27 - The story of Kashthila

Standard dictionaries like SKD, MW, give a “plantain tree” as the meaning of Kashthila but the story shows it to be a worm in the wood.

Vasishtha said:

1-2. On hearing the words of his father, the son Dharmangada called his mother named Sandhyavali who was auspicious, lustrous like ten thousand suns, of beautiful breasts and who protected the entire earth by the pacing of her steps over it.

3. At the instance of her son, she immediately reached the presence of the king. The words of Mohini as well as those of his father were repeated to her.

4-5. Get an agreement effected between these two-con­sole Mohini who tenaciously clings to (the stipulation of) taking food by the king on the day of Hari. Let something be done so that my father does not swerve from truth and also does not take food. Let there be happiness to both.

6. O king, (Mandhata), on hearing the words of her son the gentle lady Sandhyavali spoke these soft words to Mohini, the daughter of Brahma:

7. O beautiful lady, do not be importunate. By no means will the king taste the sinful food (cooked rice when the day of Hari has arrived.

8-9a. Closely follow the king. He is the eternal preceptor. Just as the worlds of Savitri were free from impurities, so also will be the worlds of that woman who always carries out the directions of her husband.

9b-10a. O gentle lady, formerly, he was overwhelmed by passion and beguiled. If then, he had offered his hand to you, on the mountain, that should not be thought much of (no capital be made out of it). He does give what should not be given. Do not beg for what should not be given.

10b-12. Even an adversity is beneficent to one who strictly adheres to the path of the good. O blessed lady, even during his boyhood, food has not been taken by him during the day of Hari. How will he then take food now on the day of Vishnu (Ekadashi). O lady of sweet and charming thighs, you may very well choose some other boon for something rare.

13-14. The king will definitely give it to you. Desist from the insistence on the taking of food. If you are convinced, O gentle lady, that it was I who brought up Dharmangada, choose the kingdom alongwith our own lives, O lady of auspicious holy rites. (Choose the entire worlds) consisting of seven continents and many rivers, forests and mountains.

15. O lady of large eyes, and slender waist, for the sake of my husband I shall bow down to your feet though I am the eldest and you are the youngest.

16. The woman who traps and gets her husband involved in the faults due to the verbal pledge and makes him do what should not be done is sinful and she will stay in the hell.

17. After falling off from the terrible hell, she takes twelve successive births as a sow. Thereafter, she is born as a Chandali.

18. It is after knowing this aberration resulting from sins, that O gentle lady, O lady of beautiful thighs, O charming lady, you have been prevented by me with the feelings of a dear friend.

19. Good counsel must be given to an enemy by one who wishes for piety. What then, O lotus-faced Jady to you who remains as a friend of mine?

20. On hearing the words of Sandhyavali, Mohini the fascinating lady spoke to the eldest wife of her husband whose complexion was lustrous like gold.

21-22. Mohini said- “O lady of beautiful eyebrows, you are worthy of being honoured by me. I shall carry out your instructions. If the king does not wish to do what is being sung about by Narada and other scholarly sages, viz taking food on the day of Hari, O gentle lady, may another thing, greater than your death, (?) be pursued.

23. O blessed lady, this is indeed painful to me also, but I prattle thus, thanks to divine intercession. Who likes self-slaughter? Who desires to swallow poison?

24. Who wishes to fall down from the top of a mountain? Who wants to play with snakes living in burrows? Who likes to rush at lions and tigers? Who wants to swim across the sea?

25. Who wants to indulge in harsh words and false statements? Who is  fond of outraging the modesty of another man’s wife? Who likes to cat unwholesome food? Who desires to eat the forbidden food in the world?

26-27. Who wants to go hunting deer? Who likes to play the game of dice? Who likes to enter into risky adventure? Who wants all these such as cutting of grass and hewing of wood; trampling and holding of clods of earth, harassing of 1ninor deities* (?), playing in water or with fire and similar things? Yet O beautiful lady, urged by the deity (or Fate) a man does all these things.

*In the reading dehanam instead of devanam, it means “minor beings (such as poor worms, etc.)

28. A man who deserves to be in the hell, does all inauspicious things that destroy his body in the form of fame and that make him fall off from the three aims of life.

29-31. I am naturally sinful and wicked in my evil¹ actions. I am desirous of saying extremely harsh words. The child is born with the same emotions and feelings as the progenitor has at the time of discharging semen into the vaginal passage. I have been created by the lotus born deity Brahma who had his emotions disturbed by arguments against king Rukmangada. I have the form of a fair­ complexioned lady but defiled in emotions. I shall be the perpetrator of some evil action in regard to the king.

