Page:The Katha Sarit Sagara.djvu/25



May the dark neck of Siva, which the god of love has, so to speak, surrounded with nooses in the form of the alluring looks of Parvati reclining on his bosom, assign to you prosperity.

May that victor of obstacles,* who after sweeping away the stars with his trunk in the delirious joy of the evening dance, seems to create others with the spray issuing from his hissing† mouth, protect you.

After worshipping the goddess of Speech, the lamp that illuminates countless objects,‡ I compose this collection which contains the pith of the Vrihat-Katha.

The first book in my collection is called Kathapitha, then comes Kathamukha, then the third book named Lavanaka, then follows Naravahanadattajanana, and then the book called Chahmlarika, and then Madana-manchuka, then the seventh book named Ratnaprabha, and then the eighth book named Suryaprabha, then Alankaravati, then Saktiyasas, and then the eleventh book called Vela, then comes Sasankavati, and then Madiravati, then comes the book called Pancha followed by Mahabhisheka, and then Suratamanjari, then Padmavati, and then will follow the eighteenth book Vishamasila.