Simhasanadvatrimshika 10: Story 10: Vikrama obtains a magic charm from an ascetic

10.p1

punar api rājā yāvat siṃhāsana upaviśati, tāvad anyayā puttalikayā bhaṇitam: bho rājan, yasya vikramasyau 'dāryādiguṇā bhavanti, so 'smin siṃhāsana upaveṣṭuṃ yogyo bhavati. rājño 'ktam: bhoḥ puttalike, kathaya tasyau 'dāryavṛttāntam. sā 'bravīt: śrūyatāṃ rājan. vikrame rājyaṃ kurvati sati kaścid yogy ujjayinīṃ praty āgataḥ. sa ca vedaśāstravaidyajyotiṣagaṇitabharataśāstrādisakalakalāvicakṣaṇaḥ; kiṃ bahunā? tatsadṛśo 'nyo nā 'sti, sākṣāt sarvajña eva. ekadā vikramo rājā tasya prasiddhiṃ śrutvā tam āhvātuṃ purohitaṃ preṣitavān. sa ca tadantikaṃ gatvā namaskṛtyā 'bravīt: bhoḥ svāmin, rājā bhavantam āhvayati; tatrā 'gantavyam. yogino 'ktam: bho buddhiman, rājadarśanenā 'smākaṃ prayojanaṃ kim asti?

When the king again was mounting the throne, another statue said: “O king, he is worthy to ascend this throne who has the magnanimity and other virtues of Vikrama.” The king said: “O statue, tell me a tale of his magnanimity.” And she said: “O king, listen.

While Vikrama was king a certain ascetic once came to Ujjayinī. He was skilled in all the arts and sciences — the Vedas, the law-books, medicine, astronomy, mathematics, acting, and the rest. In short, there was no one like him; he was as the very Omniscient in visible form. One time King Vikrama, having heard of his renown, sent his house-priest to summon him. He came into the ascetic’s presence and made obeisance and said: “Reverend sir, the king summons your worship; come to him." The ascetic answered: "Learned sir, what care I for seeing a king? 1. Let us live from almsgiving, let us go clad in nothing but the heavens, let us sleep upon the ground; why should we have to do with princes? And again: 2. One who has no desires [= an ascetic] is not a politician ['office-holder']; one who is not in love is not fond of ornament; one who is not crafty does not make flattering speeches; one whose words are straightforward is not a trickster."

10.1

bhuñjīmahi vayaṃ bhikṣām āśāvāso vasīmahi,
śayīmahi mahīpṛṣṭhe, kurvīmahi kim īśvaraih? || 1 ||

We eat alms, we wear the quarters of space as our garments, / we sleep upon the surface of the earth; what have we to do with lords? || 1

10.p2

anyac ca:

10.2

niḥspṛho nā 'dhikārī syān, nā 'kāmī maṇḍanapriyaḥ,
nā 'vidagdhaḥ priyaṃ brūyāt, sphuṭavaktā na vañcakaḥ. || 2 ||

One without desire should not hold office; one without passion does not love ornaments; / an uncultured man would not speak pleasantly; an outspoken speaker is no deceiver. || 2

10.p3

etad yogivacanaṃ śrutvā purohito rājño 'gre sarvaṃ tadvacanam akathayat. tato rājā svayam eva darśanārtham āgatya taṃ namaskṛtyo 'paviṣṭaḥ. tena saha goṣṭhīṃ kurvan yad-yat pṛcchati tat sakalam api kathayati. tadanantaram atisaṃtuṣṭo rājā pratidinaṃ tatsamīpam āgatya nānāvidhādhyātmagoṣṭhīṃ kurvann ekadā tam apṛcchat: bhoḥ svāmin, bhavatāṃ kati varṣāṇi jātāni? teno 'ktam: bho rājan, kim etat pṛcchasi? nītividā puruṣeṇa svam āyur na kathanīyam. navai 'tāni gopyāni:

Hearing the ascetic's answer the house-priest went and told the king all that he had said. So the king came thither to see for himself, and sat down after making an obeisance. And as he converst with him, all the things which the king askt he told him. Thereupon the king was greatly pleased; and he came and visited him every day, and converst with him variously on the subject of the supreme soul. One day he askt him: "My lord, how old is your worship?" He replied: "O king, why do you ask that? A man conversant with the rules of conduct should not tell his age. These nine things must be guarded: 3. Nine things one must guard in secret: age, wealth, a hole in the house-wall, a charm, a remedy, sexual intercourse, a gift, an honor, and a disgrace.

10.3

āyur vittaṃ gṛhachidraṃ mantram auṣadhasaṃgamam,
dānamānāvamānaṃ ca nava gopyāni kārayet. || 3 ||

Age, wealth, domestic trouble, mantra, medicine, sexual union, / charity, honour, and dishonour—these nine one should cause to be kept secret. || 3

