Story of Yaśodhara and Lakshmídhara and the two wives of the water-genius.
There was a famous Bráhman in Málava, named Śrídhara. And twin sons, of like feature, were born to him. The eldest was named Yaśodhara, and his younger brother was Lakshmídhara. And when they grew up, the two brothers set out together for a foreign country to study, with the approval of their father. And as they were travelling along, they reached a great wilderness, without water, without the shade of trees, full of burning sand; and being fatigued with passing through it, and exhausted with heat and thirst, they reached in the evening a shady tree laden with fruit. And they saw, at a little distance from its foot, a lake with cold and clear water, perfumed with the fragrance of lotuses. They bathed in it, and refreshed themselves with drinking the cold water, and sitting down on a slab of rock, rested for a time. And when the sun set, they said their evening prayers, and through fear of wild beasts they climbed up the tree, to spend the night there. And in the beginning of the night, many men rose out of the water of that tank below them, before their eyes. And one of them swept the ground, another painted it, and another strewed on it flowers of five colours. And another brought a golden couch and placed it there, and another spread on it a mattress with a coverlet. Another brought, and placed in a certain spot, under the tree, delicious food and drink, flowers and unguents. Then there arose from the surface of that lake a man wearing a sword, and adorned with heavenly ornaments, surpassing in beauty the god of Love.[1] When he had sat down on the couch, his attendants threw garlands round his neck, and anointed him with unguents, and then they all plunged again into the lake. Then he brought out of his mouth a lady of noble form and modest appearance, wearing auspicious garlands and ornaments, and a second, rich in celestial beauty, resplendent with magnificent robes and ornaments.[2] These were both his wives, but the second was the favourite. Then the first and good wife placed jewelled plates on the table, and handed food in two plates to her husband and her rival. When they had eaten, she also ate; and then her husband reclined on the couch with the rival wife, and went to sleep. And the first wife shampooed his feet, and the second remained awake on the couch.
When the Bráhman’s sons who were in the tree, saw this, they said to one another, “Who can this be? Let us go down and ask the lady who is shampooing his feet, for all these are immortal beings.” Then they got down and approached the first wife, and then the second saw Yaśodhara: then she rose up from the couch in her inordinate passion, while her husband was asleep, and approaching that handsome youth, said, “Be my lover.” He answered, “Wicked woman, you are to me the wife of another, and I am to you a strange man. Then why do you speak thus?” She answered, “I have had a hundred lovers. Why are you afraid? If you do not believe it, look at these hundred rings,[3] for I have taken one ring from each of them.” With these words she took the rings out of the corner of her garment, and shewed them to him. Then Yaśodhara said, “I do not care whether you have a hundred or a hundred thousand lovers, to me you are as a mother; I am not a person of that sort.” When the wicked woman was repelled by him in this way, she woke up her husband in her wrath, and, pointing to Yaśodhara, said with tears, “This scoundrel, while you were asleep, used violence to me.” When her husband heard this, he rose up and drew his sword. Then the first and virtuous wife embraced his feet, and said, “Do not commit a crime on false evidence. Hear what I have to say. This wicked woman, when she saw him, rose up from your side, and eagerly importuned him, and the virtuous man did not consent to her proposal.” When he repelled her, saying, ‘You are to me as a mother,’ being unable to endure that, in her anger she woke you up, to make you kill him. And she has already before my eyes had a hundred lovers here on various nights, travellers who were reposing in this tree, and taken their rings from them. But I never told you, not wishing to give rise to unpleasantness. However, to-day I am necessarily compelled to reveal this secret, lest you should be guilty of a crime. Just look at the rings in the corner of her garment, if you do not believe it. And my wifely virtue is of such a kind that I cannot tell my husband what is untrue. In order that you may be convinced of my faithfulness, see this proof of my power.” After saying this, she reduced that tree to ashes with an angry look, and restored it more magnificent than it was before with a look of kindness. When her husband saw that, he was at last satisfied and embraced her. And he sent that second wife, the adulteress, about her business, after cutting off her nose, and taking the rings from the corner of her garment.
He restrained his anger, when he beheld that student of the scripture, Yaśodhara, with his brother, and he said to him despondingly; “Out of jealousy I always keep these wives of mine in my heart. But still I have not been able to keep safe this wicked woman. Who can arrest the lightning? Who can guard a disloyal woman? As for a chaste woman, she is guarded by her own modesty alone, and being guarded by it, she guards[4] her husband in both worlds, as I have to-day been guarded by this woman, whose patience is more admirable even than her power of cursing. By her kindness I have got rid of an unfaithful wife, and avoided the awful crime of killing a virtuous Bráhman.” When he had said this, he made Yaśodhara sit down, and said to him, “Tell me whence you come and whither you are going.” Then Yaśodhara told him his history, and having gained his confidence, said to him out of curiosity, “Noble sir, if it is not a secret, tell me now, who you are, and why, though you possess such luxury, you dwell in the water.” When the man who lived in the water heard this, he said, “Hear! I will tell you.” And he began to tell his history in the following words.