कथासरित्सागरः — षष्ठस्तरङ्गः | kathāsaritsāgaraḥ

षष्ठस्तरङ्गः ।

ततः प्रातः समुत्थाय पितुर्वत्सेश्वरस्य सः ।
नरवाहनदत्तो ऽत्र दर्शनायान्तिकं ययौ ॥

Summary AI Then, having risen in the morning, Naravāhanadatta went to visit his father, Vatsēśvara.

तत्र पद्मावतीदेवी भ्रातरि स्वगृहात्ततः ।
आगते मगधेशस्य तनये सिंहवर्मणि ॥

Summary AI At that place, Queen Padmāvatī was present, as her brother Siṃhavarman, the son of the King of Magadha, had arrived from his own home.

१०.६.३

तत्स्वागतकथाप्रश्नप्रवादैर्दिवसे गते ।
नरवाहनदत्तः स्वं भुक्त्वा मन्दिरमाययौ ॥

Summary AI As the day passed in welcoming conversations and inquiries after his well-being, Naravāhanadatta took his meal and returned to his own palace.

१०.६.४

तत्र शक्तियशः सोत्कं तं विनोदयितुं निशि ।
ततः स गोमुखो धीमानिमामकथयत्कथाम् ॥

Summary AI There, during the night, the wise Gomukha told this story to entertain Naravāhanadatta and Śaktiyaśas, who were filled with longing.

१०.६.५

बभूव क्वापि सच्छायो महान्न्यग्रोधपादपः ।
शकुन्तशब्दैः पथिकान्विश्रमायाह्वयन्निव ॥

Summary AI Once, there was a great banyan tree with dense shade, which seemed to invite weary travelers to rest through the chirping of its birds.

१०.६.६

तत्रासीन्मेघवर्णाख्यः काकराजः कृतालयः ।
तस्यावमर्दनामाभूदुलूकाधिपती रिपुः ॥

Summary AI A king of crows named Meghavarṇa lived there. He had an enemy named Avamarda, who was the king of the owls.

१०.६.७

स तस्य काकराजस्य तत्र रात्रावुलूकराट् ।
एत्य काकान्बहून्हत्वा कृत्वा परिभवं ययौ ॥

Summary AI That king of owls came there at night, killed many of the crow king's subjects, humiliated them, and then departed.

१०.६.८

प्रातः स काकराजो ऽत्र सभाज्योवाच मन्त्रिणः ।
उड्डीव्यडीविसंडीविप्रडीविचिरजीविनः ॥

Summary AI In the morning, the king of crows assembled and honored his ministers—Uḍḍīvī, Āḍīvī, Saṃḍīvī, Praḍīvī, and Cirajīvin—and spoke to them.

१०.६.९

स शत्रुः परिभूयास्मांल्लब्धलक्ष्यो बली पुनः ।
आपतेदेव तत्तत्र प्रतीकारो निरूप्यताम् ॥

Summary AI That powerful enemy, having humiliated us and identified his target, will surely attack again; therefore, a counter-measure must be devised.

१०.६.१०

तच्छ्रुत्वाभाषतोड्डीवी शत्रौ बलवति प्रभो ।
अन्यदेशाश्रयः कार्यस्तस्यैवानुनयो ऽथवा ॥

Summary AI Hearing that, Uḍḍīvī said, "O Lord, when the enemy is strong, one should either seek refuge in another land or attempt to conciliate him."

१०.६.११

श्रुत्वैतदाडीव्याह स्म सद्यो न भयमप्यदः ।
पराशयं स्वशक्तिं च वीक्ष्य कुर्मो यथाक्षमम् ॥

Summary AI Hearing this, Āḍīvī said, "There is no immediate danger. We should act according to our capacity after observing the enemy's intentions and our own strength."

१०.६.१२

ततो जगाद संडीवी मरणं देव शोभनम् ।
न तु प्रणमनं शत्रोर्विदेशे वापि जीवनम् ॥

Summary AI Then Saṃḍīvī said, "O King, death is honorable, but bowing to the enemy or living in exile is not."

