The Story of Surasundarī 1

English (machine translation) 1

Language: English

1.1

When he had undertaken the practice of worldly tonsure at the moment of taking the pleasant mendicant vow, / a very curly mass of locks was caught in the face [or speech] of the lord of the immortals;

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it looked splendid near his ear, as if it were a messenger of the god of love / whose entry into the heart was blocked, asking for a place to stay.

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Or rather:

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His form of golden hue, with a mass of hair dangling beautifully over both shoulders, / shines like the flame of an oil lamp tipped with collyrium.

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By bowing to whom even a vast multitude of obstacles meets destruction, / to that Ṛṣabha's lotus-feet I bow first with devotion.

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I bow to the lordly Jinas beginning with Ajita, at whose birth the lords of immortals / destroyed at once even their inner enemies such as passion.

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When, at the time of the bath on the peak of Mount Sumeru immediately after the moment of his birth, / he exerted himself to remove the anxiety felt by Śakra,

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the earth, along with its mountains and oceans, trembled exceedingly, / as if seeing his matchless power like an army hostile to passion and the rest.

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The cluster of spotless nails of his feet, reflecting the three worlds paying homage, / took on pride, as it were, rivaling his omniscience.

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And merely by bowing down to him, the gods, their reflections cast upon the spotless nails of his feet, / obtained an elevenfold form and rejoiced.

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I bow to that moon among Jinas, venerated by throngs of divine lords and kings, / the son of King Siddhārtha, who attained the final state in his final life.

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Resembling noble lions in destroying the elephant of unconquerable passion, / endowed with eternal, auspicious bliss, I bow my head to the liberated souls. (11)

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Resolute in destroying the darkness of difficult-to-destroy delusion, teachers of the resolute doctrine, / devoted to the fivefold conduct, I bow my head to the ācāryas.

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Free from thirst for sensual pleasures, intent on making an end of saṃsāra, / expert in the meaning of the scriptures, I constantly bow to the upādhyāyas.

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Bearing up firmly under the difficult mountain of the five great vows, / freed from the snare of householder life, I bow my head to all the sādhus.

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By reaching whose lotus-feet even living beings devoid of knowledge / attain supreme knowledge, may that goddess Sarasvatī be victorious!

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Through whose favor alone even I, a dull-witted person, proceed easily / with the composition of this story, I bow especially to those gurus.

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Thus, having destroyed all hosts of obstacles by paying homage to the venerable ones, / I shall tell the story named Surasundarī, which inspires spiritual urgency.

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Moreover, first an entreaty is made to wicked people, / of whom poets are afraid, just as a mouse is of a cat.

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Or rather, in the case of a wicked man whose mind is naturally occupied with finding faults, / the wickedness of the wicked man does not vanish even through hundreds of requests.

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Like a snake, the wicked person, though petitioned by poets, does not abandon his crookedness, / seeks out the faults of others, and is double-tongued.

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Even when pleaded with, the wicked person, crooked, impure at heart, and lacking good conduct, / reveals faults, like the moon, which though prayed to, is curved, spotted, devoid of full roundness, and shines in union with the night.

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Whether poetry be charming or harsh, wicked people will only seize upon faults; / can cumin seed ever issue forth from the mouth of a camel?

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Flawless poetry, having fallen into the company of the wicked, finds no resting place, / just like a drop of water cast into a red-hot iron pan.

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Approaching a wicked man, the entreaty of the poet is utterly fruitless; / the neem tree does not shed its bitterness even when watered with sugar syrup.

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Or else, should a continuous narrative not be composed out of fear of the wicked? / Ah, it is surely not proper to abandon wearing clothes out of fear of gamblers!

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A poet composes poetry even without the approval of the wicked; what is wrong with that? / Does the sun not rise even though it gives no pleasure to owls?

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Even unasked, the good person reveals the virtues in the poetry of poets; / the moon illuminates the whole world purely by its very nature.

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Even towards a person who reviles him, the good person never seizes upon faults; / the sandalwood tree emits a fragrant scent even while being chopped with an axe.

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Moreover, even deformed poetry becomes graceful in the company of good people; / even plain water, entered into an oyster shell, becomes a pearl.

