229. Katha Sarit Sagara : Chapter 19
The King, the Sage, and the Will of Shiva
1. Yaugandharāyaṇa's Counsel to the King of Vatsa (Udayana)
The throne room of Kaushambi, capital of the Vatsa kingdom, shimmered with the midday sun filtering through carved latticework. Seated upon the simhasana, King Udayana—the very image of ancient royalty, handsome and muscled, with the legendary lute Ghoshāvatī resting near his hand—listened with an intense, steady gaze. Opposite him, the towering figure of his chief minister, Yaugandharāyaṇa, spoke with the unshakeable certainty of a man who commanded fate.
"My King," Yaugandharāyaṇa's voice resonated, firm and deliberate, "the time for quiet rule is over. For too long, the glory of the Pandavas' line has been confined to these fertile lands. You possess the very favour of destiny, a truth proven by every trial you’ve overcome. Your courage is known to the gods, your power undeniable."
Udayana’s jaw tightened. "My will is strong, Minister, but the burdens of rule are heavier than the desire for glory. My people are secure. Why risk their peace?"
Yaugandharāyaṇa leaned forward, his eyes burning with strategic fire. "Peace is bought with constant vigilance, Sire. We have secured alliances with Magadha and Ujjayini through the marriage of the Queens, Padmāvatī and Vāsavadattā. The political stars are aligned. I have spent countless days and sleepless nights charting the right course of policy—analyzing maps, weighing allegiances, predicting betrayals. It is settled. You must no longer delay. Carry out, without delay, your plan of conquering the regions! The world awaits the dominion of Vatsa."
2. King Udayana's Decision to Propitiate Shiva
Udayana rose and walked to a window overlooking the city, the heavy gold of his royal attire catching the light. He remembered the pain of losing his kingdom once, the anguish of Vāsavadattā's false death, the intricate web of deception required to regain his stability. A great conquest was a great risk.
He turned back to his minister. "I admit your logic is flawless, Yaugandharāyaṇa. The strategic moment is upon us. Yet, my heart is troubled. I find that the accomplishment of auspicious undertakings is always attended with difficulties—unseen pitfalls, unpredictable turns of fate. I am a man; I am not impervious to fortune's cruel jokes."
His gaze lifted, focusing not on the Minister, but on an unseen, higher power. "I cannot rely on courage alone. To secure a triumph that will endure for all ages, I must earn divine sanction. Therefore, I will, with this object, propitiate Śiva by austerities. Without his favour, how can any mortal king obtain what he truly desires?"
3. The Ministers' Approval and Shiva's Dream Vision
The King's declaration sent a thrill through the assembled court. The ministers, including the loyal Rumaṇvat and the wise Vasantaka, wholeheartedly approved of his decision. Their approval was likened to the chiefs of the monkeys backing the divine hero Ráma when he resolved to build a bridge across the ocean—a sacred task requiring faith and sacrifice.
For the next three days and three nights, the palace was cloaked in solemn silence. King Udayana, with both Queens, Vāsavadattā and Padmāvatī, and his devoted ministers, engaged in the rigorous austerities and fasting. Their bodies grew weak, but their resolve was iron.
On the final night, as the King slept in a meditative state, a transcendental vision broke through the darkness. The air thrummed with pure, cosmic energy. Before him appeared Lord Śiva, the Mahadeva, with a body the colour of camphor, matted hair coiled high, and the crescent moon gleaming on his brow. The divine voice was like the distant roar of creation.
"I am satisfied with thee, son of Vatsa."
Udayana, though in a dream, fell prostrate.
Śiva continued, his voice softer, yet charged with prophecy. "Therefore, rise up. You shall obtain an unimpeded triumph in your campaigns. Your destiny is confirmed. Furthermore, know this: you shall soon have a son, who will not merely rule Vatsa, but shall be the acknowledged King of all the Vidyádharas (celestial beings)."
The vision faded, leaving behind an afterglow of peace.
4. Udayana Shares the Auspicious Dream
Udayana woke with a gasp, not of fear, but of profound elation. All the fatigue from the fasting, the physical drain of the austerities, had been removed by the favour of Śiva. He felt revitalized, comparing himself to the new moon increased by the rays of the sun—fully restored and radiating power.
As dawn broke, he summoned his court. His ministers listened with bated breath, their faces reflecting the glory of the divine message. Then he turned to his Queens, the two women who shared his heart and his hardships.
