tion of  the  temple  dancing-girls,  for  there  was  no  question  of 
marriage  as  they  were  already  married — either  to  the  god  or 
to  some  substitute  for  a  bridegroom  such  as  a  sword,  dagger 
or  drum.  Another  point  to  notice  is  that  Polo  describes  the 
girls  as  "all  but  naked."  This  is  in  strict  contradiction  to 
all  accounts  which  came  later ;  in  fact  travellers  have  drawn 
special  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  attraction  of  the  covered 
body  was  fully  realised  by  the  dancers. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  section  on  Northern  India  wre  saw 
that  by  1340  the  Sultanate  of  Delhi  was  breaking  up  and  that 
in  the  South  Vijayanagar  was  already  a  powerful  kingdom. 
The  story  of  the  foundation  of  this  great  Hindu  monarchy, 
formed  to  check  the  onrush  of  the  Moslem  hordes  which  were 
sweeping  gradually  southwards,  makes  a  thrilling  page  of 
Indian  history.  The  glories  of  the  magnificent  capital  have 
been  fully  described  by  many  travellers,1  but  a  complete 
history  of  the  kingdom  has  yet  to  be  written.  It  was  not 
until  1565  that  Vijayanagar  was  destroyed  by  the  Moslems, 
and  even  then  the  peninsula  to  the  south  of  Tungabhadra  re- 
mained unaffected  as  far  as  its  dharma  (religion  and  morality) 
were  concerned.  Of  the  various  writers  who  have  described 
the  kingdom  the  two  who  give  the  best  description  of  the 
social  conditions  are  'Abdu-r  Razzaq,  the  ambassador  from 

1  (a)  Nicolo  Conti  (1420).  See  his  account  in  India  in  the  Fifteenth  Century, 
(Part  II,  p.  23),  R.  H.  Major:  No.  22  of  Series  1  of  the  Hakluyt  Society 
publications,  1858.  (6)  'Abdu-r  Razzaq  (1443).  See  Elliot's  History  of  India, 
vol.  iv,  p.  89  et  seq. ;  also  first  section  of  Major's  work  quoted  above, 
(c)  Domingos  Paes  (1522).  See  A  Forgotten  Empire,  R.  Sewell,  1900,  p. 
236  etseq.     (d)  Fernao  Nuniz  (1537).     See  A  Forgotten  Empire,  p.  291  et  seq. 


APPENDIX  IV -SACRED  PROSTITUTION      249 

Persia,  and  Domingos  Paes,  the  Portuguese.  cAbdu-r  Razzaq 
explains  how  the  prostitution  of  the  dancing-girls  was  a  great 
source  of  revenue  to  the  kingdom ;  in  fact  the  entire  upkeep 
of  the  police  (12,000  in  number)  was  paid  out  of  the  proceeds 
of  the  women.  He  gives  a  description  of  the  wealth  and 
splendour  of  the  girls,  and  says  :  "  After  the  time  of  mid-day 
prayers,  they  place  at  the  doors  of  these  houses,  which  are 
beautifully  decorated,  chairs  and  settees  on  which  the  courte- 
sans seat  themselves.  Every  one  is  covered  with  pearls, 
precious  stones  and  costly  garments.  They  are  all  exceedingly 
young  and  beautiful.  Each  has  one  or  two  slave  girls  standing 
before  her,  who  invite  and  allure  indulgence  and  pleasure." 
We  get,  however,  a  better  account  from  Paes.  He  is  speaking 
of  the  idols  in  the  temples,  and  after  giving  some  description 
of  Ganesa  says  :  "  They  feed  the  idol  every  day,  for  they  say 
that  he  eats  ;  and  when  he  eats,  women  dance  before  him 
who  belong  to  that  pagoda,  and  they  give  him  food  and  all 
that  is  necessary,  and  all  the  girls  born  of  these  women  be- 
long to  the  temple.  These  women  are  of  loose  character,  and 
live  in  the  best  streets  that  are  in  the  city ;  it  is  the  same 
in  all  their  cities,  their  streets  have  the  best  rows  of  houses. 
They  are  very  much  esteemed,  and  are  classed  among  those 
honoured  ones  who  are  the  mistresses  of  the  captains  ;  any 
respectable  man  may  go  to  their  houses  without  any  blame 
attaching  thereto.  These  women  are  allowed  even  to  enter 
the  presence  of  the  wives  of  the  king,  and  they  stay  with 
them  and  eat  betel  with  them,  a  thing  which  no  other  person 
may  do,  no  matter  what  his  rank  may  be."  He  also  makes 
special  mention  of  their  great  wealth  :  "  Who  can  fitly  describe 
to  you  the  great  riches  these  women  carry  on  their  persons  ? 
— collars  of  gold  with  many  diamonds  and  rubies  and  pearls, 
bracelets  also  on  their  arms  and  on  their  upper  arms,  girdles 
below,  and  of  necessity  anklets  on  the  feet.  The  marvel  should 
be  otherwise,  namely  that  women  of  such  a  profession  should 
obtain  such  wealth ;  but  there  are  women  among  them  who 
have  lands  that  have  been  given  to  them,  and  litters,  and  so 
many  maid-servants  that  one  cannot  number  all  their  things. 
There  is  a  woman  in  this  city  who  is  said  to  have  a  hundred 
thousand  pardaos,  and  I  believe  this  from  what  I  have  seen 
of  them." 

It  seems  obvious  from  the  above  accounts  that  in  wealthy 
and  powerful  kingdoms,  such  as  Vijayanagar  was  in  the 
fifteenth  and  sixteenth   centuries,  secular  and  "  religious " 


250  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

prostitution  practically  coincide.1  If  the  diamonds  were  re- 
placed by  cheap  and  tawdry  jewellery  made  in  Birmingham, 
'Abdu-r  Razzaq's  description  might  almost  refer  to  one  of  the 
courtesan  streets  in  the  Esbekiya  quarter  of  Cairo  or  to  similar 
ones  in  Algiers.  He  is  describing  only  the  "  prostitute  "  part 
of  the  girl's  business  and  makes  no  mention  of  her  duties  in 
the  temple.  They  certainly  must  have  been  quite  unimportant, 
and  the  powers  of  their  "  protectors  "  could  in  all  probability 
regulate  the  amount  of  "  service  "  in  the  temple.  Paes,  on 
the  other  hand,  speaks  of  their  temple  duties,  but  also  says 
that  they  live  in  the  best  streets. 

We  saw  that  in  Maurya  times,  when  Chandragupta  was 
at  the  zenith  of  his  power  in  Pataliputra  (circa  300  B.C.),  a 
similar  state  of  affairs  prevailed.  Again  in  the  early  eigh- 
teenth century  the  reaction  which  occurred  after  the  death 
of  the  Puritan  Aurangzeb  caused  an  enormous  laxity  of 
morals,  and  in  consequence  the  "  temple  "  part  of  the  deva- 
ddsls  entirely  dropped  out.  In  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth 
centuries  travellers  gave  no  detailed  descriptions  of  the  devi- 
dasis,  and  we  get  only  scanty  mentions  in  the  various  works 
of  travel.  The  chief  of  these  are  Linschoten  (1598),  De  Bry 
(1599),  Gouvea  (1606),  Bernier  (1660),  Thevenot  (1661), 
Fryer  (1673),  Wheeler  (1701),  a  writer  in  Lettres  Edificantes 
(1702),  Orme  (1770),  Sonnerat  (1782),  and  Moor  (1794).2 

At  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  and  early  nineteenth 
centuries  the  accounts  become  more  detailed,  the  two  most 
reliable  of  which  are  those  of  the  Abbe  J.  A.  Dubois  and 
Francis  Hamilton  (formerly  Buchanan).  Dubois  worked  in 
the  Madras  Presidency  in  1792  and  went  to  Mysore  in  1799  to 
reorganise  the  Christian  community.  The  outcome  of  this 
work  was  his  famous  Hindu  Manners,  Customs  and  Cere- 
monies, which  was  translated  into  English  in  1816  direct 
from  the  French  MS.  His  remarks  on  the  dancing-girls  are 
interesting.  He  says  3  that  at  first  they  were  reserved  ex- 
clusively for  the  Brahmans,  and  proceeds  :   "  And  these  lewd 

1  For  further  information  on  Vijayanagar  see  S.  K.  Ayyangar,  Sources  of 
Vijayanagar  History,  Madras  University  Series,  1919.  Also  see  the  various 
articles,  etc.,  quoted  by  V.  A.  Smith  in  his  Oxford  History  of  India,  1919, 
pp.  319,  320. 

2  Details  of  these  travellers'  works  with  reference  to  the  deva-dasis  can 
be  found  in  Hobson  Jobson,  Yule  and  Burnell,  1886.  See  under  u  dancing-girl," 
deva-dasl,  bayadere,  "  nautch-girl,"  cunchurree. 

3  From  the  third  edition,  with  notes  by  Henry  K.  Beauchamp,  Oxford, 
1906,  pp.  585-587. 


APPENDIX  IV-SACRED  PROSTITUTION      251 

women,  who  make  a  public  traffic  of  their  charms,  are  conse- 
crated in  a  special  manner  to  the  worship  of  the  divinities  of 
India.  Every  temple  of  any  importance  has  in  its  service  a 
band  of  eight,  twelve,  or  more.  Their  official  duties  consist 
in  dancing  and  singing  within  the  temple  twice  a  day,  morn- 
ing and  evening,  and  also  at  all  public  ceremonies.  The  first 
they  execute  with  sufficient  grace,  although  their  attitudes 
are  lascivious  and  their  gestures  indecorous.  As  regards  their 
singing,  it  is  almost  always  confined  to  obscene  verses  describ- 
ing some  licentious  episode  in  the  history  of  their  gods.  Their 
duties,  however,  are  not  confined  to  religious  ceremonies. 
Ordinary  politeness  (and  this  is  one  of  the  characteristic 
features  of  Hindu  morality)  requires  that  when  persons  of 
any  distinction  make  formal  visits  to  each  other  they  must 
be  accompanied  by  a  certain  number  of  these  courtesans.  To 
dispense  with  them  would  show  a  want  of  respect  towards 
the  persons  visited,  whether  the  visit  was  one  of  duty  or  of 
politeness.  [This  custom  is  certainly  not  observed  at  the 
present  day. — Beauchamp.] 

"  These  women  are  also  present  at  marriages  and  other 
solemn  family  meetings.  All  the  time  which  they  have  to  spare 
in  the  intervals  of  the  various  ceremonies  is  devoted  to  in- 
finitely more  shameful  practices  ;  and  it  is  not  an  uncommon 
thing  to  see  even  sacred  temples  converted  into  mere  brothels. 
They  are  brought  up  in  this  shameful  licentiousness  from 
infancy,  and  are  recruited  from  various  castes,  some  among 
them  belonging  to  respectable  families.  It  is  not  unusual  for 
pregnant  women,  with  the  object  of  obtaining  a  safe  delivery, 
to  make  a  vow,  with  the  consent  of  their  husbands,  to  devote 
the  child  that  they  carry  in  their  womb,  if  it  should  turn  out 
a  girl,  to  the  temple  service.  They  are  far  from  thinking  that 
this  infamous  vow  offends  in  any  way  the  laws  of  decency,  or  is 
contrary  to  the  duties  of  motherhood.  In  fact  no  shame  what- 
ever is  attached  to  parents  whose  daughters  adopt  this  career. 

"  The  courtesans  are  the  only  women  in  India  who  enjoy 
the  privilege  of  learning  to  read,  to  dance,  and  to  sing.  A  well- 
bred  and  respectable  woman  would  for  this  reason  blush  to 
acquire  any  one  of  these  accomplishments.  [In  these  days 
female  education  is  slowly  extending  to  all  classes,  and  the 
prejudice  which  formerly  existed  no  longer  applies  to  women 
learning  to  read  and  sing,  though  dancing  is  still  restricted 
to  the  professional  dancing- girls,  and  is  not  considered 
respectable.  — Beauchamp.] 


252  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

"  The  deva-dasis  receive  a  fixed  salary  for  the  religious 
duties  which  they  perform  ;  but  as  the  amount  is  small  they 
supplement  it  by  selling  their  favours  in  as  profitable  a  manner 
as  possible." 

Like  several  other  writers  he  mentions  the  special  care 
taken  by  the  deva-dasis  not  to  expose  any  part  of  their  body, 
because  they  fully  realise  that  the  imagination  is  more  easily 
captivated  than  the  eye.  Dubois  says  in  the  above  extract 
that  they  dance  "  twice  a  day,  morning  and  evening."  This 
agrees  with  the  remarks  of  the  Chinese  traveller  Chau  Ju-Kwa 
of  the  thirteenth  century,  but  differs  from  the  description  to 
be  given  by  Shortt  below. 

)  Francis  Hamilton,1  writing  nearly  the  same  time  as  Dubois, 
gives  a  similar  account  of  the  deva-dasis.  He  says,  however, 
that  if  a  girl  is  pretty  she  is  almost  certain  to  be  taken 
from  the  temple  by  some  "  officer  of  revenue,"  and  seldom 
permitted  to  return  except  in  his  presence.  When  a  dancing- 
girl  grew  too  old  to  be  attractive  she  was  turned  out  of  the 
temple  without  any  means  of  support  given  her,  and  for  this 
reason  she  always  tried  to  get  a  good-looking  daughter  to 
succeed — and  support  her.  Speaking  of  the  temples  at  Tulava 
he  says  :  "  There  prevails  a  very  singular  custom,  which  has 
given  origin  to  a  caste  named  moylar.  Any  woman  .  .  .  who 
is  tired  of  her  husband,  or  who  (being  a  widow,  and  conse- 
quently incapable  of  marriage)  is  tired  of  a  life  of  celibacy, 
goes  to  a  temple,  and  eats  some  of  the  rice  that  is  offered  to 
the  idol.  She  is  then  taken  before  the  officers  of  Government, 
who  assemble  some  people  of  her  caste  to  inquire  into  the 
cause  of  her  resolution  ;  and,  if  she  be  of  the  Brahman  caste, 
to  give  her  an  option  of  either  living  in  the  temple  or  out 
of  its  precincts.  If  she  choose  the  former,  she  gets  a  daily 
allowance  of  rice,  and  annually  a  piece  of  cloth.  She  must 
sweep  the  temple,  fan  the  idol  with  a  Tibet  cow's  tail 
(bos  grunniens),  and  confine  her  amours  to  the  Brahmans. 
.  .  .  The  Brahmany  women  who  do  not  choose  to  live  in  the 
temple,  and  the  women  of  the  three  lower  castes,  cohabit 
with  any  man  of  pure  descent  that  they  please ;  but  they 
must  pay  annually  to  the  temple  from  one  sixteenth  to  half 
a  pagoda." 

No  further  information  on  the  deva-dasis  appears  to  have 
been  published  till  1868,  when  Dr  John  Shortt  read  a  most 

1  A  Journey  from  Madras  through  the  Countries  of  Mysore,  Canara  and 
Malabar,  3  vols.,  London,  1807. 


APPENDIX  IV— SACRED  PROSTITUTION      253 

interesting  paper  before  the  Anthropological  Society,  entitled 
"  The  Bayadere :  or,  Dancing  Girls  of  Southern  India."  l  His 
investigations  confirm  previous  accounts,  but  owing  to  ad- 
vantages gained  in  his  medical  capacity  he  was  able  to  obtain 
details  which  the  ordinary  traveller  finds  so  hard  to  acquire. 
He  differs  from  Dubois  in  saying  that  the  girls  dance  six 
times  a  day,  but  in  turns.  They  never  marry,  and  begin  a 
strenuous  three-year  course  of  singing  and  dancing  at  the 
early  age  of  five.  "  When  these  girls  are  attached  to  pagodas, 
they  receive  certain  sums  as  wages,  the  amount  of  which  is 
dependent  on  the  worth,  sanctity,  and  popularity  of  the 
particular  temple  which  they  have  joined.  The  money  salary 
they  receive  is  nominal — seldom  exceeding  a  few  annas,  and 
sometimes  a  rupee  or  two  a  month.  The  chief  object  in  being 
paid  this  sum  as  a  salary  is  to  indicate  that  they  are  servants 
of  the  temple  ;  in  addition  to  this,  one  or  more  of  them  receive 
a  meal  a  day,  consisting  merely  of  a  mass  of  boiled  rice  rolled 
into  a  ball."  He  gives  full  details  of  their  dress.  It  differs 
from  that  described  by  Thurston  as  worn  by  the  girls  in 
Central  India.  Instead  of  tinsel- covered  dress  with  skirts 
reaching  below  the  knees  and  tight  satin  trousers,  Shortt  says  : 
"  Their  dancing  dress  comprises  usually  the  short  jacket 
or  choolee,  a,  pair  of  string  drawers  tied  at  the  waist,  termed 
pyjamas — both  these  are  generally  of  silk,  and  a  white  or 
coloured  wrapper  or  saree  :  one  end  of  the  saree  is  wound 
around  the  waist,  and  two,  three,  or  more  feet,  according  to 
the  length,  is  gathered  and  inserted  into  the  portion  en- 
circling the  waist,  and  permitting  of  a  folding  fringe  or  gather- 
ing of  the  cloth  in  front,  and  the  other  end,  taken  after  the 
usual  native  fashion  over  the  left  shoulder,  descends  towards 
the  waist,  when  the  end,  or  moonthanee,  is  opened  out  and 
allowed  to  drop  in  front,  one  end  of  it  being  inserted  in  the 
waist  on  the  side,  and  the  other  left  free.  This  portion  of  the 
saree  is  usually  highly  ornamented  with  golden  thread,  tinsel, 
etc. — the  free  end  descends  to  the  middle  or  lower  part  of  the 
thighs,  the  other  free  end  of  the  saree  hanging  down  towards 
the  legs  is  now  got  hold  of,  passed  between  the  legs  and 
fastened  to  the  tie  around  the  waist  at  the  back,  and  the  whole 
encircled  by  a  gold  or  silver  waist  belt.  By  this  mode  of  dress 
a  fold  of  the  muslin  saree  forms  a  loop  round  each  leg,  and 

1  Memoirs  read  before  the  Anthropological  Society  of  London,  1867-1869, 
vol.  iii,  London,  1870,  pp.  182-194.  The  word  bayadere  is  merely  a  French 
form  of  the  Portuguese  bailadeira,  from  bailar  —  to  dance. 


254  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

descends  nearly  to  the  ankles,  whilst  the  gathering  hangs  in 
front  between  the  legs  free." 

They  had  their  own  special  laws  for  adoption  and  inherit- 
ance, and  were  treated  with  respect  and  consideration.  At 
one  time  their  ranks  were  largely  increased  by  kidnapping, 
but  even  in  Shortt's  day  this  was  quite  a  rare  occurrence. 
This  was  often  done  by  an  aged  dancer  in  order  to  procure  a 
successor  and  a  maintenance.  Once  again  we  see  the  worst 
side  of  a  depraved  priesthood,  for  "  as  soon  as  a  girl  attains 
maturity,  her  virginity,  if  not  debauched  by  the  pagoda 
brahmins,  is  sold  to  outsiders  in  proportion  to  the  wealth  of 
the  party  seeking  the  honour,  if  such  it  may  be  termed,  after 
which  she  leads  a  continuous  course  of  prostitution — prosti- 
tuting her  person  at  random,  to  all  but  outcasts,  for  any 
trifling  sum."  Details  of  the  musical  instruments  and  dances 
are  given,  special  attention  being  drawn  to  the  surprising 
feats  of  strength  and  bodily  powers  of  endurance  the  girls 
undergo.  "  In  what  is  called  the  sterria  coothoo,  athletic  feats 
are  performed,  resting  their  hands  on  the  ground  and  fling- 
ing their  feet  in  the  air  with  great  rapidity,  and  thus  twirling 
round  and  round  successively  performing  various  somer- 
saults ;  lying  full  length  on  the  ground  with  their  hands  and 
feet  resting,  contorting,  twirling,  and  twisting  their  bodies  in 
various  ways,  or  whilst  resting  on  the  hands  and  legs,  with 
their  backs  to  the  ground  and  their  chest  and  abdomen 
turned  upwards,  drawing  the  hands  and  feet  as  close  together 
as  possible  ;  whilst  their  bodies  are  thus  arched,  they,  with 
their  mouths,  pick  up  rupees  from  the  ground.  In  this  arched 
position,  beating  time  with  their  hands  and  feet,  they  work 
round  and  round  in  a  circle.  During  their  performance  they 
join  their  attendants  in  the  songs  that  are  sung,  and  regulate 
the  various  movements  of  their  bodies  to  the  expressions 
given  vent  to  in  the  song."  In  the  remainder  of  his  article 
Shortt  confirms  what  we  have  already  seen — the  girls  are  far 
more  educated  than  the  married  women,  their  songs  are  lewd, 
they  get  most  of  their  wealth  outside  the  temple,  they  are 
considered  an  acquisition  in  a  town  and  form  the  chief  mag- 
net of  Hindu  society ;  a  wife  considers  it  honourable  for  her 
husband  to  patronise  them,  and,  finally,  they  are  more  sinned 
against  than  sinning.  This  is  obviously  true,  for  what  chance 
can  a  child  of  five  have  when  everything  is  arranged  for  her 
— probably  before  her  birth  !  Owing  to  the  wise  guidance  of 
British  rule  female  education  and  enlightenment  have  made 


APPENDIX  IV -SACRED  PROSTITUTION      255 

great  strides  since  1868  and  we  are  likely  to  hear  less  and  less 
of  the  deva-ddsis.  Secular  prostitution  always  has  existed 
and  always  will  exist,  for  the  simple  reason  that,  where  there 
is  a  certain  and  constant  demand,  so  also  is  there  an  equally 
certain  and  constant  supply. 

We  have  now  to  consider  a  class  of  women  who,  although 
being  sacred  prostitutes,  are  hardly  ever  dancing-girls.  Their 
existence  is  due  to  circumstance  alone.  Among  women  of  the 
lower  Stidra  castes  of  Southern  India,  when  there  is  no  son  to 
perform  the  obsequies  of  the  parents,  it  is  customary  to  endow 
a  daughter  with  masculine  privileges  by  dedicating  her  to 
a  deity.  Such  a  woman  is  known  by  the  name  of  basivi.  As 
is  often  the  custom  among  deva-ddsis,  girls  are  frequently 
dedicated  as  basivis  by  promise  before  their  birth,  or  owing 
to  a  vow  during  illness. 

Detailed  investigations  on  the  basivis  have  been  carried 
out  by  Mr  Fawcett 1  in  the  western  part  of  the  Bellary  dis- 
trict of  Madras,  and  in  the  portions  of  Dharwar  and  Mysore 
which  adjoin  it.  Although  variations  of  the  dedication  cere- 
mony occur  in  different  localities,  the  following  description 
by  Mr  Fawcett  can  be  taken  as  generally  representative. 

After  the  girl  has  been  conducted  with  music  to  the  temple 
by  her  parents,  she  is  dressed  in  new  clothes,  usually  white, 
and  two  seers  of  rice,  five  dates,  five  cocoanuts,  five  2  betel 
leaves,  and  the  same  number  of  betel  nuts,  also  turmeric 3  and 
plantains  and  areca  nuts,  a  gold  tali,  a  silver  bangle,  and  two 
silver  toe-rings  are  borne  in  a  tray  or  basket.  On  arrival  at 
the  temple  reverence  is  made  to  the  idol,  and,  if  he  is  present, 

1  "Basivis:  Women  who  through  Dedication  to  a  Deity  assume  Masculine 
Privileges,"  Journal  of  the  Anthropological  Society  of  Bombay,  vol.  ii,  1892, 
pp.  322-345.  This  is  followed  by  a  note  on  the  same  subject  by  Dr  W. 
Dymock  (pp.  345,  34-6)  and  an  appendix  (pp.  34>6-353). 

2  Five  is  a  mystical  number.  It  consists  of  2  +  3,  the  first  even  and  first 
odd  numbers — i.e.  if  unity  is  God  alone,  2  =  diversity,  while  3  =  1  +2  =  unity 
and  diversity.     Thus  the  two  principles  of  nature  are  represented. 

Mankind  has  five  senses.  The  Brahmans  worship  the  five  products  of  the 
cow.  Siva  has  five  aspects.  The  Dra vidians  recognise  five  divine  foods,  the 
Assamese  five  essentials  for  worship,  and  the  Avestan  doctrine  five  divisions  of 
human  personality.  Five  wards  off  the  evil  eye  among  the  Mohammedans,  and, 
being  considered  lucky  by  the  Romans,  entered  into  their  wedding  ceremonies. 

3  This  plant,  which  is  used  in  India  as  a  substitute  for  saffron  and  other 
yellow  dyes,  always  plays  an  important  part  in  marriage  ceremonies — not  only 
in  India,  but  also  in  ancient  Greece.  It  has  a  distinct  erotic  significance  and 
has  magical  properties  ascribed  to  it.  See  the  paper  by  Dr  W.  Dymock  on 
"The  Use  of  Turmeric  in  Hindoo  Ceremonial"  in  the  Journal  of  the  Anthropo- 
logical Society  of  Bombay,  p.  44-1  et  seq.  of  the  volume  quoted  in  note  1  above. 


256  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

to  the  guru,  or  high  priest,  and  he,  as  the  officiating  priest, 
receives  a  fee  and  the  tray  or  basket  of  things,  and  the  cere- 
mony is  begun.  If  the  guru  is  present  he  orders  the  priest 
and  disciples  who  may  be  present  "  to  bring  the  god  to  the 
girl,"  and  they  proceed  with  the  ceremony.  She  is  conducted 
to  that  part  of  the  temple  where  such  ceremonies  are  generally 
performed,  usually  in  front  of  the  idol,  and  is  made  to  sit  on  a 
black  cambly,  or  country-made  blanket  (never  on  a  white  one), 
facing  east,  right  knee  raised  and  right  elbow  resting  on  it, 
head  bent  and  covered.  In  front  of  her  is  spread  some  rice, 
on  which  are  placed  the  kernels  of  five  cocoanuts,  one  at  each 
corner  and  one  in  the  centre,  and  similarly  five  betel  nuts, 
five  pieces  of  turmeric,  five  dried  dates,  and  five  duddus  and 
a  tankam  in  a  bran  vessel  (a  duddu=l  anna  8  pies,  and  a 
tankam=5  annas  4  pies).  Kankanam,  a  yellow  thread,  such 
as  is  used  in  Hindu  marriages  and  once  to  be  used  in  satis,  to 
which  a  betel  leaf  is  fastened,  is  tied  on  her  right  wrist  by  the 
senior  basivi  present.  A  marriage  song  is  then  sung  by  the 
basivi  and  married  women  (not  widows),  who  throw  yellow  rice 
over  the  girl.  They  put  the  bangle  on  her  right  wrist,  and  tie 
the  tali,  on  which  is  depicted  the  iraman  of  Vishnu,  and  which 
is  fastened  to  a  necklace  of  black  beads,  round  her  neck,  and 
they  make  the  girl  put  on  the  toe-rings.  These  marriage 
tokens,  which  are  worn  by  Hindu  women  until  their  husbands' 
death,  are  worn  by  the  basivi  until  her  own  death.  She  is 
given,  by  way  of  insignia,  a  cane  about  three  feet  long,  as  a 
wand,  carried  in  the  right  hand,  and  a  gopalam,  or  begging 
basket,  slung  on  the  left  arm.  She  is  then  branded  with  a 
heated  brass  instrument,  with  a  chakra  on  the  right  shoulder, 
in  front,  similarly  on  the  left  shoulder  with  a  shenk  (chank) 
and  over  the  right  breast  with  a  chakra.  As  well  known,  these 
are  the  emblems  of  Vishnu.  The  third  mark,  over  the  breast, 
is  never  done  if  there  is  any  suspicion  the  girl  is  not  a  virgin. 
Sometimes  girls  are  dedicated  after  maturity.  It  may  be  men- 
tioned that,  if  he  is  present,  the  guru  heats  the  instruments 
or  holds  them  a  moment  ere  they  are  used.  After  being 
branded,  the  girl's  forehead  is  marked  with  kunkam,  a  red 
powder  commonly  used  in  feminine  adornment.  A  seer  and 
a  quarter  of  rice,  two  dried  cocoanuts  minus  the  shells,  betel 
leaves,  a  few  areca  nuts,  five  pieces  of  turmeric  and  five  dates 
are  then  tied  in  her  cloth,  in  front,  below  the  waist,  and  she 
is  made  to  rise,  taken  thrice  round  the  temple  and  into  the 
god's  sanctuary,  where  she  prostrates  herself  before  the  image. 


APPENDIX  IV -SACRED  PROSTITUTION      257 

Alms  are  distributed,  certain  sums,  determined  by  the  girl's 
parents,  are  given  to  the  officiating  priest  and  to  the  guru, 
and  the  ceremony  is  concluded  by  the  priest  whispering  a 
mantram  in  the  girl's  ear.  She  is  told  to  be  good  and  think  of 
god  "  Rama  Krishna,"  "  Govind."  For  the  next  five  weeks 
she  is  required  to  beg  in  the  village,  carrying  her  insignia  and 
shouting  "  Ram  !  Ram  !  "  "  Govind  !  "  as  she  approaches 
each  house.  After  this  there  is  the  hemm  ceremony  to  mark 
the  girl's  puberty,  which  corresponds  with  the  garbhddhdna 
ceremony  of  the  Hindus  when  the  bride  is  of  an  age  for  the 
fulfilment  of  marriage.  An  auspicious  day  is  chosen  and  fixed 
on  if  the  parents  of  the  girl  are  not  needy ;  if  they  are, 
they  wait  until  they  can  find  the  money  or  some  man  who, 
for  the  sake  of  securing  the  girl,  will  bear  the  expenses.  The 
girl  is  given  an  oil-bath  during  the  day,  and  in  the  evening 
the  initiatory  ceremony  is  repeated,  with  some  additions.  A 
sword  with  a  lime  stuck  on  its  point  is  placed  upright  beside 
the  novice,  and  it  is  held  in  her  right  hand.  It  represents  the 
bridegroom,  who  in  the  corresponding  ceremony  of  the  Hindu 
marriage  sits  on  the  bride's  right.  If  the  basivi  happens  to 
be  a  dancing-girl  the  object  representing  the  bridegroom  is  a 
drum,  and  the  girl's  insignia  consists  of  a  drum  and  bells. 
A  tray,  on  which  is  a  kalasyam  and  a  lamp,  is  then  produced 
and  moved  thrice  in  front  of  the  girl  from  right  to  left.  She 
rises  and,  carrying  the  sword  in  her  right  hand,  places  it  in 
the  god's  sanctuary.  The  ceremony  is  concluded  between  nine 
and  ten  p.m.  The  actual  religious  duties  of  a  basivi  are  few. 
They  are  entirely  confined  to  the  temple  of  her  dedication, 
and  consist  of  fasting  on  Saturdays,  attending  the  temple  for 
worship,  and  accompanying  processions  with  her  insignia  dur- 
ing festivals.  Their  superior  position  over  married  women  is 
due  to  their  bearing  the  god's  mark  on  their  bodies,  and  by 
having  no  widowhood. 

Among  the  Kakatias,  a  sect  of  weavers  in  Conjeeveram 
(and  perhaps  the  custom  obtains  elsewhere),  the  eldest 
daughter  is  always  dedicated  to  a  deity,  but  she  does  not 
thereby  attain  any  superior  right  to  property.  She  is  taken 
to  a  temple,  with  rice,  cocoanuts,  sugar,  etc.,  a  plantain  leaf 
is  placed  on  the  ground,  and  on  it  some  raw  rice,  and  on  that 
a  brass  vessel  containing  water ;  mango  leaves  and  darbha 
grass  are  put  into  the  vessel,  a  cocoanut  and  some  flowers  are 
placed  on  the  top  of  it,  and  the  water  is  purified  by  mantrams, 
and  the  leaves,  grass  and  water  are  lightly  thrown  over  the 


258  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

girl.  A  thread  is  then  tied  to  her  left  wrist,  and  she  swallows 
a  pill  of  the  five  products  of  the  cow  for  purification.  She  is 
then  branded  with  a  chakra  on  the  right  shoulder  and  with  a 
shenk  or  chank  on  the  left,  and  her  forehead  is  marked  with 
the  god's  irdmam  ;  the  priest  prays  for  her,  and  she  distributes 
alms  and  presents.  A  tali,  which  has  been  lying  at  the  god's 
feet,  is  then  placed  on  her  neck  by  a  senior  dancing-girl  (there 
are  no  basivis  there),  to  whom  she  makes  obeisance.  She  is 
given  tridham  to  drink,  a  piece  of  cloth  is  tied  on  her  head, 
she  is  decked  with  flowers  and  crowned  with  the  god's  cap 
or  mitre,  she  offers  worship  through  the  priest,  and  is  taken 
home  with  music.  At  night  she  comes  to  the  temple  and 
dances  before  the  idol  with  bells  on  her  feet.  She  is  not 
a  vestal,  and  she  may  ply  her  music ;  but  she  is  the  god's, 
and  if  not  dedicated  would  soon  be  cut  off  from  the  living ; 
so  for  her  own  benefit,  and  chiefly  for  the  benefit  of  her 
family,  she  is  dedicated.  To  avoid  legal  complications  the 
public  ceremony  takes  place  after  puberty. 

In  Mysore  the  castes  among  which  the  dedication  of 
basivis  is  common  are  the  Killekyatas,  Madiga,  Dombar, 
Vadda,  Beda,  Kuruba  and  Golla.  Details  will  be  found  in 
the  pamphlets  on  these  castes  by  H.  V.  Nanjundayya.1 
There  is  a  certain  amount  of  variation  in  ceremonies,  but 
the  general  idea  is  the  same  in  all  cases.  In  his  long  article 
on  the  deva-dasis  Thurston  2  gives  interesting  samples  of  peti- 
tions presented  to  a  European  magistrate  or  superintendent 
of  police  by  girls  or  mothers  of  girls  who  are  about  to  become 
basivis.    One  reads  as  follows  : — 

"  I  have  got  two  daughters,  aged  fifteen  and  twelve  re- 
spectively. As  I  have  no  male  issues,  I  have  got  to  necessarily 
celebrate  [sic]  the  ceremony  in  the  temple  in  connection  with 
the  tying  of  the  goddess's  tali  to  my  two  daughters  under 
the  orders  of  the  guru,  in  accordance  with  the  customs  of 
my  caste.  I  therefore  submit  this  petition  for  fear  that  the 
authorities  may  raise  any  objection  (under  the  Age  of  Con- 
sent Act).  I  therefore  request  that  the  Honourable  Court 
may  be  pleased  to  give  permission  to  the  tying  of  the  tali  to 
my  daughters." 

1  In  the  order  given  they  form  Nos.  22,  17,  13,  11,  3,  1  and  20  of 
a  series  of  short  pamphlets  issued  by  the  Ethnographical  Survey  of  Mysore, 
Bangalore,  1906-1 911. 

2  Castes  and  Tribes  of  Southern  India,  by  Edgar  Thurston  and  K.  Rangachari, 
Madras,  1909,  vol.  ii,  pp.  125-153.  See  also  Ethnographic  Notes  in  Southern 
India,  by  Thurston,  Madras,  1906,  pp.  35-41. 


APPENDIX  IV— SACRED  PROSTITUTION      259 

The  most  recent  account  of  the  deva-ddsis  is  that  by 
Thurston  already  mentioned.  It  is  drawn  mainly  from 
articles  in  the  census  reports  and  gazetteers.  Many  of  the 
customs  have  already  been  discussed  in  this  appendix.  There 
are,  however,  several  important  points  in  the  Madras  Census 
Reports  for  1901,  prepared  by  Mr  Francis,  which  deserve 
including. 

The  profession  is  not  now  held  in  the  consideration  it  once 
enjoyed.  ...  It  is  one  of  the  many  inconsistencies  of  the 
Hindu  religion  that,  though  their  profession  is  repeatedly  and 
vehemently  condemned  by  the  sdstras,  it  has  always  received 
the  countenance  of  the  Church.  ...  At  the  present  day  they 
form  a  regular  caste,  having  its  own  laws  of  inheritance, 
its  customs  and  rules  of  etiquette,  and  its  own  panchdyats 
(councils)  to  see  that  all  these  are  followed,  and  thus  hold 
a  position  which  is  perhaps  without  a  parallel  in  any  other 
country.  Dancing-girls,  dedicated  to  the  usual  profession  of 
the  caste,  are  formally  married  in  a  temple  to  a  sword  or  a 
god,  the  tali  (marriage  badge)  being  tied  round  their  necks 
by  some  men  of  their  caste.  It  was  a  standing  puzzle  to  the 
census-enumerators  whether  such  women  should  be  entered 
as  married  in  the  column  referring  to  civil  condition. 

Among  the  ddsis,  sons  and  daughters  inherit  equally, 
contrary  to  ordinary  Hindu  usage.  Some  of  the  sons  remain 
in  the  caste,  and  live  by  playing  music  for  the  women  to 
dance  to,  and  accompaniments  to  their  songs,  or  by  teaching 
singing  and  dancing  to  the  younger  girls,  and  music  to  the 
boys.  These  are  called  nattuvar.  Others  marry  some  girl  of 
the  caste  who  is  too  plain  to  be  likely  to  be  a  success  in  the 
profession,  and  drift  out  of  the  community.  Some  of  these 
affix  to  their  names  the  terms  pillai  and  mudali,  which  are  the 
usual  titles  of  the  two  castes  (velldla  and  kaikdla)  from  which 
most  of  the  ddsls  are  recruited,  and  try  to  live  down  the 
stigma  attaching  to  their  birth.  Others  join  the  melakkdrar, 
or  professional  musicians.  Cases  have  occurred  in  which 
wealthy  sons  of  dancing- women  have  been  allowed  to  marry 
girls  of  respectable  parentage  of  other  castes,  but  they  are  very 
rare.  The  daughters  of  the  caste,  who  are  brought  up  to  follow 
the  caste  profession,  are  carefully  taught  dancing,  singing, 
the  art  of  dressing  well,  and  the  ars  amoris,  and  their  success 
in  keeping  up  their  clientele  is  largely  due  to  the  contrast 
which  they  thus  present  to  the  ordinary  Hindu  housewife, 
whose  ideas  are  bounded  by  the  day's  dinner  and  the  babies. 


260  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

The  dancing-girl  castes  and  their  allies,  the  melakkdrar, 
are  now  practically  the  sole  repository  of  Indian  music,  the 
system  of  which  is  probably  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  world. 
Besides  them  and  the  Brahmans  few  study  the  subject.  .  .  . 

There  are  two  divisions  among  the  ddsis,  called  valangai 
(right-hand)  and  idangai  (left-hand).  The  chief  distinction 
between  them  is  that  the  former  will  have  nothing  to  do  with 
the  kammdlar  (artisans)  or  any  other  of  the  left-hand  castes, 
or  play  or  sing  in  their  houses.  The  latter  division  is  not 
so  particular,  and  its  members  are  consequently  sometimes 
known  as  the  kammdla  ddsis.  Neither  division,  however,  is 
allowed  to  have  any  dealings  with  men  of  the  lowest  castes, 
and  violation  of  this  rule  of  etiquette  is  tried  by  a  panchdyat 
of  the  caste,  and  visited  with  excommunication.  .  .  . 

Among  the  kaikolan  musicians  of  Coimbatore  at  least 
one  girl  in  every  family  should  be  set  apart  for  the  temple 
service,  and  she  is  instructed  in  music  and  dancing.  At  the 
tali-tying  ceremony  she  is  decorated  with  jewels  and  made 
to  stand  on  a  heap  of  paddy  (unhusked  rice).  A  folded  cloth 
is  held  before  her  by  two  ddsis,  who  also  stand  on  heaps  of 
paddy.  The  girl  catches  hold  of  the  cloth,  and  her  dancing- 
master,  who  is  seated  behind  her,  grasping  her  legs,  moves 
them  up  and  down  in  time  with  the  music  which  is  played. 
In  the  evening  she  is  taken,  astride  a  pony,  to  the  temple, 
where  a  new  cloth  for  the  idol,  the  tali,  and  other  articles 
required  for  doing  pujd  (worship)  have  been  got  ready.  The 
girl  is  seated  facing  the  idol,  and  the  officiating  Brahman 
gives  the  sandal  and  flowers  to  her,  and  ties  the  tali,  which 
has  been  lying  at  the  feet  of  the  idol,  round  her  neck.  The 
tali  consists  of  a  golden  disc  and  black  beads.  She  continues 
to  learn  music  and  dancing,  and  eventually  goes  through  the 
form  of  a  nuptial  ceremony.  The  relations  are  invited  on  an 
auspicious  day,  and  the  maternal  uncle,  or  his  representative, 
ties  a  golden  band  on  the  girl's  forehead,  and,  carrying  her, 
places  her  on  a  plank  before  the  assembled  guests.  A  Brah- 
man priest  recites  mantrams  (prayers),  and  prepares  the  sacred 
fire  (homam).  For  the  actual  nuptials  a  rich  Brahman,  if 
possible,  or,  if  not,  a  Brahman  of  more  lowly  status,  is  in- 
vited. A  Brahman  is  called  in,  as  he  is  next  in  importance  to, 
and  the  representative  of,  the  idol.  As  a  ddsi  can  never  be- 
come a  widow,  the  beads  in  her  tali  are  considered  to  bring 
good  luck  to  women  who  wear  them.  And  some  people  send 
the  tali  required  for  a  marriage  to  a  ddsi,  who  prepares  the 


APPENDIX  IV -SACRED  PROSTITUTION       261 

string  for  it,  and  attaches  to  it  black  beads  from  her  own  tali. 
A  ddsi  is  also  deputed  to  walk  at  the  head  of  Hindu  marriage- 
processions.  Married  women  do  not  like  to  do  this,  as  they 
are  not  proof  against  evil  omens,  which  the  procession  may 
meet.  And  it  is  believed  that  dasis,  to  whom  widowhood  is 
unknown,  possess  the  power  of  warding  off  the  effects  of  in- 
auspicious omens.  It  may  be  remarked,  en  passant,  that  dasis 
are  not  at  the  present  day  so  much  patronised  at  Hindu 
marriages  as  in  olden  times.  Much  is  due  in  this  direction 
to  the  progress  of  enlightened  ideas,  which  have  of  late  been 
strongly  put  forward  by  Hindu  social  reformers.  When  a 
kaikdlan  ddsi  dies,  her  body  is  covered  with  a  new  cloth 
removed  from  the  idol,  and  flowers  are  supplied  from  the 
temple  to  which  she  belonged.  No  pujd  is  performed  in  the 
temple  till  the  corpse  is  disposed  of,  as  the  idol,  being  her 
husband,  has  to  observe  pollution. 

In  Travancore  the  institution  of  the  deva- dasis  affords  an 
interesting  comparison  with  that  existing  in  other  parts  of 
India.  The  following  account  is  taken  from  data  collected 
by  Mr  N.  S.  Aiyer. 

While  the  dasis  of  Kartikappalli,  Ambalapuzha  and 
Shertallay  belonged  originally  to  the  Konkan  coast,  those 
of  Shenkottah  belonged  to  the  Pandiyan  country.  But  the 
South  Travancore  dasis  are  an  indigenous  class.  The  female 
members  of  the  caste  are,  besides  being  known  by  the  ordin- 
ary name  of  tevadiydl  and  ddsi,  both  meaning  "servant  of 
god,"  called  kudikkar,  meaning  "  those  belonging  to  the  house  " 
(i.e.  given  rent  free  by  the  Sirkar),  and  pendukal,  or  women, 
the  former  of  these  designations  being  more  popular  than  the 
latter.  Males  are  called  tevadiyan,  though  many  prefer  to  be 
known  as  Nanchindt  Velldlas.  Males,  like  these  Velldlas,  take 
the  title  of  Pillai.  In  ancient  days  deva-ddsis  who  became 
experts  in  singing  and  dancing  received  the  title  of  Rayar 
(king),  which  appears  to  have  been  last  conferred  in  a.d.  1847. 
The  South  Travancore  dasis  neither  interdine  nor  intermarry 
with  the  dancing-girls  of  the  Tamil- speaking  districts.  They 
adopt  girls  only  from  a  particular  division  of  the  Nayars,  the 
Tamil  Padam,  and  dance  only  in  temples.  Unlike  their  sisters 
outside  Travancore,  they  do  not  accept  private  engagements 
in  houses  on  the  occasion  of  marriage.  The  males,  in  a  few 
houses,  marry  the  Tamil  Padam  and  Padamangalam  Nayars, 
while  some  Padamangalam  Nayars  and  Nanchindt  Velldlas  in 
their  turn  take  their  women  as  wives. 


262  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

When  a  dancing- woman  becomes  too  old  or  diseased,  and 
thus  unable  to  perform  her  usual  temple  duties,  she  applies 
to  the  temple  authorities  for  permission  to  remove  her  ear- 
pendants  (todu).  The  ceremony  takes  place  at  the  palace  of 
the  Maharaja.  At  the  appointed  spot  the  officers  concerned 
assemble,  and  the  woman,  seated  on  a  wooden  plank,  pro- 
ceeds to  unhook  the  pendants,  and  places  them,  with  a  nazar 
(gift)  of  twelve  panams  (coins),  on  the  plank.  Directly  after 
this  she  turns  about,  and  walks  away  without  casting  a  second 
glance  at  the  ear-ornaments  which  have  been  laid  down.  She 
becomes  immediately  a  taikkizhavi,  or  old  mother,  and  is 
supposed  to  lead  a  life  of  retirement  and  resignation.  By  way 
of  distinction,  a  ddsl  in  active  service  is  referred  to  as  dtum- 
pair  am.  Though  the  ear- ornaments  are  at  once  returned  to 
her  from  the  palace,  the  woman  is  never  again  permitted  to 
put  them  on,  but  only  to  wear  the  pampadam,  or  antiquated 
ear-ornament  of  Tamil  Sudra  women.  Her  temple  wages 
undergo  a  slight  reduction,  consequent  on  her  proved  in- 
capacity. 

In  some  temples,  as  at  Keralapuram,  there  are  two 
divisions  of  dancing-girls,  one  known  as  the  muzakkudi,  to 
attend  to  the  daily  routine,  the  other  as  the  chirappukudi,  to 
serve  on  special  occasions.  The  special  duties  that  may  be 
required  of  the  South  Travancore  ddsls  are  :  (1)  to  attend 
the  two  Utsavas  at  Padmanabhaswami's  temple,  and  the 
Dusserah  at  the  capital ;  (2)  to  meet  and  escort  members  of 
the  royal  family  at  their  respective  village  limits  ;  (3)  to 
undertake  the  prescribed  fasts  for  the  apamdrga  ceremony 
in  connection  with  the  annual  festival  of  the  temple.  On 
these  days  strict  continence  is  enjoined,  and  they  are  fed  at 
the  temple,  and  allowed  only  one  meal  a  day. 

The  principal  deities  of  the  dancing-girls  are  those  to 
whom  the  temples,  in  which  they  are  employed,  are  dedicated. 
They  observe  the  new  and  full  moon  days,  and  the  last 
Friday  of  every  month,  as  important.  The  Onam,  Sivaratri, 
Tai-Pongal,  Dipavali  and  Chitrapurnami  are  the  best  recog- 
nised religious  festivals.  Minor  deities,  such  as  Bhadrakali, 
Yakshi  and  Gandharva  are  worshipped  by  the  figure  of  a 
trident  or  sword  being  drawn  on  the  wall  of  the  house,  to 
which  food  and  sweetmeats  are  offered  on  Fridays.  The 
priests  on  these  occasions  are  ochchans.  There  are  no  recog- 
nised headmen  in  the  caste.  The  services  of  Brahmans  are 
resorted  to  for  the  purpose  of  purification,  of  nampiyans  and 


APPENDIX  IV -SACRED  PROSTITUTION      263 

Saiva  Velldlas  for  the  performance  of  funeral  rites,  and  of 
gurus  on  occasions  of  marriage  and  for  the  final  ceremonies 
on  the  sixteenth  day  after  death. 

Girls  belonging  to  this  caste  may  either  be  dedicated  to 
temple  service  or  married  to  a  male  member  of  the  caste. 
No  woman  can  be  dedicated  to  the  temple  after  she  has 
reached  puberty.  On  the  occasion  of  marriage  a  sum  of  from 
fifty  to  a  hundred  and  fifty  rupees  is  given  to  the  bride's 
house,  not  as  a  bride-price,  but  for  defraying  the  marriage 
expenses.  There  is  a  preliminary  ceremony  of  betrothal, 
and  the  marriage  is  celebrated  at  an  auspicious  hour.  The 
guru  recites  a  few  hymns,  and  the  ceremonies,  which  include 
the  tying  of  the  tali,  continue  for  four  days.  The  couple 
commence  joint  life  on  the  sixteenth  day  after  the  girl  has 
reached  puberty.  It  is  easy  enough  to  get  a  divorce,  as 
this  merely  depends  upon  the  will  of  one  of  the  two  parties, 
and  the  woman  becomes  free  to  receive  clothes  from  another 
person  in  token  of  her  having  entered  into  a  fresh  matrimonial 
alliance. 

All  applications  for  the  presentation  of  a  girl  to  the  temple 
are  made  to  the  temple  authorities  by  the  senior  dancing-girl 
of  the  temple,  the  girl  to  be  presented  being  in  all  cases  from 
six  to  eight  years  of  age.  If  she  is  closely  related  to  the 
applicant  no  inquiries  regarding  her  status  and  claim  need 
be  made.  In  all  other  cases  formal  investigations  are  in- 
stituted, and  the  records  taken  are  submitted  to  the  chief 
revenue  officer  of  the  division  for  orders.  Some  paddy  (rice) 
and  five  panams  are  given  to  the  family  from  the  temple  funds 
towards  the  expenses  of  the  ceremony.  The  practice  at  the 
Suchindram  temple  is  to  convene,  on  an  auspicious  day,  a 
yoga,  or  meeting,  composed  of  the  Valiya  Sri-kariyakkar,  the 
Yogattil  Potti,  the  Vattappalli  Muttatu,  and  others,  at  which 
the  preliminaries  are  arranged.  The  girl  bathes,  and  goes  to 
the  temple  on  the  morning  of  the  selected  day  with  two  new 
cloths,  betel  leaves  and  nuts.  The  temple  priest  places  the 
cloths  and  the  tali  at  the  feet  of  the  image  and  sets  apart  one 
for  the  divine  use.  The  tali  consists  of  a  triangular  bottu, 
bearing  the  image  of  Ganesa,  with  a  gold  bead  on  either  side. 
Taking  the  remaining  cloth  and  the  tali,  and  sitting  close  to 
the  girl,  the  priest,  facing  to  the  north,  proceeds  to  officiate. 
The  girl  sits,  facing  the  deity,  in  the  inner  sanctuary.  The 
priest  kindles  the  fire,  and  performs  all  the  marriage  cere- 
monies, following  the  custom  of  the  Tirukkalyanam  festival, 


264  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

when  Siva  is  represented  as  marrying  Parvati.  He  then 
teaches  the  girl  the  Panchakshara  hymn  if  the  temple  is 
Saivite,  and  Ashtakshara  if  it  is  Vaishnavite,  presents  her 
with  the  cloth,  and  ties  the  tali  round  her  neck.  The  nattu- 
van,  or  dancing-master,  instructs  her  for  the  first  time  in  his 
art,  and  a  quantity  of  raw  rice  is  given  to  her  by  the  temple 
authorities.  The  girl,  thus  married,  is  taken  to  her  house, 
where  the  marriage  festivities  are  celebrated  for  two  or  three 
days.  As  in  Brahmanical  marriages,  the  rolling  of  a  cocoanut 
to  and  fro  is  gone  through,  the  temple  priest  or  an  elderly 
ddsi,  dressed  in  male  attire,  acting  the  part  of  the  bridegroom. 
The  girl  is  taken  in  procession  through  the  streets. 

The  birth  of  male  children  is  not  made  an  occasion  for 
rejoicing,  and,  as  the  proverb  goes,  the  lamp  on  these  occa- 
sions is  only  dimly  lighted.  Inheritance  is  in  the  female  line, 
and  women  are  the  absolute  owners  of  all  property  earned. 
When  a  dancing-girl  dies  some  paddy  and  five  panams  are 
given  to  the  temple  to  which  she  was  attached,  to  defray 
the  funeral  expenses.  The  temple  priest  gives  a  garland,  and 
a  quantity  of  ashes  for  decorating  the  corpse.  After  this  a 
nampiyan,  an  ochchan,  some  Velldla  headmen  and  a  kudik- 
kdri,  having  no  pollution,  assemble  at  the  house  of  the  de- 
ceased. The  nampiyan  consecrates  a  pot  of  water  with 
prayers,  the  ochchan  plays  on  his  musical  instrument,  and  the 
Vellalas  and  kudikkdri  powder  the  turmeric  to  be  smeared 
over  the  corpse.  In  the  case  of  temple  devotees,  their  dead 
bodies  must  be  bathed  with  this  substance  by  the  priest,  after 
which  alone  the  funeral  ceremonies  may  proceed.  The  kartd 
(chief  mourner),  who  is  the  nearest  male  relative,  has  to  get 
his  whole  head  shaved.  When  a  temple  priest  dies,  though  he 
is  a  Brahman,  the  dancing-girl  on  whom  he  has  performed 
the  vicarious  marriage  rite  has  to  go  to  his  death- bed  and 
prepare  the  turmeric  powder  to  be  dusted  over  his  corpse. 
The  anniversary  of  the  death  of  the  mother  and  maternal 
uncle  are  invariably  observed. 

The  adoption  of  a  dancing-girl  is  a  lengthy  ceremony. 
The  application  to  the  temple  authorities  takes  the  form  of  a 
request  that  the  girl  to  be  adopted  may  be  made  heir  to  both 
kudi  and  pati — that  is,  to  the  house  and  temple  service  of 
the  person  adopting.  The  sanction  of  the  authorities  having 
been  obtained,  all  concerned  meet  at  the  house  of  the  person 
who  is  adopting,  a  document  is  executed,  and  a  ceremony,  of 
the  nature  of  the  Jatakarma,  performed.    The  girl  then  goes 


APPENDIX  IV— SACRED  PROSTITUTION      265 

through  the  marriage-rite,  and  is  handed  over  to  the  charge  of 
the  music-teacher  to  be  regularly  trained  in  her  profession. 

In  concluding  his  article,  Thurston  gives  a  number  of  cases 
about  the  initiation,  laws  of  inheritance,  etc.,  which  have 
been  argued  in  the  Madras  High  Court,  besides  a  selection 
of  current  proverbs  relating  to  dancing-girls.  These  will  be 
found  on  pp.  145-153  of  the  above-mentioned  article. 

We  have  now  become  acquainted  with  all  the  important 
data  on  the  subject  under  discussion  so  far  as  India  is 
concerned. 

In  summarising  we  notice  the  following  points  : — 

In  Vedic  times  reliable  evidence  is  insufficient  to  enable 
us  to  form  any  definite  conclusion  as  to  the  possibility  of 
distinct  connection  between  religion  and  prostitution. 

Although  the  law-books  regarded  the  latter  with  dis- 
favour, and  in  the  Buddhist  age  Brahmans  were  not  even 
allowed  to  hear  music  or  witness  dances  owing  to  their  in- 
separable connection  with  prostitution,  yet  it  appears  that 
the  letter  of  the  law  was  not  carried  out  in  any  great  strict- 
ness. This  is  especially  evident  when  in  the  collection  of  the 
birth-stories  of  Buddha  (the  Jdtakas)  we  read  of  the  high 
esteem  in  which  such  women  were  held,  and  of  the  important 
positions — sometimes  even  in  the  king's  palace — which  they 
occupied. 

It  is  quite  a  feasible  suggestion  that  this  State  approval 
of  prostitutes  may  have  been,  even  at  this  early  date,  largely 
due  to  their  taking  part  (however  small)  in  the  ritual  at  the 
neighbouring  temples.  Direct  historical  evidence  of  the  privi- 
leges which  these  women  enjoyed  is  afforded  by  Kautilya's 
Arthasdstra  {circa  300  B.C.),  where  we  learn  that,  although 
under  strict  regulations,  the  prostitutes  often  acquired  great 
position  and  wealth. 

In  the  early  Christian  era  we  still  find  no  direct  reference 
to  the  deva-ddsi,  but  literary  evidence  distinctly  refers  to 
dancing  as  one  of  the  chief  accomplishments  of  the  courtesan. 
After  about  the  twelfth  century  our  evidence  becomes  more 
definite  and  geographical. 

In  the  time  of  Akbar  rules  were  issued  relating  to  the 
superintendence  of  the  prostitute  dancing-girls,  and,  as  the 
oppression  of  the  Mohammedans  increased,  so,  in  inverse 
ratio,  did  the  "  religious  "  element  in  the  institution  of  the 
deva-ddsis  become  less  and  less.  After  the  death  of  the 
Puritan  Aurangzeb  the  general  morality  sank  to  a  very  low 


266  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

level,  and  prostitution,  now  entirely  secular,  reached  huge 
dimensions. 

In  modern  days  the  prostitute  dancing-castes  divide 
themselves  into  two  branches,  according  as  to  whether  they 
are  Hindus  or  Mohammedans.  Only  one  sub-caste,  the  rdj- 
kanyd,  has  any  definite  connection  with  the  temples.  Further 
evidence  shows  that  there  is  no  system  of  deva-ddsis  as  there 
is  in  the  South,  which  state  of  things  is  due  mainly  to  the 
Mohammedan  conquest  in  earlier  days. 

As  we  proceed  southwards  direct  references  to  the  deva- 
ddsis  become  more  common.  In  Central  India  we  find  the 
system  fully  developed  at  Jagannatha,  in  Orissa,  where  the 
sincerity  of  the  worshippers  was  as  undoubted  as  the  vicious- 
ness  of  the  priesthood.  Thus  there  existed  side  by  side 
religion  and  prostitution.  As  the  latter  was  recognised  and 
approved  by  both  Church  and  State,  its  acceptance  by  the 
worshippers  of  Vishnu,  who  looked  to  the  Brahman  priests 
for  guidance,  can  be  readily  understood. 