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Since the good are worthy of supplication, we now petition them: / with focused minds, listen to what is being told.

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In this terrible, boundless saṃsāra filled with millions of birthplaces, / after having obtained the most difficult-to-attain human birth, noble souls

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should properly exert themselves in the pure Dharma proclaimed / by the Jinas, who are venerated by hosts of kings of gods, moons, serpents, and men.

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That [Dharma] consists in conquering inner enemies; and the inner enemies are passion and hatred. / True happiness lies only in conquering them; to those conquered by them comes suffering again and again.

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This being so, living beings led by passion and hatred meet with manifold sufferings; / therefore, wise men must strive solely for victory over them.

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Devoted to accomplishing this goal, consisting of sixteen chapters, / this charming story named Surasundarī is composed in Prakrit gāthās.

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To enlighten ignorant people and at the same time to delight the minds of unhappy people / cannot both be accomplished simultaneously by poets.

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For the wise person is pleased by ornate poetry with dense syllables, / while poetry with clear meaning and charming style enlightens the unlearned.

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It is not possible to delight both at the very same time; / in taking hold of one, indeed the other is inevitably lost.

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Even if, by the favor of my guru's feet, I possess some ability / in poetry rich in similes, double meanings, metaphors, and elaborate descriptions,

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still that is not done here, as it is unsuitable for the subject at hand; / therefore, to enlighten the unlearned, this work is made with obvious meaning.

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Moreover, by the instruction of the head nun, the venerable Kalyāṇamatī, / the sister of my guru whose word cannot be crossed,

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this work has been commenced, and not out of poetic pride by me; / hence it is composed with clear meaning and graceful phrasing in Prakrit gāthās.

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Enough with verbosity, which brings obstacles to the topic at hand and proves futile, / resembling the casting of side-glances by the maiden of an impoverished family!

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Now, with focused minds, listen to the story being told, / its chapters arranged in groups of two hundred and fifty gāthās.

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Here, in the midst of the upper and lower worlds, lies the vast middle realm / by name, attended by learned men [or gods], like Mount Sumeru.

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And there is a continent there, one hundred thousand yojanas in extent, / embraced by the ring of the ocean, renowned as Jambūdvīpa.

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And in its southern part is the excellent region named Bharata, / very extensive, divided in two by the supreme mountain Vaitāḍhya.

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Now in southern half-Bharata, between the Gaṅgā and the Sindhu, / foremost among many lands like the wish-fulfilling tree among trees,

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filling the horizon with the sounds of songs of peasants prosperous with grain, / crowded with cattle herds of various kinds—sheep, donkeys, buffaloes, and rams—

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having gardens charming with streams from many water-channels flowing every day, / abundant in towns, cities, and villages, its entire populace enriched by much prosperity,

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its people ever joyful, never lacking various festivals, / its villages free of fear and turmoil, is the excellent country named Kuru.

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Moreover, its entire roads are completely covered by continuously moving hosts of numerous merchant-caravans, / where on road after road no difference can be discerned between the wilderness and settled places.

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And another wonder [appears] in that country, an abode of virtues: / that even though devoid of ears (or: sound), the realm hears the words of the people!

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Moreover, where village elders are free from tax (or: hands) and monks are free from unrighteousness (or: Dharma)— / who would venture an effort in praising that land?

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There too, enclosed by a moat imitating the wide circle of the ocean, / impassable to enemy forces, filled with swirling makaras,

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surrounded by a massive rampart striking fear into hostile factions, / delightful, crowded with gateway towers and charming makara-toranas,

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with outskirts adorned by deep, dark-blue groves of trees, / possessing bracket-balconies and latticed windows, endowed with fine paintings,

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with multi-storied palaces white as snow, / ever exceedingly lovely as if they were pillars of fame of that city's inhabitants,

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gleaming with numerous market-stalls where trade is carried on daily / by merchants arriving from various foreign lands as well as by residents of that very city,

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experts in the arts of commerce, / filled within with hundreds of precious wares,

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its beautiful environs adorned by lovely temples of the gods / rich with white flags and banners fluttering in the wind from lofty makara-toranas,

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with numerous vast lakes adorned by clusters of white lotuses, / with thousands of step-wells easily accessible via rows of stairs,

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captivating the minds of even the gods at every step / with excellent three-way and four-way junctions, courtyards, pleasure-groves, gardens, and elongated ponds—

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foremost among all other cities, endowed with a host of civic virtues, / resembles the city of the immortals: the city named glorious Hastināpura.

