Kathāmṛta - 47 - Ratnaprabhā-lambaka - The Story of Niścayadatta and Anurāgaparā

This article is part 47 of 133 in the series Kathāmṛta

Upon listening to this story Gomukha said, “Women are lustful by nature and a pativratā is rare to find. It is true that women are never to be trusted!” and narrated the following tale –

Story of Niścayadatta and Anurāgaparā

There lived a merchant named Niścayadatta in Ujjayinī. Every day, he bathed in the Kṣiprā river, worship Mahākāla, perform dāna to brāhmaṇas and the needy, and anointed himself with sandalwood paste. He would dab the unguent on a stone pillar and anoint himself by rubbing his back on it. Thus the pillar became smooth over time. Once, an artist came there and drew an image of Gaurī on it. Then a sculptor carved the image. After they left, a certain Vidyādharī maiden came to worship Mahākāla at the devālaya and happened to see this sculpture of Gaurī; she worshipped the goddess and entered the pillar in order to get some rest. When Niścayadatta returned the following morning, he found an image of the goddess sculpted on the pillar so he dabbed the unguent on another face of the pillar and began to rub his back on it. The Vidyādharī was captivated by his back and thought to herself, Doesn’t this handsome back have no one to anoint it? Then she herself began applying the paste on his back. The merchant felt her touch on his back, heard the tingling sound of her bangles, and at once caught hold of her hand. From within the pillar the Vidyādharī said, “Ārya! In what way have I wronged you? Let go of my hand!” and pleaded with him. He replied, “Who are you? Appear before me! Only then shall I let go of your hand!” She then came out of the pillar, sat down beside him, and narrated her tale.

“There is a town called Puṣkarāvatī atop the Himālayas and is ruled by King Vindhyapara. I am his daughter Anurāgaparā. I had come here to worship Mahākāla and was resting. Looking at your back, I was enchanted and began anointing it. Now I shall return to my father’s house.” He said, “That’s fine, but you have captured my heart and so how can you depart without letting go of that!” She replied, “If that is the case, come to my town! It is not impossible for you – indeed what is difficult for those who strive!” and departed, soaring in the sky. Repeatedly recollecting her branch-like hand that protruded from that Manmatha Tree-like pillar, he thought, Alas! Although I held her hand, I was unable to win it! It matters not even if I lose my life but I will go to Puṣkarāvatī. And perhaps Fate will assist me in my journey! Thus he spent the whole day brooding and the following morning set out in a northward direction.

On the way, he met three travellers who were also going north. Along with them, he traversed past cities, villages, forests, and rivers and finally reached the northern province. It was infested with mlecchas. The Tājikas there captured the travellers (including Niścayadatta) and sold them off to another Tājika, who then put them together with his other slaves and sent them all as a gift to Muravāra, the Turuṣka. Since Muravāra had just died, the four travellers (now slaves) were delivered to his son. He thought, These slaves were sent to my father as a gift from his dear friend and so tomorrow I shall send them along with my father on his final journey. Accordingly they were bound in chains and jailed. Niścayadatta offered words of reassurance to his fellow travellers and then invoked Goddess Durgā.

Durgā appeared in their dreams and said, ‘Arise my children! You are free from the shackles!’ They did as instructed and left the place; after going some distance, the three merchants, frightened by the developments said, ‘Enough of this mleccha infested hell! We shall go to Dakṣiṇāpatha; you go wherever you like!’ and they turned south. But Niścayadatta smitten, instead went further north.