We  now  come  across  accounts  of  the  so-called  marriage 
ceremonies  of  the  deva-ddsis  which  attach  to  them  a  certain 
amount  of  envy,  owing  to  the  fact  that,  as  they  are  married 
to  a  god,  or  an  emblem  of  a  divine  husband,  they  can  never 
become  widows.  This  fact  and  the  stamping  of  the  bodies  of 
the  women  with  the  symbols  of  the  gods  are  the  chief  reasons 
which  cause  the  deva-ddsi  to  be  approved  by  the  ordinary 
married  women  and  resorted  to  by  their  husbands. 

Although  British  rule  has  done  much  to  suppress  the 
element  of  vice  in  the  institution  of  the  deva-ddsis,  it  is 
much  too  deeply  rooted  to  extirpate.  We  find  the  ritual  still 
prevalent  in  parts  of  Central  India  and  still  more  so  in  the 
South. 

It  is  here  that  our  accounts  are  much  fuller  and  reliable, 
and  even  as  early  as  a.d.  985  we  find  the  system  flourishing 
under  the  Choja  monarchs.  Mediaeval  travellers  confirm 
these  accounts. 

It  seems  clear,  however,  that  when  the  wealth  and 
splendour  of  a  kingdom  reached  its  height,  as  in  the  case  of 
Vijayanagar  in  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries,  the 
"  service  of  the  deva-ddsi  became  almost  entirely  confined 
to  the  streets,  while  her  temple  duties  were  practically  non- 
existent. 

Farther  south  the  religious  observances  had  been  more 
closely  maintained,  and  travellers  of  the  seventeenth,  eigh- 


APPENDIX  IV— SACRED  PROSTITUTION      267 

teenth  and  nineteenth  centuries  found  the  temple-women 
taking  a  prominent  part  at  all  the  chief  temples.  It  is  obvi- 
ous to  see  from  the  more  detailed  accounts  that  here  we  have 
the  fuller  and  more  developed  form  of  the  system  of  sacred 
prostitution  as  compared  with  what  we  find  farther  north. 

The  privileges  of  dedicating  a  girl  to  the  deity  are  fully 
realised  by  the  lower  Sfidra  castes  and,  as  we  see  by  the 
strange  system  of  basivis,  they  can  actually  perform  the 
obsequies  of  the  parents  in  the  place  of  the  son.  As  the  duty 
to  the  dead  is  of  such  great  importance  to  the  Hindu,  it  can 
at  once  be  realised  that  not  only  are  the  dedicated  prostitutes 
regarded  with  favour,  but  in  many  cases  are  entrusted  with 
the  performing  of  the  most  sacred  duties,  thus  enabling  their 
parents  to  die  in  peace. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  status  of  the  deva-ddsi  is  not  held 
in  the  high  consideration  it  once  was,  and  modern  education 
in  India  has  done  much  to  open  the  eyes  of  a  more  enlightened 
generation. 

Surveying  the  total  evidence  here  collected,  the  reader 
naturally  asks  himself  how  it  was  that  the  sacred  and  profane 
became  thus  united;  or,  in  other  words,  what  was  the  real 
origin  of  "  sacred  "  prostitution.  Numerous  theories  exist 
as  to  the  true  explanation  of  this  strange  custom,  but  none 
is  entirely  satisfactory.  It  will,  however,  help  us  in  our 
inquiry  to  list  the  chief : 

1.  It  is  a  substitute  for  human  sacrifice,  being  an  offering 
to  the  deity  in  order  to  appease  him  or  to  secure  blessings  for 
the  country  in  question  and  its  inhabitants. 

2.  It  is  an  expiation  for  individual  marriage  as  a  tem- 
porary recognition  of  pre-existing  communal  marriage. 

3.  It  springs  from  the  custom  of  providing  sexual  hospi- 
tality for  strangers  ;  and  if  such  hospitality  be  offered  by  the 
mortal  wife  of  a  deity,  good  would  be  bound  to  result. 

4.  It  is  a  rite  to  ensure  the  fruitfulness  of  the  ground  and 
the  increase  of  man  and  beast  on  the  principle  of  homoeopathic 
magic. 

5.  It  arises  from  the  secular  and  precautionary  practice 
of  destroying  a  bride's  virginity  by  someone  other  than  the 
bridegroom. 

6.  It  merely  represents  the  licentious  worship  of  a  people, 
subservient  to  a  degraded  and  vicious  priesthood. 

7.  It  is  a  part  of  the  phallic  worship  which  existed  in 
India  from, early  Dra vidian  times. 


268  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

All  the  above  theories  have  been  put  forward  from  time 
to  time  by  men  whose  opinions  have  been,  or  are,  respected. 

The  evidence  already  laid  before  the  reader  shows  clearly 
that  most  of  them  are  quite  insufficient  to  account  for  the 
whole  institution  of  deva-ddsis,  while  others,  such  as  Nos.  5 
and  6,  have  already  been  disproved.  No.  4,  supported 
by  Frazer  and  many  other  scholars,  seems  to  be  feasible, 
although  it  certainly  does  not  account  for  everything. 

The  above  theories  have  been  presented  by  men  who 
made  comparisons,  and  I  feel  that  the  fact  is  often  over- 
looked that  the  origin  of  a  certain  custom  in  one  part  of  the 
world  may  not  necessarily  be  the  same  as  that  of  a  similar 
custom  in  another  part  of  the  world. 

In  speaking  of  sacred  prostitution  in  Western  Asia  Frazer * 
says  :  *  The  true  parallel  to  these  customs  is  the  sacred  pros- 
titution which  is  carried  on  to  this  day  by  dedicated  women 
in  India  and  Africa."  This  is  a  sweeping  statement  to  make, 
especially  when  we  bear  in  mind  how  scanty  is  our  knowledge 
of  the  early  Semitic  pantheon,  the  differences  of  opinion  held 
by  some  of  our  greatest  Babylonian  scholars,  and  the  lack  of 
reliable  historic  data  of  the  early  Vedic  period  in  India. 

We  must  also  remember  that  the  religion,  ethics  and 
philosophy  of  India  have  been  ever  changing,  and  nothing  is 
more  inapplicable  than  to  speak  of  the  "  changeless  East  in 
this  respect. 

Our  knowledge  of  the  early  Dravidian  religion  of  India 
before  it  was  "  taken  over  "  by  the  Aryan  invaders  is  so 
slight  that  it  is  impossible  to  make  any  definite  statement 
with  regard  to  the  origin  of  any  particular  custom  of  ritual  or 
religious  observance. 

In  order,  however,  to  enable  readers  to  make  their  own 
deductions  and  to  follow  up  any  branch  of  the  subject,  I  shall 
give  a  few  notes  on  sacred  prostitution  in  countries  other 
than  India. 

Religious  prostitution  in  Western  Asia  is  first  mentioned 
in  some  of  the  earliest  records  of  Babylonia,  and  has  also 
been  traced  in  Syria,  Phoenicia,  Arabia,  Egypt,  Greece  and 
Rome.  Similar  cults  also  occur  in  the  Far  East,  Central 
America,  West  Africa  and  other  localities  to  be  mentioned 
later. 

The  subject  is  a  very  extensive  one,  upon  which  volumes 
could  be  written.     The  following  remarks,  therefore,  merely 

1  Golden  Bough,  Adonis,  Attis  and  Osiris,  vol.  i,  p.  61, 


APPENDIX  IV -SACRED  PROSTITUTION      269 

deal  with  it  in  a  very  general  manner.  Care,  however,  has 
been  taken  to  provide  ample  references,  so  that  the  student 
can  pursue  the  subject  to  any  length. 

As  Mesopotamia  was  the  original  home  of  sacred  prostitu- 
tion, I  shall  deal  with  the  Babylonian  evidence  more  fully 
than  with  that  from  other  localities  outside  India,  about 
which  the  classical  writers  of  Rome  and  Greece  have  already 
made  us  sufficiently  familiar. 


Babylonia 

In  discussing  the  "  sacred  servants,"  or  hierodouloi,  in 
ancient  Babylonia  we  can  conveniently  divide  the  subject 
under  the  two  following  headings  :  — 

1.  The  Code  of  Hammurabi. 

2.  The  Epic  of  Gilgamesh. 

1.  About  2090  B.C.,  during  the  first  dynasty  of  Babylon 
(which  corresponds  to  the  twelfth  Egyptian  dynasty),  Ham- 
murabi set  up  in  the  temple  of  Marduk,  the  city  god,  at 
Babylon,  a  code  of  laws  embodying  the  decisions  of  a  long 
series  of  judges  who  were  already  acquainted  with  a  system 
of  laws  probably  of  Sumerian  origin.  Babylonian  law  ran  in 
the  name  of  God,  and  the  temple  was  naturally  a  very  large 
factor  in  the  life  of  the  people.  It  formed  an  intimate  con- 
nection between  their  god  and  themselves,  and  their  ritual 
tended  to  emphasise  this  fact. 

Accordingly  their  god  would  dine  with  them  at  sacrificial 
feasts,  he  would  intermarry  with  them,  and  would  be  appealed 
to  as  an  adviser  and  helper  in  times  of  danger  or  difficulty. 
The  temple  was,  moreover,  the  house  of  the  god  and  thus  was 
the  outward  sign  of  human  relations  with  divine  powers.  It 
was  also  the  centre  of  the  country's  wealth,  the  equivalent 
of  the  modern  bank.     Its  wealth  was  derived  partly  from  the 


270  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

land  it  owned,  which  was  either  leased  out  or  used  for  cattle- 
breeding,  and  partly  from  dues  of  various  kinds. 

The  Code  of  Hammurabi x  affected  the  whole  realm,  and 
the  laws  therein  applied  to  every  temple,  no  matter  what 
god  or  goddess  happened  to  be  locally  enshrined.  Although 
Marduk  was  worshipped  at  Babylon,  at  Larsa  or  Sippar  it 
was  Shamash,  at  Erech  it  was  Innini  or  Ishtar  the  mother- 
goddess,  in  Ur  it  was  Nannar  the  moon-god,  and  so  on.  Each 
temple  had  a  staff,  varying  with  its  size,  which  in  most  cases 
included  both  male  and  female  hierodouloi  in  its  service. 

The  priestesses  and  temple  women  formed  several  distinct 
classes  which  need  some  detailed  description. 

The  priestesses  were  of  two  kinds,  the  entu  (Nin-An)  and 
the  natitu  (Sal-Me).  Both  classes  were  held  in  respect,  and 
the  entu  (brides  of  the  god)  were  looked  upon  as  the  highest 
class  in  the  land.  It  is  not  clear  if  they  married  mortal 
husbands  or  not,  anyway  no  mention  of  a  father  is  made.  The 
natitu  were  much  more  numerous  and  were  allowed  to  marry, 
but  were  not  expected  to  bear  children,  a  maid  being  supplied 
for  this  purpose.  Both  the  entu  and  the  natitu  were  wealthy 
and  owned  property. 

They  could  either  live  in  the  gagum  (cloister)  adjoining  the 
temple  or  in  their  own  houses.  If  they  chose  the  latter  they 
were  forbidden,  on  pain  of  being  burned  alive,  to  own  or  enter  a 
wine-shop,  so  great  was  the  prestige  the  class  had  to  maintain. 

A  study  of  the  contract-literature  of  the  period  seems  to 
make  it  clear  that  just  as  an  ordinary  well-to-do  citizen  could 
have  a  chief  wife  and  many  inferior  ones  as  well  as  concu- 
bines, so  also  the  god  would  have  his  chief  wife  (entu),  his 
many  inferior  ones  (natitu)  and  his  concubines  (zikru). 

This  latter  class  of  consecrated  women  known  as  zikru 
or  zermashitu  came  immediately  after  the  two  varieties  of 
priestesses  already  mentioned.  They,  too,  were  well-to-do 
and  held  in  respect.  The  zikru  or  "  vowed  "  woman  is  not 
mentioned  in  religious  literature,  nor  is  zermashitu  (seed- 
purifying).  Both  of  these  temple  harlots  could  marry  and 
bear  children.  The  zikru  appears  to  be  slightly  superior  to  the 
zermashitu  owing  to  the  fact  that  in  the  laws  relating  to  the 

1  For  further  details  of  the  Code  see  the  articles  on  Babylonian  law  by 
C.  H.  W.  Johns  in  Ency.  Brit.,  vol.  iii,  p.  115  et  seq.,  and  Ency.  Rel.  Eth., 
vol.  vii,  p.  817  et  seq.  Special  reference  should  be  made  to  J.  Kohler  and 
A.  Ungnad,  Hammurabi  s  Gesetz,  Leipzig,  1909*  and  finally  the  Bibliography  of 
p.  651  of  the  Cambridge  Ancient  History,  vol.  i,  1923. 


APPENDIX  IV -SACRED  PROSTITUTION      271 

inheritance  of  property  it  is  stated  that  if  the  father  of  a  zikru 
died  and  nothing  was  left  her  in  his  will  she  was  to  inherit 
equally  with  her  brothers,  but  if  she  was  a  zermashitu  or  a 
kadishtu  (to  be  discussed  shortly)  she  received  only  one- third 
of  a  brother's  share. 

The  kadishtu,  although  classed  with  the  zermashitu  as 
regards  the  inheriting  of  property,  clearly  occupied  a  sub- 
ordinate position.  Her  name  means  "  sacred  woman  "  and 
is  the  same  as  the  Biblical  kedeshah  (Deut.  xxiii,  18).  There 
is  no  record  of  her  marriage,  and  her  speciality,  outside  her 
temple  duties,  was  suckling  the  children  of  Babylonian  ladies, 
for  which  service  she  received  payment,  together  with  a  clay 
tablet  recording  the  contract.  Several  examples  of  such 
tablets  can  be  seen  in  the  British  Museum.1 

Apart  from  the  various  temple  women  already  mentioned 
there  were  others  who  were  more  especially  connected  with 
the  worship  of  Ishtar.  In  the  time  of  Hammurabi  the  centre 
of  this  cult  was  at  Erech,  although  she  had  a  shrine  in  the 
temple  of  Marduk  in  Babylon,  where,  under  the  name  of 
Sarpanit,  she  appears  in  later  texts  as  the  wife  of  Marduk. 
It  is  undoubtedly  Sarpanit  to  whom  Herodotus  refers  in  his 
well-known  account  of  the  enforced  temporary  prostitution 
of  every  Babylonian  woman  (i,  199). 

In  order  to  understand  the  cult  of  the  great  mother- 
goddess  throughout  Western  Asia  it  is  necessary  to  say  a 
few  words  on  the  origin  of  Ishtar.  Recent  evidence 2  seems 
to  show  that  Ishtar  was  not  of  Semitic  Babylonian  or  even 
of  Sumerian  creation,  but  was  a  primitive  Semitic  divinity 
personifying  the  force  of  nature  which  showed  itself  in  the 
giving  and  taking  of  life.  The  various  functions  of  Sumerian 
local  goddesses  became  by  absorption  merely  fresh  attributes 
of  Ishtar,  the  original  name  sometimes  remaining. 

1  See  D.  G.  Lyon,  "The  Consecrated  Women  of  the  Hammurabi  Code," 
in  Studies  in  the  History  of  Religions,  presented  to  C.  H.  Toy,  New  York,  1912, 
pp.  341-360.  Both  Lyon  and  Johns  (Amer.  Journ.  Sem.  Lang.,  vol.  xix,  1902, 
pp.  96-107)  tried  to  show  that  the  temple  women  were  chaste.  This  view 
has,  however,  been  proved  untenable  by  G.  A.  Barton  (art.  "  Hierodouloi," 
Hastings'  Ency.  Rel.  Etk,  vol.  vi,  p.  672  et  seq.)  and  D.  D.  Luckenbill  ("  The 
Temple  Women  of  the  Code  of  Hammurabi,"  in  Amer.  Journ.  Sem.  Lang., 
vol.  xxxiv,  1917,  pp.  1-12). 

1  am  indebted  to  Mr  R.  Campbell  Thomson  for  drawing  my  attention  to 
the  above  papers,  and  to  his  own  excellent  chapter  on  "  The  Golden  Age  of 
Hammurabi"  in  the  Cambridge  Ancient  History,  vol.  i,  1923,  pp.  494-551, 
which  has  been  of  the  greatest  help  in  this  appendix. 

2  See  note  on  page  270. 


272  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

Thus  we  find  different  cities  sacred  to  different  goddesses 
which  are  all  certain  aspects  of  Ishtar,  the  great  mother- 
goddess.  It  follows,  therefore,  that  the  characteristics  of 
Ishtar  were  numerous,  for  besides  being  connected  with 
creation  of  animal  and  vegetable  life  and  the  goddess  of 
sexual  love,  marriage  and  maternity,  she  was  also  the 
storm  and  war  goddess  and  the  destroyer  of  life.  It  is 
interesting  to  compare  similar  attributes  in  the  male-female 
(Ardha-narisvara)  form  of  Siva,  who  was  both  a  creator  and 
a  destroyer. 

In  Erech  Ishtar  was  known  as  Innini,  Innanna  or  Nana, 
and  as  many  hymns  originally  addressed  to  Innini  are  appro- 
priated by  Ishtar,  she  bears,  among  others,  the  titles  of 
"  Queen  of  Eanna,"  "  Queen  of  the  land  of  Erech."  1  Her 
cult  extended  to  all  cities  of  importance  in  Babylonia  and 
Assyria,  and  it  is  in  her  capacity  as  goddess  of  sexual  love 
that  she  concerns  us  here. 

Her  character  is  clearly  represented  in  numerous  hymns, 
where  she  is  described  as  "the  languid-eyed,"  "goddess  of 
desire,"  "  goddess  of  sighing,"  and  refers  to  herself  as  "  a  loving 
courtesan  "  and  "  temple-harlot."  In  one  hymn  she  says  : 
"  I  turn  the  male  to  the  female,  I  turn  the  female  to  the  male, 
I  am  she  who  adorneth  the  male  for  the  female,  I  am  she  who 
adorneth  the  female  for  the  male."  2  In  art  she  is  depicted 
as  naked  with  her  sexual  features  emphasised,  or  as  lifting 
her  robe  to  disclose  her  charms.3  Several  statues  represent 
her  as  offering  her  breasts ;  some  have  been  found  outside 
Babylonia — e.g.  in  Northern  Syria  and  Carchemish.4 

The  names  given  to  the  licentious  ministrants  at  the  Ishtar 
temple  at  Erech  were  kizreti  (harlot),  shamkhdti  (joy-maiden), 
and  kharimdti  (devoted  one).  If  they  differed  from  the 
zermashitu  and  kadishtu  it  is  impossible  to  say  exactly  what 
the  difference  was.  They  are  thus  described  in  the  Legend 
of  Girra : 

"  Of  Erech,  home  of  Anu  and  of  Ishtar, 
The  town  of  harlots,  strumpets  and  hetaerae, 
Whose  (hire)  men  pay  Ishtar,  and  they  yield  their  hand." 

1  Proc.  Soc.  Bibl.  Arch.,  vol.  xxxi,  p.  60. 

2  Op.  cit.}  vol.  xxxi,  pp.  22,  34. 

3  W.  H.  Ward,  The  Seal  Cylinders  of  Western  Asia,  Washington,  1910, 
pp.  161  tt  seq.,  296,  380,  387. 

4  D.  G.  Hogarth,  Liverpool  Ann.  Arch.,  ii,  1909,  p.  170,  fig.  1. 


APPENDIX  IV -SACRED  PROSTITUTION      273 

We  will  now  pass  on  to  the  Epic  of  Gilgamesh,  where 
further  data  can  be  obtained. 

2.  The  Epic  of  Gilgamesh  is  one  of  the  most  important 
literary  products  of  Babylonia,  and  sheds  considerable  light 
on  the  cult  of  Ishtar.  It  consists  of  a  number  of  myths  of 
different  ages — some  dating  back  to  2000  b.c.  or  even  earlier 
— which  have  all  been  gathered  round  the  name  of  Gilgamesh, 
an  early  Sumerian  ruler  of  about  4500  b.c. 

The  Epic  is  known  to  us  chiefly  from  a  collection  of  twelve 
sets  of  fragments  found  in  the  library  of  Assur-bani-pal,  King 
of  Assyria  (668-626  B.C.).  In  the  first  tablet  the  goddess 
Aruru  creates  a  kind  of  "  wild  man  of  the  woods,"  by  name 
Engidu,1  to  act  as  a  rival  to  Gilgamesh,  whose  power  and 
tyranny  had  begun  to  be  a  burden  to  the  people.  In  order 
to  get  Engidu  away  from  his  desert  home  and  his  beasts,  a 
shamkhdt  from  Ishtar 's  temple  is  taken  to  him.  "  This  woman, 
when  they  approached  Engidu,  opened  wide  her  garments, 
exposing  her  charms,  yielded  herself  to  his  embrace,  and  for 
six  days  and  seven  nights  gratified  his  desire,  until  he  was 
won  from  his  wild  life."  2  In  the  second  tablet  the  harlot 
takes  him  back  to  Erech,  where  she  clothes  and  generally 
looks  after  him. 

He  finally  meets  Gilgamesh,  and  the  next  three  tablets 
relate  their  friendship,  quarrels  and  adventures.  The  sixth 
tablet  is  especially  interesting,  for  here  we  get  a  reference  to 
the  Ishtar- Tammuz  myth  which  is  so  inseparable  from  the 
great  mother-goddess. 

After  overcoming  an  enemy  named  Khumbaba  the  two 
friends  returned  to  Erech  in  triumph.  Ishtar  asks  Gilgamesh 
to  be  her  husband  and  promises  him  all  manner  of  riches  and 
power.  He  refuses,  reminding  her  of  the  numerous  lovers  she 
has  had  in  the  past  and  what  ill  luck  befell  them.  In  particular 
he  refers  to  Tammuz,  the  lover  of  her  youth,  whose  death  she 
bewails  every  year.  This  is,  of  course,  the  youthful  solar  God 
of  the  Springtime,  who  was  wooed  by  the  Goddess  of  Fertility, 
Ishtar.  Each  year  that  Tammuz  died  Ishtar  went  to  Hades 
(Sheol)  in  search  of  him.  The  myth  has  been  detailed  by  many 
scholars  and  does  not  in  itself  concern  us  here.3 

1  Engidu  is  now  considered  a  more  correct  reading  than  Eabani. 

2  Schrader,  Keilinschriftliche  Bibliothek,  1878,  vol.  vi,  p.  127. 

3  See  Frazer's  Golden  Bough,  Attis,  Adonis  and  Osiris,  and  the  numerous 
articles  in  Hastings'  Ency.  Rel.  Eth.,  under  such  headings  as  "  Babylonians  and 
Assyrians,"  "  Heroes  and  Hero  Gods,"  "Tammuz,"  "Ishtar,"  etc. 

s 


274  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

The  effects  of  Ishtar's  descent  to  Sheol  in  search  of 
her  youthful  lover  have,  however,  direct  bearing  upon  our 
inquiry. 

As  soon  as  Ishtar  had  gone  on  her  annual  journey  to  the 
underworld,  copulation  in  men  and  animals  ceased.  Conse- 
quently some  remedy  had  to  be  sought  in  order  to  circumvent 
such  a  disastrous  state  of  affairs.  Thus  arose  the  necessity  for 
women  to  play  her  part  as  goddess  of  sexual  love  and  fertility ; 
and  to  fill  this  office  the  "  sacred  prostitute  "  was  created. 

This  applies  only  to  the  Ishtar  cult  and  not  to  those  cases 
where  priestesses  were  found  in  temples  dedicated  to  other 
deities. 

We  have  seen  that  in  the  case  of  Marduk  the  god  was 
credited  with  all  human  attributes  and  passions. 

To  return  to  Gilgamesh,  we  find  Ishtar  very  wroth  at 
having  her  offers  of  love  refused.  She  sent  a  bull  to  kill  him, 
but  he  destroyed  it.  Thereupon  Ishtar  gathered  together  all 
her  temple  women  and  harlots,  and  made  great  outcry  and 
lamentation.1 

The  remaining  tablets,  containing,  among  other  incidents, 
the  story  of  the  Deluge,  do  not  concern  us. 

We  have  seen  that  at  this  early  period  sacred  prostitution 
was  fully  established  and  entered  into  the  literature  and 
mythology  of  the  country.  Under  the  male  deity  the  temple 
harlot  plays  the  part  of  concubine,  while  under  the  female 
deity  she  was  a  kind  of  "  understudy,"  always  ready  to  sym- 
bolise by  her  action  the  purpose  of  the  great  mother-goddess. 

Without  going  farther  into  the  cult  of  Ishtar  it  will  serve 
our  purpose  better  to  move  slowly  westwards,  noting  the 
spread  of  the  worship  of  a  goddess  of  love  and  fertility  which 
clearly  resembled  that  of  Ishtar.  We  must  not  necessarily 
conclude  that  whenever  we  find  a  mother-goddess  it  is  merely 
Ishtar  transplanted  to  new  soil  and  given  a  new  name.  It 
seems  to  be  more  probable,  anyhow  in  several  cases,  that 
local  female  deities  acquired  fresh  attributes  from  Ishtar 
which  occasionally  became  the  most  prominent  features  of 
the  cult. 

1  Schrader,  Keilins.  Biblio.,  vol.  vi,  p.  86  et  seq. 


APPENDIX  IV -SACRED  PROSTITUTION      275 

Syria,  Phoenicia,  Canaan,  etc. 

In  Syria  the  great  mother-goddess  was  known  by  the 
name  of  Attar  or  Athar,  while  at  the  sacred  city  of  Hierapolis 
(the  modern  Membij)  in  the  Lebanon  she  was  called  Atar- 
gatis,  a  word  compounded  out  of  'Atar  and  'Ate,  two  well- 
known  Syrian  deities.  The  full  etymology  of  these  names  has 
been  discussed  by  L.  B.  Paton,1  who  gives  a  large  number  of 
useful  references. 

Our  information  on  the  worship  at  Hierapolis  is  mainly 
derived  from  Lucian's  De  Dea  Syria,  which  is  considered 
one  of  his  earliest  works,  probably  written  about  a.d.  150. 
Recent  researches  in  Asia  Minor  and  Northern  Syria,  largely 
numismatic,  show  that  at  the  height  of  the  Hittite  domina- 
tion in  the  fourteenth  century  B.C.  the  chief  religious  cult 
was  very  similar  to  that  described  by  Lucian.  There  were, 
however,  certain  differences.  The  Hittites  worshipped  a 
mated  pair,  a  bull  god  and  a  lion  goddess,  while  in  later 
days  it  was  the  mother- goddess  who  became  prominent, 
representing  fertility,  and  (in  Phoenicia)  the  goddess  who 
presided  over  human  birth.  Religion  in  the  East  adapted 
itself  to  changing  conditions  and  the  immediate  needs  of 
the  community. 

Thus  in  Syria  the  climate  and  temperament  of  the  people 
tended  to  develop  the  sensuous  aspect  of  the  goddess.  As  the 
cult  became  more  popular,  the  rites  and  festivals  became  more 
orgiastic  in  character.  The  phallic  nature  of  some  of  the  rites 
at  Hierapolis  is  described  by  Lucian  (28),  where  he  speaks  of 
two  huge  phalli,  thirty  fathoms  high,  which  stood  at  the  door 
of  the  temple.  Twice  every  year  a  man  (probably  one  of  the 
castrated  Galli)  climbed  to  the  summit  from  the  inside,  where 
he  was  supposed  to  hold  converse  with  the  gods  to  ensure  the 
prosperity  and  fertility  of  the  land. 

Speaking  of  the  temple  at  Byblos,  Lucian  states  that  after 
the  termination  of  the  mourning  for  the  loss  of  Adonis  (cf.  the 
Tammuz  myth)  the  men  shave  their  heads  and  the  women 
who  refuse  to  submit  to  a  similar  treatment  have  to  prosti- 
tute themselves  for  a  whole  day  in  the  temple.  The  proceeds 
of  their  hire  paid  for  a  sacrifice  to  the  mother-goddess.  The 
fact  that  the  women  were  only  allowed  to  be  hired  by  strangers 
forms  a  curious  relic  of  the  system  of  exogamy. 

1  Hastings'  Ency.  Bel.  Eth.,  vol.  ii,  p.  164  et  seq.,  art.  "  Atargatis." 


276  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

Evidence  seems  to  make  it  practically  certain  that  there 
was  a  permanent,  besides  a  temporary,  system  of  religious 
prostitution  at  the  temples,  and  Eusebius  tells  us  that 
matrons  as  well  as  maids  served  the  goddess  in  this  manner. 
Lucian  shows  that  the  system  of  enforced  temporary  prosti- 
tution had  been  modified,  and  that  a  modest  woman  might 
substitute  a  portion  of  her  hair  instead  of  her  person.  This 
fact  is  interesting  as  showing  the  belief  in  the  hair  possessing 
a  large  and  important  percentage  of  the  owner's  personality. 
Readers  will  remember  the  care  with  which  the  savage 
hides  or  destroys  his  hair,  nail-clippings,  etc.,  lest  an  enemy 
get  possession  of  them  and  work  him  harm  through  their 
means. 

By  this  passage  in  Lucian  we  see  that  at  Byblos  (Gebal) 
the  sacrifice  of  chastity  was  looked  upon  as  the  most  personal, 
and  therefore  most  important,  offering  a  woman  could  make. 
If  she  did  not  give  this,  then  the  next  best  thing — her  hair — 
would  be  accepted.  No  such  substitution,  however,  appears 
to  have  been  allowed  in  former  days — i.e.  before  Lucian's 
time. 

The  name  given  to  the  great  mother-goddess  in  Phoenicia, 
Canaan,  Paphos,  Cyprus,  etc.,  was  Ashtart,  Ashtoreth  or 
Astarte.  Her  attributes  closely  resemble  those  of  Ishtar,  for 
we  find  her  represented  as  a  goddess  of  sexual  love,  maternity, 
fertility  and  war.  Both  the  Greeks  and  Phoenicians  identified 
her  with  Aphrodite,  thus  showing  evidence  of  her  sexual 
character.  As  is  only  natural,  the  Phoenicians  carried  this 
worship  into  their  colonies,  and  so  we  read  in  Herodotus 
(i,  199),  Clement  of  Alexandria  (Protrept,  ii),  Justin  (xviii, 
5,  4)  and  Athenaeus  (xii,  2)  of  sacred  prostitution  closely  re- 
sembling that  in  Syria.  Special  mention  is  made  of  male 
prostitutes  at  the  temple  of  Kition  in  Cyprus.  They  are  the 
same  as  the  kddhesh  of  Deut.  xxiii,  18,  19. 

Phoenician  inscriptions  give  evidence  of  a  temple  of  Ash- 
tart at  Eryx  in  Sicily,  while  along  the  coast  of  North  Africa 
the  Semitic  mother-goddess  became  very  popular  under  the 
names  of  Ashtart  and  Tanith. 

St  Augustine  (De  Civ.  Dei,  ii,  4)  gives  some  account  of 
the  worship  which,  when  stripped  of  its  oratorical  vagueness, 
points  to  a  system  of  temporary  hierodoiiloi,  very  similar  to 
that  described  by  Lucian. 

In  Arabia  the  mother-goddess  was  Al-Lat  or  Al-'Uzza, 
whose  worship  was  accompanied  by  the  temporary  practice 


APPENDIX  IV  -SACRED  PROSTITUTION      277 

of  sacred  prostitution.  It  would  be  superfluous  to  magnify 
examples. 

We  have  seen  that  the  practice  spread  all  over  Western 
Asia  and  into  Europe  and  Africa.  Egypt  we  have  not 
discussed,  but  the  numerous  references  given  by  G.  A.  Barton 
in  his  article,  "  Hierodouloi,"  in  Hastings'  Ency.  Rel.  Eth.9 
vol.  vi,  pp.  675-676,  show  that  the  system  can  be  clearly 
traced,  especially  at  Thebes. 

To  sum  up  our  evidence  from  Western  Asia,  there  ap- 
pear to  be  several  reasons  to  which  the  institution  of  sacred 
prostitution  owes  its  origin : 

1.  The  male  deity  needed  concubines  like  any  mortal, 
thus  women  imitated  at  the  temples  their  divine  duties. 

2.  The  female  deity,  being  a  goddess  of  fertility,  had 
under  her  special  care  the  fruitfulness  of  vegetation  as  well 
as  of  the  animal  world.  Thus  she  endeavours  to  hasten  on 
the  return  of  spring.  It  is  only  natural  that  at  her  temples 
women  should  assist  in  this  great  work  of  procreation,  chiefly 
by  imitating  the  functions  necessary  to  procreate.  When  the 
goddess  was  absent  in  search  of  spring,  the  whole  duties  of 
the  cult  would  fall  on  her  mortal  votaries. 

3.  Sacrifices  of  as  important  and  personal  nature  as  pos- 
sible would  be  acceptable  to  such  a  goddess,  and  the  hopes 
of  prosperity  in  the  land  would  be  increased. 

When  human  passions  enter  so  largely  into  a  ritual,  and 
when  the  worshippers  and  ministrants  of  the  goddess  are  of 
an  excitable  and  highly  temperamental  nature,  and  finally 
when  one  takes  into  account  such  factors  as  climate  and 
environment,  it  is  not  surprising  that  at  times  the  religious 
side  of  the  ritual  would  play  but  a  minor  part.  This  happened 
in  India  and  also  in  Western  Asia,  and  evidence  shows  the 
same  thing  to  have  occurred  both  in  ancient  Central  America 
and  Western  Africa. 


West  Africa 

Before  comparing  the  above  with  our  Indian  data,  refer- 
ence might  suitably  be  made  to  the  sacred  men  and  women 
in  West  Africa. 

Among  the  Ewe- speaking  peoples  of  the  Slave  Coast  and 
the  Tshi-speaking  peoples  of  the  Gold  Coast  is  to  be  found 


278  THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 

a  system  of  sacred  prostitution  very  similar  to  that  which 
we  have  already  considered.  The  subject  was  mentioned  by 
Burton l  and  has  since  been  fully  discussed  by  Ellis,2  and  as 
Frazer  has  quoted  so  largely  from  him,3  it  will  not  be  necessary 
to  give  any  detailed  description  here. 

Two  quotations  will  be  sufficient : 

"  Young  people  of  either  sex,  dedicated  or  affiliated  to  a 
god,  are  termed  kosio,  from  kono,  '  unfruitful,'  because  a  child 
dedicated  to  a  god  passes  into  his  service  and  is  practically 
lost  to  his  parents,  and  si,  •  to  run  away.'  As  the  females 
become  the  6  wives  '  of  the  god  to  whom  they  are  dedicated, 
the  termination  si  in  vodu-si  has  been  translated  '  wife  '  by 
some  Europeans  ;  but  it  is  never  used  in  the  general  accepta- 
tion of  that  term,  being  entirely  restricted  to  persons  conse- 
crated to  the  gods.  The  chief  business  of  the  female  kosi  is 
prostitution,  and  in  every  town  there  is  at  least  one  institu- 
tion in  which  the  best-looking  girls,  between  ten  and  twelve 
years  of  age,  are  received.  Here  they  remain  for  three  years, 
learning  the  chants  and  dances  peculiar  to  the  worship  of  the 
gods,  and  prostituting  themselves  to  the  priests  and  inmates 
of  the  male  seminaries ;  and  at  the  termination  of  their 
novitiate  they  become  public  prostitutes.  This  condition, 
however,  is  not  regarded  as  one  for  reproach ;  they  are 
considered  to  be  married  to  the  god,  and  their  excesses 
are  supposed  to  be  caused  and  directed  by  him.  Properly 
speaking,  their  libertinage  should  be  confined  to  the  male 
worshippers  at  the  temple  of  the  god,  but  practically  it  is 
indiscriminate.  Children  who  are  born  from  such  unions 
belong  to  the  god." 

Just  as  in  India,  these  women  are  not  allowed  to 
marry  a  mortal  husband.  On  page  148  of  the  same  work 
Ellis  says  : 

"  The  female  kosio  of  Daiih-gbi,  or  Danh-sio,  that  is,  the 
wives,  priestesses,  and  temple  prostitutes  of  Danh-gbi,  the 
python-god,  have  their  own  organisation.  Generally  they 
live  together  in  a  group  of  houses  or  huts  inclosed  by  a 
fence,  and  in  these  inclosures  the  novices  undergo  their  three 
years  of  initiation.     Most  new  members  are  obtained  by  the 

1  A  Mission  to  Gelele,  vol.  ii,  p.  155. 

2  A.  B.  Ellis,  The  Ewe-speaking  Peoples  of  the  Slave  Coast  of  West  Africa, 
London,  1890,  p.  140  et  seq. ;  and  The  Tshi-speaking  Peoples  of  the  Gold  Coast 
of  West  Africa,  London,  1887,  pp.  120-138. 

3  Golden  Bough,  Attis,  Adonis  and  Osiris,  vol.  i,  pp.  65-70. 


APPENDIX  IV— SACRED  PROSTITUTION      279 

affiliation  of  young  girls ;  but  any  woman  whatever,  married 
or  single,  slave  or  free,  by  publicly  simulating  possession,  and 
uttering  the  conventional  cries  recognised  as  indicative  of 
possession  by  the  god,  can  at  once  join  the  body,  and  be 
admitted  to  the  habitations  of  the  order.  The  person  of  a 
woman  who  was  joined  in  this  manner  is  inviolable,  and  dur- 
ing the  period  of  her  novitiate  she  is  forbidden,  if  single,  to 
enter  the  house  of  her  parents,  and,  if  married,  that  of  her 
husband.  This  inviolability,  while  it  gives  women  oppor- 
tunities of  gratifying  an  illicit  passion,  at  the  same  time  serves 
occasionally  to  save  the  persecuted  slave,  or  neglected  wife, 
from  the  ill  treatment  of  the  lord  and  master ;  for  she  has 
only  to  go  through  the  conventional  form  of  possession  and 
an  asylum  is  assured." 

The  reader  will,  I  think,  notice  a  closer  relationship  to  the 
customs  of  West  Africa  in  India  than  in  Western  Asia,  but 
we  must  remember  that  we  have  much  more  evidence  on 
such  customs  in  India  and  Africa  than  in  Babylonia,  Syria 
and  Phoenicia.  In  Western  Asia  we  have  no  account  of  the 
initiation  and  duties  taught  to  the  new  votary,  so  we  cannot 
make  sufficiently  close  comparisons. 

There  are  undoubtedly  instances  of  the  past  existence  of 
somewhat  similar  institutions  to  those  we  have  been  consider- 
ing in  other  parts  of  the  world — such  as  Peru,  Mexico,  Borneo, 
Japan,  etc.  The  evidence  has  been  collected,  and  references 
given,  by  John  Main  in  "  his  "  Religious  Chastity,  New  York, 
1913,  pp.  136-181. 

Now  that  we  have  considered  our  subject  in  countries 
other  than  India  we  feel  in  a  better  position  to  theorise  as  to 
the  origin  of  the  institution  of  the  deva-ddsi. 

The  basis  on  which  all  such  systems  rest  seems  to  be  the 
natural  desire  to  ensure  fertility  in  both  the  animal  and 
vegetable  kingdoms.  Environment,  changing  sentiment, 
temperament  and  religious  feeling  account  for  the  particular 
channel  into  which  such  a  system,  touching  the  human 
passions  so  closely,  has  run. 

Different  conditions  may  produce  quite  different  schools 
of  thought  in  exactly  the  same  place.  Old  customs  may  be 
followed  by  modern  people  with  little  idea  of  why  they 
follow  them. 

In  India  the  system  of  caste,  the  status  of  women,  suttee, 
srdddha  and   numerous   other   customs    already   mentioned 


280 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


in  the  Ocean  of  Story  have  all  left  their  mark  on  such  an 
institution  as  that  of  the  deva-ddsi. 

More  than  this  it  is  impossible  to  say.  Much  research  still 
remains  to  be  done  on  this  highly  important  anthropological 
problem. 


INDEX  I 

SANSKRIT  WORDS  AND  PROPER  NAMES 


The  n  stands  for  "  note  "  and  the  index  number  refers  to  the  number  of  the  note.  If  there 
is  no  index  number  to  the  n  it  means  that  either  there  is  only  one  note  on  the  page 
or  else  it  refers  to  a  note  carried  over  from  a  previous  page. 


Lbhimanyu,  95 
*Abdu-r    Razzaq,   in   Elliot's 

History  of  India,  248ft1 ;  de- 
scription  of  dancing-girls 

by,  248-249  _ 
Abu-1-Fazl,      A'in  -  i  -  Akbarl, 

Blochmann     and    Jarrett, 

Bihlio.  Indica,  237ft1 
Achilles,  story  of,  129 
Adam     of     Cobsam,     "The 

Wright's     Chaste     Wife," 

English      Text      Society, 

Furnival,  44 
Ad-Damiri's    Hay  at    al- 

Hayawan  (zoological   lexi- 
con), trans,  by  A.  Jayakar, 

103 
Aditi,  199 
Aditya,  199 

Adityavarman,  King,  51,  52 
Adonis,  mourning  for  the  loss 

of,  275 
Mpyornis  maximus,  discovery 

of  the  fossil,  104,  105 
.Esop,    Fables,    20ft,     101ft1, 

169 
Africa,  sacred  prostitution  in, 

276,  277-279 
Africa,  use  of  kohl  in,  217 
Agni,  God  of  Fire  and  Light, 

200 
Agnidatta,  wife  of  Govinda- 

datta,  78 
Agnisikha  (or  Somadatta),  11 
Agra,  231 
'Agwah    (compressed    dates, 

butter  and  honey),  14ft 
Ahatya  (having  killed),  126ft1 
Ahmad  Shah,  sack  of  Mathura 

by,  231 
Ahura,    Persian     "lord"    or 

"god,"  198,  199 
Ahuri,     wife     of     Nenofer- 

kephtah,  37ft2 
Ahuro  Mazdao,  the  Persian, 

199 
Aindra  Grammar,  32,  32ft1 

281 


A'in-i-Akbari,         Abu-i-Fazl, 

Blockmann    and     Jarrett, 

237ft1 
Airavana,  126 
Aiyar,  K.  V.  S.,  155ft1 
Aiyer,  N.  S.,  261 
Ajanta  cave  paintings,  211 
Ajib  (story  of  Gharib),  14ft 
Akarshika  (city  named),  22 
Akbar  (1556-1605),  237  ;  rules 

for    dancing  -  girls    in   the 

time  of,  265 
Al-Islam,  124ft 
Aladdin's   lamp    (resembling 

magic  watch  of  Bohemian 

tale),  101ft1 
Alakesa     Katha,    the     Tamil 

(snake  story),  101ft1 
Alambusha,   Apsaras  named, 

96 
Alankaraprabha,  Queen,  227 
Alankaravati  (Book  IX),  2 
Alberich  (King),  dwarf  of  old 

German  legends,  27 
Alexander  and  the  gigantic 

bird,  103 
Alfonso   I,  King  of  Aragon, 

169 
Algiers  and  Cairo,  courtesan 

streets  in,  250 
Allah,  1ft1,  28,  192 
Allah  shows  himself  to  Moses 

on  Sinai,  217 
Allahabad,  7w*,  42,  240 
Al-lat,     mother -goddess    in 

Arabia,  276 
Al-'Uzza,  mother-goddess  in 

Arabia,  276 
Amadis  de  Gaula,  165 
Amaravati,    the   city   of  the 

gods,  125,  125ft1 
Amarsha,  106/*1 
Ambalapuzha,  261 
Amisham,  106ft1 
Amrita  (nectar),  3w2,  55ft1 
Amru,      Persian      name     for 

Garuda  bird,  103 


A-nan    or    dancing  -  girls    in 
_  Cambodia,  241 
Ananda    (joy    or    happiness), 

241,  241^2 
Anan ga  -  llanga,      K  a  1  y  a  n  a 

Malla,  236,  236ft3 
Ananta  (endless,  or  infinite), 

name    of    the     thousand- 
headed     serpent      Sesha, 

109ft2 
Ananta,  serpent,  109,  109ft2 
"Anaryan"    (F.  F.    Arbuth- 

not),  236ft1 
Anas  Casarca,  Brahmany  duck 

or  Chakravaka,  115ft1 
Anatha  (Sanskrit  pun),  12ft4 
Andaman  Islands,  154ft1 
Andhaka      (King      of     the 

A  suras),  3 
Andhra  Dynasty,  coins  of  the, 

64ft2 
Andhra  Dynasty,  Sri  Pullman 

of  the,  60ft1 
Angaraka,    the    Asura,    125, 

126,  127 
AngaravatI,  daughter  of  the 

Asura  Angaraka,  125,  126, 

127 
Angiya  (the  assumption  of  the 

bodice),  rite  of,  240 
Anjana  or  collyrium,  211,  212  ; 

boxes  for,  212  ;  purification 

of,  212  ;  recipes  for  making, 

211-212 
'Anka,  Garuda  bird    (Islam), 

103 
Anna,  the  princess,  82/i1 
'Anqa  (long-necked),  Arabian 

name  for  Garuda  bird,  103 
'Anqa  (Garuda  bird),  105 
An-si-tsio    or    Parthian   bird, 

104 
Anu,  272 
Anubis,  145ft1 
Anya-deha-pravcsako  yogah,  or 

wandering  soul,  37w2,  38ft 
Apamaraga  ceremony,  262 


282 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


Aphrodite,  Ashtart  identified 

with,  276 
Apollonius,     Historia     Mira- 

bilium,  39ft2 
Apsaras    named    Alambusha, 

96  ;  named  Tilottama,  96 
Apsarases,    servants    of   the 

gods,  197,  200-202 
Arabia,    sacred    prostitution 

in,  268;    Hanifa  tribe   of, 

14:71 

Arabic  Hdtif  (bodiless  voice), 
16ft1 

Arabic  kasab  (prostitution), 
243 

Arabic  mother-goddess,  276 

Aramacobha  and  the  grate- 
ful snake,  Tawney,  Kathd- 
koca,  101m1 

Arbman,  E.,  Rudra,  206 

Arbuthnot,  F.  F.,  and  R.  F. 
Burton,  Kama  Shastra 
Society,  234ft2 

Arbuthnot,  F.  F.,  Early  Ideas: 
A  Group  of  Hindoo  Stories, 
236,  236ft1 

Ardha-narisvara  (Siva)  half- 
male  and  half- female, 
146w2,  272 

Ardhdvistayd  gird,  185ft2 

Ariosto,  165 

Arjuna,  combat  with  Siva  of, 
95,  95*1 

Ars  amoiis  indica,  236,  259 

Arsha  form  of  marriage,  87 

Arthasdstra,  Kautilya's,  a 
work  on  Hindu  polity,  233, 
233ft1,  265 

Arthur's  sword,  Excalibar, 
109ft1 

Aruru,  the  goddess,  273 

Aryans,  198,  206 

Asana  wood,  212 

Asbjornsen,  Norwegian 
stories,  25,  132 

Asclepias  acida  {soma),  12ft1 

Ashadhaka,  an  elephant- 
driver,  150,  151 

Ashir,  national  god  of  As- 
syria, 198 

Ashtakshara  hymn,  264 

Ashtapada  mountain,  holy 
place  on  the,  226 

Ashtart  (Ishtar),  276 

Ashtoreth  (Ishtar),  276 

Ashur,  national  god  of  As- 
syria, 198 

Asia  Minor,  198 

Asmantaka  wood  (used  in 
anjana),  212 

Asoka  trees,  222 


Assur,  national  god  of  As- 
syria, 198 

Assur-bani-pal,  King  of  As- 
syria, 273 

Assyria,  Assur,  Ashir  or 
Ashur  god  in,  198;  Assur- 
bani-pal,  King  of,  273 

Assyrians,  215 

Astarte  (Ishtar),  276 

Asti  (thus  it  is),  4/a1 

Astralagus  plant,  214 

Asu  (spirit  or  life-breath),  198 

Asura  Angaraka,  125-127 

Asura,  daughter  of  the,  125- 
127 

Asura,  derivation  of  the 
word,  197-199 

Asura  maid,  the,  108-110 

Asura  marriage  (by  capture), 
87,  200 

Asura  Maya,  sons  of  the,  22 

Asura,  Mesopotamia  the  pos- 
sible home  of  the  term,  198 

Asuras  and  gods,  war  between 
the,  95 

Asuras  (usually  enemies  of 
the  gods),  3,  3ft2,  95,  197- 
_200 

Asvaldyana  Sratda  Sutra,  the, 
205 

Asvdsya,  40ft2 

Aswin  (October),  245,  245ft1 

Atargatis  (Ishtar),  274 

Atavl  (forest),  141ft1 

Atef,  the  Scribe,  216 

Athar  or  Attar  (Ishtar),  275 

Atharva-V  eda,  the,  56«,  199, 
204 

Athenseus,  15ft,  190,  276 

Ativinita,  In1 

Attar  or  Athar  (Ishtar),  275 

Atumpdtram  (a  ddsi  in  active 
service),  262 

Aurangzeb,the  Mohammedan 
Puritan,  231,  238,  250,  265 

Auvergne,  "female"  cakes 
made  at  Clermont  in,  15w 

Avadana  Bodhisattva,  20ft2 

Avaddnas,  trans,  by  Stanislas 
Julien,  26 

Avanti,  107,  119 

A  vesta,  Zoroaster,  199 

Avichi,  hell  called,  161 

Avinita,  7ft1 

Avispastayd  (with  his  inarticu- 
late voice),  185ft2 

Ayodhya,  37,  96,  97 

Ayyangar,  S.  K.,  Sources  of 
Vijayanagar  History,  250ft1 

"Aziz  and  Azlzah,"  story  of 
(Nights),  80ft1 


. 


Babu  Umesa  Chandra  Gupt 

163ft 
Babylon,  24ft1,  269,  270,  271 
Babylonia,  269-274 
"Babylonian  Law,"  C.  H.  W 

Johns,  Ency.  Brit.,  269ft1 
Babylonians,  215 
Badarika,    hermitage  of,  58 

79 
Bahdr-i-Ddnish,  25,  43,  162ft1 
Bahusalin,  friend  of  Sridatta 

107,  111-114,  119 
Bahusuvarnaka,  78 
Bairagi  community,  243 
Bait  Ullah,  192 
Bakakachchha,    province 

66,  72 
Bakula  trees,  222 
Bala  (child),  185 
Balakhilyas,    divine    person 

ages  the  size  of  a  thumb 

144,  144ft2 
Balapandita,  46ft2 
Balavinashtaka     (young    de 

formed),'  185 
Bali,    King   of   the    Daityas 

108,  108ft2 

Bali   (daily   offering   to   ani- 
mals), 21,  21ft1 
Balibhuj  (crow),  21ft1 
Ball,  V.,  trans,  of  Travels  oj 

Tavernier,  241ft3 
Bandello,  Novelle,  44,  162ft1 

166 
Bandhula,  225,  226 
Bandhumati,  wife  of  the  King 

of  Vatsa,  187-188 
Barahat  (Barhut),  42 
Barbazan-Meon,   Fabliaux   ei 

Contes   des  Pontes  Franqou 

des  XIe-XVe  siecles,  44 
Barhut  (Bharahut),  42 
Barnes,      T.,      "Trees     and 

Plants,"     Hastings'    Ency. 

Rel  Eth.,  144ft1 
Bart,      A.,      "An      Ancient 

Manual      of     Sorcery," 

Melusine,  12ft1 
Barton,      G.      A.,      "Hiero- 

douloi,"     Hastings'    Ency. 

Rel.  Eth.,  271ft1,  277 
Bartsch,  Sagen,  Marchen  und 

gebr'duche    aus    Meklenburg, 

129 
Bar  yuchre  (fabulous  bird  of 

the    Rabbinical    legends), 

104 
Basant  Panchmi,  festival  of, 

244 
Basile,  Pentamerone,  20w,  2 

44,  46ft2,  77ft1,  97n2,  168 


. 


INDEX  I -SANSKRIT  WORDS,  ETC. 


283 


asivis    (dancing-girls),    255- 

267,  267 
Bathana      or      Paithana      of 

Ptolemy       (Pratishthana), 

60ft1 
Bath  kol  (bodiless  voice),  16W1 
Bayadere  (Portuguese  bailar, 

to  dance),  253,  253ft1 
Beal,  S.,  in  Indian  Antiquary, 

190 
Beauchanip,  H.  K.,  editor  of 

Dubois'     Hindu     Manners, 

Customs     and      Ceremonies, 

250,  250ft3 
Beda,  caste  of,  258,  258ft1 
Bediyas      and      nats,      gipsy 

tribes,  240 
Beet,   Crawley,  and  Canney, 

"  Oath,"    Hastings'    Ency. 

Bel  Eth.,  57ft1 
Bellary   district    of   Madras, 

213,  255 
Benares,  20,  240 
Benfey,    translator     of    the 

Panchatantra,     S7n2,     39ft2, 

46ft2, 51ft1,  54*1, 84ft2, 145ft1, 

157ft2,  188ft2,  189ft 
Bengal,  75ft1,  243 
Benu,    the     symbol    of    the 

rising  sun,  103,  104 
Berbera   (Pi-p'a-lo),  "camel- 
crane  "  of,  104 
Bernier  (1660),  250 
Bes,  the  god,  216 
Bhadda  -  Sala  -  Jataka     (Cam- 
bridge edition),  225 
Bhadrakali,    a    minor    deity, 

262 
BhadravatI,  elephant  called, 

150-152 
Bhadrinath  (Badarl),  59ft1 
Bhagavata  Purana,  5ft1 
Bhandarkar,  "The  Aryans  in 

the  Land  of  the  Assurs," 

Journ.  Bom.  Br.  Roy.  Asiatic 

Soc.,  198 
Bharadvaja,  hermit,  75 
Bhavananda,  11 
Bhavani  (Parvatl),  mother  of 

the  three  worlds,  2 
Bhavanika,  113,  114 
Bhavins    (dancing-girls),  245, 

246 
Bheda     (sowing    dissension), 

123ft2 
Bheels,  King  of  the,  152 
Bhillas,  152ft1 
Bhima  the  impetuous,  107 
Bhishagratna,   translation   of 

the   Susruta   Samhita,    211- 

212 


Bhogavarman,  52,  53 
Bhogavati,  city  called,  203 
Bhojika,  a  Brahman  named, 

19 
Bholanath  Chandra,   Travels, 

238ft1 
Bhuta,    demons     hostile    to 

mankind,  197,  206 
Bhutivarman,         Rakshasa 

named,  76,  77,  78 
Bianconi,    Prof.    G.    G.,    of 

Bologna,  104,  105 
Bimba  (an  Indian  fruit),  31, 

31ft2 
Bimbaki,  King,  112, 113,  119 
Bimbisara,  King,  223 
Bingen,    St     Hildegard    of, 

Subtleties,  110ft1 
Birdwood,  Sir  George,  192 
Birlinger,  A  us  Schwaben,  103 
Birmingham,  250 
Blochmann  and  Jarrett ,  A  'in-i- 

Akbarl,  by  Abu-1-Fazl,  237ft1 
Bloomfield,  Prof.,  46ft2,  47ft, 

118ft2,  121ft2,  221,  222,  224, 

225,   228;   Encyclopedia  oj 

Hindu  Fiction,  221 ;  "  On  the 

Art  of  Entering  Another's 

Body,"  Proc.  Amer.  Philoso. 

Soc,  38ft ;  "On  the  Art  of 

Stealing,"  118ft2 
Boat  fish,  131 
Boccaccio,      Decameron,      44, 

145ft1, 147ft2, 148^,165,171; 

pelo  arriciato  (horripilation), 

120ft1 
Bodhisattva    Avadana,    20n2, 

66ft1 
Bogams,  Telugu  dancing-girls, 

244,  245 
Bohn's  edition  of  the   Gesta 

Romanorum,  169 
Bohtlingk  and  Roth,  70ft1 
Bokhara,  49ft1 
Bombay,  37ft2,  245 
Bompas,     Folk-Lore     of    the 

Santal  Parganas,  46ft2,  131 
Borneo,    sacred    prostitution 

in,  279 
Bos  grunniens  (Tibet  cow),  252 
Bottu    (part    of    the    tali    or 

marriage  token),  263 
Brahma,  4,  4ft2,  10ft2,  77,  96, 

96ft1,  144ft2,  199,  201 
Brahma    form    of    marriage, 

87 
Brahmadatta,  King,  20,  21 
Brahman      caste,      marriage 

forms  for,  87 
Brahmanas,  the,  10ft3 
Brahmavatl,  Queen,  226-227 


Brand,  Popular  Antiquities,  191 
Brewer,  Dictionary  of  Phrase 

and  Fable,  109ft1 
Brihaspati,  preceptor  of  the 

gods,  57,  57ft2 
Brihat-Katha,  the,  1,  42,  89, 

89ft1,  91,  92,  169,  236 
Brihat-Katha-Manjari,    Kshe- 

mendra,  236 
Brives,  "male"  cakes  made 

at,  15ft 
Brockhaus,  Dr,  1ft4,  5ft4,  7ft1, 

9ft2,  13ft2,  18ft3,  37ft1,  51ft2, 

58ft2,  58w3,  61ft3,  61ft4,  78711, 

95ft1,   110ft2,    116ft3,    126ft1, 

160ft2 
Brugmann,     Vergl.     Gramm., 

198 
"Bruno,   Liar,"    Italian  tale 

of,  27 
Bry,  De  (1599),  250 
Buddha,  84w2,  156,  192,  241 ; 

tales  of  the  previous  births 

of  the  (Jatakas),  232 
Buddhadatta,      minister      of 

Chandamahasena,  123, 

123ft1' 
Buddhaghosa's  Fables,  104 
Biihler,  Dr  G.,  editor  oiDasa- 

Kumara-Charita,  63?*1, 100ft1, 

234ft4 
Biihler,  Sacred  Books  of  the 

East,  87,  205 
Burlingame,   "Act  of  Truth 

Motif,"  Journ.  Roy.  As.  Soc, 

166 
Burma,  155ft1 
Burnell,     Aindra      Grammar, 

32W1 ;     Sdmavidhana    Brah- 

mana,  12ft1 
Burnell     and    Yule,    Hobson 

Jobsoji,  242ft1,  250ft2 
Burnouf,  trans,  of  Bhagavata 

Purana,  5ft1 
Burton  and  Arbuthnot,  Kama 

Shastra      Society,      234ft2, 

236ft1 
Burton,  J.  H.,  Narratives  from 

Criminal  Trials  in  Scotland, 

191 
Burton,    Bibliography   of    Sir 

Richard  F.,  N.  M.  Penzer, 

234ft2,  236ft3;  Selected  Papers 

of,  N.    M.    Penzer,    109ft1, 

217 
Burton,    R.   F.,  Book   of  the 

Sword,    109ft1;    //    Pentam- 

erone,  26,  46w2,  77ft1,   97ft2, 

168;  A  Mission  to  Gelele,  278, 

278m1  ;  Nights,  In1,  14ft,  25, 

27,  28,  43,  47ft,  80ft1,  101ft1, 


284 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


Burton,  R.  F. — continued 
103,  105,  120ft1,  124ft1,  131, 
133ft1,  141ft2,  144ft1,  163ft, 
167,  170,  183ft,  186ft1,  204, 
217;  A  Pilgrimage  to  El- 
Medinah  and  Meccah,  192 ; 
Vikram  and  the  Vampire,  87, 
136m2 

Busk,   M.   H.,    Folk-Lore  of 
Rome,  20ft,  26,  132 

Byblos  (Gebal),  275,  276 

Caesar,  Julius,  46w2,  109ft1 
Cairo,   courtesan   streets    in, 

250 
Calcutta,      the      "City      of 

Palaces,"  125ft1 
Calivahana,  47ft 
Cambly,     or     country  -  made 

blanket,  256 
Cambodia,   dancing-girls    in, 

241 
Campaka  trees,  222 
Campbell,  Tales  of  the  Western 

Highlands,    26,    Sin2,    129, 

132,  157ft2,  163ft1 
Canaan,    sacred    prostitution 

in,  275-277 
Canney,   Crawley,   Beet  and 

"Oath,"    Hastings'    Ency. 

