Müladeva and the Courtesan
Adapted from Hindu Tales: An English Translation of Jacobi’s Ausgewählte Erzählungen in Māhārāshṭrī
In the ancient city of Bennāyada, there lived a beautiful courtesan named Devadattā. Her extraordinary beauty and charm had captivated many men, but none more completely than a wealthy merchant named Ayala. Though he had showered her with riches and affection, Devadattā’s heart remained untouched.
One day, a wandering trickster named Müladeva arrived in the city. Known throughout the land for his cunning and charisma, Müladeva had a reputation for seducing beautiful women and outwitting even the cleverest of men. When he heard tales of Devadattā’s beauty, he became determined to win her affections.
Through his network of informants, Müladeva learned that Devadattā lived with her mother, a shrewd woman who managed her daughter’s affairs and carefully selected her clients. He also discovered that despite Ayala’s persistent courtship and lavish gifts, Devadattā had never truly given her heart to the merchant.
With this knowledge, Müladeva devised a plan. Disguising himself as a wealthy traveler, he arranged to meet Devadattā at a festival. When their eyes met across the crowded gathering, something stirred within her that she had never felt before. Unlike the other men who had pursued her with obvious desire, Müladeva approached her with a quiet confidence and wit that intrigued her.
In the days that followed, Müladeva visited Devadattā secretly, charming her with stories of his travels and adventures. Before long, she found herself deeply in love with him, a feeling she had never experienced with any of her previous suitors, including the devoted Ayala.
Devadattā’s mother, however, was not pleased with this development. She had carefully cultivated the relationship with Ayala, who continued to provide them with substantial income. Seeing her daughter’s infatuation with this mysterious stranger, she grew concerned that their financial security was at risk.
“She is infatuated beyond measure,” the mother thought to herself. “She will not give him up of her own accord. Therefore, I must employ some scheme to send this lover away to foreign parts. Then all will be well.”
After careful consideration, she approached Ayala with a plan. “Announce before Devadattā that you are departing for another village,” she instructed him. “Afterwards, when Müladeva has entered our house, you may return with a sufficient number of men and dishonor him. Once humiliated, he will surely leave the country. Then you and Devadattā may remain together undisturbed. I shall give you notice when the time is right.”
Ayala, burning with jealousy and eager to eliminate his rival, readily agreed to the scheme. The next day, he made a show of departing for another village, bidding a theatrical farewell to Devadattā.
That evening, believing Ayala to be away, Müladeva came to visit Devadattā. Unknown to him, the mother had already sent word to Ayala, who was now approaching the house with a group of armed men.
Devadattā, who had learned of her mother’s treachery from a sympathetic servant, saw Ayala and his men approaching. Though torn between her love for Müladeva and fear of defying her mother, she chose to protect her lover.
“Ayala is coming with armed men,” she whispered urgently to Müladeva. “My mother has betrayed us. Quickly, hide beneath the couch for a moment while I think of a way to save you.”
Trusting her, Müladeva concealed himself beneath the large ornate couch in Devadattā’s chamber. Moments later, Ayala entered with a triumphant smile, having been told by the mother that Müladeva was in the house.
Ayala sat down on the couch, directly above where Müladeva was hiding. “Get everything ready for my bath,” he commanded Devadattā, part of his plan to flush out his rival.
Devadattā, thinking quickly, replied, “Yes, of course. Please stand up and put on your bathing dress so that I may anoint you with oils.”
But Ayala, suspecting a trick, remained seated. “Today I had a dream,” he said with a cunning smile, “that even dressed and with anointed limbs, I ascended this couch and bathed on it. Therefore, make my dream come true.”
Devadattā protested, “But the costly cotton cushions and pillows will be ruined!”
“I shall give you others that are more exquisite,” Ayala replied dismissively.
Her mother, eager to see the plan succeed, quickly agreed. “So be it.”
Sitting right there on the couch, Ayala was anointed with fragrant oils and then bathed with warm water. The water cascaded down through the couch, drenching Müladeva who lay hidden below.
At a signal from the mother, armed men entered the chamber and surrounded the couch. Ayala, feeling confident in his victory, reached down and seized Müladeva by the hair, dragging him out from his hiding place.
“Ho there!” Ayala taunted. “Now see if there is anyone who will be a refuge for you!”
Müladeva looked around and saw that he was completely surrounded by men with sharp swords in their hands. He realized that escape was impossible, and without weapons, he had no chance of fighting his way out.
“I cannot escape from them,” he thought to himself, “and I have no means to repay this hostility now. I am without weapons, so there is no chance for a manly deed.”
With dignity, he simply said to Ayala, “Do what you please.”
Ayala, looking at his captive, was struck by Müladeva’s composure and noble bearing. “He is clearly an excellent man,” Ayala thought. “And misfortunes can befall even the greatest of men in this world.”
He remembered an old saying: “Who is here always happy? Whose bright lot is constant love? Who never makes a misstep? Say, who is not crushed by fate?”
In a surprising turn of compassion, Ayala said to Müladeva, “Hear me! Though you have fallen into such a state, I will let you go now. But promise me this: do the same for me if, by the power of destiny, I should one day find myself in misfortune.”
Müladeva, astonished by this unexpected mercy, nodded in agreement. He was allowed to leave the house and the city, though his pride was wounded and his heart heavy with the humiliation he had suffered.
“See how I have been outwitted by him!” Müladeva thought as he bathed in a pond outside the city, washing away the physical traces of his ordeal but not the sting to his pride.
After much reflection, he made a resolution. “I shall go to a foreign country. There, I will find some means to retaliate against him.”
With this determination, Müladeva set out toward the distant city of Bennāyada. As he traveled through villages and towns, he eventually came to the edge of a vast forest that stretched twelve yojanas (about 84 miles).
Looking at the daunting expanse before him, Müladeva thought, “If I could find even just a companion for conversation, I might cross this forest more pleasantly.”
As if in answer to his wish, a Dhakka Brahman of distinguished appearance soon approached on the same road. Though their journey together was just beginning, it would lead to adventures neither could have anticipated, and eventually bring Müladeva back to settle his score with Ayala in ways that would become legendary throughout the land.
This tale teaches that even in moments of defeat, maintaining dignity can turn enemies into allies. It also shows how love can inspire both loyalty and betrayal, and how the twists of fate can transform the hunter into the hunted.
