Queen Sussondi

Once upon a time king Tamba reigned in Benares,
and his queen-consort named Sussondi was a woman of
surpassing beauty. At that time the Bodhisatta came to
life as a young Garuda. Now the Naga island was then
known as Seruma island, and the Bodhisatta lived on this
island in the abode of the Garudas. And he went to
Benares, disguised as a youth, and played at dice with
king Tamba. Remarking his beauty they said to Sussondi,
"Such and such a youth plays at dice with our king."
She longed to see him, and one day she adorned herself
and repaired to the dice-chamber. There taking her
stand amongst the attendants, she fixed her gaze on the
youth. He too gazed on the queen, and the pair fell in
love with one another. The Garuda king by an act of
supernatural power stirred up a storm in the city. The
people, through fear of the house falling, fled out of the
palace. By his power he caused it to be dark, and carry-
ing off the queen with him in the air, he made his way to
his own abode in Naga island. But no one knew of the
coming or going of Sussondi. The Garuda took his
pleasure with her, and still came to play at dice with the
king. Now the king had a minstrel named Sagga, and
not knowing where the queen had gone, the king addressed
the minstrel and said, "Go now and explore every land
and sea, and discover what has become of the queen."
And so saying he bade him begone.

He took what was necessary for his journey, and
beginning the search from the city gate, at last came
to Bharukaccha. At that time certain merchants of
Bharukaccha were setting sail for the Golden Land. He
approached them and said, "I am a minstrel. If you
remit my passage money, I will act as your minstrel.
Take me with you." They agreed to do so, and putting
him on board weighed anchor. When the ship was fairly
off, they called him and bade him make music for them.
He said, " I would make music, but if I do, the fish will be
so excited that your vessel will be wrecked." " If a mere
mortal," they said, "make music, there will be no excite-
ment on the part of the fish. Play to us." " Then do not
be angry with me," he said, and tuning his lute and keeping
perfect harmony between the words of his song and the
accompaniment of the lute string, he made music for
them. The fish were maddened at the sound and splashed
about. And a certain sea monster leaping up fell upon
the ship and broke it in two. Sagga lying on a plank was
carried along by the wind till he reached a banyan tree in
the Naga island, where the Garuda king lived. Now queen
Sussondi, whenever the Garuda king went to play at dice,
came down from her place of abode, and as she was
wandering on the edge of the shore, she saw and recognised
the minstrel Sagga, and asked him how he got there. He
told her the whole story. And she comforted him and
said, " Do not be afraid," and embracing him in her arms,
she carried him to her abode and laid him on a couch.
And when he was greatly revived, she fed him with heavenly
food, bathed him in heavenly scented-water, arrayed him
in heavenly raiment, and adorned him with flowers of
heavenly perfume, and made him recline upon a heavenly
couch. Thus did she watch over him, and whenever the
Garuda king returned, she hid her lover, and so soon as
the king was gone, under the influence of passion she took
her pleasure with him. At the end of a month and a half
from that time some merchants, who dwelt at Benares,
landed at the foot of the banyan tree in this island, to get
fire-wood and water. The minstrel went on board ship
with them, and on reaching Benares, as soon as he saw
the king, while he was playing at dice, Sagga took his lute,
and making music recited the first stanza:

I scent the fragrance of the tiraira grove,
I hear the moaning 1 of the weary sea:

Tamba, I am tormented with iny love,
For fair Sussondi dwells afar from me.

On hearing this the Garuda king uttered the second
stanza :

How didst thou cross the stormy main,
And Seruma in safety gain?
How didst thou, Sagga, tell me, pray,
To fair Sussondi win thy way?

Then Sagga repeated three stanzas :

With trading-folk from Bharukaccha land

My ship was wrecked by monsters of the sea;
I on a plank did safely gain the strand,
When an anointed queen with gentle hand
Upbore me tenderly upon her knee,
As though to her a true son I might be.
She food and raiment brought, and as I lay
With love-lorn eyes hung o'er my couch all day.
Know, Tamba, well; this word is sooth I say.

The Garuda, while the minstrel thus spake, was filled
with regrets and said : " Though I dwelt in the abode of
the Garudas, I failed to guard her safely. What is this
wicked woman to me?" So he brought her back and
presented her to the king and departed. And thenceforth
he came not there any more.