Rel.  Eth.,  57ft1 
Cantimpre,  Thomas  of,  110ft1 
Carchemish,  statues  of  Ishtar 

at,  272 
Carey  and  Marshman  trans,  of 

the  Rdmdyana,  In2 
Carnoy,  E.  H.,  Conies  Francais, 

26 
Cartuasul,  or   "  withershins," 

192 
Catechu  wood,  212 
Cathay,  155ft1 
Cerberus,  77ft1 

Chaitra  (March-April),  112ft1 
Chakra,  256,  258 
Chakravaka,         (Brahmany 

duck),  115,  115ft1,  187 
Chanakya,  Brahman  named, 

55,  56,  57 
Chanakya  (Kautilya  or  Vish- 

nugupta),  233,  233ft1 
Chandamahasena,    122,    124- 

125,    128,    129,    133-135, 

150-151,  153,  182 
Chandika  (Durga)  116,  116ft1 
Chandragupta,  17ft3,  37ft2,  40, 

57,  233,  250 
Chank  (or  shenk),  256,  258 
Charles,  King,  69ft2 
Chataka,  72,  72ft1 
Chaturdarika  (Book  V),  2 


Chaturika,  64,  65 

Chaucer,  Squire's  tale  in, 
145ft1 

Chau  Ju-Kwa,  Chu-fan-ch'i, 
104,  241,  241ft1,  252 

Chauvin,  Bibliographic  des 
Ouvrages  Arabes,  27,  28, 
lOln1,  105,  128ft1,  168,  171, 
186ft1,  189ft 

Chavaka-Jdtaka,  226 

Chhdyd,  13ft1 

Chhdyd  (colour),  122ft3 

Chilli's  Folk-Tales  of  Hindu- 
stan, 131 

China,  155ft1,  242ft3;  circum- 
ambulation  in,  192 

Chinchinl,  18 

Chirappukudi,  dancing  -  girl, 
262 

Chitaldroog,  district  of  My- 
sore, 213 

Chitrapurnami,  festival  of, 
262 

Chola  country,  247;  monarchs, 
155ft1,  247,  266 

Choolee,  or  short  jacket,  253 

Chrysis,  77ft1 

Chuddapah  district,  Madras, 
213 

Chuddis,  51ft2 

Chu-fan-ch'i,  by  Chau  Ju-Kwa, 
104,  241,  241ft1 

Chupattees  (griddle-cakes),  82ft 

Clement  of  Alexandria,  Pro- 
trept,  15ft,  276 

Clermont,  "female"  cakes 
made  in,  15ft 

Clodd,  Edward,  in  Folk-Lore 
Journal,  130 

Clouston,  167,  168;  Book  of 
Sindibdd,  27,  43,  170,  171, 
186ft1 ;  A  Group  of  Eastern 
Romances  and  Stories,  43, 
lOln1,  131,  160ft3;  Popular 
Tales  and  Fictions,  29,  42, 
43,  44,  85ft,  101ft1,  130 

Cobinam,  213 

Coedes,"LeRoyaume  de  Crivi- 
jaya,"  155ft1 

Coelho,  Contos  Populares  Portu- 
guezcs,26,  44,  145ft1 

Coimbatore,  260 

Colebrooke,  56ft1 

Collyrium,  69,  211-218 

Comparetti,  Virgilio  net  medio 
evo,  148ft ;  Researches  re- 
specting the  Book  of  Sindibdd, 
170,  186ft1 

Conjeeveram,  257 

Constantine  the  Great  (bath 
of  blood),  98ft 


Conti,  Nicolo, in  R.H.Major's 
India  in  the  Fifteenth  Century "\ 
248ft1 

Conybeare,  F.  C,  "Asceti- 
cism," Ency.  Brit.,  79ft1 

Cook,  S.  A.,  "Serpent- Wor- 
ship," Ency.  Brit.,  203 ; 
"Tree-Worship,"  Ency. 
Brit.,  144ft1 

Coote,  H.  C,  Some  Italian 
Folk-Lore  {Folk-Lore  Re- 
cord), 26 

Coptos,  sea  of,  37w2,  129 

Cordier  and  Yule,  The  Book  of 
Ser  Marco  Polo,  63ft1,  104, 
105,  141ft1,  213,  241ft2, 
242ft3,  247ft3;  Cathay  and 
the  Way  Thither,  63w2, 
104 

Cormorin,  Cape  (Kanya- 
kumari),  155ft1 

Cormi  Cerastic  (horn  of  the 
horned  serpent),  llOn1 

Coromandel  coast,    the,    247 

Cow  ell,  E.  B.,  5ft4,  13«3, 
15ft1 

Cox,  Mythology  of  the  Aryan 
Nations,  130,  148ft 

Crane,  T.  F.,  Italian  Popular 
Tales,  26 

Crawley,  Beet  and  Canney, 
"Oath,"  Hastings'  Ency. 
Rel.  Eth.,  57ft1 

Crawley,  A.  E.,  "Doubles," 
Hastings'  Ency.  Rel.  Eth., 
37ft2;  "Drums  and  Cym- 
bals," Hastings'  Ency.  Rel, 
Eth.,  118ft2 

Crocea  Mors  (yellow  death), 
Caesar's  sword,  109ft1 

Croker,  J.  C,  Fairy  Legends 
and  Traditions  of  the  South 
of  Ireland,  26 

Crooke,  Macculloch  and 
Welsford,  "Serpent- Wor- 
ship," Hastings'  Ency.  Rel. 
Eth.,  203,  204 

Crooke,  W.,  38ft,  163ft,  213; 
"  Ancestor  -  Worship  (In- 
dian)," Hastings'  Ency. 
Rel.  Eth.,  56ft1;  Folk-Lore 
of  Northern  India,  37ft2, 
67ft1,  98ft,  134ft1,  203,  205, 
206,  228;  "Prostitution 
(Indian),"  Hastings'  Ency. 
Rel.  Eth.,  233,  239ft2; 
"Secret  Messages  and 
Symbols  used  in  India," 
Journ.  Bihar  and  Orissa 
Research  Soc,  82w ;  Tribes 
and    Castes    of   the   North- 


INDEX  I -SANSKRIT  WORDS,  ETC. 


285 


>ke,  W. — continued 
Western     Provinces,     239m1, 

240m2 

Proves  of  gold,  101m1 
^ullaka-Setthi-Jfitaka,  62m1 
Ainchurree        (dancing  -  girl), 

250m2 
Cunningham,  A.,  Archaeological 
Reports,    7m4,    238m1;     The 
Stupa  of  Bharhut,  42 
Curta'na,  the  "cutter,"  109m1 
Curze,  Popular  Traditions  from 

Waldeck,  26 
Cyprus,  276 

Dabbhapuppha-Jataka,  226 

Dabistan,  192 

Daevas,    Persian   enemies  of 

the  gods,  199 
Daityas,  enemies  of  the  gods, 

108,  109,  126, 127, 128, 197, 

199-200 
Daiva  marriage,  87 
Daksha,  son  of  Brahma,  4,  5, 

5m1,  103,  199 
D' Alviella     "  Circumambula- 

tion,"  Hastings'  Ency.  Rel. 

Eth.,  193 ;  The  Migration  oj 

Symbols,  192 
Damant,  G.  A.,  "The  Touch- 
stone, "Indian  Antiquary,  42 ; 

Bengali  Folk-Lore,  131 
Dames    and    Joyce,    "Story 

of  King  Sivi,"  Man,  85m 
Damodaragupta,  Kuttanl- 

matam,  236,  236m2 
Dana  (giving),  123m2 
Danava,  enemies  of  the  gods, 

127,  197,  199-200 
Danda  (open  force),  123m2 
Dandin,  great  poet  of  India, 

234,  235 
Danh-gbi,  the   python -god, 

278 
Dafih-sio,   the    python -god, 

278 
Dante,  Inferno,  40m3 
Danu,  daughter  of  Daksha, 

199 
Darbha  grass,  55,  55m1,  56m, 

257 
Ddroghah  (superintendent  of 

prostitutes),  237 
Daroglias  register,  241 
Dasa   caste,    246,    259,   260- 

262 
Dasa  Kumar  a  Charita,  Dandin, 

25,  234,  234n*,  235 
Dasent,   Popular   Tales  from 
the     Norse,     26,     27,     44, 
77m1 


Dasyu      (savage,      barbarian, 

robber),  152m1 
Dasyus,    demons    hostile    to 

mankind,  197,  198,  206-207 
Datura,  160,  160m1,  161 
Davenant,  165 
Day,  Lai  Behari,   Folk-Tales 

of  Bengal,  28,  95m2,  131 
Deasil,  193 
Deazil  (walking  three  times 

round   a   person  with  the 

sun),  191,  193 
Deccan,  the,  18,  61,  107 
Dehantara-avesa  (the  wander- 
ing soul),  37m2,  38m 
Deir  el  Bahari,  216 
Deisul      (circumambulation), 

190-193 
Delhi,  Sultanate  of,  237,  248 
Demeter  and  Kore,  offerings 

to,  15m 
Denarius,  the  Greek,  63m1 
Dervish  Makhlis  of  Ispahan, 

Thousand  and  One  Days,  43 
"  Desheal,"    an    ejaculation, 

191 
Deslongchamps,  L.,  Essai  sur 

les  Fables  Indiennes,  25,  169 
Deva-dasis,  Appendix  IV,  231- 

279 
Deva-dasis  (handmaids  of  the 

gods),  231,  232,  242,  246, 

247,  250,  252,  255,  258-261, 

262-268,  279,  280 
Devadatta,  79,  83,  85,  86 
Devagarbha,  Yaksha  named, 

37m2 
Devasarman,  106 
Devas,  Indian  gods,  198,  199 
Devasmita,  42,  153-156,  158- 

164,  168,  169,  172-181 
Deva-Svamin,  12 
Devikriti,  garden  called,  66, 

66m1 
Devlis,  male  servants  of  the 

god,  245,  246 
Dhammapada  (path  of  virtue), 

104 
Dhammapada  Commentary,  226 
Dhanadatta,  153, 154, 172, 173 
Dharma,  God  of  Justice,  4,  84 
Dharma  (religion  and  moral- 
ity), 248 
Dharmagupta,  154,  173 
Dharna,  sitting  in,  135,  135m1 
Dhawar,  255 

Diana,  sacred  grove  of,  222 
Diatryma,  description  of,  105 
Dinars,  63,  63m1 
Dipavali,  festival  of,  262 
Dlrghajangha,  10 


Dirhems,  63ft1 

Diti,  daughter  of  Daksha,  199 

Doab,  7m4 

Dohada  (longing  of  preg- 
nancy), 97m1,  221-228; 
(two-heartedness),  221 

Dom  or  Domba,  man  of  low 

'  caste,  157,  157m1,  174,  175 

Dombar,  caste  of,  258,  258m1 

Domingos  Paes,  A  Forgotten 
Empire,  by  R.  Sewell,  248, 
248m1,  249 

D'Orbiney,  Madame  Eliza- 
beth, 129 

Dozon,  Contes  Albanais,  20m, 
10W,  132 

Douce,  Mr,  77m1,  169 

Doughty,  Arabia  Deserta,  217 

D'Penha,  "  Folk-Lore  of  Sal- 
sette,"  Ind.  Ant,  131 

Dramma,  63m1 

Dubois,  the  Abbe  J.  A., 
Hindu  Manners  and  Customs 
and  Ceremonies,  56m1,  250- 
251,  252,  253 

Duddhu  (  =  1  annai,  8  pes),  256 

Dunlop,  History  of  Fiction, 
Liebrecht's  translation, 
24m1,  66m1,  97m2,  103,  137m1, 
145m1,  166 

Dulaure,  Des  Divinites  Gener- 
atrices, 14m,  15m 

Durga  (Parvatl),  9,  9m1,  19m1, 
21,  28,  58,  60,  66,  72,  94m1, 
116m1,  119,  123,  125 

Durga  Singh,  75m1 

Durgaprasad's  edition  of  the 
Katha  Sarit  Sagara,  58m2, 
61m4,  62m2,  74m1,  83m1, 
106m1,  122m4,  137m1,  185m2 

Durva  grass,  55m1 

Duryodhana,  107 

Dushyanta,  King,  88 

Dusserah,  262 

Dvipikarni,  King,  67,  68 

Dyer,  Thiselton,  English  Folk- 
Lore,  191 

Dymock,  "The  Use  of  Tur- 
meric in  Hindoo  Cere- 
monial," Journ.  Anth.  Soc. 
Bombay,  255m1,3 

Eabini,  or  Engidu,  wild  man 

of  the  woods,  273m1 
Edward  the  Confessor's  sword, 

109m1 
Egypt,  268;    use  of  kohl  in, 

215-217 
Eleusinian  mysteries,  15m 
Eliot,  Sir  Charles,  Hinduism 

and  Buddhism,  56m1 


286 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


Elliot,  H.,  History  of  India, 

Muntakhabu-l-lutab ,     238?i3, 

248ft1 
Ellis,  Early  English  Romances, 

97ft2 ;  Metrical  Romance,  169 
Ellis,  A.  B.,  The  Tski-speaking 

Peoples  of  the   Gold   Coast 

of     West     Africa,     278w2 ; 

The    Ewe-speaking    Peoples 

of  the  Slave  Coast  of  West 

Africa,  278ft2 
Elworthy,  The  Evil  Eye,  216 
Emodos      (Greek     form      of 

Himalaya),  2ft2 
Emperor  Shahjahan,  238 
Engidu,  a  wild  man  of  the 

woods,  273 
Enthoven,  R.  E.,   Tribes  and 

Castes  of  Bombay,  246ft1 
Entu  {Nin-An),  chief  wife  of 

the  god,  270 
Eorosh,  fabulous  bird  of  the 

Zend, 104 
Epics,  the,  10ft3 
Erech,  270,  271,  272 
Eryx  in  Sicily,  276 
Esbekiya  quarter  of  Cairo,  250 
EratptKoi     Stdkoyoi,     Lucian, 

140ft1 
Etzel,  King,  187ft1 
Europe,  use  of  kohl  in,  218 
Eusebius,  275 
Eva,  160ft2 
Evamkrite    (dative    of    evam- 

krit),  15ft1 
Ewe-speaking  peoples,  277 
Excalibar,  109ft1 
Ezekiel,  216 

Fadlallah,  37ft2 

Faquir,  28 

Farmer,  comments  on  Ham- 
let, 77ft1 

Farnell,  Cidts  of  the  Greek 
States,  15ft 

Fascinum,  the  Roman.  See 
Phallus  or  hinga 

Fausboll,  Jataka,  66ft1 

Fawcett,  "Basivis:  Women 
who  through  Dedication 
to  a  Deity  assume  Mascu- 
line Privileges,"  Journ. 
Anthr.  Soc.  Bom.,  255,  255ft1 

Fenton,  C,  168 

Fergusson,  James,  Tree  and 
Serpent  Worship,  144ft1 

Fergusson,  Dr  S.,  "  On  the 
Ceremonial  Turn  called 
Deisul,"  Proc.  Roy.  Irish 
Academy,  190 

Fernao  Nuniz,  248ft1 


Ficus  Indica  (Nyagrodha  tree), 

9,  9ft3 
FirdausT,  182ft1 
Fleet,    J.    F.,    "  Imaginative 

Yojanas,"    Journ.   Roy.   As. 

Soc,  3ft1 
Fontaine,  La,  Conies  et  Nou- 

velles,  20w  ;  fable  of  V Huitre 

et  les  Plaideurs,  26;  Les  Trois 

Souhaits,  27 ;  ha  Coupe  En- 

chantee,  165 
Foris  (out  of  doors),  141ft1 
Forteguerri,  44 
Fortunat   eats   the   heart   of 

the  Gliicksvogel,  20ft 
Fortunatus,  cap  of,  25,  26 
Fowler,  H.  and  F.,  77ft1 
Fowler's   translation    of  Lu- 

cian's    'ErcuptKot     SidXoyoi, 

140ft1 
France,    "man    of    dough" 

custom  in  (La  Pallisse),  14ft 
Francis,  Mr,  259 
Frazer,    Golden    Bough,    130, 

144ft1,  222,  228,  268,  273ft3, 

278,278ft3;  Taboo  and  Perils 

of  the  Soul,  37ft2 
Freer,  Old  Deccan  Days,  28, 

95ft2,  101ft1,  1311,  142ft1 
Fryer,   A.   C,    English   Fairy 

Tales  from  the  North  Country, 

26 
Fryer  (1673),  250 
Furnivall,  English  Text  Soc, 

44,  165 

Gaal,  M'drchen  der  Magyar  en, 

20ft,  26 
Gagum  (cloiser),  270 
Gait,  E.  A.,  "Indian  Human 

Sacrifice,"  Hastings'  Ency. 

Rel.  Eth.,  116ft1 
Galen,  De  Simpl.  Medic,  213 
Galli,  castrated  man,  275 
Gammadion  or  swastika,  192 
Ganapati,  245,  246 
Ganas,  servants  of  the  gods, 

3,  6,  7,  10,  58,  61w4,  83,  85, 

86,  91,  94,  146,  197,  202 
Gandharb  caste,  239,  240 
Gandharva  form  of  marriage, 

23,  23n\  61,  68,  83,  87,  88, 

116,  187,  201 
Gandharvanagara       (mirage), 

201 
Gandharvas,  deities  of  women 

and   marriage,    2,    87,    88, 

197,  200-201,  262 
Ganesa,     son    of    Siva     and 

ParvatI,  1ft4,  4ft2,  6ft12,  192, 

202,  240,  244,  249,  263 


Ganga,  5,  5ft5 

Garigadhara,  5ft5 

Ganges,  river,  5ft5,  18,  18ft2 

19,24,32,41,45,51,58,67! 

78,  107,  110,  142,  183,  224 
Ganika  (prostitute),  233,  234 
Garbhadhana        ceremonj 

(puberty),  257 
Garuda,    the     sun-god     and 

vehicle  of  Vishnu,  203 
Garuda   bird,  98,  98ft1,   103- 

105,  141,  142,  143,  143ft2, 

144,  144ft2,  222 
Gaurl   (Durga,    i.e.    ParvatI), 

7,  94,  94ft1,  244 
Gautama  Buddha,  84ft2,  242fts 
Gavan  plant  (used  for  surmah), 

214 
Gaya,  200 

Gay  an  (prostitute),  243 
Gebal  (Byblos),  276 
Geden,  A.    S.,    "Asceticism 

(Hindu),"  Hastings'  Ency. 

Rel.  Eth.,  79ft1 
Geldner,K.  F.,and  R.  Pischeh 

Vedische  Studien,  232ft1 
Germany,    cake    ceremonies 

in,  14ft ;  folk-tales  in,  98ft 
Gharib,  story  of,  14ft 
Ghazipur,  240 
Ghul,  26 
Gibbs'    (translation)    History 

of  the  Forty  Vezirs,  38w,  43 
Giles,  Strange  Stories  from  a 

Chinese  Studio,  77ft1 
Gilgamesh,  272,  273,  274 ;  the 

Epic  of,  269,  272-274 
Ginevra     and      Isotta,     De- 
cameron, 69ft2 
Girra,  legend  of,  272 
Glaucias,  77ft1 
Godani   or    Ulki,    method   of 

producing  moles,  50ft 
Godavari,  60ft1,  66 
Gohera,  43 
Golconda,  241 
Gold  Coast   of  West  Africa, 

277 
Golla,  caste  of,  258,  258ft1 
Gonzenbach,  Laura,  Sicilian- 

ische  M'drchen,  20rc,  25,  26, 

44,   66n\  97ft2,  129,  141rc2, 

165,  169 
Gopalaka,     son    of    Chanda- 

mahasena,    128,    152,    182- 

184,  187 
Gopalam    (begging     basket), 

256 
Gopatha  Brahmana,  205 
Gopi     Natha,    commentaries 


of,  75ft1 


Gouvea 


INDEX  I— SANSKRIT  WORDS,  ETC. 


;a  (1606),  250 
Govind,  257 
Govindadatta,  78,  85 
Grand,    Le,    La    vieille     qui 

seduisit  lajeunefdle,  169 
Granger  and  Matthew,  105 
Grasse,  Sagen  des  Mittelalters, 

25,  169 

Greece,  kohl  used  in  classi- 
cal, 218;  phallic  cakes 
carried  in,  15n ;  religious 
prostitution  traced  in,  268 

Greeks,  convert  "  Himalaya  " 
into  "  Emodos "  and 
"  Imaos,"  2ft2 ;  identifica- 
tion of  Ashtart  with  Aphro- 
dite by  the,  276 

Grenfell,  Lord,  216 

Grhya  STdras,  191 

Grierson,  G.  A.,  belief  about 
Pisachas,  205 ;  Linguistic 
Survey  of  India  :  the  Dardic 
or  Pisacha  Languages,  93 ; 
"Pai^acI,"  Zeitsch.  d.  morg. 
Gesell,  92;  "Pisachas," 
Hastings'  Ency.  Rel.  Eth., 
92  ;  "  Pisachas,"  Festschrift 
fur  V.  Thomsen,  93;  "  Pis- 
acas,"  Journ.  Roy.  As. 
Soc,  92;  "  Rajasekhara 
and  the  Home  of  Paisaci," 
Journ.  Roy.  As.  Soc,  93 ; 
"Vararuchi  as  a  Guesser 
of  Acrostics,"  Ind.  Ant., 
50ft1 

Grierson,  Stein  and,  Hatim  s 
Tales,  38ft,  81ft,  163ft 

Griffith,  R.  T.  H.,  Ramayana, 
5ft5 

Griffon,  105 

Grimm,  Fairy  Tales,  19ft2,  25, 

26,  27,  77ft1,  98/i 
Grohmann,  Sagen  aus  Bohmen, 

97ft2 
Grossler,  Sagen  der  Grafschaft 

Mansfeld,  77ft1 
Growse,  F.  S.,  11 W,  139ft2; 

Mathura :  A  District  Memoir, 

231ft1 
Gryphons,      eagles      called, 

141ft2 
Gryps,  fabulous  bird    of  the 

Greeks,  104 
Guatemala,  168 
Gubernatis,     De,     Zoological- 
Mythology,  26,   76>i2,    84n2, 

129,  130,  144ft2 
Guga,  the  snake-god,  203 
Guhasena,    husband    of  De- 

vasmita,  154,  155, 156,  158, 

163,  173,  174,  179-181 


Gtihya  (phallus  or  lingo),  2ft2, 
4w3,  13w3,  14ft,  15ft,  125ft2 

Guhyakas,  subjects  of  Ku- 
vera,  68,  197,  203 

Gujahs  (wafers  of  flour  and 
sugar),  242 

"  Gul-i-Bakawali,"  Clouston, 
A  Group  of  Eastern  Ro- 
mances, 43,  160ft3 

Gulmad  and  Vatsa,  60,  61 

Guna,  61ft4 

Gunadeva,  disciple  of  Gun- 
adhya,  89,  91 

Gunadhya,  7,  58,  59,  60,  61, 
61w5,  65,  67,  68,  74,  78,  89, 
90,  91,  94 

Gurav,  245,  246 

Guru  (high  priest),  256,  258, 
263 

Guzerat,  241 

Gwalior,  238 

Haast,  Dr,  105 

Hades  (Sheol),273 

Hafiz,  49?*1 

Hagen,   Helden  Sagen,   48ft2, 

121ft2, 150?!1 ;  Gesammtaben- 

teuer,  169,  171 
Hais  (dates,  butter  and  milk), 
'  14ft 

Hakluyt  Society,  63a1,  248ft1 
Hamilton,  Francis,  A  Jowney 

from    Madras    through    the 

Countries  of  Mysore,  Canara 

and  Malabar,  252,  252ft1 
Hamlet,    Shakespeare,    76ft2, 

77ft1 
Hammer,     von,      Mines      de 

V  Orient,  81ft 
Hammurabi,    269,   271;    the 

code  of,  269-272 
Hanifa,  tribe  of  (Arabia),  14ft 
Hardy,    Spence,    Manual    of 

Buddhism,  121ft2 
Hari    (Narayana,    Vishnu    or 

Krishna),  143,  143ft1,  145 
Haridvar  (or  Hurdwar),  18ft2 
Harpagomis,  105 
Harrison,  J.  E.,  Prolegomena  to 

the  Study  of  Greek  Religion, 

15ft 
Hartland,  E.  S.,  38ft ;  Archivio, 

168;  "Faith  Token,"  166, 

167 ;  Legend  of  Perseus,  130  ; 

"  Life-Token,"     Hastings' 

Ency.      Rel.      Eth.,      130 ; 

"  Phallism,"  Hastings' 

Ency.    Rel     Eth.,    15ft;    in 

Stein        and        Grierson's 

Hatirns  Tales,  38ft1 
Hasan  of  Bassorah,  27,  28 


287 

Hastinapura,  7ft4 

Hastings'  Encyclopaedia  of 
Religion  and  Ethics,  10ft3, 
15rc,  37ft2,  56ft1,  57ft1,  79ft1, 
92,  98ft,  116ft1,  118tt2,  130, 
134ft1,  144ft1,  193,  200,  203, 
204, 233,239ft2, 269»i,  271ft1, 
273ft3,  277 

Hatif  (bodiless  voice),  16ft1 

Hatim  Tai,  85ft 

Hatim  Tilawon",  38ft 

Hatshepset,  temple  of 
Queen,  216 

Hatthllinga,  a  huge  bird,  104 

Hecate,  77ft1 

Hemachandra,  92 

Hemm  (ceremony  of  puberty), 

Henderson,  Folk-Lore  of  the 

Northern  Counties,  190 
Herklots,    Qanun-i- Islam,   by 

Ja'far  Sharif,  213 
Hermas,  Similitudes,  144ft1 
Hermotimos  of  Klezomenae, 

39ft2 
Herodotus,  103,  271,  276 
Herolt,     John      of     Basil, 

Promptuarium,  169 
Herrtage,  English  Gesta,  44 
Hezekiah,  215 
Hieme,  sword  of,  109ft1 
Hierapolis  or  Membij,  275 
Hierodouloi  (sacred  servants), 

269,  276 
Hildegard,    St,    of    Bingen, 

Subtleties,  110ft1 
Himadri,  2ft2 
Himagiri,  2ft2 
Himakuta,  2ft2 
Himalaya,  2ft2,  5,  32,  86,  92, 

94,  121,  205 
Himavat,  2,  2w2,  4 
Hiralal  Basa,  129 
Hiranyagupta,  32,  33,  35,  53, 

57 
Hirth,      China     and     Roman 

Orient,  104 
Hirth  and  Rockill,  translation 

of  Chau  Ju-Kwa's  Chu-fan- 

ch'i,  241ft1 
Hittite  dominion,  275 
Hittites,  King  of  the,  198 
Hogarth,    D.     G.,    Liverpool 

Ann.  Arch.,  272ft4 
Holin's   collection    of    tales, 

101ft1 
Homa  (marriage  sacrifice),  245 
Homam  (nuptial  tie),  88 
Homam,  260 
Ho  Nan,  China,  214 
Hormuz,  214 


288 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


Hou-Han-shu,  104 

Houris,  202 

Houtum-Schindler,  Gen.  A., 
in  Journ.  Roy.  As.  Soc,  214 

Hultzsch,  Epigraphia  Indica, 
155ft1 ;  South  Indian  In- 
scriptions, 155ft1,  247ft1 

Hunt,  Romances  and  Drolls  oj 
the  West  of  England,  191 

Hunter,  District  Gazetteer  of 
Puri,  242ft1;  Orissa,  242, 
242ft1 

Huon  of  Bordeaux,  Duke,  167 

Hurdwar  (Haridvar),  18ft2 

Hyderabad,  241,  244 

Hyginus,  Fable  CCV,  190 

Ibn  Batuta,  104 

Idangai  (left  hand),  260 

Imaos  (Greek  form  of  Hima- 
laya), 2ft2 

Inayatu-i-'llah,  Bahar-i- 
Danish,  or  "Spring  of  Know- 
ledge," 25,  43 

Indica,  Ficus,  9ft3 

Indra,  8ft1,  65,  66ft1,  68,  84, 
95,  96,  97,  126,  128,  182, 
182ft1,  200,  201,  202,  240 

Indradatta,  11,  12,  16,  17,  30, 
36,  37,  3Sn,  39,  40,  50 

Indus,  92 

Innanna  (Ishtar),  272 

Innini  (Ishtar),  270,  272 

Iraman  of  Vishnu,  256,  258 

Iranians,  198 

Irvine,  W.,  editor  of  Storia  do 
Mogor,  Manucci,  238ft2 

Ishtar,  270-274,  276 

Ishtar-Tammuz  myth,  273 

I  sis,  145ft1 

Islam,  use  of  kohl  in,  216-217 

Iva  (liquor),  160ft2 

Ivan,  Prince,  82ft1 

Iyengar,  K.  R.,  trans,  of  Kama 
Sidra,  234 

Jacob,  J.,  JEsop's  Fables, 
101ft1,  171 ;  Indian  Fairy 
Tales,  46w2,  lOlra1,  132 

Jacob,  P.  W.,  trans,  of  Dasa- 
Kumar a-Charita,  234ft4 

Jacobi,  H.,  "  Cosmogony  and 
Cosmology,"  Hastings' 
Ency.  Rel.  Eth.,  10ft3 ;  Aus- 
gewdhlte  Erzdhlungen  in 
Maharashtrl,  224,  226;  Par- 
isishta  Parvan,  39w2,  121ft2  ; 
"Daitya,"  Hastings'  Ency. 
Rel.  Eth.,  200 

Ja'far  Sharif,  Qanfm-i- Islam, 
Herklots'  ed.,  213 


Jagannatha  or  Puri  (Lord  of 

the  World),  241,  242,  266 
Jahandar,  25 
Jahangir,  Emperor,  238 

Jalandhara,  an  Asura,  200 

Jamadagni,  hermitage  of, 
99,  101,  102,  120 

Jamrkan,  14m 

Jan,  Mohammedan  term  for 
bogam,  244 

Janamejaya,  95,  203 

Jantu,  153 

Japan,  sacred  prostitution  in, 
279 

Jara,  "old  age,"  121ft2 

Jarrett  and  Blochmann,  A'in- 
i-Akban,  Abu-1-Fazl,  237ft1 

Jat  woman,  a,  98ft 

Jatakarma,  ceremony  of,  264 

Jatakas,  the,  66ft1, 101ft1, 121ft2, 
227,  232,  265 

Java,  form  of  dohada  (preg- 
nant longing)  in,  228 

Jaya,  Queen,  226 

Jaya,  wife  of  Pushpadanta, 
6,7,85 

Jayakar,  A.,  trans,  of  Ad- 
Damiri's  Hayat  al-Uayawdn 
(zoological  lexicon),  103 

Jayasena,  son  of  Mahendra- 
varman,  125 

Jeremiah,  13ft3,  216 

Jericho,  192 

Jerusalem,  192 

Jezebel,  216 

Jhelum  district,  Panjab,  213 

Jhllam  district,  213 

Jimutavahana,  the  prince, 
152ft1 

Jinn,  the  Arabian,  204 

John,  Prester,  110ft1 

Johns,  C.  H.  W.,  «  Babylonian 
Law,"  Ency.  Brit.,  269ft1 

Johns,  Lyon  and,  in  Am. 
Journ.  Sem.  Lang.,  271ft1 

Josephus,  Ant.  Jud.,  145ft1 

Joshua,  192 

Joyce  and  Dames'  "Story  of 
King  Sivi,"  Man,  85w 

Jugunnat'hu  (Jagannatha), 
241 

Julg,  Kalmukische  Marchen, 
227 

Julien,  Stanislas,  Avadanas, 
26  ;  Meinoirs  sur  les  Contrees 
Occidentales  traduits  dm  San- 
scrit par  Hiouen  Thsang  et  du 
Chinois  par,  84ft2 

Julius  Caesar,  46ft2 

Jumna  (Yamuna  river),  7ft4, 
231 


Justin,  276 
Juvenal,  Satires,  218 

Ka,     Egyptian     "wandering 

soul,"  37ft2 
Ka'bah  at  Mecca,  192,  193 
Kabul,    Iceland    spar    from. 

212 
Kadaram,  or  Kataha,  155ft1 
Kaden,  Woldemar,  Unter  der, 
Olivenbaumen,  26,  101ft1  -"I 
Kddhesh    (male    prostitutes). 
'  276 
Kadishtu  (sacred  woman),  270, 

271 
Kadru,  mother  of  the  snakes. 

143ft2,  203 
Kadur  district  of  Mysore,  213 
Kahala  (to  stain),  211 
Kaikola,  caste   of,   259,   260, 

261 
Kailas,  Mt.,  2ft2 
Kailasa,  Mt.,  2ft2,  3,  3ft1,   8, 

125,  202 
Kajal  (lamp-black),  212 
Kajalanti   (box   for    keeping 

kajal),  212 
Kakatias,  a  sect  of  weavers, 

257,  258 
Kalam,  247 

Kalanemi,  106,  107,  111 
Kdlanu  sariva,  212 
Kalapa  (the  tail),  75 
Kalapaka  grammar,  75 
Kalasyam,  257 
Kalavatl,wife  of  Kritavarman, 

97 
Kali,  192 
Kalidasa's  Kumdra  Sambhava, 

5ft3 
Kalila  wa  Dimna,  lOlrc1 
Kalmuck,  Relations  of  Siddhi 

Kur,  20ft 
Kalpa,  9 

Kalpa  tree,  8,  8ft1 
Kalpavriksha     (wishing-tree), 

144ft1 
Kalyana    Malla,    Ananga- 

Ranga,  236,  236ft3 
Kama,  the   Hindu  Cupid,  1, 

lft3,  30,  31 
Kamallla,   wife    of  Vikrama- 

ditya,  46ft2 
Kama  Shastra  Society,  234ft2, 

236ft1 
Kama  STdra,  Vatsyayana,  48ft, 

234,  234ft2,  236 
Kammalar  (artisans),  260 
Kanabhuti,  7,   9,   11,  18,  24, 

30,  53,  58,  59,  60,  67,  68, 

76,  78,  86,  89,  94 


Kanak 


INDEX  I-SANSKRIT  WORDS,  ETC, 


289 


ianakhala,  place  of  pilgrim- 
age, 18 
Ianara,  245 
anavera-Jataka,  118ft2 
anchanamala,  confidante  of 
Vasavadatta,  151 
anchanapata,  the  elephant 
of  the  gods,  18,  18ft3 
angra  district,  Panjab,  213 
Kankanam,  a   yellow  thread, 

256 
Kanva,  father  of  Sakuntala,  88 
Kanyd  kamayate  par  am  ("  there 

is   but   one    maiden,   they 

say"),  122ft4 
Kanyakd  sruyate  par  am,  122ft4 
Kanyakumari   (Cape   Cormo- 

rin),  155ft1 
Kapu  marriage,  244 
Karali,  7n4 
Karambaka,  12 
Karangli,  Mount,  213 
Karari,  7ft4 
Kargas    or    lcerkes,     fabulous 

bird  of  the  Turks,  104 
Karmasataka,  story  from  the, 

54ft1 
Karnatak,  246 
Karrah,  7ft4 

Karta  (chief  mourner),  264 
Kartikappalli,  261 
Karttikeya,  12,  15,  17, 18,  36, 

71,  7^2,  72,  73ft1,  74,  75ft1 
Kasab  (prostitution),  243 
Kasbi  caste,  242,  243 
Kashmir,    28,   38ft,   92,    169, 

205,  206,  213 
Kasyapa,   father   of  Garuda, 

143,  143ft2,  203,  205,  206* 
Kata  7ft4 
Kataha,  155,  155ft1,  156,  163, 

173,  174,  180 
Katantra  grammar,  75,  75ft1 
Kathdkoca,  Tawney,  40ft,  48ft2, 

101ft1,  121ft2,  223,  224,  226 
Kathamukha   (Book  II),   94- 

192 
Kathapitha  (Book  I),  1-93 
Kathd  Sarit  Sdgara,  Somadeva, 

17ft2,  25,  42,  232,  236 
Katoma,  82ft1 
Katyayana  (i.e.  Pushpadanta 

or  Vararuchi),9, 11, 17ft3, 53, 

54 
Kausambi,  7,  7ft4,  11,  31,  94, 

95,  97,  120,  122,  123,  135, 

136,  182,  183 
Kausambi  mandala,  7 
Kautilya    (Kautiliya,    Chana- 

kya,  or  Vishnugupta),  233, 

233ft1 


Kautilya,     Arthasastra,     233, 

234,  265 
Kaviraja,  75ft1 
Kdvijamimdmsd,    Rajasekhara, 

92 
Kdvyasamgraha,  J.  J.  Meyer, 

234ft1  * 
Kazi,  28,  43,  186ft1 
Kedah,  Malaya,  155ft1 
Kedeshdh,  271 
Keith,  A.  B.,  Classical  Sanskrit 

Literature,  93 
Keith,  Macdonell  and,   Vedic 

Index,    3ft1,    56w,    93,   205, 

232ft1 
Kekaya,  92 
Keller,    Li  Romans   des   Sept 

Sages,  171 
Kennedy,  Criminal  Classes  of 

Bombay,  246ft1 
Keralapuram,  temple  at,  262 
Kerkes  or  kargas,  fabulous  bird 

of  the  Turks,  104 
Kerman,  213,  214 
Kesavadeva,  temple  of,  231 
Khadgam,  l]0ft2 
Khadge,  110ft2 
Kha'ft  Khan,  238,  238ft3 
Kharimati      (devoted      one), 

272 
Khotan,  home  of  the  Pisachas, 

206 
Khumbaba,    enemy    of    Gil- 

gamesh,  273 
Kilelkyatas,    caste    of,    258, 

258ft1 
Kimpurushas,      servants      of 

Kuvera,  202 
Kinnaras,  subjects  of  Kuvera, 

2,  197,  202 
Kiriita  (mountaineer),  95ft1 
Kirni  or  pheng,  huge  bird  of 

Japan,  104 
Kirtisena,  nephew  of  Vasuki, 

King  of  the  Nagas,  61 
Kition,   temple  of  (Cyprus), 

276 
Kizreti  (harlot),  272 
Klaskerchen  (Lower  German 

cake  festival),  14ft 
Klausmanner  (Upper  German 

cake  festival),  14ft 
Knatchbull,       Kalilah       and 

Dimnah,  62ft1 
Knight,  R.  P.  Payne,  Remains 

of  the   Worship  of  Priapus, 

Un 
Knowles,      Folk  -  Tales      of 

Kashmir,  46ft2,  95ft2,  131 
Kohl,  appendix  on  the  use  of, 

209-218 


Kohler,  Dr,  26,  97ft2;   Orient 

und  Occident,  129 
Kohler,  J.,  and  A.  Ungnad, 

Hammurabi  s  Gesetz,  270ft1 
Kolhapur  state,  246 
Konkan  coast,  261 
Kono  (unfruitful),  278 
Konow,   S.,   "The   Home   of 

Paisaci,"  Zeits.  d.  deutschen 

morgenldndischen         Gesell., 

92  ;   "  Rajasekhara  and  the 

Home  of   Paisaci,"   Journ. 

Roy.  As.  Soc,  93 
Konrad  of  Wiirtzburg,  171 
Kore  and  Demeter,  offerings 

to,  15ft 
Kos  (measure  of  distance),  131 
Kosam  (Kausambi),  7ft4 
Kosio,  young  people  dedicated 

to  a  god,  278 
Kra,  the  isthmus  of,  155ft1 
Kravyad  (eaters  of  raw  flesh v 

e.g.  Pisachas),  205 
Krishna,    138,    139ft2,    143ft1, 

231,  239,  244,  245 
Krishna,  a  sage  named,  75 
Kritdm,  141ft2 
Kritavarman,  father  of  Mri- 

gavati,  96,  97 
Krosas  (measure  of  distance), 

3ft1 
Kshatriyas     (warrior     caste), 

56ft1,  87,  88,  107,  205 
Kshemendra,    Brihat  -  Katha- 

MaTijari,  236,  237  ;  Samaya- 

matrika,  236,  236ft4-  5 
Kudi  (house  service),  264 
Kudikkar  (those  belonging  to 

the  house),  261,  264 
Kufr  (Arabic,  infidelity),  124ft1 
Kuh-Banan,  213,  214 
Kuhl  (to  stain),  211 
Kuhla  (kohl),  215 
Kuhn,  Herabkunjt  des  Feuers, 

76ft2 
Kula  Chandra,  75ft1 
Kumara  or  Karttikeya,  71ft2 
Kumaradatta,  62 
KumaraSambhava,  Kalidasa,5n3 
Kumbhandas,  demons  hostile 

to  mankind,  197,207 
Kumuda  (white  lotus),  119ft3 
Kunkam  (red  powder),  256 
Kunkum  (red  powder),  244 
Kuruba,  caste  of,  258,  258ft1 
Kuruvaka  trees,  222 
Kusa  grass,  55ft1,  58 
Kush'arirah  (Arabic  horripila- 
tion), 120ft1 
Kushmandas,  demons  hostile 
to  mankind,  197,  207 


290 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


Kusumavali,  Queen,  223 
Kuttanlmatarn,  Meyer's  trans- 
lation of,  236,  236/i2 
Kutwal  (police  magistrate),  43 
Kuvera,  God  of  Wealth,  and 
Lord  of  Treasures,  7,   10, 
109,  184ft5,  202,  203 

La  Fontaine.     See  Fontaine, 

La 
Lake  Manasarowar,  2ft2 
Lakshmi,  goddess  of  material 

prosperity,    18,    18ft1,    31, 

187 
Lai   Behari    Day,  Folk -Tales 

of  Bengal,  28 
Lalitanga,  story  of,  48ft2 
Lalla  Rookh,  103 
Lane,   Arabian    Nights,    Sin; 

Arabian      Society      in      the 

Middle  Ages,  Sin ;  Modem 

Egyptians,  217 
Langle,    Louis   de,   Breviaire 

de     la     Courtisane,     236ft5; 

Les     Lecons     de     VEntre- 

metteuse,  236ft2 
Lanka   (Ceylon),  142,   142ft2, 

143,  144,  149 
La  Pallisse,  "man  of  dough" 

custom  in,  14ft 
La    Rochelle,   phallic    cakes 

made   at   Saintonge,  near, 

14ft,  15?i 
Larsa  or  Sippar,  270 
Lassen,  60ft1 
Lavanaka  (Book  III),  2 
Lebanon,  275 
Lee,  A.  C,  The  Decameron,  its 

Sources  and  Analogues,  44, 

148ft,  171 
Leger,  L.,   Contes   Populaires 

Slaves,  26,  101ft1 
Leveque,  Mythes  et  Legendes 

de  Flnde  et  de  la  Perse,  26, 

84w2,  189ft 
Lewin,  T.  H.,  The  Wild  Races 

of  South-Eastern  India,  82ft 
Liebrecht,  Dr,  trans.  Dunlop's 

History  of  Fiction,  66ft1, 97ft2, 

103,     137ft1,     145ft1,     166; 

tr.  Dunlop's  Novella?  Mor- 

lini,  44;  Orient  u.  Occident, 

46ft2, 157ft2 ;  Zur  Volkskunde, 

13ft3,  14ft,  26,  39ft2,  191 
Liknophoria,  Orphic  rite  of, 

15ft 
Limousin    (Lower),    "male" 

cakes  made  in,  15ft 
Linga  (phallus  or  guhya),  2ft2, 

4,  4ft3,  13ft3,  14ft,  15ft,  125ft2 
Linschoten  (1598),  250 


Livingstone,  Journal,  217 

Lohaban,  139ft2 

Lohajangha,  139-149 

Loki,  shoes  of  swiftness  worn 
by,  27 

Lucian,  De  Dea  Syria,  275, 
276  ;  The  Liar  (^lAo^ev&js), 
77ft1 ;  'Ercu/HKot  StdkoyoL, 
140ft1 

Luckenbill,  D.  D.,  "The 
Temple  Women  of  the 
Code  of  Hammurabi," 
Amer.  Journ.  Sem.  Lang., 
271ft1 

Lucretius,  190 

Lyon,  D.  G.,  "The  Conse- 
crated Women  of  the  Ham- 
murabi Code,"  Studies  in  the 
History  of  Religions  presented 
to  C.  H.  Toy,  271ft1 

Lyon  and  Johns  in  Amer. 
Journ.  Sem.  Lang.,  271ft1 

Ma  (negative  particle),  69, 
69ft4 

Maabar,  province  of  (Tan- 
jore),  247 

Macculloch,  J.  A.,  "Cakes 
and  Loaves,"  Hastings' 
Ency.  Rel.  Eth.,  15ft 

Macculloch,  Crooke  and 
Welsford,  "  Serpent-Wor- 
ship," Hastings'  Ency.  Rel. 
Eth.,  203-204 

Macdonell  and  Keith,  Vedic 
Index,  3ft1,  56n,  93,  205, 
232ft1 

Macnaghten,  W.  H.,  Principles 
of  Hindu  and  Mohammedan 
Law,  87 

Madagascar,  104,  105 

Madanamanchuka  (Book  VI), 
2 

Madanarekha,  226 

Madiga,  caste  of,  258,  258ft1 

Madiravati  (Book  XIII),  2 

Madras,  213,  246,  255 

Madras  High  Court,  265 

Magadha,  7ft4 

Magni  currus  Achilli,  126ft1 

Magnusson  and  Powell,  Ice- 
landic Legends,  27,  44 

Mahabala,  107 

Mahaban  Pargana  of  the 
Mathura  district,  117ft2 

Mahdbhdrata,  the,  1ft2,  20ft, 
51ft1,  88,  92,  93,  103,  144ft2, 
189ft,  199,  200,  203,  205 

Mahabhisheka  (Book  XV),  2 

Mahabodhi-Jataka  (Cambridge 
ed.),  146ft1 


Mahadeva  (Siva),  239 
Malmkala  (Siva),  125,  125ft2; 
the     burning  -  ground     of 
136 
Mahdkulodgatdh  (resolute  be- 
haviour), 164ft1 
Mahd  Parinibbdna  Sutta,  192 
Maharaja,  the  palace  of  the, 

262 
Mahasena,  son  of  Jayasena, 

125 
Mahbub  ul-Qulub,  Persian  tale 

of,  131 
Mahendravarman,    father   of 

Patall,  19 
Mahendravarman,  King,  125 
Mahesvara  (Siva),  3,  10 
Mahidhara,  son  of  Devadatta, 

85 
Mahratha  country,  246 
Maihet,  37ft2 
Main,  John,  Religious  Chastity, 

279 
Maina  (hill-starling),  131 
Mairavana,  131 
Mafira  (cymbals),  243 
Major,    R.    H.,    India   in   the 

Fifteenth  Century,  1klny 
Makaradanshtra,      a      bawd 
named,   139,    140,   145-149 
Malava,  country  of,  106 
Malaya,  155ft1 
Mallika,  225-226 
Malvan  chiefs,  245 
Malyavan,  a  Gana  called,  7, 

10,  58,  60,  78,  85,  86 
Ma-Nakkavaram         (Nicobar 

Islands),  155ft1 
Manasa  lake,  72ft1 
Manasarowar,  Lake,  2ft2 
Mandala,  155ft1 
Mandalam,  155ft1 
Mandara,  Mount,  3,  3ft2,  55ft1, 

94 
Mangalashtaka,    recitation    of 

the,  244 
Manibhadra,  a  Yaksha  called, 

162,  179,  180 
Manjulika    or     Bandhumati, 

187 
Manoggel     (Upper     German 

cake  festival),  14ft 
Mantrams,  88,  257,  260 
Mantrasvamin,  79 
Manu,  laws  of,  56ft1,  87,  88, 

191,  200,  204,  205,  232 
Manucci,    Storia    do    Mogor, 

238ft2 
Marcel,  Contes  du  Cheykh 

Mohdy,  81ft 
Marco  Polo,  213,  247-248 


§arco  Polo,  Yule  and  Cordier, 
63ft1,  104,  105,  141ft2,  213, 
241ft2,  242ft3,  247ft3 
Marduk,  269,  270,  271,  274 
Markandeya,  92 
Marshman,  Carey  and,  trans. 

of  Rdmayana,  In2 
Martial,     statement     of,     re 

phallic  cakes,  15ft 
Mdshas,  Indian  weight,  64ft2 
Maspero,   Stories    of   Ancient 

Egypt,  37ft2,  77ft1,  129, 133ft1 
Massinger,    The   Picture,   44, 

167 
Matali,   charioteer  of  Indra, 

95,  96,  98 
Mathura  or  Muttra,  113,  117, 

138,144,147,148,149,231, 

237 
Matthew  and  Granger,  105 
Mauritius,  98ft 
Maurya  monarch,  37ft2 
Maurya  times,  233,  250 
Maya      (Central      America), 

109ft2 
Maya,  Danava  named,  22,  200 
Mayavati,  female  Vidyadhara 

named,  152 
Mayne,    John    D.,     Treatise 

on  Hindu  Laiv  and  Usage, 

88 
Mazdao  the  wise,  199 
Mecca,  192 
Megasthenes,  231 
Melakkdrar    (professional 

musicians),  259,  260 
Membij    or   Hierapolis,  274, 

275 
Menaka,    a    nymph    named, 

188,  201 
Merlin,  46ft2,  137ft1 
Meruturiga,     Prabandhacinta- 

mani,  37ft2 
Mesa,  a  food-providing,  26 
Meshrebiya,  80ft1 
Mesopotamia,  198,  199,  269 
Mestem  (kohl),  215,  216 
Mexico,  human   sacrifice  in, 

116ft1;   sacred  prostitution 

in,  279 
Meyer,     J.      J.,      Altindische 

Schelmenbucher,  236ft2, 236ft4; 

Kavyasamgraha :  erotische  u. 

exoterische  Lieder.    Metrische 

Ubersetzungen  aus  indischen 

u.  anderen  Sprachen,  234ft1 ; 

translation  of ' Kuttanlmatam , 

236ft2 
Midas,  King  of  Phrygia,  20ft 
Mijatovich,  Servian  Folk-Lore, 

132 


INDEX  I-SANSKRIT  WORDS,  ETC. 


291 


Mikhal,  or  stick  for  applying 

kohl,  212 
Milburn,    Oriental   Commerce, 

214 
MilindaPanho  (Pali  Miscellany, 

by  V.  Trenckner),  12ft1 
Minoi-Khiradhj  the,  103 
Mirwad  or  kohl,  216-217 
Mirwahah  (a  fan),  81ft 
Mirzapur,  9ft1 
Missi  (rite  of  blackening  the 

teeth),  240,  244 
Mitani,  King  of,  198 
Mitford,  Tales  of  Old  Japan, 

27 
Mitra,  Dr  Rajendra  Lai,  20ft2 
Mitra,  B.  R.,  The  Gypsies  of 

Bengal,  240ft1 
Miyan  Bayezid,  192 
Moa,  an  extinct  animal,  105 
Mochanika,  115,  116 
Modakaih  (sweetmeats),  69ft4 
Mohammed,  1ft1, 109ft1, 124ft1, 

144ft1,  217 
Mongolian  stories,  25 
Monier  Williams,  12ft2,  31ft1, 

59^,  63ft1,  69^,  79ft1 ;  Vya- 

sana,  124ft1 
Montaiglon,    Recueil   general 

et  complet  des  Fabliaux  des 

XIII'  et  XIV  siecles,  44 
Moonthanee,    or    end    of   the 

Saree,  253 
Moor,  250 

Morier,  Hajji  Baba  of  Ispa- 
han, 214 
Morocco,  117ft3,  217 
Moses  on  Sinai,  217 
Moylar,  caste  of,  252 
Mrichchhakatika,  or  Clay  Cart, 

ascribed  to  Dandin,  trans. 

by  A.  W.  Ryder,  Harvard 

Oriental  Series,  235,  235ft1 
Mriganka,  sword  named,  109, 

109ft1,  111,  114,  115,  119 
Mrigankavati,    the    Princess, 

106, 112,  114, 115, 116, 118, 

120 
Mrigavati,  daughter  of  King 

Kritavarman,    96,    97,    99, 

100,    102,    106,    120,    121, 

228 
Mudali,  title  of  the  ddsi  caste, 

259 
Mudra  Rakshasa,  the,  57ft3 
Muir,  Original  Sanskrit  Texts, 

56ft1 
Mukhopadhyaya,    Prof.    Nil- 

mani,  162ft1 
Mukhulah,  vessel  for  keeping 

mirwad,  217 


Miillenhoff,  132 

Mundus,   a    Roman    knight, 

145ft1 
Munnur  marriage,  244 
Munro,  Lucretius,  191 
Muntakhabu-l-lutdb,  H.  Elliot, 

History  of  India,  238ft3 
Muttra  (Mathura),  231 
MuzafFarnagar,  98ft 
Muzakkudi  dancing- girl,  262 
Mysore,  *213,  246,  255,  258 


Nadagiri,    elephant    named, 

125,  133,  150,  151,  152 
Nagal  (Nagasthala),  117ft2 
Nagas,  snake-gods,  103,  197, 

200,  203-204 ;  Vasuki,  King 

of  the,  61,  61ft1 
Nagasena,  12ft1 
Nagasthala,  117,  117ft2 
Naga-worshippers,  203 
Nagveli  day,  244 
Nai,  or  barber  caste,  49ft1 
Naikins,  women  of  a  Sudra 

caste,  245 
Naiks,  men  of  a  Sudra  caste, 

245 
Nakhshabi,  Tuti-Nama,  43 
"  Nala       and      Damayanti," 

story  of,  88,  101ft1 
Nampiyans,  262,  264 
Nana  or  Ishtar,  272 
Nanchinat       Vellalas      (male 

dasis),  261 
Nanda,  King,  9,  13,  17,  17ft3, 

35,   36,   38ft,  39,  40,  40ft1, 

55,  56,  57 
Nandana,    Indra's    pleasure- 
ground,  66,  66ft1,  68,  96 
Nandideva,  disciple  of  Gun- 

adhya,  89,  91 
Nandin,  Siva's  white  bull,  6, 

6ft1,  202 
Nanjundayya,    H.    V.,    258, 

258ft1 
Nannar,  the  moon-god,  270 
Naples,  legend  of  the  found- 
ing of,  24ft1 
Naravahanadatta,  history  of, 

90,91 
Naravahanadattaj  anana 

(Book  IV),  2 
Narayana  (Vishnu  or  Krishna, 

also  Brahma  and  Ganesa), 

4,  4ft2,  143,  143ft1,  145' 
Narmada,  66,  72 
Nathni  idama,  or  "  taking  off 

of  the  nose-ring,"  240 
Natitu,  inferior  wives  of  the 

god,  270 


292 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


Nats     and      bediyas,      gypsy 

tribes,  240 
Nattuvar,    men    of   the    ddsi 

caste,       dancing  -  masters, 

etc.,  259,  264 
Nayaka,     Hindu      term     for 

bogams,  244 
Nayakan,  Mohammedan  term 

for  Bogams,  244 
Nazar  (gift),  262 
Nebdt  (to  pass  the  night),  81m 
Nectanebos    and     Olympias, 

Pseudo  -  Callisthenes,      103, 

145m1 
Nefzaoui,    Perfumed    Garden, 

170 
Nenoferkephtah,  37m2 
Nephrit,  the  ape,  216 
Newton,  Dictionary  of  Birds, 

105 
Nicobar  Islands,  the,  155m1 
Nigrodka-Jdtaka,  227 
Nikolause    (Upper    German 

cake  festival),  14m 
Nilakantha  •     (blue  -  throated 

one,  i.e.  Siva),  1m2 
Nllamata,  the,  206 
Nin-An  or  entu,  chief  wife  of 

the  god,  270 
Niraydvaliyd    Sutta,    Warren, 

223 
Nishturaka,    friend     of    Sri- 

datta,  107,  110,  111,  112 
Nizam's  dominions,  241,  244 
Norka,  Russian  fabulous  bird, 

104 
Norton,      Ruth,     Studies     in 

Honor  of  Maurice   Bloom- 
field,  130,  131,  167 
Nottingham,      sacred      buns 

made  at  Christmas  in,  14m 
Nuniz,  Fernao  (1537),  248m1 
Nyagrodha  tree  (Ficus  Indica), 

9,  9m3,  157,  175 

Ochchans  (priests),  262,  264 
O'Connor,  Folk-Tales  of  Tibet, 

131 
(Edipus,  story  of,  51ft1 
Oesterley,  Gesta  Romanorum, 

171 
Om,  the  syllable,  17,  17m1 
Oman,    J.    C,    The    Mystics, 

Ascetics  and  Sai?its  of  India, 
_  79m1 

Onam,  festival  of,  262 
Oppert,  On  the  Weapons,  etc., 

of  the  Ancient  Hindtis,  109m1 
Orissa,  241,  266 
Ormazd,  the   "Wise    Lord" 

and  the  "All-father,"  199 


Orme  (1770),  250 

Orpheus,  90ft1 

Orson   and   Valentine,   story 

of,  103 
Osiris,  the  Eye  of,  216 
Ovid,  84^2 
Owen,  Professor,  105 


Pachyderms  in  Siberia,  105 
Pacolet's     horse     (story     of 

Valentine  and  Orson),  103 
Padamangalam  Ndyars,  261 
Padartha    (words    and    their 

meanings),  1m6 
Padmanabhaswami,      temple 

of,  262 
Padmavati  (Book  XVII),  2 
Paes,  Domingos,  248m1,  249, 

250 
Paisacha    language,    60,    76, 

76m1,  89,  90,  91,  92,  93,  205 
Paisacha   marriage,    87,    200, 

205 
Paithana  or  Bathana,  60m1 
Palaka,    son    of    Chandama- 

hasena,  128,  151,  152' 
Palibothra   (Pataliputra),   17, 

17m2 
Pali  Miscellany,  V.  Trenckner 

(Milinda  Panho),  Yin1 
Palinurus,  190 
Pallisse,  La,  "  man  of  dough  " 

custom  in,  14m 
Pampadam    (antiquated    ear- 
ornament),  262 
Panams  (coins),  262,  263,  264 
Panas         (ancient         Indian 

weights),  63,  64m2,  233 
Pancha  (Book  XIV),  2 
Panchakshara  hymn,  264 
Pancha^ikha,  Gana  called,  83, 

85 
Panchatantra,    the,    20ft,    27, 

37m2,  39m2,  54m1,  63m1,  84;*, 

145m1,  157ft,  188m2 
Panchdyats  (councils),  259,  260 
Pandava  family,  95 
Pandiyan  country,  261 
PaJiho,  Milinda    (Pali  Miscel- 
lany), Trenckner,  12m1 
Panini,    a   pupil    of    Varsha, 

17m3,  32,  36 
Panini' s  grammar,  75 
Panjab,  28 

Panjab,  legend  of  the,  213 
Panzil  in  the  Sind  Valley,  38m 
Paphos,  276 
Parantapa,  King,  104 
Pardaos,  courtesan  owning  a 

hundred  thousand,  249 


Parikshit,  King,  95 
Parisishtaparvan,  Jacobi,  39m1, 

121m2,  228 
Pariz,    province   of   Kerman, 

214 
Parker,     E.     H.,    in    Asiatic 

Quarterly  Review,  214 
Parker,  Village  Folk-Tales  oj 

Ceylon,  157m2,  223,  226,  227 
Parsvanatha  Charitra,  222 
Parusha  (savage  wood),  9m2 
Parvati,  wife  of  Siva,  1,  2m2, 

3,  4,  6,  7,  10,  19m,  36,  53m1, 

202,  204,  264 
Patala,  the  underworld,  200, 

203 
Patall,    daughter     of     King 

Mahandravarman,    19,    23, 

24 
Pataliputra,  12,  17,  17m2,  18, 

i9,  21,  24,  31,  41,  106,  250 
Patar,  Patur,  Paturiya,  Hindu 

dancing-girls,  239,  240 
Pati  (temple  service),  264 
Paton,    L.    B.,    "  Atargatis,' 

Hastings'  Ency.  Rel.  Eth 

275,  275m2 
Patra  (actor),  239 
Pattana,  155m1 
Pattanam,  155m1 
Paulina,  wife  of  Saturninus 

145m1 
Paull,  Mrs,  trans,  of  Grimm's 

Fairy  Tales,  25 
Paumavai,  Queen,  224 
Pauranik  legends,  17m3 
Pelo  arriciato  (horripilation)  in 

Boccaccio,  120ft1 
Pendukal  (women),  261 
Penzer,  N.  M.,  Bibliography  of 

Sir  Richard  Burton,  234m2 

236ft3;    Selected   Papers   of 

Sir  Richard  Burton,  109m1 

217 
Perce  forest,  165 
Perceval,  romance  of,  165 
Percy,  Reliques,  165 
Persia,  use  of  kohl  in,  213-215 
Persian,  Bahar-i-Ddnish,  25 
Peru,  sacred  prostitution  in 

279 
Peterson,    P.,    editor    Dasa 

Kumdra-Charita ,  234ft4 
Petrus  Alfonsus,  169 
Peytan,  60ft1 
Phaedromus,  190 
Phallus  (guhya  or  lihga),  2ft2 

4m3,  13ft3,  14m,  15m,  125ft2 

275 
Pheng  or  kirni,  huge  bird  o 

Japan, 104 


Philemon  a 


INDEX  I-SANSKRIT  WORDS,  ETC. 