32-34. O gentle lady, it is neither the Lagna nor the planet, nor the Hora (the hour, the rising of the zodiacal sign) that can indicate the future nature. The emotional feeling at that time (i.e. the time of conception) should be taken up (for consideration) The son is also born with the same emotion. In a son born with that ill feeling, there is no courtesy or kindness, there is neither shame nor affection nor any Dharma (piety) also, O gentle lady. In spite of his knowledge about his evil tendencies he pursues the same feelings.

35. I am going to say something that will take away your life, that of our husband and that of all women folk alongwith the world. It spoils my merits (dharma) and may cause slander against me. O timid lady, it is impossible to conceive mentally about it.

36. If you do according to my suggestion, your fame in the world will be great. It will cause the fame of your husband to spread; it is conducive to the attainment of heaven; your son will be praised and thereby my lot will be controversial and full of condemnation.

Vasishtha said:

37. O Lord, on hearing the words of Mohini the gentle lady Sandhyavali (screwed up all her courage) and urged that young woman saying “Tell me, Tell me”¹

1. This sinister confession of Mohini-the pangs of conscience (whether sincere or hypocritical) prepares the tense background for the terrible catastrophe which is impending.

38. “Of what nature are the words you are going to speak which will cause sorrow to me? In making my husband truthful, misery cannot be caused to me by any means. If it is done for the name of my husband, I am not distressed at my death, or at the death of my son or at the destruction of my kingdom.

39. If the wife is affluent but sinful, and hence, O fair complexioned lady, the husband is miserable (it is proclaimed that) she will have a downfall (in hell).

40. That sinful lady falls into hell called Puya (of foetid things) and remains there for seventy Yugas. Thereafter, she is born as female musk-rat in the Bharata land for seven births.

41-42. Then she is born as a female crow and then a female jackal* and mongoose. After taking the birth of a cow, she becomes purified. O beautiful lady, she who does not give wealth she possesses or her own life for the sake of her husband, is born as a worm in the faeces. O splendid lady, after being released from the womb of a worm, she is born as a Kashthila.¹ (plantain tree?)

*Shyali is a hyper-Sanskritisation of Pkt. Siyali. SK. Shrugali.

1. A Prakritic formation in Sk. Meaning “one who lives in a log of wood (kashtha)”

43 This happened during my girlhood days. A splitter of wood at my father’s place was chopping the wood for fuel for a long time.

44. Inclined to play alongwith my girlfriends, I went near him as he was splitting the wood.

45-46. O lady of fair eyebrows, there a worm was seen by me coming from between the wood. Its body resembled butter and it had the lustre of collyrium. It had the length of the little finger and the thickness of a finger. On seeing it fallen on the ground, a crow came there to peck at it.

47. Even as the hungry crow was about to peck at it with its beak, it was prevented by me instantaneously with a lump of clay.

48. O fair lady, it was let off by the crow that was thus hit; but it had been pecked at by the beak and wounded. It was not able to run away.

49. It began to tremble. It was about to die. But sprinkled with water a little, it regained its normal health.

50. Then O fair-complexioned lady, the Kashthila spoke to me in human voice. She addressed me by my name Sandhyavali, while I was in the midst of my friends.

51. “O splendid-faced lady in my previous birth I was the daughter of the sage named Sumantu who was omniscient. I was the wife of Kaurndinya.

52. I lived in Kanyakubja (Kanauj in U.P.). I was affluent, hence, very arrogant. I was the favourite darling of my mother, father and other kinsmen.

53. Then I was given in marriage to the noble-souled Kaundinya who was born of a noble family, was celibate (lit. who had no physical contact with any other women) and befitting me in every respect.

54. Bed and other things were given to me by my father as dowry and present. Ten thousand gold pieces too were given to me at the outset by my father-in-Jaw.

55. I was fully satisfied with the wealth obtained from my father as well as father-in-law. I had cows, buffaloes etc. I was endowed with affluence (wealth) and foodgrains.

56. I was liked by my parents-in-law and the common people, on account of my good conduct. In due course of time, my father-in-law, the knower of the real meaning of the Vedic texts, passed away.

57. Taking the dead body of her husband my mother-in-law entered the funeral pyre. Thereafter, my husband offered water libations to his parents and performed their Shraddha.

58. Within two months of that, O gentle lady, my husband went to the Royal palace out of curiosity but was afterwards overwhelmed by love passions of the heart.

