Simhasanadvatrimshika 11.p7

11.p7

iti pakṣiṇāṃ vacanaṃ śrutvā rājā yatra tan nagaraṃ tiṣṭhati tatra gataḥ. tato vadhyaśilāṃ nirīkṣya tatsamīpasthitasarovare snātvā vadhyaśilāyām upaviṣṭaḥ. tasmin samaye rākṣasaḥ samāgatya prahasitavadanaṃ dṛṣṭvā vismitas taṃ bhaṇati: bho mahāsattva, tvaṃ kutaḥ samāgato 'si? atra śilāyāṃ pratidinaṃ ya upaviśati, sa madāgamanāt pūrvam eva bhayān mriyate. tvaṃ punar mahādhairyasaṃpannaḥ prahasitavadano dṛśyase. anyac ca: yasya maraṇakālaḥ samāyāti, tasye 'ndriyāṇi glāniṃ prāpnuvanti; tvaṃ punar adhikāṃ kāntiṃ prāpya hasasi. tarhi kathaya: ko bhavān iti. rājñā bhaṇitam: bho rākṣasa, tava kim anena vicāreṇa? mayā parārtham eva tac charīraṃ dīyate; yad ātmanaḥ samīhitaṃ tat kuru. rākṣasena svamanasi vicāritam: aho sādhur ayam, yad ātmanaḥ sukhabhogecchāṃ vihāya paraduḥkhena duḥkhī bhavati. uktaṃ ca:

Hearing these words of the birds the king went to where that city was. There he saw the sacrificial stone, and having bathed in a fair lake which was near it he sat on the stone. At that time the rākṣasa came, and seeing him with smiling countenance was amazed, and said to him: “Great hero, where have you come from? Those who every day sit on this stone are wont to be dead from terror even before my arrival. But you are endowed with great heroism and show a smiling countenance. Moreover, when the time of a man’s death is at hand, his faculties become weak and sickly; but you beam in the possession of even exceptional beauty. Therefore tell me, who are you, sir?" The king said: "Rākṣasa, what matters that to you? It is for the sake of others that I am giving up this body; do that which you desire." The rākṣasa reflected in his heart: "Ah, a noble man is this; for he abandons his own desire for the enjoyment of happiness and is grieved by the sorrow of others. And it is said: 7. Abandoning any desire for enjoyment of happiness themselves, and seeking the happiness of all creatures, the noble are profoundly grieved by the sorrow of others." And he said to the king: "Great hero, your life is truly praiseworthy, since you offer up your body for the sake of others. For: 8. Even beasts live, to be sure, caring for their own bellies alone; but a man's life is truly praiseworthy only when he lives for others. Yet it is not strange to find such men as your worship doing good to others. And it is said: 9. What wonder is it that the noble live devoted to the service of others? For sandalwood trees are not born to cool their own bodies! Moreover, great hero, you obtain all good fortune by this very benevolence of yours. And thus it is said: 10. A man who makes it his supreme occupation to help others in the world shall obtain good fortune and a (station) higher even than the highest [perhaps = final beatitude]. And so: 11. For the happiness of the whole world are created such noble men upon earth, who are devoted to helping others, and are free from desire even for the joys of heaven." Having spoken thus he said again to the king: "O hero, I am pleased with you; choose a wish." The king said: "Rākṣasa, if you are kindly disposed towards me, then from today on give up eating men. Moreover, hear the instruction which I will give you. Thus: 12. As your own life is dear to you, even so all living beings (love their lives). Therefore the right-minded ought to save these living beings from fear of death. And so: 13. In this dread ocean of the round of existence mortals are continually tormented by the sorrows of birth, old age, and death, because they tremble before death. 14. If you will form a conception of the distress that comes to a man at the thought: ‘I must die,’ you may spare even an enemy. Moreover: 15. Just as your own life is dear to you, so is the life of others also dear to them. As you guard your own life, so guard the life of others also.”