293 


lilemon  and  Baucis,  842 
4>tAo^€vSr/s,  Lucian's,  77ft1 
Phoenicia,  mother-goddess  in, 

268,  275,  276,  277 
Phcenix,  103,  104 
Phrygia,  Midas,  King  of,  20ft 
Pierret,  Die.  d'Arckcel.  Egypt, 

215 
Pillai,  title  of  the  ddsl  caste, 

259,  261 
Pinda   (ball   of    rice,   honey, 

milk,  etc.),  56m1 
"  Pinnes,  La  fete  des,"  14ft 
Pinal    tree,    marriage    to    a, 

239 
Pi-p'a-lo  (Berbera),  104 
Pir  Raukhan  (As.  Soc),  192 
Pisachas  or  demons,  7,  9,  10, 

76,  77,  89,  90,  92,  93,  197, 

205-206,  207 
Pisdcha    bhdshd,    goblin    lan- 
guage, 92 
Pisacha-veda    or    P  i  s  a  c  h  a- 

vidya,  a  science  called,  205 
Pisachi,     language     of     the 

Pisachas,  71ft1,  89,  92 
Pischel,     R.,     and      K.     F. 

Geldner,    Vedischc  Shidien, 

232ft1 
Plautius,  Curculio,  190 
Pliny,  Nat  Hist,  103,  222 
Plutarch's  Life  of   CamiUus, 

190 
Posidonius,  190 
Pouch er,   Perfumes   and   Cos- 
metics, 218 
Powell       and       Magnusson, 

Icelandic  Legends,  27,  44 
Prabandhacintdmani,  Tawney's 

trans.,  Biblio.  Indica.,  37ft2, 

39ft1,  47% 
Prabandhakosa,  47ft 
Pradakshina     (circumambula- 

tion),  191,  192 
Prajapati,    lords    of    created 

beings,  10,  10ft1 
Prajapati,    the     Daksha,     4, 

205 
Prajdpdtya  marriage,  87 
Prakrit,  58ft1,  71,  207 
Prakriti,  the  power  of  creat- 
ing material  world,  9,  9ft5 
Pramathas     (attendants     on 

Siva),  7,  7ft3 
Prasavya  (anti-sunwise  move- 
ment), 192 
Pratisakhya         (grammatical 

treatise),  12,  12ft2, 
Pratishthana,  60,  66,  79,  89 
Prescott,   The  History  of  the 

Conquest  of  Mexico,  116ft1 


Prester  John,  110ft1 

Prior's     Tale    of    the    Ladle, 

27 ;  Les  Quatre  Souhaits  de 

Saint  Martin,  27 
Prishadvara,  lady  named,  188 
Priyam,  5ft4 
Priye,  5ft4 

Prohle,  Kindermdrchen,  25 
Prositah,  83ft2 
Protrept,    Clem.    Alex.,    15ft, 

276 
Prudentius,    Ad    Gallicinium, 

77ft1 
Prym,  Eugen,  Syrische  Sagen 

u.  Mdrchen,  26,  97ft2,  125ft3 
Pterodactyls,  105 
Ptolemaic    story,    37ft2,    129, 

166,  167 
Ptolemy,  60ft1 
Puja  offerings  (worship),  244, 

245,  260,  261 
Pulinda,  savage  tribe  of,  76, 

117,  136,  152ft1 
Pulindaka,      King      of     the 

Pulindas,    136,    150,    152, 

183,  184 
Putnam  (Purusha,  the  spirit), 

9;t4 
Punjab.     See  Panjab 
Punyahavdchana      (holy  -  day 

blessing),  245 
Purdna,  Bhdgavata,  5m1 
Purdnas,  the,  10ft3,  57ft3,  198, 

200 
Puri  or  Jagannatha,  241,  242 
Pururavas,  King,  201 
Pushpadanta,    an    attendant 

of  Siva,6,7,9, 10,ll,53fti, 

60,  78,  82,  85,  91,  94 
Pustelu  (token  of  legal  mar- 
riage), 88 
Putraka,  19,20,  21,  22,23,26 
Pyjamas  (drawers),  253 

Rabbi  Benjamin  of  Tudela, 
Travels,  141n2 

Rdgini  (affection  and  red), 
140n2 

Rahu,  an  Asura,  200 

Rai  Bahadur  Hira  Lai, 
"  Human  Sacrifice  in  Cen- 
tral India,"  Man  in  India, 
116ft1 

Raja,  43 

Rajagriha,  18 

Rajahansa,  a  servant  of  King 
Satavahana,  70 

Rajaraja  the  Great,  247 

"  Rajasekhara  and  the  Home 
of  Paisachi,"  S.  Konow,  in 
Journ.  Roy.  As.  Soc,  93 


Rajasekhara,    Kdnyamimdmsa, 

92 
Rajatarahgini,  Sir  Aurel  Stein, 
63ft1 

Rajendra  Chola  I,  155ft1 

Rajendra  Lai  Mitra,  Dr,  20nx 

Rdjkanya,  sub-caste  of,  239 

Rajput  Talabhata,  151 

Rajput  Virabahu,  151 

Rdhshasa  form  of  marriage, 
87,  88,  205 

Rakshasa  named  Bhutivar- 
man,  76 

Rakshasa  named  Sthulasiras, 
10 

Rakshasas,  demons  hostile  to 
mankind,  10,  28,  42,  48, 
49,50,51,77,126,131,136, 
142,  143,  197,  203, 204-205, 
207 

Rakshasi,  a  female  demon, 
111,  111ft1,  112 

Ralston,  Russian  Folk-Tales, 
26,  82ft1,  104,  108ft1,  129, 
132,  136ft2;  Songs  of  the 
Russian  People,  191 

Ralston  and  Schiefner,  Tibetan 
Tales,  97ft2,  223,  226 

Rama,  142,  142ft2,  205 

Rama  Krishna,  257 

Ramaswami  Raju,  Tales  of  the 
Sixty  Mandarins,  131 

Rdmdyana,  the,  1ft2,  5ft5,  103, 
202,  205 

Ramazan,  30ft2 

Rangachari  and  Thurston, 
Castes  and  Tribes  of  Southern 
India.     See  Thurston 

Rapson,  E.  J.,  Catalogue  of  the 
Indian  Coins  in  the  British 
Museum,  64ft2 

Rasa  (juice),  212 

Rasa  (nectar,  emotion,  pas- 
sion), 126ft2 

Rasdnjana  (antimony),  212 

1 '  Rasavahini  Jambudipa  " 
story  in  The  Orientalist, 
101ft1 

Ratnagiri  district  of  Bombay, 
245 

Ratnaprabha  (Book  VII),  2 

Raul  (priest),  245 

Raurava,  hell  called,  56ft1 

Ravana,  chief  of  the  Rak- 
shasas, 103,  142ft2,  203, 205 

Rdwl  (story-teller),  43 

Rayar  (king),  261 

Rehatsek,  Edward,  236ft1 

Richard  III,  31ft2 

Rigg's  trans,  of  The  De- 
cameron, 148ft 


294 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


Rig-Veda,  the,  56ft,  103,  191, 

198,  199,  204,  232 
Rishi  (holy  sage),  67,  75ft2 
Risley,  H.,  Tribes  and  Castes 

of  Bengal,  243ft2 
Robinson,  H.  W.,  "Blood," 

Hastings'  Ency.  Rel.  Eth., 

98ft 
Roc  or  rukh,  103,  104 
Rochelle,   La,    phallic   cakes 

made  at  Saintonge,  near, 

14ft,  15ft 
Rockhill   and   Hirth's  trans. 

of  Chau  Ju-Kwa's  Chu-fan- 

ch'i,  241ft1 
Rogers,    T.,    trans,   of  Bud- 

dhaghosa's  Fables,  104 
Rokk,  103-105 
Roman    fascinum    (see     also 

guhya,  phallus  or  lingo),  13ft3 
Rome,  kohl  used  in  classical, 

218 
Rost,  Dr  Reinhold,  15ft1,  25, 

60ft1,  169 
Roth  and  Bohtlingk,  70ft1 
Roy,    P.    C,    trans,    of    the 

Mahabharata,  In2,  88 
Ruch  (to  please),  16ft2 
Rudra,  the  god,  198 
Rudrasarman,         Brahman 

named,  184-186 
Rukh  or  roc,  103-105 
Rumanvat,  minister  of  Uda- 

yana,  97, 121, 135, 136, 152, 

183,  184,  187 
Rupinika,   Story  of,  138-141, 

145-146,  148,  231 
Ruru,  Story  of,  188-189 
Russell,    R.    V.,    Tribes    and 

Castes  oj   the  Central  Pro- 
vinces, 242,  242ft2,  243,  245 
Rustam,  son  of  Zal,  103 
Ryder,     A.    W.,     trans,     of 

Mrichchhakatika,     or      Clay 

Cart,  118ft2,  235ft1 

Sa,  15ft1 

Saadi,  the  sermons  of,  192 
Sabbdrah  (aloe  plant),  81ft 
Sabr  (patience),  81ft 
Saccamkira-Jdkata,  101ft1 
Sddhu  (ascetic),  79ft1 
Sadhyas  or  Siddhas,  204 
Sage,  Le,  Le  Diable  Boiteux, 

148ft 
Sahasranlka,  King,  95-97, 102, 

120,  121 
Sahasra-Paku-Taila,  212 
St  Ambrose,  77ft1 
St   Augustine,   De  Civ.  Dei, 

276 


St     Hildegard     of    Bingen, 

Subtleties,  110ft1 
St     Jean     d'Angely,      cake 

custom  in,  15ft 
St  Nicolaus,  cake  custom  of, 

14ft 
Saintes,     custom     on     Palm 

Sunday  at,  14ft 
Saintonge,       phallic      cakes 

made  at,  14ft,  15ft 
Saintyves,    P.,   Les   Contes  de 

Perrault,29 
Saiva  sect,  244,  247 
Saiva  Vellalm,  263 
Saivite,  264 

Sakasana  and  Sakasana,  58ft2 
Sakatala,    minister    of    King 

Nanda,  39,  39ft1,  40,41,45, 
,  46,  50,  51,  53-55,  57 
Sakhas     (branches     of     the 

Vedas),  12ft2 
Sakko,  garden  made  by,  66ft1 
Saktideva,  108ft1 
SaktimatI,  wife  of  Dvipikarni, 

,   67 

SaktimatI,  wife  of  Samudra- 

datta,   161,  162,  163,   179, 

180 
Saktiyasas  (Book  X),  2 
Sakuntala,  88,  201 
Sdla  tree,  9 

Salisbury  service,  the,  77ft1 
Salivahana  (Satavahana),  60ft1 
Sal-Me  (natitu  or  inferior  wives 

of  the  god),  270 
Sama  (conciliation  or  hymn), 

64,  64ft*,  65 
Saman      (negotiation),      123, 

123ft2 
Samanta    (feudatory    or    de- 
pendent chief),  52,  52ft1 
Samantatah,  135ft2 
Samarddityasamkshepa,    1 1 8ft1, 

223 
Samarkand,  49ft1 
Samavati,  Queen,  104 
Sama  Vedas,  the,  62,  64,  65 
Sdmavidhdna   Brahmana,  Bur- 

nell,  12ft1 
Samayamatrika,    Kshemendra, 

236,  236ft45 
Sambhu  (Siva),  79,  79ft2 
Samoans,  30ft2 
Samson,  King,  121ft2 
Samudradatta,  162 
Sandabar,  the  Hebrew  Sindi- 

bad  Kama,  170 
Sandhya,  5 
Sandilya,  a  hermit,  95 
Sandrakottos  (Chandragupta), 

17ft3 


Sangataka,  a  story-teller,  106, 
120 

Sani,  Hindu  term  for  bogam, 

r  244 

Sankara     Svamin,     Brahman 

^  named,  13 

Sankha  (conch-shell),  212 

Sankrityanani,  a  female  as- 
cetic named,  188 

Sanskara  (tendency  produced 
by  some  past  influence), 
75ft3 

Sanskrit,  4ft1, 17ft3,  32ft1,  58ft1, 
60,  71,  74,  100ft1,  119ft1, 
192,  206,  221 

Sansovino,  44 

Sara  grass,  56ft 

Sarangi  (fiddle),  243 

Sarasvati,  goddess  of  elo- 
quence and  learning,  1ft4, 
18,  18ft1,  31,  31ft3,  41,  47, 
54,  71,  74,  137,  138,  243 

Saree  (coloured  wrapper),  253 

Sarivadi,  drugs  of,  212 

Sarpanit  (Ishtar),  271 

Sarva-gandha,  drugs  of,  212 

Sarvavarman,  minister  of 
Satavahana,  65,  70,  71,  72, 

,  74,  75,  75ft1,  76 

Sasankavati  (Book  XII),  2 

Sasnehe  (passionate),  96ft2 

Sastras,  the,  259 

Sata,  Yaksha  named,  67,  68 

Satanika,  grandfather  of 
Udayana,  95 

Satapatha  Brahmana,  191 

Satavahana,  King,  60,  60ft1, 
65,  67,  68,  70,  72,  75,  76, 
89,  90,  91,  94 

Sail  (good  woman),  54ft2; 
Brah manic  rite  of,  54ft2, 256 

Sattva  (full  of  life),  136,  136ft1 

Sattvaslla,  story  of,  in  Vetdla 
Panchavimsati,  108ft1 

Saturninus,  145ft1 

Savantvadi  state,  245 

Savara  (a  wild  mountaineer), 
100,  100ft1,  101,  102,  115, 
116,  152ft1 

Schene  (12,000  royal  cubits  of 
52  centimetres  each),  129 

Schiefner  and  Ralston's  Ti- 
betan Tales,  97ft2,  223,  226 

Schmidt,  Bernhard,  Griech- 
ische  Marchen,  77ft1,  188ft2 

Schmidt,  R.,  Beitrdge  zur 
Indischen  Erotik ;  das  hie 
besleben  des  Sanskritvolkes 
nach  den  Quellen  dargestellt, 
234ft1;  trans,  of  Snka 
Saptati,  170 


I 


INDEX  I-SANSKRIT  WORDS,  ETC. 


295 


choppner,      Sageiibuch      (or 
Geschichte)  der   Bayerischen 
Lande,  77ft1, 129 
Schrad  er,         Keilinschiiftliche 

Bibliothek,  273ft2,  274ft1 
Scribe  Atef,  216 
Seeley,  Dragons  of  the  Air,  105 
Semitic  mother-goddess,  the, 

271 
Semitic  origin  of  Ishtar,  271 

Semtet,  or  act  of  applying  kohl 
to  the  eyes,  215 

Semti,  the  part  of  the  eye 
painted  with  kohl,  215 

Sengterklas  (Lower  German 
cake  festival),  14ft 

Sennacherib,  215 

Sesha,  form  of  marriage,  245 

Sesha,  the  thousand-headed 
serpent,  109ft2 

Sewell,  R.,  155ft1 ;  A  Forgotten 
Empire,  248ft1 

Sha'aban  (eighth  month  of 
Muslim  year),  30ft2 

Shah  Jahan,  the  Emperor, 
231,  238 

Shaitanpurah  or  Devilsville, 
237 

Shakespeare,  Cymbeline,  49ft1, 
165  ;  Hamlet,  76ft2 ;  Measure 
for  Measure,  50ft2 

Shama  Sastri,  R.,  trans,  of 
Arthasastra,  233ft1 

Shamash,  270 

Shamkhdti  (joy-maiden),  272, 
273 

Shardb  (wine),  81ft 

Shaykh  'Izzat  Ullah,  Gul-i- 
Bakdwati  or  "  Rose  of  Baka- 
wall,"  43 

Shenk  or  chank,  256,  258 

Shenkottah,  261 

Sheol  (Hades),  273,  274 

Shertallay,  261 

Shortt,  John,  "The  Baya- 
dere :  or,  Dancing  Girls  of 
Southern  India,"  Memoirs 
read  before  the  Anthropologi- 
cal Society  of  London,  252, 
253,  253ft1,  254 

Shurrdbeh  (tassel),  81ft 

Si  (to  run  away),  278 

Sibyl,  story  of  the,  91ft1 

Siddhas,  independent  super- 
humans,  3,  89,  197,  204 

Siddhikarl,  157-158,  174-176 

Siddhi  Kur,  Relations  of,  20ft, 

.  25 

Sidney  Hartland.     See  Hart- 
land,  E.  S. 
Sigfrid,  48ft2 


Sikander  Lodi,  231 

Sikes,  Wirt,  British    Goblins, 

76ft2 
Simhdsana  -  dvdtrimsikd     or 
Thirty -Two     Tales    of    a 
Throne,  186ft1 
Simrock,      Deutsche       Volks- 

bucher,     24ft1,     97ft2,     129, 

137ft1,  141ft2 
Simourg,  or  Garuda  bird,  105 
Simurgh,  later  Persian  name 

for  Garuda  bird,  103 
Sinai,  Moses  on,  217 
Sinamru,    Persian    name    for 

Garuda  bird,  103 
Sinclair,  Statistical  Account  of 

Scotland,  191 
Sindbad,  the  second  voyage 

of,  103 
Sindban,  170,  186ft1 
Sindibdd  Kama,  the,  170, 186ft1 
Sinhagupta,    Rajput    named, 

72,  73 
Sippar  or  Larsa,  270 
Siraj   Ul  Hassan,   Tribes  and 

Castes  ofH.E.H.  the  Nizarns 

Dominions,  244,  244ft1 
Sir  dhankdi  (rite  of  covering 

the  head),  240 
Siripolemaios,  60ft1 
Sirlsha  flower,  69 
Sirkar,  261 
Sita,  103 
Sltkdra      (drawing      in      the 

breath),  1ft5 
Siva,  1, 1ft2- 4, 2ft2, 3, 3ft4,  4, 4ft3, 

5,5ft2'5,  6,6ft12,  7,  7ft3,  9, 

10,  10ft1,  11,  17,  19,  19ft1, 

20ft1,  32,  58,  77,  79ft2,  83, 

86,  91,  94,  95,  95ft1,  99, 108, 

125,  125ft2,  146ft2,  156,  174, 

200,  202,  239,  244, 247,  255, 
,  264,272 

Sivaratri,  festival  of,  262 
Sivavarman,        a        minister 

named,  51,  52 
Sivi,  story  of  King,  84,  84ft2 
Skanda      (Karttikeya),      19, 

19ft1,  74,  74ft2 
Slave  Coast  of  West  Africa, 

277 
Sleeman,  W.  H.,  Rambles  and 

Recollections   of  an    Indian 

Official,  238ft1 
Sloka,  74 
Smith,  V.  A.,  Oxford  History 

of  India,  250ft1 
Sneha  (love  and  oil),  96ft2 
Sobhd,  13ft1 
Socin,    Prym     and,    Syrische 

Mdrchen,  26,  97ft2,  125ft3 


Solomon,  the  ring  of,  guarded 

by  fiery  serpents,  204 
Soma   (Asclepias  acida),   12ft1, 

200 
Somadatta,   father   of   Vara- 

ruchi,  11 
Somadatta,  son  of  Govinda- 

datta,  85 
Somadeva,  Kathd  Sarit  Sdgara, 
^  17ft3,  25,  42,  232,  236 
Somasarman,  Brahman  called, 

60 
Sonahri  Rani,  129 
Sonnerat  (1782),  250 
Spenser's    girdle    of     Flori- 

mel,  derivation  of,  165 
Speyer,  Studies  about  the  Kathd- 

saritsdgara,  122ft4 
Srdddha,    ceremony    of,     56, 
,  56ft1,  57,  279 
Sraddhd  (faith,  trust,  belief), 
,  56ft1 
Sri,  daughter  of  King  Siisar- 

man,  80 
Sri,  the  goddess,  80,  119 
Srlchanda,  father  of  Sundari, 

,   116  " 

Srldatta,  i.e.  "given  by  For- 
tune," 106-109,  111-119 

Srinjaya,  story  in  Mahdbhdr- 
ata,  20ft 

Sripati  Roy,  Customs  and  Cus- 
tomary Law  in  British  India, 
88 

Sripati  Varma,  75ft1 

Sri  Puliman,  of  the  Andhra 
Dynasty,  60ft1 

Srutartha,  mother  of  Gun- 
adhya,  60,  61 

SrutimatI,  Queen,  226 

Stanislas,  Julien,  trans,  of 
Avaddnas,  26 

Steel  and  Temple,  Wide- 
Awake  Stories,  28,  130,  131 

Stein,  Sir  Aurel,  38ft; 
Rdjatarangini,  63ft1 

Stein  and  Grierson,  Hatims 
Tales,  38ft,  81ft,  163ft 

Sterria  Coothoo  dance,  254 

Stevenson,  Mrs  S.,  The  Rites 
of  the  Twice-born,  56ft1 

Sthulakesa,  a  hermit  named, 
188 

Sthulasiras,  a  Rakshasa 
named,  10 

Stokes,  Miss,  Indian  Fairy 
Tales,  26,  43,  129,  131 

Strack,  Das  Blut  im  Glauben 
u.  Aber glauben  der  Men- 
schheit,  98ft 

Straparola,  Nights,  44,  46ft2 


296 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


Stupas,  125ft1,  192 
Subandhu,  Brahman  named, 

57 
Suchindram  temple,  263 
Sudhadhauta  (whitened   with 

plaster),  125ft1 
Sudra  caste,  87,  200,  245 
Suka  Saptati,  the,  46ft2,  162ft1, 

169,  170 
Sukkar    nebat    (sugar-candy), 

81ft 
Sulayman,    mouth    like    the 

ring  of,  30ft2 
Sultan  of  Babylon,  24ft1 
Sultan   Mahmud   of  Ghazni, 

231 
Sultanate  of  Delhi,  237,  248 
Sumatra,  155ft1 
Sumerian  goddesses,  271 
Sumerian  laws,  269 
Sumerian    ruler,  Gilgamesh, 

273 
Sumerian  women,  215 
Sumsumara-Jataka,  224 
Sundarl,  wife  of  Sridatta,  116, 

119 
Sunnats  (practices  of  the  cir- 
cuit), 192 
Suparna  or  Garuda,  103 
Supatta-Jfitaka,  224 
Supratika,  a  Yaksha  named,  7 
Supratika,    t  commander  -  in  - 

chief  of  Satanlka,  95,  97 
Supratishthita,  city  of,  7,  60 
Sura  (god),  199 
Surasena,  King,  117,  119 
Surma  or  kohl,  211,  212-213 
Surma-dan  (toilet  boxes),  212 
Surmah,  Persian  term  for  kohl, 

214-215,  218 
Suratamanjari  (Book  XVI),  2 
Suryaprabha  (Book  VIII),  2 
Susarman,  King,  80,  83,  85 
Sushena,  King,  202 
Susruta    Samhitd,    Bhishgrat- 

na's  translation,  211-212 
Sutra,  75 
Sutrapatam  akarot  (she  tested), 

184ft4 
Suttee  {satl,  i.e.  good  woman), 

54ft2,  279 
Suvannakakkata-Jataka,  223 
Svamin,  Sankara,  13 
Svarga,  59 
Svayamvara  form  of  marriage, 

88 
Svend,  Danish  story  of,  48ft2 
Swan's  edition   of  the  Gesta 

Romanorum,  101ft1 
Swarnamula, mountain  called, 

143 


Sweden,  figure  of  a  girl  eaten 

in,  14ft 
Swynnerton,    Indian    Nights' 

Entertainments,  81ft,  168 
Syandana  (horses  ?),  126ft1 
Sykes,  History  of  Persia,  103 
Sykes,  Sir  Percy,  214 
Syllable  Om,  the,  17,  17ft1 
Syntipas,  the,  170,  186ft1 
Syracuse,  cake  ceremonies  at, 

15ft 
Syria,  268,  275-277 

Tabla  (drum),  243 

Tabor,  11 

Tacitus,  Ann.,  103 

Tah,  15ft1 

Taikkizhavi  (old  mother),  262 

Tai-Pongal,  festival  of,  262 

Talabhata,  Rajput  named,  151 

Tali   (marriage   token),   255, 

256,  258, 259,  260,  261,  263, 

264 
Tali-cheri-pendugal  (women  of 

the  temple),  247 
Tarn,  61ft3 

Tamil,  Alakesa  Katha,  101ft1 
Tamil  inscriptions,  247,  247ft1 
Tamil  Padam  (Nayar  dancing- 

girls),  261 
Tamil  settlements,  155ft1 
Tamil  Sudra  women,  262 
Tammuz,  lover  of  Ishtar,  273, 

274 
Tamralipta,    153,    154,    164, 

172-174 
Tanith    or   Ashtart  (Ishtar), 

276 
Tanjavur  (Tanjore),  247 
Tanjore,  247 

Tankam  (5  annas,  4  pies),  256 
Tansen,  musician  at  Akbar's 

court,  238,  234 
Tanus  (forms),  4ft3 
Tapas  (austerities),  79ft1 
Taraka,  5 
Taranatha,       Geschichte      des 

Buddhismus  in  Indien,  ueber- 

setzt  von  Schiefner,  69ft* 
Taranga,  184ft4 
Tari,  Government  monopoly 

of,  241 
Tat,  15ft1 
Tassy,   Garcin   de,   "  L'inex- 

orable    Courtisane    et    les 

Talismans,"  Revue  Orientate 

et  Americaine,  28 
Tatsanchayaya,  5ft4 
Tavernier,  Jean  Baptiste,  241 
Tavernier,    Travels   of,   trans. 

by  V.  Ball,  241ft3 


"Tawaf,"   circumambulation 

at  Mecca,  192 
Tawciif  caste,  239,  240,  244 

f  awney,  C.  H.,  26,  32ft2,  58ft2, 
67ft1,  74ft1,  139ft1,  155ft1, 
191 ;  Kathakoca,  40ft,  48ft2, 
101ft1, 121ft2,  223,  224,  226  ; 
Prabandhacintamani,  37ft2, 
39ft1,  47ft 

Tayakimcanyadinaya,  62  ft2 

Teixeira,  Relaciones  .  .  . 
de  Persia,  y  de  Harmuz, 
214 

Telugu  dancing-girls,  244 

Telugu  settlements,  155ft1 

Temal  Ramakistnan  (Indian 
jester),  43 

Temple,  Sir  Richard  C,  154ft1 

Temple  and  Steel,  Wide- 
Awake  Stories,  28,  130, 
131 

Tevadiyal  (servant  of  the  god), 
26i 

Tevadiyan  (male  servant  of 
the  god),  261 

Thebes,  sacred  prostitution 
in,  276 

Thesmorphoria,  festival  of 
(Greece),  15ft1 

Thevenot  (1661),  250 

Thomas,  F.  W.,  "Animals 
Hastings'  Ency.   Rel.  Eth.y 
134ft1 

Thomas  of  Cantimpre,  110ft1 

Thompson,  R.  Campbell,  215  ; 
"The  Golden  Age  of  Ham 
murabi,"  Cambridge  Ancient 
Histoiy,  271ft1 

Thorburn,  Bannu  or  our 
Afghan  Frontier,  43 

Thorndike,  A  History  of 
Magic  and  Experimental 
Science,  77ft1 

Thorpe,  Scandinavian  Tales, 
25  :  Yule-tide  Stories,  48ft2, 
147ft2,  166 

Thoth,  the  book  of,  37ft2, 129, 
130 

Thucyd.,  151ft1 

Thurston,  Castes  and  Tribes 
of  Southern  India,  234ft3, 253, 
258,  258ft2,  259,  265  ;  Ethno- 
graphical Notes  in  Southern 
India,  258ft2 

Thusa-Jataka,  223 

Tiberius,  the  Emperor,  145ft1 

Tibet,  242ft3 

Tibetan  Himalayas,  Mt 
Kailasa  in  the,  2ft2 

Tilaka  (mark  on  the  fore- 
head), 69ft3 


INDEX  I -SANSKRIT  WORDS,  ETC. 


'ilottama,    Apsaras    named, 

96,98,99 
Tirhutia  Brahman,  a,  50ft1 
Tirukkalyanam,    festival    of, 

1263 
'itthayaras,  longing  to   hear 
the  teachings  of,  226 
nahsit,   Egyptian    story  of, 
167 
odu  (ear-pendants),  262 
Tragacanth       gum,      surmak 

^made  from,  214 
ravancore,  temple  at,  246, 
261,  262 

Trenckner,V.,  Pali  Miscellany, 
12ft1 

Trentino  district  of  the  Tyrol, 
cake  custom  in  the,  14ft 

Trevenot  (1661),  250 

Tridham,  drunk  by  dancing- 
girl,  258 

Trilochana  Dasa,  75ft1 

Triphala,  juice  of,  used  in 
anjanas,  212 

Tripurari  (Siva),  95ft1 

Tristan,  165 

Trumbull,  The  Blood  Cove- 
nant, 98ft 

Tshi-speaking  peoples,  277 

Tulava,  temple  at,  252 

Tungabhadra,  248 

Tutia  (Persian  preparation  for 
the  eyes),  213,  214 

Tuti-Nama,  Nakhshabi,  43, 
168,  170 

Tvam,  61ft3 

Tyrol  (Ulten  in  the  Tren- 
tino district),  cake  custom 
in  the,  14ft 


Udaka,  69,  69ft* 

Udakaik  (plural  instrumental 
case  of  udaka),  69ft4 

Udaya  (prosperity),  121ft3 

Udayana,  King  of  Vatsa,  94, 
96,  99,  100,  101,  120-124, 
128,  133-138,  149-153,  182- 
184,  187-189 

Ugolino,  40ft3 

Uhland, "  Der  Graf  von  Rom," 
166 

Ujjayini,  9,  46ft2,  76,  111,  112, 
122,  124,  125ft1,  127,  134, 
135,  137,  151,  153 

Ulki  or  godani  (process  of  pro- 
curing moles),  50ft 

Ulten  in  the  Tyrol,  14ft 

Uma  (Parvati),  6,  79,  79ft2 

Ungnad,  A.,  and  J.  Kohler, 
Hammurabi  s  Gesetz,  270ft1 


Upakosa,  wife  of  Vararuchi, 
28,  30,  31,  32,  33,  34,  35, 
36,  41,  42,  54,  167 

Upama,  30ft2 

Upanayana,  "  sacred  thread" 
ceremony,  55ft1 

Upanishads,  the,  10ft3,  242ft3 

Upavarsha,  brother  of  Varsha, 
13,  17,  30,  31,  36,  54 

Upayas  (the  means  of  suc- 
cess), 123ft2 

Upendrabala,  friend  of  Sri- 
datta,  107 

Ur,  the  moon-god  wor- 
shipped in,  270 

Urvasi,  wife  of  King  Puru- 
ravas,  201 

Usinara,  Mount,  18,  18ft3 

Uttama,  30ft2 

Uttara  Rama  Charita,  the, 
184ft2 

Utpaladi,  drugs  of,  212 

Utsavas,  the  two,  262 


Vadda,  caste  of,  258,  258ft1 
Vaishnava  sect,  240,  243,  244, 

247' 
Vaishnavite,  264 
Vaisravana,  or  Kuvera,  202 
Vaisvanara,  Brahman  named, 

78,  78ft1 
Vaisya  caste,  87,  200 
Vajasaneyi  Samhita,  the,  232 
Vajrasmushti,  friend  of  Sri- 

datta,  107 
Valangai  (right  hand),  260 
Valentine  and  Orson,    story 

of,  103 
Valerius  Flaccus,  Argon,  190 
Valiya  Sri-kariyakkar,  263 
Vallabhasakti,  King,  107, 110 
Vanaparva,  the,  51ft1 
Vanara-Jataka,  224 
Vanarinda-Jataka,  225 
Vara  (excellent),  16ft2 
"  Vararuchi  as  a  Guesser  of 
Acrostics,"  G.  A.  Grierson, 
Ind.  Ant.,  50ft1 
Vararuchi  or  Pushpadanta,  7, 
9,  11,  16,  1W,  18,  24,  30, 
34,  38,  40,  45,  49,  50,  53, 
53ft1,  54,  58,  59,  75ft1,  92 
Varnas     (or     four      original 

castes),  87 
Varnhagen,  "  Ein  indisches 
Marchen  auf  seiner  Wan- 
derung  durch  die  asiatis- 
chen  und  europaischen 
Litteraturen,"  Saturday 
Review,  40n 


297 

Varsha,  teacher  of  Vararuchi, 
11,  13,  16,  17,  18,  24,  31, 
36,  55 

Varuna,  the  divine  iudge, 
198,  200 

Vasantaka,  friend  of  Uda- 
yana, 97,  121,  136-138,  149, 
150-153,  164,  187-189 

Vasantasena,  87 

Vasavadatta,  wife  of  Udayana, 
122,  128,  134-135,  137,  138, 
149,  150,  151-153,  164,  182- 
184,  187-189,  190,  191,  227 

Vasavl,  Queen,  223 

Vasu  named  Vidhuma,  96 

Vasudatta  (mother  of  Vara- 
ruchi), 11 

Vasuki,  King  of  the  Nagas,  61, 
61ft1,  100,  100ft2,  122,  122ft1 

Vasunemi,  brother  of  Vasuki, 
100 

Vatsa,  Udavana,  King  of,  94, 
96,  99,  100,  101,  120-124, 
128,  133-138,  149-153,  182- 
184,  187-189 

Vatsa  and  Gulma,  two  Brah- 
mans  named,  60,  61 

Vatsyayana,  Kama  Sutra,  48ft, 
234,  234ft2,  236 

Vattappalli  Muttatu,  263 

Vayu  Pur  ana,  the,  200 

Veckenstedt,  Wendische 
Sagen,  26,  51ft1,  108ft3,  129, 
141ft2 

Vedakumbha,  instructor 
named,  79 

Vedas,  the,  12ft1,  17,  18,  65, 
198,200,201,203,205 

Vela  (Book  XI),  2 

Veli  (26,755  square  metres), 
247,  247ft2 

VeUala,  caste  of,  259,  261,  264 

Vera  Paz,  Guatemala,  168 

Vergilius,  Zauberer,  story  of 
the,  24ft1 

VesalT,  sacred  tank  in,  225 

Vetala  Panchavhmati,  the, 
82ft1,  108ft1 

Vetalas  (goblins  or  vampires), 
136,  136ft2,  197,  206 

Vetasa,  city  of,  12 

Vibhishana,  King  of  the 
Rakshasas,  142-144 

Vidhuma,  Vasu  named,  96 

Vidhurapandita-Jataka,  122ft2 

Vidyddhara  (possessing  spells 
and  witchcraft),  203,  204 

Vidyadharas  (independent 
superhumans),  2,  3,  6,  89, 
94,  100,  128,  152,  188,  197, 
203,  204 


298 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


Vidyutprabha,  grand- 

daughter of  Bali,  108 
Vigatabhaya,   uncle    of  Sri- 

datta,  106,  107,  118 
Vighnesa,    form    of  Ganesa, 

lft4 
Vigneau,  M.  du,  Secretaire 
Turc,  contenant  V Art  d'ex- 
primer  ses  pensees  sans  se 
voir,  sans  se  parler,  et  sans 
secrire,  81ft 
Vijayanagar,   233,    237,   248, 

249,  266 
Vikramaditya,  King,  46ft2 
Vikramasakti,  107,  110,  111, 

119 
Vinashta  (deformed),  185 
Vinashtaka,  184,  185 
Vinata,    mother    of   Garuda, 

143ft2 
Vinayaka,   form    of   Ganesa, 

lft4 
Vindhya  forest,  7,  9, 30, 59, 76, 
114,  119, 133, 134, 136,  152, 
153,  182  ;  hills,  7ft4,  9ft1,  60, 
66,  76, 116, 152 ;  mountains, 
10,  22  ;  range,  92, 133, 134, 
136,  182 
Virabahu  a  Rajput,  151 
Virachita,  an  attendant  of  the 

harem,  187 
Virarajendra,   inscription   of, 

155ft1 
Visakhila,  62,  63 
Vishamasila  (Book  XVIII),  2 
Vishnu,    4ft2,   DM*,  80,  96ft1, 
103,  108,  108^2,  109,  143k1, 
144,  145,  192, 200,  201,  242, 
244,  256,  266 
Vishnugupta  or  Kautilya,  233 
Vishnumati,  95 
Vishnu  Purdna,  the,  In2,  103, 

200,  201,  202,  231 
Vishnusakti,      daughter     of, 

70,'  73 
Visvadatta,  Brahman  named, 

117 
Visvamitra,    a    hermit,    111, 

201 
Visvesvara,  commentaries  of, 

75ft1 
Vita  {roue),  64,  64ft4,  65 
Vizagapatam      district      of 

Madras,  213 
Vodu-si  (consecrated  persons), 

278 
Vritam,  141ft2 
Vritti  (gloss),  75ft1 
Vyadi,  brother  of  Indradatta, 
11,  12,  16,  17,  1W,  30,  31, 
36,  38,  39,  40 


Vyaghrabhata,  107 
Vyasana     (vices     of     kings), 
124n» 


Wadia,  "  Folk-Lore  in  West- 
ern India,"  Ind.  Ant,  131 

Waldau,  B'ohmische  Marchen, 
20»,  26 

Ward,  W.,  A  View  of  the 
History,  Literature  and  Re- 
ligion of  the  Hindoos,  241, 
241ft4,  242 

Ward,  W.  H.,  The  Seal 
Cylinders  of  Western  Asia, 
272ft3 

Warren,  Niraydvaliyd  Sutta, 
223 

Waters,  W.  G.,  trans,  of 
Straparola,  46ft2 

Weber,  Eastern  Romances,  25 

Wellcome  Historical  Museum, 
216 

Welsford,Macculloch,  Crooke 
and,  "  Serpent- Worship," 
Hastings'  Ency.  ReL  Eth., 
203,  204 

Westermarck,  Marriage  Cere- 
monies in  Morocco,  217 

Wheeler  (1707),  250 

Wilkinson,  Manners  and 
Customs  of  the  Ancient 
Egyptians,  215 

Williams,  Monier,  12ft2,  Sin1, 
59m1,  63ft1,  69ft3,  79W1,  124ft1 

Wills,  Dr,  editor  of  Hajji 
Baba  of  Ispahan,  214 

Wilson,  Collected  Works,  In2, 
25,  60m1;  Descriptive  Cata- 
logue of  the  Mackenzie  MSS., 
131;  editor  of  Dasa-Kumara- 
Charita,  234,  234ft4 ;  Essays 
on  Sanskrit  Literature,  In*, 
17ft3,  75ft1,  147ft2,  162-w1; 
Hindu  Theatre,  57ft3,  USn2; 
Vishnu  Purdna,  In2,  200 

Wirt  Sikes,  British  Goblins, 
76n2 

Wortham,  B.  Hale,  metrical 
version  of  the  "Story  of 
Devasmita,"  Journ.  Roy. 
As.  Soc,  172-181 

Wratislaw  on  life-index  in 
South  Slavonia,  132 

Wright,  Th.,  Gesta  Roman- 
orum,  116ft2;  Latin  Stories, 
169 

Yajnadatta,  19,  20,  21 
Yajnasoma,  Brahman  named, 
106 


ical 


- 


Yaksha  (possessed  of  magica 

powers),  203 
Yakshas,  servants  of  the  gods, 

7,   10,  37ft2,  51ft1,  67,  77, 

109,  118,  162, 163, 179, 180, 

197,  203,  262 
Yamadamshtra,  chief  of  the 

Asuras,  95 
Yamuna,  the   river  (Jumna), 

7ft4 
Yaugandharayana,      minister 

of  the  King  of  Vatsa,  97, 

121-124,   135-138,   150-153, 

184,  187 
Yggdrasil        (Scandinavian 

wishing-tree),  144ft1 
Yoga  (magic),  38ft,  40ft1 
Yoga  (meeting),  263 
Yogakarandika,      a      female 

ascetic    called,    156,    158, 

159,  161 
Yogananda,    King,  40ft1,  41, 

45,  46,  49,  51,  53,  54,  55, 

57 
Yogandhara,       minister 

Satanika,  95,  97 
Yogattil  Potti,  263 
Yogesvara,      a       Brahma  n- 

Rakshasa,  136,  136ft3,  137ft1 
Yojanas    (measures     of    dis- 
tance), 3,  3ft1,   144,   144ft3, 

151,  152 
Yoshitd,  15ft 
Yoshitah,  15ft 
Yudhishthira,  51ft1 
Yule    and    Burnell,    Hobson 

Jobson,  242ft1,  250ft2 
Yule  and  Cordier,  The  Book 

of  Ser  Marco   Polo,  63ft1, 
104,  105,  141ft2,  213,  241ft2, 

242ft3, 247ft3  ;  Cathay  and  the 
Way  Thither,  63m1,  104 

Zal,    father    of    the    hero 

Rustam,  103 
Zanzibar,    bags    for    holding 

kohl  in,  217 
Zauberer  Vergilius,   story  of 

the,  24ft1 
Zend,    fabulous   bird  of  the 

(Eorosh),  104 
Zermashitu     (seed-purifying) 

270 
Zermashitu    or    zikru    (vowed 

women),  270 
Zikru,  concubines  of  the  god, 

270 
Zingerle,   Kinder   und   Haus- 

mdrchen,  26 
Zoroaster,  Avesta,  199 
Zulm  (Arabic  injustice),  124"1 


INDEX  II 

GENERAL 


Abbess      and      mystic,      St 

Hildegard       of       Bingen, 

Subtleties,  110ft1 
Abbeys      in      province       of 

Maabar,,  247 
Abode  of  Siva  (Mt  Kailasa),  3 
Abode  of  Snow  (Himalaya), 

2ft2 
Aboriginal   tribes    of    India, 

Dasyus     connected      with 

the,  206-207 
Abuse,  vice  of,  124ft1 
Acacia,  heart  placed  on  the 

top  of  the   flower  of  the, 

129 
Accomplishments    found     in 

the  courtesan,  all  female, 

235,  252 
Account      of      the      Buddhist 

Literature  oj  Nepal,  20ft2 
Acquiring  wealth  by  a  dead 

mouse,  63 
Acrobats,  240 
Act  of  applying  kohl  to  the 

eyes,  or  semtet,  215 
Act  of  truth  motif,  166,  167 
Actor  (patra),  239 
Adamant,    Daitya    cased   in, 

126,  127 
Adders,  188,  188ft1,  189 
Addiction    to    women,     vice 

of,  124ft1 
Ad    Gallicinium,    Prudentius, 

77ft1 
Adorable  god  (Siva),  9 
Adorning  the  forehead  with 

marks   which    never   fade, 

100 
Advent  of  British  in   India, 

239 
14  Adventure     of   Satni-Kha- 

mois  with  the  Mummies," 

37ft2,  129 
Adventures  of  Krishna,  231 
Adventures  of  the  Ten  Princes — 

Dasa-Kumara-Charita,  Dan- 
din,  trans,  by  P.  W.  Jacob, 

234,  234ft* 
Advice  from  a  roue,   64 ;   to 

courtesan,    140;   to    Yoga- 

nanda  by  Vyadi,  40 

299 


Mpyornis      of      Madagascar, 

Bianconi,  105 
Msops  Fables,  Jacob,   101ft1, 

171 
Affection  (ragini),  140,  140ft2; 

of    Vasavadatta    for    Uda- 

yana,  150,  164 
Age,    feminine   form  of  old, 
_  121ft2 
A* in  - 1 -  Akbari,   Abu  - 1  -  Fazl, 

237ft1 
Air,  spirits  of  the,  87 ;  voice 

from  the,  152 
Alabaster  coffer,  soul  put  in 

an,  132 
Alabaster   tubes   for   mestein, 

215 
Alakesa  Katha,  101ft1 
Albanian  Tales,  Dozon,  20ft 
Alcohol,      meaning     of    the 

word,  211 
Ally  of  Udayana,   Pulindaka 

an,  136 
Alms  distributed  by  Putraka, 

21 
Aloe-plant  (sabbarah),  81ft 
Alternative       to       enforced 

prostitution,  275,  276 
A  Itindische     Schelmenbiicher, 

J.  J.  Meyer,  236ft,2'4 
Ambergris,    a   crumb    of    (a 

mole),  49ft1 
American   (South)    language 

of  signs,  82ft 
Am.  Journ.  Phil,  118ft2 
Am.  Journ.  Sem.  Lang.,  Lyon 

and  Johns  in,  271ft1 ;  "  The 

Temple  Women  of  the  Code 

of    Hammurabi,"     D.     D. 

Luckenbill,  271ft1 
Amorous     life     of    Krishna, 

songs  of  the,  245 
Amulet  against  poison,  stone 

from  the  head  of  a  snake 

as,  110ft1 
"  Amys  and  Amy  lion,"  Early 

English      Romances,      Ellis, 

97ft2 
Analysis,  Douce,  169 
Ananga-Ranga ,    the    Kalyfina 

Malla,  236,  236ft3 


Anarchical  period,  238-239 
"Ancestor-Worship  (Indian)," 

W.  Crooke,  Hastings'  Ency. 

Rel.  Eth.,  56ft1 
Ancient    Egypt,    custom    of 

applying  kohl  to  the   eyes 

in,  215-216  * 
Ancient  India,  rock-carvings 

of,  30ft2;    sacred  prostitu- 
tion in,  232-233 
Ancient  Indian  weights,  64, 

64ft2 
"  Ancient  Manual  of  Sorcery, 

An,"  A.  Bart,  Melusine,  12ft1 
Anemone,   cheeks   like   the, 

30ft2 
Anger,   charm  against,  56ft; 

horripilation    usually    pro- 
duced by,  120ft1 
Anglicised  corruption  of  Jag- 

annatha  (Juggernaut),  242 
Angry  with  adders  yet  killing 

water-snakes,  188,  189 
Animal   (sattva),    136ft1;    and 

human  dohadas,  222,  223- 

225  ;    conversations,    48ft2 ; 

gold-producing,  20ft 
Animal  life,   Ishtar  goddess 

of,  272 
"Animals,"   F.   W.   Thomas, 

Hastings'   Ency.  Rel.  Eth., 

134ft1 
Animals  listen  to  the  Great 

Tale,  90 
Animals,     men     hidden     in 

imitation,  133,  133ft1,  134 
Animating  a  dead  body,  37ft2, 

204,  206 
Ann.,  Tacitus,  103 
Annual  journey  of  Ishtar  to 

the  underworld,  273,  274 
Annual  payment  of  deva-dasis 

to  the  temple,  252 
Annual  rent-roll  of  the  temple 

of  Jagannatha,  242 
Anointing   of   Hindu   kings, 

187ft2 ;  of  the  daughter  of 

Vishnusakti,  73,  73ft2 
Ant,   simile   of  mole  as   an, 

49ft1 
Ant.  Jud.,  145ft1 


300 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


Nights, 


Anthropological  Society 
of  London,  Memoirs  read 
before  the,  253ft1 

Antimony  among  Moham- 
medans, origin  of  the  use 
of,  213 

Antimony  {rasdnjana),  212 ; 
sesquisulphuret  of,  215 ; 
trisulphide,  211;  ore, 
powdered,  211 

Antiquity  of  the  use  of  kohl, 
215 

Ape  Nephrit,  the,  216 

Apes,  9 

Appearance  of  darbha  grass, 
56/i ;  of  Dasyus,  206-207 

Arabia  Deserla,  Doughty,  217 

Arabian  fiction,  snakes  in, 
101ft1 

Arabian  method  of  carrying 
money,  117,  117ft3 

Arabian  name  for  Garuda 
bird,  'anqa  (long-necked), 
104 

Arabian  Nights,  The,  Burton 
(see  Nights),  In1,  etc. 

Arabian  Nights,  The,  Lane,  Sin 

Arabian  tale  in  the 
27,  28 

Arabic  kusliartrah  (horripila- 
tion), 1201 

Archaeological  Reports,  A.  Cun- 
ningham, 238ft1 

Archaeological  Survey  of  India, 
155ft1,  247ft1 

Archers,  24ft2 

Architecture,  108  mystic 
number  in,  242ft3 

Archivio,  Hartland,  168 

Areca  nuts,  255 ;  distribution 
of,  244 ; 

Argon,  Valerius  Flaccus,  190 

"  Arme  Heinrich,  Der,"  Sim- 
rock's  Deidsche  Volksbiicher, 
97ft2 

Armed  men  concealed  in 
artificial  elephant,  133, 
133ft1,  134 

Arms,  30;  force  of  all  four, 
24,  24ft2 

Army,  dust  from  the  tramp- 
ling of  an,  182,  182ft1,  183ft 

Arrival  of  Gunadhya  at 
Satavahana's  court,  65 

Arrogant  spirit  (Brahma),  10, 
10ft2 

Arrow  of  bewilderment,  184, 
1 84ft2  ;  of  love  that  cleaves 
the  armour  of  self-restraint, 
126 

Arrows  of  love,  31,  32 


Art,  Ishtar  in,  272 

"Art  of  Entering  Another's 

Body,"    Bloomfield,    Proc. 

Am.  Philos.  Soc,  38ft 
"Art     of     Stealing,     The," 

Bloomfield,  118ft2 
Art     of    weaving     unfading 

garlands,  100 
Arthasastra,  a  work  on  Hindu 

polity,  233,  233ft1,  265 
Article,  gold-producing,  20ft; 

test   of  chastity,   42,   165- 

168 ;       within       numerous 

other  articles,  131-132 
Articles,  of  chastity,  42,  165- 

168 ;  the  magic,  22  ;  notes 

on    motif  in    folk-lore    of 

magical,  25-29 ;  recipe  for 

making  magic,  28 ;  varieties 

of  motifs  on  magical,  29 
Artificial  elephant,  133-134 
Artificial  production  of  moles, 

49ft1,  50ft 
Artisans  (kammalar),  260 
"Aryans  in  the  land  of  the 

Assurs,  The,"  Bhandarkar, 

Journ.  Bombay  Br.  Roy.  As. 

Soc,  198 
Aryan  Nations,  Mythology  of 

the,  Cox,  130 
Ascension    of    Himalaya    to 

prepare  for  last  journey,  121 
Ascetic  (sddhu),  79ft1 
Ascetic      named      Yogakar- 

andika,  a  female,  156,  158, 

159-161,  188 
Asceticism,  55,  79,  79ft1 
"Asceticism,"    F.    C.    Cony- 

beare,  Ency.  Brit.,  79ft1 
"Asceticism  (Hindu),"  A.  S. 

Geden,      Hastings'     Ency. 

Eel.  Eth.,  79ft1 
Ascetics,        austerities        of 

Hindu,  79ft1 
Ashamed   of    his   ignorance, 

the  king,  68,  69,  70 
Asiatic  Quarterly  Review,  E.  H. 

Parker  in  the,  214 
Asiatic  Society,  the  Royal, 40ft 
Aspects  of  Ishtar,  different, 

272 
Ass,  gold -producing,  20ft 
Assassins   appointed   by   the 

three  Brahmans,  21,  22 
Assault,  vice  of,  124ft1 
Assignations  of  Upakosa  with 

her  would-be  lovers,  33 
Asvalayana  Srauta  Sutra,  205 
"Atargatis,"     L.    B.     Paton, 

Hastings'   Ency.  Eel,  Eth., 

275,    275ft1, 


Atharm-Veda,  56ft,  199,  204 

Attendants  of  the  gods,  197, 
200-203;  of  Siva  (Ganas), 
6,  6ft2,  202 

Attire,  man  in  woman's, 
83 

Attraction  of  the  mole  in  the 
East,  49ft1,  50ft 

Attractions  of  surma,  213 

"  Aufgegessene  Gott,  Der," 
Zur  Volkskunde,  Liebrecht, 
13ft3 

Ausgewdhlte  Erzahlungen  in 
Maharashtri,  Jacobi,  224, 
226 

Auspicious  bathing,  183 : 
marks,  49  ;  omen,  116 

Aus  Schwaben,  Birlinger,  103 

Austerities,  4,  5,  9, 12, 19,  20, 
20ft1,  41,  74,  76,  111,  143 ; 
of  Devadatta,  79,  79ft1 ;  god 
pleased  with  Varsha's,  15 ; 
on  the  Himalaya,  5,  32,  86  ; 
of  Hindu  ascetics,  79ft1; 
performed  by  a  Brahman 
from  the  Deccan,  18 ;  per- 
formed by  Panini  at  Hima- 
laya, 32 

Australian  message  -  stick, 
82ft 

Author  ot  music,  Ganesa. 
240 

Avesta,  Zoroaster,  199,  201 

"  Babylonian  Law,"  C.  H.  W. 

Johns,  Ency.  Brit.,  270ft1 
Baker's  custom  in   Notting- 
ham, 14ft 
Baldness,      charm 

56ft 

Balls,  offerings  of,  56m1 
Bangle,  silver,  255,  256 
Bank  of    the  Ganges,  sport 

on  the,  107 
Banks  of  the  Godavari,  66 
Bannu  or  Our  Afghan  Frontier , 

Thorburn,  43 
Baptist  missionary,  W.  Ward, 

241,  24^* 
Barbarian  (dasyu),  152n1 
Barber  caste  or  Nai,  49/21 
Barbers      attached     to     the 

temple  at  Tanjore,  247 
Barren   women,    drinking   of 
blood    by,  98ft ;  pretended 
dohadas  of,  227 
Base  of  Kailasa,  circumambu- 
lating the,  3ft1 
"Basivis:      Women     who 
through    Dedication   to   a 
Deity    assume     Masculine 


against. 


