Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v1.c5.45

Language: English

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We find even quite spoiled daughters. Thus i, 76 ff., tells us : “ The gods and the Dānavas fight with one another for leadership. Çukra, the sacrificial priest of the Dānavas, knows the charm for bringing back life, and keeps on calling back to life the Dānavas who fall in the fight. The sacrificial priest of the gods, Bṛhaspati, cannot do this. So the heaven-dwellers are at a great drawback. They induce Kaca, Bṛhaspati’s young son, to go and be a disciple of Çukra, by telling him ‘ Thou and no other, canst win favour with Devayānī, the beloved daughter of this high-minded one. When once thou hast gladdened Devayānī through a virtuous character, skill, friendliness, right living, and self-control, then thou wilt of a surety win this charm for awakening the dead.’ ” Çukra takes him. “ So as to win the favour of both, the youth would ever gladden Devayānī with singing, dancing, and music. He waited on the maiden, who was in her youth, and rejoiced her with flowers, fruits, and services. Devayānī, too, secretly gave careful heed to this Brahman youth who zealously carried out vows and holy works, as she sang and trifled before him.” The Dānavas, however, saw him in the forest as he was herding his teacher’s cows, questioned him, and killed and cut him up, and gave him to the wolves to eat, all out of enmity towards Bṛhaspati, and in order that the magic for bringing back to life, so useful to them, should not become known to the gods.

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The cows came back in the evening without their herd. Devayānī saw this, and said to her father: “Evidently Kaca has been killed or has died. Without him I do not want to live; I swear it thee.” Çukra made use of his spell for bringing back to life: Kaca broke out of the wolves’ bellies, and showed himself hale and whole before the teacher and his daughter. On another day Devayānī sent him into the forest to bring flowers. The Dānavas crushed him, and mixed him up with the sea’s waters. And again the teacher called him back to life. But the third time the foes ground him to powder, put it in brandy-wine, and gave the mixture to Çukra to drink. Devayānī spoke and said: “Kaca went forth on my service to bring flowers, and he is no longer to be seen. Clearly he has been slain or is dead. Without Kaca I will not live; that I swear unto thee.” The father put it to her that she need not take so much thought of Kaca, since she had the choice of Brahmans, gods, and demons. The luckless fellow, he said, is indeed always being killed. But she exclaimed: “He is chaste, and greatly ascetic, always ready and skilled in all contrivances. I shall follow Kaca, and hunger myself to death. I love the handsome Kaca.” So it came to yielding, and her father began his spell. But now came the quandary: the disciple had to obey, and yet could not; for he could not come out of the teacher’s belly without, at the same time, bringing death on him.

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This the anguished one brought to the teacher’s knowledge in moving words, speaking from the wizard’s body, and telling him how he had been drunk down together with the brandy-wine. Devayānī knew no consolation: “Two sorrows burn me like fire: Kaca’s death, and the annihilation threatening thee. If Kaca dies then there is no salvation for me; and if thou art destroyed, then I cannot live.” But Çukra found a way out : he initiated the disciple into the magic spell, who broke out of the teacher’s belly, and brought back the dead man to life again with all speed. Çukra was now filled with anger against the evil brandy-wine, that had brought about the whole misfortune, and forbade it* to the Brahman for all time with great solemnity and under dreadful threats of punishment. Kaca now wished to go back to the gods, and took leave of the teacher. Devayānī went to meet him and besought him earnestly to wed her. But he had no wish to, and came out of it by urging that she as his teacher’s daughter, was honourable in his sight, and, moreover, was now his sister, since both of them had now abode in Çukra’s body.

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The loving girl, however, made answer : “If thou dost scorn me for love for virtue, although I have asked thee with tears, then this magic knowledge will be nought in thine hands.” He told her that he was unwilling only because he would not offend against the old holy laws, and since she had cursed him so unjustly and unfoundedly, her wish would not be fulfilled : no son of a Rishi would take her with him as wife.¹ So he went back to the gods, taught them the magic, and they were now made happy. They then exhorted Indra to show his valour. He set forth, but saw maidens bathing in the forest and playing in the water. Then he changed himself into a wind, and tossed their clothes about. When they came out of the water, they took the wrong clothes. The bathing girls were Devayānī and Çarmishṭhā, the daughter of the Daitya prince Vṛishaparvan, together with the princess’s followers. Çarmishṭhā happened to lay hold of the clothes of her friend, Devayānī; the latter rebuked Çarmishṭhā : “Why art thou, my disciple, taking my clothes? Wicked girl, it will not go well with thee.” Çarmishṭhā answered : “Whether my father is sitting or lying down, thy father as a court singer ever praises him, and stands humbly far below. For thou art the daughter of him that begs, that praises, that takes; I am the daughter of him that is praised, that grants, that never takes.² Burn away, hurt thyself, be abusive, be angered, thou beggar!

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Thou hast nought, thou art weaponless, and art upset over her that is armed, thou eater of alms. Thou shalt find someone who is a match for thee; thou art nothing to me.”¹ Ҫarmishthā, bent on evil, threw Devayānī, who was in a rage of pride,² and kept hold of the clothes, into a well, and went back to her town, believing within herself: “She is no more.” Without taking any more thought about her, she went into her house filled with mad anger.