[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Jain Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina) › [Post-canonical works (philosophy, yoga, karma theory, narrative, poetry, history)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post) › [Narrative literature (kathās, kathākośas, caritas)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha) › [Surasuṃdarīcariya](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya) › [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt) › 10 # The Story of Surasundarī 10 English (machine translation) 10 - **Language:** English ### [10.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.1) When the postnatal rites had been performed by a group of women skilled in that work, and the duties of that time had been carried out by the chief housemaids and servants, ### [10.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.2) the merchant Dhanadharma, his mind delighted by his joyful retinue's announcement of the birth of a grandson, then began the celebration of congratulations. ### [10.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.3) Moreover: ### [10.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.4) Pleasing with crowds of city women entering with unbroken rice-platters in hand, its main gates occupied by close kinsmen busy adorning beautiful women's faces; ### [10.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.5) with white water-pots placed at the threshold of the best gates, provided with festoons of welcome, and filled with the sweet ring of pots, as boys entered with white water-pots in hand; ### [10.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.6) having shows where folk were engrossed in auspicious songs and dances, full of melodious sounds, and betel given to the people who were drawn to view the spectacle; ### [10.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.7) Moreover: ### [10.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.8) The non-killing of living beings was proclaimed; the great host of prisoners was released; / various gifts were bestowed, bringing joy to the wretched, the masterless, and others. ### [10.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.9) In every Jina temple, activities such as holy bathing with musical instruments were performed; / and the multitude of sādhus was honoured with choice garments and other gifts. ### [10.10](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.10) The assembly of relatives was feasted; merchants and city elders were honoured; / and the birth-festival of the son was celebrated, causing wonder among the people. ### [10.11](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.11) Having thus done what was to be done, when the twelfth day arrived, / he took a gift of homage and went before the king. ### [10.12](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.12) Having paid homage, Dhanadeva said: “O Great King, at the merchant's word, / you should dine in our house together with the queen.” ### [10.13](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.13) Laughing, the king said: “Is this not the merchant's house? / For the merchant is like a father, mindful of the entire realm. ### [10.14](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.14) Even so, whatever the merchant says, that indeed we must do.” / When this was said, Dhanadeva, replying “A great favour!”, ### [10.15](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.15) went to his own house and, with a joyful heart, / had all the necessary tasks proper for the occasion carried out by his attendants, when ### [10.16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.16) the king, accompanied by the queen, attended by a troop of female elephants, / arrived at the merchant's house as bards chanted shouts of victory. ### [10.17](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.17) Having received auspicious honours, accompanied by the queen he dismounted from the female elephant / upon an excellent lion-throne set upon a dais made of choice pearls. ### [10.18](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.18) Seated together with the queen, after the ritual / headed by the waving of lamps and offerings was performed by excellent courtesans, ### [10.19](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.19) he partook of divine food according to rule along with his retinue; / his limbs were anointed with sandalwood paste, and he was clothed in choice divine garments. ### [10.20](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.20) Then, with humble demeanor, Dhanadeva made this entreaty: / “O Great King! The queen’s dear sister speaks thus: ### [10.21](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.21) ‘All merchant wives, they say, give birth first in their father's house; / but due to some circumstance, that did not happen for me. ### [10.22](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.22) Therefore, through the sight of the queen, I consider this very place to be my father's house. / So, if she would come this much of a distance, it would be wonderful.’” ### [10.23](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.23) When this was spoken by him, the queen, permitted by the king, / went to Śrīkāntā accompanied by a chamberlain. ### [10.24](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.24) And there, the delightful queen was worshipped with ointments, ornaments, garments, and the like, / and was addressed: “Please give a name to the son.” ### [10.25](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.25) Then the queen said: “O merchant's wife, this is truly appropriate only for you; / nevertheless, since you have asked, it must certainly be done by us.” ### [10.26](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.26) Taking that child into her lap with hands tender as lotus petals, / Kamalāvatī said, scattering fragrant perfumes: ### [10.27](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.27) “This boy was born to Śrīkāntā and