Basivis — continued 

Privileges,"  Joum.  Anth. 
Soc.  Bombay,  F  a  w  c  e  1 1, 
255ft1 

Baskets  of  first-fruits  (XUvov), 
15ft 

Bas-reliefs  at  AmaravatI, 
125ft1;  at  Barhut,  42 

"Bassorah,  Hasan  of,"  tale  of, 
Nights,  27,  28 

Bath  of  blood  as  a  cure  for 
leprosy,  98ft 

Bath  of  hot  coals,  lying  in  a, 
79ft1 

Bathing,  auspicious,  183  ;  in 
the  Ganges,  32,  67  ;  relief 
of  discomfort  caused  by, 
14,  15  ;  in  a  tank  of  blood, 
97,  97n2,  98w  ;  in  the  sacred 
tank  at  Vesali,  225-226 

Bawd  named  Makaradansh- 
tra,  139,  140,  141  ;  on  the 
pillar,  147  - 148  ;  Loha- 
jangha's  revenge  on  the, 
146-149 

Bayadere,  253 

"Bayadere :  or, Dancing  Girls 
of  Southern  India,  The," 
Memoirs  read  before  the 
Anth.  Soc.  London,  Dr  John 
Shortt,  253,  253ft1 

Bear  and  Hiranyagupta,  the, 
53,54 

Bear  terrified  by  lion,  53 

Beasts  and  birds,  the  Great 
Tale  related  to  the,  90,  91 

Beating  the  drum,  118,  118ft2 

"Beautiful  Palace  East  of 
the  Sun  and  North  of  the 
Earth,"  Thorpe,  Scandi- 
navian Tales,  25 

Bed,  the  magic,  26 

Bed  of  spikes,  lying  on  a, 
79ft1 

Bed  of  white  lotuses,  119, 
119ft1 

Bee,  ogre's  life  dependent 
on  that  of  a  queen,  131 

Begging-basket,  gopdldm,  256 

Beitr'dge  zur  Indischen  Erotik  ; 
das  Liebesleben  des  Sanskrit- 
volkes  nach  den  Quellen 
dargestellt,  R.  Schmidt, 
234ft1 

Belief  in  a  "double,"  37ft2 

Belief  in  magic  properties  of 
blood,  98ft 

Belief  (Sanskrit  sraddha),  56ft1 

Belt,  gold  or  silver,  253 

"  Bengali  Folk-Lore,"  Ind. 
Ant.,  Damant,  131 


INDEX  II -GENERAL 

Betel-eating,  249 

Betel  leaf,  82ft,  100 

Betel  leaves,  255 ;  distribution 

of,  244 
Betel  nuts,  256 
"  Beutel,      Mantelchen       u. 

Wunderhorn,"  Kaden,  Un- 

ter  den  Olivenb'dumen,  26 
Bewilderment,  the  arrow  of, 

184,  184ft2 
Bhadda-Sala-Jdtaka,  225 
Biblical  kcdeshdh,  271 
Biblio.  Indica,  37ft2,  46ft,  237ft1 
Bibliographic      des      Ouvrages 

Arabes,    Chauvin,    27,    28, 

101ft1,  105,  128a1,  168,  171, 

186ft1,  189ft 
Bibliography   of   Sir    Richard 

Burton,     N.     M.      Penzer, 

234ft2 
Bibliotheque       des        Curieux, 

236ft2-5 
Bibliotheque  Nationale,    Le, 

28 
Bird,     Alexander     and     the 

gigantic,  103 
Bird,  description  of  Garuda, 

103 
Bird-genii    in   rock-carvings, 

103 
Bird,     half-lion,     half-eagle, 

the  griffin  a,  104 
Bird      in      Buddhaghosa's 

fables,  hatthilinga,  104 
Bird  of  the  race  of  Garuda, 

98,  99,  142,  143,  144,  146, 

147,  222 
Bird  which  shakes  the  fruit 

from  the  tree  bearing  all 

things  useful  to  mankind, 

103 
Birds  and  beasts,  the  Great 

Tale    related   to    the,    90, 

91 
Birds,  encounters  at  sea  with 

enormous,  104 
Birds  in  comparatively  recent 

times,  proof  of  existence 

of  gigantic,  105 
Birds  the  most  popular  index 

in  Indian  tales,  131 
Birth,   former,   20ft1,   60;   of 

the  swans,  21 
Birth,  maturity  at,  204 
Birth  of  Gautama,  242ft3 ;  of 

Gunadhya,  61 ;  of  Putraka, 

19  ;  former,  of  Putraka,  19, 

20ft1 ;   of  Sahasranika,  95  ; 

of  Udayana,    99,   100;    of 

Vararuchi,    spiritual   voice 

at  the,  16,  16ft1 


301 

Birthplace    of  Krishna,    Ma- 

thura,  138,  231  * 
Births  of  the  Buddha,  tales  of 

the  previous  (Jdtakas),  232 
Births,  Parvati's  former,  4,  5 
Bitch   belonging    to    Devas- 

mita,  158,  159 
Bitch  and  pepper  motif,  169- 

Bitch   and  the  pepper,  158, 

159 
Bite  of  a  snake,  107 
Black  beads  round  the  neck, 

a  string  of,  256 
Black  colour  feared  by  evil 

spirits,  212,  217 
Black   oxide   of  manganese, 

215 
Blackening     of     the     teeth 

(missi),  rite  of,  240,  244 
Blackhead,  cure  for,  191 
Blanket     (cambly),    country- 
made,  256 
Blessing,  ceremony  of  holy- 
day  (panydhavdchana) ,  245 
Blessing  the  bride,  244 
Blockhead   Brahman,  giving 

priapic    cake    to    the,    13, 

13ft3,  14 
Blood  -  bath    as    a    cure    for 

leprosy,  98ft 
Blood,  bathing  in  a  tank  of, 

97,   97ft2;  belief  in  magic 

properties  of,    98ft ;   given 

from  the  right  knee,  223 ; 

turned  into  sap,  58,  58?i3 
Blood  covenant,  98ft 
Blood  Covenant,  The,  Trumbull  r 

98ft 
Blood,  dohada  for  the  king's, 

223 
Blood  -  drinking     by    barren 

women,  98a 
"Blood,"    H.   W.   Robinson, 

Hastings'  Ency.  Rel.  Eth., 

98ft 
Blood,  in   the  forest,   seven 

stories  written  with,  89,  90 
Blood  in  the  water,  a  drop  of 

(Supreme  Soul),  9 
Blood  to  procure  a  son,  wash- 
ing in,  98ft 
Blue  lotus,  eyes  like  a,  30 
Blue-stocking,  70 
Blue-stone  image,  the  sacred, 

242 
Blue-throated  one  (Siva),  1ft2 
Blut  im  Glauben  u.  Aberglauben 

der  Menschheit,  Das,  Strack, 

98ft 
Boar,  a  wild,  126 


302 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


Boar  breaks  the  king's  chariot, 

a,  126,  126k1 
Bodice,  the  assumption  of  the 

(angiya),  240 
Bodies,      position      of      the 

heavenly,  134 
Bodies    reposing   at   Coptos, 

37m2 
Bodies  revealed  by  clinging 

garments,  69,  69m2 
Bodiless  voice,  a,  16ft1,  123 
Body  of  Nanda  guarded  by 

Vyadi,  38,  39 
Body,  rites  for  the  creation 

of  a  new,  56m,1 
Bohemian  story  of  Busmanda, 

Waldau,  26 
Bohmische  M'drchen,  Waldau, 

20m,  26 
Bone,  a  cube  of,  80m1,  81m, 
Bones  of  the  Harpagornis,  105 
Book  II,  Kathamukha,  94 
Book  of  Ser  Marco  Polo,  The, 

Yule    and    Cordier,    63k1, 

104,  105,  141m2,  213,  241m2, 

242m3,  247m3 
Book  of  Sindibad,   Clous  ton, 

27,  43,  171,  186m1 
Book   of  the  Sword,  Burton, 

109m1 
Book    of   Thoth,    the,   37m2, 

129,  130 
Boons,  giver  of  (Siva),  19 
Booth  of  sixteen  pillars,  the 

marriage,  244 
Boots,  magical,  25,  26,  27,  28 
Bosom,  30,  30m2 
"Bottle   Hill,   The    Legend 

of,"  26 
Boxes   for    anjana,   212 ;    for 

keeping  mestem  or  kohl,  215 
Boxing,  Srldatta  proficient  in, 

107 
"  Boy  and  the  Mantle,  The," 

Percy's  Reliques,  165 
Boy  maintaining  mother  and 

aunts  even  in  infancy,  19 
Boy  riding  on  a  lion,  67,  67m1, 

68 
Bracelet    of  Mrigavati,   the, 

100,  101,  102 ' 
"  Brahman  and  the  Rescued 

Snake,"     Alakesa      Kathd, 

101m1 
Brahman   blockhead,    giving 
j^cake  of  flour  to,  13,  13m3 

14 
Brahman  brothers,  tale  of  the 

two,  12-13,  16 
Brahman   child,  bath  in  the 

blood  of  a,  98ra 


Brahman  from  the  Deccan, 
austerities  performed  by, 
18 

Brahman  in  woman's  clothes, 
83 

Brahman  Lohajangha,  139- 
149 

Brahman  named  Bhojika,  19  ; 
named  Chanakya,  55,  56, 
57;  named  Govindadatta, 
78;  named  Gunadhya,  58, 
59 ;  named  Rudra^arman, 
184-186 ;  named  Soma- 
datta,  11 ;  named  Somasar- 
man,  60  ;  named  Subandhu, 
57  ;  named  Vaisvanara,  78, 
78?i2 ;  named  Visvadatta, 
117 ;  named  Yajnasoma, 
106 

Brahman  -  Rakshasa  named 
Yogesvara,  136,  136m3 

Brahmanreceives  pipkinfrom 
Durga,  28 

Brahmanic  rite  of  Sail,  54m2 

Brahmanical  thread,  the,  17, 
17m1,  55m1 

Brahman  s'  adultery  with 
Jagannatha  dancing-girls, 
242 

Brahmans  and  Buddhists, 
108  mystical  among,  242m3 

Brahmans  call  at  Vararuchi's 
house,  the  two  wandering, 
11 ;  journey  to  Rajagriha, 
the  three,  18;  taught  by 
Varsha,  the  three,  17,  18 

Brahmans,  dancing-girls  re- 
served exclusively  for, 
250;  desire  to  murder 
Putraka,  21 ;  forbidden  to 
witness  displays  of  dancing 
and  music,  232;  honour 
Varsha,  17 ;  illegitimate 
sons  of,  56m1  ;  soft-hearted, 
45 

Brahman's  eyes,  she-crow's 
longing  for  a,  223 

Brahmany  duck,  115,  115m1, 
187 

Branch  of  Euphorbia  as  chas- 
tity index  in  Peru,  168 

Branches  of  the  Vedas,  12m2 

Branded  lovers,  42 

Branding  of  basivi  women, 
256 

Branding  with  the  mark  of  a 
dog's  foot,  160,  161 

Breaches  of  rules,  penalties 
of  ganikds  for,  233 

Breaking  chains,  spells  for, 
136,  137 


Breaking    walls,    spells    for. 

136 
Breton      tale      of     "  Voleur 

Avise,"  Melusine,  27 
Breviaire    de     la     Courtisane, 

Louis  de  Langle,  236m5 
Bribery  of  the   assassins  by 

Putraka,  22 
Bride,  blessing  the,  244 
Bride,  tawdif  dressed  like  a, 

240 
Bridegroom,  drum    as,  257 ; 

idol  as,  244;   mask  of  the 

god  as,  245  ;  sword  as,  257 
Brides  of  the  god  or  entu,  270 
Brigands,  Udayana  attacked 

by,  152 
Brihat-Kathd,  the,    1,  42,  89, 

91,  92,  169,  236;   rejected 

by  Satavahana,  90 
Brihat-Kathd-Manjari,  236 
British,  advent  of,  239 
British    Goblins,   Wirt    Sikes, 

76m2 
British  Museum,  104,  125m1, 

215,  271 ;  papyrus  at,  129 
British  rule  in   India,    effect 

of,  55m,  266  ;  sign  language 

connected  with,  82m 
British      rule,     progress     of 

female     education     under, 

254,  255 
Brooch,  the  magic,  26 
Brother  of  Vasavadatta,  152, 

182,  183,  184 
Brother   of  Vasuki,  king  of 

the  snakes,  100 
Brothers,  tale  of  two   Brah- 
man, 12-13,  16 
"  Bruno,  Liar,"  Italian  tale  of, 

27 
Buddhism,    Mathura    centre 

of,  231 
Buddhist    age,    232;    sacred 

prostitution  in  the,  265 
Buddhist  Literature  of  Nepal, 

Account  of,  20m2 
Buddhist    edificatory     texts, 

226 ;       literature,      242m3  ; 

origin       of       "  entrapped 

suitors "    tale,    42 ;    origin 

of    snake     stories,    101m1; 

story  of  the  monkey  and 

the  crocodile,  224-225 
Buddhistic  origin  of  the  story 

of  the  bear,  54m1  ;  origin  of 

tale  of  King  Sivi  and  Indra, 

84m2 
Buddhists,      number      108 

mystical  among,  242m3 
Building  temples,  love  of,  246 


I'ull.  de  I'lZcoIe  Francaise  cC  ex- 
treme Orient,  155m1 
ull,  god  whose  emblem  is  a 
(Siva),  108 
ull   god   and   lion    goddess 
worshipped  by  the  Hittites, 
275 
ull,  gold-producing,  20ft 
Bull  of  Siva,  Nandin,  6,  6ft1, 

202 
Bun,  lozenge-shaped,  14ft 
Bunch  of  flowers,  a,  81ft 
Burden  of  the  matted  locks, 
he  who  wears  the  (Siva), 
86 
Buried  in  the  sea,  soul,  131, 

132 
Burmese,    Parables  from    the, 

trans,  by  T.  Rogers,  104 
Burning-ground  of  Mahakala, 

136 
Burning  of  the  Great  Tale  by 

Gunadhya,  90 
Burning  of  Indradatta's  body, 

39 
Burning-places,  Siva's  delight 

in,  9,  10 
Burnt-offering  to  Durga,  125 
Burnt-offerings  to  Goddess  of 

Fortune,  106 
Burnt-offerings  to  procure  a 

son,  154 
Burton,    Bibliography    oj    Sir 
Richard,    N.     M.     Penzer, 
234ft2,  236ft3 
Biismanda,    Bohemian    story 

of,  Waldau,  26 
Butter,  dates,  and  milk,  idol 
of,  14ft 


Cake  ceremonies  in  Germany, 
14ft 

Cake  customs,  phallic  ele- 
ment in,  14ft ;  of  the 
Romans,  15ft;  in  St  Jean 
d'Angely,  15  ;  in  Saintes, 
14ft;  in  Saintonge,  14ft 

Cake  of  flour,  giving  a,  to 
blockhead  Brahman,  13, 
13ft3 

Cake  presented  to  Varsha, 
phallic,  15 

Cakes,  feast  of,  242 ;  in 
Greece,  15ft ;  of  sesame 
and  honey  at  Syracuse, 
15ft 

"  Cakes  and  Loaves,"  J.  A. 
Macculloch,  Hastings' 
Ency.  Rel.  Eth.,  15ft 


INDEX  II -GENERAL 

Caliphs,  vices  of,  124m1 
Calumny,  vice  of,  124ft1 
Cambridge  Ancient  History,  the, 
270ft1;  "The  Golden  Age 
of    Hammurabi,"     by     R. 
Campbell     Thompson,    in 
the,  271# 
Cambridge   History   of  India, 

233ft1 
Cambridge    edition     of    the 

Jdtakas,  221-227 
"Camel-crane"    of  Pi-p'a-lo 

(Berbera),  104 
Camomile  petals,  teeth  like, 

30ft2 
Camp    of    King    Nanda     at 

Ayodhya,  37 
Cap  of  Fortunatus,  25 
Cap  or  mitre,  258 
Cap,  the  magic,  26 
Capital    of  the    emperors  of 

India,  7ft4 
Captivity   of   Udayana,    134- 

138,  149-151 
Capture,  marriage  by  (Asura), 

87,  200 
Car     festival,     the     famous, 

242 
Car  of  Juggernaut,  242 
Carob-pod,  80ft1,  81ft 
Carpet,    a    magic,    26 ;    the 

flying,  26 
Carved  figures  in  outer  rail 

of  the  stupa,  125ft1 
Carvings,  bird-genii  in  rock-, 

103 
Carvings    of    ancient    India, 

rock-,  30ft2 
Carrying  money  in  India,  117, 

117ft3 
Carrying  off  of  Mrigavati  by 

Garuda  bird,  98,  99 
Carrying  the  dead  with  the 

sun,  190,  191 
Cased  in   adamant   all  over, 

126,  127 
Caste,  the  Brahman,  87 ;  the 

dasa,   246,    259,    260-262; 

gandharb,  239 ;   kasbi,   242, 

243;    Kshatriya,    87,   205; 

of  moylar,  252  ;  of  rdjkanya, 

the  sub-,  239 ;  the  Sudra, 

87,    245,    255,    256;     the 

tawdif,    239 ;    the    Vaisya, 

87 
Castes  and  Tribes  of  Southern 

India,      Thurston,      234ft3, 

253,  258,  258ft2,  259,  265 
Castle   of  the    Golden   Sun, 

25 
Castrated  man,  Gallic  275 


303 

Catalogue  of  the  Indian  Coins 
in  the  British  Museum,  E.  J. 
Rapson,  64ft2 
Cathay  and  the    Way  Thither, 

Sir  Henry  Yule,  63ft1,  104 
Cavallius,  Swedish  story  in,  25 
Cavalry,  24ft2 
"  Cave-Call  Motif,"  225 
Cave    paintings,  the  Ajanta, 

211 
Celebrated  mountain  Hima- 

vat,  2 
Celebrated  place  of  pilgrim- 
age (Badari),  59,  59ft1 
Celestial    singers    at    Indra's 

court,  201 
Celestial  voice,  a,  121 
Celestial  woman,  a,  31 
Centaurs   like    Kimpurushas, 

202 
Central  India,  sacred  prostitu- 
tion in,  240-246 
Centre  of  Buddhism,  Mathura 

the,  231 
Ceremonial  turn,  the  (Deisul), 

190-193 
Ceremonies  of  the  dedication 

of  a   basivi,   255-257 ;  of  a 

bogamjdn,  244  ;  bogam  sani, 

244 
Ceremonies,  darbha  grass  used 

in  all  Hindu,  56ft1 ;  among 

deva-dasis,259, 260,261,  262; 

among  the  gandharbs,  240  ; 

of  marriage,  183,  184,  190, 

255ft3 
Ceremony  of  puberty  (henun), 

257 ;      of      Punyahavachana 

(holy  -  day    blessing),  245  ; 

of    Upanayana  or  "sacred 

thread,"  55ft1 
Chains,  spells   for  breaking, 

137 
Changeless  East,  the,  a  phase 

inapplicable  to  India,  268 
Chant  of  watchman,  23 
Chanter   of  the   Sama  Veda 

and  the  Courtesan,  story  of 

the,  64-65 
Chanters  intoning  the  Sama 

Vedas,  62 
Chaplain,  the  king's  domestic, 

32,34 
Character  of  songs,  245 
Characteristics  of  Ishtar,  272 
Chariot   in    the   shape   of   a 

lotus,  a  magic,  227 
Chariot  of  the  king  broken 

by  a  boar,  126,  126ft1 
Charioteer  of  Indra,  Matali, 

95,  96,  96ft3,  97 


304 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


Charm  against  anger  and 
baldness,  56ft;  to  alter 
shape,  136;  to  produce  a 
dream,  71,  71ft1 ;  for  win- 
ning love,  137,  138 

Charms  for  curing  disease, 
98ft 

Chaste  woman,  fallen  ele- 
phant raised  up  by  a, 
166 

Chastity,  articles  of,  165-168  ; 
cup  of,  165  ;  drinking-horn 
of,  165  ;  emerald  of,  165  ; 
garland  of,  44,  165  ;  index, 
165-168;  mantle  of,  165; 
mirror  of,  166,  167 ;  nose- 
gay as  index  of,  168 ;  ring 
as  index  of,  168 ;  sacrifice 
of,  275,  276  ;  shirt  of,  44, 
165 ;  test  article  of,  42 ; 
test  of,  165-168;  vow  of 
perpetual,  67 

Chastity  tests,  lotuses  as,  42, 
156,  165-168 

Chattee,  a  food-producing,  28 

Chattees  of  water,  131 

Chavaka-Jataka,  226 

Cheeks  like  the  anenome, 
30ft2 

Cheerful  hue,  faces  robbed  of 
their,  122,  122ft3 

Cherries,  magical,  27 

Cherry  lip,  31ft2 

Chest,  the  magic,  26 

Chests,  suitors  in,  34,  35,  42- 
44 

Chewing  leaves,  238 

Chief,  feudatory  or  depen- 
dent (Samanta),  52ft1 

Chief  mourner  (karta),  264 

Chief  of  the  Asuras,  Yama- 
darashtra,  95 ;  of  the 
Rakshasas  (Ravana),  205 

Chief  wife  of  the  god  (Entu  or 
Nin-An),  270 

"Chienne  qui  Pleure,  La," 
Chauvin,  Biblio.  des  Ouv- 
rages  Arabes,  171 

Child  (bala),  185  ;  ill-treated 
by  stepmother,  185; 
murder  to  procure  another, 
98ft,  154,  154ft1 

Child -giving  oblation,  95, 
95ft2 

Childhood  of  Fiction,  The,  J.  A. 
Macculloch,  109ft1,  130 

Childhood  of  Krishna,  231 

Childless  woman  of  Jat,  98ft 

Children,  tales  of  precocious, 
186ft1;  with  painted  eyes, 
217 


Child's  revenge  on  step- 
mother, 185-186 

China  and  Roman  Orient, 
Hirth,  104 

Chinese  nation,  incident  from 
its  origin,  28 

Chinese  traveller,  Chau  Ju- 
Kwa,  Chn-fan-chi,  104,  241, 
241ft1,  252 ;  travellers,  231 

Chopsticks  as  a  means  of 
giving  instructions  in  code, 
82ft 

Chord  from  a  musical  in- 
strument, 81ft 

Christian  era,  deva-dasls  in 
the,  265 ;  sacred  prostitu- 
tion in  the,  233-237 

Christmas,  sacred  buns  made 
in  Nottingham  at,  14ft 

Churning  of  the  Ocean,  1ft2, 
3ft2,  55ft1,  94, 128,  200,  202; 
Apsarases  produced  at  the, 
202 

Churning  stick,  3ft2 

Ciphering  and  writing,  in- 
structions in,  62,  62ft2 

* '  Circumambulation ,"  D' Alvi- 
ella,  Hastings'  Ency.  Rel. 
Eth.,  193 

Circumambulation  in  China, 
192 ;  in  India,  191-192  ;  in 
Japan,  192;  in  Scotland, 
190-191 ;  in  Tibet,  192 

Circumambulation  of  the  base 
of  Kailasa,  3ft1 

Circumambulation  or  deisul, 
note  on,  190-193 

Citizens,  devoured  by  the 
eyes  of  the,  121,  121ft1 

<  ■  City  of  Palaces  "  (Calcutta), 
125,  125ft1 

City  of  the  Gandharvas,  201 

City  of  the  gods,  AmaravatI, 
125,  125ft1 

City  under  the  Ganges,  the 
magical,  107-110 

Classes  of  priestesses,  the 
various,  270, 271 ;  of  prosti- 
tutes, 234,  234ft3,  244 ;  of 
temple  women,  the  various, 
270,  271 

Classical  Greek  and  Rome, 
kohl  used  in,  218 

Classical  Sanskrit  Literature, 
A.  B.  Keith,  93 

Clay  Cart,  or  Mrichchhakatika, 
ascribed  to  Dandin,  trans, 
by  A.  W.  Ryder,  235,  235ft1 

Cleft  thigh,  Siva's,  9 

Clever  Deformed  Child,  Story 
of  the,  184-186 


Climate,    effect    of    religio: 

owing  to,  275 
Clinging  garments,  69,  69ft2 
Cloak,  the  magic,  25,  27 ;  o 

invisibility,  25 
Clockwise  movement,  191 
Cloister  (gagimi),  270 
Cloth,  the  magic,  26 
Cloud    cap     (Nebelkappe)     o 

King  Alberich,  27 
Cloud   revives   the    peacock 

112,  183,  183ft1 
Cloud,  swan's  grief  on  seeing 

the,  72,  92ft1 
Clouds,  echoing  roar  of,  151 

151ft1 
Club  the  emblem  of  Vishnu 

144 
Coals,  eating  hot,  79ft1 ;  lyinj 

in  red-hot,  79ft1 
Coat,  invisible,  27 
Cobra,  a  grateful,  101ft1 
Cockcrow,    devils   disappear 

ing  at,  77ft1 
Cocoanut,  offerings  of  a,  244 

246 
Cocoanuts,  255,  256 
Code  of  Hammurabi,  the,  269 

273 
Coins  (panams),  262 
Collected   Works,  Wilson,  1ft2 

25 
Colour  (chhaya),  122ft3 
Colour  of  the   sun's   horses 

dispute  about  the,  143ft2 
Collyrium  and  kohl,  appendi: 

on  the  use  of,  211-218 
Collyrium,    meaning    of    th< 

word,  211 
Comfort,  the  incarnation  of 

99 
Commentaries  of  GopI  Natha 

75ft1;    of    Kula    Chandra 

75ft1 ;  of  Visvesvara,  75ft1 
Communication      by      signs 

80ft1,  81ft,  82ft 
Community  of  BairagI,  243 

of  Vaishnavl,  243 
Compassion  of  Parvati,  19 
Composition  of  modern  kohl 

218 
Composure  reaches  the  roo 

of  the  king's  ear,  the  har 

binger  of,  121,  121ft2 
Compound    figure    of    Siva 

half  -  male,     half  -  female 

146ft2,  272 
Concealed  warriors,  133,  134 
Concealment,     Vararuch 

brought  out  of,  54 
Conch-shell  (sankha),  212 


mciliation  (sama),  64,  64ft4 
Concubines  of  the  god  (zikru), 

270 
Conjurer,   advice   of  Hindu, 

98ft 
Connection    between    Kshe- 

mendra      and     Soraadeva, 

236 
Conquered  ogres,  27 
"  Consecrated  Women  of  the 

Hammurabi  Code,"  D.  G. 

Lyon,  Studies  in  the  History 

of  Religions  presented  to  C. 

H.  Toy,  271ft1 
Consecration  of  girls  to  gods 

and  goddesses,  247 
Consistency  of  kohl,  211 
Consolation   in   bodily  form, 

163 
Consort  of   Siva,  Gauri  the, 

244 
"Conte         Hindoustani," 

Garcin     de    Tassy,    Revue 

Orientale  et  Americaine,  28 
Contemporary        Kashmirian 

court  poets,  236 
Contes    Albanais,    M.    Dozon, 

20ft,  101ft1 
Conies   du    Cheykh  El-Mohdy, 

Marcel,  81ft 
Contes  et  Nouvelles,  La  Fon- 
taine, 20/1 
Contes    de    Perrault,   Les,    P. 

Saintyves,  29 
Contes  Francais,  E.  H.  Carnoy, 

26 
Contes  Populaires  Slaves,  26 
Contos  Populaires  Portuguezes, 

Coelho,  26,  44,  145ft1 
Control  of  ganikds,  strict,  233 
Conversation    of    Siva    with 

Brahma,  77 
Conversations      of     animals, 

48ft2 
Copper,  oxide  of,  215 
Coral-red  lips,  30ft2,  31 
Corals,  powdered,  212 
Corner  of  garment  concealing 

necklace,  117,  117ft2 
Corn-goddess,    customs    con- 
nected with  the,  14ft 
Corpses     are     burnt,     place 

where,  9 
Cosmetics,     composition     of 

modern,  218 
Cosmical  rotation,  symbol  of, 

191 
Cosmology,    Indian,    9,     10, 

10ft3 
Cosmogony   and    cosmology, 

Indian,  9,  10,  10m3 

U 


INDEX  II-GENERAL 

"  Cosmogony  and  Cosmology 
(Indian),"  H.  Jacobi,  Hast- 
ings' Ency.  Rel.  Eth.,  10ft3 

Cotton- wool,  lover  covered 
in,  42 

Councils  (panchayats),  259 

Country  -  made  blanket  or 
cambly,  256 

Country  of  Kataha,  the,  156, 
156ft1 

Country,  wild,  141,  141ft1 

Couple  of  parrots,  story  of 
the,  224 

Course  of  the  sun,  imitation 
of  the  apparent,  190,  191, 
192 

Court  jester,  Eastern  equiva- 
lent of  the,  137ft2 

"  Court  Mantel,  Le,"  Fabliau, 
165 

Court  of  Brahma,  96 ;  of 
Indra,  65 

Court  poets,  Kashmirian,  236 

Courtesan,  28,  138,  140,  231 ; 
advice  to  a,  140  ;  all  female 
accomplishments  found  in 
the,  235 ;  handbook  for  the, 
236  ;  more  modestly  dressed 
than  other  women,  243; 
story  of  the  Chanter  of 
the  Sama  Veda  and  the, 
64,  65 ;  streets  in  Cairo  or 
Algiers,  250 

Covenant,  The  Blood,  Trum- 
bull, 98ft 

Covering  of  the  head  (sir 
dhankai),  rite  of,  240 

Covering  of  the  head  seven 
times,  242 

Cow's  tail,  fanning  the  idol 
with  Tibetan,  252 

Craft  of  sword-making,  109ft1 

Craving  of  pregnant  women, 
or  dohada,  97ft2,  221-228 

Created  beings,  lords  of 
(Prajapati),  10,  10ft1 

Creation  of  animal  and  vege- 
table life,  Ishtar,  goddess 
of,  272 

Creation  and  Kuvera's  curse, 
the,  9,  10 

Creation,  Hindu  conception 
of  the,  9,  9ft5  10,  10ft3 

Creation  of  a  new  body,  rites 
for  the,  56ft1 

Creation  of  the  sacred  prosti- 
tute in  the  cult  of  Ishtar, 
274 

Creator,  Siva  the,  272 

Crescent  moon,  eyebrows  like 
the,  30ft2 


305 

Crest,  god  of  the  moony 
(Siva),  67,  86;  god  ,who 
wears  the  moon  as  a  (Siva), 
32 

Criminal  Classes  of  Bombay \ 
Kennedy,  246ft1 

Crocodile  and  monkey,  Bud- 
dhist story  of,  224-225 

Crocodile's  longing  for 
monkey's  heart,  224 

Crop  of  a  sparrow,  soul  set 
in  the,  131 

Cross  as  a  poison  detector, 
sign  of  the,  110ft1 

Crows,  20,  20m1 

"  Crystal  Ball,"  story  of  the, 
25 

Crystals,  powdered,  212 

Cube  of  bone  as  secret 
message,  a,  80ft1,  81ft 

Cullaka-Setthi-Jataka,  62ft1 

Cult  of  Ishtar,  origin  of  the 
creation  of  the  sacred 
prostitute  of  the,  274 

Cult  of  the  great  mother- 
goddess,  271,  272 

Cult,  the  dual,  272 

Cult  under  the  Hittite 
domination,  religious,  275 

Cults  of  the  Greek  States, 
Farnell,  15ft 

Cumin-seeds,  three  black,  81ft 

Cunning  Siddhikarl,  the,  157- 
158,  174-176 

Cup  of  chastity,  165 

Cup,  magical,  25 ;  of  porce- 
lain, a  magic,  28 

Cupid,  Kama,  the  Hindu,  1ft3 

Cups  of  rhinoceros  horn  as 
poison  indicators,  110ft1 

Curculio,  Plautus,  190 

Cure  for  blackheads,  191 ;  for 
leprosy,  98ft;  for  pinsoles, 
191 

Currant  lip,  31ft2 

Curse  of  Brahma,  96  ;  of  God- 
dess of  Fortune,  106,  107  ; 
Gunadhya  released  from 
his,  91  ;  of  Kanabhuti  dis- 
pelled, 89;  ofKuvera,  7, 
10, 109 ;  Vararuchi  released 
from  his,  59  ;  of  hermit  Vis- 
vamitra,  111,  112;  laid  upon 
Hiranyagupta,  53, 54,  54ft1 ; 
of  Tilottama,  96,  97,  98- 
101 ;  fulfilment  of  the,  of 
Tilottama,  99 

Curses,  Parvatl's,  6,  7 

Custom  in  Nottingham,  14ft ; 
in  town  of  Saintes,  14ft ;  in 
Sweden,  14ft;  of  applying 


306 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


Custom —  continued 

kohl,  211,  215;  of  eating 
at  funerals,  56ft1  ;  of  giving 
names  to  swords,  109 n1 ; 
of  Jewish  women,  31ft3 

Customs  and  Customary  Law  in 
British  India,  Sripati  Roy, 
88 

Customs  connected  with  the 
corn-goddess,  14ft;  in  La 
Pallisse,  France,  14ft ;  of 
women  of  the  Moylar  caste, 
252 

"  Cutter,"  i.e.  Curta'na, 
sword  of  Edward  the 
Confessor,  109ft1 

Cycle  of  stories,  three  wishes, 
27 

Cycle  of  tales  in  India,  Persia, 
Arabia,  Turkey  and  Europe, 
27,  28.  See  also  under 
Motif 

Cymbals  (majlra),  243 

Cymbeline,  49W1,  165 

Dabbhapuppha-Jdtaka,  226 

Dagger,  girl  married  to  a, 
242 

Daily  meal  offered  to  animals, 
{bali),  21,  21ft1 

"Daitya,"  H.  Jacobi,  Hast- 
ings' Ency.  Rel.  Eth.,  200 

Dance  and  sing  in  public, 
bhavins  forbidden  to,  246 

Dance,  description  of,  254 

Dances  of  the  deva-dasis,  251 

Dancing  and  singing  pro- 
hibited under  Aurangzeb, 
238 

Dancing  castes  in  modern 
times,  prostitute,  266 

Dancing  dress,  worship  of, 
244,  245 

Dancing  -  girl  and  Vasanta- 
sena,  87 

Dancing-girls,  238;  descrip- 
tion of,  by  'Abdu-r  Razzaq, 
248-249  ;  description  of,  by 
Domingos  Paes,  249-250; 
dress  of,  253,  254  ;  feats  of 
strength  and  powers  of 
endurance  of,  254  j  Ganesa 
patron -saint  of  gandharb, 
240;  in  Guzerat,  241; 
Hindu,  239,  243;  laws  of, 
254 ;  Mohammedan,  239, 
243;  name  for  Telugu, 
244 ;  patron-saint  of,  238 ; 
reserved  exclusively  for 
Brahmans,  250  ;  salaries  of, 
249,  252,  253 ;  in  the  time 


Dancing-girls — continued 
of  Akbar,  rules  for,   265  ; 
wealth   and  splendour  of, 
249,  250 

Dancing-masters  attached  to 
the  temple  at  Tanjore, 
247 

Dancing  of  kasbi  women, 
243-244 

Dancing  or  music,  Brahmans 
forbidden  to  witness  dis- 
plays of,  232 

Dancing,  vice  of,  124ft1 

Dark  dungeon,  Sakatala 
thrown  into  a,  40 

Dark  neck  (Nilakantha)  of 
Siva,  1,  lft2 

Dasa-Kumdra-  Charita ,  Dan- 
din,  25,  234,  234ft*,  235 

Date  of  beginning  of  secular 
prostitution  in  India,  232  ; 
of  "entrapped  suitors" 
story,  42 ;  of  "  external 
soul "  motif,  129 ;  of  San- 
skrit grammar,  17ft3 

Date,  stone  of  a  green,  as 
secret  message,  80ft1,  81ft 

Dates,  butter  and  milk,  idol 
of  (ha is),  14ft 

Daughter  of  the  Asura, 
Vidyutprabha,  108, 109 ;  of 
the  Asura,  Angaravati,  126, 
127  ;  of  the  Himalaya  (Par- 
vatl),  Siva's  love  for  the, 
94 ;  of  King  Kritavarman, 
MrigavatI,  96,  97  ;  of  King 
Mahendravarman,  Patali, 
19,  23,  24 ;  of  the  Mount 
of  Snow  (Parvatl),  5;  of 
the  Mountain  (Parvatl),  3, 
6,  7,  86 ;  of  a  Rishi,  67 ; 
of  the  Sultan  of  Babylon, 
24ft1 ;  of  Susarman,  Sri, 
80 ;  of  Surasena,  119 ;  of 
Vishnusakti,  70,  73,  79ft2 

Daughters  of  Bhojika,  19 

Daughters  of  Daksha,  4, 199  ; 
Garuda,  son  of  one  of  the, 
103 

Day,  vice  of  sleeping  in  the, 
124ft1 

Dazed  by  the  sun,  goblins, 
77 

Dead  bodies,  goblin  that 
tenants,  136,  136ft2 

Dead  carried  with  the  sun, 
190,  191 ;  importance  of 
the  duty  to  the,  267 ;  pro- 
viding food  for  the,  56ft1 

Dead  mouse,  acquiring  wealth 
with  a,  63,  64 


ing 


Death  escaped  by  solvii 
riddle,  51,  51ft1;  of  the 
female  elephant,  152 ;  of 
King  Nanda,  37 ;  of  Sata- 
nlka,  95 ;  of  the  sons  of 
Sakatala,  41 ;  of  Vishnu- 
mati,  95 ;  of  Yogananda, 
57 ;  summoned  with  the 
sound  of  gongs,  119 

Death  motif,  the  letter  of,  52, 
52ft2 

Decameron,  Boccaccio,  26,  44, 
69ft2,  145ft1,  147ft2,  148ft, 
165,  171 

Decameron,  its  Sources  and 
Analogues,  The,  A.  C.  Lee, 
44,  148ft,  171 

De  Civ.  Dei,  St  Augustine, 
276 

De  Dea  Syria,  Lucian,  275 

Dedication  of  a  basivi  woman, 
255-257;  of  men  to  the 
temple,  246 

Dedicating  a  girl  to  the  deity, 
privileges  of,  255 

Deer  lay  aside  their  wanton- 
ness, 120 

Deformed  (vinashta),  185 

Deformed  Child,  Story  of  the 
Clever,  184-186 

Deformed  dwarf  Eastern 
equivalent  to  the  mediaeval 
court  jester,  137,  137ft2 

Deity  (asura),  198 ;  privileges 
of  dedicating  a  girl  to  the, 
255,  267 

Delight  in  skulls  and  burn- 
ing-places, Siva's,  9 

Delight  in  the  night,  goblins, 
76,  76ft2,  77ft1 

Deluge,  the,  3ft2 

Demon,  female  (Rakshasl), 
111,  111ft1,  112 

Demons,  204-207;  hostile  to 
mankind,  list  of,  197  ;  killed 
by  Krishna,  Lohaban  one  of 
the,  i39ft2 

Dependent  or  feudatory  chief 
(Samanta),  52ft1 

Depravity  in  the  reigns  of 
Jahangir  and  Shahjahan, 
238,  238ft2 

Derivation  and  origin  of  the 
name  of  Vararuchi,  16, 16ft2 ; 
of  the  word  asura,  197-199 

Descent  of  bhavins  from 
Savantvadi  and  Malvan 
chiefs,  245 

Description  of  basivis,  255- 
257  ;  of  "  camel-crane," 
104;    of  dance,    243,    244, 


Description — continued 

250,  254 ;  of  dancing-girls 
by  <Abdu-r  Razzaq,  248-249, 

250;   of  dancing -girls  by 
Domingos    Paes,    249 ;     of 

diatryma  by   Matthew  and 
Granger,  105 ;    of  dress  of 

kasbi  women,    243;    falling 

in  love  by,  128,  128ft1;    of 

Garuda     bird,      103;       by 

Marco    Polo   of  deva-dasis, 

247-248 
Descriptive    Catalogue   of    the 

Mackenzie    MSS.,     H.     H. 

Wilson,  131 
De  Simpl.  Medic,  Galen,  213 
Desire      to      eat      husband's 

entrails,  222,  223 
Destiny  of  Gautama  foretold 

by  108  Brahmans,  242m3 
Destroyer  of  life,  Ishtar,  the, 

272 
Destroyer,  Siva  the,  272 
Destroyer     of  t  Tripura,    i.e. 

Tripurari  or  Siva,  95ft1 
Destroyers  or  Rakshasas,  204 
Destruction       of      Hindu 

temples,  231,  238;  of  the 

temple  of  Kesavadeva,  231 
Detectors  of  poison,  HOw1 
Detraction,  vice  of,  124m1 
Deutsche  Volksb'ucher,  Simrock, 

24ft1,  97ft2, 129, 137ft1,  141ft2 
Devils  disappearing  at  cock- 
crow, 77m1 
Devilsville  or   Shaitanpurah, 

quarter    of   the    town    as- 
signed to  deva-dasis,  237 
Devoted  one  or  kharimati,  272 
Devotion,  magic  power  of,  6 
Devoured  by  the  eyes  of  the 

citizens,  121,  121m1 
Devouring    flesh,    a   woman, 

111,  112 
Dexterous,  meaning   of  the 

word,  192 
Dhammapada  Commentary,  226 
Diademed  god,  the  moon,  7 
Dialect,  the  PaisachI,  92,  93, 

205 
Die.  d'Archcel.  Egypt.,  Pierret, 

215 
Dictionary  of  Birds,  Newton, 

105 
Digit  (or  streak)  of  the  moon, 

5,32 
Digit  of  the  moon,  god  who 

wears    on    his    crest    the 

(Siva),  36 
Digit   of   the   moon   springs 

from  the  sea,  5 


INDEX  II -GENERAL 

Dipping  and  raising  the  ker- 
chief,   message    conveyed 
by,  80W1 
Disaster    brought    about    by 
dohada  (pregnant  longing) 
being  unsatisfied,  223 
Disciple  of  Gunadhya,  Guna- 
deva,  89,  91 ;  of  Gunadhya, 
Nandideva,  89,  90,  91* 
Disciplina     Clericalis,    Petrus 

Alfonsus,  169 
Discomfort  caused  by  bath- 
ing, relief  of,  14,  15 
Discovery  of  the  fossil  JEpy- 

ornis  maximus,  104,  105 
Discus  an  emblem  of  Vishnu, 

144 
Disguise    of   Lohajangha    as 

Vishnu,  144-145 
Disgusting    shape,    cake    of 

(phallic),  13 
Disposer, the  (Supreme  Soul), 

9 
Dispute  about  the  colour  of 
the  sun's  horses,  143ft2;  of 
Vararuchi  and  Panini  over 
the  new  grammar,  32 
Dissension,    sowing    (bheda), 

123ft2 
Distance,       measures       of 

(yojanas),  3,  3ft1 
Distribution  of  alms  to  Brah- 
mans by   Putraka,    21 ;   of 
presents  bv  Udayana,  187, 
187ft1 
District    Gazetteer    of    Puri, 

Hunter,  242m1 
District  of  Jhilam  (Jhelum), 

213 
District  on  the  bank  of  the 
Ganges  granted    to  Brah- 
mans, 78 
Districts  of  Bombay,  prosti- 
tution in,  245,  246 
Divine   Judge,    Varuna  the, 

200 
Divine   personages   the   size 
of  a   thumb,   Balakhilyas, 
144,  144ft2 
Divine  woman,  a  (Sarasvati), 

71 
Divine      worship,      Madana- 
rekha's  longing  to  bestow 
a  gift  for  the  purpose  of, 
226 
Divinites     Generatrices,     Des, 

Dulaure,  14ft,  15ft 
Divinity,  Ishtar   a  primitive 

Semitic,  271 
Division  of  life  of  Mairavana, 
131 


307 

Division  of  the   use   of  the 
dohada  (pregnant  longing), 
motif,  222-223 
Divisions  of  dancing  castes, 

260 
"Doctrine   of    Lunar    Sym- 
pathy, The,"  Frazer,  Golden 
Bough,  228 

Doctrine  of  sympathetic 
magic,  130 

Doctrine  of  Zoroaster,  199 

Dog's  foot,  branding  with  the 
mark  of  a,  160,  161,  164, 
178,  181 

Dogs,  gallants  chased  by, 
42, 43 ;  nude  woman  chased 
by  (Boccaccio)  171 

Domestic  chaplain,the  king's, 
32,34 

Domination,  religious  cult 
under  the  Hittite,  275 

Door  of  heaven  open  on  the 
eleventh  day,  146 

Doorkeeper  of  the  goddess, 
6,  7,85 

Double,  belief  in  a,  37ft2 

"Doubles,"  A.  E.  Crawley, 
Hastings'  Ency.  ReL  Eth., 
37^2 

Dough,  a  man  of,  customs 
connected  with,  14ft 

Dove,  Dharma  assumes  shape 
of  a,  84 

Dragon  of  China,  the  sacred, 
104 

Dragons  of  the  Air,  Seelev, 
105 

Dramatic  entertainment,  11 

Drawers  (pyjamas),  253 

Dream  of  the  three  women, 
19;  production  of  a,  70, 
70ft1;  revelation  in  a,  12, 
13 

Dress  of  bogams,  245;  of  danc- 
ing-girls, 252,  253,  254 ;  of 
kasbi  women,  243;  of  a 
woman  assumed  by  Deva- 
datta,  83  ;  woman  in  man's, 
163,  164 ;  worship  of  danc- 
ing, 224,  245 

Drink  the  sacred  water  in 
Vesali,  desire  to,  225-226 

Drinking  the  Amrita,  55ft1 

Drinking  of  blood  by  barren 
women,  98ft 

Drinking-horn  as  a  chastity 
test,  165 

Drinking  the  moon,  desire  of, 
228 

Drinking-places,  opening  of, 
241 


308 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


Ency. 


Drinking     spirits,    vice     of, 

Driver,  an  elephant,  150,  151 

Drop  of  blood  in  the  water 
(Supreme  Soul),  9 

Drought,  19 

Drugged  gallants,  42 

Drugs  of  sarivadi,  212  ;  sarva- 
gandha,  212;  of  Utpaladi, 
212 

Drum,  beating  of  the,  118, 
118ft2,  246 

Drum  or  tabla,  243,  257 

"Drums  and  Cymbals,"  A.  E. 
Crawley,    Hastings' 
Rel  Etk.,  ll&tt2 

Dual  cult,  the,  272 

Ducats  found  daily  under 
boy's  pillow,  20ft 

Duck,  Brahmany,  115,  115ft1, 

187 
'Dumb  Cripple/The,"  Schief- 
ner  and   Ralston's   Tibetan 
Tales,  226 

Dungeon,  Sakatala  thrown 
into  a,  40,  40ft3,  41,  45 

Dust  from  the  trampling  of 
an  army,  182,  182ft1,  183ft 

Duties  of  a  bhavin  in  the 
temple,  246  ;  of  a  deva-dasi, 
233,  251 ;  of  a  devli  in  the 
temple,  246 ;  of  the 
jcadishtu,  270,  271 ;  of  min- 
strels, 183,  183ft2 ;  of  moylar 
women,  252 ;  of  prostitutes, 
233;  of  South  Travancore 
dasis,  262 ;  of  superintend- 
ents of  prostitutes,  233 

Duty  to  the  dead,  importance 
of  the,  267 ;  of  presiding  at 
a  sraddha,  56  ;  temple,  139, 
139ft1,  231,  250,  251;  of 
women  who  refuse  to  shave 
their  heads,  275,  276 

Dwarf  assumed  by  Vishnu, 
form  of  a,  108ft2 

Dwarf  equivalent  of  the 
court  jester,  deformed, 
137ft2 

Dwarf  of  old  German  romance 
(King  Alberich),  27 

Dweller  in  the  Vindhya  hills 
(Durga),  60,  66,  76 

Dwelling-place  of  the  God- 
dess of  Prosperity,  94;  of 
Siva  and  Parvati  (Mt 
Kailasa),  2,  2ft2 

Dyes,  turmeric  as  substitute 
for  yellow,  255ft3 

Dynasty  of  Babylon,  the  first, 


Dynasty,    the 
Egyptian,  269 


twelfth 


. 


Eagles  called  Gryphons,  141ft2 
Ear,  speech  that  pierces  the, 

like  a  poisoned  needle,  4 ; 

the  harbinger  of  composure 

reaches    the    king's,    121, 

121ft2 
Ear-ornament  of  the   earth, 

94,95 
Ear-pendants  (todu),  262 
Earliest  erotic  writer  of  the 

Christian  era,  234 
Early  English  Romances,  Ellis, 

story      of      "Amys      and 

Amylion,"  97ft2 
Early  English  Text  Society, 

"The      Wright's      Chaste 

Wife,"  F.  J.  Furnivall,  165 
Early  Ideas :  A  Group  of  Hindu 

Stories,    F.    F.    Arbuthnot, 

236ft1 
Earth,  the   ear-ornament   of 

the,  94,  95 
Earthly  Nandana,  an,  66,  66ft1 
East,  the  changeless,  268 ;  se- 
clusion of  women  in  the^O?!1 
East  to  west,  walking  round 

an  object  from,  191 
Easter  offering  in  Saintonge, 

15ft 
Eastern   equivalent  to  court 

jester,     137ft2;     sense     of 

humour,  29;   story-teller, 

the,  130 
Eastern  fiction,  snake  in,  101ft1 
Eastern    Romances,    Clouston, 

43,      101ft1,      131,      160ft3; 

Weber,  25 
"  Eaters  of  raw  flesh,"  kravydd 

(Pisachas),  205 
Eating  at  funerals,  56ft1 ;  hot 

coals,  79ft1 ;  leaves,  79 
Eclipse  of  the  sun  and  moon 

caused  by  Rahu,  200 
Echoing  roar  of  clouds,  151, 

151ft1 
Education  in  India,  prejudice 

against  female,  251 
Education,     progress     under 

British  rule,  254,  255 
Effect  of  British  rule  in  India, 

266 ;    of  climate  and  tem- 
perament on  religion,  275 ; 

of  Mohammedan  influence 

on  deva-dasis,  265,  266  ;  of 

Mohammedan  invasions  on 

Northern  India,  231 
Effects  of  Ishtar's  descent  to 

Hades,  274 


Egg,  Hindu  conception  of  the 
world  as  an,  9,  10,  10ft3 ;  of 
JEpyornis  maximus,  104 

Eggs  laid  by  satisfied  hen- 
parrot,  224 

Egret  called  benu  by  ancient 
Egyptians,  103;  phoenix 
identified  with  the,  103 

Egyptian  name  for  egret, 
benu,  104 ;  papyrus,  133ft1 

Eight  forms  of  marriage,  87 

Eighth  day  of  the  month,  82 

Eldest  daughter  dedicated  to 
the  deity,  257 

Elephant,  an  artificial,  133, 
133ft1,  134 ;  among  mon- 
archs,  an,  125;  called  Bha- 
dravati,  150,  151,  152; 
carries  off  Queen  Pau- 
maval,  224;  of  the  gods, 
Kanchanapata  the,  18, 
18ft3 ;  Lohajangha  rests  in 
body  of,  141,  141ft1,  142; 
named  Nadagiri,  125; 
raised  up  by  chaste  woman, 
a  fallen,  166 

Elephant-catching,  sport  of, 
133,  133ft1 

Elephant-driver,  150,  151 

Elephant-hook,  the,  151 

Elephant's  language  under- 
stood, 151 

Elephants  raining  streams  of 
ichor,  182;  subduing  in- 
furiated, 122 ;  timidity  of 
wild,  133ft1;  understood  by 
superintendent,  signs  of, 
151 

Eloquence  and  learning, 
Sarasvati,  goddess  of,  1ft*, 
18,  18ft1,  31,  31ft3 

Elysium  or  pleasure-ground, 
Indra's  (Nandana),  66ft1 

Emblem  of  Ganesa,  the  right- 
handed  swastika,  192 ;  of 
Siva,  the  linga,  4ft3 

Emblems  of  Vishnu,  144,  256 

Embrace  of  Gaurl  (Parvati, 
Durga),  94 

Embryo  asserting  itself,  will 
of  the  (dohada),  221 

Emerald  of  chastity,  165 

Emotion  (rasa),  126ft2 

Emperor  Jahangir,  238,  238«2 

Emperors  of  India,  Hastin- 
apura  the  capital  of  the,  7ft4 

Empire,  the  Mogul,  237  |$&$| 

Enamelled  whiteness,  palaces 
of,  125,  125ft1 

Encounters  at  sea  with 
enormous  birds,  104 


Encyclopaedia  Britannica,  "  As- 
ceticism," F.  C.  Conybeare, 
79ft1;  ''Babylonian  Law," 
C.  H.  W.  Johns,  270ft1; 
"Phoenix,"  104;  "Ser- 
pent-Worship," S.  A.  Cook, 
203;  "Tree- Worship," 
S.  A.  Cook,  144ft1 

Encyclopaedia  of  Hindu  Fiction, 
Bloomfield,221 

Encyclopaedia  of  Islam,  103 

Encyclopaedia  of  Religion  and 
Ethics,  Hastings' :  "  Ances- 
tor-Worship (Indian),"  W. 
Crooke,  56ft1;  "Animals," 

F.  W.  Thomas,  134k1; 
"Asceticism  (Hindu)," 
A.  S.  Geden,  79ft1  ; 
"Atargatis,"  L.  B.  Paton, 
275,  275ft1;  "Babylonians 
and  Assyrians,  273ft3 ; 
"Blood,"  H.  W.  Robinson, 
98ft;  "  Cakes  and  Loaves," 
J.  A.  Macculloch,  15ft; 
"  Circumambulation," 
D'Alviella,  193;  "Cos- 
mogony and  Cosmology," 
H.  Jacobi,  10ft3 ;  "  Daitya," 
H.  Jacobi,  200;  "  Doubles," 
A.  E.  Crawley,37ft2;"  Drums 
and  Cymbals,"  A.  E.  Craw- 
ley, 118ft2;  "Heroes  and 
HeroGods,"273ft3;"Hiero- 
douloi,"  G.A.Barton, 271ft1, 
277;  "Human  Sacrifice 
(Indian),"  E.  A.  Gait,116n!; 
"Ishtar,"  273ft3;  "  Life- 
Token,"  Sidney  Hartland, 
130;  "Oath,"  Crawley, 
Beet  and  Canney,  57ft1; 
"  Phallism,"  Sidney  Hart- 
land,      15ft;      "  Pisachas," 

G.  A.  Grierson,  92;  "Prosti- 
tution (Indian),"  W.Crooke,? 
233,  239ft2;  "Serpent- 
Worship,"  Macculloch, 
Crooke  and  Welsford,  203, 
204 ;  Tammuz,"  273ft3 ; 
"Trees  and  Plants,"  T. 
Barnes,  144ft1 

Endurance   of  dancing-girls, 

powers  of,  254 
Enemies  of  the  gods,  list  of, 

197,  198-200 
Enemy  or  destroyer  of  Tri- 

pura,  Tripurari  (Siva),  95ft1 
Enemy  of  Gilgamesh,  Khum- 

baba,  273 
Enemy  of  the  Nagas,  Garuda 

the,  103 
En  f ants  terrible,  tales  of,  186ft 


INDEX  II-GENERAL 

Enforced  prostitution,  alter- 
native to,  275,  276 
English  Fairy  Tales  from  the 

North  Country,  A.  C.  Fryer, 

26 
English  Folk-Lore,  Thiselton 

Dyer,  191 
English  Gesta,  26,  44 
English    Text   Society   story 

of  "The   Wright's  Chaste 

Wife,"  Furnivall,  44 
Entering  into  another's  body, 

37,  37ft2 
Entertainment,  a  dramatic,  11 
Entrails,  desire  to  eat   hus- 
band's, 222,  223 
Entrance   to  city  prevented 

by  a  lion,  108,  108ft3 
Entrapped  suitors  motif,  42- 

44,      167 ;      first     literary 

appearance  of  the,  42 
Envy  of  Kalanemi,  106  ;  vice 

of,  124ft1 
Epic  of  Gilgamesh,  269,  273- 

274 
Epics,  the,  10ft3,  201,  203 
Epigraphia  Indica,   Hultzsch, 

155ft1 
Epithet    of    Agni     or    Fire 

(Vaisvanara),   78ft2 
Equivalent  of  the  mediaeval 

court  jester,  Indian,  137ft2 
Erotic    significance    of     tur- 
meric, 255ft3 
Erotics,  science  of,  234,  234ft1 
Escape  from  death  by  solving 

riddle,  51,  51ft 
Essai  sur  les  Fables  Indiennes, 

Deslongchamps.  25,  169 
Essays  on  Sanskrit  Literature, 

Wilson,    7ft,4    17ft3,    75ft1, 

162ft1,  165,  169 
Esteem,  prostitutes  held  in, 

237 
Etfmographic  Notes  in  Southern 

India,  Thurston,  258ft2 
Ethnographical       Survey       of 

Bombay,  246ft1 
Ethnographical       Survey       of 

Mysore,  258ft1 
Ethnologische  Parellelen  u.  Ver- 

gleiche,  Andre  e,  82ft 
Etymology  of  the  word  asura, 

198,     199;     of    the    name 

Atargatis,  275 
Eunuchs  attached  to  temple 

at  Tanjore,  247 
Euphorbia  as  chastity  index 

in  Peru,  branch  of,  168 
European   fiction,    snake   in, 

101ft1 


309 

European  quarter  in  the 
"  City  of  Palaces,"  125ft1 

Evidence  of  sacred  prostitu- 
tion in  Vedic  times,  265 ; 
in  Western  Asia,  277 

Evil  eye,  black  a  guard 
against  the,  212,  217 

Evil  Eye,  The,  Elworthy,  216 

Evil  spirits  (daevas),  199 ; 
colour  black  feared  by,  212, 
217 

Evils  of  the  night,  77ft1 

Ewe-speaking  people  of  the 
Slave  Coast,  277 

Ewe-Speaking  Peoples  of  the 
Slave  Coast  of  West  Africa, 
A.  B.  Ellis,  278ft2 

Exaggeration  of  the  Eastern 
story-tellers,  130 

Example  of  migratory  tale, 
29,  42 

Examples  of  feigned  dohadas 
(pregnant  longings),  227, 
228  ;  of  petitions  to  Euro- 
pean police,  258 ;  of  the 
sign  language,  80ft1,  81ft 

Excellence  (sattva),  136ft1 

Execution  of  Vararuchi 
ordered  by  Yogananda, 
50 

Executioner,  Domba  or  Dom, 
157,  157ft1   * 

Explosion  in  the  world  of 
Aindra  grammar,  32 

External  soul  motif,  38ft,  39ft, 
129-130 

Extraneous  object,  "soul," 
"life"  or  "heart  "kept  in 
an,  38ft,  129,  130,  132 

Eye,  fire  of  Siva's,  5ft2,  94 ;  of 
Osiris,  216 

Eyebrows,  30ft2 

Eye-wash,  collyrium  a  liquid, 
211 

Eyes,  30,30ft2;  children  with 
painted,  217 ;  custom  of 
painting  the,  in  Morocco, 
217  ;  painting  the,  in  the 
Old  Testament,  216 ;  like 
a  blue  lotus,  30 ;  like  the 
wild  heifer  or  the  gazelle, 
30ft2 ;  of  the  citizens,  de- 
voured by  the,  121,  121ft1 ; 
red  with  smoke,  184, 184ft4 ; 
she  -  crow's  longing  for  a 
Brahman's,  223 

Fable  of  VHuitre  et  les 
Plaideurs,  La  Fontaine,  26 

Fables,  jEsop,  169;  Buddha- 
ghosa,  104;  Hyginus,  190 


310 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


Fabliau,  "  Le  Court  Mantel," 
165  ;     "  Le    Manteau    mal 
taille,"  165 
Fabliaux  et   Conies  des  Poetes 
Francois  des  XP-X  Ve  siecles, 
Barbazan,  44 
Fabulists,  Arabian,  169 
Fabulous  birds,  103-105 
Face   like  a   full    moon,  30, 

30ft1 
Faces  robbed  of  their  cheer- 
ful hue,  122,  122b3 
Fairy  Legends  and   Traditions 
of    the    South    of   Ireland, 
J.  C.  Croker,  26 
Fairy  Tales,  Grimm,  19b2,  25 
Fairy     Tales,     Indian,     Miss 

Stokes,  26,  43,  129,  131 
Faith  (sraddha),  56b1 
Fakir  from  Kashmir,  213 
Faith-token  motif,  166 
Fallen  elephant  raised  up  by 

chaste  woman,  166 
Falling  in  love  by  mere  men- 
tion   or    description,    128, 
128ft1 
Family  of  Pandava,  95 
Famine,   custom    of    Hariifa 
tribe  in  time  of,  14b  ;  flight 
of    the     three     Brahmans 
owing  to  a,  19 
Fan,  message  conveyed  by  a, 

81b 
Fan  held  by  prostitutes,  the 

royal,  233 
Fanning  the  idol  with  Tibetan 

cow's  tail,  252 
Faqirs,  Mohammedan,  240 
Fascinum     (guhya,      linga     or 
phallus),  2b2,  4b3,  13?i3,  14b, 
15b,  125b2 
Fasting,  12b1,  32,  79b1 
Fate  of  Yogananda,  55-58 
Favour  of  Karttikeya,  Vara- 
ruchi   the   bodily    form  of 
the,  17 
Favour  of  the   Lord    Kartti- 
keya, 71,  71b3 
Fear  of  evil  spirits  for  black, 

212,  217 
Feast  in  honour  of  Indra,  128  ; 
of  monks,  dancing  -  girls 
employed  at,  247 ;  of  rice, 
cakes  and  sweetmeats,  242  ; 
of  springtide,  112,  112b1  ; 
of  victory  of  Indra,  95,  96 
Feasts  in  honour  of  the  god, 

reason  for  the,  248 
Feathered  gallants,  42,  44 
Feats  of  strength  of  dancing- 
girls,  254 


Fee,  Chanakya's,  57  ;  of  the 

courtesan,  28 ;  Varsha's,  36, 

38-40 
Feeding  the  idol,  247-249 ;  the 

spirit,  rite  of,  56b1 
Feet   flayed   to  make    magic 

shoes,  27 
Feigned     dohadas    (pregnant 

longings),  examples  of,  227- 

228 
Female   accomplishments  all 

found  in  the  courtesan,  235, 

252 
Female  ascetic  named  Yoga- 

karandika,     156,     158-161; 

named  Sankrityanani,  188 
Female  demon,  Rakshasi,  111, 

111b1 
Female  elephant  called  Bha- 

dravatl,  150-152 
Female  emblem  at  Clermont, 

15b 
Female  and  male  hierodouloi, 

270 
Female  principle  represented 

by  left-handed  sauwastika, 

192 
Female  Rakshasa,  48,  49 
Female  servants  of  the  god, 

kosio,  278 
Female  sex,  cakes  represent- 
ing the,  15b 
Female     Vidyadhara    named 

Mayavati,  152 
Female  Yaksha,  118 
Feminine   form    of  old  age, 

121b2 
Fertility,  Goddess  of  (Ishtar), 

273,  276 
Festival  of  Aswin  (October), 

245,     245b1;     of     Basant 

Panchmi,      244 ;     of     the 

commencement  of  spring, 

68 ;  the  famous  car,  242  ; 

of  Indra,  30  ;  of  marriage, 

183,  184 
Festivals,  principal  religious, 

262 
Festschrift        fur  Vilhelm 

Thomsen,  Sir  G.  A.  Grier- 

son,      "  Pi^acas      in       the 

Mahabharata,"  93 
"  Fete  des  Pinnes,  La,"  14b 
Fetters,    spells   for   rending, 

136 
Feudatory  or  dependent  chief 

(Samanta),  52b1 
Fiction,      dohada      motif     in 

Hindu,     221-228;      ^life- 
index  "  in  Eastern,  130-132  ; 

language  of  signs  in  East- 


I 


Fiction — contmuea 

ern,  80b1,  81b;  laughs  in 
Hindu,  47b  ;  simile  of  moles 
in  Indian,  49b1;  snake  in, 
101b1 

Fickleness  of  Udayana,  187- 
188 

Ficus  Indica,  9b3 

Fiddle  (sarangi),  243 

Figs,  magical,  27 

Fig-tree,   "  man    of  dougl 
and   wine    hung  on,    1^ 
monkeys'    hearts    on   the, 
224-225 

Fines  for  breaches  of  regula- 
tions by  prostitutes,  233 

Fingers  opened,  message 
conveyed  by,  80b1 

Fire,  Agni,  God  of,  78,  78b1, 
200;  or  Agni,  Vaisvanara 
epithet  of,  78;  the  Great 
Tale  thrown  into  the,  90 ; 
the  sacred  (homam),  260 ; 
set  to  palace,  113,  114;  of 
Siva's  eye,  the,  52b2,  94; 
walking  round  the,  cere- 
mony of,  184,  184b3,  191 

Fires,  lying  surrounded  by, 
79b1 

First  dynasty  of  Babylon,  269 

First-fruits,  basket  of,  15b 

First  literary  appearance  of 
"  entrapped  suitors  "  story, 
42 

Fish  that  laughed,  the,  46-49 

Fists  clenched  till  the  nails 
grow  through  the  palm, 
79b1 

Five  locks  left  on  shaven 
head,  146,  146^ 

Five  products  of  the  cow,  a 
pill  made  of  the,  258 

Five,  significance  of  the 
number,  255,  255b2 

Flag  of  Vishnu,  242 

Flame-liriga,  4,  4b3 

Flame  of  love  fanned  in  the 
heart  of  the  king,  96 

Flames,  Upakosa  submits  her 
body  to  the,  54,  54b2,  55 

Flesh  from  the  husband's 
back,  dohada  (pregnant 
longing)  for  the,  223 

Flesh,  woman  devouring 
human,  111,  112 

Flight  of  the  three  Brahmans 
owing  to  famine,  19 

Flour,  cake  of  (phallic),  13, 
13b3 

Flour  and  sugar,  wafers  of 
{gujahs),  242,  242b3 


Flower  of  the  acacia,   heart 

placed  on  the  top  of  the, 

129 
Flower-arrowed  god  (Kama), 

75 
Flower  as  chastity  index,  165 
Flower,  sirisha,  69 
Flower  in  the  teeth,  80 
Flower-white  forehead,  30k2 
Flowers,    message    conveyed 

by  a  bunch  of,  81k ;  offered 

to   Ganesa,    240 ;   offerings 

of,  244;  wreath  of,  118k2 
Flowery    bow,    god    of    the 

(Kama),  184 
Flying  carpet,  26 
Flying  through  the  air,  power 

of,  22 
Folk-Lore  Journal,  27 
Folk -Lore     Journal,      "The 

Philosophy  of  Punchkin," 

Edward  Clodd,  130 
Folk-Lore    of    the    Northern 

Counties,  Henderson,  190 
Folk-Lore  of  Northern  India, 

W.  Crooke,  37k2,  6W,  98/?, 

134k1,  203,  205,  206,  228 
Folk-Lore  Record,  26 
Folk-Lore   of  Rome,    M.    H. 

