Simhasanadvatrimshika 8: Story 8: Vikrama causes a water-tank to be filled

8.p1

punar api rājā yāvat siṃhāsana upaviśati, tāvad anyayā puttalikayā bhaṇitam: bho rājan, tvayi vikramasyau 'dāryam asti cet, tarhy asmin siṃhāsana upaviśa. bhojarājo vadati: kathaya tasyau 'dāryavṛttāntam. sā 'bravīt: śṛṇu rājan. vikramo rājā bhūmaṇḍale sarvatra nānāvinodāścaryapūrvakathākautukādikaṃ cāramukhena sarvaṃ jānāti. uktaṃ ca:

When the king was again mounting the throne, another statue said: “O king, if you have the magnanimity of Vikrama, then mount upon this throne.” King Bhoja said: “Tell me a tale of his magnanimity.” She replied: “Hear, O king.

When Vikrama was king, thru the mouth of his spies he learned of all manner of strange stories with which were connected various entertaining and astonishing incidents that happened everywhere in the round world. And it is said: 1. Cows see by their sense of smell, brahmans by the Veda, kings by their spies, and other people by their two eyes. Hear, O king. Whoever is a king must know all about the condition of the people; he must know the thoughts of everyone. He must protect his subjects perfectly, punish the wicked, and defend the good; he must acquire wealth by proper means, and be equitable to his petitioners: for these are a king's five sacred duties. And thus it is said: 2. Punishment of the wicked, rewarding of the good, increasing his treasure by proper means, impartiality to petitioners, and care for the government; these are called the five sacred duties [literally 'sacrifices'] of a king. And again: 3. What matters it that a king performs services to the gods, if he oppresses his subjects? His divine services, prayers, sacrifices, and offerings should consist in this, that no tears be shed in his kingdom.

8.1

gāvo gandhena paśyanti, vedenai 'va dvijātayaḥ;
cāraiḥ paśyanti rājānaś, cakṣurbhyām itare janāḥ. || 1 ||

Cows see by scent, the twice-born through the Veda alone, / kings see through spies, and other people with their eyes. || 1

8.p2

śrūyatāṃ rājan! yo rājā bhavati, tena sarvā 'pi lokasthitir jñātavyā; sarvatra cittaṃ jñātavyam. prajāḥ samyak pālanīyā duṣṭā daṇḍanīyāḥ śiṣṭā rakṣaṇīyā nyāyena dhanopārjanaṃ kartavyam arthiṣu samatvena vartitavyam: etāny eva pañca mahāyajñā rājñaḥ. tathā co 'ktam:

8.2

duṣṭasya daṇḍaḥ sujanasya pūjā,
nyāyena kośasya ca saṃpravṛddhiḥ,
apakṣapāto 'rthiṣu rājyarakṣā,
pañcai 'va yajñāḥ kathitā nṛpāṇām. || 2 ||

Punishment of the wicked, honouring the virtuous, / increasing the treasury justly, / impartiality toward petitioners, and protection of the kingdom: / these alone are declared the five sacrifices of kings. || 2

8.p3

anyac ca: kiṃ devakāryeṇa narādhipasya kṛtvā nirodhaṃ viṣayasthitānām?

8.3

taddevakāryaṃ japayajñahomā
yenā 'śrupātā na bhavanti rāṣṭre. || 3 ||

that is his divine rite, muttering prayers, sacrifices, and oblations, / by which no tears fall in his realm. || 3