59. Beautiful courtesans in the prime of their youth were seen entering the royal palace by that Brahmana.

60. With gifts of profuse wealth two of them were taken from there and brought to his house. My evil-minded husband retained them in his house for dalliance.

61. Using it up the entire wealth of my husband was wasted by both of them. O gentle lady, by the time three years elapsed, my husband became indigent.

62.Then he requested me “Give me your ornaments” Those were not given to my husband by me as he was addicted to vice.

63-65. O blessed lady, I took everything and went to my father’s abode. (He too followed me there). At my house he sold the slaves and other possessions and the money (received thereby) was given to the two courtesans. That also was exhausted. Whatever was left such as the fields, grains, etc. was sold off at throw-away-prices alongwith the garments, utensils and other personal effects. My husband thereupon entered the great ocean by means of a boat. He went oversea.

66. He went a long distance seeing wonderful things and miracles on the way. O splendid lady, he saw many animals of the sea and all their activities.

67. By the time it had gone a hundred Yojanas, the boat was caught in a violent storm. It broke into pieces and all others on the boat were killed.

68-69a. As providence would have it, and urged by his Karmans of the previous births, my husband clung to a long piece of wood. O gentle lady, led by the wind he reached a mountain bedecked with adamantine peaks.

69b-7O. That mountain contained many rivulets and fountains, many birds and many trees full of fruits and flowers. With its three prominent peaks, it scraped the middle of the sky.

71. O lady of beautiful eyes, on seeing the divine, wonderful mountain my husband left off the piece of wood (that brought him there) and joyously climbed on to it, as he was eager to earn some wealth.

72. He rested there for a while. When he was over­ whelmed with hunger and thirst, he got up in search of food and surveyed the trees all round.

73-74. He saw ripe grape vines there and ate the grapes joyfully. He was a bit assuaged and he saw a very clean big Shala tree with a thick shade and its thick foliage resembling the spreading clouds, and had the height of fifty men. Spreading his upper cloth, he went to sleep under its shade.

73. Overcome by fascinating sleep his eyes began to roll. By the time the sun had set the excessively tired (Brahmana) went to sleep.

76. When the sun had set and the night had set in, a terrible Rakshasa roaring like the cloud came there rushing in.

77. Like the ten-headed Ravana who had abducted Sita, he had carried the slender-limbed auspicious daughter of the ruler of Kashi, named Ratnavali on his lap.

78. Without washing her feet, she had gone to sleep with her head directed towards the north. The virgin of beautiful buttocks was desirous of obtaining a husband, but did not obtain one befitting her.

79. That girl was the foremost among all women. Overwhelmed by slumber she was crying. In the matter of giving her in marriage, her father had been extremely anxious day and night.

80. O lady of slender limbs, this beautiful girl, occupying a bed spread in the shadow of the lamp was seen by the sinful demon who was roaming about.

81-83. He saw her in the light of gems and jewels that were shining like lamps. She was wearing two bangles well studded with bright gems and jewels. In each bangle there were ten jewels, and in the necklace of gold coin (?) there were fifteen jewels. On the crest, there were seven jewels. On the armlets there were eight and five (thirteen) jewels. The demon abducted such a virgin bedecked in jewels and with gold-like lustrous complexion. He carried away the girl of sweet smiles from the palace of the king. Through the aerial path he reached his own abode in a moment.

84-87. He came to that mountain where my husband (was sleeping) beneath the Shala tree. There she saw his cave that had the lustre of gold. Unable to bear the terror struck by him, she entered the cave even as he was looking on. The cave had been beautified by many jewels and it-had mansions of variegated colours. Many articles lay scattered here and there. It contained beds        and  seats. Pots of beverages and edibles with various kinds of dishes had been kept there. After entering the cave, the demon placed that weeping       girl of lily­ like eyes, the excessively frightened girl of plump bosom and buttocks, on to a bed.

88. On hearing the weeping of the girl, his wife the ogress hurriedly came to the place where the demon was standing.

89. On seeing that girl whose lustre was like that of molten gold and everyone of whose limbs was beautiful, she became infuriated. Rebuking her husband, she asked thus:

90. “O ruthless one, why is this girl brought here when I am alive? Do you wish for another wife? I will no longer be your wife then.

91. That demon joyously spoke to his beloved wife of beautiful eyes, the ogress of black eyes who had spoken to him thus.

92. “O splendid-faced lady, this pabulum (eatable) prey has been brought by 1ne from Kashi for your sake. A second one is standing at the gate. It has been brought to me by providence.

93. O fair-faced lady, a Brahmana is lying beneath the Shala tree. Bring him here quickly so that I can make a meal of him.