On the way he met four kāpālikas. He tagged along with them, crossed the Vitastā river and reached a forest by dusk. They were noticed by wood-cutters returning from the forest and were asked, ‘Where are you going at this hour? There are no villages further on this path; there is only a dilapidated śivālaya; if you stay there during the night, you’ll be caught by a yakṣiṇī called Śṛṅgotpādinī who will make horns grow on your heads, make you all go mad, transform you into animals and finally will devour you!’ The kāpālikas ignored the warning and said to Niścayadatta, ‘We are four people; what would that wretched yakṣiṇī be able to do? We have made a habit of spending innumerable nights in funeral grounds for so long; come, nothing will happen!’ They went to the śivālaya and stayed there. They created a huge maṇḍala out of vibhūti, invoked Agni and started chanting rakṣā-mantras. Sometime in the night Śṛṅgotpādinī appeared with her kinnari (a kind of stringed instrument) made of ribcage, stood well outside the maṇḍala, danced playing music, and uttered some mantras looking intensely at one of the kāpālikas. He grew horns, went crazy and fell in the Agni. She dragged his half-burnt corpse and ate it. Other kāpālikas too met their ends in a similar fashion. By the time she ate the fourth kāpālika, Śṛṅgotpādinī was intoxicated by the flesh and blood she had consumed, the kinnari in her hand slipped and fell. Niścayadatta, who was waiting for an opportune moment, picked it up, and started playing it. Since he had listened to her mantras four times, he had memorised them.  He started chanting them, while dancing, gazing at the yakṣiṇī. Frightened, she begged, ‘O noble soul! Please don’t kill me; I surrender; please take back the mantras; I’ll fulfil all your wishes; I’ll take you to the place where Anurāgaparā resides!’ He agreed and took back the mantras, she placed him on her shoulders, flew away and landed near another forest by dawn. She placed him down and said, ‘My lord! Our powers wane once the sun rises. So I’ll go to my place now. You stay here till night, have some fruits to satisfy your hunger. I’ll come again after sunset; we can continue our journey to Puṣkarāvatī!’ She left the place. He roamed around in the forest and saw something shining like rubies. Curious, he dug up the earth around to have a closer look and he saw it was the head of a monkey. It’s eyes shone like rubies! Wonderstruck, he started to think what this might be, the monkey started talking like humans, ‘Friend! I’m a brāhmaṇa;due to some reason I’ve become a monkey! Lift me up! I’ll tell you my story!’ He dug up the place surrounding it and freed it. The monkey saluted him, brought him some fruits, and started narrating it’s story-

 

The Story of Somasvāmī

In Vārāṇasī lives a brāhmaṇa called Candrasvāmī. I, Somasvāmī, am his son. In the same town lived a merchant called Śrīgarbha, whose only daughter Bandhudattā was married to Varāhadatta, a merchant from Madhurāpaṭṭaṇa.

Once when Bandhudattā was in Vārāṇasī to visit her parents, she happened to see me from the window of her quarters. She was instantly smitten with me. She sent her friend as her messenger to convey what lay in her heart. That day, Bandhudattā and I met at her friend’s home. We became so close that we started to meet there every day. After a while, as it was to happen, Bandhudattā’s husband came to Vārāṇasī in order to take her back to Madhurāpaṭṭaṇa. But she was so much in love with me that she couldn’t even bear the thought of leaving me. We were both heartbroken and didn’t know what to do next. Just then, her friend Sukhaśayā hit upon an idea. She told Bandhudattā, “Worry not dear friend. I know two powerful mantras. If you recite the first one and tie a thread around someone’s neck, he will instantly turn into a monkey. And should you chant the second one and untie the thread, he will transform back into human form. If you wish, I can turn your beloved Somasvāmi to a monkey and you can take him with you to Madhurāpaṭṭaṇa, as your pet. Worry not, for I will impart you the knowledge of the mantras. Whenever you are alone with him, just chant the mantra and your lover will be in your arms!” We both loved the idea. The day of travel came, and using the mantra, my beloved Bandhudattā turned me into her pet monkey. Despite my outward form, I was fully aware of what was happening. As you can see, I could even talk.