Busk,  20k,  26;  "Story  of 

Cajusse  "  in,  132 
"Folk-Lore     of     Salsette," 

D'Penha,  Ind.  Ant.,  131 
Folk-Lore  of  the  Santa  I  Par- 

ganas,  Bom  pas,  46k2,  131 
Folk-Lore  Society,  170 ;  Por- 
tuguese Folk-Tales,  27 
"Folk-Lore    in    Western 

India,"   Wadia,   Ind.    Ant., 

131 
Folk-Tales  from  Bengal,  Lai 

Behari  Day,  28,  95k2,  131 
Folk-tales,  German,  98k 
Folk  -  Tales     of    Hindustan, 

Chilli,  131 
Folk  -  Tales    of   Kashmir, 

Knowles,  46k2,  95k2,  131 
Folk-Tales,  Russian,   Ralston, 

26,   82k1,  104,   108k1,   129, 

132,  136k2 
Folk-Tales  of  Tibet, O'Connor, 

131 
Following  the  course  of  the 

sun,  190-191 
Food  for  the  dead,  providing, 

56k1 
Food  eaten  by  women  at  the 

Hola,  mystic,  15k 
Food-producing  chattee,  28 
Food  -  providing    mesa,     26  ; 

vessel,  22 


INDEX  II -GENERAL 

Foot  of  iron,  a  dog's,  160, 
164 

Force  of  all  four  arms,  24, 
24k2 

Force,  open  (danda),  123k2 

Forearms  bared,  message 
conveyed  by,  80k1 

Forehead  adorned  with  un- 
fading marks,  100 ;  flower- 
white,  30k2;  marked  with 
a  dog's  foot,  160,  161,  164  ; 
marked  with  vermilion 
(kunkam),  242,  244,  256; 
marks  on  the,  69,  69k3 

Forest  (atavz),  141k1  ;  Sakatala 
retires  to  the,  57 ;  seven 
stories  written  with  blood 
in  the,  89,  90;  the  Vindhya, 
7,9,30,59,76,114,119,133, 
134,  136,  152,  153,  182 

Forgotten  Empire,  A,  R.  Sewell, 
248k1 

Former  birth,  19,  21,  58;  of 
Putraka,  19 

Former  births,  Parvati's,  4,  5 

Forms  of  dohada  (pregnant 
longing)  which  injure,  223- 
225  ;  of  mortifications  of 
ascetics,  79k1 

Formula  connected  with 
soma  for  producing  a  good 
memory,  12k1 

Fortune,  given  by  {i.e.  Srl- 
datta),  107,  107k1  ;  Goddess 
of,  106,  107,  135 

Fossil  JEpyornis  maximus,  dis- 
covery of  the,  104,  105 

Foster-father  of  Zal,  father 
of  Rustam,  simurgh  the, 
103  ' 

Founding  of  Pataliputra,  18- 
24 

Four  lovers,  Upakosa  and  her, 
32-36,  42-44 

Four  upayas  or  means  of 
success,'  123,  123k2 

Four  young  merchants  of 
Kataha,  156,  160-164 

Fourth  language,  the,  76 

Frankincense,  kohl  made 
with,  217 

Friend  of  Vasavadatta, 
Kanchanamala,  151 

Friendly  god  (asura),  198 

Friends  of  Sridatta,  107 

Friendship  of  Engidu  (Eabini) 
and  Gilgamesh,  273 

Fringe  of  lashes  elevated,  121 

Fruit,  bimba  an  Indian,  31k2 

Fulfilment  of  Tilottama's 
curse,  99 


311 

Full  bosom  admired  by  H  indus 

and  Samoans,  30,  30k2 
Full  of  life  (sattva),  136,  136k1 
Full  moon,  face  like  the,  30, 

30k1 
Funeral  ceremonies  of  dans. 

264 
Funerals,  eating  at,  56k1 
Furious       elephant      named 

Nadagiri,  125 

Galena,  211,  213 

Gallants  covered  in  cotton- 
wool, 42  ;  fastened  in  win- 
dow, 42;  feathered,  42; 
naked,  42-44  ;  painted,  42  ; 
in  sacks,  42  ;  in  trunks,  33, 
34,  35,  42 

Gamblers,  62 

Gambling,  vice  of,  124k1 

Gaming-table,  Apsarases  pre- 
side over  the  fortunes  of 
the,  202 

Ganges  -  supporter  (Garigfi- 
dhara),  5k5 

Garden  called  Devikriti,  66 ; 
the  magic,  66,  67;  of 
Nandana,  96 ;  planted  by 
the  goddess,  the,  66,  67, 
68,  89 

Garland  of  chastity,  44,  165 

Garlands,  art  of  weaving  un- 
fading, 100;  as  marriage 
ceremony,  exchange  of, 
88;  propitiating  Siva  with, 
85,  86 

Garment  drawn  out  of  a  lake, 
117 

Garments,  bodies  revealed 
by  clinging,  69,  69k2;  of 
Ginevra  and  Isotta,  cling- 
ing, 69k2 

Gate  of  the  Ganges  (Haridvar 
or  Hurdwar),  18,  18k2 

Gates  of  sardonyx  mixed  with 
cornu  cerastic  (horn  of  the 
horned  serpent)  to  prevent 
introduction  of  poison, 
110k1 

Gazelle-eyed  lady,  116 

Gazelle,  eyes  like  the,  30k2 

"Gehornte  Siegfried,  Der," 
Simrock,  Deutsche  Volks- 
bucher,  129 

Genii  in  rock-carvings,  bird-, 
103 

Genii,  thousands  of,  131 

German  abbess  and  mystic, 
St  Hildegard  of  Bingen, 
Subtleties,  110k1 

German  folk-tales,  98k 


312 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


Gesammtabe?iteuer}  F.  H.  Von 
der  Hagen,  169,  171 

Geschichte  (or  Sagenbuch)  der 
Bayrischen  Lande,  Schopp- 
ner,  77,  129rc 

Geschichte  des  Buddhismus  in 
Indien,  uebersetzt  von 
Schiefner,  Taranatha,  69ft4 

Gesta,  English,  26,  44 

Gesta  Romanorum,  26,  44, 
116ft2,  165 ;  Oesterley,  171 ; 
(Swan's  edition)  "Of 
Ingratitude,"  101ft1 ;  "The 
Old  Woman  and  her  Dog," 
169 

Gestures,  language  of,  112 

Ghost  or  Bhuta,  206 

Ghosts  walking  abroad,  77ft1 

Ghouls  or  Pisachas,  205 

Giants,  25,  131 

Gibberish,  Paisachi  language 
a  kind  of,  92 

Gift  {nazar),  262 ;  of  half  a  life, 
188,  188ft2,  189 

Gigantic  bird,  Alexander  and 
the,  103 

Gigantic  birds  in  compara- 
tively recent  times,  proof 
of  the  existence  of,  105 

Gipsies.     See  Gypsies 

Girdle  of  Florimel,  165 

Girl  eaten  in  Sweden,  figure 
of  a,  14ft 

Girls  consecrated  to  gods  and 
goddesses,  247;  devoted 
to  temple  service  as  a  re- 
sult of  parents'  vow,  252 ; 
vowed  to  temple  service  by 
parents,  245 

Given  by  Buddha,  i.e. 
Buddhadatta,  123,  123m1; 
by  Fortune,  i.e.  Sridatta, 
107,  107ft1 

Giver  of  boons  (Siva),  19 

Giving  (dana),  123ft2 

Glass  shivers  at  approach  of 
poison,  Venetian,  110ft1 

Gliicksvogel's  heart  produces 
ducats,  20ft 

Goblin  language,  89,  90,  92, 
205 ;  pisacka-bhasha,  92 ; 
that  tenants  dead  bodies, 
136,  136tt2 

Goblins  dazed  by  the  sun, 
77;  Pisachas,  71,  71ft2,  89, 
90,  92 ;  power  of,  76,  76ft2, 
77 

God,  the  adorable  (Siva),  9 

God  Bes,  the,  216 

God  (Brahma),  the  lotus- 
sprung,  96,  96ft1 


God  as  bridegroom,  mask  of 

the,  245 
God,     concubines     of     the 

(zikru),  270 
God  whose  emblem  is  a  bull 

(Siva),  108 
God,  entu  or  brides  of  the,  270 
God  of  Fire  (Agni),  78,  200 
God,     the     flowery-arrowed 

(Kama),  75,  184 
God  of  Justice  (Dharma),  84, 

84ft1 
God,  the   lotus-sprung 

(Brahma),  96,  96ft1 
God  of  Love  (Kama),  1, 1ft3,  5, 

23,  94 ;  incarnation  of  the, 

128;     interferes    with 

Devadatta's  studies,  79 
God  Marduk,  the  solar,  271, 

274 
God    of    the    matted    locks 

(Siva),  94 
God,     the     moon-diademed 

(Siva),  7 
God  of  the  moony  crest  (Siva), 

67,  86 
God   Nannar   worshipped  at 

Ur,  the  moon-,  270 
God   pleased    with  Varsha's 

austerities  gives  him  know- 
ledge of  sciences,  15 
God,    reason    for    feasts    in 

honour  of  the,  248 
God,  shrine  of  the,  72 
God  of  Springtime,  Tammuz 

the  solar,  273 
God,     the     six-faced     (Kart- 

tikeya),  73,  73m1 
God,     the     trident  -  bearing 

(Siva),  6 
God,    vodu-si,    persons    con- 
secrated to  a,  278 
God  of  Wealth  (Kuvera),  10, 

67,  111,  202,  203 
God  who  wears  on  his  crest 

a  digit  of  the  moon  (Siva), 

36 
God  who  wears  the  moon  as 

a  crest  (Siva),  32 
God,  young  people  dedicated 

to  a  (kosio)   278 
God,  sikru  or  concubines  of 

the,  270 
Goddess  of  animal  and  vege- 
table life  (Ishtar),  272 
Goddess  Aruru,  the,  273 
Goddess,  the  corn-,  14ft 
Goddess,   cult   of  the   great 

mother-,  271 
Goddess  Durga,  the,  9,  28, 

125 


Goddess  who  dwells  in  th( 

Vindhya  hills  (Durga),  9/i 
Goddess    of    eloquence    a: 

learning    ( Saras vatl),    1 

18,  18ft1,  31ft3 
Goddess  of  Fertility,  273 
Goddess  of  Fortune,  106, 1 

135 
Goddess  of  the  Ganges,  51 
Goddess,  garden  planted  bj 

the,  66,  67,  68,  89 
Goddess  Ishtar  or  Innini,  the 

mother-,  272 
Goddess      of     marriage     oi 

maternity  (Ishtar),  272,  276 
Goddess,  matrons  as  servants 

of  the,  276 
Goddess  of  Music  (Sarasvatl), 

243 
Goddess  of  Pestilence,  147 
Goddess,     propitiating     the, 

125 
Goddess  of  Prosperity,  128 
Goddess     of    Prosperity, 

dwelling-place  of  the,  94 
Goddess    of     Sexual     Love 

(Ishtar),  272 
Goddess  of  Speech,  1 
Goddess  of  the  Splendour  of 

Spring,  112 
Goddess  Sri,  the,  80,  119 
Goddess   of  Storm    (Ishtar), 

272 
Goddess  in  Syria,    Attar   or 

Athar,  the  mother-,  275 
Goddess  of  War  (Ishtar),  272 
Goddesses,  girls  consecrated 

to,  247 
Gods,  Amaravati,  the  city  of 

the,  125,  125W1 
Gods   and    A  suras,   war    be- 
tween, 95 
Gods  of  bogams,  244 
Gods,    Brihaspati,   perceptor 

of  the,*  57,  57ft2 
Gods,     deva-dasis,    or    hand- 
maids of  the,  231 
Gods  of  dough,  14ft 
Gods,  enemies  of  the,    197, 

198-200 
Gods,    girls    consecrated    to 

the,  247 
Gods,  Kan  chanapata,  elephant 

of  the,  18,  18ft3 
Gods,   servants  of  the,    197, 

200-203 
Gods,  servants  of  the,  bogams, 

244 
Gods,  the  Vedic,  198 
Gold    Coast,     Tshi-speaking 

peoples  of  the,  277 


o. 


INDEX  II-GENERAL 


Id,  mountain  turned  into, 

213 
Gold  pieces  under  pillow,  19, 

19ft2,  20,  20/i 
Gold  pieces,  Varsha's  fee  of 

ten  million,  36,  37,  38-40 
Gold- producing      animal, 

article  or  person,  20ft 
Gold-producing  stone,  Mon- 
golian legend  of,  27 
"  Golden      Age     of     Ham- 
murabi,   The,"    R.    Camp- 
bell   Thomson,    Cambridge 

Ancient  History,  27 lft1 
Golden   Bough,    Frazer,    130, 

144ft1,  222,  228,  268,  268ft1, 

273ft3,  278ft3 
Golden  lotuses  floating  in  the 

Ganges,  faces  like,  183 
Golden  Sun,   Castle  of  the, 

25 
Golden  swans'  former  birth, 

21 
Goldsmith's   adventure   with 

the  tiger,  the  ape  and  the 

snake, 101ft1 
Gongs,  death  summoned  with 

the  sound  of,  119 
Goose,  gold-producing,  20ft 
Gopatha  Brahmana,  the,  205 
"  Gott,   Der   Aufgegessene," 

Liebrecht,  Zur  Volkskunde, 

13ft3 
Government  monopoly  of  tar i, 

141 
Government  of  Vidyadharas, 

204 
"Graf  Von   Rom,"    Uhland, 

166 
Grain  figure  of  girl  eaten  in 

Sweden,  14ft 
Grains  of  rice,  inexhaustible, 

75 
Gram     flour,    head     washed 

with,  243 
Grammar,  dispute   over   the 

new,  32 ;  the  new,  32,  36, 

74,  75,  75ft1 ;  time  required 

to  learn,  71 
Grammatical  treatise,  69,  75 
Grammatical   treatise  (Prati- 

sakhya),  12,  12ft2 
Granddaughters  of  Bali,  the 

thousand,  108,  108ft2 
Grandfather    of    the    world 

(Supreme  Soul),  10 
Grass,  darbha,  55,  55ft1,  257 ; 

durva,    55ft1 ;     kusa,    55ft1, 

58;  kusara,  56ft;  sara,  56ft 
Grateful       and       ungrateful 

snakes,  100,  101ft1 


Grave,  pilgrimages  to 
Tansen's,  238,  238ft1 

Great  eagles  called  Gryphons, 
141ft2 

Great  poet  of  India,  Dandin 
the,  234,  234ft*,  235 

Great  Tale,  the  (Brihat- 
Katha), 6, 89-91;  rejected  by 
Satavahana,  90;  renowned 
in  the  three  worlds,  91 

Great  tales,  the  seven,  11 

Greek  tale  in  Holin's  collec- 
tion, 101ft1 

Green  date,  message  con- 
veyed by  the  stone  of  a, 
80ft1,  81ft 

Grey  hairs,  simile  of,  121ft2 

Griddle  cakes  as  secret  mes- 
sage, 82ft 

Griechische  M'drchen,  Bern- 
hard  Schmidt,  77ft1,  188ft2 

Grief  causes  death,  12 

Grief  of  Vararuchi  at  parting 
with  his  mother,  17;  of 
Yaugandharayana,  137 

Griffin,  half-lion,  half-eagle, 
the,  104 

Ground  of  Larika  made  of 
wood,  143-144 

Group  of  Eastern  Stories  and 
Romances,  A,  Clouston,  43, 
101ft1,  131,  160ft3;  "Gul-i- 
Bakawall"  in,  43,  160ft3 

Grove  where  asceticism  is 
practised,  55 

Gryphons, eagles  called,  141ft2 

Guard  against  the  evil  eye  at 
marriages,  etc.,  212 

Guardian  deity  of  patars,  Siva 
the,  239 

Guardian  of  precious  stones, 
the  griffin  the,  104 

Guardians  of  soma,  200 

Guards  pursue  Bandhula  and 
Mallika,  225-226 

Guido  and  the  Seneschal, 
"Of  Ingratitude,"  Gesta 
Romanorum  (Swan's  edi- 
tion), 101ft1 

Gul-i-Bakdwali,  or  The  Rose 
of  Bakawall,  Shaykh  'Izzat 
Ullah,  43 

Gypsies  of  Bengal,  The,  B.  R. 
Mitra/  240ft1 

Gypsies,  tattooing  done  by, 
49ft1 

Gypsy  tribes,  bediyas  and 
nats,  240 

Hades  (Sheol),  Ishtar's  search 
for  Tammuz  in,  273,  274 


313 

Hair,    possession   of  person- 
ality by,  276;    undoing   a 

lock  of,  57 ;  yellow  tuft  of 

matted,  3 
Hairs  of  body  on  end  like  a 

fretful  hedgehog,  120ft1 
Hairs,  grey,  121ft2 
Hairs  standing  erect  for  iov. 

120  J  y 

Hairs  of  Vishnu,  the,  55ft1 
Hajji      Baba     of      Ispahan, 

Morier,  214 
Hakluyt    Society's    publica- 
tions, 63ft1,  248ft1 
Half    a    life    given   to   save 

another's,  188,  188ft2,  189 
Half-moon  on  the  throat,  65, 

65ft1 
Hamelin,     Pied     Piper     of, 

26 
Hamlet,    Shakespeare,   76ft2, 

77ft1 
Hammurabi's  Gesetz,  J.  Kohler 

and  A.  Ungnad,  270ft1 
Hand   in   the    Ganges,   the, 

45,  46ft1 
Hand  only  unguarded  place, 

the  left,  127 
Handbook  of  the  courtesan, 

Kshemendra's     Samayajna- 

trika,  a,  236 
Handmaid  of  the  gods  (deva- 

dasi),  231 
Handmaids  of  Upakosa,  33, 

34,35 
Hands,  henna-dyed,  211,  243 
Hands  raised,  80ft1 
Hanging  upside  down  from 

a  tree,  79ft1 
Happiness  (Sanskrit  ananda), 

241 
Harbinger      of      composure 

reaches  the  king's  ear,  the, 

121,  121ft2 
Hare  in  the  moon,  109ft1 
Harem,  an  attendant  of  the, 

loved    by    Udayana,    187 ; 

smuggling   men   into  the, 

47ft,  48ft 
Harlot  or  kizreli,  232,  272 
Harmers   or    destroyers,    i.e. 

Rakshasas,  204 
Harvard      Oriental      Series, 

A.    W.    Ryder,    trans,    of 

Mrichchhakatika,     or     Clay 

Cart,  235,  235ft1 
Harvest  festival  in  La  Pallisse, 

14ft 
Hat  of  darkness  (Tamhut),  27  ; 

of  invisibility,  26  ;  a  magic, 

25,27 


314 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


Hatims     Tale*,     Stein     and 

Grierson,  38ft,  Sin,  163m1 
Hawk    assumed    by    Indra, 

shape  of  a,  84 
Hay  at  al-Hayawan  (zoological 

lexicon),  Ad-Damirl,  trans. 

by  A.  Jayakar,  103 
Head  of  Brahma  cut  off  by 

Siva,  10,  10ft2 
Head  -  cloth,    head    covered 

seven  times  with  the,  242 
Head  magistrate,  the,  32,  34 
Head,  rite  of  covering   the 

(sir  dhankai),   240;    shaved 

and     five     locks     left     to 

resemble    a     Gana,     146, 

146ft1 ;    standing    on    the, 

79/?,1 ;   washed   with    gram 

flour,  243 
Headings     of     the     dohada 

(pregnant   longing)   motif, 

222-223;  of  "  life  -  index," 

motif,  130 
Heart    of    bird    swallowed 

produces   a    daily    box    of 

sequins,  20ft 
Heart  cleft  by  the  stroke  of 

love's  arrow,  31 
Heart,  crocodile's  longing  for 

monkey's,  224 
Heart  placed  on  the  top  of 

the  flower   of  the  acacia, 

129 
Heart  of  a  vulture  as  poison 

detector,  110ft1 
Heaven     opened     on     the 

eleventh  day,  146 
Heaven,  the  queen  of,  14ft 
Heaven,    voice    heard   from, 

61,  100,  102,  128 
Heavenly  bodies,  the  position 

of  the,  134 
Heavenly  nymph,  a,  61,  188 
Heavenly  tale  of  seven  stories, 

89-91 
Heavenly  youth,  a,  71 
Hebridean,    life-index    motif 

(Campbell),  132 
Hedgehog,  body  hairs  raised 

on     end     like     a    fretful, 

120/ii 
Heifer,    eyes    like    a    wild, 

30ft2 
"  Heimonskinder,  Die,"  Sim- 
rock,  Deutsche  Volksbucher, 

137ft1 
"  Heinrich  der  Lowe,"  Sim- 
rock,   Deutsche    Volkb'ucher, 

141ft2 

Helden   Sagen,    Hagen,   48ft2, 
121ft2,  150ft1 


Ency.  Rel.  Eth., 
Campbell. 


Hell  Ainchi,  161 

Hell  called  Raurava,  56ft1 

Hell,  shoes  of  swiftness  worn 
by  Loki  on  escaping  from, 
27 

Henna-dyed  hands,  211,  243 

Herabkunft  des  Fetters,  Kuhn, 
76ft2 

Hereditary  trade  of  women 
of  the  kasbi  caste,  242 

Hermit  Bharadvaja,  75 

Hermit,  a  Jaina,  47ft;  a 
vegetable-eating,  58,  59 

Hermit's  son,  a,  99,  188 

Hermitage  of  Badarika,  58, 
59,  59ft1,  79  ;  of  Jamadagni, 
99, 101,  102,  120 

Hero,  the  sleeping,  80ft1, 
81ft 

Heron,  phoenix  identified 
with  the,  104 

"Herzog  Ernst,"  Simrock, 
Deutsche  Volksbucher,  141ft2 

Hiding  of  men  in  imitation 
animals,  133,  133ft1,  134; 
in  jars,  133ft1 

"  Hierodouloi,"  G.  A.  Barton, 
Hastings' 
271ft1 

Highland     Tales, 
26 

Highland  usage  of  deazil,  190, 
191 

High  priest  or  guru,  256 

Hill-starling  {maina),  131 

Hills,  monarch  of  mighty,  2 ; 
the  Vindhya,  7ft4,  9ft1,  60, 
66,  76,  116,  152 

Hindu  ancestor-worship,  56ft1 

"(Hindu)  Asceticism,"  A.  S. 
Geden,  Hastings'  Encij.  Rel. 
Eth.,  79ft1 

Hindu  ascetics,  austerities  of, 
79ft1 

Hindu  bogams  called  sani  or 
nayaka,  244  ;  conception  of 
world  as  an  egg,  9,  10, 
10ft3 ;  conjurer,  advice  of  a, 
98ft;  coolie  at  Mauritius 
drinks  the  blood  of  a  girl, 
98ft;  dancing  -  girls,  patar, 
patur,  paturiya,  239; 
fiction,  dohada  motif  in, 
221-228 ;  fiction,  laughs  in, 
47ft;  kings  anointed  with 
water,  187,  187ft2;  litera- 
ture, poetical  aspect  of 
dohada  in,  221-222;  name 
for  wishing  -  tree,  Kalpav- 
riksha,  144ft1 ;  origin  of  the 
inexhaustible    purse,    25 ; 


rkon 


ol 


am 
ilsor 


Hindu — continued, 

polity,  Arthasastra  wor 

233 ;  profession  of  prostitu 

tion,  gay  an   or  kasbi,   243 

temples,     destruction 

231,  232-233,  238 
Hindu  Manners,  Customs 

Ceremonies,     Abbe     J. 

Dubois,  250,  250ft3 
Hindu  Theatre,    The,  Wi 

57ft3;   "The  Toy  Cart"  ir 

118ft2 
Hinduism   and    Buddhism,    Si 

Charles  Eliot,  56ft1 
Hiring  of  women,  275,  276 
Hissing    mouth,    spray   froi 

Ganesa's,  1,  1ft5 
Historia     Mirabilium, 

lonius,  39ft2 
History    of    the    Conqu 

Mexico,  Prescott,  116ft 
History    of    Fiction,    D 

(Liebrecht's  edition), 

97ft2,  103,  137ft1,  145ft1,  16* 
History   of  the   Forty    Vazir 

Gibb's  translation,  43 
History  of  Gunadhya 

to  Satavahana,  90 
History  of  India,   H. 

248ft1 
History   of  India,   H. 

Muntakhabu-l-lubab, 
History  of  Magic  and 

mental    Science,    A. 

dike,  77ft1 
History  of  Mathura,  231 
"  History  of  Nassar,"  Mahbi 

ul-Qulub,  131 
History  of  Persia,  Sykes,  10* 
History  of  Satavahana,  67-6' 
History  of  the  Sung  Dynast 

214 
Hittite  domination,  reli 

cult  under  the,  275 
Hobson   Jobson,    Burnell 

Yule,  242ft1,  250ft2 
Hola,   mystic  food  eate 

women  at  the,  15ft 
Holy-day  blessing   (Punyah 

vachana),  ceremony  of,  24 
Holy  hermitage  at  Badarik 

58,59 
Holy  place  on  the  Ashtapac 

mountain,      dohada    (pre; 

nant   longing)    to   worsh 

on  the, 226 
Holy  sages  (Rishis),  67,  75ft' 
Holy  Sepulchre  at  Jerusaler 

192 
Homoeopathic  and  symp 

thetic  magic,  41ft 


5 


Ellio 

238ft3 
Exper 

T"°" 


t/tiast 

;. 

en  I 


"  Home   of  Paisaci,  The,"  S. 
Konow  in  Zeit.  deuts.  morg. 

Gesell.,  92 
Home  of  Pisachas  (Khtitan), 

92,  205,  206 
Home  of  wealth  and  learning 

(Pataliputra),  24 
Honey  and  sesame    at  Syra- 
cuse, cakes  of,  15ft 
Honour,  turbans  of,  148,  184 
Hook,  the  elephant-,  151 
Horn  of  the  horned  serpents 

(cormi  cerastic),  llOn1 
Horn,  magic,  26 
Horns  and  trumpets,  blowing 

of,  by  devlis,  246 
Horripilation,  120,  120k1,  184 ; 

in  Sanskrit  poetry,  120k1 
Horse  of  Pacolet,  103 
Horse,  the  Trojan,  133ft1 
Horses     (syandana  ?),     126ft1 ; 

dispute   about    the    colour 

of  the  sun's,  143ft2 
Horses'    bodies    and    human 

heads  (Kimpurushas),  202 
Host  of  Pisachas,  76 
House  of  Allah,  the,  192  ;    of 

Varsha,  the,  13 
House  service  (kudi),  264 
Household  Tales,  Grimm,  98ft 
"How  Thutiyi  took  the  City 

of  Joppa,"  Stories  of  Ancient 

Egypt,  Maspero,  133ft1 
Huge  bird  in  Buddhaghosa's 

Fables  (hatthilinga),  104 
Human   and  animal  dohadas, 

222 
Human    bodies    and   horses' 

heads,  Kinnaras,  202 
Human  origin  of  Pisachas,  205 
Human  sacrifice,   116,  116ft1, 

267 
"Human    Sacrifice    (India)," 

E.  A.  Gait,  Hastings'  Ency. 

Rel.  Eth.,  116ft1 
"Human  Sacrifice  in  Central 

India,"  Rai  Bahadur  Hira 

Lai,  Man  in  India,  116ft1 
Humiliation  of  King  Satava- 

hana,  70 
Humour,   the  Eastern  sense 

of,  29 
Hundreds  of  Pisachas,  Kana- 

bhuti  surrounded  by,  9 
Hungarian    story  in    Mailath 

and  Gaul,  25 
Hunting,  son  of  Yogananda 

goes,  53;  vice  of,  123,  124ft1 
Husband,      dancing -girls 

married    to    an    immortal, 

244 


INDEX  II-GENERAL 

Husband  of  the  daughter  of 

the    mountain    (Siva),    86 ; 

of  ParvatI  (Siva),  3,  36 ;  of 

Uma  (Siva),  79 
Husband  nearly  always    the 

injured  party  in  the  dohada 

(pregnant    longing)    motif, 

223 
Husband's  entrails,  desire  to 

eat,  222,  223 
Hydra,  soul  in  the  head  of  a 

seven-headed,  132 
Hymn  (sama),  64,  64?z4 
Hymns  of  Ishtar,  272 

Iceland  spar  used  in  surma, 

212 ;  variant  of  "  entrapped 

suitors  "  motif,  44 
Icelandic  Legends,  Powell  and 

Magnusson,  27,  44 
Ichor,    elephants    raining 

streams  of,  182 
Identification  of  Ashtart  with 

Aphrodite  by  the  Greeks, 

276 
Idle  roaming,  vice  of,  124ft1 
Idol     as     bridegroom,     244; 

fanning     the,     231,     252; 

feeding    the,   247-249;    of 

hats     (dates,     butter     and 

milk),     14ft;     of    Krishna, 

marrage  to  an,  244 
Ignorance,  the  king  ashamed 

of  his,  68-71 
Ignorance   of  writing, 

women's,  80ft1 
Illegitimate    sons    of    Brah- 

mans,  56ft1 
111  luck  of  Ishtar's  lovers,  273 
Illness  of  Satavahana,  90 
Image  of  the  God  of  Love, 

77ft1 
Image,  a  red  sandstone,  139ft2; 

the  sacred  blue-stone,  242 
"  Imaginative  Yojanas,"  J.  F. 

Fleet,  Journ.  Roy.  As.  Soc, 

3ft1 
Imitation     animals,    men 

hidden  in,  133,  133ft1,  134 
Imitation    of    the    apparent 

course  of  the  sun,  191 
Immortal  husband,  an,  244 
Immortal      serpent      guards 

"soul,"  129 
Immortality,  nectar  of,  94 
Impalement,  death  by,  111 
Importance  of  the    duty   to 

dead,  267 ;  of  the  use  of 

kohl  in  Egypt,  216 
Incarnation  of  comfort,   99 ; 

of  the  God  of  Love,  128 ; 


315 

Incarnation — continued 

of  the  moon,  128 ;  of 
poverty,  13 ;  of  virtue,  61, 
61ft5;  of  Vishnu,  the  tor- 
toise, 55ft1 

Incident  from  the  origin  of 
the  Chinese  nation,  27 

Independent  superhumans, 
197,  203-204 

Index  of  chastity  motif,  165- 
168 

Index  in  Indian  tales,  bird 
the  most  popular,  130 

Index,  the  life-,  38ft,  39ft,  129- 
132 

Index  volume  of  the  Jatakas, 
232ft2 

India  in  the  Fifteenth  Century, 
R.  H.  Major,  248ft1 

Indian  Antiquary,  the,  42, 
154ft1,  190,  233ft1;  "Folk- 
Lore  of  Salsette," 
D'Penha,  131;  "Folk- 
Lore  in  Western  India," 
Wadia,  131;  "Vararuchi 
as  a  Guesser  of  Acrostics," 
G.  A.  Grierson,  50ft1 

Indian  Cosmology,  9,  10, 
10ft3 

Indian  Fairy  Tales,  J.  Jacob, 
46ft2,  101ft1,  132 

Indian  Fairy  Tales,  Miss 
Stokes,  26,  43,  129,  131 

Indian  fiction,  simile  of  moles 
in,  49ft1 

"  (Indian),  Human  Sacrifice," 
E.  A.  Gait,  Hastings'  Ency. 
Rel.  Eth.,  116ft1 

Indian  jester,  Temal  Rama- 
kistnan,  43 

Indian  Mutiny,  sign  language 
employed  at  the  outbreak 
of  the,  82ft 

Indian  Nights'  Entertainments, 
Swynnerton,  81ft,  168 

"(Indian)  Prostitution,"  W. 
Crooke,  Hastings'  Ency. 
Rel.  Eth.,  233 

Indian  Text  Series,  238k2 

Indian  Wisdom,  Monier 
Williams,  12ft2 

Inexhaustible  purse,  the,  20?*, 
25 

Infanticide,  243,  243ft1 

Infantry,  24ft2 

Inferior  wives  of  the  god 
(natitu),  270 

Inferno,  Dante,  "Story  of 
Ugolino,"  40ft3 

Influence  of  the  moon,  sym- 
pathetic, 228 


316 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


Infuriated     elephants,     sub- 
duing, 122,  122ft2 
Ingredients  of  kohl,  211 
Inhabitants  of  the  province 

of  Maabar,  247 
Inheritance        for        temple 

women,  laws  of,  259,  264, 

270,  271 
Initiation    ceremonies    of   a 

bogam  jan,  244  ;    of  a  bo- 
gam  scini,  244 
Initiation     ceremony     of    a 

Brahman,  part  of  the,  191 
Initiatory  ceremony  of  hemm, 

257 
Injure,  forms  oidohada  (preg- 
nant longings)  which,  223, 

225 
Injury,  vice  of  insidious,  124ft1 
Injustice    (Arab    Zulm)    the 

deadliest  of  monarchs'  sins, 

124ft1 
Innocent     maidens,     leprosy 

cured  by  bath  in  the  blood 

of,  98ft 
Insanity  of  Hiranyagupta,  54 
Inscriptions  on  mestem  boxes, 

215-216;    Phoenician,  276; 

Tamil,  247,  247ft1 
Insidious     injury,     vice     of, 

124ft1 
Institutes,  Manu,  56ft1,  87,  88, 

191,  200,  204,  205,  232 
Institutions  for  kosi  or  female 

servants  of  the  god,  278 
Instructions    for    smuggling 

men  into  harems,  48m 
Instrument,     cord     from     a 

musical,  81ft 
Instrumental  music,  vice  of, 

124ft1 
Instruments,       playing       of 

musical,    243 ;   worship   of 

musical,  244,  245 
Introduction  of  armed    men 

into  a  city,  133ft1 
Invaders,  Mohammedan,  231 
Invasions,  effect  on  Northern 

India  of  Mohammedan,  231 
Invisibility,  cloak  of,  25  ;  hat 

of,    26 ;     mantle   of,     26 ; 

sword  of,  28 
Invisible,  recipes  for  becom- 
ing, 136, 137 
Invocation  to  the   Ocean   of 

Story,  1,  1ft1 
Ireland,  Fain/  Tales  and  Tra- 
ditions   of    the    South    of, 

J.  C.  Croker,  26 
Irische  M'drchcn,  Grimm,  77ft1 
Iron  coffer,  soul  in  an,  129 


Iron,   a   dog's   foot   of,   160; 

offerings  of,  139ft2 
Italian  Folk-Tales,  Some,  H.  C. 

Coote,  26 
Italian  Popular   Tales,  T.    F. 

Crane,  26 
Italian  tale  of  "  Liar  Bruno," 

27 
Italian    Tales,   South,   Kaden, 

26 
Italian  variants  of '  'entrapped 

suitors  "  motif,  44 

Jackals,  elephant's  flesh 
stripped  off  by,  141,  141ft2 

Jackal's  mate's  longing  for 
rohita  fish,  226 

Jacket,  or  choolee,  253 

Jaina  edificatory  texts,  226 ; 
hermit,  47ft 

Jars,  men  hidden  in,  133ft1 

Jatakas,  the,  66ft1,  101ft1, 
121ft2,  227,  232,  265 

Jester,  Eastern  equivalent  of 
the  mediaeval  court,  137ft2; 
Indian  (Temal  Ramakist- 
nan),  43 

Jewelled  throne,  a  magic,  28 

Jewels  of  dancing-girls,  249 

Jewish  women,  custom  of 
(Queen  of  Heaven),  14ft 

Jinas  and  Sages,  longing  to 
reverence  the,  226 

Jokes  played  on  a  sleeping 
person,  superstitions  re- 
garding, 37ft2 

Joy  (Sanskrit  ananda),  241 

Joy  maiden  {shamkhati),  272, 
273 

Journ.  Amer.  Orient.  Soc., 
"Cave-Call Motif,"  Bloom- 
field,  225;  "The  Dohada 
or  Craving  of  Pregnant 
Women,"  Bloomfield,  221 ; 
the  "Grey  Hair"  motif, 
Bloomfield,  121ft2;  "Psychic 
Motifs  in  Hindu  Fiction, 
and  the  Laugh  and  Cry 
Motif"  Bloomfield,  47ft 

Journ.  Anthro.  Soc.  of  Bombay, 
"Basivis:  Women  who 
through  Dedication  to  a 
Deity  assume  Masculine 
Privileges,"  Fawcett,  255, 
255ft1;  "The  Use  of 
Turmeric  in  Hindoo  Cere- 
monial," W.  Dymock,  255ft3 

Journ.  Bom.  Br.  Roy.  As.  Soc, 
"The  Aryans  in  the  Land 
of  the  Assurs,"Bhandarkar, 
198 


Journ.  Bihar  and  Orissa  Re 
search  Soc,  "Secret  Mes 
sages  and  Symbols  used  i; 
India,"  W.  Crooke,  82ft 

Journal,  The  Folk-Lore,  26 

Journal,  Livingstone,  217 

Journ.  Roy.  As.  Soc,  "Act  c 
Truth  "  motif,  Burlingame 
166;"Imaginative  Yojanas, 
J.  F.  Fleet,  3ft1 ;  ["Notes o 
Marco  Polo's  Itinerary  i 
Southern  Persia "]  A.  K 
Schindler,  214;  "  Pisaca, 
G.  A.  Grierson,  92;  "Pn 
historic  Aryans  and  th 
Kings  of  Mitani,"  J.  Ker 
nedy,  198;  "  Rajasekhar 
and  the  Home  of  PaisacI, 
G.  A.  Grierson,  93 ;  "  Raj; 
sekhara  and  the  Home  ( 
PaisacI,"  S.  Konow,  93 
"Story  of  Devasmita,"  1 
Hale  Wortham,  172 

Journey,  going  on  the  Ion 
(dying),  12,  12W3 

Journey  from  Madras  throug 
the    Countries    of    Myson 
Canara  andMalabar,  Frc 
Hamilton,  252,  252ft1 

Journey  of  the  three  Bral 
to  Rajagriha,  18 

Judge,  Varuna  the  divine,  2C 

Juice  of  lac,  tank  filled  wit 
the,  98 ;  of  triphala,  212 

Justice,  Dharma  God  of,  4,  6 


ranc 
ihma 

ie,2C 


"  Kaiserin  Trebisonda,  Die, 

story  of,  26,  27 
Kalilah  and  Dimnah,  Knatcl 

bull,  62ft1,  101ft1 
Kalmukische    Mdrchen,    Jiilj 

227 
Kama  Shastra  Society,  234ft 
Kama  STdra,  the,  Vatsyavam 

234,  234ft2 
Kashmirian  court  poets,  236 
Kathakoca,    Tawney's    tran 

lation,  48ft2,   101ft1,    121ft 

223,  224,  226 
Kavyammiamsa,    Rajasekhar; 

92 
Kamjasamgraha :     erotische   s 

exoterische  Lieder.   Meirisci 

Vbersetzungen  aus  indischi 

u.   anderen  Sprachen,  J.  « 

Meyer,  234ft1 
Keilinschrift  lie  he       Bibliothe 

Schrader,  273ft2,  274ft1 
Kerchief,  message  conveye 

by  dipping  and  raising 

80ft1 


Kidnapping,  ranks  of  deva- 
dasls  increased  by,  254 ; 
trade  in,  243 

Kinder mcirchen,  Prohle,  25 

Kinder  u.  Haus?ndrchen, Grimm, 
27 

Kinder  u.  Hausm'drchen,  Zing- 
erle,  26 

Kindness,  magic  articles 
usually  a  reward  for,  26 

King  ashamed  of  his  ignor- 
ance, 68,  71 

King  of  Assyria,  Assur-bani- 
pal,  273 

King  of  the  Asuras,  Andhaka, 
3 

King  of  the  Bheels,  152, 152ft1 

King  Bimbisara,  223 

King  of  kings,  Udayana  be- 
comes a  veritable,  184, 184ft5 

King  of  the  Nagas,  Vasuki, 
61,  61m1,  100,  100ft2,  122, 
122wi 

King  Parantapa,  104 

King  Parikshit,  95 

King  of  the  Pulindas,  Pulin- 
daka,  136,  150,  152,  183, 
184 

King  Satanika,  95 

King  of  the  Vidyadharas,  128 

Kingly  vice,  Siva's,  125 

King's  regard  for  Upakosa,  36 

King's  rival  teachers,  the, 
71,  72 

Kings,  vices  of  (vyasana),  124, 
124ft1,  134 

Knee,  blood  given  from  the 
right,  223 

Knotted  strings  and  notched 
sticks,  messages  conveyed 
by,  82ft 

Knowledge,  going  to  the 
Deccan  to  acquire,  61 ;  of 
sciences  given  to  Varsha, 
15 ;  contained  in  the  book 
of  Thoth,  superhuman, 
129,  130 

Kohl  and  Collyrium,  Appen- 
dix II,  211-218 

Kohl,  consistency  of,  211 ; 
custom  of  applying,  211  ; 
custom  of  applying,  in 
Africa,  217  ;  custom  of  ap- 
plying, in  Ancient  Egypt, 
215-217 ;  custom  of  apply- 
ing, in  Morocco,  217;  mean- 
ing of  the  word,  211 ; 
mestem,  Egyptian  name 
for,  215,  216 ;  or  mi?-wad, 
216-217;  used  by  Musul- 
mans   of    India,    212 ;     in 


INDEX  II-GENERAL 

Kohl — continued 

proverbs,  215,   217;    or 

stibium  holder,  216 
Kohling  the  eyes  in  the  Old 

Testament,  216 
Kuttanimatam,  Damodara- 

gupta,  236,  236ft2 

La  Coupe  Enchantee,  La  Fon- 
taine, 165 

La  Lai  du  Corn,  165 

La  vieille  qui  seduisit  la  jeune 
file,  Le  Grande,  169 

Lac,  mark  with  red,  23  ;  tank 
filled  with  the  juice  of,  98 

Ladies-in-waiting,  men  dis- 
guised as,  46n2 

Ladle,  Tale  of  the,  Prior,  27 

Lady  named  Chaturika,  a, 
64,  65 

Lake,  garment  drawn  out  of 
a,  117 

Lake  Manasarowar,  2ft2 

Lake,  valley  of  Kashmir 
once  a,  205 

Lamp-black  or  kajal,  212, 
214 ;  mixed  with  oil  and 
scented  with  musk,  33,  34, 
35 ;  one  side  of  the  body 
painted  with,  146 

Land  of  Avanti,  119 ;  of 
Vatsa,  94 

Landlord,  magical  gifts  stolen 
by  a,  26 

Language  of  elephants  under- 
stood, 150,  151 

Language  of  gestures,  112  ; 
of  goblins,  205 ;  Paisachi, 
60,  76,  89,  90-93,  205; 
of  the  Pisachas,  71,  71ft2, 
76,  89-93;  Sanskrit,  4ft1, 
17ft3,  32ft1,  58ft1,  60,  71,  74  j 
of  signs,  46,  46ft1,  80,  80ft1, 
81ft,  82ft;  of  signs  employed 
at  the  outbreak  of  the 
Indian  Mutiny,  82ft 

Languages,  the  three.  58, 
58ft1,  71 

Lashes  elevated,  fringe  of 
eye-,  121 

Latin  Stories,  Th.  Wright,  169 

Laughed,  the  fish  that,  46-49 

Laughs  in  Hindu  fiction,  46ft1, 
47ft 

"  Law,  Babylonian,"  C.  H.  W. 
Johns,  Ency.  Brit.,  270ft1 

Law  -  books,  prostitutes  re- 
garded with  disfavour  by 
Ancient  Indian,  232 

Laws  of  dancing-girls,  254  ; 
of  inheritance  for  temple 


317 

Laws — continued 

women,  259,  264,  270,  271 ; 

of  Manu,  56ft1,  87,  88,  191, 

200,    204,    205,    232;     of 

Sumerian  origin,  269 
Lead,  red,  painting  the  body 

with,  146,  146ft2;   sulphide 

of,  used  in  kohl,  215 
Learn  the  way  of  the  world, 

Brahman  tries  to,  64,  65 
Learning  acquired  by  Deva- 

datta,  79 
Learning  and  eloquence,  god- 
dess of  (Sarasvati),  1ft4,  18, 

18ft1,  31,  31ft3 
Learning  and  wealth,  Patali- 

putra  the  home  of,  24 
Leather,  jars  of,  133ft1 
Leaves,  chewing,  238 ;  eating, 

79 
Lecons  de  V  Entremetteuse ,  Les, 

Louis  de  Langle,  236ft2 
Le  Diable  Boiteux,  Le  Sage, 

148ft 
Left  hand  (idangai),  260  ;  the 

only  unguarded  place,  127 
Left-handed  sauwastika  em- 
blem of  the  female  prin- 
ciple, 192 
Legal  marriage,  pustelu  token 

of,  88 
"Legend    of    Bottle    Hill," 

Croker,  26 
Legend  of  Garuda  and    the 

Balakhilyas,  144,  144ft2 
Legend  of  Girra,  272 
Legend  of  Kashmir,  a,  206 
Legend  of  the  Panjab,  a,  213 
Legend    of    Perseus,    Sidney 

Hartland,  130 
Legend  of  Vishnu  and  Bali, 

108ft2 
Legends,  Pauranik,  17n3 
Leprosy,  bath  of  blood  as  a 

cure    for,    98ft ;    cured   by 

bath  in  blood  of  innocent 

maidens,  98ft 
Les  Contes  a  Hire,  165 
Letter  of  death  motif,  52,  51ft2 
Lettres  Edifcantes  (1702),  250 
"  Liar  Bruno,"  Italian  tale  of, 

27 
Liar,  The,  Lucian,  77ft1 
"Libertine    Husband,"    the 

story  of  the,  170,  171 
Libro  de  los  Enganos,  170 
"  Lichtmess,"    Kaden,   Unter 

den  Olivenb'dumen,  101ft1 
Life-breath  (am),  198 
Life   of  Camillas,   Plutarch  y 

190 


318 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


Life,  full  of  (saliva),  136, 
136/i1 

Life  given  to  save  another's, 
half  a,  188,  188ft3,  189 

Life  guarded  by  thousands  of 
genii,  131 

Life-Index  in  Albania,  132 ;  in 
Arabia,  131-132  ;  in  Europe, 
132;  in  the  Hebrides 
(Campbell),  132;  in  Nor- 
way (Ashbjornsen),  132 ;  in 
Persia,  131-132  ;  in  Schles- 
wig-Holstein  (MiillenhofF), 
132 ;  in  South  Slavonia,  132 

"Life-Index,  The:  A  Hindu 
Fiction-Motif,"  Ruth  Nor- 
ton, Sladies  in  Honor  of 
Maurice  Bloonifield,  130 

Life-index  motif,  38ft,  39ft, 
129-132;  headings  of,  130; 
passive  side  of,  132 

Life,  Ishtar  the  destroyer  of, 
272 

Life  of  Krishna,  songs  of  the 
amorous,  245 

Life  and  Stories  of  Parcna- 
natha,  Bloomfield,  118ft2 

*l  Life  -Token,"  Sidney  Hart- 
land,  Hastings'  Ency.  Bel. 
Eth.,  130 

Life,  the  Tree  of,  144ft1; 
water  of,  222 

Light  and  Fire,  Agni  God  of, 
200 

XUvov  (basket  of  first-fruits), 
15ft 

Lily  as  chastity  index,  165 

Lines  from  Ovid,  84ft2 

Lines  like  a  shell,  neck  with, 
31,  31ft1 

Linga  (phallus,  fascinum  or 
guhya),  2ft2,  4ft3,  13ft3,  14ft, 
15ft,  125ft2 

Linguistic  Survey  of  India  :  the 
Dardic  or  Pisacha  Languages, 
G.  A.  Grierson,  93 

Lion  and  the  A  sura  maid, 
the,  108-110 

Lion,  bear  terrified  by  a,  53 ; 
boy  riding  on  a,  67,  67ft1, 
68;  a  gold-producing,  20ft; 
overcome  by  wrestling,  109; 
placed  in  a  city  to  prevent 
entrance,  108,  108ft3;  scar- 
city of,  in  India,  67ft1 

Lion-goddess  and  bull-god 
worshipped  by  the  Hit- 
tites,  275 

Liquid  eye-wash  or  collyrium, 
211 

Liquor  (iva),  160ft2 


Li  Romans  des  Sept  Sages, 
Keller,  171 

Literature,  Buddhist,  206 ; 
108  mystic  number  in, 
242ft3 ;  poetical  aspect  of 
the  dohada  (pregnant  long- 
ing) in  Hindu,  221-222 

Literary  appearance  of  "en- 
trapped suitors"  motif,  the 
first,  42 

Literary  history  of  darbha 
grass,  56ft 

"Little  Peachling,"  Japan- 
ese tale  of,  27 

Liverpool  Ann.  Arch.,  D.  G. 
Hogarth,  272,  272ft4 

Localities  where  Paisachi  lan- 
guage is  spoken,  92 

Lock  of  hair  while  swear- 
ing an  oath,  undoing  a, 
57 

Locks,  God  of  the  matted 
(Siva),  94;  he  who  wears 
the  burden  of  the  matted 
(Siva),  86 

Long  journey,  going  on  the 
(i.e.  dying),  12,  12ft3 

Long  noses  produced  by 
magical  figs,  27 

Longing  to  entertain  monks, 
226 ;  to  hear  teachings  of 
the  tilthayaras,  226;  for 
learning,  Panini's,  32 ;  of 
MrigavatI,  97,  97ft2,  98; 
to  reverence  the  Jinas  and 
Sages,  226 ;  of  a  she-crow 
for  Brahman's  eyes,  223 

