Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v2.c19.41

v2.c19.41

within himself: ‘How could my wife be safely kept?’ When he had thought out in his mind a way of keeping her, the great penitent called his beloved disciple Vipula, the child of Bhr̥igu, and spoke unto him: ‘I am going away to make a sacrifice, and since the ruler of the gods is ever following Ruci, do thou watch over her with all thy strength. Thou must ever be watchful against Indra, the stormer of strongholds. For he takes on the most manifold shapes, O best of the Bhr̥igus.’ Thus by him addressed, Vipula answered, ‘Yes’—he, rich in penance, with bridled senses, ever given to strict asceticism, comparable to fire and the sun in brightness, with knowledge of virtue, a speaker of truth. And he in turn, asked the departing teacher: ‘What forms, then, has Cakra, if he comes, O Muni? Of what kind is his appearance and his power? Do thou tell me that.’ Then did he blessed with grace make known Cakra’s juggling trickery to the high-souled Vipula according to the truth. Devaçarman spoke: ‘Many-sided is the trickery of the holy and august Indra. He takes on this being, and that, many kinds of being, always and again. He wears a tiara, he carries the thunderbolt, a bow, he wears a diadem; he wears ear-rings, and then looks at one moment like a Caṇḍāla. Then he appears again with bushy hair on the top of his head, with plaits, in bark clothing, at one time as a man with a mighty body, at another as a thin wearer of bark clothing. Also he takes on light, and dark-blue, and black colouring. He appears as one ugly and one handsome, as a youth and as an old man, as a Brahman and as a Kshattriya, as a Vaiçya and as a Çūdra. . . Another time he takes on the shape of parrots, crows, swans, kokilas, lions, tigers, and elephants. And he wears the outward semblance of a god, of a Daitya, or of kings. As one well-fed, as one crazed,¹ as a bird, as one misshapen, as a four-legged beast—in many shapes does the fool further show himself. He also takes on the outward likeness of flies, gnats, and so on. None can take hold of him, not even the All-Maker by whom this world was made. And then again Çakra is hidden, and he is seen only with the eyes of (supernatural) knowledge. Further the king of the gods also changes himself into wind. Thus is the chastiser of Pāka ever going into changes.¹ Therefore, O Vipula, look thou after this slender one so that the evil-minded Indra may not slobber over Ruci, like a dog over the offering laid there for an appointed² holy ceremony.’ When the Muni had so enlightened him, that most excellent Devaçarman then went to carry out the sacrifice. When Vipula had heard these words of his teacher, he took thought, and kept the strictest watch against the most mighty king of the gods.