94. On hearing the words of the Rakshasa that virgin spoke thus: - “O Rakshasi, out of his fear for you, your husband utters a lie.   

95-96. He knows that you are old in age, hideous in form and torturous in your gait. At night when I was soundly sleeping in my father’s house, he came to me passionately. O gentle lady, since I am not married he has     brought    me here to make me his wife in spite of my cries.”

97. On hearing these words uttered by the princess, the ogress became extremely infuriated. On seeing the beautiful form (of the princess), she decided that it was the truth. In her anger she hurled words (at her husband).

98. She thought thus- “She has been brought. here to be made his wife. Of necessity, this demon will strike a wedge in my head.

99. Let there not be any woman in the three worlds who undergoes the misery of having a co-wife. There will hardly be any woman in the three worlds who will survive the harassment due to the misery of being a co-wife.

100.  There is no doubt about this that it is the greatest of all miseries when there is another woman to have a share in the wealth and enjoyment of pleasures.”

101. After thinking much like this, she spoke these words to her husband, “This girl is mine, as this lady of charming eyes has been brought by you as food for me.

102-103a. I shall bring that Brahmana to be your prey, O Suvrata (one of holy rites). Then the Rakshasa urged “Go, go quickly. The corner of my mouth drips too much of saliva due to my desire to eat him.”

103b-104. Thereafter, on hearing the words uttered by her husband, the terrible Rakshasi set out with infinite hope. She saw the excellent Brahmana endowed with comely features and blooming youth as well as adorned with the jewels of learning.

105. On seeing him she was overwhelmed with love pangs in the heart. Through her Maya (power of illusion), she became a beautiful maiden of sixteen years and approached him.

106. The maiden of large buttocks spoke to the Brahmana with great pleasure- “Who are you? Whence have you come here? Why do you stay here?

107. I ask you this as I am desirous of making you my husband. I am an ogress overcome with pangs of love. I have been abandoned by my husband. I have come here to make you my husband.”

108.  On hearing her words my husband was frightened. O splendid lady, yet he emboldened himself. The intelligent (Brahmana) spoke these words: -

109. “O Ogress, how can there be the copulation of a Rakshasi and a human being? There is no doubt about this that men are remembered as the prey of Rakshasas.”

110. On hearing those words she spoke to him again respectfully- “The impossible is made possible, thanks to the intercession of the Providence.   

 111. This is heard in the Purana. This is a future incident mentioned in the Bharata, O Brahmana, Hidamba an ogress will become the wife of Bhima.¹

1. The future tense in VV. 111 and 112 regarding Bhima’s marriage with Hidamba and the birth of their son Ghatotkacha and his death by a Shakti in the Bharata war is used to show that this Kashthila incident (esp. her previous birth) is more ancient than the Mahabharata-history (mentioned only as Bharata in the N.P.).

112. The son procreated by a human being will be Ghatotkacha. He will be one who cannot be killed by any other weapon. He will attain death through the weapon called Shakti (of Indra, hurled by Karna against Ghatotkacha).

113. Hence, O Brahmana, do not grieve. It is through Providential intercession that I have become your wife. Fate: is indeed very powerful.

114-115. When Indra went to the mortal world to meet Bali, my husband, the terrible Rakshasa had a convenient opportunity. He stole Shakti from his abode as though it were the blazing flame. And that Shakti belonging to Indra has been kept here in the Shala Tree.

116. O excellent Brahmana, without killing at least one it does not go back to Indra. The person for whose slaying it was hurled will perish even if he be immortal.

117. Hence, I shall climb up to the top of this shala tree, bring the shining Shakti to you and hand it over to you with a desire for the death of my husband.

118. If you do not hit and injure the night-prowler with this Shakti, there is no doubt that the evil-minded one will swallow you as well as me.

119. He is a great enemy of yours as well as that of me, O scorcher of enemies, since, by that foolish fellow, a virgin has been brought here for being made his wife.

120. Hence, an enmity (inimical feelings) has been generated in me against my husband of the wicked soul. If he is killed, it will be possible for both of us to have sexual dalliance.

121. O Rativardhana (one who intensifies. lustfulness) if I am making a false statement to you, may I not be the partaker of benefits of the merit performed by myself.

122. If this were to be a lie, may I attain that condition of a despicable nature which is attained by men on committing Brahmana slaughter.

123. O Brahmana, may I get that state, the terrible state that is laid down in the case of an evil-minded Brahmana who drinks liquor.

124. By uttering a lie, may I attain that fate, O excellent  Brahmana, of that creature that is engaged in seducing the   preceptor’s wife and that resorts to sinful actions.