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And where there dwell people speaking sweet words, eager to practice Dharma, / endowed with courtesy, charity, and enjoyment, and skilled in the arts;

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and in which city the roads are constantly difficult to traverse / because of crowds of people wandering to and fro intent on many purposes;

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where, the whole path of the sky being veiled by millions of banners, / the people do not feel the heat of the sun's rays even in the days of summer;

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and in which city, with darkness constantly dispelled by rays of gems set into house walls, / men do not notice night even when it has passed;

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and as if to gaze upon its loveliness, the gods came / and, their minds captivated by curiosity, obtained unblinking eyes;

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where banners fluttering in the wind, erected atop the white mansions, / beckon as it were to the sun's charioteer to fly even higher;

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and in which city striking with the foot is seen only on dancing-stages, / the staff (or: punishment) belongs only to banners, and loss of head (or: stake) only to gamblers;

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binding is only of flowers on the head, cutting of life (or: vegetables) is only in vegetable fields, / and lo! the piercing of leaves (or: falling of factions) is only in assemblies of scholars!

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Now there was only one defect in that city, an abode of virtues: / that even faultless monks are always seen restrained by guard (or: held in confinement).

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Now in that city, there was a lord whose treasuries of elephants, horses, and jewels were abundant, / whose mind delighted hundreds of people by upholding righteous conduct as prescribed;

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who by the surge of his intellect subjugated the lineages of all his enemies, / who fulfilled the wide wishes of gatherings of suppliants;

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who had overcome all adversaries through the boundless valour of his stout, firm arms, / a moon causing the lotus-like faces of enemy women to close;

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having great splendour like the sun, fearless of hostile armies like a lion, / profoundly deep like the ocean, delighting the minds of men like the moon;

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a Kāmadeva in beauty, equal to the preceptor of the gods in intellect— / there lived full of joy the king named glorious Samaraketu.

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As he properly enjoyed the fortune of royalty, the essence of the three goals of life, / his days passed as if he were Indra in the realm of the gods.

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Then one day, as that king was seated in his court of assembly, / the doorkeeper Bandhula, bowing his head with modesty, said:

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"Sire! A painter from Kuśāgrapura, skilled in the art of painting, / named Cittaseṇa, has arrived and stands at the door.

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Eager for the joy of seeing Your Majesty's feet, he desires entrance here; / this being so, Your Majesty's command is our authority."

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Then the king said, "Admit him quickly." Then he, duly / entering the assembly hall, paid homage before the king.

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Seated on the floor, he was addressed by the king: "From where do you hail, good sir? / Or on what business have you come here into my presence?"

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Then Cittaseṇa said: "Sire, I have come from the city of Kuśāgra; / I am a painter and know the art of painting exceedingly well.

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And it is heard in reports that Your Majesty is fond of paintings; therefore / I have come into Your Majesty's presence to display the art of painting."

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Thereupon the king said: "What is your skill in painting like? / Show me first some excellent form painted [by you]."

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Then, having kept a picture-board concealed at his side, / he quickly revealed it and presented it to the king with a delighted countenance.

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His horripilation visibly spreading, the king gazed upon what was painted there: / endowed with various colours, perfectly pure in its standard lines,

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endowed with the supreme beauty of fresh youth, of an exceedingly charming form, / the commencement of fresh amorous grace—the supreme form of a maiden.

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Seeing it, the lord of men thought: "He is indeed very skilled in the art of painting, / since he has depicted this form of unprecedented beauty!

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I think there is no woman of such beauty even in the three worlds; / out of his skill in the painter's art, this form hitherto unseen has been painted.

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Yet if there should be a maiden of such beauty anywhere, / and if there should be union with her, then my kingship would indeed have attained its purpose!"

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And as he was thinking thus, fallen into the range of the arrows of the god of love, / his heart captivated by the painting, he forgot his very self.