10.p4

anyac ca: yas tu yogīśvaraḥ sa kālavañcanaṃ vidhāya bahukālaṃ prajīvati. bho rājan, bhavataḥ sādhayituṃ śaktir asti ced ahaṃ mantropadeśaṃ dāsyāmi. rājño 'ktam: tava mantropadeśena kiṃ labhyate? yogino 'ktam: tena mantrasādhanena jarāmaraṇarahito bhaviṣyasi. rājño 'ktam: tarhi mantraṃ mamo 'padiśa; ahaṃ taṃ mantraṃ sādhayāmi. tato yogī mantram upadiśya bhaṇati: bho rājan, amuṃ mantraṃ brahmacaryeṇa varṣam ekaṃ paṭhitvā dūrvāṅkurair daśāṃśahavanaṃ kuru. tataḥ pūrṇāhutisamaye homakuṇḍāt kaścit puruṣaḥ phalahasto nirgatya tat phalaṃ tava dāsyati. tatphalabhakṣaṇena tvaṃ jarāmaraṇarahito vajrakāyaś ca bhaviṣyasī 'ti rājñe mantram upadiśya sa yogī nijasthānaṃ gataḥ. rājā 'pi varṣam ekaṃ brahmacaryeṇa nagarād bahir mantraṃ paṭhitvā dūrvādalair daśāṃśahomam agnau kṛtvā yāvat pūrṇāhutiṃ karoti, tāvad dhomakuṇḍāt kaścit puruṣo nirgatya divyam ekaṃ phalaṃ rājñe dadau. rājā 'pi tat phalaṃ gṛhītvā puraṃ praviśya yadā rājamārge samāyāti, tadā kuṣṭhavyādhinā viśīrṇasarvāvayavaḥ kaścid brāhmaṇo rājña āśiṣaṃ prayujyā 'vadat: bho rājan, rājā nāma brāhmaṇalokasya mātṛpitṛsthāne niyojitaḥ. uktaṃ ca:

Moreover, one who lives the life of a great ascetic outwits Time [Death] and lives a long time. O king, if your majesty has the power to perform it, I will tell you how to learn a charm." The king said: "What does one obtain by learning your charm?" The ascetic answered: "By performing it you shall obtain freedom from old age and death." The king said: "Then teach me the charm; I will perform it." Then the ascetic taught him the charm, saying: "O king, recite that charm for one year, maintaining continence, and make a ten-fold offering with dūrvā-grass. Then at the full-offering-time a man will come forth from the sacrificial fireplace with a fruit in his hand, and will give you the fruit. By eating that fruit you shall be freed from old age and death, and your body shall be invulnerable." Thus, having taught the charm to the king, the ascetic went to his own place. But the king spent a year in continence outside the city, reciting the charm; and when he had made the tenfold-offering with dūrvā-grass in the fire, as he came to make the full-offering, a certain man came forth from the sacrificial fireplace and gave the king a divine fruit. And the king took the fruit and returned to the city. But as he came along the highway a certain brahman, whose members were all wasted away with the plague of leprosy, said to the king after reciting a blessing: "O king, the king verily is appointed to take the place of mother and father to the brahmanhood. And it is said: 4. The king is a kinsman to those who have no kin, an eye to those who have no eyes; the king is both a father and a mother, and the king is a savior from distress and a guru [or, 'a guru to save from distress']. Thus you save all people from distress. Now my body is being wasted away with this plague, and because of the wasting of my body my religious practices have also been ended. For in every religious performance the body is the first requisite of all. And it is said: 5. The firewood and the sacred kuça-grass for the sacrifice are easy to obtain; the waters also are sufficient for you to perform the ritual bath; by your own power you may easily engage in ascetic practices; but the body, I say, is the prime requisite for religious performances. So do you bring it about that this my body shall be free from disease and that it may be useful for religious acts." Hearing the brahman's words the king gave him that fruit. Then the brahman was greatly pleased, and went to his own abode; and the king went to his palace.

10.4

rājā bandhur abandhūnāṃ, rājā cakṣur acakṣuṣām,
rājā pitā ca mātā ca, rājā cā 'rtiharo guruḥ. || 4 ||

The king is a kinsman to the kinless, the king is an eye to the sightless, / the king is father and mother, and the king is a sorrow-dispelling elder. || 4

10.p5

tarhi viśvasyā 'rtiṃ pariharasi. anena vyādhinā mama śarīraṃ naśyati; śarīranāśād anuṣṭhānam api naṣṭam. ataḥ sarvasyā 'pi dharmakāryasya śarīram eva sādhanam. uktaṃ ca:

10.5

api kriyārthaṃ sulabhaṃ samitkuśaṃ,
jalāny api snānavidhikṣamāṇi te;
api svaśaktyā tapasi pravartase,
śarīram ādyaṃ khalu dharmasādhanam. || 5 ||

Is sacrificial fuel and kuśa grass easy to obtain for your ritual? / Are the waters adequate for your bathing rites? / Do you proceed with your austerities according to your strength? / For the body is indeed the prime instrument of righteousness. || 5

10.p6

iti. tarhi mamai 'tac charīraṃ yathā nirāmayam anuṣṭhānayogyaṃ bhavati, tathā kartavyam. tasya brāhmaṇasya vacanaṃ śrutvā rājā tasmai tat phalaṃ dadau. tato brāhmaṇaḥ paraṃ saṃtoṣaṃ prāpya nijasthānaṃ gataḥ. rājā 'pi svabhavanaṃ jagāma. iti kathāṃ kathayitvā puttalikā bhojarājam abravit: bho rājan, tvayy evam audāryaṃ vidyate cet, tarhy asmin siṃhāsana upaviśa. tac chrutvā rājā tūṣṇīṃ sthitaḥ. iti daśamākhyānam

Having told this story the statue said to King Bhoja: "O king, if such magnanimity is found in you, then mount upon this throne." And hearing this the king was silent.

Here ends the tenth story