Speaker 1: De Bushmita. There is a city in the world famous
under the name of Tamulipta. And in that city there
was a very rich merchant named Danadot, And he, being childless,
dissembled many brahmins and said to them, with due respect,
take such steps as will procure me a sun soon.
Then those brahmins said to him, this is not at
all difficult, for brahmins can accomplish all things in this
world by means of ceremonies in accordance with the scriptures.
To give you an instance, there was in old times
a king who had no sons, and he had a
hundred five wives in his harem, and by means of
a sacrifice to procure a son, there was born to
him a son named Jantu, was like the rising of
the new moon to the eyes of his wives. Once
on a time, an aunt bit the boy on the
thigh as he was crawling about on his knees, so
that he was very unhappy and sobbed loudly. Thereupon the
whole harem was full of confused lamentation, and the king
himself shrieked out, my son, my son of the common man.
The boy was soon comforted the ant having been removed,
and the king blamed the misfortune of his only having
one son as the cause of all his grief, And
he asked the Brahmins in his affliction if there was
any expedient by which he might obtain a large number
of children. They answered him, O, King, there is one
expedient open to you. You must slay this son and
offer up all his flesh in the fire. By smelling
the smell of that sacrifice, all thy wives will obtain sons.
When he had heard that, the king had the whole
ceremony performed as they directed, and he obtained as many
sons as he had wives. So we can obtain a
son for you also by a burnt offering. When they
had said this Datadot, the Brahmins, after a sacrificial fee
had been promised them, performed a sacrifice. Then a son
was born to that merchant. That son was Guisay, and
he gradually grew up to man's estate. Then his father, Danadot,
began to look out for a wife for him. Then
his father went with that son of his to another
country on the pretense of traffic, but really to get
a daughter in law. There he asked an excellent merchant
of the name of Dharmagupta to give him his daughter
named Davishmita for his son Guisain. But Dharmagupta, who was
tenderly attached to his daughter, did not approve of that connection,
fletting that the city of Damalpta was very far off.
But when Davshmita beheld that Guisain, her mind was immediately
attracted by his virtues, and she was set on abandoning
her relations. And so she made an assination with him
by means of a confidant, and went away from that
country at night with her beloved and his father. When
they reached Tamalipta, they were married, and the mind of
the young couple were firmly knit together by the bond
of me to a love. Then Guisain's father died, and
he himself was urged by his relations to go to
the country of Kataha for the purpose of trafficking. But
his wife, Davishmita, was too jealous to approve of that expedition,
fearing exceedingly that he would be attracted by some other lady. Then,
as his wife did not approve of it, and his
relations kept inciting him to it, Guisain, whose mind was
firmly set on doing his duty, was bewildered. Then he
went and performed a bow in the temple of the God,
observing a writchid fast, trusting that the God would show
him some way out of his difficulty, and his wife,
davis Shmita, also performed a bow with him. Then Shibo
was pleased to appear to that couple in a dream
in giving them two red lotuses. The God said to them,
take each of you one of these lotuses in your hand,
and if either of you shall be unfaithful during your separation,
the lotus in the hand of the other shall fade,
but not otherwise. After hearing this, the two woke up,
and each beheld in the hand of the other a
red lotus, and it seemed as if they had got
one another's hearts. Then Guisy set out lotus in hand,
but Davoshmita remained in the house with her eyes fixed
upon the flower. Guisain, for his part, quickly reached the
country of Kataha and began to buy and sell jewels there.
And four young merchants in that country, seeing that that
unbating lotus was ever in his hand, were greatly astonished. Accordingly,
they got him to the house by an artifice, and
made him drink a great deal of wine, and then
asked him the whole story of the lotus, and he,
being intoxicated, told them the whole story. Then those four
young merchants, knowing that Guisain would take a long time
to complete his sales and purchases of jewels and other wares,
planned together, like rascals as they were, the seduction of
him his wife, out of curiosity and eager to accomplish it,
set up quickly for Tamarulita, without their departure being noticed.
There they cast about for some instrument, and at last
had recourse to a female ascetic of the name of you,
a Karundica, who lived in the sanctuary of Buddha. And
they said to her in an affectionate matter, Reverend Madam,
if our object is accomplished by your help, we will
give you much wealth. She answered them, no doubt, you
young men desire some woman in the city, So tell
me all about it. I will procure you the object
of your desire. But I have no wish for money.
I have a pupil of distinguished ability named Cidkari. Owing
to her kindness, I have obtained untold wealth. The young
merchant asked, how have you obtained untold wealth by the
assistance of a pupil. Being asked this question, female astic said,
if you feel any curiosity city about the matter, listen,
my sons, I will tell you the whole story story
of the cunning Civi Khari. Long ago, a certain merchant
came here from the south. While he was dwelling here,
my pupil went and obtained with a treacherous object the
position of a serving maid in his house, having first
altered her appearance, And after she had gained the confidence
of that merchant, she stole all his horde of gold
from his house and went off secretly in the morning twilight.