125-126. If I tell a lie, may I incur that sin which the following undergo viz: -he who steals gold and misappropriates the sum given on trust; he who forcibly occupies another man’s land; he who commits suicide; he who cats meat on the Panchami (fifth) and Ashtami (eighth) day, of a lunar fortnight.

127. The man who commits the sin of cutting off a tree or cohabiting with a woman on the new moon day, the sin acquired by taking in ghee while one is defiled by Ucchishta the sin of sexual intercourse during the day time.

128. The householder Brahmana who does not perform the holy rite of Vaishvadeva, the person who does not give alms. to the mendicant, the widow who takes meal twice a day.¹

129. The person who uses gingelly oil on the day of Samkranti (the transit of the sun from one sign of Zodiac to another), the person who goes to the holy centre along with the cows (?), the person who takes bath in another man’s tank. without taking out mud therefrom.

129. The person who chews the tooth stick twig from a forbidden tree; the person who does not serve cows, but binds. them; the person who treads the heretic’s path.

131. The person who performs the worship of the Pitris and the Devas standing on a piece of wood or rock(?), the person who keeps only a buffalo without a cow also, the person who takes food off a bell metal vessel that is broken.

132. The person who performs holy rites clad in unwashed or torn clothes or those belonging to others. The person who stares at a naked woman and the person who partakes of forbidden food.

133. O Brahmana, if I tell you a lie, may I be tarnished with the same sin as that of a person who creates obstacles in the discourse about Shrihari.

134. O Brahmana, if I tell a lie, may I be the person who incurs all these sins¹ that I have mentioned and also those I have not mentioned.”

1. Formerly, widow, were looked upon a, Yatis and all the restrictions of a Sannyasin were imposed on them. Hence this restriction. of limiting to one meal for widows.

135. O gentle lady, my husband who was thus addressed by that sinful woman was deluded by the inevitable future, and he decided accordingly, saying “So be it.”

136. That indigent Brahmana who had been indulging in vices and so perturbed extremely due to my harsh words spoke thus to the ogress. His words (proved to be) the bestower of all achievements.

137. “Bring that Shakti quickly. I shall carry out your directions. When the Rakshasa is killed, all these things should be given by you to me.

138-139a It is with a keen desire for wealth that I undertook (the voyage) through the sea full of whales and sharks”. On hearing these words, the ogress brought the Shakti that was on the top of the tree and that emitted brilliant lustre. She gave it to my husband for the realisation of their desire.

139b-140. In the meantime, the Rakshasa who was over­ whelmed by passion attempted to rape the virgin. She became terrified and spoke these words- “O Rakshasa, there is a great sin in cohabiting with a virgin.

141. While I was sleeping I had been fraudulently brought here from my father’s house at Kashi. It is not your fault in this regard. My fate is evidently of this nature.

142. I am in the middle of a cave. Who will be the protector here? It is through fate that one gets a husband. It is through fate that one gets a wife.

143. Fate alone plays the chief part in the matter of acquiring learning, house, happiness, wealth and nobility of birth. It is urged by the fate that man goes anywhere.

144. O night-prowler, of necessity you alone will be my husband. When the path is traced out by fate, what will (even) a schc1lar do?

145. Hence bring that Brahma a who has resorted to that Shala tree. Fetch ghee, water, Kusha grass and fire. Celebrate marriage in accordance with the injunctions.

146. Even without the Darbha grass, water and fire, even without the traditional rites laid down, a marriage may be fruitful if it is blessed with the permissive statement of a Brahmana.

147. O Rakshasa, if that Brahma a has not already been killed (bring him here quickly). When the holy rites of Homa have been performed, you will be able to eat him up.

148. When these words were addressed by that princess the Rakshasa had full belief in his mind. He set out proudly.

149. Afflicted by pangs of love he hastened out to bring that Brahmana.

150. O gentle lady, as he was setting out he himself sneezed, his left eye throbbed and his own clothes dropped down.

151-153. Unmindful of everything, he set out from the cave. There he saw his wife in human form engaged in that form of union as is usual between a husband and a wife. She said­ “I am abandoning you, a sinful Rakshasa of ruthless action. You are enamoured of a young woman of human species. You are the defiler of my body.” On hearing these terrible words uttered by his wife, the night-prowler (demon) became infuriated and malicious. He rushed at her.

154. He lifted up his arms. He kept his mouth wide open. He rushed at them to devour both of them. Uttering curses of harmful nature, he rushed at them like a violent storm, that blows in the proper season.