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Then in an instant, with eyes closed, Samaraketu / fell from his lion-throne, suddenly helpless with swoon.

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Crying "Alas, alas!", the people in the court sprang up; / they fanned him with fans and sprinkled cool water on him.

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They quickly threw camphor into his mouth and rubbed his limbs. / Seeing this, Cittasena's face broke into a broad smile.

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"Hey! Hey! Some villain has come here in the guise of a bee, / a sorcerer by whom our master here has been bewitched!"

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"Beat him, strike him, bind him!" shouting thus, the bodyguards / seized him; and as he was being struck, he began to say:

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"O good sirs! I am not wicked, so do not torment me in vain!" / Then they said: "How are you not wicked, you villain?

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Why did you show the king a picture made with sorcery? / And when his majesty fainted, why did your face break into a smile?

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So tell us, by whom were you sent, you villain, to kill the king?" / Then Cittasena said: "I will tell you everything.

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I came for the king's prosperity, not with any evil intent!" / Yet even as he spoke thus, the king's men bound him.

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In the meantime, the king emerged from his swoon and regained consciousness. / Then the lord of men said: "Hey, release this painter!"

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Unbound from his bonds, he was addressed by the king: "Good sir, sit down. / Tell me the truth: by whom were you sent here?"

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Then Cittasena said: "Listen, lord of men, to the essential truth of this matter, / why I came here wearing the guise of a painter.

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There is here [in the world] Kusaggapura, well known to your majesty's feet, / endowed with a multitude of civic virtues, filled with people rich in wealth and grain.

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There was a king there named Ghanavāhana, who fulfilled the hopes of supplicants; / his queen, dear to him as life, was named Vasantasenā.

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And their son was named Naravāhana, endowed with great prowess; / their daughter, named Kamalāvatī, was exceedingly beautiful.

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Then one day the king, having given his kingdom to Naravāhana, / [said:] 'And our sister Kamalāvatī must be given to a suitable groom.'

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Having spoken thus to his son, filled with spiritual urgency in the presence of a good guru, / he formally undertook monkhood, which cuts off saṃsāra.

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King Naravāhana also ruled the kingdom, having subdued his rivals; / Kamalāvatī too dwelt happily within the maidens' inner apartments.

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Now, in that city lived a merchant named Sāgara, / the king's childhood companion, deeply devoted to the words of the Jina.

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His very dear wife was named Śrīmatī, endowed with virtuous conduct; / his son was Śrīdatta, and likewise his daughter was Śrīkāntā.

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Every day Śrīkāntā went to the side of Kamalāvatī, / and a deep love arose between the two of them.

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Even in their childhood, the arts suitable for women were learned [by them] / from Sumittasena, who was skilled in all arts.

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Together with the king's daughter, playing various games such as painting, / Śrīkāntā, having played, would go home in the evening.

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Together with Śrīkāntā, the princess, whose essence was affection, / spent much time delighting in diversions of many kinds.

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Gradually growing up, possessing forms to be coveted even by the gods, / they attained early youth, the abode of the god of love's ornament.

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Now, on another day, while the king, accompanied by Matisāgara and Sāgara, / was seated in the assembly hall,

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just then Kamalāvatī, accompanied by her female companions, / her limbs adorned with ornaments, arrived there playing a ball game.

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Then that sister was affectionately seated on his lap by the king; / then, beholding her beauty and elevated youth,

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the king said to the minister: "Matisāgara! At that time, while taking initiation, / father told me: 'Our sister must be given in a suitable place.'

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Now she has become fit for a husband; so tell me: / who is a suitable man for her, born of a noble family?"

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Matisāgara said: "Your majesty alone knows what is proper here." / Then the king said: "This occurs to my mind:

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Let a svayaṃvara be arranged here, and let all kings be summoned, / so that she may choose the very one who is pleasing to her heart."

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Matisāgara said: "Whatever your majesty commands should be done; / however, holding a svayaṃvara is not proper to do at present.

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When all kings are subject to a single monarch, / then, by his permission, a svayaṃvara should be held.

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For when one is chosen, he restrains the rest; / but at present, O king, all kings are independent rulers.

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So when one of them is chosen, all the rest become enemies; / and it is impossible for one man to conquer all of them in battle.