As we began our journey, Varāhadatta’s servant carried me on his shoulder. On the way, out of nowhere, a troop of monkeys fell upon us. They must have seen me being carried by the servant, and to my ill luck, they reserved their worst for us. They scratched and gnawed at the hapless servant’s face and bruised him badly. Shrieking in horror, the poor man threw me down and ran for his life. The monkeys then turned their ire upon me. Bandhudattā and her husband tried hard to rescue me. They fought hard to chase the rapacious lot away using rocks and sticks, but alas, to no avail. The monkeys scratched every inch of my body and tortured me to no end. To my good fortune, owing to the magic thread around my neck, I escaped serious harm and managed to flee. In doing so, I got separated from my fellow travellers and lost my way. I tried circling back over and over again, but could not find them. Dejected, I wandered aimlessly from one forest to another and finally ended up here. Little did I know that my troubles were far from being over. One day as I sat rueing my fate, a rogue elephant caught me unawares. The beast grabbed me by its trunk, lifted me high in the air and brought me down hard upon an anthill which had turned into muck due to rains. I got trapped in the muck and couldn’t wiggle myself out. The rainfall abated and as the muck dried, I was stuck inside. I prayed fervently to Lord Śiva and began meditating upon the great lord. Due to his grace, hunger and thirst did not bother me and miraculously, I am still alive and well. Today, thanks to you, I have been freed. Now, if only I could find a yogini who would be kind enough to chant the mantra to undo my fate and remove the thread around my neck, I would turn back to human form.

Amazed by the story of Somasvāmī, Niścayadatta began to recount his tale. As he finished, Somasvāmi said “Dear sir! Like me, you too have suffered a lot for a woman. Know this from me, O friend, wealth and women are ephemeral. If Anurāgaparā gets a man of her own kind, it is certain that she will grow tired of you. So heed my advice, I beg you. Do not go to Puṣkarāvatī. Climb onto the yakṣiṇī’s back and return to your home in Ujjayinī. When I was swooning over Bandhudattā like a fool, my friend Bhavaśarmā had tried to bring me to my senses by narrating to me the ordeal he went through. Listen to his story!”

 

To be continued...

The current article is a translation of Prof. A R Krishnasastri’s Kannada classic Kathāmṛta along with additional segments added from the original Kathā-sarit-sāgara (of Soma-deva). Bṛhat-kathā-mañjarī (of Kṣemendra) and Bṛhat-kathā-śloka-saṃgraha (of Budha-svāmin) have also been referred to. The translation has been rendered by Raghavendra GS, Arjun Bharadwaj, Srishan Thirumalai, and Hari Ravikumar.

The original Kannada version of Kathāmṛta is available for free online reading. So are the other works of Prof. Krishna Shastri.

Author(s)

About:

Prof. A R Krishna Sastri was a journalist, scholar, polyglot, and a pioneer of the modern Kannada renaissance, who founded the literary journal Prabuddha Karnāṭaka. His Vacana-bhārata and Kathāmṛta are classics of Kannada literature while his Saṃskṛta-nāṭaka and Bankimacandra are of unrivalled scholarship.

Prekshaa Publications

Among the many contributions of ancient Indians to world thought, perhaps the most insightful is the realisation that ānanda (Bliss) is the ultimate goal of human existence. Since time immemorial, India has been a land steeped in contemplation about the nature of humans and the universe. The great ṛṣis (seers) and ṛṣikās (seeresses) embarked on critical analysis of subjective experience and...

One of the two great epics of India and arguably the most popular epic in the world, the Ramayana has enchanted generations of people not just in Greater India but the world over. In less than three hundred pages The Essential Ramayana captures all the poetic subtleties and noble values of the original and offers the great epic in an eminently readable form that will appeal to the learned and...

The Bhagavad-gītā isn’t merely a treatise on ultimate liberation. It is also a treatise on good living. Even the laity, which does not have its eye on mokṣa, can immensely benefit from the Gītā. It has the power to grant an attitude of reverence in worldly life, infuse enthusiasm in the execution of duty, impart fortitude in times of adversity, and offer solace to the heart when riddled by...

Indian Perspective of Truth and Beauty in Homer’s Epics is a unique work on the comparative study of the Greek Epics Iliad and Odyssey with the Indian Epics – Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata. Homer, who laid the foundations for the classical tradition of the West, occupies a stature similar to that occupied by the seer-poets Vālmīki and Vyāsa, who are synonymous with the Indian culture. The author...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the sixth volume of reminiscences character sketches of prominent public figures, liberals, and social workers. These remarkable personages hailing from different corners of South India are from a period that spans from the late nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century. Written in Kannada in the 1970s, these memoirs go...