Longings  of  pregnancy 
(dohada),  97ft2,  221-228 

Lord  (Persian  ahura),  198 

Lord  of  Treasure  (Kuvera), 
202,  203 

Lord  of  Uma  (Siva),  6 

Lord  of  Wealth  (Kuvera), 
10,  202,  203 

Lord  of  the  World  (Jagan- 
natha),  242 

Lords  of  created  beings  (Pra- 
japati),  10,  10ft1 

Loss  of  Adonis,  mourning 
for  the,  275 

Lotus,  the  emblem  of  Vishnu, 
144 ;  eyes  like  a  blue,  30 ; 
fallen  from  heaven,  a,  70, 
71 ;  flower  circulated  among 
the  regiments,  82ft ;  flowers 
as  chastity  index,  42,  156 ; 
lake,  the  banks  of  a,  67 ; 
magic  chariot  in  the  shape 
of  a  beautiful,  227 ;  the  un- 
fading, 156,  160 


I 


Lotusesfioatinginthe  Ganges 
golden,  183;  the  two  red. 
42,  156;  white  (kumuda) 
119,  119ft1 

Lotus-sprung  god  (Brahma). 
96,  96ft1 

Love  (sneha),  96ft2 

Love,  arrows  of,  31,  32 ; 
building  temples,  246 
chain  of,  80 ;  charms  foi 
winning,  138,  139;  thai 
cleaves  the  armour  of  self- 
restraint,  the  arrow  of,  126 
God  of  (Kama),  1,  1ft3 
5,  23,  94 ;  God  of,  interfere; 
with  Devadatta's  studies 
79  ;  incarnation  of  the  Goc 
of,  128;  index,  plant  of  ru< 
as,  168 ;  image  of  the  Go( 
of,  77ft1 ;  Ishtar  goddes 
of  sexual,  272, 276;  bymer< 
mention  or  description 
falling  in,  128,  128ft1;  th< 
nectar  of,  126,  126ft2;  o 
pleasure,  vices  proceeding 
from,  124ft1 ;  spell  o 
Glaucias,  77ft1 ;  symptom 
of  Devadatta,  81 

Lovers,  ill   luck  of   Ishtar's 
273  ;  Upakosii  and  her  fc 
32-36,  42-44 

Low   caste,    Dom  a  man 
157,  157ft1 

Lozenge-shaped  bun  of  Virgil 
and  Child,  14ft 

Lucky  numbers,  192 

Lucretius,  Munro,  191 

Lute,  the  melodious,  122, 134 
151,  189;  given  to  Udayan 
by  Vasunemi,  100 

Luxury,  ostentation  and  de 
pravity  in  the  reigns  c 
Jahangir  and  Shah  Jahar 
238,  238ft2 

Lying  in  a  bath  of  hot  coals 
79ft1 ;  on  a  bed  of  spikes 
79ft1 ;  surrounded  by  fires 
79ft1 

Mace,  magical,  26 

Madness  of  Hiranyaguptf 
54 

Magic  articles,  the,  22 ;  re 
cipe  for  making  of,  27 
as  reward  for  kindness 
26 

Magic  bed,  26;  brooch,  26 
cap,  26,  27,  28 ,  carpet,  %. 
28 ;  chariot,  80  ;  chariot  i 
the  shape  of  a  beautift 
lotus,  227 ;  chest,  26 ;  cit 


four 
ri  oi 


INDEX  II-GENERAL 


319 


Magic — continued 

under  the  Ganges,  108; 
cloak;  25,  27;  cloth,  26; 
connected  with  swords, 
109ft1 ;  cup,  25  ;  doctrine  of 
sympathetic,  130;  gaiters, 
27;  garden,  66,  67;  hat, 
25  ;  heart  removed  by,  129  ; 
horn,  26;  pipe,  25;  porce- 
lain, 28;  pot,  26,  28; 
power  of  devotion,  6  ;  pro- 
perties of  blood,  belief  in 
the,  98ft1;  purse,  20ft,  25, 
26,  27;  ring,  26;  rite 
performed  by  Chanakya, 
57;  rod,  25,  27,  28;  ropes, 
28;  sandals,  28;  shoes,  22, 
23,  24,  25,  26,  27;  staff,  24; 
stick,  22,  24,  28;  sword, 
28,  110 ;  sympathetic  and 
homoeopathic,  making  and 
eating  gods  a  form  of,  14ft ; 
tablecloth,  25,  26 ;  vessel, 
22 

Magical  articles,  note  on,  25- 
29 ;  motif  in  folk-lore,  25- 
29 ;  motif,  varieties  of,  25-29 

Magical  boots,  25,  26,  27; 
cherries,  27 ;  figs,  long 
noses  produced  by,  27 ; 
mace,  26;  properties  of 
blood,  the  belief  in  the, 
98/1 ;  properties  of  turmeric, 
255>i3;  wallet,  28;  water, 
28 

Magical  power  {yoga),  38ft 

Magician  who  flies  through 
the  air,  77ft1 

Magician's  life  contained 
in  a  little  green  parrot, 
131 

Magistrate,  head,  32-34 

Mahdbhdrata,  the,  1ft2,  20ft, 
51ft1,  88,  92,  93,  103,  144ft1, 
189ft,  199,  200,  203,  205 

Mahabodhi Jdtaka,  146ft1 

Maha  Parinibbdna  Sutta,  192 

Mahbub  ul-Qulub,  "  History  of 
Nassar,"  131 

Maid  and  the  lion,  the  Asura, 
108-110 

Maiden,  Balapandita,  the 
wise,  46ft2;  son  of  a,  232 

Maiden  of  the  Traversari 
family,  the,  171 

Maidens,  Daitya,  108,  109, 
125,  126,  127;  leprosy 
cured  by  bath  in  the  blood 
of  innocent,  98ft;  wine 
sprinkled  from  the  mouths 
of  beauteous,  222 


Mailath  and  Goal,  Hungarian 
story  in,  25 

Malachite  as  eye  paint, 
powdered,  217 

Male  emblem  at  Brives,  15ft ; 
principle  represented  by 
right  -  handed  swastika, 
192  ;  prostitutes  at  temple 
of  Kition  in  Cyprus,  276 

Male-female  (ardha-naris  vara) 
form  of  Siva,  146ft2,  272 

Male  and  female  hierodouloi 
(sacred  servants),  270 

Man,  "Story  of  King  Sivi," 
Dames  and  Joyce  in,  85ft 

"  Man  of  dough,"  a,  14ft 

Man  in  India,  Rai  Bahadur 
Hira  Lai,  "Human  Sac- 
rifice in  Central  India," 
116ft1 

Man  of  low  caste,  Dom,  157, 
157ft1 ;  of  the  Mount,  the, 
48ft2 ;  in  woman's  attire,  83 

Manganese,  black  oxide  of, 
used  for  kohl,  215 

Mango,  a  child-giving,  95ft2 ; 
from  the  king's  garden, 
longing  for  a,  226  ;  leaves, 
257 

Manners  and  Customs  of  the 
Ancient  Egyptians,  Wilkin- 
son, 215 

"  Manteau  mal  taille,  Le," 
Fabliau,  165 

Mantle  of  invisibility,  26 

Manual  of  Buddhism,  Spence 
Hardy,  121ft2 

March  -  April  (chaitra),  112, 
112ft1 

Marchen,  Bohmische,  Waldau, 
20ft,  26 

Marchen  der  Magyaren,  20ft, 
26 

Marco  Polo,  The  Book  of  Ser, 
Cordier  and  Yule,  63ft1, 
104,  105,  141ft2,  213,  241ft2, 
242ft3,  247ft3 

Mark  with  red  lac,  23 

Market,  the  fish  that  laughed 
in  the,  46-49  ;  heroine  sell- 
ing thread  in  the,  43 

Marks  on  the  forehead,  69, 
69ft3,  100,  242 

Marks  with  a  dog's  foot ;  160, 
161,  164 

Marriage,  arsha  form  of,  87 ; 
asura  form  of,  87 ;  of 
bhdvin  girl,  form  of,  245 ; 
of  a  bogamjdn,  244;  booth 
of  sixteen  pillars,  244 ;  by 
capture    (asura    form    of), 


Marriage — continued 

200;  ceremonies  of  deva- 
ddsis,  260-262 ;  ceremonies, 
use  of  turmeric  in,  255ft3; 
daiva  form  of,  87 ;  of  the 
daughters  of  Bhojika  to 
the  three  B  rah  mans,  19; 
the  eight  forms  of,  87 ; 
festival  of,  183,  184; 
gdndharva  form  of,  23, 
23ft1,  61,  68,  83,  116, 
187,  201;  note  on  the 
gdndharva  form  of,  87-88 ; 
Gandharvas  deities  of,  201 ; 
of  a  girl  to  a  dagger,  242, 
244 ;  to  idol  of  Krishna, 
244;  Ishtar,  goddess  of, 
272;  Kapu,  244;  Munnur, 
244 ;  of  pdtar  girls  to  a 
plpal  tree,  239 ;  paisdcha 
form  of,  87,  88,  200,  205 
prdjdpalya  form  of,  87 
pustelu  token  of  legal,  88 
rdkshasa  form  of,  87,  88 
205 ;  sacrifice  (homa),  245 
of  Sahasramka  and  Mriga- 
vati,  97 ;  of  Sridatta  and 
Mrigankavati,  118;  of  Sri- 
datta and  Sundarl,  116 ; 
shesha  form  of,  245 ; 
song,  256 ;  stanzas,  244 ; 
svayamvara  form  of,  88 ; 
token  (tall),  255,  256, 
258,  259 ;  tokens  of  basivi 
women,  256 ;  of  Udayana 
and  Vasavadatta,  183,  184; 
of  Vararuchi  and  Upakosa, 
31 

Marriage  Ceremonies  in 
Morocco,  Westermarck,  217 

Marriages,  black  as  guard 
against  the  evil  eye  at,  212 

Married  women,  require- 
ments for,  234 

Masculine  privileges  of  basivi 
women,  255 

Mask  of  the  god  as  bride- 
groom, 245 

"Master  Thief,  The," 
Thorpe,  Yule  -  tide  Stories, 
147ft2 

Mated  pair  worshipped  by 
the  Hittites,  275 

Material  prosperity,  Lakshmi 
goddess  of,  18,  18ft1 

Material  world,  creation  of 
the,  9,  9ft5 

Maternity,  Ishtar  goddess 
of,  272 

Mathurd  :  A  District  Memoir, 
F.  S.  Growse,  231ft1 


320 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


Matrons  as  servants  of  the 
goddess,  276 

Matted  locks,  god  of  the 
(Siva),  94 ;  he  who  wears 
the  burden  of  the  (Siva),  86 

Maturity  at  birth  given  to 
Rakshasas  by  Parvati, 
power  of,  204 

Meaning  of  the  word 
"alcohol,"  211;  "collyr- 
ium,"  211,  "dexterous," 
192;  "Kataha,"  155ft1; 
"kohl,"  211;  "roc,"  103, 
104;  "sinister,"  192 

Means  of  success  (Upayas), 
the  four,  123,  123ft2 

Measure  of  distance  (yojana), 
3,  3ft1,  247,  247ft2 

Measure  for  Measure,  Shake- 
speare, 50ft2 

Mediaeval  court  jester,  East- 
ern equivalent  of,  137ft2 

Mediaeval  name  for  China, 
Cathay  the,  155ft1 

Meeting  {yoga),  263 

Melancholy  of  the  king,  70 

Melodious  lute,  the,  122, 134, 
151 

Me lu sine,  A.  Bart,  "An 
Ancient  Manual  of 
Sorcery,"  12ft1;  "Voleur 
Avise,"  27 

Memoirs  read  before  the 
Anthropological  Society  of 
London,  "The  Bayadere: 
or,  Dancing  Girls  of  South- 
ern India,"  Shortt,  253, 
253ft1 

Memoirs  sur  les  Contrees  Occi- 
dentals traduits  du  Sanscrit 
par  Hiouen  Thsang  et  du 
Chinois  par  Stanislas  Julien, 
84ft2 

Memories,  powerful,  75,  75ft3 

Memory,  method  of  obtain- 
ing wonderful,  12ft1 ;  Vara- 
ruchi's  extraordinary,  11, 12 

Men  dedicated  to  the  temple, 
245,  246,  278;  dressed  up 
as  women  in  the  harem, 
47ft,  48ft ;  from  the  Deccan, 
friends  of  Srldatta,  107 ; 
hidden  in  imitation 
animals,  133,  133ft1,  134; 
hidden  in  jars,  133ft1 

Mendicants  (religious)  in 
Bengal,  243 

Mention,  falling  in  love  by 
mere,  128,  128ft1 

Merchant,  Devasmita  dis- 
guised as  a,  163,  164 


Merchant  Hiranyagupta, 
Vararuchi  deposits  money 
with  the,  32 

Merchant,  The  Mouse,  62-63 

Messages  conveyed  by  lan- 
guage of  signs,  80ft1,  81ft, 
82ft 

Messages  by  knotted  strings 
and  notched  sticks,  82ft 

Message-stick,  Australian, 
82ft 

Method  of  becoming  a 
bhavin,  245  ;  of  carrying 
money,  117,  117ft3 ;  of  ob- 
taining power  of  repeti- 
tion, 12ft1 ;  of  procuring 
children,  154,  154ft1 ;  of 
producing  moles,  49ft1 ;  of 
swearing  an  oath,  57ft1 

Metrical  Romances,  Ellis,  169 

Metrical  version  of  the  story 
of  Devasmita,  W.  Hale 
Wortham,  Journ.  Roy.  As. 
Soc,  172-181 

Mighty  arms  of  Siva,  the, 
95,  95ft1 

Migration  of  life-index  motif, 
130-132 

Migration  of  Symbols,  Count 
D'Alvielia,  192 

Migratory  motif,  29,  42,  130, 
169,  170,  171 

Milk,  butter  and  dates,  idol 
of  (hais),  14ft 

Mines  de  I 'Orient,  von 
Hammer,  81ft 

Minister  of  Nanda,  Vara- 
ruchi, 9 

Minister,  the  prince's,  32, 
33;  reception  of  the 
prince's,  33,  34 

Minister  of  Satavahana, 
Gunadhya  the,  65 

Minister  of  Yogananda,  Vara- 
ruchi the,  40 

Minstrels  of  Indra's  court  or 
Gandharvas,  87 

Minstrels,  songs  of,  183, 183ft2 

Miracles  of  Krishna,  Mathura 
the  scene  of  the,  231 

Miraculous  birth  of  Garuda, 
103 

Mirage,  effects  of,  104 ;  or 
gandharvanagara,  201 

Mirror,  message  conveyed 
by  a,  80ft1;  of  chastity, 
166,  168 

Mission  to  Gelele,  A,  R.  F. 
Burton,  278,  278ft1 

Missionaries'  accounts  of 
deva-dasls,  246 


10. 


Missionary,  a  Baptist  (W 
Ward),  241,  241ft* 

Mistresses  of  the  Gandharvas 
Apsarases  the,  201 

Mitre  or  cap,  258 

Modern  Egyptians,  Lane,  217 

Modern  times,  prostitut 
dancing  castes  in,  266 

Modest  dress  of  the  courtesar 
243 

Modesty  of  deva-dasls,  252 

Mogul  Empire,  the,  237 

Mohammedan  faqlrs,  dis- 
tribution of  sweets  among 
240 

Mohammedan      hour  it 
Apsarases  resemblance 
202 

Mohammedan  influence 
deva-dasls,  effect  of,  244 
265,  266 ;  invasions  c 
India,  231 ;  Puritan,  Aui 
angzeb,  231,  238,  250,  265 
term  for  bogam,  jan  c 
nayakan,  244;  term  fc 
dancing-girl,  tawaif,  23i 
243 

Mohammedanism  embrace 
by  many  at  Mathura,  231 

Mohammedans,  origin  of 
use  of  powdered  antimon 
among  the,  217 

Molasses,  13,  13ft3,  42 

Mole,  attraction  of  the,  49ft 
50ft ;  on  the  queen's  bod^ 
the,  49,  49ft1,  50ft 

Moles  in  Arabic  fictioi 
similes  of,  49ft;  artificial) 
produced,  49ft1,  50r* 
similes  in  Indian  fictio 
of,  49ft1 ;  in  Persian  fictioi 
similes  of,  49ft 

Monarch,  the  Chola,  155n 
247;  of  mighty  hil 
Himavat),  2 

Monarchs,  an  elephai 
among,  125 

Money  carried  in  turbai 
117ft3;  in  India,  carrying  o 
117ft3 ;  in  Morocco,  methc 
of  carrying,  117ft3  ;  skill  i 
the  art  of  making,  62 

Mongolian  legend  of  gok 
producing  stone,  27 

Monkey  and  the  crocodil 
Buddhist  story  of  the,  22 
225 

Monkey  and  the  porpois- 
story  of  the,  225 

Monkeys  by  magical  wate 
persons  turned  into,  28 


12 


Monks,  feast  of,  247  ;  longing 
to  entertain,  226 

Monopoly  of  tari,  govern- 
ment, 241 

Month,  eighth  day  of  the,  82 

Moon  crescent  worn  by  Siva, 
3ft* 

Moon  as  a  crest,  god  who 
wears  the  (Siva),  32 

Moon-crested  god,  the  (Siva), 
3,3ft* 

Moon,  desire  to  drink  the, 
228 ;  eclipse  caused  by  Rahu 
of  the,  200 ;  face  like  a  full, 
30,  30*i;  the  god  who 
wears  on  his  crest  a  digit 
of  the  (Siva),  36 ;  incarna- 
tion of  the,  128;  streak 
(or  digit)  of  the  new,  5, 
32;  sympathetic  influence 
of  the,  228 ;  three  forms  of 
the,  7W ;  tricks  played  by 
the,  228;  (half)  on  the 
throat,  65ft1 

Moon-diademed  god  (Siva),  7 

Moon-god  Nannarworshipped 
in  Ur,  270 

Moon's  digit  springs  from  the 
sea,  5 

Moony  crest,  God  of  the 
(Siva),  67,  86 

Moral  duties  of  husbands,  223 

Morality  of  princes  and  public 
men,  239 

Morality  and  religion  (dhar- 
ma),  248 

Morality  of  Somadeva's  tales, 
42 

Morgenldndischen  Gesellschaft, 
Zeitschrift  der,  13ft3,  92,  93 

Morning  watch,  the  (9  a.m.), 
114,  114ft1 

Mortal  condition,  putting  off 
the,  59 

Mortal  life-index  of  another 
mortal,  one,  131 

Morte  a"  Arthur,  La,  165 

Mortification,  forms  of,  79ft1 

Mosque,  sweets  offered  at  a, 
239-240 

Mother  of  Garuda,  Vinata, 
143ft2 

Mother  -  goddess  in  Arabia, 
276;  in  Canaan,  275-277; 
cult  of  the,  272-279;  in 
Cyprus,  276 ;  in  Erech,  270 ; 
in  Hierapolis,  275 ;  in  North 
Africa,  276 ;  in  Paphos, 
276  ;  in  Phoenicia,  275-277 ; 
in  Syria,  275-277 

Mother,  old  (taikkizhavi),  262  ; 


INDEX  II— GENERAL 

Moth  er — continued 

of  Skanda  (Durga),  19,19ft1; 
of  the  snakes,  Kadru,  143ft2; 
of  the  three  worlds  (Bha- 
vanl),  2,  3;  Vararuchi's 
grief  at  parting  with  his,  17 

Motif,  the  "act  of  truth," 
166,  167;  the  "bitch  and 
the  pepper,"  169-171 ;  the 
"chastity  index,"  165-168; 
the  "  dohada  or  craving  of 
the  pregnant  woman," 
97ft2,  221-228;  the  "en- 
trapped suitors,"  29,  42-44, 
167;  the  "grey  hair," 
121ft2;  the  "guessing 
riddles,"  46ft2;  the  "laugh 
and  cry,"  47ft;  the  "letter 
of  death,"  52ft2;  the  "life- 
index,"  38ft,  39ft,  129-132 ; 
the  "magical  articles,"  25- 
29 ;  the  migratory,  29,  42 ; 
the  "  overhearing,"  48ft2 ; 
the  "wandering  soul," 
37ft2,  38ft,  39ft 

Mount  Kailasa,  2,  2ft2,  3,  3ft1, 
8 ;  Karangli,  213 ;  Mandara, 
3,  3ft2,  55ft1,  94 ;  of  Snow, 
daughter  of  the  (Parvati), 
5 ;  Uslnara,  18,  18ft3 

Mountain,  daughter  of  the 
(Parvati),  3,  6,  7 

Mountain  Himavat,  cele- 
brated, 2 

Mountain  where  the  sun 
rises,  99 ;  called  Swarna- 
mula,  143 ;  turned  into 
gold,  213 

Mountaineer  or  Kirata,  shape 
assumed  by  Siva,  95ft1 

Mountaineer,  Savara  a  wild, 
100,  100ft1,  101,  102,  115, 
116,  152ft1 

Mountains  sporting  with  un- 
shorn wings,  182 

Mountains,  the  Vindhya,  10 

Mourner,  chief  (karta),  264 

Mourning  for  the  loss  of 
Adonis,  275 

Mouse  Merchant,  The,  62-63 

Mouth  like  the  ring  of 
Sulayman,  30ft2 

Mouth  of  Siva,  tale  fromthe,94 

Mouth,  spray  from  GanesVs 
hissing,  1,  1ft6 

Mouths  of  beauteous  maidens, 
wine  sprinkled  from,  222 

Moving  peak  of  the  Vindhya 
range,  a,  133 

Mrichchhakatika  or  Clay  Cart, 
Dandin,  235,  235ft1 


321 

Mudra      Rdkshasa      (Wilson, 

Hindu  Theatre),  57ft3 
fxvkXoi  ("female  "  cakes),  15ft 
"Mummies,     Adventure     of 

Satni-Khamois  with  the," 

37ft2,  129 
Muntakhabu-l-lubab  (H.  Elliot, 

History  of  India),  238w3 
Murder  of  a  child  to  procure 

another,  98n,  154,  154ft1 
Music  or  dancing,  Brahmans 

forbidden  to  witness,  232 
Music,  Gan6sa  author  of,  240 ; 

the  motherof  dancing-girls, 

238 ;  Sarasvati  Goddess  of, 

243 ;  taught  to  Vasavadatta 

by  Udayana,  135;  vice  of 

instrumental,  124ft 
Musical  instrument,  cord  from 

a,  as  secret  message,  81ft 
Musical  instruments,  playing 

of,  243 ;  worship  of,  244, 245 
Musician  Tansen  the  patron 

saint  of  dancing-girls,  238 
Musicians    attached    to    the 

temple  at  Tanjore,  247 ;  at 

Indra's    court,    Apsarases, 

201 
Musk,    lamp-black    and    oil 

scented  with,  33,  34,  35 
Muslin,  dress  of,  243 
fivo-Trjs  (Eleusinian  mysteries), 

15ft 
Musulmans     of     India,    kohl 

used  by  the,  212 
Mutilations  of  ascetics,  79ft1 
Mutiny,  sign  language  used 

at  the  outbreak  of  the,  82ft 
Mutual  consent,  marriage  by 

(gandharva  form),  87,  88 
Mysore  Review,  The,  233ft1 
Mysteries,  Eleusinian,  15w 
Mystic  food  eaten  by  women 

at  the  Hola,  15ft ;  numbers, 

108    and  five,  242,   242ft3, 

255w2;  syllable  Om,  17, 17ft1; 

verses  to  procure  a  son,  95 ; 

wheel  of  Vishnu,  242 
Mystics,  Ascetics  and  Saints  of 

India,  J.  C.  Oman,  79ft1 
Myth  of  Ishtar  and  Tammuz, 

273,  274 
Mythes  et  Legendes  de  TInde 

et  de  la  Perse,  Leveque,  26, 

84ft2,  189ft 
Mythical    beings,    appendix 

on,  197-207 
Mythological  side  of  the  rukh, 

103,  104 
Mythology  of  the  Aryan  Nations, 

G.  W.  Cox,  130,  148ft1 


322 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


Mythology,  Mathura  a  sacred 

spot      in       Hindu,     231 ; 

weapons    of    Hindu,    184, 

184ft2 
Mythology,      Zoological,      De 

Gubernatis,  26,  76ft2,  84ft2, 

129,  130,  144ft2 

Nail-clippings,  personality  in, 

276 
Nails   growing   through    the 

palms  of  the  hands,  79ft1 
Naked  gallants,  42-44 
Name  for  kohl  in  Egypt,  215 
Names  of  swords,  109ft1 
Narrative  from  Criminal  Trials 

in  Scotland,  J.   H.   Burton, 

191 
"Nastagio   and  the  Spectre 

Horseman,"  Decameron,\l\ 
Nat.  Hist.,  Pliny,  103,  222 
National  god  of  Assyria,  198 
Natives  of  Avanti  friends  of 

Srldatta,  107 
Nature,  origin  of,  9,  9ft5 
Nautch-girl,  250ft2 
Navel  of  Vishnu,  lotus  growT- 

ing  from  the,  96ft1 
Nebelkappe(c\oud-cap)  of  King 

Alberich,  27 
Necessity  for  sign  language, 

80ft1 
Neck  like  a  shell,  lines  on 

the,  31,  31ft 
Neck    of    Siva,     the    dark, 

(Nilakantha),  1,  1ft2 
Necklace  of  skulls,  5,  146 
Nectar  (Amrita),  3ft2,  55ft1,  74 
Nectar  {rasa),  126ft2 
Nectar  into  the  eyes  of  his 

mother,  raining,  101 
Nectar  of  immortality,  94  ;  of 

love,  126,  126ft2 
Nectarous  mouth  of  Siva,  94 
Needle,  piercing  the  ear  like 

a  poisoned,  4 
Negotiation  (saman),  123, 

123ft2 
New  grammar,  the,  32,  36, 

74,  75,  75ft1 
New   moon,   streak   of    the, 

Upako^a  like  a,  32 
Nibelungenlied,  the,  27,  187ft1 
Nifflunga  Saga,  27 
Night,  evils  of  the,  77ft1 ;  to 
pass  the  (nebdt),  81ft;  Pis- 
achas   delight  in  the,    76, 
76ft2,   77,   77ft1;    Rakshasas 
delight  in  the,  76,  76ft2,  77, 
77ft1 ;    Yakshas  delight  in 
the,  76,  76ft2,  77,  77ft1 


"  Night  wanderers"  or  Rak- 
shasas, 111ft1 

Nights,  The  Thousand  and  One, 
Burton,  1ft1,  14ft,  25,  27, 
28,  30ft2,  46ft2,  80ft1,  82ft, 
10^,103, 105, 120ft1, 124ft1, 
131,  133ft1,  141ft2,  144ft1, 
145ft1,  163ft,  167,  170,  183ft, 
186ft1,  204,  217 

Nights,  the,  Straparola,  44, 
46ft2 

Nigrodha-Jataka,  227 

"  Nikini  Story,  The,"  Parker, 
Village  Folk-Tales  of 
Ceylon,  227 

Nllamata,  the,  206 

Nirayavaliya  Sutta,  Warren, 
223 

Noble  Kinsmen,  The  Two, 
31ft2 

Norse,  Popular  Tales  from  the, 
Dasent,  26,  27,  44,  77ft1 

Norse  tale  of  the  "Three 
Princesses  of  Whiteland," 
27 

North  Africa,  Semitic  mother- 
goddess  in,  276 

Northern  India  affected  by 
t'he  Mohammedan  in- 
vasions, 237 ;  sacred  prosti- 
tution in,  237-240;  suffering 
of,  by  invaders,  237 

Norwegian  life-index  (Ash- 
bjornsen,  132 

Norwegian  story  in  Ash- 
bjornsen,  25 

Nose  of  the  female  ascetic 
cut  off,  161 

Nosegay  as  chastity  index, 
168 

Nose-ring,  rite  of  taking  off 
the  (nathni  utarna),  240 

Noses  produced  by  magical 
figs,  long,  27 

Note  on  the  "bitch  and 
pepper"  motif,  169-171; 
on  the  "chastity  index" 
motif,  165-168 ;  on  the 
circumambulation,  or 
deisul,  190-193;  on  the 
'*  entrapped  suitors  "  motif, 
42-44;  on  the  "external 
soul"  motif,  129-132;  on 
the  gandharva  form  of 
marriage,  87-88 ;  on  the 
Garuda  bird,  103-105;  on 
the  language  of  signs, 
80ft1-82ft;  on  the  "magical 
articles"  motif,  25-29;  on 
the  Pai^achi  language, 
92-93 


Notes  and  Addenda  to  the  Book 

of  Ser  Marco  Polo,  Henri 

Cordier,  104 
Novelle,  Bandello,  44,  162ft1, 

166 
Novelle    Morlini,    Liebrecht's 

Dunlop,  44 
Nude  woman  chased  by  dogs 

(Boccaccio),  171 
Number  of  Gandharvas.  201 ; 

108    the    mystical,    242ft3; 

of  prostitutes,  large,  237 ; 

of      shrines      of      special 

sanctity  (108),  242ft3 
Numbering  used  throughout 

the      work,      system      of, 

xxxviii,  xxxix 
Nuptial  tie  or  hbmam,  88 
Nymph,  a  heavenly,  61 
Nymph  named  Menaka,  188 

Oasis  in  the  Central  Asian 
desert,  original  home  of 
Pisachas  an,  92 

"Oath,"  Crawley,  Beet  and 
Canney,  Hastings'  Ency, 
Rel.  Eth.,  57ft1 

Oath  of  Govindadatta,  78; 
of  Chanakya,  57 

Object  of  reverence,  walking 
round  a  (deisul),  190-193 

Oblation  for  obtaining  a  son, 
an,  95,  95ft2 

Obsequies  of  parents  per- 
formed by  daughter,  255 

Obstacles,  Victor  of  (Ganesa), 
1,  1ft1 

Ocean,  Churning  of  the,  1ft2, 
3ft2,  55ft1,  94,  128,  200,  202 

Ocean  of  Story,  the,  28,  29,  42, 
46ft2,'  55ft1,  67ft1,  87,  88,  92, 
94ft2,  166,  170,  197,  199, 
201,  202,  203-207,  221,  225, 
227,  236,  280 

October,  Aswin,  festival  of, 
245,  245ft1 

Offer  of  Hafiz  for  a  mole  on 
his  beloved's  face,  49ft1 

Offering  to  animals  (bali), 
daily,  21,  21ft1 ;  of  a  cocoa- 
nut,  244 ;  his  own  flesh  to 
Durga,  125 ;  of  puja  to 
Gauri,  consort  of  Siva,  244  ; 
up  one  son  to  obtain  an- 
other, 154,  154?!1 ;  of  sugar, 
246 

Offerings  of  balls  (pinda)  of 
rice,  honey  and  milk,  56ft1 ; 
to  the  Buddha,  241;  to 
dancing-dress  and  musical 
instruments,      244;      to 


Offerings — continued 

Demeter  and  Kore,  15ft; 
of  iron  to  image  of  Loha- 
jangha,  139ft2;  of  rice, 
flowers  and  a  cocoanut,  244 

Officer  of  revenue,  girls  taken 
from  the  temple  by  an,  252 

Offspring  of  Brahma,  the 
Balakhilyas,  144,  144ft2 

Ogre's  life  dependent  on  that 
of  a  queen  bee,  131 

Ogres  (Pisachas),  71,  71ft2; 
conquered,  27 

Oil  (sneha),  96ft2 

Oil  and  lamp-black,  33,  34,  35 

Oil  and  turmeric  rubbed  on 
the  body,  242 

Old  age,  feminine  form  of, 
121,  121ft2 

Old  Deccan  Days,  Freer,  28, 
95ft2,  101ft1,  131,  142ft1 

Old  mother  (taikkizhavi),  262 

Old  Testament,  kohling  the 
eyes  in  the,  217 

"Old  Woman  and  her  Dog, 
The,"  Gesta  Romanorum, 
169 

Omen,  auspicious,  116 

Omens,  unlucky,  114 

"  On  the  Art  of  Entering 
Another's  Body,"  Bloom- 
field,  Proc.  Amer.  Philoso. 
Soc,  38ft 

* 'On  the  Ceremonial  Turn 
called  Deisul,"  Dr  Samuel 
Fergusson,  Proceedings  of 
the  Royal  Irish  Academy,  190 

On  the  Weapons,  etc.,  of  the 
Ancient  Hindus,  Oppert, 
109ft1 

One  hundred  and  eight, 
mystic  number  of,  242ft3 

One  mortal  as  life-index  of 
another  mortal,  131 

One  side  painted  black  the 
other  red,  146,  146ft2 

Opals  turn  pale  in  the  pres- 
ence of  poison,  110ft1 

Open  force  {danda),  123ft2 

Opening  of  drinking-places, 
241 

Ophthalmia,  surmah  used  as 
a  preventative  for,  214 

Order  of  creation  of  new 
body,  56ft1 

Orient  und  Occident,  Dr  Rein- 
hold  Kohler,  129 

Orient  und  Occident,  Liebrecht, 
46ft2,  157ft2 

Oriental  Commerce,  Milburn, 
214 


INDEX  II-GENERAL 

Orientalist,  "  Rasavahini  Jam- 
budipa,"  story  in  the,  101ft1 

Origin  of  the  "  bitch  and 
pepper "  motif,  169 ;  of 
Chinese  nation,  incident 
from  the,  27 ;  of  darbha 
grass,  55ft1 ;  and  derivation 
of  the  name  Vararuchi,  16, 
16ft2;  of  the  Ganges  in 
Siva's  head,  5ft5 ;  of  the 
name  Kataha,  155ft1 ;  of 
the  use  of  kohl  in  Islam, 
217;  of  nature,  9,  9ft5; 
of  sacred  prostitution  in 
Babylonia,  274;  of  the 
Supreme  Soul,  9,  9ft4;  of 
the  word  asura,  197-199 

Original  home  of  sacred 
prostitution,  Mesopotamia, 
the,  269 

Original  Sanskrit  Texts,  Muir, 
56ft1 

Original  source  of  creating 
the  material  world,  9,  9ft5 

Orissa,  Hunter,  242ft1 

Ornament  of  the  earth,  the 
ear-,  94,  95 

Orphans  though  having 
wealth,  12,  12ft4 

Orphic  rite  of  the  Likno- 
phoria,  15ft 

Ostentation,  depravity  and 
luxury  in  the  reigns  of 
Jahangir  and  Shah  Jahan, 
238,  238ft2 

Ostrich  introduced  from 
Parthia,  104 

Otters  quarrel  over  fish,  226 

Out  of  doors  (Latin  foris, 
hence  "forest"),  141ft1 

Overhearing  motif,  the,  48ft2 

Ox  form  of  the  moon,  77ft1 

Oxford  History  of  India,  V.  A. 
Smith,  250ft1 

Oxide  of  copper,  215 ;  of 
manganese,  black,  215 

Paddy,  kalam  of,  247 
Pagoda,  payment  of  a,  252 
Painted  gallants,  42 
Painting  of  the  eyes,  211,  213 
Painting  one  side  of  the  body 

red  and  the  other  black, 

146,  146ft2 
Painting  of  Yogananda  and 

his  queen,  49 
Pair  of  lions,  a,  68 
"  Pai£aci,"    G.    A.    Grierson, 

Zeit.    d.    deutschen    morgen- 

landischen  Gesell.,  93 
Palace  of  Prester  John,  110ft1 


323 

Palace,  prostitutes  important 
factors  in  the,  237  ;  set  fire 
to,  113,  114;  Upakosagoes 
to  the  king's,  35 

Palaces,  City  of  (Calcutta), 
125ft1;  of  enamelled  white- 
ness, 124,  125,  125ft1 

Pauchatantra,  the,  20  n,  27, 
37ft2,  39ft2,  54ft1,  63ft1,  84ft2, 
145ft1,  157ft2,  188ft2 

Papyrus  at  British  Museum, 
129;  Egyptian,  133ft1;  of 
Ptolemaic  age,  129 

Parables  from  the  Burmese, 
trans,  by  T.  Rogers,  104 

Paradise,  Indra's,  8ft;  the 
wishing-tree  of,  Sn,  144, 
144ft1 

Parasol-bearers  attached  to 
temple  at  Tanjore,  247 

Parents,  girls  vowed  to  temple 
service  by,  245,  251 ;  ob- 
sequies of,  255 ;  of  Udayana, 
story  of  the,  96-99 

Parisishtaparvan,  Jacobi,  39ft1, 
121ft2,  228 

Parrot,  magician's  life  con- 
tained in  a  little  green,  131 

Parrots,  story  of  the  couple 
of,  224 

Parsvandtha  Cliaritra,  the,  222 

Parthian  bird  or  an-si-tsio,  104 

Pass  the  night  (nebdt),  81ft 

Passion  {rasa),  126ft2 

Passionate  (sasnehe),  96ft2 

Passive  power  of  creating  the 
material  world  (prakriti), 
9,  9ft5 

"Path  of  Virtue,"  or  Dham- 
mapada,  104 

Patience  (sabr),  81ft 

Patron  saint  of  dancing-girls 
(Tansen),  238;  of  gandliarb 
dancing-girls,  Gane^a,  240 

Peacock  revived  bv  cloud, 
112, 183, 183ft1;  tail  {kalapa) 
of  the,  75 

Peacock's  delight  in  rain- 
drops, 102 ;  feathers  ruffled 
in  the  presence  of  poison, 
110ft1 

Peafowl's  delight  in  the 
approach  of  the  rainy 
season,  183,   183ft1 

Pearls,  powdered,  212,  217 ; 
teeth  of,  strung,  30ft2 

Penal  settlement  at  Port 
Blair,  the,  154ft1 

Penalties  for  breaches  of  the 
regulations  of  prostitutes, 
233 


324 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


Penance  (tapas),  79ft1 
Pentamerone,  Basile,  20ft,  26, 

44,  46ft2,  77ft1,  97ft2,  168 
Pentamerone,    Burton's  trans- 
lation   of    the,    26,    77ft1, 

97ft2 
Pepper   given  to  the  bitch, 

159 
Perceforest,  165 
Perfection    in    sciences     at- 
tained   by    Vararuchi,    9, 

30 
Perfumed        Garden,        The, 

Nefzaoui,  170 
Perfumes       and        Cosmetics, 

Poucher,  218 
Perpetual  chastity,  a  vow  of, 

67 
Persian  Ahuro  Mazdao,  199 ; 

names    for    Garuda    bird, 

amru,   sinamru,    103;   term 

for    "lord   "    or    "god," 

ahura,  198, 199  ;  Tuti-Nama, 

Nakhshabi,  43,  168,  170 
Personal      god      of     patars, 

Krishna  the,  239 
Personality  in  the  hair,  276 ; 

in  nail -clippings,  276 
Persons  turned  into  monkeys 

by  magical  water,  28 
Pestilence,  Goddess  of,  147 
Petals  of  white  lotus  expand 

by  night  and  close  up  by 

day,  119,  119ft1 
Petition  of  Devasmita  to  the 

king,  163 
Petitions  to  European  police, 

examples  of,  258 
Phallic     element     in      cake 

customs,  14ft,  15ft ;  rites  in 

Syria,  275 
"Phallism,"  E.  S.  Hartland, 

Hastings'  Ency.  Bel.   Eth., 

15» 
Phallus    (linga,    fascinum    or 

guhya),   2ft2,    4,   4ft3,   13ft3, 

14ft,  15ft,  125ft2 
Phantom   horseman    in    The 

Decameron,  171 
Philopseudes,  the,  Lucian,  77ft1 
"  Philosophy    of    Punchkin, 

The,"  Edward  Clodd,  Folk- 

Lore  Journal,  130 
Phoenician  inscriptions,  276 
"  Phoenix,"  Ency.  Brit,  104 
Phoenix's  visits  to  Egypt,  103 
Phonetic  changes  of  the  word 

Kataha,  155ft1 
Physicians,    Gandharvas   the 

heavenly,  200-201 
Physiologus,  104 


Picture,    The,  Massinger,  44, 

167 
Pied  Piper  of  Hamelin,  26 
Piercing    the     ears     like     a 

poisoned  needle,  4 
Pilgrimage,  Badari  place  of, 

59,  59ft1 ;  Kanakhala  place 

of,     18;    to     sacred    spot 

(Kailasa),    2ft2;   to   temple 

of  Durga,  21,  58 
Pilgrimage  to  El  Medinah  and 

Meccah,  the,  Burton,  192 
Pilgrimages       to      Tansen's 

grave,  238,  238ft1 
Pill   made   of  the   five   pro- 
ducts of  the  cow,  258 
Pillar,  Makaradanshtra  placed 

on  a,  147,  147ft2,  148,  148ft 
Pillars,    marriage    booth    of 

sixteen,  244 
Pillow,  gold  pieces  under,  19, 

19ft2,  20ft 
Pinne  {phallus),  14ft 
Pinnes  blessed  by  priests,  14ft 
"  Pinnes,  La  fete  des,"  14ft 
Pinsoles,  cure  for,  191 
Pipe,  a  magic,  25 
Pipkin  given  to  a   Brahman 

by  Durga,  28 
"Pi^achas,"       Sir       G.       A. 

Grierson,    Hastings'   Ency. 

Bel.  Eth.,  92 
"Pisacas     in     the      Mahab- 

hdrata,"    G.    A.    Grierson, 

Festschrift      fur      Vilhelm 

Thomsen,  93 
Pitcher  held  by  prostitutes, 

a  golden,  233 
Pivot,  Vishnu  as  a,  55ft1 
Place     where     corpses     are 

burnt,  9 
Place   of  pilgrimage,    Kana- 
khala, 18 
Plan  to  capture  Udayana  by 

stratagem,  133 
Plan    to    carry    off    Vasava- 

datta,  150,  151 
Plant  of  rue   kept  as  love- 
index,  168 
Plant  used  for  producing  good 

memory,  soma,  12ft1 
Plant    used    in    washing    as 

secret  message,  81ft 
Plaster,  whitened  with  (sud- 

hddhauta),  125ft1 
Plateau     of     the     Vindhya 

hills,  152 
Playing  musical  instruments, 

vice  of,  124ft1 
Pleasure-arbours   of  Kailasa, 

8 


: 


Pleasure-ground  or  Elysium 
(Nandana),  66ft1 

Poetical  aspect  of  the  dohada 
in  Hindu  literature,  222 

Poetry,  horripilation  in 
Sanskrit,    120ft1 ;    kohl 
Eastern,  217 

Poison  comes  up  at  Churni 
of  the  Ocean,  1ft2 ;  cups  of 
rhinoceros  horn  cause  drink 
to  effervesce  if  it  contains, 
110ft1;  detector,  sign  of 
the  cross  as,  110ft1;  de- 
tector, recipe  for  making 
the  heart  of  a  vulture  into 
a,  110ft1 ;  detectors,  110ft1 ; 
opals  turn  pale  in  the 
presence  of,  110ft1;  pea- 
cock's feathers  ruffle  in  the 
presence  of,  110ft1 ;  ring  to 
destroy  the  effect  of,  110, 
llOw1;  stone  from  the 
head  of  a  toad  as  amulet 
against,  110ft1 ;  Venetian 
glass  shivers  at  approach 
of,  110ft1 

Poisoned  needle,  speech  that 
pierces  the  ear  like  a,  4 

Police  magistrate  (Kutwal), 
43 

Popular  Antiquities,  Brand, 
191 

Popular  index  in  Indian 
tales,  birds  the  most,  131 

Popular  Stories  of  Ancient 
Egypt,  Maspero,  37ft2,  77ft1, 
129,  133ft1 

Popular  Tales  and  Fictimis, 
W.  A.  Clouston,  29,  42,  44, 
85ft,  101ft1,  130 

Popular  Tales  from  the  Norse, 
Dasent,  26,  27,  44,  77ft1 

Popular  Traditions  from  Wal- 
deck,  Curze,  26 

Porcelain  cup,  a  magic,  28 

Portuguese  Folk-Tales,  Folk- 
lore Society,  27 

Portuguese  story  of ' c  A  Cach- 
eirinha,"  Contos  Portugueses, 
Coelho,  26, 

Position     of    the     heaven! 
bodies,  134 

Post,  the  sacred,  242 

Pot,  magic,  26 

Potency  of  blood,  belief 
the,  98ft 

Poverty,  the  incarnation  of, 
13 

Powder,  distribution  of  red 
(kunkum  or  kunkam),  244, 
256 


Powdered    antimony   among 
Mohammedans,    origin    of 
the    use    of,    211 ;    corals, 
212;  crystals,  212;  pearls, 
212,  217 
Power  of  devotion,  magical, 
6 ;   of  flying   through  the 
air,  22  ;  of  goblins,  76,  76V, 
77;    of   goblins    at   night, 
76,    76ft2,    77,    77m1,    205; 
magical    {yoga),   38ft;    of 
repetition,  method  of  ob- 
taining, 12ft1 
Powerful  memory,  75,  75ft3 
Powers    of  endurance  of 

dancing-girls,  254 
Practice  of  walking  round  an 
object   of  reverence,    190- 
193 
Preceptor  of  the  gods,  Bri- 

haspati,  57,  57ft2 
Preceptor    named    Mantras- 

vamin,  79,  81 
Precious    stones,   the    griffin 
the  guardian  of,  104;  things 
lost  in  Deluge,  3ft2 
Precocious  children,  tales  of, 

186W1 
Pregnancy   of  kasbi   woman, 
the  first,  242, 243;  longings 
of,  97w2,  221-228 
Pregnant  woman,  longings  of 

a,  97ft2,  221-228 
Prejudice  against  female  edu- 
cation in  India,  251 
Preparation  for  last  journey, 

121 
Preparations  of  Upakosa  for 
reception     of     would  -  be 
lovers,  33,  34 
Presence   of  dancing-women 

at  marriages,  251 
Presents,  distribution  of,  187, 

187ft1 
Presumption  of  Brahma,  4 
Pretended  dohadas  of  barren 

women,  227 
Preventative  for  ophthalmia, 

kohl  as  a,  214,  217 
Priestess  of  Isis,  145ft1 
Priestesses,  various  classes  of, 

270-271 
Priests,    pinnes    blessed    by, 

14ft 
Primitive    Semitic    divinity, 

Ishtar  a,  271 
Prince's  minister,  the,  32,  33, 
44;   reception  of  the,  32, 
33 
Princes     and     public     men, 
morality  of,  239 


INDEX  II -GENERAL 

Princess    Mrigankavati,   the, 
106,  112,  114-116,  118,  120 
Princess  Patall,  19,  23,  24 
Princesses      of      Whiteland, 
Norse   tale   of  the   three, 
27 
Principal  deities  of  dancing- 
girls,  260;  religious  festi- 
vals, 262 
Principles  of  Hindu  and  Mo- 
hammedan    Law,     W.     H. 
Macnaghten,  87 
Privileged       profession       of 

ganikds,  233 
Privileges    of    dedicating    a 
girl    to    the    deity,    255, 
267 
Proc.     Amer.     Philoso.    Soc., 
Bloomfield,  "On  the  Art  of 
Entering  Another's  Body," 
38ft 
Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Irish 
Academy,  Dr  S.  Fergusson, 
"On  the  Ceremonial  Turn 
called  Deisul,"  190 
Proc.  Soc.  Bibl.  Arch.,  272ft1 
Production    of   antimony   in 
India,   213;    of  a    dream, 
71,  71ft1 
Profession  of  kasbi  (prostitu- 
tion), Hindu,  232,  243 
Professional  tattooists,  49ft1 
Prohibition   of    singing    and 
dancing  under  Aurangzeb, 
238 
Prolegomena  to  the   Study  of 
Greek      Religion,      J.       E. 
Harrison,  15ft 
Promise  of  Indra  to  Sahas- 

ranika,  96 
Promptuarium ,    John    Herolt 

of  Basil,  169 
Proof  of  existence  of  gigantic 
birds      in      comparatively 
recent  times,  105 
Properties  of  blood,  belief  in 

the  magical,  98ft 
Property,     vice     of     unjust 

seizure  of,  124ft1 
Propitiating     the      goddess, 
106,  ,125;   Siva,   20ft1,   85, 
86 ;  Siva  with  austerities, 
4,  32,  79,  86 
Proposal  of  Parvati,  5 
Prosperity,  the  Goddess  of, 
128 ;    material    (Lakshmi), 
18,  18ft1 ;  udaya,  121ft3 
Prostitute  dancing   castes  in 

modern  times,  266 
Prostitutes,    232 ;    Ddroghah, 
superintendent     of,     237 ; 


325 

Prostitutes — continued 

duties  of,  233;  ganikds, 
233;  held  in  esteem,  237, 
265 ;  held  in  respect,  232 ; 
important  factors  in  the 
palace,  237 ;  large  number 
of,  237;  requirements  for, 
234;  as  secret  service 
agents,  233 ;  superinten- 
dent of,  233 ;  at  temple  of 
Kition  in  Cyprus,  male, 
276 ;  various  classes  of, 
234,  234ft3,  244 ;  wealth  of, 
232,  233,  237 
Prostitution,  alternative  to 
enforced,  275,  276  ;  Arabic 
kasab,  243;  religious  and 
secular,  coincident  in  Vija- 
yanagar,  248-250 
"Prostitution  (Indian)," 
W.  Crooke,  Hastings' 
Ency.  Rel.  Eth.,  233,  239ft2 
Prostitution,  sacred  (App. 
IV),  231-280;  in  ancient 
India,  232-233;  in  Baby- 
lonia, 269-274 ;  in  the  Bom- 
bay district,  245,  246;  in 
Borneo,  279 ;  in  the  Bud- 
dhist age,  265 ;  in  Central 
India,  240-246;  in  the 
Christian  era,  233-237;  in 
the  cult  of  Ishtar,  origin 
of,  274;  in  Egypt,  268;  in 
Europe,  277 ;  in  Japan,  279  ; 
in  Mexico,  279 ;  in  Northern 
India,  237-240;  in  Peru, 
279 ;  in  Southern  India, 
246-269;  in  Syria,  Phoenicia, 
Canaan,  etc.,  275-277 ; 
theories  on  the  custom  of, 
267,  268;  in  Vedic  times, 
evidence  of,  265;  in  West 
Africa,  277-279 ;  in  Western 
Asia,  268-277 
Prostitution,  secular,  in  India, 

232,  239,  255,  266 
Protege,  Putraka  Siva's,  19 
Protrept,    Clement    of   Alex- 
andria, 15ft,  276 
Proverbs,  kohl  in  connection 

with,  215,'  217 
Providing  food  for  the  dead, 

56ft1 
"Province       of       Maabar," 

abbeys  in  the,  247 
Pseudo-Calllsthenes,  103,  145ft1 
"Psychic    Motifs    in    Hindu 
Fiction,"  Bloomfield,  47ft 
Ptolemaic    age,    papyrus    of 
the,     129;      story     dating 
from  the,  37ft2 


326 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


Puberty,  hemm  ceremony  of, 

257 
Public,    bhavins   not   allowed 
to  dance  and  sing  in,  246 ; 
men  and  princes,  morality 
of,    239 ;    women   at    Gol- 
conda,  241 
Pun,  Sanskrit,  12,  12b4,  121b2 
Pupil  of  Varsha,  Panini,  a,  32 
Puppy  form  of  the  moon,  77b1 
Puranas,  the,  198,  200,  205 
Purchase  of  Siva  by  Parvati, 

5,  5b3 
Purification  ofanjana,  212 
Puritan,  Aurangzeb  a  Moham- 
medan, 231,  238,  250,  265 
Purse,  Hindu  origin  of  inex- 
haustible,   25 ;    inexhaust- 
ible, 20»,  25 ;  magic,  25,  27 
Pursuit  of  Palaka,  151,  152 
Putting  off  the  mortal  con- 
dition, 59 
Pyramid,    temple   of  Jagan- 

natha  the  shape  of  a,  242 
Pyre  of  Buddha,  192 
Python-god,    Danh-gbi    the, 
278 

Qanun-i- Islam,  Ja'far  Sharif, 
trans,  by  Herklots,  213 

Qualification  to  read  the 
Vedas,  17 

Quarrel  of  otters  over  fish,  226 

Quarter  in  town  assigned  to 
prostitutes,  Shaitanpurah 
or  Devilsville,  237* 

Queen  bee,  ogre's  life  de- 
pendent on  that  of  a,  131 

Queen  of  Eanna  (Ishtar),  272 

Queen  of  the  land  of  Erech 
(Ishtar),  272 

Queen  of  Heaven,  14b 

Queen  Sfimavati,  104 

Queen  Vasavl  wishes  to  eat 
flesh  from  her  husband's 
back,  223 

Queen,  a  wicked,  26,  27 

Quills,  a  rue's,  105 

Quotation  from  Lucian's 
Philopseudes ,  77b1 

Rabbinical  legends,  fabulous 
bird  the  bar  yuchre  of,  104 

Race  of  Garuda,  bird  of  the, 
98,99 

Raindrops  delight  the  pea- 
cock, 102 

Raining  nectar  into  the  eyes 
of  his  mother,  101 

Rainy  season,  13;  peafowl's 
delight  in,  183,  183ft1 


Rajatarahgim,  Sir  Aurel  Stein, 

63b1 
Rajput,  a,  140,  141,  151 
Rajput    named    Sinhagupta, 
72,  73 

Ram,  gold-producing,  20b 

Ramayana,  the,  1b1,  5b5,  103, 
202,  205 

Rambles  and  Recollections  of  an 
Indian  Official,  W,  H.  Slee- 
man,  238ft1 

Range,  the  Vindhya,  92,  133, 
134,  136,  182 

Reappearance  of  Putraka's 
father  and  uncles,  21 

Reason  for  feasts  in  honour 
of  the  god,  248 ;  why  the 
fish  laughed,  48,  49  ;  why 
goblins  delight  in  the 
night,  76,  76b2,  77,  77b1 

Reception  of  suitors,  prepara- 
tions for  the,  33,  34 

Recipe  for  making  magic 
articles,  27 

Recipes  for  making  anjana, 
211,  212,  218;  for  becom- 
ing invisible,  136 

Recitation  of  the  Manga- 
lashtaka,  244 

Recueil  general  et  complet  des 
Fabliaux  des  XIIP  et  XlVe 
siecles,  Montaiglon,  44 

Red  cloak  worn  by  Queen 
Samavati,  104 

Red  extracts,  tank  filled  with, 
98 

Red  lac,  mark  with,  23 

Red  lead,  painting  one  side 
of  the  body  with,  146,  146b2 

Red  lotuses,  the  two,  42, 
156 

Red  powder  (Jcunkum  or  kun- 
kam),  distribution  of,  244, 
256 

Red  (ragini),  140,  140b2 

Red  sandstone  image,  139b2 

Register  of  the  Daroglia,  241 

Regulations  of  prostitutes, 
penalties  for  breaches  of, 
233 

Reign  of  Akbar,  237-238 

Rejection  of  the  Great  Tale 
by  Satavahana,  90 

Relaciones  .  .  .  de  Persia,  y 
de  Harmuz,  Teixeira,  214 

Relation  of  the  Great  Tale 
overheard  by  Pushpadanta, 
6;  of  the  seven  great  tales, 
6,  11,  89 

Relatio7is  of  Siddhi  Kur,  Kal- 
muck, 20b 


Relief  of  discomfort  caused 
by  bathing  in  the  cold 
season,  14,  15 

Religion,  effect  of  climate  and 
temperament  on,  275  ;  and 
morality  (dharma),  248 

Religious  Chastity,  John  Main, 
279 

Religious  cult  under  the 
Hittite  domination,  275 ; 
duties  of  a  basivi,  257 ; 
festivals,  principal,  262; 
mendicants  in  Bengal,  243 ; 
prostitution  in  Western 
Asia,  266 

Religious  and  secular  prostitu- 
tion in  Vijayanagar,  248- 
250 

Reliques,  Percy's,  165 

Remains  of  the  Worship  of 
Priapus,  R.  P.  Payne 
Knight,  14ft 

Remover  of  Obstacles 
(Ganesa),  1b4 

Remuneration  of  temple 
women,  247 

Rending  fetters,  spells  for, 
136 

Rent-roll  of  the  temple,  the 
annual,  242 

Repeating  after  hearing  any- 
thing once,  12,  16 

Repetition  of  dramatic  enter- 
tainment, 11,  12 ;  of  the 
Vedas  after  hearing  once, 
12b1 

Reproof  of  Yaugandharayana 
to  Udayana,  124 

Request  of  the  bawd  to  Loha- 
jangha,  146  ;  of  Patali  for 
Putraka  to  found  a  city,  24 

Requirements  for  married 
women,  234  ;  of  prostitutes, 
234 

Researches  respecting  the  Book 
of  Sindibad,  Comparetti, 
170,  186b1 

Respect  of  King  Nanda  for 
Varsha,  17,  17b3 

Respect,  prostitutes  held  in, 
232,  249,  270 

Return  of  Udayana  to  Kau- 
sambi,  183 

Revelation  in  a  dream,  12, 13  ; 
of  the  new  grammar,  74,  75 

Revenge  of  child  on  step- 
mother, 185-186;  of 
Lohajangha  on  the  bawd, 
146-149;  of  Sakatala  on 
Yogananda,  55,  56,  57,  58 

Revenue,  officer  of,  252 


Reverence,  walking  round  an 
object  of,  190-193 

Revue  Orientate  et  Americaine, 
"  L'inexorable  Courtisane 
et  les  Talismans,"  Garcin 
de  Tassy,  28 

Reward  for  fallen  heroes, 
Apsarases  the,  202 

Reward  for  kindness,  26 

Rhinoceros  horn  as  poison 
detector,  cups  of,  110ft1 

Rice  boiled  in  milk,  feast  of, 
243 

Rice  from  the  king's  field, 
parrot's  longing  for,  224 

Rice,  inexhaustible  grains  of, 
75  ;  offerings  of,  244 

Riches  of  dancing-girls,  249 

Riddle,  death  escaped  by 
solving  of,  51,  51ft1 ;  guess- 
ing of  the,  82 ;  of  the 
hand  in  the  Ganges,  45, 
46 

Right  hand  {valangai),  260 

Right-handed  swastika  repre- 
sents the  male  principle 
among  the  Hindus,  192 

Rig-Veda,  56w,  103,  191,  198, 
199,204,232 

Ring  to  destroy  the  effect  of 
poison,  109,  110,  110ft1 ;  as 
index  of  chastity,  168 ; 
magic,  26 ;  of  Sulayman, 
mouth  like  the,  30ft2 

Rising  sun,  the  benu  the 
symbol  of  the,  104 

Rite  of  angiy a  or  "  assumption 
of  the  bodice,"  240;  of 
feeding  the  spirit,  56ft1; 
of  missi  or  "blackening  of 
the  teeth,"  240,  244;  of 
nathni  utama  or  "  taking-off 
the  nose-ring,"  240 ;  of  the 
Liknophoria,  Orphic,  15ft1 ; 
of  sail,  Brahmanic,  54ft2 ; 
of  sir  dhankai  or  "  covering 
of  the  head,"  240 

Rites,  eight  marriage,  87  ;  in 
Syria,  phallic,  275 ;  of 
tawaifs,  239-240 

Rites*  of  the  Twice-born,  The, 
Mrs  S.  Stevenson,  56ft1 

Ritual,  108  mystic  number 
in,  242ft3 ;  of  sraddha,  56ft1 ; 
of  walking  round  an  object 
(pradakshina) ,  191-192 

"Ritter  Alexander  aus  Metz 
u.  seine  Frau  Florentina," 
Flemish  story  of,  166 

Rival  teachers  of  the  king, 
71,  72 


INDEX  II-GENERAL 

Riveted  with  hairs  that  stand 

erect  for  joy,  bodies,  120, 

120ft1 
Roaming,  vice  of  idle,  124ft1 
Roar  of  clouds,  echoing,  151, 

151ft1 
Robber  (dasyu),  152,  152ft1 
Robbing  faces  of  their  cheer- 
ful hue,  122,  122ft3 
Rock  as  monkey's  stepping- 
stone,  225 
Rock  -  carvings     of     ancient 

India,  30ft2;  bird-genii  in, 

103 
Rod,  magic,  25,  27,  28 
Rohita  fish,  jackal's  longing 

for,  226 
Roman    fascinum     (see     also 

phallus  or  liiiga),  13ft3 
Romances   and   Drolls   of  the 

West  of  England,  Hunt,  191 
Romanorum,     Gesta,    26,    44, 

101ft1,  116ft2,  165,  169,  171 
Romans,  phallic  cake  customs 

of  the,  15ft 
Rome,   Folk-Lore  of,    M.    H. 

