Source: Extracted from the "Sastra Sleuk Ret," published by the Buddhist Institute in 1961 CE (B.E. 2504).
Genre: Classical Khmer literature; a compilation of religious poetic texts, including forms such as Kakkoti, Pumnol, Brahmagiti, and Phuchungkali.
Literary Movement: Buddhist Revival Literature
Date Composed: 1729
Author: Unknown (likely a poet from the reign of King Chey Chetha)
Story Summary:
In a past life of the Buddha, as a Bodhisattva, there lived a king named Vimalaraja who ruled over the grand city of Saolasamha. He had two queens: the first named Chandadevi, and the second named Chandā. The king dearly loved both of his consorts. One day, he reflected on the fact that he had no heir to succeed him. So, he issued an order that whichever of the two queens could bear him a son would be appointed the chief queen.
Each queen then set out to perform rituals seeking a son. Queen Chandadevi practiced strict moral discipline and meditation. The power of her merit was so great that it reached the heavenly realm of Indra. Moved, Indra requested the Bodhisattva to descend and be reborn in her womb.
Meanwhile, Queen Chandā performed her own ritual by worshiping a sacred tree. A tree spirit (devatā) descended and entered her womb as well.
Eventually, both queens became pregnant and regularly visited the king. One day, noticing a change in their appearances, the king inquired about their dreams. Queen Chandadevi reported seeing a vision of Rahu carrying the moon to offer her. She received the moon joyfully, but it suddenly turned dark and disappeared from her hands. She fainted and nearly died until Rahu brought the moon back, and she revived.
Out of concern, the king summoned soothsayers, who interpreted the dream as a divine sign: the moon was a god descending into her womb and the child would become a great king. Queen Chandā, overhearing this, feared that her child might only be a girl and not fit to inherit the throne. Jealous and desperate, she sought the help of an enchantress named Old Lady Smethea to cast a love spell on the king.
Under the influence of this spell, the king banished Queen Chandadevi, even though she was pregnant. She left the palace with nothing, as all her possessions had been seized by Chandā. Wandering into a deep forest, she met an old woman and asked to stay with her. To survive, she worked as a woodcutter.
Feeling pity for his mother's hardship, the Bodhisattva (still in the womb) made a vow that if he truly was a Bodhisattva, he would be born with a glowing conch shell. When he was born, he emerged wrapped in a radiant conch that Queen Chandadevi held dearly.
Three years passed. One day, she forgot to properly store the rice before going to the forest. The young conch child (Sankha) saw this and came out of his shell to cook and tidy the house. Chandadevi, realizing someone had helped, returned suddenly one day and caught her son in human form. She quickly smashed the shell to prevent him from retreating into it.
After this, people from nearby began to bring offerings regularly.
News of this reached Queen Chandā, who had borne a daughter. Fearing that Sankha and Queen Chandadevi might return to reclaim the throne, Chandā told the king that Chandadevi had given birth to a bastard boy conceived through infidelity.
Enraged, King Vimalaraja ordered that the boy be captured and killed. Soldiers tied Sankha's hands and feet like a criminal and attempted to kill him with a sword, but the weapon turned to dust. They tried stabbing him with a spear, but it turned into flowers. They then tied him to a large stone and threw him into a river over 2,000 fathoms deep.
The splash disturbed the underworld. The Naga King created a giant lotus to catch the boy and brought him to the Naga realm, where he raised him as a spiritual son. However, the boy longed for his real mother. The Naga King then created a golden boat filled with treasures and sent the boy to the land of the ogres (yaksha) to be raised by the she-ogress Pantharas.
The boat drifted for over a month until it reached an island. There, hermits blessed the boy and helped him continue his journey. He arrived at the ogre city of Talavan. The yakshas intended to eat him, but 19,000 of them died by drowning as a result of his divine aura. Pantharas then adopted him, and through his presence, her illness was cured. She loved the boy deeply.
Pantharas warned him never to go near the magic pond (Srah Bokkarani) or the sacred temple, but out of curiosity, Sankha sneaked there, discovering magical garments and a flying log (enchanted staff). Using them, he flew in the sky and lived in secret for ten years.
Eventually, he missed his mother. Before departing, he drew sacred water from the golden pond, wore the magical cloak, put on high-heeled shoes, mounted the flying log, and left the ogre realm.
Pantharas, returning and not seeing Sankha, guessed he had fled and flew after him. Failing to persuade him to return, she imparted sacred magical knowledge—spells to summon animals and treasures, and the flight incantation. Then, she died from heartbreak. Sankha buried her in a golden casket and built a stupa to enshrine her relics.
He then flew for seven days and arrived at Samala City.
If you'd like a shortened version or a specific section translated more deeply (e.g., poetry or character dialogue), I'd be happy to help further.