8.p4

evaṃ vikrame rājyaṃ kurvati saty ekadā cārā bhūmaṇḍalaṃ paribhramya rājasakāśam āgatā rājñā pṛṣṭāḥ procuḥ: bho rājan, kāśmīradeśe mahādravyasaṃpannaḥ kaścid vaṇig āste. tena vaṇijā pañcakrośavistāraṃ taṭākam ekaṃ khānitam; tanmadhye jalaśayanasya nārāyaṇasya devālayaṃ kāritam; param udakaṃ na lagati. punas tena vaṇijā jalodgamananimittaṃ varuṇam uddiśya brāhmaṇaiś caturvidhahavanam abhiṣekādi kāritam. tathā 'py udakaṃ na lagati. tataḥ khinnaḥ san sa vaṇik taṭākapālyupary upaviṣṭaḥ pratidinaṃ niśvasiti: aho kenāpy upāyeno 'dakaṃ na lagati; vṛthā śramo jāta iti. ekadā taṭākapālyām upaviṣṭe sati gagane 'mānuṣā vāg āsīt: kim iti, bho vaṇikputra, kimarthaṃ niśvasiṣi? dvātriṃśallakṣaṇayuktasya puruṣasya kaṇṭharaktena yadā taṭākaṃ sicyate, tada vimalodakaṃ bhaviṣyati, nā 'nyathā. tac chrutvā tena vaṇijā taṭākapālyupari mahad annasattraṃ maṇḍitam; tasmin sattre bhoktuṃ svadeśavāsino janāḥ sarve samāyānti; tatra sthitā adhikāriṇas teṣāṃ deśavāsināṃ purata evaṃ vadanti: yaḥ ko 'pi svakaṇṭharudhireṇa taṭākaṃ secayiṣyati tasya śatabhāraṃ suvarṇaṃ dīyate. iti tadvacaḥ sarve 'pi śṛṇvanti, na ko 'pi tat sāhasam aṅgīkaroti. evaṃvidhaṃ mahac citraṃ dṛṣṭam.

While Vikrama was thus ruling, one time his spies returned to the king's presence after wandering about the earth's surface, and being questioned by the king said: "Sire, in the land of Kashmir there is a certain very wealthy merchant. This merchant caused to be dug a reservoir five kroças [about ten miles] in extent, and in it had built a shrine to Nārāyaṇa [Viṣṇu] 'Resting-on-the-Water'; but no water would stay therein. Again, in order to produce water there, this merchant caused the brahmans to perform an entire four-fold ritual service, including the coronation rite, in honor of Varuṇa; but still the water would not stay there. On this account that merchant was much distrest, and sat every day on the edge of the pond and sighed: 'Alas, the water will in no wise stay here; my labor has been in vain.' Now one day when he was sitting on the edge of the reservoir, there was heard a superhuman voice in heaven, saying: 'How now, son of a merchant! Why do you sigh? When the pond is sprinkled with blood from the neck of a man bearing the thirty-two superior marks, then pure water will stay in it, and not otherwise.' Hearing this the merchant fitted out a great dining-pavilion on the edge of the pond; and all the people who dwelt in his country came together to eat in this pavilion. And the superintendents who stood there made proclamation thus before the people of the country: 'A hundred bhāras ['loads'] of gold shall be given to whatever man will sprinkle this pond with blood from his own neck.’ They all heard this announcement, but no one agreed to undertake the heroic deed. This very strange thing have we seen.”

8.p5

teṣāṃ vacanaṃ śrutvā vikramārko rājā svayaṃ tatra gato jalaśayanasya viṣṇor mahāprāsādam atimanoharam ativiśālaṃ taṭākaṃ ca dṛṣṭvā vismayaṃ gato manasi vicārayati: yadi mama kaṇṭharaktene 'daṃ taṭākaṃ secayiṣyāmi, tarhī 'daṃ jalaiḥ paripūrṇaṃ bhaviṣyati, sakalalokasyo 'pakāro bhaviṣyati. idaṃ mama śarīraṃ sarvathā varṣaśatam api sthitvā vināśam eva yāsyati; ato mahatā puruṣeṇa śarīre mamatvaṃ na kāryam; paropakārārthaṃ śarīram api dātavyam. uktaṃ ca:

When King Vikramārka heard their words, he went himself to that place. And when he saw the great shrine, beautiful and spacious, of Viṣṇu ‘Resting-on-the-Water,’ and the reservoir, he was astonisht, and thought to himself: “If I sprinkle this pond with the blood of my neck, then it will become full of water, and it will be a benefaction to all people. This my body, even tho it should live a hundred years, must finally come to destruction; therefore a great man should not be selfish with his body. To benefit others even the body should be sacrificed. And it is said:

