Early next morning they heard a resounding thunder in the cloudless sky. When the sages turned to Divākaradeva questioningly, he said, ‘This is the sound made by the kettle drums in the air-chariots. Since it’s coming from inside, it sounds like thunder. Here comes our master now, lo behold!’ The sky acquired a tinge of gold as if it were enveloped in the colours of rainbow and lightning. Then, several air-chariots glowing with hues of an array...
Chapter 3 - Bṛhatkathā-śloka-saṅgraha
While Avanti-vardhana ruled Avantī, not even a lowly insect had anything to complain about. One day, during his daily horse ride, he saw a beautiful girl all alone, swaying back and forth on a swing tied off a Beech tree. Against the backdrop of the dark blue skies, she appeared like the moon herself moving upon river Kālindī. Avanti-vardhana’s mind began to sway like a swing. Once he returned home, he gave...
A few days later, he summoned a few brāhmaṇas and said ‘I had a dream in the early hours this morning. In it, I was out for my routine horse ride, when a wild elephant appeared out of nowhere. My royal elephant sensed the odour of the wild beast’s rut, and got incensed. Tearing off its binding post, it rushed forward and confronted it. The wild elephant reared its trunk and trumpeted disdainfully. My elephant fell upon it and drove its tusks...
Then he thought, ‘Fie upon me – I brought this allegation upon myself! Or why should I blame myself? The king was happy for a long time. Which other prince achieved so much, uprooted both the internal and external enemies with great tact? Did any of them take great care such that the varṇāśrama-dharma was followed without lapses? Who else has a son like Avantivardhana who is blessed with such noble qualities? Let all these be so; hasn’t...
Chapter 1
There is a great city named Ujjayinī. Its fortresses, moats and citadels resemble the colossal mountain peaks and unfathomable oceans surrounding the great earth. People who set their eyes upon this city’s dwellings made of gold and silver, no longer desire to see even the peaks of Meru and Kailāsa. From every house, one hears the majestic renditions of vedas, the twangs of bows and the melodious strains of music from the Vīṇās. Still...
13. The story of Viśruta
Viśruta was roaming the dense forests of the Vindhyas in search of Rājavāhana, when he saw an eight year old boy standing next to a well, crying. When he asked the boy what aggrieved him, he replied that his old servant who had tried to draw water from the well had fallen in. Viśruta calmed the boy down and pulled the old man out and inquired further. He came to know that the boy was prince Bhāskaravarmā of Vidarbha, and...
11. The Story of Nitambavatī
Long ago, in the kingdom of Śūrasena, within the city of Madhurā, there lived a young man named Kalahakaṇṭaka. One day, he happened to see a mesmerising portrait of a woman, painted by an artist. He learnt that the beautiful woman in the painting was Nitambavatī, the wife of Anantakīrti, an old merchant from Ujjayinī. Disguising himself as a beggar, Kalahakaṇṭaka went to Ujjayinī and saw her with his own eyes. He was...
11. Story of Mitragupta
Mitragupta reached the capital of Sumha called Dāmalipta while searching for Rājavāhana. In the royal garden Kandukāvatī, the daughter of the king Tuṅgadhanva was playing with a ball. From her 7th year till her wedding, she had to celebrate kandukotsava (game of ball) of every kṛttikā day. That was the order of devī Vindhyavāsinī who bestowed upon the king the boon of children. Likewise she had the choice to marry anyone...
Apahāravarmā declared that the bag would fulfil people’s wishes only when everything that has been snatched away was returned to its owners. He made sure that Kāmamañjarī gave back her belongings to her patrons. Dhanamitra complained to the king that his enchanted bag was stolen by someone and was given to Kāmamañjarī. She, in turn, transferred the blame to Arthapati and the king banished him from the kingdom.
Once, when Apahāravarmā was...
Chapter 4. The story of Puṣpodbhava
One day, when Puṣpodbhava was searching for prince Rājavāhana, he saw a man falling from the sky. He rushed and managed to catch him just in time and slowly helped him to the ground. Puṣpodbhava was elated when he saw that the man was none other than his father Ratnodbhava. Right then, he heard the voice of a woman. When he rushed to see who that was, he found that it was his long lost mother! She was about to...