१०.६.१३

योद्धव्यं तेन साकं नः कृतावद्येन शत्रुणा ।
राजा सहायवाञ्शूरः सोत्साहो जयति द्विषः ॥

Summary AI We must fight that enemy who has insulted us, for a king who has allies, is brave, and is energetic conquers his foes.

१०.६.१४

अथ प्रडीवी वक्ति स्म न जय्यः स बली रणे ।
संधिं कृत्वा तु हन्तव्यः संप्राप्ते ऽवसरे पुनः ॥

Summary AI Then Praḍīvī said, "That powerful enemy cannot be conquered in battle. He should be killed by making peace and waiting for the right opportunity to strike again."

१०.६.१५

चिरजीवी ततो ऽवादीत्कः संधिर्दूत एव कः ।
आसृष्टि वैरं काकानामुलूकैस्तत्र को व्रजेत् ॥

Summary AI Then Cirajīvin said, "What peace? What messenger? Crows and owls have been enemies since creation; who would go there?"

१०.६.१६

मन्त्रसाध्यमिदं मन्त्रो मूलं राज्यस्य चोच्यते ।
श्रुत्वैतत्काकराजस्तं सो ऽब्रवीच्चीरजीविनम् ॥

Summary AI This matter must be solved through counsel, for counsel is said to be the root of a kingdom. Hearing this, the king of crows spoke to Cirajīvin.

१०.६.१७

वृद्धस्त्वं वेत्सि चेत्तन्मे ब्रूहि त्वं केन हेतुना ।
काकोलूकस्य वैरित्वं मन्त्रं वक्ष्यस्यतः परम् ॥

Summary AI "You are an elder. If you know, tell me the reason for the enmity between crows and owls. After that, you shall give your advice."

१०.६.१८

तच्छ्रुत्वा काकराजं तं चिरजीवी जगाद सः ।
वाग्दोषो ऽयं श्रुता किं न गर्दभाख्यायिका त्वया ॥

Summary AI Hearing that, Cirajīvin said to the crow king, "This was a fault of speech. Have you not heard the story of the donkey?"

१०.६.१९

केनापि रजकेनैत्य गर्दभः पुष्टये कृशः ।
परसस्येषु मुक्तो ऽभूदाच्छाद्य द्वीपिचर्मणा ॥

Summary AI A certain washerman, finding his donkey lean, covered it with a leopard skin and released it into others' fields to fatten it up.

१०.६.२०

स तानि खादन्द्वीपीति जनैस्त्रासान्न वारितः ।
एकेन ददृशे जातु कार्षिकेण धनुर्भृता ॥

Summary AI As it ate the crops, people did not stop it out of fear, thinking it was a leopard, until one day it was spotted by a farmer armed with a bow.

१०.६.२१

स तं द्वीपीति मन्वानः कुब्जीभूय भयानतः ।
कम्बलावेष्टिततनुर्गन्तुं प्रववृते ततः ॥

Summary AI Thinking that it was a leopard, and bent over with fear, that farmer, his body wrapped in a blanket, began to move away from there.

१०.६.२२

तं च दृष्ट्वा तथायान्तं खरो ऽयमिति चिन्तयन् ।
खरस्तं स्वरुतेनोच्चैर्व्याहरत्सस्यपोषितः ॥

Summary AI Seeing him coming like that and thinking, "This is a donkey," the donkey, well-nourished by the crops, cried out loudly to him with its braying.

१०.६.२३

तच्छ्रुत्वा गर्दभं मत्वा तमुपेत्य स कार्षिकः ।
अवधीच्छरघातेन कृतवैरं स्वया गिरा ॥

Summary AI Hearing that and realizing it was a donkey, the farmer approached and killed the animal, which had betrayed its enmity with its own voice, using a strike from an arrow.

१०.६.२४

एवं वाग्दोषतो ऽस्माकमुलूकैः सह वैरिता ।
पूर्वं ह्यराजका आसन्कदाचिदपि पक्षिणः ॥

Summary AI Thus, because of a fault in speech, our enmity with the owls began. Long ago, the birds were once without a king.