Dhanadeva; / his name, formed from half of his mother's and father's names, shall be Śrīdeva.” ### [10.28](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.28) Saying “A most auspicious name has indeed been given by the queen,” / the auspicious sound was raised aloud by the group of women whose husbands were living. ### [10.29](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.29) Then, seeing him of captivating body, his two hands clenched into fists, his eyes wide, / and his hands and feet delicate, the queen thought: ### [10.30](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.30) “Blessed is my friend, to whom such a son was born, / delighting the hearts and eyes of men; but for me, not even this has come to pass. ### [10.31](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.31) What use is my life, or what use is my useless, proud kingship, / since, wretched as I am, I do not behold the face of my own son?” ### [10.32](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.32) Reflecting thus, having spoken to her dear friend, / the queen returned to her own palace accompanied by the king. ### [10.33](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.33) And there, yearning for the birth of a son, full of sorrow as she brooded on that, / she abandoned bodily care and was dejected in all affairs; ### [10.34](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.34) like one drunk, swooning, asleep, dead, or devoid of spirit, / like a yoginī absorbed in meditation, she ceased all activities. ### [10.35](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.35) Her body wasting away, her lotus-face darkened by the distress of heavy grief, / she was at some point seen by the king; then Kamalāvatī was asked: ### [10.36](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.36) “O Queen! Why do you seem despondent and of emaciated body now? / What desired thing is not fulfilled while I am your compliant servant?” ### [10.37](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.37) Then the queen, drenched by a shower of tears, said: / “Dearest! By your grace, every desired thing is fulfilled. ### [10.38](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.38) There is no happiness whatsoever that I have not obtained by your grace; / only the happiness of beholding a son have I not seen, even in a dream. ### [10.39](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.39) Blessed are those women in this world, O lord, who day and night / behold an infant suckling at their own breast, alas! ### [10.40](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.40) Even though she was married later, a son was born to Śrīkāntā; / though I am honoured by you, none was born to me, unfortunate as I am. ### [10.41](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.41) Therefore, O King, give me a son, or else I have no life; / either my breast bursts or milk comes into it—there is no other way!” ### [10.42](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.42) Then the king said: “Do not grieve on this matter, O Queen! / Having propitiated a deity, I will surely fulfill your desires.” ### [10.43](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.43) Having said this, the king performed worship of the images of the lord Jinas, / donned white garments, and cast off all jewels and gold ornaments. ### [10.44](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.44) He went to the pauṣadha hall, undertook a three-day fast according to rule, / sat on a kusa-grass mat, and began to speak thus: ### [10.45](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.45) “Whether a deva or a dānava, whoever is endowed with devotion to the teaching of the Jina, / being present here, let him quickly come and grant the wish!” ### [10.46](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.46) And while meditating thus in solitude, keeping the approach of people barred, / the king remained with motionless body for three days. ### [10.47](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.47) Then, in the last watch of the night, seeing a man of radiant body / who dispelled the entire mass of darkness, the king thought: ### [10.48](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.48) “His eyes blink; is he then not a deva? / Yet in the body of mortal men, such radiance does not arise. ### [10.49](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.49) Who then might he be? His feet, moreover, do not touch the earth.” / While he was deliberating thus, he was addressed by him: ### [10.50](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.50) “O noble King Amaraketu! Are you not exhausted by fierce austerities?” / As he was saying this, the king stood up and spoke to him: ### [10.51](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.51) “Who are you, or whence have you come? Tell me, O fortunate one!” / The deva said: “O King, if you are curious, I shall tell you. ### [10.52](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.52) I am an eminent deva named Vibhuprabha, dwelling in the Īśāna heaven; / with the time of my fall approaching, in order to perform what is beneficial for the next world, ### [10.53](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.53) I went to the abode of Videha to pay homage to the Tīrthaṅkara. / There, I inquired of that Blessed One about my own destiny: ### [10.54](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.54) ‘O Blessed One, where will my rebirth be when I have fallen from here?’ / Then the Jina said: ‘In Bharata, in Hastināpura, ### [10.55](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.55) King Śrī-Amaraketu, who desires a son, is observing pauṣadha in the pauṣadha hall; / you shall become his son.’” ### [10.56](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.56) Hearing his word, O king, I have come before you; / therefore do not feel distressed: I shall become your son. ### [10.57](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.57) Take this pair of earrings, O lord of men! Then, to the queen / by whom you desire a son, this ornament should be given. ### [10.58](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.58) Having spoken thus, taking off the divine earrings from his ears / and handing them over to the king, the god became invisible. ### [10.59](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.59) At the end of the night, having gone to the queen with a cheerful face, / the king recounted the entire event, beginning with the vision of the god. ### [10.60](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.60) Having given her the pair of earrings, and having completed all morning duties, / having served food to the sādhus, he himself enjoyed excellent food. ### [10.61](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.61) Then, on another day, the queen, having bathed after her period, in the final watch of the night, / having seen a dream, suddenly awoke with a trembling body. ### [10.62](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.62) She was asked by the king: “Lovely one, why have you suddenly begun to tremble?” / She said: “Dearest, just now I saw a dream: ### [10.63](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.63) ‘A golden vessel entered my mouth and then came out; / then it was carried far away by someone in anger to be smashed. ### [10.64](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.64) Yet again, after a long time, it was somehow recovered, filled with milk; / and thereupon I worshipped it with a garland of white flowers.’ ### [10.65](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.65) Having seen this dream, harsh at the start and beautiful in the end, / fear caused a trembling to arise in my body, O ruler of men!” ### [10.66](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.66) Hearing that, the lord of men became deeply distressed in his heart; / he said: “Queen, the dream indicates the acquisition of a son. ### [10.67](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.67) And the rest, having understood it according to the rule of consulting dream-interpreters, / I will tell you; do not harbour any anxiety in your heart.” ### [10.68](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.68) Then, at dawn, having gone to the assembly pavilion, the king / commanded: “Quickly summon those who know the meaning of dream-treatises!” ### [10.69](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.69) When the assembly was filled with feudatories, ministers, and city leaders, / the command having been executed accordingly by the men appointed there, ### [10.70](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.70) the dream-interpreters, having paid their respects, sat down near the lord of men; / and Dhanadeva also sat down very close to the king. ### [10.71](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.71) Then the king told them the entire previously recounted matter, / beginning with the appearance of the god, and ending with the experience of the dream. ### [10.72](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.72) “Having thoroughly determined the nature of the dream, tell me its truth, sir!” / While, being thus addressed by the king, they were deliberating with one another, ### [10.73](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.73) meanwhile Dhanadeva said: “O ruler of men, pay attention; / listen to the event that serves as the reason for knowing the highest meaning of the dream. ### [10.74](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.74) Then I saw the Bhīla chief in the forest; and how Cittavega / was bound by snakes, yet released through the power of a jewel; ### [10.75](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.75) how, when he related his own life story, the god arrived; / and how the god then saw the omniscient one in the city of Kuśāgranagara; ### [10.76](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.76) how his future life was asked about, and how it was declared to him by the omniscient one: / ‘You, good sir, will become the son of King Amaraktu; ### [10.77](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.77) and along with your mother you will be abducted there by an enemy god from a past life; / so, Cittavega, you will grow up in the house of a king of the Vidyādharas.’ ### [10.78](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.78) All this and more, previously spoken, was recounted in full to the ruler of men / by Dhanadeva, right up to his arrival in Hastināpura. ### [10.79](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.79) “Therefore, Sire, that luminous god will be born / in the queen's womb; for the word of an omniscient one in this world never turns out otherwise. ### [10.80](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.80) Carried off by an enemy god from a past life, grown up in the house of a Vidyādhara, / having mastered many kinds of magical lores, he will be reunited with his own mother. ### [10.81](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.81) The desired gift of a maiden is to be understood even as the worship with the garland; / this, O lord of men, is the true meaning of the dream that shines in my heart.” ### [10.82](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.82) Hearing this speech of Dhanadeva, the dream-interpreters / said: “Ah, extraordinary indeed is his skill of intellect! ### [10.83](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.83) Even we, who constantly desire to know such things and are experts in many treatises, / being devoid of such intellect, were unable to determine it. ### [10.84](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.84) Truly, an exceedingly fitting meaning has been expounded by the merchant's son, O king! / And it is thoroughly approved by all of us as well.” ### [10.85](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.85) When this was said, having presented betel to them all, the king dismissed / them, and likewise all the feudatories, prominent