"My loves," he said, his voice husky with emotion, "look at you. Tender as flowers, you are worn out by the fasting you endured to fulfil the vow." He took Vāsavadattā’s hand, then Padmāvatī’s, his eyes conveying his gratitude. "But hear now the reward for your fidelity."
He recounted the dream in vivid detail: the appearance of the Mahadeva, the promise of unhindered victory, and the spectacular prophecy of a future son who would rule the aerial realms.
5. The Feast and Yaugandharāyaṇa's Second Exhortation
The Queens, physically drained, were refreshed by the description of his dream, which they felt was "well worthy of being drunk in with the ears." Its effect was like a heavenly medicine, instantly restoring their strength and spirit. Udayana, for his part, had gained a power equal to that of his ancestors, while his wives had earned the saintly renown of matrons devoted to their husband.
The next day, a grand feast was celebrated to mark the end of the fast. The citizens poured into the streets, beside themselves with joy at the news of their king’s divine blessing. Amidst the joyous din, Yaugandharāyaṇa approached the King, his expression one of sober satisfaction.
"You are fortunate, O King," the minister declared, bowing deeply, "in that the holy god Śiva is so well disposed toward you. All opposition now is merely mortal. You have earned your success not through mere luck, but through piety. So, proceed now to conquer your enemies, and then enjoy the prosperity won by your own arm."
He emphasized the core principle of policy. "When prosperity is acquired by a king’s own virtues, by his righteous effort and sacrifice, it remains fixed in his family. Blessings acquired by the virtue of the owners are never lost. This is why that ancient, lost treasure of your ancestors, long buried, was recovered by you—because of your own virtuous ascendancy. Do you see the pattern, Sire? The gods favor the deserving."
"To underscore this eternal truth," Yaugandharāyaṇa concluded, a knowing look in his eyes, "Moreover, with reference to this matter, hear the following tale."
The Fickleness of Fortune and the Virtue of a Man
6. The Moral Tale of Devadāsa (Preamble)
"This story," Yaugandharāyaṇa began, leaning close to the King, "is about Devadāsa, and the sharp difference between wealth easily gained and wealth virtuously earned."
7. Devadāsa's Ruin and Journey to Pauṇḍravardhana
"Long ago, in the great city of Páṭaliputra, there was a merchant’s son, named Devadāsa. He was born into the kind of rich family where gold flowed like water. He married a wife from another rich merchant family in the city of Pauṇḍravardhana. Everything was handed to him."
"But upon his father's death, lacking the discipline that comes from hardship, Devadāsa became addicted to vice. He squandered his inheritance, loving the company of gamblers and dissolute friends. He lost all his wealth at play, until his own home was bare."
"His wife, distressed by the poverty and hardships of their lot, was taken away by her discerning father back to Pauṇḍravardhana. Devadāsa, now destitute and alone, finally felt the bitter sting of misfortune. He wished to set up his business again, an empty dream without capital. He humbled himself and made the long, arduous journey to Pauṇḍravardhana to ask his father-in-law for a loan."
8. Devadāsa Witnesses His Wife's Treachery
"He arrived in the evening, after walking for days. He looked down at himself: begrimed with dust, in tattered garments. He was a specter of his former self. He recoiled from approaching his father-in-law's grand house."
"'How can I enter in this state?' he lamented to himself. 'For a proud man, death is preferable to exhibiting poverty before one’s relations.' His pride, the last vestige of his former life, won out."
"Reflecting thus, he sought refuge in the market-place. He curled up outside a large shop, huddled and contracted, 'like the lotus which is folded at night.' As he waited, a young, well-dressed merchant opened the door of the shop and entered. A moment later, Devadāsa was shocked to see a woman come with noiseless step to that very place and rapidly enter after him. The merchant bolted the door."
"A light burned inside. Devadāsa fixed his eyes on the interior, and in a terrifying, heart-shattering moment of recognition, he realized the woman was his own wife."
9. The Wife Reveals the Ancestral Gold
"Devadāsa was smitten with the thunderbolt of grief. Seeing his wife repairing to another man and bolting the door, he thought, 'A man deprived of wealth loses even his own body; how can he hope to retain the affections of a woman? Women have fickleness implanted in their nature by an invariable law, like the flashes of lightning. This is the ultimate misfortune that befalls men who fall into the sea of vice!'"