An Introduction to Hinduism based on Primary Sources

Authors: Śatāvadhānī Dr. R Ganesh, Hari Ravikumar

What is the philosophical basis for Sanātana-dharma, the ancient Indian way of life? What makes it the most inclusive and natural of all religio-philosophical systems in the world?

The Essential Sanātana-dharma serves as a handbook for anyone who wishes to grasp the...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the fifth volume, episodes from the lives of traditional savants responsible for upholding the Vedic culture. These memorable characters lived a life of opulence amidst poverty— theirs  was the wealth of the soul, far beyond money and gold. These vidvāns hailed from different corners of the erstwhile Mysore Kingdom and lived in...

Padma Bhushan Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam represents the quintessence of Sage Bharata’s art and Bhārata, the country that gave birth to the peerless seer of the Nāṭya-veda. Padma’s erudition in various streams of Indic knowledge, mastery over many classical arts, deep understanding of the nuances of Indian culture, creative genius, and sublime vision bolstered by the vedāntic and nationalistic...

Bhārata has been a land of plenty in many ways. We have had a timeless tradition of the twofold principle of Brāhma (spirit of wisdom) and Kṣāttra (spirit of valour) nourishing and protecting this sacred land. The Hindu civilisation, rooted in Sanātana-dharma, has constantly been enriched by brāhma and safeguarded by kṣāttra.
The renowned Sanskrit poet and scholar, Śatāvadhānī Dr. R...

ಛಂದೋವಿವೇಕವು ವರ್ಣವೃತ್ತ, ಮಾತ್ರಾಜಾತಿ ಮತ್ತು ಕರ್ಷಣಜಾತಿ ಎಂದು ವಿಭಕ್ತವಾದ ಎಲ್ಲ ಬಗೆಯ ಛಂದಸ್ಸುಗಳನ್ನೂ ವಿವೇಚಿಸುವ ಪ್ರಬಂಧಗಳ ಸಂಕಲನ. ಲೇಖಕರ ದೀರ್ಘಕಾಲಿಕ ಆಲೋಚನೆಯ ಸಾರವನ್ನು ಒಳಗೊಂಡ ಈ ಹೊತ್ತಗೆ ಪ್ರಧಾನವಾಗಿ ಛಂದಸ್ಸಿನ ಸೌಂದರ್ಯವನ್ನು ಲಕ್ಷಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ತೌಲನಿಕ ವಿಶ್ಲೇಷಣೆ ಮತ್ತು ಅಂತಃಶಾಸ್ತ್ರೀಯ ಅಧ್ಯಯನಗಳ ತೆಕ್ಕೆಗೆ ಬರುವ ಬರೆಹಗಳೂ ಇಲ್ಲಿವೆ. ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಕಾರನಿಗಲ್ಲದೆ ಸಿದ್ಧಹಸ್ತನಾದ ಕವಿಗೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ಸ್ಫುರಿಸಬಲ್ಲ ಎಷ್ಟೋ ಹೊಳಹುಗಳು ಕೃತಿಯ ಮೌಲಿಕತೆಯನ್ನು ಹೆಚ್ಚಿಸಿವೆ. ಈ...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the fourth volume, some character sketches of the Dewans of Mysore preceded by an account of the political framework of the State before Independence and followed by a review of the political conditions of the State after 1940. These remarkable leaders of Mysore lived in a period that spans from the mid-nineteenth century to the...

Bharatiya Kavya-mimamseya Hinnele is a monograph on Indian Aesthetics by Mahamahopadhyaya N. Ranganatha Sharma. The book discusses the history and significance of concepts pivotal to Indian literary theory. It is equally useful to the learned and the laity.

Sahitya-samhite is a collection of literary essays in Kannada. The book discusses aestheticians such as Ananda-vardhana and Rajashekhara; Sanskrit scholars such as Mena Ramakrishna Bhat, Sridhar Bhaskar Varnekar and K S Arjunwadkar; and Kannada litterateurs such as DVG, S L Bhyrappa and S R Ramaswamy. It has a foreword by Shatavadhani Dr. R Ganesh.

