The Story of Batmasurā1

The Story of Batmasurā1

In a certain country there are a God Îswara (Śiva) and a Princess (Umā), it is said. That God Îswara was a good soothsayer.

News of it having reached another country, a man called Batmasurā came to learn soothsaying. Having come and been there a long time he learnt soothsaying. That Batmasurā who was learning it went to his village.

Having gone and been there a long time, he again came near the God Îswara. When he came there the God Îswara was not at home; only the Princess was there. Having soaked the cloth which the Princess wore she had placed it in the veranda [before washing it].

That Batmasurā taking the cloth, and having gone and washed it, as he was holding it out [to dry] this Princess saw him. Having seen him she sat silently. Then Batmasurā having come [after] drying the cloth, gave it into the hand of the Princess.

After that, the Princess gave Batmasurā the rice which had been cooked for the God Îswara. As Batmasurā, having eaten the cooked rice, was finishing, the God Îswara came. After he came that Princess set about making ready food for the God Îswara.

Then the God Îswara asked at the hand of the Princess, “What is the food so late to-day for?”

After that, the Princess said, “That Batmasurā having come, and that one having washed and brought and given my (man̆ge) cloth, on account of it I gave him the food. Did you teach that one all soothsaying?” the Princess asked at the hand of the God Īswara.

The God Īswara said, “I taught him all soothsaying indeed; only the Īswara incantation (daehaena) I did not teach him.”

Then the Princess said, “Teach him that also.”

The God Īswara said, “Should I utter to him the Īswara incantation also, that one will seize me.”

The Princess said, “He will not do so; utter it.”

After that, the God Īswara told the Princess to call Batmasurā near. The Princess called to Batmasurā [to come] near; Batmasurā came near.

Thereupon the God Īswara said to that Batmasurā, “When I have uttered the Īswara incantation to thee, thou wilt seize me, maybe.”

Then Batmasurā said, “I will not seize thee; be good enough to utter it, Sir.”

After that, the God Īswara said, “Hold thou my hand,” to Batmasurā; so Batmasurā held his hand. Thereupon the God Īswara uttered it (maeturuwā).

After that, Batmasurā thought to himself, “Having killed the God Īswara I will go to my village, summoning the Princess [to be my wife].” Thinking it, Batmasurā bounded on the path of the God Īswara.

When the God Īswara was going running, the brother-in-law (Vishṇu) of the God Īswara was rocking and rocking in a golden swing. Having seen that this God Īswara is running, the brother-in-law of the God Īswara asked at the hand of the God Īswara, “Where are you running?”

Then the God Īswara said, “At Batmasurā’s hand I uttered over the hand the Īswara incantation. That one is [now] coming to seize me.”

After that, the brother-in-law of the God Īswara told him to stop [after] having gone running still a little distance further. So the God Īswara having gone running a little distance further, stopped there.

Then while the brother-in-law of the God Īswara, creating for himself the appearance of a woman (Mōhinī, the Deluder), was rocking and rocking in the golden swing, Batmasurā came running [there].

Batmasurā while coming there having seen with delight that woman who was rocking in the golden swing, his mind went to that woman. His mind having gone there, the [other] incantations that he had learnt were forgotten, and the Īswara incantation was forgotten.

Then the woman asked at the hand of Batmasurā, “Where are you going?”

Then Batmasurā said, “I am going to seek the God Īswara.” Having said that, he asked at the hand of the woman, “What are you here for?”

The woman said, “Nothing. I am simply here” (that is, for no special purpose).

After that, Batmasurā asked, “Can you go with me?”

The woman said, “I can indeed go. Is there your wife?” (that is, “Have you a wife?”). Batmasurā said, “There is.”

Then the woman said, “If so, how can I go? I am with child. You go, and having asked at the hand of your wife about it, come back.”

After that, Batmasurā came home and asked at the hand of his wife, “There is a woman at the road, rocking and rocking in a golden swing. The woman is with child. Shall I summon her to come [as my wife]?” The woman told him to summon her to come.

Afterwards, when Batmasurā was coming again to the place where this woman was, the woman having borne a child, that one was in her hand, and again she was with child.

Then Batmasurā having come, said, “Let us go,” to that woman.

The woman said, “There is [a child] in hand, and again I am with child. Having asked [about it] come back.”

After that, Batmasurā went home again and asked at the hand of the woman, “She is carrying one in the arms, and is again with child. Shall I summon her to come?”

The woman said, “Summon her and come.”

Afterwards as Batmasurā was coming again to the place where the woman was, the woman was carrying two in the arms, and was again with child.

Then Batmasurā came, and said to the woman, “Let us go.”

The woman said, “How shall I go carrying two in the arms, and again with child? Go and ask about it, and come back.”

Afterwards Batmasurā, having gone home, asked at the hand of his wife, “She is carrying two in the arms, and is again with child.” Then the woman told him to summon her and come.

After that Batmasurā having come to the place where this woman stayed, when he looked there was neither woman nor children. Thereupon that one went away home.

After that, the God Îswara went away to the house of the God Îswara. Having gone there, when a long time had passed Batmasurā died, and having come was [re]-born inside the God Îswara.

Afterwards the God Îswara went near another deity and asked, “What is this? My belly is enlarging!”

That deity said, “Another living being (parāna-kārayek) has been caused to come inside your body. On account of it, you must split open your body, and throw it away.”

The God Îswara could not split open his body. Having said, “I shall die,” he came home. Having come there, he ate medicine from another doctor; that also was no good.

Again he went near that very deity. Having gone there, the God Îswara asked at the hand of that deity, “What, now then, shall I do for this?”

Then the deity said, “There is nothing else to do; you must split your body.”

Then the God Îswara said, “When I have split my body shall I not be destroyed?”

The deity said, “You will not be destroyed; your life will remain over.”

Afterwards, the God Îswara told him to split open his body. Having split the body, when he looked there was a lump of flesh. He seized it and threw it away. After that, the God Îswara having become well, went home.

Thence, indeed, was the Bear (walahā).

Tom-tom Beater. North-western Province.

With reference to the last paragraphs, it is strange that a somewhat similar notion regarding the fœtal form of newly born bears was long current in Europe. In the thirteenth century Encyclopedia of Bartholomew Anglicus (ed. 1535), cap. cxii, it is stated that “Avicenna saith that the bear bringeth forth a piece of flesh imperfect and evil shapen, and the mother licketh the lump, and shapeth the members with licking.… For the whelp is a piece of flesh little more than a mouse, having neither eyes nor ears, and having claws some-deal bourgeoning [sprouting], and so this lump she licketh, and shapeth a whelp with licking” (Medieval Lore, Steele, p. 137).

This is taken from Pliny, who wrote of bears: “At the first they seeme to be a lumpe of white flesh without all forme, little bigger than rattons, without eyes, and wanting hair; onely there is some shew and appearance of clawes that put forth. This rude lumpe, with licking they fashion by little and little into some shape” (Nat. Hist., P. Holland’s translation, 1601, p. 215.)