men, and others. ### [10.86](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.86) Then the king said: “Now, Dhanadeva, what should be done here, / since an unbearable separation from the queen has presented itself to us? ### [10.87](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.87) Is there any countermeasure here for such an extremely wicked dream?” / Dhanadeva said: “The utterance of an omniscient one cannot be otherwise. ### [10.88](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.88) Nevertheless, an expedient is undertaken so that misfortune might not occur; / for those fallen from a couch, the ground indeed remains in the same way. ### [10.89](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.89) The divine jewel which was given to me at that time by the settlement chief, / set into this ring, let it remain on \[her\] hand. ### [10.90](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.90) Its power is inconceivable, its greatness observed in multiple places; / therefore, Sire, have this placed on the queen's hand. ### [10.91](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.91) Through its power, even the enemy god from a past life / may be unable to carry off the queen; or if he should somehow carry her off, ### [10.92](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.92) even so, the enemy will not be able to act for \[her\] harm. / Knowing this, O ruler of men, do not feel any sorrow at all.” ### [10.93](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.93) Moreover: ### [10.94](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.94) “To ward off the dream, have festivities performed in the Jina temples; / honour the community of monks with suitable garments, seats, and the like. ### [10.95](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.95) Grant the gift of fearlessness, and exert yourself in various special vows and austerities; / when this is done, O best of men, everything will indeed turn out well.” ### [10.96](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.96) Having spoken thus and handing over his own ring, / Dhanadeva bowed to the king and departed from the royal palace. ### [10.97](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.97) The king also, having gone to the queen's apartments, related / the whole matter, and gave that ring to the queen. ### [10.98](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.98) And he said: “Queen, this should not be removed from your hand even for a moment; / through its power, malicious spirits have no sway.” ### [10.99](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.99) Then the king had all the pilgrimages to Jina temples and the like performed; / and subsequently Kamalāvatī became pregnant. ### [10.100](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.100) Surrounded by well-trained attendants who readily obtained whatever objects were desired by her heart, / in the seventh month a pregnancy-longing arose in the queen. ### [10.101](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.101) When out of modesty she would not tell it to anyone, / once, seen to have a wasting body, she was addressed thus by the king: ### [10.102](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.102) “Queen, what wish of yours is not fulfilled, since you now appear so frail?” / Then the queen said: “Lord, this is my pregnancy-longing: ### [10.103](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.103) Mounted on an excellent elephant, dispensing gifts to the needy, / seated in your lap while an umbrella is held by you, ### [10.104](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.104) attended by the entire host of servants, O king, let me parade through the city.” / The king said: “Lovely one, this shall be done at once!” ### [10.105](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.105) Then the officials decorated an excellent royal elephant and brought it forward. / The king mounted it, and the queen \[sat\] in his lap. ### [10.106](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.106) The king himself held aloft a white parasol adorned with pearls. / Then, with a multitude of panegyrists reciting diverse praises, ### [10.107](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.107) with musical instruments roaring and countless conches sounding, / and with music swelling, performed by melodious singers, ### [10.108](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.108) giving gifts throughout the entire city to fulfill the hopes of supplicants, / and being praised by the women of the city filled with joy, ### [10.109](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.109) after roaming at will through various crossroads, squares, and public courtyards, / the elephant gradually went outside the excellent city. ### [10.110](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.110) Suddenly running wild and scattering the whole crowd of people, / it set off with great speed, facing towards the northeast. ### [10.111](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.111) “Hey, seize him, seize him, run! Here the elephant goes, here he leaves the city!” / Calling out thus, the servants ran behind him. ### [10.112](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.112) Even the king was completely unable to restrain that excellent elephant in any way. / Then the queen was told: “This elephant has now run wild, ### [10.113](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.113) and has set off at great speed; it cannot be turned back by any means. / Therefore, let us somehow climb down; otherwise, he will throw us down in the forest.” ### [10.114](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.114) Kamalāvatī said: “How indeed is one to dismount, O lord of men?” / The king said: “Listen, do you see the banyan tree ahead? ### [10.115](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.115) The elephant will pass beneath it; then, O queen, / letting go of the elephant, you