Chapter 57 - The Trap Is Laid For Sukalā

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Viṣṇu said:

1-3. Rati, taking up the form of a chaste lady, went to the house of the charming loyal wife. She (i.e. Sukalā) the blessed one, endowed with a truthful nature, respectfully spoke to her (i.e. Rati). Rati, the chaste lady, well-honoured with very auspicious words, smiled and spoke to Sukalā, words full of deceit, alluring all and containing a truthful topic: “(Please) listen, my husband, my lord, who is very strong, who appreciates virtues, who is wise and learned, who is endowed with greatness, who has a holy name, left me who am more (i.e. very) sinful and has gone away.”

4-5. Sukalā, due to her feminine nature, after having heard all that she (i.e. Rati) said through agreeable words, took her to be of a very pure nature, and said to her: “O beautiful lady, why did your lord abandon your beautiful form and go away? Today tell me the truth about your good husband. You, endowed with meditation, who have come to my house, and being of the nature of my friend, are doing everything for me.”

6-10. Rati said: “Listen to the real account of my lord. O dear one, I was always engaged (in giving him) what he desired, and thus appeased him. To carry out the auspicious words of my good lord, I did everything attentively. I am of an extremely good disposition, virtuous and worthy of him through my rendering service to him who is supreme for me in this wor1d. This is the fruit of my former (deeds) which appears now only, and due to which my husband has thus gone away after abandoning me, who am luckless. O friend, I do not (i.e. cannot) sustain my life and my body. How do shameless women live well without their husbands? In the scriptures, a husband is described to be the beauty, decoration, good fortune, happiness and wealth, and not otherwise (i.e. and none else).”

11-14. She (i.e. Sukalā) having heard all that Rati said, and looking upon it as the truth, believed her talk. That magnanimous Sukalā, devoted to her husband, and confiding (in Rati), again spoke to her words describing her acts. She told in brief all her former account. “Since the husband, intent upon gaining religious merit, has gone on a pilgrimage, our grief is very true, and so is our suffering, O you virtuous lady.” Having (thus) cheered up the chaste lady, Rati advised her.

Sūta said:

15-22. Once that Rati said to Sukalā: “O friend, see the pleasing wood adorned by divine trees. There is a very auspicious sacred place, destroying sins. It looks charming due to the spreading out of many creepers, and good flowers. O you of an excellent face, we too should go (there).” Hearing that Sukalā entered, with Rati, that divine forest, resembling Indra’s garden. It was having flowers of all seasons, and was resounding with calls of hundreds of cuckoos; it was full of the music of bees’ sweet hummings; it was full of the auspicious sounds of propitious birds; it shone with trees like the sandal and with fragrances. It was full of all pleasures and with the spring-creeper and the spring season. It was put up to allure Sukalā. With her she (i.e. Rati) entered the wood, pleasing to all. She saw the auspicious (grove) giving pleasure (but) did not know the fraudulent intention (of Rati), when, O lord of men, she saw the divine wood with her (i.e. Rati).

23-26a. Shining with his divine form, Indra also went to that place. Cupid also came there along with that messenger. (Indra) being the lord of all enjoyments, and full of amorous sports, called Cupid and said to him: “This Sukalā has come. O glorious one, strike her standing before you and brought by Rati through trickery near you. If you have valour show it today. Do it certainly.”

Cupid said:

26b-27a. O you thousand-eyed (Indra), show your charming form, endowed with amorous sport, so that I shall strike (her) with (my) five arrows.

Indra said:

27b-28a. O fool, where is your valour with which you afflict people? Now you desire to fight after taking my support.

Cupid said:

28b-36a. Formerly only that trident-holder, Mahādeva (i.e. Śiva), the god of gods has snatched away my form. My body does not exist. Listen, when I desire to strike a woman, I manifest my form by resorting to a male body. O thousand-eyed (Indra), I shall now execute the mission by resorting to (the body of) a man. When a lady is repeatedly thinking about the form of a man (i.e. about a man) not seen before, I excite the man by resorting to him. In the same way, I shall certainly excite this one of the form of a woman (i.e. I shall certainly excite this woman). There is no doubt about it. O lord of gods, I got the name ‘Smara’ as I was thought of. Seeing her I shall, (being) like that, resort to the (particular) colour, object or form. My lustre would repel what is to be repelled by means of its brightness, and by resorting to the form of a woman it would allure (even) a strong-minded man; and resorting to a man (-form) I shall secure this woman for you. O Indra, I am formless. I would resort to my (original) form (and) resorting to your body I shall secure her as desired (by you).

36b-38. Having thus addressed the lord of gods, Cupid too, who was the friend of the Spring Season and who had flowers as his weapons, having resorted to the body of that magnanimous (Indra), was eager, looking, with his eyes, at the target of his arrows—the chaste, very meritorious wife of Kṛkala—to strike her.