१०.६.२५

ते संभूयारभन्ते स्म पक्षिराजाभिषेचनम् ।
सर्वे कर्तुमुलूकस्य ढौकितच्छत्त्रचामरम् ॥

Summary AI They all gathered together and began to perform the coronation of the owl as the king of birds, bringing the royal umbrella and chowries.

१०.६.२६

तावच्च गगनायातस्तद्दृष्ट्वा वायसो ऽब्रवीत् ।
रे मूढाः सन्ति नो हंसकोकिलाद्या न किं खगाः ॥

Summary AI At that moment, a crow arrived through the sky, and seeing this, said, "O fools! Do we not have birds like the haṃsa and the kokila?"

१०.६.२७

येन क्रूरदृशं पापमिममप्रियदर्शनम् ।
अभिषिञ्चथ राज्ये ऽस्मिन्धिगुलूकममङ्गलम् ॥

Summary AI "Why are you crowning this sinful one with cruel eyes and an unpleasant appearance in this kingdom? Fie upon the inauspicious owl!"

१०.६.२८

राजा प्रभाववान्कार्यो यस्य नामैव सिद्धिकृत् ।
तथा च शृणुतात्रैकां कथां वो वर्णयाम्यहम् ॥

Summary AI "A powerful king should be chosen, whose very name brings success. Listen, and I shall describe a story to you regarding this."

१०.६.२९

अस्ति चन्द्रसरो नाम महद्भूरिजलं सरः ।
शिलीमुखाख्यस्तत्तीरे ऽप्युवास शशकेश्वरः ॥

Summary AI There is a great lake with abundant water named Candrasaras. On its shore lived the king of hares named Śilīmukha.

१०.६.३०

तत्रावग्रहशुष्के ऽन्यनिपाने गजयूथपः ।
चतुर्दन्ताभिधानो ऽम्भः पातुमागात्कदाचन ॥

Summary AI Once, when other drinking pools were dried up by drought, a leader of an elephant herd named Caturdanta came there to drink water.

१०.६.३१

तस्य यूथेन शशक गाहमानेन तत्र ते ।
शिलीमुखस्य बहवः शशराजस्य चूर्णिताः ॥

Summary AI As his herd entered the water there, many of those hares belonging to the hare-king Śilīmukha were crushed.

१०.६.३२

ततो गजपतौ तस्मिन्गते सो ऽत्र शिलीमुखः ।
दुःखितो विजयं नाम शशं प्राहान्यसंनिधौ ॥

Summary AI After that elephant leader had left, the distressed Śilīmukha spoke to a hare named Vijaya in the presence of others.

१०.६.३३

लब्धास्वादो गजेन्द्रो ऽयं पुनः पुनरिहैष्यति ।
निःशेषयिष्यत्यस्मांश्च तदुपायो ऽत्र चिन्त्यताम् ॥

Summary AI "This lord of elephants, having tasted the water, will come here repeatedly and will exterminate us. Therefore, an expedient must be devised here."

१०.६.३४

गच्छ तस्यान्तिकं पश्य युक्तिः काप्यस्ति तेन वा ।
त्वं हि कार्यमुपायं च वेत्सि वक्तुं च युक्तिमान् ॥

Summary AI "Go to him and see if there is any strategy. For you know the task and the means, and you are clever in speech."

१०.६.३५

यत्र यत्र गतस्त्वं हि तत्र तत्राभवच्छुभम् ।
इति स प्रेषितस्तेन प्रीतस्तत्र ययौ शनैः ॥

Summary AI "Wherever you have gone, auspiciousness has followed." Thus sent by him, the pleased hare slowly went there.

१०.६.३६

मार्गानुसारात्प्राप्तं च वारणेन्द्रं ददर्श तम् ।
यथा तथा च युक्तः स्यात्संगमो बलिनेति सः ॥

Summary AI He saw the lordly elephant who had arrived following the path. He considered how a meeting with such a powerful being could be appropriately managed.

१०.६.३७

शशो ऽद्रिशिखरारूढो धीमांस्तमवदद्गजम् ।
अहं देवस्य चन्द्रस्य दूतस्त्वां चैवमाह सः ॥

Summary AI Climbing a mountain peak, the wise hare said to the elephant, "I am the messenger of the divine Moon, and he speaks to you thus."