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Therefore, O best of men, enough of this holding of Kamalāvatī's svayaṃvara / on this occasion, which is a root of conflict and full of misfortune!"

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Then the king said: "To whom then, good sir, should she be given? / Or who is dear to her heart, and how is that to be known here?

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My sister must not be given to just any king; / to whomever she is given well-given, to him she must be given."

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And while the king was speaking thus with Matisāgara there, / just then the door-keeper, rising after a bow, said:

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"An astrologer named Sumati, skilled in eightfold divination, / celebrated for revealing past and future affairs, has arrived here, your majesty!

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He stands at the doorway right now in order to see your majesty." / Hearing this, the lord of men said: "Admit him quickly."

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Immediately after that, Sumati, his body adorned with clean white garments, / wearing a mark of yellow pigment, approached before the king.

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After uttering a benediction and offering dūrvā grass and unbroken rice to the lord of men, / treated with honor by the king, he sat down upon a suitable seat.

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Questioned by the king about past matters to test him, / as he related everything truly, as if it were directly visible,

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then King Naravāhana, with a smiling face, said this: / "O Sumati! This maiden Kamalāvatī is my sister.

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Declare: who will be her husband, dear to her heart?" / Having examined the omen, Sumati declared thus:

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"O best of men! Beholding her likeness painted in a picture, / whoever swoons here shall become her husband.

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And she shall be his chief queen, foremost among all the inner apartments. / In this matter, O lord of men, harbor no doubt!"

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Meanwhile, the merchant Sāgara spoke to the astrologer Sumati: / "Who will become the husband of my daughter Śrīkāntā?"

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Then Sumati said: "Whoever revives her / when she is bitten by a black serpent, he indeed will be your daughter's husband."

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Having thus inquired and having rendered him suitable honor, / the astrologer Sumati was sent on his way by the king and returned as he had come.

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And then the minister said: "Now, O king, an auspicious event has arisen! / Therefore, an effort must presently be made according to his word."

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The king said: "Who here can paint paintings with pre-eminent skill?" / Matisāgara replied: "First of all, well known in this city,

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there is the son of the teacher of Kamalāvatī named Sumitrasena, / Citrasena alone, exceedingly skillful in the art of painting."

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The king said: "Call him quickly!" At that moment, / called by him, I arrived and was addressed by the king with great respect:

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"Quickly paint the form of Kamalāvatī upon a picture-board!" / Saying "Whatever you command," it was painted by me in beautiful colors.

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And it was shown to the king; seeing its pre-eminent excellence, he was pleased. / I was told by the king: "In this matter, you are suitable."

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"Assuming the dress of a painter, take this and show it to all kings, / and the one upon gazing at this falls into a faint,

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he must be made known to me by returning quickly, / so that with great honor this Kamalāvatī may be given to him alone."

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Thus addressed by the king, then, having bowed to his lotus feet, / accompanied by a few attendants, I departed from the city of Kuśāgranagara.

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This was shown by me to kings headed by Sugrīva and Kīrtivardhana, / but the attainment of our goal did not happen here.

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Today, however, I arrived in this city, O lord, before your presence; / and looking upon this, a faint overcame you.

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Thinking, 'What my master desired has come to pass!' by that, O king, / remembering the astrologer's word, joy arose within me.

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For this reason, I was joyful at your swoon; / therefore, O lord of men, do not doubt me with any false suspicion!"

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Hearing these words of Citrasena, his suspicion gone, / Amaraketu, amazed by the painted form, spoke:

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"Does that maiden have such beauty and loveliness?" / Citrasena said: "This was painted only in a moment.

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Even a skillful person, who can properly portray / the form of that royal maiden, which surpasses the beauty of divine maidens?"

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Hearing his word, with a joyful heart, the king / bestowed upon him all [the ornaments] adorning his body, such as bracelets and garments.

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Then Citrasena said: "Give us leave, O lord! / so that we may accurately report to King Naravāhana."

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Permitted by the king, in due course he reached Kuśāgranagara / and related the whole matter to King Naravāhana.

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Then he also, accompanied by much wealth and attendants, / sent his sister joyfully as a self-choosing bride to Amaraketu.

