Kathakoca or Treasury of Stories

Author(s): C H Tawney
Publisher: Oriental Books Reprint Corporation New Delhi

Page 76

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my wife.' On this account he spent his days in sorrow. In the meanwhile the Vidyadhara Madanakumára had carried off his mother, and was with her in a garden of his own city, in the shade of a fragrant mango-tree near a tank. But the soul of the hen-parrot that was in the world of the gods, owing to its affection for the Vidyádhara in a former life, perceived by its limited knowledge what was going on, and said to itself : Oh! the nature of the universe! Here is my brother carrying off his own mother with the intention of marrying her; so I will admonish him.' Then she assumed two forms, that of a male and that of a female ape, and came to the mango-tree. Then the male ape said to the female ape: 'My dear, this is called the bathing-place of the aspirant: animals that plunge in this water attain the condition of humanity; men that plunge in here acquire, owing to the virtue of this bathing-place of the aspirant, the condition of gods ; about this there is no doubt.* Now, there are two human beings sitting here in the shade of this fragrant mango-tree.' The female ape said: “Think intently of their form, and leap into this well, that you may become a woman and I will become a man.' Then the monkey said: 'Fie! fie! who would mention the name of this man who has carried off his mother with the idea of marrying her ? What desire have we for the form of that villain ?' When they heard this speech of the monkey, both the Vidyadhara and his mother were astonished. The Vidyadhara said to himself : “How can I be her son ?' The queen said to herself : 'How can this Vidyadhara be my son ?' While they were both engaged in these reflections, the Vidyadhara said to the male monkey : 'Great sir, how can this be true ?' The monkey replied : 'It is indeed true : about this matter there
* Compare Jacobi's introduction to his edition of the Pariçishta Parvan,' p. 26. This incident is found in the story of Rájasimha in the Katha Prakáça,' as appears from an analysis of a MS. of that work in the India Office Library, made by Professor Eggeling, which he has kindly lent me. A female monkey becomes a woman by throwing herself from a tree at the time of sankramana ; but the male monkey, her mate, is afraid to imitate her example, and retains his simian nature.