The Panchatantra - Story 68

STORY NO. 68. THE FOOLISH HUSBAND

Tungabala was the governor of the city of Virapura in the kingdom of Kanauj. Handsome and young and fabulously wealthy, he saw one day, when walking along the streets of the

city, the beautiful Lavanyavati, the wife of a young merchant named Charudatta. He was at once possessed with a violent desire for her and sent a woman skilled in such matters to her with a view to get her to meet him secretly. It has been said that a man keeps to the path of virtue, curbs his senses, has a sense of shame, and clings to modesty only so long as a beautiful and charming woman has not cast her piercing glances of love at him. For Lavanyavati too had fallen in love with him as soon as she saw him, and her looks had clearly betrayed her feelings. 

To the broachings of the messenger, Lavanyavati said, 'I am devoted to my husband. How can I be faithless to him without his consent ? A wife should be diligent in the management of the household, give birth to numerous children, love her husband as her own life, and obey his every behest- She ig unworthy to be called a wife who does not please her husband. If the husband is pleased with her, all the gods too are pleased with her. So, I shall unhesitatingly do whatever my husband orders me to but shall do nothing without his orders.' The messenger asked ' Do you really mean it, and will you act up to what you say?' Lavanyavati replied, 'Certainly.' Then the messenger returned to Tungabala and told him everything. He said, 'How is it possible to induce her husband to bring her here and offer her to me?' The go-between said, 'Seemingly impossible things, which can never be accomplished by valour, can easily be accomplished by a cunning device. An elephant was killed by a jackal by being entrapped in a quagmire. The governor asked her to relate the story. Then she related the story of "The Jackal And The Elephant".

The governor said to the go-between, 'Find out some device by which I can make this

merchant bring his wife and offer her to me.' She suggested a device, and he acted upon it He engaged Charudatta as an officer under him and employed him in the most confidential affairs. One day, he bathed and put on fine clothes and costly ornaments and said Charudatta, 'From to-night I have to observe a vow in honour of Gowri(Parvati, the consort of Siva, Her worship as Sakti is usually done by worshipping a young female in absolute privacy) for a month. Bring me therefore every night a young woman of good family. 

I shall have to worship her in due form.' Charudatta took that night a young damsel of good family and watched through the key-hole of the locked room what the governor did with her. Tungabala knew that he would be watching. So, he worshiped the young lady from a distance without touching her and gave her costly clothes, ornaments and unguents and sent her away with a guard. Charudatta's avarice was roused at this great reward. He was also deluded by the exemplarily decent treatment of the young lady by Tungabala. Desirous of securing such presents for his own wife, he took Lavanyavati for the next night without telling the governor who she was. Then he watched through the key-hole as before. Tungabala recognised Lavayavati from the very outset. As soon as the door had been securely locked, he fervently embraced her and consorted with her. Seeing this, Charudatta, not knowing what to do, stood like a figure drawn in painting, plunged in great sorrow, but impotent to do anything.