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Having bidden farewell to her companion Śrīkāntā and all the household, / Kamalāvatī departed, her heart agitated with joy and sorrow—

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delighted by the acquisition of a desired groom, yet somewhat sorrowful / because of separation from her kin, she arrived in due course at Hastināpura.

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With great splendor, at an auspicious astrological moment, with immense joy, / Kamalāvatī was wedded by the king according to the rite of the kṣatriya lineage.

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Dearer even than his own life-breaths, foremost among the entire inner apartment, / she then became his chief queen, like Indrāṇī to Indra.

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As that king enjoyed sensual pleasures together with her, / protecting his entire realm with proper conduct,

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the days passed as he experienced an unequaled assembly of pleasures, / never seeing sorrow, like the lord of the gods in heaven.

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Now, in that city there was a prominent merchant among the citizens, Dhanadharma, / beloved of the king, thoroughly versed in all treatises,

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who gave excellent gifts exceeding what was requested with an endless expanse of wealth, / and was adorned with fortune acquired by his grandfather, great-grandfather, and father;

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expert in the vast scriptures of the Jina's doctrine, longing for the path to liberation, / devoted to worshiping the Jinas and sādhus, and deeply affectionate toward fellow-religionists.

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Surpassing the celestial beauties in bodily charm, faithful to her husband, clever, / his wife was named Manoramā, exceedingly dear to him as his own breath.

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As they duly enjoyed sensual pleasure, the essence of the three aims of life, / a son was born who became the ornament of their lineage.

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When twelve days had passed, by the parents according to the rite of their lineage, / his name was duly established as Dhaṇadeva.

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Then, receiving various fondling by five nursemaids, growing up, / that boy reached boyhood, bringing joy to his mother and father.

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Having passed eight years of age, he was brought before a teacher / who had mastered all sciences and knew the entire circle of arts.

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In a short time, all sciences were acquired by him, / and in the entire circle of arts he too became well-accomplished.

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Then, having mastered the arts, Dhanadeva was brought to his own home; / and his teacher was honored by the father with garments and other gifts.

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Growing gradually, Dhanadeva reached youth; / his beauty surpassing the god of love, he became beloved of excellent women.

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Then, accompanied by noble friends of equal youth and beauty, / he roamed about, imitating the sport of a lord.

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Then once, surrounded by the company of his companions, / he went out of the city and arrived at a delightful garden.

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And there he saw a man overcome with profound sorrow, / seated on the bank of a stepwell, his cheeks flooded with tear-water.

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Seeing that man, great compassion arose in Dhanadeva; / approaching near, he spoke thus in a sweet voice:

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"Who are you, or whence [do you come]? Or what is the cause of your sorrow, good sir?" / Being thus addressed by him, that man spoke in this manner:

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"How can sorrow be spoken of by those whose minds are tormented by heavy grief to someone / who cannot remedy it, or who is not himself afflicted?

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Yet I will tell you, handsome one, so that your speech does not go in vain: / there is an exceedingly rugged settlement named Sīhaguhā.

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And in it was the settlement chief Supatiṭṭha; his wife was Lakṣmī. / To her was born a son, Jayasena, who brought joy to the minds of people.

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And I was his childhood companion, by name Devasarman, / and there I used to play with Jayasena with various games."

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Then, one day, having gone outside taking Jayasena with me, / I was seen there by two men disguised as yogins.

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Having first engaged me in conversation, they gave me an excellent betel leaf; / no sooner was it consumed than confusion came over my mind.

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Thereupon, together with the boy, I followed right behind them; / bewitched by those wicked men, I was not conscious of anything at all.

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While I was walking along with them over some stretch of land, / thirsty as I was, in a bower of a garden

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water clouded with the fruits of various trees was drunk by me; by its power / I became sound of body, and then I pondered this:

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"At night, taking the boy, I shall flee from these wicked men." / Having thought thus, unnoticed by them, I moved along with them.

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When night fell, they were overheard conversing with each other: / "By means of this boy, our Yakṣiṇī will be accomplished.

First 200 of 252 passages. Read on

Linked texts (1)

Surasuṃdarīcariya — Dhaneśvara, Māhārāṣṭrī Prakrit