"He seemed to hear their conversation through the door, though the words were muffled. He applied his ear to the door, listening to his own disgrace. The wicked woman was whispering, her voice laced with false affection for her lover."
"'Listen,' she cooed. 'As I am so fond of you, I will today tell you a secret. My husband long ago had a great-grandfather named Vīravarman. In the courtyard of his house, he secretly buried in the ground four jars of gold, one jar in each of the four corners.'
"The merchant's eyes must have widened with greed. She continued, 'This knowledge has passed down through the wives, an oral tradition of the mothers-in-law. I did not tell it to my husband, though he is poor, for he is odious to me as a gambler. But you are above all dear to me.' She gave her final instruction: 'Go to my husband’s town, buy the house from him with money, and after you have obtained that gold, come here and live happily with me.'"
10. Devadāsa Recovers the Treasure
"The merchant, her paramour, was delighted, believing he had obtained a treasure without effort. Devadāsa, however, standing outside, had had his heart riveted with hope of wealth by those very words of his wicked wife. The pain of her betrayal was instantly mixed with the dizzying potential of redemption."
"He did not hesitate. He went directly to the city of Páṭaliputra. He reached his house, now a derelict structure, and found the four buried jars exactly as described. He took that treasure and appropriated it."
11. The Paramour Buys the Empty House and Devadāsa Recalls His Wife
"Soon, that wicked merchant, who was the lover of his wife, arrived in Pāṭaliputra. He pretended to be a trader, but in reality, he was eager to obtain the treasure."
"He approached Devadāsa and bought the ancestral house for a large sum of money. Devadāsa, now wealthy once more, established a luxurious, new home. His first act of cunning revenge was to bring his wife back. He went to his father-in-law’s house and sweetly brought back that wife of his."
12. The King's Judgment and Devadāsa's Revenge
"The merchant, frantic at not finding the gold—four empty holes where he expected immense wealth—came to Devadāsa. 'This house of yours is old, and I do not like it,' he demanded, enraged. 'So give me back my money, and take back your own house!'"
"Devadāsa coolly refused. The two men, engaged in a violent altercation, went before the King for judgment. In the King's presence, Devadāsa, with a calm, chilling voice, poured forth the whole story of his wife, a story as painful to him as venom concealed in his breast."
"The King was aghast. He had the wife summoned and, after ascertaining the full, sordid truth of the case, he delivered his judgment. He punished that adulterous merchant with the loss of all his property—a fitting penalty for a crime fueled by lust and greed."
"Devadāsa, his honor vindicated but his heart scarred, delivered his own, personal sentence. He cut off the nose of that wicked wife—marking her betrayal for all time. He then married another good wife, and lived happily in his native city on the treasure he had obtained."
13. Conclusion of the Tale and Final Policy Recommendation
Yaugandharāyaṇa finished the tale, his voice resonant with the final moral.
"Thus, my King, treasure obtained by virtuous methods is continued to a man’s posterity, fixed and secure. But treasure obtained by vice, like the fool merchant's attempt, is as easily melted away as a flake of snow when the rain begins to fall."
"Therefore, a man must endeavor to obtain wealth by lawful methods. But a King, especially, must do so, since wealth is the root of the tree of empire. Your piety has earned Shiva’s favor; your strength must now earn the dominion."
He paused, offering his final policy counsel. "Now, honour all your ministers according to custom for their loyalty, and then, without further delay, accomplish the conquest of the regions so as to gain opulence in addition to virtue."
The Drums of Conquest and the Felling of Brahmadatta
14. Focusing on the First Enemy, Brahmadatta of Benares
Yaugandharāyaṇa then outlined the strategy. "Your two powerful fathers-in-law provide you with an iron shield. Few kings will oppose you; most will join you, seeking your favor."
He narrowed his eyes. "However, the King of Benares, named Brahmadatta, is always your enemy. He is proud, and his territory is a crucial point of leverage. Therefore, conquer him first. When he is conquered, you can proceed with confidence to conquer the eastern quarter, and gradually all the quarters, to exalt the glory of the race of Pāṇḍu—gleaming white like a lotus."
15. Preparations for the Expedition and Alliances
The King of Vatsa consented, eager for conquest, and immediately commanded his subjects to prepare for the expedition. The palace became a hive of intense activity—chariots were repaired, elephants were groomed, and infantry columns were formed.