१०.६.३८

शीतं चन्द्रसरो नाम निवासो ऽस्ति सरो मम ।
तत्रासते शशास्तेषां राजाहं ते च मे प्रियाः ॥

Summary AI "The cool lake named Candrasaras is my dwelling place. Hares live there; I am their king, and they are dear to me."

१०.६.३९

अत एवास्मि शीतांशुः शशी चेति गतः प्रथाम् ।
तत्सरो नाशितं ते च शशका मे हतास्त्वया ॥

Summary AI "Therefore, I have become famous as Śītāṃśu and Śaśī. You have ruined that lake and killed my hares."

१०.६.४०

भूयः कर्तासि चेदेवं मत्तः प्राप्स्यसि तत्फलम् ।
एतद्दूताच्छशाच्छ्रुत्वा गजेन्द्रः सो ऽब्रवीद्भयात् ॥

Summary AI "If you do this again, you will receive the consequences from me." Hearing this from the messenger-hare, the lord of elephants spoke out of fear.

१०.६.४१

नैवं करिष्ये भूयो ऽहं मान्यो मे भगवाञ्शशी ।
तदेहि दर्शयामस्ते यावत्तं प्रार्थयेः सखे ॥

Summary AI The rabbit tells the elephant, "I will not do this again; the worshipful Moon is to be honored by me. Therefore, come, friend; I shall show him to you so that you may pray to him."

१०.६.४२

इत्यूचिवान्स नागेन्द्रमानीय सरसो ऽन्तरे ।
तत्र तस्मै शशश्चन्द्रप्रतिबिम्बमदर्शयत् ॥

Summary AI Having said this, the rabbit led the lord of elephants to the middle of the lake and showed him the reflection of the Moon in the water.

१०.६.४३

तद्दृष्ट्वा दूरतो नत्व भयात्कम्पसमाकुलः ।
वनं द्विपेन्द्रः स ययौ भूयस्तत्र च नाययौ ॥

Summary AI Seeing the reflection from afar and bowing down, trembling with fear, the lord of elephants retreated to the forest and never returned to that place again.

१०.६.४४

प्रत्यक्षं तच्च दृष्ट्वा स शशराजः शिलीमुखः ।
संमान्य तं शशं दूतमवसत्तत्र निर्भयः ॥

Summary AI Witnessing this personally, the rabbit-king Śilīmukha honored the messenger rabbit and lived there without fear thereafter.

१०.६.४५

इत्युक्त्वा वायसो भूयः पक्षिणस्तानभाषत ।
एवं प्रभुः स्वनाम्नैव यस्य कश्चिन्न बाधते ॥

Summary AI Having told this story, the crow addressed the birds again, explaining that one who serves a powerful master is protected from harm by the mere influence of that master's name.

१०.६.४६

तदुलूको दिवान्धो ऽयं क्षुद्रो राज्यं कुतो ऽर्हति ।
क्षुद्रश्च स्यादविश्वास्यस्तत्र चैतां कथां शृणु ॥

Summary AI "Then why does this base owl, blind by day, deserve the kingdom? A mean person is untrustworthy; listen to this story regarding that matter."

१०.६.४७

कदाचित्क्वापि वृक्षे ऽहमवसं तत्र चाप्यधः ।
पक्षी कपिञ्जलो नाम वसति स्म कृतालयः ॥

Summary AI Once, the crow lived in a certain tree, and below him, a bird named Kapiñjala had made his home and resided there.

१०.६.४८

स कदाचिद्गतः क्वापि यावन्न दिवसान्बहून् ।
आयाति तावत्तन्नीडं तमेत्य शशको ऽवसत् ॥

Summary AI Once, Kapiñjala went away somewhere and did not return for many days. Meanwhile, a rabbit came and occupied his nest.

१०.६.४९

दिनैः कपिञ्जलो ऽत्रागात्ततो ऽस्य शशकस्य च ।
नीडो मे तव नेत्येवं विवाद उदभूद्द्वयोः ॥

Summary AI After some days, Kapiñjala returned. A dispute then arose between the rabbit and the bird, both claiming, "The nest is mine, not yours."