And as she went out from the city, moving rapidly
through beer, a certain damba with his drum in his hand,
saw her and pursued her at full speed, with the
intention of robbing her. When she had reached the foot
of the Neagrota tree, she saw that he had come
up with her, and so the cunning Civi Khari said
this to him in a plaintive manner, I have had
a jealous quarrel with my husband and I have left
his house to die. Therefore, my good man, make a
noose for me to hang myself with. Then the damba thought,
let her hang herself. Why should I be guilty of
her death, especially as she is a woman, and so
he fastened a noose for her to the tree. Then
cidi Kari, feigning in ignorance, said to the damba, how
has the noose slipped around the neck? Show me I
entreat you. Then the damba placed the drum under his feet,
and saying this is the way we do the trick,
he fastened the noose around his own throat. Cidi Kari,
for her part, smashed the drum to adams with a kick,
and that damba hung till he was dead. At that moment,
the merchant arrived in search of her and beheld from
a distant Cidikari, who had stolen from him untold treasures
at the foot of the tree. She too saw him
coming and climbed up the tree without being noticed, and
remained there on a bough, having her body concealed by
the dense foliage. When the merchant came up with his servants,
he saw that damba hanging by his neck, but Ceedi
Kary was nowhere to be seen. Immediately, one of his
servants said, I wonder she has got up this tree,
and proceeded to ascend it himself. Then Cedi Cary said,
I have always loved you, and now you've climbed up
where I am. So all this wealth is at your disposal,
handsome man, come and embrace me. So she embraced the
merchant's servant, and as she was kissing his mouth, she
bit off the fool's tongue. He, overcome with the pain,
fell from the tree, spitting blood from his mouth, uttering
some indistinct syllables what sounded like la lallah. When he
saw that the merchant was terrified, and supposing his servant
had been seized by a demon, he fed from that
place and went to his own house with his attendants.
Then Cedi Kary, the female Asiitic, equally frightened. He sat
it from the top of the tree and brought home
with her all that wealth. Such a person is my pupil,
distinguished for her great discernment. And it is in this way,
my sons, that I have obtained wealth by her kindness.
When she had said this to the young merchants, the
female ascetic showed to them her pupil, who happened to
come in at that moment, and said to them, now,
my sons, tell me the real state of affairs. What
woman do you desire? I will quickly procure her for you.
When they heard that, they said, procure us an interview
with the wife of the merchant Guisay named Davashmita. When
she heard that, the astic undertook to manage that business
for them, and she gave those young merchants her own
house to reside in. Then she gratified the serpents at
Guisaine's house with gifts of sweetmeats and other things, and
afterwards entered it with her pupil. Then, as she approached
the private rooms of Davashmita, a hound that was fastened
there with a chain would not let her come near,
but opposed her entrance in the most determined way. Then
davas Shmita, seeing her of her own accord, sent a
maid and had her brought in, thinking to herself, what
can this person be come for? After she had entered,
the wicked astc gave Davishmita her blessing, and treating the
virtuous woman with affected respect, said to her, I have
always had a desire to see you, but to day
I saw you in a dream. Therefore I have come
to visit you with impatient eagerness, and my mind is
afflicted at beholding you separated from your husband, For beauty
and youth are wasted when one is deprived of the
society of one's beloved. With this and many other speeches
of the same kind, she tried to gain the confidence
of the virtuous woman in a short interview, and then
taking leave of her, she returned to her own house.
On the second day, she took with her a piece
of meat full of pepper dust, and she went again
to the house of davis Shmita, and there she gave
that piece of meat to the hound at the door,
and the hound gubbled it up, burned all then owing
to the pepper dust. The tears flowed in profusion from
the animal's eyes, and her nose began to run, And
the cunning astic immediately went into the apartment of Davishmita,
who received her hospitably and began to cry. When Davshmita
ask her why she shed tears, she said, with affected reluctance,
my friend, look at this hound weeping outside. Here, this
creature recognized me to day as having been his companion
in a former birth, and began to weep. For that reason,
my tears gushed through pity. When she heard that and
saw that hound outside apparently weeping, Davishmita thought for a
moment to herself, what can be the meaning of this
wonderful sight. Then the ascetic said to her, my daughter,
in a former birth, I and that hound were the
two wives of the certain Brahmin, and her husband frequently
went about to other countries on embassies by order of
the king. Now, while he was away from home, I
lived at my good will and pleasure, and so did
not cheat the elements of which I was composed and
my senses of their lawful enjoyment, For considerate treatment of
the elements and senses is held to be the highest duty. Therefore,
I have been born in this birth with a recollection
of my former existence. But she, in her former life,
through ignorance, confined all her attention to the preservation of
her character. Therefore, she has been degraded and born again
as one of the canine race. However, she too remembers
her former birth the wise da Vashuida said to herself,
this is a novel conception of duty. No doubt this
woman has laid a treacherous snare for me. And so
she said to her reverend lady. For this long time
I have been ignorant of this duty. So procure me
an interview with some charming man. Then the ascetic said,
there are residing here some young merchants that have come
from another country. So I will bring them to you.