Udayana displayed his deep political acumen. To solidify his alliances, he rewarded those who had stood by him during his previous trials. He gave the sovereignty of the country of Videha to his brother-in-law Gopálaka, Vāsavadattā's brother, by way of reward for his past assistance. He granted the land of Chedi to Sinhavarman, Padmāvatī’s brother, who arrived with his powerful forces, treating him with great respect. He also summoned Pulindaka, the friendly king of the Bhillas, whose wild, numerous hordes, like a sudden flood, would swell the Vatsa ranks.
16. Yaugandharāyaṇa's Espionage Network
While the war drums throbbed and the army gathered, Yaugandharāyaṇa enacted his master stroke of policy. He was a general of minds, not just men. He dispatched his most skilled spies to Benares to find out the proceedings of King Brahmadatta.
One spy, a master of deception, assumed the austere vows of a scull-bearing worshipper of Śiva—a wandering, holy Aghori. This spy, skilled in the art of juggling and illusions, presented himself as a great prophetic teacher. His companions posed as his humble pupils, celebrating his wisdom from place to place. The 'pupils' would secretly ensure that whatever the 'sage' predicted—such as small fires or petty incidents—came true, allowing him to gain a complete ascendancy over the mind of a certain Rájpút courtier, a key favorite of King Brahmadatta. Through this Rajput, the fake prophet soon began to learn all the secrets of the government.
17. The King of Vatsa Marches East and Brahmadatta's Stratagems
On an auspicious day, cheered by powerful omens portending victory, the King of Vatsa first marched against Brahmadatta in the Eastern quarter. He ascended a tall, victorious elephant with a lofty umbrella, appearing as majestic as a lion upon a flowering mountain.
The timing was perfect: the autumn season arrived as a harbinger of good fortune, facilitating his march by shrinking the volume of the rivers. The shouting forces filled the face of the land, an army so vast it resembled a sudden rainy season without clouds.
Meanwhile, Brahmadatta's minister, Yogakaraṇḍaka, moved to lay snares. He attempted to halt the advance through insidious means. He tainted, by means of poison and other deleterious substances, the trees, flowering creepers, water, and grass all along the line of march. Furthermore, he deployed beautiful but deadly poison-damsels (visha-kanyas) disguised as dancing girls among the enemy’s host, and also dispatched expert nocturnal assassins into their midst.
18. Yaugandharāyaṇa Thwarts the Enemy Plots
The spy in Benares, the fake prophet, found out all of Brahmadatta's stratagems. He quickly informed Yaugandharāyaṇa of the precise locations of the traps via his messenger companions.
Yaugandharāyaṇa acted instantly. At every step along the line of march, he ordered the poisoned grass and water to be purified by means of corrective antidotes brought by specialized physicians. He also forbade in the camp the society of strange women and, with the help of Rumaṇvat, the general of the army, he captured and put to death those assassins before they could strike. Udayana’s army passed safely, untouched by treachery.
19. Brahmadatta's Surrender and Subsequent Conquests
When Brahmadatta heard that all his stratagems had failed, and saw the mighty King of Vatsa's forces filling the whole country, he came to the stark conclusion that Udayana was hard to overcome.
After rapid deliberation, Brahmadatta sent an ambassador to the Vatsa camp, then came in person to the King, placing his clasped hands upon his head in token of submission. Udayana, a true hero, received the defeated King with respect and kindness, for heroes love submission.
With Benares secured, the mighty King of Vatsa went on pacifying the East. He made the yielding kings bend but extirpated the obstinate, treating them as the wind treats trees—preserving the flexible, uprooting the rigid. He did not halt until he reached the Eastern ocean, whose quivering waves seemed to be trembling with terror because of the Ganges having already been conquered. On the extreme shore, Udayana set up a pillar of victory, a towering column that symbolized his absolute sovereignty.
20. Conquest of the South
Having achieved his Eastern goal, Udayana turned his vast, seasoned army southward. The people of Kalinga immediately submitted and paid tribute, acting as the King’s guides. His renown ascended the mountain of Mahendra, broadcasting his power to the South.
He conquered a forest of kings in the South, driving before him his elephants, which resembled the peaks of the Vindhya mountains themselves, having come to him terrified by the conquest of Mahendra. His approach made his enemies cease their threatening murmurs and take to the mountains, strengthless and pale, much like the season of autumn treats the dark, dissolving clouds.
