Chapter XI.
Then Udayana took the kingdom of Vatsa, which his father had bequeathed to him, and, establishing himself in Kauśámbí, ruled his subjects well. But gradually he began to devolve the cares of empire upon his ministers, Yaugandharáyaṇa and others, and gave himself up entirely to pleasures. He was continually engaged in the chase, and day and night he played on the melodious lute which Vásuki[1] gave him long ago; and he subdued evermore infuriated wild elephants, overpowered by the fascinating spell of its strings’ dulcet sound, and, taming them, brought them home. That king of Vatsa drank wine adorned by the reflection of the moon-faces of fair women, and at the same time robbed his minister’s faces of their cheerful hue.[2] Only one anxiety had he to bear, he kept thinking, “Nowhere is a wife found equal to me in birth and personal appearance, the maiden named Vásavadattá alone has a liking for me, but how is she to be obtained?” Chaṇḍamahásena also in Ujjayiní thought; “There is no suitable husband to be found for my daughter in the world, except one Udayana by name, and he has ever been my enemy. Then how can I make him my son-in-law and my submissive ally? There is only one device which can effect it. He wanders about alone in the forest capturing elephants, for he is a king addicted to the vice of hunting; I will make use of this failing of his to entrap him and bring him here by a stratagem: and, as he is acquainted with music, I will make this daughter of mine his pupil, and then his eye will without doubt be charmed with her, and he will certainly became my son-in-law, and my obedient ally. No other artifice seems applicable in this case for making him submissive to my will.” Having thus reflected, he went to the temple of Durgá, in order that his scheme might be blessed with success, and, after worship and praise, offered a prayer to the goddess. And there he heard a bodiless voice saying, “This desire of thine, O king, shall shortly be accomplished.” Then he returned satisfied, and deliberated over that very matter with the minister Buddhadatta[3] saying—“That prince is elated with pride, he is free from avarice, his subjects are attached to him, and he is of great power, therefore he cannot be reached by any of the four usual expedients beginning with negotiation, nevertheless let negotiation be tried first.”[4] Having thus deliberated, the king gave this order to an ambassador, “Go and give the king of Vatsa this message from me; ‘My daughter desires to be thy pupil in music, if thou love us, come here and teach her.’” When sent off by the king with this message, the ambassador went and repeated it to the king of Vatsa in Kauśámbí exactly as it was delivered; and the king of Vatsa, after hearing this uncourteous message from the ambassador, repeated it in private to the minister Yaugandharáyaṇa, saying “Why did that monarch send me that insolent message? What can be the villain’s object in making such a proposal?” When the king asked him this question, the great minister Yaugandharáyaṇa, who was stern to his master for his good, thus answered him; “Your reputation for vice[5] has shot up in the earth like a creeper, and this, O king, is its biting bitter fruit. For that king Chaṇḍamahásena, thinking that you are the slave of your passions, intends to ensnare you by means of his beautiful daughter, throw you into prison, and so make you his unresisting instrument. Therefore abandon kingly vices, for kings that fall into them are easily captured by their enemies, even as elephants are taken in pits.” When his minister had said this to him, the resolute king of Vatsa sent in return an ambassador to Chaṇḍamahásena with the following reply, “If thy daughter desires to become my pupil, then send her here.” When he had sent this reply, that king of Vatsa said to his ministers—“I will march and bring Chaṇḍamahásena here in chains.” When he heard that, the head minister Yaugandharáyaṇa said—“That is not a fitting thing to do, my king, nor is it in thy power to do it. For Chaṇḍamahásena is a mighty monarch, and not to be subdued by thee. And in proof of this, hear his whole history, which I now proceed to relate to thee.”