Busk,  20ft,  26,  132 
Root   of  the   king's  ear, 

harbinger     of    composure 

reaches  the,  121,  121ft2 
Ropes,  magical,  28 
"Rose  of  Bakfiwali,"  Clouston, 

A    Group    of   Eastern    Ro- 
mances, 43,  160ft3 
Rose  as  chastity  index,  165 
Rose  garland,  165 
Roses,  attar  of,  213,  218 
Rotation,  symbol  of  cosmical, 

the  deisul,  191 
Roue  (vita),  64;  advice  from 

a,  64 
Royal   Asiatic    Society,   40ft, 

172 
Royal      umbrella      held     by 

prostitutes,  233 
Rubbing   the    body  with  oil 

and  turmeric,  242 
Rudra,  E.  Arbman,  206 
Rue  as  love-index,  plant  of, 

168 
Ruins  at   Karali  (or   Karari), 

7ft4 
Rukh,    mythological    side   of 

the,  103,  104 
Rules  for  dancing-girls  in  the 

time  of  Akbar,  265 
Ruse    to    carry   off    Mrigan- 

kavati,  113-114 
Russian   Folk-Tales,    Ralston, 

26,   82ft1,  104,  108ft1,   129, 

132,  136ft2 


327 

Russians,  norka  fabulous  bird 
of  the,  104 

Sack  of  Mathura  by  Ahmad 
Shah,  231 ;  by  Aurangzeb, 
231  ;  by  Shah  Jahan, 231 ; 
by  Sikander  Lodi,  231; 
by  Sultan  Mahmud  of 
Ghazni,  231 

Sacks,  gallants  in,  42 

Sacred  Books  of  the  East, 
87,  191,  205 

Sacred  blue-stone  image,  the, 
242  ;  city  of  Hierapolis,  the, 
275  ;  dragon  of  China,  104  ; 
fire  (homam),  260;  pilgrim- 
age spot,  Kailasa,  2,  2ft2 ; 
post,  walking  round  the, 
242;  ritual  of  walking 
round  an  object  (pradak- 
shina), 191 ;  servants  or 
hierodouloi,  269,  276 ;  spot 
in  India,  2ft2,  242  ;  tank  in 
Vesall,  225-226 ;  thread  or 
upanayana,  55ft1 ;  white 
bull  of  Siva  (Nandin),  6, 
6ft1;  women,  231;  women 
or  kadishtu,  271 

Sacred  prostitution,  appendix 
on,  231-279;  in  ancient 
India,  232-233;  in  Baby- 
lonia, 269-274;  in  Borneo, 
279 ;  in  the  Buddhist  age, 
265 ;  in  Central  India,  240- 
246 ;  in  the  Christian  era, 
233-237;  in  the  cult  of 
Ishtar,  origin  of,  274 ;  in 
Egypt,  276,  277 ;  in  Europe, 
277;  in  Japan,  279;  in 
Mexico,  279 ;  in  Northern 
India,  237-240;  in  Peru, 
279 ;  in  Southern  India, 
231-232,  246;  in  Syria, 
Phoenicia,  Canaan,  etc., 
275-277;  theories  of  the 
custom  of,  267,  268;  in 
Vedic  times,  265  ;  in  West 
Africa,  277-279;  Western 
Asia,  268-277 

Sacrifice  of  chastity,  275,  276 

Sacrifice,  Daksha's,  4,  5 ; 
human,  116,  116ft1,  119;  of 
Janamejaya,  203 ;  marriage 
(homa),  245;  to  procure  a 
son,  153,  154 

Sacrificial  fee  presented  with 
phallic  cake,  15 

Saffron,  turmeric  as  substitute 
for,  255ft3 

Sagacity  of  children  motif, 
186ft1 


328 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


Sagas  from  the  Far  East,  25, 

27,  39ft2,  162ft1 
Sage,    holy     (Rishis),    75ft2; 

named  Krishna,  75 
Sagen  am  Bbhmen,  Grohmann, 

97ft2 
Sagen  der   Grafschaft   Mans- 

feld,  Grossler,  77ft1 
Sagen,  M'drchen  u.   Gebrauche 

aus     Meklenburg,     Bartsch, 

129 
Sagen  des  Mittelalters ,  Grasse, 

25 
Sagen,     Wendische,     Vecken- 

stedt,  26,  51ft1,  108ft3,  129, 

141ft2 
Sagenbuch  (or  Geschichte)  der 

Bayrischen  Lande,  Schopp- 

ner,  77ft1,  129ft 
Sages  and  Jinas,  longing  to 

reverence  the,  226 
Saint    Martin,    Les     Quatre 

Souhaits  de,  Prior,  27 
Saint,    patron,    of    dancing- 
girls,  238,  240 
Salaries  of  dancing-girls,  249, 

252,  253 
Sama  Veda  and  the  Courtesan, 

The    Chanter  of  the,    64- 

65 
Samaradityasamkshepa,    1  18m1, 

223 
Samaijamatrika,   Kshemendra, 

236 
Sanctuary  of  Buddha,  156 
Sandals,  magic,  28 
Sandal  -  wood,     mark     with 

(tilaka),  69ft3 
Sandstone  image,  a  red,  139ft2 
Sanskrit   grammar,   date   of, 

17ft3;  poetry,  horripilation 

in,  120m1;   puns,  12,  12ft4, 

121ft2 
Sap,  blood  turned  into,  58 
Sardonyx  and  cornu  cerastic  to 

prevent     introduction     of 
^  poison,  gates  of,  110ft1 
Satapatha  Brahmana,  the,  191 
Satires,  Juvenal,  218 
Saturday  Review,  treatise  by 

Varnhagen  in  the,  40ft 
Satyr    named    Chiappino 

(Straparola),  46ft2 
Sauwastika,  left-handed,  re- 
presents female  principle, 

192 
Savage  {dasyu),  152m1  ;  tribe, 

Pulinda,    76,    117,    117m1  ; 

wood,     a     waterless     and 

(parusha),  9,  9ft2 
Saying  of  Mohammed,  124ft1 


Scandinavian  name  for  wish- 
ing-tree,  Yggdrasil,  144ft1 

Scandinavian  Tales,  Thorpe, 
25 

Scarcity  of  the  lion  in  India, 
67ft1 

Science  of  erotics,  234,  234ft1 

Science  called  Pisacha-veda 
or  Pisacha-vidya,  205 

Sciences  given  to  Varsha, 
knowledge  of,  15;  revealed 
to  Devadatta,  79 ;  revealed 
to  Satavahana,  72  ;  six  sup- 
plementary, 17  ;  Vararuchi 
attains  perfection  in,  9,  30 

Scotch  wedding  or  gandharva 
marriage,  87 

Sculptures  at  Amaravati, 
125ft1 

Sea  of  Coptos,  129 

Sea,  encounters  with  enor- 
mous birds  at,  104 ;  moon's 
digit  springs  from  the,  5 ; 
soul  buried  in  the,  129, 
131,  132 

Seal  Cylinders  of  Western  Asia, 
The,  W.  H.  Ward,  272ft3 

Search  for  Tammuz  in  Hades 
(Sheol)  by  Ishtar,  273, 
274 

Search  of  Vyadi  and  Indra- 
datta  for  Brahman  with 
wonderful  memory,  16 

Season,  the  rainy,  13 

Seclusion  of  women,  80ft1 

Second  voyage  of  Sindbad, 
the,  103 

"Secret  Messages  and  Sym- 
bols used  in  India,"  W. 
Crooke,  Journ.  Bihar  and 
Orissa  Research  Soc,  82ft 

Secret  service  agents,  prosti- 
tutes as,  233 

Secretaire  Turc,  contenant  V Art 
aV  exprimer  ses  pensees  sans 
se  voir,  sans  se  parler  et  sans 
secrire,  M.  du  Vigneau,  81ft 

Sect  of  weavers,  Kakatias, 
257,  258 

Sects,  the  VaishnavaorSaiva, 
244 

Secular  prostitution  in  India, 
232,  239,  255,  266 

Secular  and  religious  prosti- 
tution in  Vijayanagar,  248- 
250 

Secular  ritual  of  walking 
round  an  object,  pradak- 
shina,  191,  192 

Seed-purifying  or  zermashitu, 
270,  271 


Seed  of  all  things  useful  to 
mankind,  bird  which 
shakes  the  fruit  from  the 
tree  bearing  the,  103 

Seeds,  three  black  cumin-, 
message  conveyed  by,  81ft 

Seizure  of  property,  vice  of, 
124ft1 

Selected  Papers  of  Sir  Richard 
Burton,  N.  M.  Penzer, 
109ft1,  217 

Semitic  divinity,  Ishtar  a,  271 

Semitic  mother-goddess  in 
N.  Africa,  276 

Sense  of  humour,  the  East- 
ern, 29 

Separable  soul,  the.  38ft 

Sepulchre,  the  Holy,  192 

Sequin,  dust  of  Venetian, 
used  in  kohl,  217 

Sequins  obtained  by  swallow- 
ing bird's  heart,  box  full 
of,  20ft 

Seraglio,  23,  36ft1,  83 

Sermons  of  Saadi,  192 

Serpent  Ananta,  the,  109, 
109ft2 

Serpent,  gold-producing,  20ft ; 
prepares  to  swallow  Mriga- 
vati,  99 ;  soul  guarded  by 
an  immortal,  129 

Serpent  Sesha,  the  thousand- 
headed,  109ft2 

"  Serpent-Worship,"  Cook, 
Ency.  Brit,  203;  Maccul- 
loch,  Crooke  and  Welsford, 
Hastings'  Ency.  Rel.  Eth., 
203,  204 

Servant  of  the  king,  named 
Rajahansa,  70  ;  of  Kuvera, 
10 

Servants  of  Agni,  the  Gand- 
harvas,  200 

Servants  of  the  goddess, 
matrons  as,  276 

Servants  of  the  gods,  197, 
200-203 ;  boga?ns,  244 

Servants,  sacred,  or  hiero- 
douloi,  269,  276 

Servian  Folk-Lore,  Mijatovich, 
132 

Service,  girls  vowed  to 
temple,  245 

Sesame  and  honey  at  Syra- 
cuse, cakes  of,  15ft 

Sesamum  and  sugar  offered 
to  Ganesa,  240 

Sesquisulphuret  of  antimony 
an  ingredient  of  kohl,  215 

Setting  fire  to  a  palace,  113, 
114 


Seven  circuits  at  Mecca,  192 

Seven  classes  of  deva-dasis, 
234ft3 

Seven  great  tales,  the,  6,  11, 
89 

Seven-headed  hydra,  soul  in 
the  head  of  the,  132 

Seven  stories,  the  heavenly 
tale  of,  89,  90,  91 ;  written 
with  blood  in  the  forest, 
90,91 

Seven  times  covering  the 
head,  rite  of,  242 

Seven  Fazirs,  Clouston,  Book 
of  Sindibad,  43 

Seven  Vidyadharas,  wonder- 
ful adventures  of  the,  6 

Sewed  skins,  jars  of,  133ft1 

Sexual  love,  Ishtar  goddess 
of,  272,  276 

Shaft  of  the  flowery-arrowed 
god,  75 

Shaft  hits  five  hundred  men 
at  once,  226 

Shape,  charm  to  alter,  136, 

^  137,  137ft1,  138 

Shave  the  head,  duties  of 
women  who  refuse  to,  275, 
276 

She-crow  longs  for  Brahman's 
eyes,  223 

Shell  emblem  of  Vishnu,  144] 

Shirt  of  chastity,  44,  165 

Shoes,  magic,  22,  23,  24,  26, 
27;  flaying  the  feet  to 
make  magic,  27 ;  of  swift- 
ness worn  by  Loki  on 
escaping  from  hell,  27 ; 
worn  by  kasbi  women,  243 

Shrine  of  Durga,  9,  9ft1,  58, 
66,  76,  119;  of  the  Lord 
Karttikeya,  18,  72;  of  a 
Yaksha  named  Manib- 
hadra,  162 

Shrines  of  special  sanctity, 
number  of,  242ft3 

Siberia,  bones  of  pachyderms 
found  in  Northern,  105 

Sicilianische  Marchen,  Gonzen- 
bach,  20ft,  25,  44, 66ft1,  97ft2, 
129,  141ft2,  165,  169 

Sicily,  temple  of  Ashtart  at 
Eryx  in,  276 

Sign  of  the  cross  as  poison 
detector,  110ft1 

Sign  language,  46,  46ft1,  80, 
80ft1,  81ft1,  82ft;  employed 
at  the  outbreak  of  the 
Indian  Mutiny,  82ft ;  con- 
nection with  British  rule 
in  India,  82ft 


INDEX  II— GENERAL 

Significance      of      turmeric, 

erotic,    255ft3;   of  number 

five,  255,  255ft2 
Signs  of  the  king's  daughter, 

80,  80ft1 
Silence,  a  vow  of,  66,  72,  74 
Silver  bangle,  255  ;  toe-rings, 

255 
Simile  of  full  moon  in  India, 

Turkey,  Persia,  Arabia  and 

Afghanistan,  30ft1 
Similes  of  moles  in  Arabic, 

Indian  and  Persian  fiction, 

49ft1 
Similitudes ,  Hermas,  144ft1 
"Sindbad  the  Sailor,"  Burton, 

Nights,  103 
Sing   and    dance    in   public, 

bhavins  forbidden  to,  246 
Singing    and     dancing    pro- 
hibited under  Aurangzeb, 

238 
Singing     of    the   deva-dasis, 

description  of  the,  245 
Singing,  vice  of,  124ft1 
Singers  at  Indra's  court,  201 ; 

attached     to     temple     at 

Tanjore,  247 
Sinister,     meaning     of    the 

word,  192 
Site   of  Kausambi,  discovery 

of  the,  7ft4;    of  Mathura, 

231 
Sitting  in  Dharna,  135,  135ft1 
Six-faced    god    (Karttikeya), 

73 
Six  supplementary   sciences, 

17 
Skull,  world  resembles  a,  10 
Skulls,   necklace  of,  5,  146 ; 

Siva's  delight  in,  9,  10 
Slav  Tales,  M.  Leger,  26,101ft1 
Slave    Coast,    Ewe-speaking 

people  of  the,  277 
Slavonic    superstition    about 

vampires,  136ft2 
Sleeping  in  the  day,  vice  of, 

124ft1 
Sleeping  hero,  80ft1,  81ft 
Sleeping  person,  superstitions 

regarding  jokes  played  on 

a,  37ft2 
Smoke,  eyes   red  with,  184, 

184ft3;  feeding  on,  79 
Smuggling     men     into     the 

harem,  47ft,  48ft 
Snake     in     Arabian    fiction, 

101ft1;    bite,   67,    107;    in 

Eastern    fiction,  101ft1;    in 

European    fiction,     101ft1; 

gods,  Nagas,  200,203-204; 


329 

Snake — continued 

princess  bitten  by  a,  113; 
the  Savara  and  the,  100; 
stories  of  Buddhist  origin, 
101ft1 ;  story  of  '«  Nala  and 
Damayanti,"  101ft1 ;  wor- 
ship, 203,  204 

Snakes,  Garuda  the  enemy 
of  the,  103;  grateful  and 
ungrateful,  101ft1;  Kadru 
mother  of  the,  143ft2,  203 ; 
Vasuki   sovereign   of   the, 

^  100,  100ft2 

Snow,  abode  of  (Himalaya), 
2ft2 ;  daughter  of  the  Mount 
of  (Parvati),  5 

Society , The  Folk- Lore,  Portu- 
guese Folk-Tales,  27 

Solar  god  Marduk,  269-271 

Soldiers  in  full  armouremerge 
from  the  artificial  elephant, 
134 

Solemn  vow  of  Chanakya,  57, 
57ft1 

Solving  riddles, death  escaped 
by,  51,  51ft1 

Soma  (Asclepias  acida),  12ft1, 
200;  taken  after  fast  pro- 
duces wonderful  memory, 
12ft1 

Some  Italian  Folk-Tales,  H.  C. 
Coote,  26 

Son  of  Devadatta,  Mahidhara, 
85;  of  Govindadatta,  De- 
vadatta, 79;  of  a  maiden, 
232 ;  of  a  hermit,  99 ;  of 
Srutartha,  60,  60ft1;  of 
Yogananda  goes  hunting,  53 

Song,  a  marriage,  256 

Songs,  character  of  deva- 
dasls9,  245,  251 

Songs  of  minstrels,  183, 183ft2 

So?igs  of  the  Russian  People, 
Ralston,  191 

Sons  of  bhavins,  devlis,  246 ; 
offered  up  to  obtain  others, 
154,  154ft1 ;  of  Sakatala, 
40,41 

Soot  and  lamp-black  used  as 
surmah,  214 

Sorcerers,  swords  made  by, 
109ft1 

''Sorcery,  An  Ancient  Manual 
of,"  A.  Bart,  Melusine,  12ft1 

Soul  enclosed  in  many  cas- 
kets and  buried  in  the  sea, 
131-132;  external,  motif, 
38;?,  129-132;  of  Hermo- 
timos  of  Klazomenae,  39w2 ; 
leaving  the  body,  Egyptian 
origin   of,    37ft2;  origin  of 


330 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


Soul — continued 

the  Supreme,  9,  9ft4,  10; 
put  in  inaccessible  place, 
130-131 ;  the  separable, 
38.??,  39m  ;  the  wandering 
(dehantara-avesa),  37ft2,  38ft 

Sources  of  Vijayanagar  History, 
S.  K.  Ayyangar,  250ft1 

South  Indian  Inscriptions,  E. 
Hultzsch,  155ft1,  247ft1 

S outh  S lavonia,  Tales  of, 
Wratislaw,  132 

Southern  India,  sacred  prosti- 
tution more  developed  in, 
231,  232,  246-269;  Sudra 
castes  of,  255,  256 

Sovereign  of  the  snakes, 
Vasuki,  61,  61ft1,  100, 100ft2, 
122,  122ft1 

Sowing  dissension  (bheda), 
123>i2 

Sparrow,  soul  set  in  the  crop 
of  a,  131-132 

Speech  and  learning,  Saras- 
vati  goddess  of,  1ft4 

Spells  for  breaking  chains, 
136,  137;  for  breaking 
walls,  136 ;  for  dispelling 
snake  poison,  113;  for 
rending  fetters,  136 

Spikes,  lying  on  a  bed  of, 
79ft1 

Spirit,  the  arrogant 
(Brahma),  10,  10ft2;  asu, 
198  ;  pitman  {purusha),  9ft4 ; 
rite  of  feeding  the,  56ft1 

Spirits  of  the  air  (Gandhar- 
vas),  87 ;  black  feared  by 
evil,  212,  217 

Spirits  given  to  superinten- 
dent of  elephants,  151 ;  vice 
of  drinking,  124ft1 

Spiritual  voice,  a,  16,  16ft1 

Splendour  of  dancing-girls, 
249 

Splendour  of  Spring,  Goddess 
of  the,  112 

Sport  on  the  banks  of  the 
Ganges,  107 ;  of  elephant- 
catching,  133,  133ft1 

Spray  from  Ganesa's  hissing 
mouth,  1,  1ft5 

Spring,  festival  of  the  com- 
mencement of,  68,  244 ; 
Goddess  of  the  Splendour 
of,  122 

"Spring  of  Knowledge,"  or 
Bahtir-i-Danish,  'Infiyatu- 
'llah,  26,  43,  162ft1 

Springtide,  feast  of  the,  112, 
112ft1 


Squire's  tale  in  Chaucer,  145ft1 

Staff,  magic,  24,  28 

Stain  or  kahala,  211 

Stalk  of  a   lotus,  arms   like 

the,  30 
Stanzas,  marriage,  244 
Starling,  a  hill-  (maina),  131 
State  of  Savantvadi,  245 
Statement  of  Hemachandra, 

92 
States    of    the    Southern 

Mahratha  country,  246 
Statistical  Account  of  Scotland, 

Sinclair,  191 
Statues  of  Ishtar,  272 
Status     of    dancing-girls    in 

modern  India,  267 
Stepmother,  child  entrusted 

to  his,  185;  child's  revenge 

on  his,  185-186  ;  ill-treats  a 

child,  185 
Stepping-stone  for  a  monkey, 

225 
Stibium-holder,  216 
Stick    for    applying    kohl 

(mikkal),  212,  215 
Stick,  churning,  3ft2;  magic, 

22,   24,   28;   tip-cat,   80ft1, 

81 
Sticks,  messages  by  notched, 

82ft 
"Stolen    Purse,   The,"  story 

of,  186 
Stone,   Mongolian  legend  of 

gold-producing,   27 ;    from 

the    head    of    a    toad    as 

amulet    against    poison, 

110ft1;  of  a  green  date  as 

secret  message,  80ft1,  81ft 
Stones,  the  griffin  guardian  of 

precious,  104 
Storehouse  of  the  beauty  of 

King  Kama,  31 
Storia    do    Mogor,     Manucci, 

edited  by  W.  Irvine,  238ft2 
Stories   of  Ancient   Egypt, 

Maspero,  37ft2,    77ft1,    129, 

133ft1 
Stork,  phoenix  identified  with 

the, 103 
Storm  and  war,  Ishtar  god- 
dess of,  272 
Story    of    Aramacobha     and 

the       grateful       snake, 

Kathakoca,  Tawney's  trans- 
lation, 101ft1 
Story  of  Brahmadatta,  20-21 
"Story    of    Cajusse"    Busk, 

Folk-Lore  of  Rome,  132 
Story    of     Chandamahasena, 

123-128 


Story  of  the  Clever  Deformed 

Child,  184-186 
"Story    of    the    Couple     of 

Parrots,"  224 
Story  of  "The  Crystal  Ball," 

Grimm's  Fairy  Tales,  25 
Story  of  Devasmita,  153-164 
"Story  of  De  vasmi  ta," 

metrical  version,   B.  Hale 

Wortham,  Journ.  Roy.   As. 

Soc,  172-181 
Story  of  Gharib,  Nights,  14ft 
"Story  of  Janshah,"  Nights. 

141ft2 

"Story    of    Nami,"    Jacobi, 

Ausgewahlte  Erzahlungen  im 

Maharashtm,  226 
"Story  of  Punchkin,"  Freer, 

Old  Deccan  Days,  131 
Story  of  Rupinikk,  138-149 
Story  of  Ruru,  188-189 
"  Story  of  Sayf  al-Muluk  and 

Badi'a    al-Jamal,"    Nights, 

131 
Story  of  Sndatta  and  Mrigan- 

kavatl,  106,  120 
Story  of  the  Two  Brothers, 

129,  130 
Story    of  Udayana,    King  of 

Vatsa,  94  et  seq. 
Story  of  Vararuchi,  11  et  seq. 
Story-teller    named    Sanga- 

taka,  106,  120 
Strange  Stories  from  a  Chinese 

Studio,  Giles,  77ft1 
Stratagem  of  an  old  woman 

in  favour  of  a  young  gallant, 

169 
Stratagem,    plan   to   capture 

Udayana  by,  133,  134 
Streak  (or  digit)  of  the  moon, 

5,32 
Streets  in  Cairo  and  Algiers, 

courtesan,  250 
Strength    of    dancing  -  girls, 

feats  of,  254 
Strict     official      control      of 

ganikas,  233 
String,  messages  conveyed  by 

knotted,  82ft 
Struggle  of  Arjuna  with  Siva, 

95,  95ft1 
Studies  in  the  History  of  Re- 
ligions, presented   to    C.   H. 

Toy,    D.  G.    Lyon,    "The 

Consecrated  Women  of  the 

Hammurabi  Code,"  271ft1 
Studies  in   Honor  of  Maurice 

Bloomfield,    Ruth    Norton, 

"The  Life-Index:  A  Hindu 

Fiction  Motif,"  130,  167 


' 


Studies  about  the  Kathasarit- 
sdgara,  Speyer,  122ft4 

St  up  a  of  Bharhut,  The, 
General  Cunningham,  42 

Sub-caste  of  rdjkanya,  239 

Subduing  infuriated  ele- 
phants, 122 

Subjects  of  Kuvera,  202- 
203 

Substances  of  kohl  in  ancient 
Egypt,  215 

Substitute  for  human  sacri- 
fice, sacred  prostitution  a, 
267,  276 ;  for  saffron,  tur- 
meric a,  255ft3 

Subtleties,  St  Hildegard  of 
Bingen,  110ft1 

Success,  the  four  means  of 
(updyas),  123,  123ft2 

Sugar-candy  (sukkar  nebat), 
81ft,  217 

Sugar  and  flour,  wafers  of 
(gujahs),  242,  242ft3 

Sugar,  offering  of,  246 

Sugar  and  sesame  offered  to 
Ganesa,  240 

Suicides  under  the  wheels  of 
Jagannatha's  car,  242 

Suitors  in  chests,  42,  43 

Suitors  motif,  variants  of 
,  entrapped,  42-44,  167 

Suka  Saptati,  the,  162m1,  169, 
170 

Sulphide  of  lead,  215 

Sultanate  of  Delhi,  the,  237 

Summary  of  the  work,  2 

Sumsumdra-Jdtaka,  224 

Sun,  the  benu  the  symbol  of 
the  rising,  104 ;  carrying 
the  dead  with  the,  190, 
191  ;  eclipse  caused  by 
Rahu,  200;  goblins  dazed 
by  the,  77 ;  imitation  of 
the  apparent  course  of  the, 
190,  191;  referred  to  as 
Garuda,  103,  104 

Sun-god,  Garuda  the,  203 

Sun  rises,  mountain  where 
the,  99,  102 

Sun's  horses,  dispute  about 
the  colour  of  the,  143ft2 ; 
Gandharvas  the  directors 
of  the,  200 

Sunwise  movement,  anti- 
(prasavya),  191,  192 

Supatta-Jataka,  224 

Superhuman  powers  gained 
bv  the  book  of  Thoth,  129, 
130 

Superhumans,  independent, 
197,  203,  204 


INDEX  II -GENERAL 

Superintendent  of  prosti- 
tutes (Ddroghah),  233,  237  ; 
of  the  royal  elephants,  150 

Supernatural  powers  gained 
by  drinking  girl's  blood, 
98?i 

Superstitions  about  jokes 
played  on  a  sleeping 
person,  37ft2 ;  about  vam- 
pires, 136ft2 

Suppressed  voice,  speaking 
in  a,  185,  185ft2 

Supreme  Soul,  origin  of  the, 
9,  9ft4,  10 

Surrounded  by  fires,  lying, 
79ft1 

Susruta  Samhita,  the,  211 

Suvannakakkata-Jdtaka,  223 

Swan's  grief  on  seeing  the 
cloud,  72,  72ft1 

Swans  flying  in  the  air,  20 ; 
former  birth  of  the  two, 
20,21 

Swastika,  192 

Swearing  an  oath,  methods 
of,  57ft1 

Sweat,  water  of  Siva's,  94 

Swedish  story  in  Cavallius, 
25  ;  of  magical  articles,  25 

Sweetmeats,  28,  69,  69ft*, 
243,  244 

Sweet  spices,  82^ 

Sweets  offered  at  a  mosque, 
239,  240 

Swiftness  worn  by  Loki  on 
escaping  from  hell,  shoes 
of,  27 

Sword  of  Caesar,  Crocea  Mors, 
i.e.  "yellow  death,"  109ft1; 
of  Edward  the  Confessor, 
Curta'na,  the  "cutter," 
109ft1;  held  by  girl  at 
basivi  marriage  ceremony, 
257 ;  of  Hieme,  109^  ;  of 
invisibility,  28 ;  a  magic, 
28,  125  ;  named  Mriganka, 
109,  109ft1 

Sword-making  a  highly 
specialised  art,  109W1 

Swords,  custom  of  giving 
names  to,  109ft1;  made  by 
sorcerers,  109ft1 ;  magic 
connected  with,  109ft1 ;  of 
Mohammed,  109ft1 

Syllable  Om,  17,  17ft1 

Symbol  of  cosmical  rotation, 
191 ;  of  eternity,  a  coiled 
snake  as,  109?i2 ;  of  the 
rising  sun,  the  benu  the,  104 

Sympathetic  influence  of  the 
moon,  228 


331 

Sympathetic  and  homoeo- 
pathic magic,  14ft 

Sympathetic  magic,  doctrine 

^  of,  130 

Symptoms  of  love,  Deva- 
datta's,  81 

Syrische  Mdrchen,  Prym  and 
Socin,  26,  97ft2,  125ft3 

System  of  dcva-ddsis  fully 
developed  in  Jagannatha, 
226  ;  of  deva-dds'is  in  Orissa, 
226 ;  of  numbering  used 
throughout  the  work, 
xxxviii,  xxxix 

Systematic  destruction  of 
Mathura,  232 

Tablecloth,  magic,  25,  26 
Taboo  and  Perils  of  the  Soul, 

Frazer,  37ft2 
Tail  of  the  peacock  (kaldpa) 

grammatical  treatise  named 

after  the,  75 
Tale-bearing,  vice  of,  124ft1 
Tale    of  the  Two    Brahman 

Brothers,  12,  13 
Tale  of  the  Vidyadharas,  94 
Tales  of  Old  Japan,  Mitford, 

27 
Tales  of  the  previous  births 

of  the  Buddha,  the  Jatakas, 

232 
Tales  of  the  Sixty  Mandarins, 

Ramaswami  Raju,  131 
Tales   of  the    Western    High- 
lands, Campbell,  26,  84ft2, 

129,  132,  157ft2,  163ft1 
Tank  of  blood,  bathing  in  a, 

97,  97ft2,  98 
Tank  filled  with  the  juice  of 

lac,    98;    filled    with    red 

extracts,     98 ;     made     for 

golden  swans,  21;  in  Vesall, 

sacred,  225-226 
Tarnhut  (hat  of  darkness),  27 
Tassel    (shurrdbeli),    message 

conveyed  by  a,  81ft 
Tattooists,  49ft1,  50ft 
Tax  payable  by  ganikds  to  the 

government,  233 
Teachers    of   the    king,    the 

rival,  71,  72 
Teaching  by  Varsha   of  the 

three  Brahmans,  17,  18,  30 
Teachings  of  the  tittliayaras, 

longing  to  hear  the,  226 
Teeth,    30ft2;   flower  in  the, 

80 ;  rite  of  blackening  the 

(«*•»},  240,  244 
Temperament,    effect  on  re- 
ligion of,  275 


332 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


Temple,  annual  rent-roll  of 
the,  242 ;  the  centre  of 
a  country's  wealth,  269 ; 
duties  of  bhavi?is,  246  j 
duties  of  devlis,  246  ;  duty, 
139,  139ft1,  231  ;  Gurav  of 
the,  245,  246;  men  dedi- 
cated to  the,  246 ;  Raul  of 
the,  245  j  servant,  231,  246  ; 
service  (pati),  264 ;  service, 
girls  vowed  by  parents  to, 
245 

Temple  of  Ash  tart  at  Eryx 
in  Sicily,  276 ;  at  Babylon 
a  large  factor  in  the  life  of 
the  people,  269  ;  at  Byblos, 
275;  of  Durga,  119,  123, 
125 ;  of  Durga,  pilgrimage 
to,  21 ;  of  Ishtar  at  Erech, 
prostitutes  at,  272  ;  of  Isis, 
145m1;  of  Jagannatha  in 
Orissa,  214,  242 ;  of  Kera- 
lapuram,  262 ;  of  Kesava- 
deva,  destruction  of  the, 
231 ;  of  Kition,  male  pros- 
titutes at  the,  276;  of 
Marduk,  269  ;  called  Push- 
padanta,  82  ;  of  Padmana- 
bhsawami,  262  ;  of  Queen 
Hatshepset  at  Deir  el 
Bahari,  216 ;  of  Siva,  108 ; 
of  Suchindram,  263;  at 
Tanjore,  247 ;  of  the 
Yaksha,  162 

"  Temple  Women  of  the  Code 
of  Hammurabi,  The,"  D.  D. 
Luckenbill,  Arner.  Journ. 
Sem.  Lng.,  271ft1 

Temple  women  connected 
with  the  worship  of  Ishtar, 
271 ;  laws  of  inheritance 
for,  270,  271 ;  remuneration 
of,  247 ;  various  classes  of, 
270,  271 

Temples,  destruction  of 
Hindu,  237,  238;  love  of 
building,  246 ;  at  Tulava, 
252;  of  Siva,  bogams  at- 
tached to,  244;  of  Vishnu, 
bogams  attached  to,  244 

Temporary  prostitution,  275, 
276 

Ten  days'  rites,  56ft1 

Test  article  of  chastity,  42, 
165-168 

Tests  of  chastity,  165-168; 
for  recognising  a  Bhuta 
(ghost),  206 

Theories  on  the  custom  of 
sacred  prostitution,  267, 
268 ;  on  the  deva-dasls,  279 


Thigh,   drop   of  blood    from 

Siva's,   9 
"Thirty -two     Tales     of     a 

Throne,"  Simhasana- 

dvatriinsika,  186ft1 
Thousand  gold  pieces  under 

pillow     daily,     19,     19ft2; 

granddaughters     of     Bali, 

the,     108,     108ft2;     times 

eating  soma  produces  good 

memory,  12ft1 
Thousand  -  headed      serpent 

Sesha,   109ft2 
Thousand  Nights  and  a  Night, 

The.     See  Nights 
Thousand     and      One      Days, 

Dervish  Makhlis of  Ispahan, 

43,  145ft1 
Thousands     of     genii,     life 

guarded  by,  131 
Thread,  the  Brahmanical,  17, 

55ft1;  kankanam,  the  yellow, 

256 
Three    languages,    the,    58, 

58ft1,  71 
Three   forms   of   the    moon, 

77ft1 
Three  a  lucky  number  among 

Hindus,  192 
Three    steps    of    Vishnu, 

192 
1 '  Three    wishes "     cycle    of 

stories,  27 
Three  worlds,  Great  Tale  re- 
nowned in  the,  91 ;  mother 

of  the  (Bhavanl),  2,  3 
Throat,    half-moon    on    the, 

65,  65ft1 ;  like  an  antelope, 

30ft2 ;  Siva's  discoloured  by 

poison,  1ft2 
Throne,   endeavour  of  three 

Brahmans  to  get  possession 

of  the,  21 ;  a  magic,  28 
Thumb,    Balakhilyas    divine 

personages  the  size  of  a, 

144,  144ft2 
Thunder   the   dohada   (preg- 
nant   longing)    of    certain 

trees,  222 
Thunderbolt  of  Indra,  126 
Thusa-Jataka,  223 
"Thus  it  is"  (asti),  4ft1 
Tibetan    Tales,    Ralston    and 

Schiefner,  97ft2,  223,  226 
Tiger,  the  ape  and  the  snake, 

Goldsmith's   adventure 

with  the,  101ft1 
Time  required  to  learn  gram- 
mar, 71,  72 
Timidity  of  wild   elephants, 

133ft1 


Tip-cat   stick,  message  coi 

veyed  with  a,  80ft1,  81ft 
Titles  of  bogams,  244 
Toad      as     amulet      again* 

poison,     stone     from     the 

head  of  a,  110ft1 
Toe-rings,  silver,  255,  256 
Toilet  -  boxes  or  surma  -  da? 

212 
Toilet,  surmah  necessary  part 

of  a  lady's,  214 
Token  of  legal   marriage  or 

pustelu,    88 ;     of    marriage 

(tali)  255,  256,  258,  259 
Tokens  of  basivis,  marriage, 

256 
Toll  collectors,  238 
Tortoise       incarnation      of 

Vishnu,  55ft1 
To  run  away  (si),  278 
"Toy  Cart,"   Wilson,   Hindu 

Theatre,  118ft2 
Trade    of     the     kasbi    caste 

women,    hereditary,    242 ; 

in  kidnapping,  243 
Traditions  about  the  Paisachi 

language,  92 
Training  of  bogams,  245 
Transportation,  cloak  of,  27 
Travancore   Archaeological 

Series,  155ft1 
Traveller  Chau  Ju-Kwa,  the 

Chinese,  Chu-fan-ch'i,    104, 

241,  241ft1,  252 
Travellers,  Chinese,  231,  241 ; 

in    the    seventeenth     and 

eighteenth  centuries,  250 
Travels,  Bholanath  Chandra, 
^  238ft1 
Travels,   Rabbi    Benjamin  of 

Tudela,  241ft2 
Travels  of  Tavernier,  V.  Ball, 

241,  241ft3 
Treasure,  Lord  of  (Kuvera), 

202,  203 
Treatise,  a  grammatical,  12, 

12ft2,    69,    75;    of    Panini 

revealed  to  Vararuchi,  36 
Treatise    on   Hindu  Law   and 

Usage,  J.  D.  Mayne,  88 
Tree,     asoka,     222 ;     bakula, 

222  ;  bearing  the  seed  of  all 

things  useful  to  mankind, 

bird  which  shakes  the  fruit 

from    the,    108 ;    campaka, 

222 ;  hanging  upside  down 

from  a,  79ft1 ;  kalpa,  8,  Sn1 ; 

kuruvaka,  222 ;  of  life,  144?*1; 

nyagrodha  (Ficus  Indica),  9, 

9ft3,   157;  of  paradise,  the 

wishing-,  144,  144ft1 ;  pipal, 


Tree — continued 

girl    married    to    a,    239 ; 

Sdla,  9 
Tree     and    Serpejrf     Worship, 

James  Fergusson,  144m1 
4 'Tree-  Worship,"      S.      A. 

Cook,  Ency.  Brit,  144ft1 
"Trees     and      Plants,"     T. 

Barnes,     Hastings'     Ency. 

Bel.  Eth.,  lHw1 
Tribe,  Pulinda  a  savage,  117, 

117ft1 
Tribes,  bediyas  and  nats  the 

gypsy,  240 
Tribes  and  Castes  of  Bengal, 

H.  Risley,  243ft1 
Tribes  and  Castes  of  Bombay, 

R.  E.  Enthoven,  246ft1 
Tribes  and  Castes  of  the  Central 

Provinces,    R.    V.    Russell, 
r  242,  242/i2,  243ft2,  245 
Tribes  and  Castes  of  the  North- 
western Provinces  and  Oudh, 

W.  Crooke,  239ft1,  240ft2 
Tribes  and  Castes  ofH.E.H.  the 

Nizam's     Dominions,    Syed 

Siraj  Ul  Hassan,  244,  244ft1, 

245ft2 
Tricked  by  the  Asura  maid, 

Sridatta,  110 
Tricks  played  by  the  moon, 

228 
Trident-bearing  god  (Siva),  6 
Trois  Souhaits,  Les,  La  Fon- 
taine, 27 
Troll,  the,  77ft1 
Trumpets  blown  by  devlis  in 

the  temple,  246 
Trunks,  gallants  in,  34-36,  42 
Trust  (sradda),  56ft1 
Truth,  act  of,  166,  167 
Tshi-speaking  peoples  of  the 

Gold  Coast,  277 
Tshi-speaking  Peoples   oj    the 

Gold  Coast  of  West  Africa, 

The,  A.  B.  Ellis,  278ft2 
Tubes,  mestem  kept  in,  215 
Turban  of  honour  bestowed 

of  Lohajangha,  148 
Turbans  of  honour,  148,  184 
Turbans,   money   carried   in, 

117ft3 

Turmeric,    82ft,    255,    255ft3, 

256 
Turmeric  and  oil  rubbed  over 

the  body,  242 
"Turmeric,  The  Use   of,    in 

Hindoo   Ceremonial,"    W. 

Dymock,      Journ.     Anthro. 

Soc.  Bombay,  255ft3 
TTdi-Nama,  the,  168,  170 


INDEX  II-GENERAL 

Twin  sons  borne  by  Mallika, 

226 
Two-heartedness  {dohada),  221 
Two  Noble  Kinsmen,  The,  31ft2 
Two  red  lotuses,  the,  156 


Umbrella  held  by  prostitutes, 
the  royal,  233 

Underworld,  Patala  the,  200, 
203 

Unfading  garlands,  art  of 
weaving,  100 

Unfading  lotus,  the,  156,  160 

Unfruitful  {kono),  278 

Ungrateful  and  grateful 
snakes,  101ft1 

Unguarded  place,  the  left 
hand  an,  127 

Unimportant  part  played  by 
Siddhas,  204 

Universe  becomes  water,  9 

Unsatisfied  dohada  (pregnant 
longing)  causes  disaster, 
223 

XJ nter  den  Olivenb'dumen , 
Kaden,  26,  101ft1 

Use  of  the  dohada  motif,  divi- 
sion of  the,  222,  223 

"  Use  of  Turmeric  in  Hindoo 
Ceremonial,  The,"  W.  Dy- 
mock, Journ.  Anthro.  Soc. 
Bombay,  255ft3 

Validity  of  the  gandharva  form 
of  marriage,  87,  88 

Valley  of  Kashmir  peopled  by 
the  Prajapati  Kasyapa,  205 

Value  of  the  dinar,  63ft1 

Vampires  (vetala),  136,  136ft2, 
206 ;  superstitions  about, 
136ft2 

Vdnara-Jataka,  224 

Vanarinda-Jdtaka,  225 

"Vararuchi  as  a  Guesser  of 
Acrostics,"  G.  A.  Grierson, 
Ind.  Ant,  50ft1 

Variants  of  the  "bitch  and 
pepper"  motif,  170,  171; 
of  the  "chastity  index" 
motif,  166;  of  the  "en- 
trapped suitors  "  motif,  42- 
44;  of  the  "magical 
articles  "  motif,  25-29 

Varied  use  of  the  dohada 
(pregnant  women)  motif, 
222 

Varieties  of  kohl  in  ancient 
Egypt,  215-216;  of  poison 
detectors,  110ft1 

Vayu  Purana,  the,  200 


333 

Vazirs,  The  Seven,  Clous- 
ton's  Book  of  Sindibad, 
43 

Vedas,  the,  198, 200,  201,  203, 
205;  learnt  by  heart,  12, 
12ft1;  qualification  to  read 
the,  17 

Vedic  Aryans,  198 

Vedic  gods,  198 

Vedic  Index,  The,  Macdonell 
and  Keith,  3ft1,  56ft,  93, 
205,  232ft1 

Vedic  times,  evidence  of 
sacred  prostitution  in,  265 

Vedische Studien,K.  F.  Geldner 
and  R.  Pischel,  232ft1 

Vegetable-eating  hermit,  58, 
58ft3,  59 

Vegetable  kingdom,  dohada 
(pregnant  longing)  in  the, 
222 

Vegetable  life,  Ishtar  goddess 
of,  272 

Vegetation,  influence  of  the 
moon  on,  228 

Vehicle  of  Vishnu,  Garuda 
the,  103 

Veins  opened  to  satisfy  do- 
hada (pregnant  longing), 
JiZo 

Venetian  glass  shivers  at 
approach  of  poison,  110ft1 

Vergl.  Gramm.,  Brugmann, 
198 

"Veritable  History  of  Satni- 
Khamois,"  167 

Vermilion,  forehead  marked 
with,  242 

Vessel,  magic,  22 

Vice  of  addiction  to  women, 
124,  124ft1;  of  calumny, 
124,  124ft1;  of  detrac- 
tion, 124,  124ft1 ;  of  drink- 
ing spirits,  124,  124ft1;  of 
envy,  124,  124ft1 ;  of  gam- 
bling, 124,  124ft1 ;  of  hunt- 
ing, 123, 124ft1, 134 ;  of  idle 
roaming,  124,  124ft1 ;  of  in- 
sidious injury,  124,  124ft1; 
kingly  (Siva's),  125;  of 
sleeping  in  the  daytime, 
124, 124ft1 ;  of  tale-bearing, 
124,  124ft1;  of  violence, 
124,  124ft2 

Vices  of  caliphs,  124,  124ft1; 
of  kings  (vyasana),  124, 
124ft1,  134 

Victor  of  Obstacles  (Gane^a), 
1,  1ft4 

Victory,  Indra's  feast  of,  95, 
96 


334 


THE  OCEAN  OF  STORY 


Vidhurapandita-Jdtaka ,  122ft2 
View  of  the  History,  Literature 

and  Religion  of  the  Hindoos, 

A.  W.  Ward,'  241ft4 
Vikram      and     the      Vampire, 

R.  F.  Burton,  87,  136ft2 
Village  Folk-Tales  of  Ceijlon, 

Parker,  157ft2,  223,  226,  227 
Violence,  vice  of,  124ft1 


Virsilio      nel 


edio 


Comparetti,  148ft 
Virgin  and  Child  stamped  on 

a  cake  in  Nottingham,  14ft 
Virtue,    incarnation    of,    61, 

61ft4 
''Virtue,  Path  of,"  or  Dham- 

mapada,  104 
Vishnu  Purana,  the,  lft2,  103, 

200,  202,  231 
Vision  of  Moses  on  Sinai,  217 
Visits     of    the     phoenix     to 

Egypt,  104 
Vital   spot,  the  left  hand  a, 

127 
"Vogel    Goldschweif,  Der," 

Gaal,    M'drchen    der    Mag- 

yaren,  20ft 
Vogelkoph      u.       Vogelherz, 

Waldau,  20ft 
Voice   from   the  air,  152;   a 

bodiless,    MnP,    121,    123; 

from  heaven,  61,  100,  102, 

110,    128;    an   inarticulate 

(avispastaya     gird),     185ft2 ; 

spiritual,  16,  16m1 
■"Voleur  Avise,"  Breton  tale 

in  Melusine,  27 
Voluntary  union  or  gdndharva 

marriage,  87 
Votary  of  Siva,  247 
Vow    of    Chanakya,    57 ;    of 

Gunadhya,        71 ;        of 

Kalanemi,  106  ;  of  parents, 

girls   dedicated  to  temple 

by,  245,  255 ;  of  perpetual 

chastity,    67 ;    of    silence, 

66 
Vow,     Siva's,     10;     in     the 

temple      of      the      god, 

Guhasena's,     155,     156; 

Upakosa's    observance     of 

her,  32 
Vowed  women  or  zikru,  270 
Voyage     of     Sindbad,      the 

second,  104 
Vulture  as  a  poison  detector, 

recipe    for    preparing   the 

heart  of  a,  110ft1 

Wafers    of    flour    and    sugar 
{gujahs),  242,  242ft3 


Wager  of  court  beauties,  236 

Walking  round  the  fire,  184, 
184ft4;  round  an  object  of 
reverence  with  right  hand 
towards  it,  184,  190-193 

Wallet,  magical,  28 

Walls  of  Jericho,  Joshua  and 
the,  192 

Walls,  spells  for  breaking, 
136 

Wandering  Briihmans  call  at 
Vararuchi's  house,  two,  11 

Wandering  soul ,  dehantara- 
dvesa,  37ft2,  38ft 

War  between  the  gods  and 
Asuras,  95 

War  and  storm,  Ishtar  god- 
dess of,  272,  276 

WTarder  of  Chandamahasena, 
153,182,183" 

Warrior  caste,  young  man  of 
the,  114 

Warriors  concealed  in  arti- 
ficial elephant,  133,  133ft1, 
134 

Washing  in  the  blood  of  a 
boy  to  procure  a  son,  98ft ; 
the  head  with  gram  flour, 
243;  plant  used  in,  81ft; 
renounced,  79ft1 

Watch,  the  morning  (9  a.m.). 
114,  114ft1 

Watchman's  chant,  23 

Water,  Hindu  kings  anointed 
with,  187,  187ft2;  of  life, 
222  ;  magical,  28  ;  nymphs 
or  Apsarases,  200 ;  of  Siva's 
sweat,  94  ;  six  chattees  of, 
131 ;  universe  becomes,  9  ; 
weapon, 184, 184ft2 

Waterless  and  savage  wood, 
a  9 

Water-snake,  188,  189 

Way  of  the  world,  Brahman 
tries  to  learn  the,  64 

Wealth  acquired  through  a 
dead  mouse,  63,  64 ;  God 
of  (Kuvera),  10,  67,  111, 
202,  203;  the  home  of 
(Pataliputra),  24  ;  of  prosti- 
tutes, 233,  234,  237,  270; 
and  splendour  of  dancing- 
girls,  249 ;  temple  the 
centre  of  the  country's, 
269 ;  of  Vararuchi  en- 
trusted to  Hiranyagupta, 
32, 

Weapon  of  Kama,  30;  of 
wind,  184,  184ft2 

Weapons  of  Hindu  myth- 
ology, 184,   184ft2 


Weavers,  Kakatias  a  sect  of, 

257,  258 
Weaving  unfading  garlands, 

the  art  of,  100 
Wedding,  gdndharva  form  of 


marriage    like    a    Scotch 
87 


Weeping  bitch,  the,  159 

Weib  im  altindischen  Epos. 
Ein  Beilrag  zur  indischen 
u.  vergleichenden  Kultur- 
geschichte,  234ft1 

Weights,  ancient  Indian, 
64,  64ft2 

WTellcome  Historical  Museum , 
the,  216 

Wendische  Sagen.  Veckenstedt, 
26,  51ft1,  108ft3,  129,  141?i2 

West  Africa,  sacred  prosti- 
tution in, 

West  coast  of  Burma,  ex- 
peditions to  the,  155ft1 

Westfdlische  Marchen,  Kuhn, 
26,  77ft1 

West  Highland  Tales,  Camp- 
bell, 26,  84n2,  129,  132, 
157ft2,  163ft1 

Wheels  of  Jagannatha's  car, 
suicides  under  the,  242 

Whims  to  get  rid  of  husbands, 
227 

White  bull  of  Siva  (Nandin), 
6,  6ft1 

White  lotuses  {kumuda),  118, 
118ft2 

White  sculptures  at  Amara- 
vati,  125,  125ft1 

"Whitened  with  plaster," 
sudhadhauta,  1257Z1 

Whiteness,  palaces  of  enam- 
elled, 125,  125ft1 

Whites  of  the  eyes  painted 
with  kohl,  217 

Why  the  fish  laughed,  48 ; 
the  ground  at  Larika  is 
made  of  wood,  143-144 

Wicked  queen  steals  magical 
articles,  26,  27 

Wide- Awake  Stories,  Temple 
and  Steel,  28,  130,  131 

Widows,  bogams  never  be- 
come, 244 

Wife  of  the  god,  entu  (Nin- 
An)  the  chief,  270;  of 
Julius  Caesar,  a  story  of 
the,  46ft2;  of  Marduk, 
Sarparnit  (Ishtar).  271 ;  of 
Pushpadanta,  Jaya,  6,  7 ; 
of  Siva,  Parvati  (Durga, 
Gauri,  etc.),  7;  of  Varsha, 
description  of  the,  13,  16 


I 


Wild  animals  listen  to  the 
Great  Tale,  90 ;  boar, 
Chandamahasena's  adven- 
ture with  a,  126, 127  ;  coun- 
try, 141,  lilw1;  elephants, 
timidity  of,  133ft1 ;  heifer, 
eyes  like  a,  30ft2;  man  of 
the  woods,  Eabini  or 
Engidu,  273 ;  satyr  named 
Chiappino,the  (Straparola), 
46ft2 

Wild  Races  of  South-Eastern 
India,  The,  Lewin,  82ft 

Wilds  of  the  Vindhya,  9, 10, 22 

Will  of  the  embryo  asserting 
itself  (dohada),  221 ;  of  Siva, 
99 

Wind,  the  weapon  of,  184, 
184ft2 

Window,  lover  fastened  in  a, 
42 

Wine  (sharab),  81ft;  mixed 
with  Datura,  160,  160ft1; 
sprinkled  from  the  mouths 
of  beautiful  maidens,  222 

Wine-shop,  dancing-girls  for- 
bidden to  enter  a,  270 

Winning  love,  charms  for, 
137,  138 

Wise  maiden  Balapandita, 
46ft2 

Wise,  Mazdao  the,  199 

Wishing  hat,  25 

Wishing-tree  of  paradise,  8n, 
144,  144ft1 

"  Withershins"  (walking 
round  a  person  away  from 
the  sun),  191,  192;  cartua- 
sul  or,  192 

Wives  of  the  Gandharvas, 
Apsarases,  201 ;  of  the  god, 
natitu  or  the  inferior,  270 ; 
of  the  king,  temple  women 
allowed  in  the  presence  of, 
249 ;  Satavahana  and  his, 
68,  69 

Woman,  a  celestial,  31 ;  de- 
vouring flesh,  111 ;  a  divine, 
71 ;  form  of  the  moon,  77ft1 ; 
in  man's  attire,  163,  164 


INDEX  II-GENERAL 

Woman's  clothes,  Brahman 
in,  83 ;  dress  assumed  by 
Devadatta,  83 

Women,  dream  of  the  three, 
19 ;  Gandharvas  deities 
of,  201 ;  hiring  of,  275  ;  men 
dressed  up  as,  48  ;  at  Gol- 
conda,  public,  241 ;  <pen- 
dukal,  261 ;  who  refuse  to 
shave  their  heads,  275,  276  ; 
sacred,  231,  271  ;  seclusion 
of,  80ft1;  of  the  temple, 
remuneration  of,  247 ;  of 
the  temple  (tali-cheri-pen- 
dugal),  247 ;  of  the  temple 
at  Tanjore,  247 ;  vice  of 
addiction  to,  124ft1 

Women's  ignorance  of  writ- 
ing, 80ft1 

Wood,  a  waterless  and  savage, 
9 ;  why  the  ground  of 
Lanka  is  made  of,  143-144 

Wood-cutters,  63 

Work,  summary  of  the,  2 

World-egg  creation,  Indian 
theory  of,  9,  9ft5,  10,  10ft3 

World,  explosion  of  Aindra 
grammar  in  the,  32,  32ft1 ; 
grandfather  of  the,  10; 
Jagannatha  Lord  of  the, 
242 

Worlds,  Great  Tale  renowned 
in  the  three,  91  ;  mother 
of  the  three  (Bhavani), 
2,3 

World-wide  belief  in 
"double,"  37ft2 

Worship  of  Atargatis  in 
Syria,  275;  of  dancing-dress 
and  musical  instruments, 
244,  245  ;  of  Ganapati,  245, 
246  ;  of  Ishtar,  temple 
women  connected  with 
the,  271 ;  of  Sarasvati,  137, 
138 

Worshipping  Siva  with  gar- 
lands, 86 

Wrapper  or  saree,  253 

"Wrappings"  of  the  "soul" 
in  Albania,  132 


335 

Wrath  of  Brahma,  96;  of 
Parvati,  5  ;  of  Siva,  5  ;  of 
Tilottama,  96,  97  ;  of  Vais- 
vanara,  78 

Wreath  of  flowers  symbolic 
of  death,  118ft2  ;  of  flowers 
offered  to  Ganesa,  240 

Wrestling,  lion  overcome  by, 
109  ;  Srldatta  proficient  in, 
107 

"Wright's  Chaste  Wife,  The," 
F.  J.  Furnivall,  Early  Eng- 
lish Text  Society,  44,  165 

Writing  and  ciphering,  in- 
structions in,  62,  62ft2 

Writing,  women's  ignorance 
of,  80ft1 

Wundervogel,  a,  103 

"Yellow  death"  or  Crocea 
Mors,  Caesar's  sword,  109ft1 

Yellow  dyes,  turmeric  as  sub- 
stitute for,  255ft3 

Yellow  thread  {kankanam) , 
256 

Yellow  tuft  of  matted  hair, 
Siva's,  3 

Young  deformed  (Balavinash- 
taka),  285 

Young  people  dedicated  to  a 
god  (kosio),  278 

Youth,  a  heavenly,  71 

Yule-tide  Stories,  Thorpe,  48>i2, 
147ft2,  166 

Zaubergarten,  a,  66ft1 
Zeitschrift    d.    deutschen    mor- 

genl'dndischen     Gesellschaft, 

13ft3,  92,  93 
Zeitschrift  fur  Ethnologie,  168 
Zoological  lexicon  (Hay at  al- 

Hayawan)     Ad-Damiri, 

trans,  by  A.  Jayakar,  103 
Zoological      Mythology,       De 

Gubernatis,  26,  76ft2,  84ft2, 

129,  130,  144ft2 
Zur     Volkskunde,     Liebrecht, 

13ft3,  14ft,  26,  39ft2,  191 
"Zwei  Bruder,  Die,"  Grimm, 

19ft2 


Printed  in  Great  Britain 

by  The  Riverside  Press  Limited 

Edinburgh 


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