The Kāverī river was crossed by him in his victorious onset, and at the same moment, the glory of the King of the Chola race was surpassed. The Muralas were completely beaten down by heavy tributes and were no longer allowed to exalt their heads. Further on, his elephants drank the waters of the Godāvarī, seemingly discharging them again as a seven-fold stream of celebratory ichor.
21. Visit to Ujjayinī
The victorious army then turned slightly north, crossing the Revá (Narmada River) to reach Ujjayiní. King Chaṇḍamahásena, Udayana’s father-in-law, received him with the highest honors, making Udayana precede him as they entered the city.
Udayana, the battle dust momentarily washed away, became the center of attention. He was the target of the amorous sidelong glances of the ladies of Málava, who were famed for their beauty. He rested there in great comfort, hospitably entertained by his father-in-law, enjoying the rich opulence of the capital so much that he even forgot the long-regretted enjoyments of his native land.
22. Conquest of the West and North
Vásavadattá, Udayana’s first Queen, was continually at her parents’ side, reliving her childhood memories, seeming despondent even in her happiness as the past mixed with the present. King Chaṇḍamahásena was as delighted to meet Padmávatí again as he was to meet his own daughter, a testament to the strength of their alliance.
After resting for some days, the King of Vatsa, now powerfully reinforced by the troops of his father-in-law, marched towards the western region.
His advance was relentless. His curved sword was so sharp, so deadly, that it was surely the smoke of the fire of his valour, since it dimmed with gushing tears the eyes of the women of Láṭa. When his elephants broke through the woods of the mountain of Mandara, the peak itself seemed to tremble lest he should root it up to churn the sea, recalling an ancient myth. His victorious career saw him enjoy a glorious rising even in the western quarter, proving he was a splendid luminary excelling the sun.
He then turned north, marching toward Alaká (the quarter of the god Kubera). Having subdued the king of Sindh, Udayana led his famed cavalry and destroyed the Mlechchhas (non-Aryan groups/foreigners) as the legendary Rama destroyed the Rakshasas. The cavalry squadrons of the Turushkas (Turks) were broken on the mighty masses of his elephants, like the waves of the agitated sea on the woods that line the sea-shore.
The august hero received the tribute of his foes and made a gruesome example of the wicked king of the Párasíkas (Persians), cutting off his head. After inflicting a decisive defeat on the feared Húṇas (Huns), Udayana's glory made the four quarters resound, pouring down the Himálaya like a second Ganges.
23. Final Subjugation and Return to Magadha
When the King’s mighty hosts were shouting victory, the only hostile answer was the echoes in the hollows of the rocks—all human enemies were silenced by fear. The king of Kámarúpa (Assam), bending before him, humbly submitted, his head deprived of the umbrella, signifying he was both without shade and also without brightness—stripped of his royal dignity.
The sovereign then began his return journey, followed by a vast train of elephants presented by the king of Kámarúpa, which resembled moving rocks made over to him by the mountains by way of tribute.
Having thus conquered the entire earth, the King of Vatsa with his attendants reached the city of Rājagriha, the capital of Magadha, home of King Darśaka, the father of Queen Padmāvatí.
24. Return and Recognition in Magadha
The King of Magadha, Darśaka, was as joyous when Udayana and the Queens arrived as the god of love when the moon illuminates the night. It was a homecoming charged with emotional weight.
Vásavadattá, Udayana’s first queen, had lived in this very city before, during the time the world believed her dead, and had even served Padmāvatí's mother without being recognised. Now, that long-kept secret was fully known to the court of Magadha. She was now made known to him (King Darśaka) in her full majesty as the rightful Senior Queen, and Darśaka, recognizing her high status and the deep love between her and Udayana, considered her deserving of the highest regard. The atmosphere was filled with reconciliation and mutual respect.
25. Triumphant Return to Lāvāṇaka
The victorious King of Vatsa, laden with tribute and glory, was honoured by the King of Magadha with his whole city, which showered him with gifts and praise. The minds of all the Magadha people pursued him out of affection as he departed.
Udayana had successfully swallowed the surface of the earth with his mighty army, demonstrating his military might and political wisdom. With his two queens, his loyal ministers, and his reinforced power, the mighty sovereign finally returned to Lávánaka in his own dominions. His glory was secure, his wealth immeasurable, and his destiny fulfilled. He had become the Chakravartin—the undisputed master of the world.
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