must seize a branch at once.” ### [10.116](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.116) And just as the king was speaking thus to the queen, / that elephant arrived with great speed beneath the banyan tree. ### [10.117](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.117) Owing to his dexterity, the king swiftly grasped a branch of it, / saying repeatedly: “Grab hold, grab hold quickly, O queen!” ### [10.118](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.118) Due to the elephant’s extreme speed, the ineptitude natural to a woman, / the heaviness of pregnancy, and the trembling of her body from fear, ### [10.119](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.119) even though she made an attempt, she could not hold on there at all; / and then that excellent elephant dashed away from that place instantly. ### [10.120](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.120) Then the king, plunged into deep sorrow, remaining as he was, looked out, / and saw that elephant travelling with speed through the sky. ### [10.121](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.121) Then, amazed in mind, the king thought: “Ah, what a great wonder! / Leaving the path on the ground, the elephant travels through the sky!” ### [10.122](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.122) Or rather: ### [10.123](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.123) “That deity, an enemy from a previous life, surely disports himself in this form. / For the matters declared by the omniscient one do not turn out otherwise in this world.” ### [10.124](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.124) While he was reflecting thus, the elephant vanished from sight. / Meanwhile, the king’s army, following in his tracks, arrived. ### [10.125](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.125) Then, dispatching an army along the trail of the excellent elephant, / accompanied by hundreds of warriors headed by Samarappiya, to search for the queen, ### [10.126](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.126) the king, overwhelmed with heavy sorrow, at the words of his feudatories and grandees / somehow reached his own city, despondent, weeping, and devoid of joy. ### [10.127](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.127) Having lost all heart for his kingdom, he remained there for several days, / holding on to his life solely by the hope of regaining Kamalāvatī. ### [10.128](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.128) Then one day the army headed by Samarappiya suddenly returned, / dejected, dispirited, exhausted, their lotus faces downcast with shame. ### [10.129](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.129) Then the king asked Samarappiya: “Tell me, worthy sir, what happened: / Was the wicked elephant seen, and was the queen rescued from him?” ### [10.130](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.130) Sighing deeply, Samarappiya said: “Listen, O King! / Having set out in the direction taken by the excellent elephant, we reached the forest. ### [10.131](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.131) And there, O King, though we searched in many ways, / that excellent elephant was not seen, nor the queen, nor any report of them. ### [10.132](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.132) As we went very far, asking groups of Śabaras again and again, / on another day a certain pilgrim said: ### [10.133](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.133) ‘Seven days from that day, in an excellent lake named Padmodara, / an elephant accompanied by a woman was seen falling from the sky. ### [10.134](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.134) Then, frightened with fear, having entered a dense thicket of trees standing at a distance, / I saw the elephant there again, without the woman, ### [10.135](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.135) roaming on the bank of the lake.’ Having heard those words of his, / \[we\] said: ‘Show us that excellent lake quickly, worthy sir!’ ### [10.136](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.136) Then he showed it, and we surveyed the lake together with him; / but even though we searched thoroughly, the queen was not found. ### [10.137](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.137) Within just one yojana of the lake, men who were dispatched caught the elephant. / Taking it, we have come here to Your Majesty, devoid of joy. ### [10.138](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.138) Did the queen meet her death right there in the deep waters of that lake, / or did she climb out from there and reach some inhabited settlement? ### [10.139](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.139) Or else, was she destroyed by some wild beast in the forest teeming with predators? / We know nothing at all, O lord of men, of what happened to the queen.” ### [10.140](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.140) And while Samarappiya was speaking thus before the ruler of the earth, / just then the gatekeeper bowed respectfully and spoke as follows: ### [10.141](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.141) “An astrologer named Sumati is standing at the gate.” Hearing this, / the king said: “What, sir! Is this that very astrologer Sumati, ### [10.142](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.142) by whose command my queen was given to me then by Naravāhana?” / Those standing by his side said: “It is so, O lord of men!” Then by the king ### [10.143](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.143) it was said: “Let him enter quickly, so that we may ask about the queen's affairs.” / Immediately upon his command, he was ushered in by the gatekeeper. ### [10.144](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.144) Honoured by the king, Sumati sat down with humility. / He was asked: “Tell me, does the queen live or not?” ### [10.145](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.145) Applying