When she had said this, the ascetic returned home delighted,
and Davas Shmita, of her own accord, said to her maids,
no doubt those scoundrelly young merchants, whoever they may be,
have seen that unfading lotus in the hands of my husband,
and have, on some occasion or other, when he was
drinking wine, asked him out of curiosity to tell the
whole story of it. And have now come here from
that island to deceive me. And this wicked acetic is
employed by them. So bring quickly some wine mixed with dachura,
and when you have brought it, have a dog's foot
of iron made as quickly as possible. When davis Shmita
had given them orders, the maids executed them faithfully, and
one of the maids, by her orders, dressed herself up
to resemble her mistress. The ascetic of her part chose
out of the party of four members, each of whom,
in his eagerness, said, let me go first, one individual,
and brought him with her, and, concealing him in the
dress of her pupil, she introduced him in the evening
into the house that thedevish Mita, and coming out disappeared.
Then that maid, who was disguised as Davishmta, courteously persuaded
the young merchant to drink some of that wine drugged
with the chura that liquor, with his own immodesty, robbed
him of his senses. And then the maid took away
his clothes and other equipments and left him stark naked.
Then they branded him on the forehead with the mark
of a dog's foot, and during the night took him
and pushed him into a ditch full of filth. Then
he recovered consciousness in the last watch of the night
and found himself plunged in a ditch as if it
were the hell. A beechy assigned to him by his
sins when he got up and washed himself and went
to the house of the female asdic in a state
of misery, dealing with his spingers the mark on his forehead,
and when he got there he told his friends that
he had been robbed on the way and ordered that
he might not be the only person made ridiculous. And
the next morning he sat with a cloth wrapped round
his branded, giving as an excuse that he had a
headache from keeping awake so long and drinking too much.
In the same way, the next young merchant was maltreated
when he got to the house of Davishmita, and when
he returned home stripped, he said, I put on my
ornaments there and as I was coming out, I was
plundered by robbers in the morning. He also, on the
plea of a headache, put a wrapper on to cover
his branded forehead. In the same way, all the four
young merchants suffered and churned branding and other humiliating treatment,
though they concealed the fact, and they went away from
the place without revealing to the female Buddhas asitk the
ill treatment they had experienced, hoping that she would suffer
in a similar way. On the next day, the assitic
went with her disciple to the house of Davishmita, much
delighted at having accomplished what she undertook to do. Then
Davishmita received her courteously and made her drink wine drug
with the Tourah offered a sign of gratitude. When she
and her disciple were intoxicated with it, the chain wife
cut off their ears and noses and flung them also
into a filthy pool. And, being distressed by the thought
of that perhaps these young merchants might go and slay
her husband, she told the whole circumstance to her mother
in law. Then her mother in law said to her,
my daughter, you have acted nobly, but possibly some made
fortune may happen to my son in consequence of what
you have done. So the wise davis Shmita forthwith put
on the dress of a merchant, and she embarked on
a ship on the pretense of a mercantile expedition, and
came to the country of Kataha, where her husband was.
And when she arrived there, she saw that husband of
hers Guisayin, in the midst of a circle of merchants.
Like consolation in external bodily form. He, seeing her afar
off in the dress of a man as it were,
drank her inn with his eyes and thought to himself,
who made this merchantie that looked so like my beloved wife.
So Davishmita went and represented to the king that she
had a petition to make, and asked him to assemble
all his subjects. Then the King, full of curiosity, assembled
all his citizens and said to that lady disguised the merchant,
what is your petition. Then Davishmita said, there are residing
here in your midst four slaves of mind who have escaped.
Let the King make them over to me. Then the
King said to her, all the citizens are present here,
so look at every one in order to recognize them,
and take those slaves with yours. Then she seized upon
the four young merchants, whom she had before treated in
such a humiliating way in her house, who had rappers
bound round their heads. Then the merchants who were there
flew in a passion and said to her, these are
the sons of distinguished merchants. How can they be your slaves?
And she answered them, if you do not believe what
I say, examine their foreheads, which I have marked with
a dog's foot. They consented, and removing the head wrappers
of these four, they all beheld the dog's foot on
their foreheads. Then all the merchants were abashed, and the king,
being astonished himself, asked davish Mita what all this meant.
She told the whole story, and all the people burst
out laughing, and the king said to the lady, they
are your slaves by the best of titles. Then the
other merchants paid a large sum of money to that
chaste wife to redeem those four from slavery, and a
fine to the king's treasury. Davishmita received that money and
recovered her husband, and, being honored by all good men,
returned then to her own city of Tamarlitita, and she
was never afterwards separated from her beloved