The Mahābhārata is the greatest epic in the world both in magnitude and profundity. A veritable cultural compendium of Bhārata-varṣa, it is a product of the creative genius of Maharṣi Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa. The epic captures the experiential wisdom of our civilization and all subsequent literary, artistic, and philosophical creations are indebted to it. To read the Mahābhārata is to...

Shiva Rama Krishna

சிவன். ராமன். கிருஷ்ணன்.
இந்திய பாரம்பரியத்தின் முப்பெரும் கதாநாயகர்கள்.
உயர் இந்தியாவில் தலைமுறைகள் பல கடந்தும் கடவுளர்களாக போற்றப்பட்டு வழிகாட்டிகளாக விளங்குபவர்கள்.
மனித ஒற்றுமை நூற்றாண்டுகால பரிணாம வளர்ச்சியின் பரிமாணம்.
தனிநபர்களாகவும், குடும்ப உறுப்பினர்களாகவும், சமுதாய பிரஜைகளாகவும் நாம் அனைவரும் பரிமளிக்கிறோம்.
சிவன் தனிமனித அடையாளமாக அமைகிறான்....

ऋतुभिः सह कवयः सदैव सम्बद्धाः। विशिष्य संस्कृतकवयः। यथा हि ऋतवः प्रतिसंवत्सरं प्रतिनवतामावहन्ति मानवेषु तथैव ऋतुवर्णनान्यपि काव्यरसिकेषु कामपि विच्छित्तिमातन्वते। ऋतुकल्याणं हि सत्यमिदमेव हृदि कृत्वा प्रवृत्तम्। नगरजीवनस्य यान्त्रिकतां मान्त्रिकतां च ध्वनदिदं चम्पूकाव्यं गद्यपद्यमिश्रितमिति सुव्यक्तमेव। ऐदम्पूर्वतया प्रायः पुरीपरिसरप्रसृतानाम् ऋतूनां विलासोऽत्र प्रपञ्चितः। बेङ्गलूरुनामके...

The Art and Science of Avadhānam in Sanskrit is a definitive work on Sāhityāvadhānam, a form of Indian classical art based on multitasking, lateral thinking, and extempore versification. Dotted throughout with tasteful examples, it expounds in great detail on the theory and practice of this unique performing art. It is as much a handbook of performance as it is an anthology of well-turned...

This anthology is a revised edition of the author's 1978 classic. This series of essays, containing his original research in various fields, throws light on the socio-cultural landscape of Tamil Nadu spanning several centuries. These compelling episodes will appeal to scholars and laymen alike.
“When superstitious mediaevalists mislead the country about its judicial past, we have to...

The cultural history of a nation, unlike the customary mainstream history, has a larger time-frame and encompasses the timeless ethos of a society undergirding the course of events and vicissitudes. A major key to the understanding of a society’s unique character is an appreciation of the far-reaching contributions by outstanding personalities of certain periods – especially in the realms of...

Prekṣaṇīyam is an anthology of essays on Indian classical dance and theatre authored by multifaceted scholar and creative genius, Śatāvadhānī Dr. R Ganesh. As a master of śāstra, a performing artiste (of the ancient art of Avadhānam), and a cultured rasika, he brings a unique, holistic perspective to every discussion. These essays deal with the philosophy, history, aesthetics, and practice of...

Yaugandharam

इदं किञ्चिद्यामलं काव्यं द्वयोः खण्डकाव्ययोः सङ्कलनरूपम्। रामानुरागानलं हि सीतापरित्यागाल्लक्ष्मणवियोगाच्च श्रीरामेणानुभूतं हृदयसङ्क्षोभं वर्णयति । वात्सल्यगोपालकं तु कदाचिद्भानूपरागसमये घटितं यशोदाश्रीकृष्णयोर्मेलनं वर्णयति । इदम्प्रथमतया संस्कृतसाहित्ये सम्पूर्णं काव्यं...

