Part 1: Incarnation as Megharatha (introduction)

In the center of the middle division of the broad province, Puṣkalāvatī, in the East Videhas of this Jambūdvīpa near the river Sītā there is a city Puṇḍarīkiṇī, like a lotus in a pool, a unique depository of wealth. Its king was Ghanaratha, whose enemies’ wishes were broken, chief of great warriors, like Vāsava on earth. Of him there were two wives, Priyamati and Manoramā, like Gaṅgā and Sindhu of the ocean. Vajrāyudha’s soul fell from Graiveyaka and descended into the womb of Queen Priyamati. Then in the last part of the night she saw in a dream a cloud, raining, thundering, wreathed with lightning, enter her mouth. At dawn she told the king about the dream and he explained it, “You will have a son like a cloud for taking pain away from the earth.”

Sahasrāyudha’s soul fell from Graiveyaka and descended into Queen Manoramā’s womb. She saw in a dream a chariot, wreathed with golden bells, with a banner, with iron fellies, enter her mouth. When this dream was told to him, the king explained it, “You will have a son, chief of warriors, queen.”

At the right time both sons were born in succession, like the sun and moon that had attained other forms. On an auspicious day the king named Priyamati’s son Megharatha in accordance with her dream. He gave the second son the name Dṛḍharatha in accordance with the queen’s dream. Megharatha and Dṛḍharatha, possessing firm brotherly feeling, gradually grew up, like Sīrin and Śārṅgadhara. They gradually attained youth, the royal abode of Love, a charm for young women, the source of maximum beauty.

Then the minister of King Nihataśatru, the king of Sumandirapura, came, bowed to Ghanaratha and declared: “Your fame, endowed with different virtues, brilliant as a jasmine, whom does it not rejoice, like the moon’s rays, lord? Nihataśatru, a friend to you, though remote, wishes special affection, having come nearer through an alliance. King Nihataśatru has three daughters, placed as mistresses of the women of each of the three worlds, as it were. Nihataśatru wishes to give two to Megharatha and one to Dṛḍharatha. May you be friends.”

King Ghanaratha said in a voice deep as thunder: “Now let our friendship be strengthened by that alliance. Friendships of the noble increase by alliances like mountain-rivers by streams always joining.”

The minister said: “Majesty, summon the best astrologer and tell me the auspicious moment for auspicious rites. Send forth the princes equal to Māra in beauty. Let my master be favored in the guise of marriage with his daughters, master.”

After he had determined on an auspicious time through the astrologer and had agreed to the coming of the princes, the king dismissed the minister. The minister, delighted, went quickly to Sumandirapura and delighted King Nihataśatru by his report on this.

Ghanaratha sent Megharatha, accompanied by Dṛḍharatha, like Love accompanied by Spring, to Sumandirapura. Surrounded by vassal-kings, ministers, generals, and armies, the princes set out unhindered like the streams of rivers. After they had advanced by safe marches, they camped on the border of King Surendradatta’s territory, oceans for maintaining the boundary. A messenger, who had been instructed by King Surendradatta, approached and said to Megharatha arrogantly:

“Our master, Surendradatta, powerful as Surendra, says: ‘Do not go into my territory. Leave my border and go by another road. Travel on a road occupied by lions is not for the welfare of deer.’”

Megharatha, best of speakers, smiled and said: “This road is the direct one for us. Why should it be abandoned? For rivers fill caves, root up trees, and dig up high dry places, but do not abandon the road. We shall go by the same straight road. Let your master, not straight, show his power, indeed!”

The messenger went at once and reported all that Megharatha had said to King Surendradatta. When Surendradatta had heard it, he had the war-drum beaten, his face red as heated copper, like an elephant that had heard the elephant-call. His many armies—elephant-drivers, cavalry, foot-soldiers, and charioteers—came seeking battle. King Surendradatta, instantly deafening the world by the vehement slaps of the soldiers,^[1] the loud noise of twanging bows, neighings, creakings, and trumpetings of the horses, chariots, and elephants, by the grunts of the camels, the harsh cries of the mules, the brays of the donkeys, and the sounds of battle-drums, approached Megharatha at once with the desire to make him a guest in battle by an attack with a complete army. Megharatha, and also Dṛḍharatha, mounted the chariot Jaitra for battle, like the sun for the destruction of darkness. The soldiers of the two armies, like missile-clouds, lifted up and rained darts, spears, discs, javelins, staves, clubs, and arrows—arrows (of reed and iron), mouse-tail arrows, iron arrows, et cetera, balls of stone and balls of iron with their hands and machines. Then a continuous fight with swords on the part of the two armies took place, hindering the Khecara-women from seeing the fight. Missiles were broken by missiles, chariots were divided by chariots in that battle, like sea-monsters by sea-monsters in the ocean. The princes’ army was broken instantly by the enemy with unstumbling advances, like a forest by winds.

Then the princes, angered, having unique strength of arm, plunged into the enemy’s army, like elephants into a pool. The soldiers of the enemy stood in the front for contact with them who were like agitated oceans dark with waves of missiles. His army being disturbed by them like a cane-patch by elephants, Surendradatta ran forward for battle, together with the yuvarāj. Surendradatta fought with śrī Megharatha and his son, the yuvarāj, with Dṛḍharatha. They cut each other’s weapons and restrained each other’s missiles, and looked like four Lokapālas on the battle-field.

Giving slaps (in challenge), threatening each other, they wrestled, expert in wrestling-holds, like serpents in coils. The four, very powerful, instantly had the appearance in this battle of the Gajadanta Mountains^[2] with peaks in the form of their arms raised horizontally. Both were bound like forest-elephants by the princes Megharatha and Dṛḍharatha who had exhausted them in a moment. After they had proclaimed their command in this territory like their own country, the princes, delighted, went to Sumandirapura.

Nihataśatru came to meet the princes. Respectful greeting of other guests must be made; how much more of such as these. The king embraced them and kissed them on the top of the head, experiencing unique bliss like an Ahamindra. At an auspicious time the king married properly his elder daughters, Priyamitrā and Manoramā, to Megharatha. Dṛḍharatha, whose lotus-feet were cleansed by the king, married the third daughter, the youngest, Sumati. When the weddings had been properly celebrated with great magnificence, dismissed respectfully by the king, they went toward their own city. After they had restored in the same way Surendradatta and his yuvarāj to their own kingdom, they went to their own city.

They, long-armed, enjoyed pleasures with their wives like Indra and Upendra who had met in one place because of affection. Megharatha’s wives bore two sons in turn, Priyamitrā Nandiṣeṇa and Manoramā Meghasena. Dṛḍharatha’s wife, Sumati, bore a son, Rathasena, the sole Rohaṇa of the jewels of agreeable qualities.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

See I, p. 125.

[2]:

Cf. K., p. 233.