his mental concentration, Sumati then said: “She lives; / her body is unharmed, and at present she is as if reunited with her kinsfolk.” ### [10.146](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.146) “When will my reunion with her take place? Or what will become of her pregnancy?” / Asked thus by the lord of men, he applied his concentration again and spoke: ### [10.147](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.147) “O lord of men, when in a dream you seize a garland of flowers situated in an inaccessible place, / just one month after that will be your reunion with your queen. ### [10.148](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.148) A son will be born to her, but he will be separated from her as soon as he is born / by the decree of his lifespan, O best of men; so indeed the omen tells.” ### [10.149](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.149) He was asked again by the king: “Separated from his mother, will he not live? / Where will he grow up, or when will there be reunion with him?” ### [10.150](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.150) Then Sumati spoke again: “That son of yours will live for a long time. / But where he will grow up—this we do not know at all. ### [10.151](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.151) When a maiden falls from the sky in the Kusumākara garden, / immediately after that will be your reunion with your son.” ### [10.152](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.152) Hearing his words, the king, freed from sorrow, laughed and said: / “Ho there! Give a hundred thousand pieces of gold to Sumati at once! ### [10.153](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.153) By these words of his, the fierce fire of grief spreading within me over separation from the queen / has been extinguished by a torrent of water: the hope of our reunion.” ### [10.154](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.154) Then Sumati was honored with royal ornaments and a hundred thousand pieces of gold. / The king too came forth, having become somewhat free from sorrow. ### [10.155](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.155) Then one night, the king, while sleeping, saw a dream: / while travelling facing the northern direction, in a well, ### [10.156](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.156) a fallen, half-faded, white garland of flowers was seen by me; / when seized, it immediately became fresh and rich with fragrant scent. ### [10.157](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.157) Having seen this dream, the king awakened and reflected thus: / 'Indeed, Sumati's words are confirmed by this dream seen by me today. ### [10.158](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.158) Therefore, soon now, as I travel toward the northern direction, / union with the queen, who has fallen into a dire plight, will surely take place.' ### [10.159](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.159) Having reflected thus, the king, under the pretext of inspecting his realm, / surrounded by a vast army, set out from Hastināpura. ### [10.160](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.160) Having traversed several stages of the journey, into a certain forest region, / covered with lofty mountains and filled with dense trees, ### [10.161](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.161) he encamped with his army. Then, into a well overgrown with tall grass, / somehow, through negligence, the king's chowrie-bearer fell. ### [10.162](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.162) Then, ordered by the king, a man, using a rope, / descended there into the deep gloom; while he searched here and there, ### [10.163](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.163) he saw a young woman concealed in a spot on the ledge of the well, / her body trembling with fear in the extreme darkness there. ### [10.164](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.164) When asked, 'Who are you here, beautiful one?', she gave no reply. / Meanwhile, the court lady who had fallen into the water, her breath caught in her throat, ### [10.165](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.165) was reached by him; having taken hold of her, he brought her out in due course / and spoke: 'O King! There is also another young woman staying here; ### [10.166](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.166) though addressed, the noble lady does not speak, her slender body trembling with fear.' / Hearing this, the king's right eye began to twitch. ### [10.167](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.167) Then the astonished king reflected: 'Could she be the queen? / But here in the forest, how could the queen possibly be present? ### [10.168](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.168) Or rather, for living beings subject to karma in this saṃsāra, / under the power of destiny, there is nothing that cannot come to pass. ### [10.169](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.169) If she should be the queen, then it is well indeed; and even if she is some other, / she must still be brought up, for Dharma is rooted in compassion.' ### [10.170](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.170) Having thought thus, the king said to the man: 'Pull her up too.' / Then that man descended into the well again with the rope, ### [10.171](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.171) and said: 'O fair-limbed lady! At the word of the king named illustrious Amaraketu, / I have entered again for the sake of rescuing you. ### [10.172](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.172) Therefore mount the wooden frame, so that I may quickly bring you up / from this dark well that is like a hellish abode.' And hearing these words, ### [10.173](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.173) she climbed onto the frame, and in due course the queen was brought up. / Her body