8.4

śatam api śaradānāṃ jīvitaṃ dhārayitvā
śayanam adhiśayānaḥ sarvathā nāśam eti;
sulabhavipadi dehe sarvalokaikanindye
na vidadhati mamatvaṃ ye hi lokojjvalās te. || 4 ||

Though sustaining life even for a hundred autumns, / lying upon his bed, a man goes wholly to destruction; / those who form no attachment to the body—in which misfortune easily befalls and which is despised by all the world— / are truly the luminaries of the world. || 4

4. Tho one extend his life to cover a hundred autumns, he must
in any case meet death, even lying in his bed. So the men who
do not practise selfishness with their bodies, which are the chief
disgrace of the whole world, being so easily subject to destruction,
they are the light of the world. Moreover:
5. Ever and ever worn by disease, ever and ever the home of
sorrow, ever nigh unto death is this body-cage of mortals.
6. Truly, those men of righteous deeds who, setting at naught
their selfish advantage, have held the body valueless, are the
ones who have gathered the fruit of this life.”

8.p6

kiṃ ca:

8.5

sarvadai 'va rujā 'krāntaṃ sarvadai 'va śuco gṛham,
sarvadā patanaprāptaṃ dehināṃ dehapañjaram. || 5 ||

Always overcome by disease, always the abode of sorrow, / always subject to falling is the bodily cage of embodied beings. || 5

8.6

tair eva phalam etasya gṛhītaṃ puṇyakarmabhih,
virajya janmanaḥ svārthe yaiḥ śarīraṃ kadarthitam. || 6 ||

The fruit of this [life] has been attained only by those of meritorious deeds / who, detached from the self-interest of life, have worn out their bodies. || 6 ||'

8.p7

evaṃ vicārya puraḥsthitaprāsādagarbhagato jalaśayanasya viṣṇoḥ pūjāṃ vidhāya namaskṛtya bhaṇati: bho jaladevate, tvaṃ dvātriṃśallakṣaṇayuktapuruṣasya kaṇṭharaktaṃ vāñchasi; tarhi mamā 'nena kaṇṭharaktena tṛptā satī 'daṃ taṭākaṃ jalaiḥ paripūrṇaṃ kuru. ity uktvā yāvat kaṇṭhe khaḍgaṃ karoti, tāvad devatayā khaḍgaṃ dhṛtvā bhaṇitam: bho vīra, tavā 'haṃ prasannā 'smi, varaṃ vṛṇīṣva. rājā 'vādīt: yadi mama prasannā jātā 'si, tarhī 'daṃ taṭākaṃ jalaiḥ paripūrṇaṃ kuru. punar devyā bhaṇitam: bho rājan, tvam asmāt sthānāt tvaritaṃ nirgaccha, yāvat paścāt paśyasi, tāvaj jalāīḥ paripūrṇaṃ bhaviṣyati. tac chrutvā rājā satvaraṃ taṭākapālīṃ gataḥ; taṭākaṃ ca jalaiḥ paripūrṇam abhūt. rājā vikramo 'pi svanagaram agamat. iti kathāṃ kathayitvā puttalikā bhojarājam abravīt: bho rājan, tvayy evam audāryaparopakārasattvasāraprabhṛtayo guṇā vidyante cet, tarhy asmin siṃhāsane samupaviśa.

So thinking he went into the temple before him, and having paid homage to Viṣṇu ‘Resting-on-the-Water’ and bowed down before him, he said: “Hail, deity of the waters! Since you desire blood from the throat of a man bearing the thirty-two superior marks, now be satisfied with this blood from my throat, and cause this pond to be full of water.” Thus speaking he put his sword to his throat; but then the deity stayed his sword and said: “O hero, I am appeased by you, choose a wish.” The king said: “If you are graciously disposed towards me, then make this pond to be filled with water.” The deity said in reply: “O king, go quickly away from this place, and when you look back, it shall be full of water.” Hearing this the king quickly went up on the bank of the pond; and the pond became filled with water. And King Vikrama went to his own city.

Having told this story the statue said to King Bhoja: “O king, if you possess such magnanimity, benevolence, courage, power, and other virtues, then mount upon this throne.”

8.p8

ity aṣṭamākhyānam

Here ends the eighth story