Vanitakavitotsavah

इदं खण्डकाव्यमान्तं मालिनीछन्दसोपनिबद्धं विलसति। मेनकाविश्वामित्रयोः समागमः, तत्फलतया शकुन्तलाया जननम्, मातापितृभ्यां त्यक्तस्य शिशोः कण्वमहर्षिणा परिपालनं चेति काव्यस्यास्येतिवृत्तसङ्क्षेपः।

Vaiphalyaphalam

इदं खण्डकाव्यमान्तं मालिनीछन्दसोपनिबद्धं विलसति। मेनकाविश्वामित्रयोः समागमः, तत्फलतया शकुन्तलाया जननम्, मातापितृभ्यां त्यक्तस्य शिशोः कण्वमहर्षिणा परिपालनं चेति काव्यस्यास्येतिवृत्तसङ्क्षेपः।

Nipunapraghunakam

इयं रचना दशसु रूपकेष्वन्यतमस्य भाणस्य निदर्शनतामुपैति। एकाङ्करूपकेऽस्मिन् शेखरकनामा चित्रोद्यमलेखकः केनापि हेतुना वियोगम् अनुभवतोश्चित्रलेखामिलिन्दकयोः समागमं सिसाधयिषुः कथामाकाशभाषणरूपेण निर्वहति।

Bharavatarastavah

अस्मिन् स्तोत्रकाव्ये भगवन्तं शिवं कविरभिष्टौति। वसन्ततिलकयोपनिबद्धस्य काव्यस्यास्य कविकृतम् उल्लाघनाभिधं व्याख्यानं च वर्तते।

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the third volume, some character sketches of great literary savants responsible for Kannada renaissance during the first half of the twentieth century. These remarkable...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the second volume, episodes from the lives of remarkable exponents of classical music and dance, traditional storytellers, thespians, and connoisseurs; as well as his...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the first volume, episodes from the lives of great writers, poets, literary aficionados, exemplars of public life, literary scholars, noble-hearted common folk, advocates...

Evolution of Mahabharata and Other Writings on the Epic is the English translation of S R Ramaswamy's 1972 Kannada classic 'Mahabharatada Belavanige' along with seven of his essays on the great epic. It tells the riveting...

Shiva-Rama-Krishna is an English adaptation of Śatāvadhāni Dr. R Ganesh's popular lecture series on the three great...

Bharatilochana

ಮಹಾಮಾಹೇಶ್ವರ ಅಭಿನವಗುಪ್ತ ಜಗತ್ತಿನ ವಿದ್ಯಾವಲಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಮರೆಯಲಾಗದ ಹೆಸರು. ಮುಖ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಶೈವದರ್ಶನ ಮತ್ತು ಸೌಂದರ್ಯಮೀಮಾಂಸೆಗಳ ಪರಮಾಚಾರ್ಯನಾಗಿ  ಸಾವಿರ ವರ್ಷಗಳಿಂದ ಇವನು ಜ್ಞಾನಪ್ರಪಂಚವನ್ನು ಪ್ರಭಾವಿಸುತ್ತಲೇ ಇದ್ದಾನೆ. ಭರತಮುನಿಯ ನಾಟ್ಯಶಾಸ್ತ್ರವನ್ನು ಅರ್ಥಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಇವನೊಬ್ಬನೇ ನಮಗಿರುವ ಆಲಂಬನ. ಇದೇ ರೀತಿ ರಸಧ್ವನಿಸಿದ್ಧಾಂತವನ್ನು...

Vagarthavismayasvadah

“वागर्थविस्मयास्वादः” प्रमुखतया साहित्यशास्त्रतत्त्वानि विमृशति । अत्र सौन्दर्यर्यशास्त्रीयमूलतत्त्वानि यथा रस-ध्वनि-वक्रता-औचित्यादीनि सुनिपुणं परामृष्टानि प्रतिनवे चिकित्सकप्रज्ञाप्रकाशे। तदन्तर एव संस्कृतवाङ्मयस्य सामर्थ्यसमाविष्कारोऽपि विहितः। क्वचिदिव च्छन्दोमीमांसा च...

The Best of Hiriyanna

The Best of Hiriyanna is a collection of forty-eight essays by Prof. M. Hiriyanna that sheds new light on Sanskrit Literature, Indian...

Stories Behind Verses

Stories Behind Verses is a remarkable collection of over a hundred anecdotes, each of which captures a story behind the composition of a Sanskrit verse. Collected over several years from...