emaciated, she was recognized with great difficulty by the king. ### [10.174](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.174) She too, seeing the king, wept with a choked voice / and clung to the king's feet, her eyes brimming with tears. ### [10.175](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.175) She was taken to his own tent. Seeing the queen, the entire retinue, / overcome by immense grief, wept with piteous faces and various laments. ### [10.176](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.176) Then, having attended to her bodily needs, Kamalāvatī was asked by the king: / 'When you were carried off by that elephant, O queen, what did you experience? ### [10.177](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.177) And when or how did you fall into this terrible well in the forest?' / Kamalāvatī spoke: 'Listen, Great King! I shall tell it all. ### [10.178](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.178) When my lord caught hold of the banyan tree, I, unable to hold on, / was carried away all alone by the swiftly fleeing elephant. ### [10.179](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.179) Then, reaching the rugged bank of a mountain stream, suddenly, / as if afraid of having its great speed checked, it sprang up quickly into the sky. ### [10.180](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.180) Then, terrified with fear, I thought: 'Alas! Some god has entered / this noble elephant and carries it, for elephants do not travel in the sky.' ### [10.181](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.181) Thus, with a heart struck with wonder, as I looked again and again toward the earth, / I saw mountains, trees, and the like all rushing backward together, as it were. ### [10.182](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.182) Moreover: ### [10.183](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.183) 'A lone woman in the forest might be frightened in the midst of the woods'— / thinking thus, as it were, the trees ran swiftly as companions. ### [10.184](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.184) The moving humans in the villages and towns appeared like swarms of insects; / even the water-filled great lakes looked like parasols fallen upon the ground; ### [10.185](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.185) the long forest ranges were seen resembling serpents; / the mountains looked like boundary ridges, and the rivers like irrigation channels. ### [10.186](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.186) Then, having traveled far, the jewel of my ring was remembered by me; / setting aside fear, it was struck by me upon the elephant's temple. ### [10.187](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.187) Moreover, struck by the hand bearing the jewel, as if hit by a thunderbolt, the lord of elephants / gave a great roar and fell headlong swiftly from the sky. ### [10.188](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.188) As it fell rapidly, looking downwards, / a vast lake with trembling waves was seen by me, ### [10.189](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.189) its waters surging high from the strokes of tail-fins of large fish, / its blooming lotuses blocked by swarms of intoxicated bees; ### [10.190](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.190) further, shimmering with masses of gems, with flocks of lapwings floating, / adorned with rows of cakravāka birds, filled with flocks of birds; ### [10.191](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.191) with numerous large monitor lizards roaming, beautified by lines of lotuses, / teeming with many wild beasts, bustling with schools of fish; ### [10.192](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.192) with huge water-creatures stirring, resounding with cries of cranes and water-fowls, / adorned with rows of swans, graced with tamāla and palm trees; ### [10.193](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.193) encircled by buzzing bees, garlanded with lines of cranes, / with shimmering mother-of-pearl shells, and terrifying waterspouts swirling. ### [10.194](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.194) Then, into that boundless great lake filled with water, / the elephant, its limbs powerless, fell from the sky and sank into the middle of the water. ### [10.195](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.195) When that lord of elephants sank helplessly into the deep waters, / by the power of the jewel I remained floating right upon the water. ### [10.196](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.196) Reaching a plank, I also came ashore on the bank of the lake; / seated there, terrified and overcome with great grief, I reflected thus: ### [10.197](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.197) 'Though endowed with such majesty, how have I become all alone in an instant, / like an ordinary country woman? Ah, exceedingly intricate is the ripening of karma! ### [10.198](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.198) Where is that host of servants? Where is that splendor? Where that obedient retinue? / What will become of me now, made solitary by fate?' ### [10.199](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.199) Reflecting on these and other things, having covered my face with my upper garment, / deprived of shelter, I began to weep there in sorrow. ### [10.200](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10.200) Meanwhile, I was addressed by someone: 'Why, fair lady, do you weep so piteously?' / Thereupon, in confusion, I looked in that direction. _First 200 of 256 passages. [Read on](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10)_ ## Linked texts (1) - [Surasuṃdarīcariya](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya.10.1) — Dhaneśvara, Māhārāṣṭrī Prakrit --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10](https://indike.org/pramana/in.jaina.post.katha.surasundaricariya~en-mt.10) · Pramāṇa